Lucian spent a little more time escorting Old Man Iji to the Forging Ruins. Only after watching him unpack his belongings and begin forging according to the blueprints did Lucian finally leave.
He didn't linger in the Land of Shadow. Instead, he returned to the Lands Between once again.
Using a Site of Grace, Lucian traveled directly back to Volcano Manor.
There were still plenty of things he could take care of during the time he had available.
For example, he could pay a visit to the Shaded Castle.
Millicent had been eagerly anticipating getting a prosthetic arm. She was probably already growing impatient.
Ordinary prosthetic arms in the Lands Between simply weren't precise enough. Even Iji and Hewg, two of the finest master smiths around, had no way of crafting a truly perfect prosthetic arm.
After all, there had been practically no development in this field. Only Miquella and a handful of craftsmen had ever devoted themselves to researching it.
The craftsmen and engineers of the Lands Between were actually quite inventive. Their work couldn't simply be lumped together with that of blacksmiths.
Take the Pulley Crossbow, for example, one of the representative achievements of technology in the Lands Between. It was a crossbow constructed using a combination of pulleys and a mechanical winding mechanism.
Its complex structure, born from precise mechanics and mathematics, was the work of a genius craftsman who had studied Golden Order Fundamentalism.
Among the followers of Miquella's Haligtree were quite a few Unalloyed Gold craftsmen with such exquisite skills. It was thanks to their work that Malenia had been able to obtain a prosthetic arm that responded to her movements as naturally as her own.
And thanks to the prosthetic arms they had crafted, which Malenia herself had carefully selected, Millicent would now be able to use one as well.
As long as she could obtain a prosthetic arm that Malenia had once used, Millicent would be able to dance once again.
Of course, he wasn't just going to help her acquire a prosthetic arm. He also intended to help Patches look for that percussion instrument while he was at it.
He had to admit, when it came to gathering information, Patches was a rare talent.
Previously, Patches had even managed to get his hands on something as peculiar as Morgott's Shackle.
And now he could somehow track down a percussion instrument belonging to a foreign dancer. It was downright ridiculous.
While thinking about this, Lucian had already arrived outside Millicent's room.
He gently knocked on the guest room door. A faint sound soon came from inside.
—
Millicent was leaning against the door, her left hand quietly gripping her sword as she asked in a calm voice:
"...May I ask who's there?"
She had only just taken a short rest. She hadn't expected someone to come knocking so soon afterward.
Although Rya had assured her that she would be completely safe inside Volcano Manor and could rest without worry, Millicent still couldn't quite let her guard down in a place like this.
At the very least, she couldn't think of anyone who would come calling at this particular moment.
Fortunately, a familiar and reassuring voice soon came from outside.
"It's me."
Hearing Lucian's voice, Millicent froze for a moment before finally relaxing.
She leaned her sword against the wall, freeing her hand to open the door.
Millicent's hair was loose, and her considerably longer red hair still had a few droplets of water clinging to it.
She was wearing nothing more than a loose robe, simply tied around the waist with a cloth belt. It was the very robe Lucian had draped over her earlier.
With a faint blush on her cheeks, Millicent welcomed Lucian inside.
Only then did she realize that her current appearance wasn't exactly proper. She certainly didn't look as though she had finished freshening up and gotten properly dressed.
Still, it wasn't as if she were dressed so inappropriately that she couldn't receive a visitor. That would have been rather awkward.
Millicent knew that she needed to remain more vigilant while staying at Volcano Manor. She couldn't simply take off her equipment whenever she pleased...
But...
A warm bath was simply too tempting for her to resist.
Bathing wasn't particularly convenient in the Lands Between. Most of the time, people had far more pressing concerns than such minor comforts.
During her previous journey, she had rarely encountered conditions that allowed her to bathe. Sometimes, a long time would pass before she could properly clean herself.
Even with her exceptional physical constitution, she was still nowhere near the level of a demigod. She couldn't simply avoid all the grime accumulated during long travels.
There were plenty of times when, after a long journey, the sweat inside her boots had practically pooled up.
And after fighting at Volcano Manor, she had sweated so much that she simply couldn't stand it anymore.
Rainwater, mud, sweat, blood, and Scarlet Rot. It was no exaggeration to say that her clothes had practically been marinated in all of it.
So during her brief period of rest, Millicent had taken a thorough bath and was now feeling completely refreshed.
Thanks to the high temperatures inside Volcano Manor, the bathwater prepared there stayed warm. It had been quite pleasant to bathe in.
Millicent's left hand tightened around her robe. Looking somewhat flustered, she asked Lucian.
"Sir Lucian, what brings you here at this time...?"
Looking at Millicent, Lucian could more or less guess what she had been doing.
Since she had already cleaned herself up, there shouldn't be any problem with setting out now, right?
Lucian looked at her and replied:
"I'm here to pick you up."
Millicent raised her eyebrows at his answer, looking a little confused.
"Pick me up...? Are we setting out?"
"But... haven't we only just arrived at Volcano Manor?"
Lucian smiled and explained:
"That's true. It hasn't even been half a day."
"But I've already taken care of what I needed to do here, and you've found out where the prosthetic arm is."
"Under the circumstances, there's no real reason for us to stay any longer."
Millicent nodded.
That did seem to make sense.
Recalling the overwhelming pressure she had felt earlier, Millicent finally understood.
She had already guessed that it must have been Sir Lucian. Apart from him, she couldn't believe anyone else at Volcano Manor was capable of producing such an aura.
It seemed Sir Lucian had already accomplished what he had come to Volcano Manor for. There really was no need to remain here.
Millicent nodded to Lucian before turning around to put her equipment back on.
"Please wait a moment."
"I'll be ready soon."
Millicent took out her full set of traveling gear and began putting it on piece by piece.
The robe she was wearing now went underneath everything else, replacing the inner layer that had previously been soaked with sweat.
As for the clothes she had taken off, they had already been discarded.
Although she now had only one arm, Millicent's movements were remarkably practiced. She quickly got herself fully dressed.
After traveling for so long, she had naturally mastered all the basic skills needed to take care of herself.
There were, however, a few skills beyond those necessities that Millicent had never quite managed to learn.
Looking at Millicent, whose cheeks were slightly red even as she maintained a perfectly serious expression, Lucian scratched his chin as she silently held out a hair tie to him.
"Actually... you look quite good with your hair down, too."
Of course, the real reason was that Lucian wasn't very confident in his own hair-tying skills.
Millicent couldn't tie her hair herself at the moment, and he wasn't any better at it. His previous attempts had already proven that the one time he managed to do a decent job had been pure coincidence.
With his limited skills, even reproducing the result of that previous attempt would be difficult.
Millicent pressed her lips together and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately insisted.
"It's better to tie it up... It'll be more convenient in battle."
"Although fighting like this might seem rather childish in Sir Lucian's eyes..."
"But for me, it's what allows me to maintain my dignity and keep living with my head held high."
"This is the fate that every warrior must face, something we cannot escape, isn't it?"
Lucian didn't say anything more. He simply smiled and helped Millicent tie up her hair.
Millicent would soon obtain a prosthetic arm and be able to return to a normal life, as though she had both hands again.
Perhaps this was the last time they would share such an intimate interaction.
But that was something worth celebrating. After all, it meant Millicent was about to begin a new life.
Having traveled across more than half of the Lands Between, she had once again tempered her resolve to resist the Scarlet Rot.
Once she obtained her prosthetic arm and could perform the graceful Waterfowl Swordstyle once more, Millicent would undoubtedly undergo a transformation.
A strong girl like Millicent would surely be able to take good care of herself in the future.
The only thing Lucian regretted was that he hadn't improved his hair-tying skills. As a result, even at this final opportunity, all he could manage was a rather ordinary-looking ponytail.
Lucian pulled the hair tie tight with his fingers, securing it firmly. A brand-new ponytail was complete.
Fortunately, this attempt was at least passable.
Millicent reached up and touched the newly tied hair. She turned her head toward the mirror in the room to inspect it, looking quite pleased.
To be fair, Lucian had done a decent job this time.
Especially when compared with his first two attempts, the improvement was even more apparent.
Once she was completely dressed and ready, Millicent sheathed the sword that had been leaning against the wall. She gave Lucian a confident nod.
"Well, I'm completely ready now."
"We can set out whenever you are."
Lucian nodded in response, then led the way out of the room.
After greeting Patches, who was squatting idly in the corridor with nothing better to do, the two of them walked out of Volcano Manor without any obstruction.
However, when they reached the entrance to the main avenue, they once again encountered the same group of Recusants as before.
There was one fewer of them this time, but each of the remaining members was considerably stronger.
Seeing Lucian and Millicent emerge from the manor, the Recusants were momentarily taken aback.
Normally, one could only meet Lady Tanith and formally join Volcano Manor during the dinner banquet.
But not even half a day had passed yet...
In other words, had these two fellows been kicked out again without even getting to meet Lady Tanith?
It wasn't unreasonable for the Recusants to think that way. Something like this had happened before.
Rya didn't even understand the true, deep darkness behind Volcano Manor. How could she possibly find suitable candidates every single time?
Licking their lips, the Recusants once again surrounded the two of them.
"That young lady Rya interrupted us earlier... This time, there's no one who can protect you, is there?"
With that, the Recusants let out sinister laughs and moved even closer.
Standing behind Lucian, Millicent muttered quietly.
"Does Volcano Manor really not care about what these Recusants do?"
"Why is there always someone waiting to welcome us whenever we come or go...?"
Lucian shook his head slightly without saying anything.
They had clearly been given a chance to escape, yet they had chosen to walk straight into hell.
He had spared them earlier out of consideration for Rya. And now they had come looking for trouble again.
Blocking their way was a trivial matter. They couldn't possibly pose any real threat to him, but the malice they carried was genuine.
Now that Rya wasn't here to stop him, Lucian had no intention of letting them off a second time.
"It seems that even in a remote place like Mt. Gelmir, I still need to show a little divine majesty."
"Otherwise, filthy creatures like you, no better than rats, will probably never understand..."
"What it means to stand before the majesty of the King of the Sun."
Lucian raised his eyes and looked coldly at the Recusants.
An indescribable pressure descended upon them, crushing them instantly.
Their knees slammed heavily against the ground, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones.
The disrespectful have no right to stand before the King.
Faced with this utterly unexpected outcome, the Recusants finally realized just how grave a mistake they had made.
Screaming in agony, they repeatedly smashed their foreheads against the ground, crying and begging for mercy.
"AAAH! It hurts! Please, spare me!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"NO!!"
In response to their pleas, Lucian merely watched them with cold eyes.
"You don't actually regret what you've done..."
"You've simply realized that you're about to die."
"Raise your heads. Look directly at me."
It was an order that allowed no refusal. Under the crushing pressure, the Recusants had long since lost any ability to resist.
Thus, every one of them raised their heads and looked into Lucian's eyes.
And there, within his pupils, they saw flames burning fiercely.
No... Were those really flames?
They were something more intense than fire, something brighter and more dazzling than any ordinary flame...
Their agonized screams gradually faded, swallowed by the radiance until silence finally settled over them.
They had walked the path of blasphemy without ever seeing the light. Now, that light penetrated their minds and took root in the depths of their eyes.
As they gazed upon its brilliance, the empty shells known as their bodies instinctively reached out with both hands, as though trying to embrace it.
Yet beneath the majesty of the King, their minds and their very lives were brought to an absolute end.
The faint glimpse of sunlight they saw before death became the final rays of their setting suns.
From their empty eye sockets, flames roared to life, turning each of their heads into a blazing torch.
To die while holding the Sun's scorching flames in their hands. This was the final mercy Lucian granted them.
Lucian withdrew his pressure, turned around, and gently took Millicent's hand. Then he flew toward the Shaded Castle.
Whether one receives the Sun's gentle warmth or its merciless scorching flames depends entirely on the human heart.
—
After Lucian departed, Bernahl slowly emerged from the manor.
Looking at the Recusants who had died kneeling before him, he shook his head and pointed the Devourer's Scepter toward them.
Phantasmal serpents of blood surged out from the scepter, enveloping the corpses of the Recusants.
"While you were alive, you had little value. You were nothing but scum, the most shallow and despicable of predators."
"But even after death, you can still become a source of strength for those who would rebel against the Erdtree."
"It would be a waste to let that go unused..."
After devouring all the remaining power within the corpses, Bernahl raised the Devourer's Scepter high above his head.
The serpent's eyes shone with a brilliant red light.
Streams of crimson radiance burst forth, shooting toward every corner of the volcano and bathing the land in a bloody glow.
Every Recusant who had sworn the blood oath and joined Volcano Manor was marked by the Devourer's Scepter.
Bernahl had witnessed Rykard's final fate as his close friend, and he now held the Devourer's Scepter, the very symbol of Rykard's ambition.
This meant that Bernahl possessed the authority to issue commands in Rykard's place.
He had simply never exercised that authority before. Until now, he had never used it, and this would be the first and last time.
Bernahl's command was simple.
There was no explanation, only a straightforward order:
All Recusants were to gather at Volcano Manor within three days.
Anyone who failed to answer the summons would be designated as a target for hunting by their fellow Recusants.
—
Standing before a window on the manor's second floor, Tanith silently watched Bernahl's actions. Behind her, Rya could be heard sobbing in grief.
Just moments ago, Bernahl had already persuaded her to shoulder the legacy of Volcano Manor of her own accord.
And she had agreed.
Letting out a long breath, Tanith felt nothing but turmoil in her heart.
Troubles always seemed to arrive all at once, leaving even Tanith feeling utterly overwhelmed.
Lord Rykard had been targeted by Lucian. The end of Volcano Manor had arrived.
And Rya had also discovered the truth behind Volcano Manor... including the fact that her own origins were not what she had always claimed them to be.
Although Tanith had confessed everything, she had absolutely no idea what decision the girl would ultimately make...