"This body… isn't Miquella's, is it?"
Lucian looked at Leda, waiting for her to continue.
Leda nodded, admitting it without hesitation.
"As expected… nothing escapes your sight."
"During the The Shattering, Mohg launched a surprise attack on the Haligtree and abducted my lord, Miquella."
"But later, Lord Miquella devised a plan and managed to escape."
"To this day, Mohg has not realized the truth. He still believes that the body in that cocoon is Lord Miquella's."
"Even so… I must still settle the score for what happened during the Shattering."
Lucian listened in silence.
How much of Leda's words could be trusted, he had no way of knowing.
But one thing was certain: this was not the whole truth.
Even now, Lucian still didn't understand why Malenia, Blade of Miquella had marched to Caelid to challenge Starscourge Radahn, nor why she had ultimately unleashed the Scarlet Rot.
And Leda was clearly not going to explain all of that.
Keeping his expression neutral, Lucian asked calmly:
"What does Miquella want?"
Leda turned her gaze toward the arm extending from the cocoon and spoke slowly:
"To create a better Lands Between."
"To create… a world where all beings can coexist in peace. A world filled with love."
Lucian fell briefly into a daze.
A world where all beings lived in harmony…
That had always been his goal as well.
Long ago, when he had first arrived in the Lands Between, his impressions of the Haligtree from the game had led him to treat it as something worth studying, something to emulate.
He had once believed that Miquella's Haligtree project had already made progress, that it could serve as a model.
Back then, he had even felt regret when Miquella fell victim to Mohg, and the Haligtree's development was forced to halt.
But ever since encountering Leda and the others, Lucian had begun to notice the hidden movements behind Miquella's actions, things that lay beneath the surface of the entire world.
The war in Aeonia.
The unease in Millicent's dreams.
The false body within this cocoon…
All of it made Lucian begin to question Miquella's true intentions.
Was he really pursuing that ideal?
Perhaps he was.
Perhaps he had always believed in it, and acted accordingly.
But how he intended to achieve it, that was what unsettled Lucian.
For now… it was something to keep a close eye on.
Lucian pointed toward the arm extending from the cocoon.
"Where does that body lead?"
With his perception pushed beyond its limits, he could sense something unusual connected to that arm.
A strange brilliance.
Dim, veiled, as though covered by shadow, yet beneath it lay an even brighter light.
This body was undoubtedly a gateway to somewhere else.
In his previous life, many had speculated that this arm might lead to a yet-unseen realm, perhaps even a future expansion.
Now, that speculation seemed to hold true.
Lucian could feel its significance.
He just didn't yet know where it led.
Leda gave a wry smile. She had expected this question.
"May I ask… have you heard of the Land of Shadow?"
At those words, Lucian's gaze sharpened.
He already knew that there had once been a land at the very center of the Lands Between, now completely sealed away.
Was this "Land of Shadow" the same place?
"Explain."
Leda took a breath and began:
"The Land of Shadow… is a forsaken land. A place abandoned by the Lands Between."
"Something once occurred there, something that could never be allowed to be known."
"And so it was sealed away, completely cut off."
"And that false body… has now become a bridge to that land."
She inhaled deeply, as if gathering her courage.
"Lucian… Lord Miquella wishes for you to go to the Land of Shadow."
"He said… there, you will find the answers you seek."
"Come. Touch that withered arm… and journey to the Land of Shadow."
Even as she spoke, Leda herself could hardly believe the words Miquella had entrusted to her.
—
"Invite Lucian… to the Land of Shadow."
The instruction had stunned her.
This was the first time she had ever opposed Miquella's decision.
Letting Lucian enter that place was far too dangerous.
His strength alone would introduce countless uncertainties.
Miquella had not even clearly explained his intentions, only vague guidance, shared with her alone.
If Lucian chose to oppose them, they would have no way of stopping him.
But Miquella had dismissed her concerns.
"Even if you try to stop him, he won't be swayed by your words. If anything, it will only make him suspicious."
"If he wishes, it won't take much for him to realize that I was never truly restrained by Mohg."
"And when that happens… there will simply be more corpses. It will not stop him."
"If possible, I would rather avoid conflict."
"So… invite him."
Leda had hesitated, deeply conflicted.
Miquella, seeing her struggle, had gently reassured her.
"No need to worry."
"Leda… I am grateful for your unwavering devotion. So trust me."
Then his presence faded, severing the connection.
—
Somewhere within the unseen Land of Shadow, Miquella let out a quiet sigh.
In the Lands Between, conflict never truly ended.
Within the Haligtree, once his most cherished creation, lush and full of promise—he had already come to understand this truth.
Faith. Power. Survival.
All of these would inevitably lead to conflict.
True peace could not exist without a single, universal standard, something that all would yield to.
If one sought happiness… then perhaps one must choose not to see certain things.
Even at the cost of freedom, Miquella wished to ensure that life itself could coexist above all else.
Only then could people pursue their beliefs and desires, without those differences leading to death.
Only then could a world of peace and happiness be realized.
And the one who could establish that absolute standard…
Was himself.
He would use his innate gift—
To make all things love him.
If all beings shared a single faith, if all loved Miquella, then hatred and conflict would fade beneath that love.
He knew how difficult it would be.
He knew he might not even be able to uphold such a world forever.
But the future could wait.
Even if only for the present, he wanted peace to exist.
No matter the cost.
—
Facing Leda's explanation, Lucian remained unconvinced.
Miquella inviting him personally…
It felt like a trap.
And yet, he could not ignore the Land of Shadow.
Beyond its hidden history, it held tangible value.
If he could take control of whatever "Scadutree" lay within, and restore its blessings…
The benefits would be immense.
This was a calculated move.
An open strategy, one that assumed Lucian would be unable to resist.
But before deciding whether to go…
There was something else he needed to do.
He had only just thought of it.
The duration of his infinite focus still had time remaining.
Perhaps it could be put to use.
The Great Rune he had taken from Mohg had been infused with the power of the Formless Mother, carrying aspects of blood-based law.
It was no longer the same as an ordinary Great Rune.
And Lucian still had another one.
The Great Rune he had obtained from Starscourge Radahn.
During that titanic battle, Radahn had burned everything he had, and the rune had been drained of its power.
Until now, it had remained unused.
Inspired by Mohg's rune, Lucian wondered.
Could he infuse it with the power of the sun?
With infinite focus still at his disposal… this might be his chance.
Even if he couldn't yet imbue it with a true, law-level solar power, sheer quantity might still produce unexpected results.
So instead of responding to Leda, Lucian summoned the pale phantom of the Great Rune from within himself.
It rose into the air and sank into the blazing sun he had created.
Under his control, solar power began to pour into it.
But the process was far from smooth.
Most of the solar energy was rejected.
Only the purest form of magic seeped in.
The laws of the Lands Between still resisted interference from external divine forces, even that of the sun.
Leda watched in silence, unable to understand what he was doing.
She chose not to interrupt.
But Melina realized it at once.
Her eyes widened in shock.
He was trying to infuse a Great Rune… with the power of the sun?
Was such a thing even possible?
As the process stalled, Melina suddenly felt something stir within her.
Almost instinctively, she reached out and took Lucian's hand.
Her gloam eye opened once more.
As if guided by something deeper than thought, she joined the process.
At that moment.
Lucian felt the resistance weaken.
The solar power could finally enter the rune.
He turned to her, meeting her gaze.
And the two shared a quiet smile.
Melina let out a small sigh of relief. As long as she could help Lucian, that was enough.
Even she did not fully understand what kind of power resided within her Gloam-Eyed gaze, nor whether it truly originated from the legendary Gloam-Eyed Queen.
To be able to interfere with something as fundamental as the laws and Great Runes was far beyond expectation.
However, even this was still not enough.
Melina was neither an Empyrean chosen by the Two Fingers nor the Gloam-Eyed Queen herself, she could not truly infuse a Rune with a governing law.
But within Lucian, there existed something that might make it possible.
Using her status as a legitimate demigod of the Golden Lineage, Melina reached toward the core Great Rune within Lucian, guiding it into motion.
With the inclusive and all-embracing nature of that Anchor Rune, the power of the sun finally began to flow smoothly into the gray-white Great Rune.
Though some resistance still remained, it was nothing like before.
Even if the efficiency was low, to Lucian who currently possessed infinite focus, it was no issue at all.
He continued pouring power into it until only a few seconds of infinite focus remained.
It wasn't that he wanted to waste those final seconds, the Rune itself was already nearing its limit and could no longer withstand more.
At last, the Great Rune was completely filled with the power of the sun.
Unfortunately, without the involvement of an Outer God, their method remained crude. They had not transformed the Rune's fundamental nature, nor granted it true solar law.
What they had created was merely a storage vessel for power.
Even so, Lucian was satisfied.
From now on, whenever needed, he could release the solar energy stored within the Great Rune.
Being able to preserve the power of "infinite focus" in this way was undoubtedly an exciting breakthrough.
Magic was like electricity, given time, it could be stored.
Unfortunately, other effects weren't so convenient.
It wasn't like he could turn "infinite health" into canned meat, that would be ridiculous.
Having finished everything, Lucian finally stepped before the cocoon.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to proceed and investigate.
Turning his head, he said to Melina.
"Wait for me outside."
Melina was puzzled at first, about to ask why they wouldn't go together, but quickly understood.
Lucian was clearly wary of whatever trap Miquella might have prepared, someone needed to remain outside.
She nodded obediently and held his hand tightly.
Standing before the cocoon containing the false body, Lucian looked at the withered arm extending outward, but did not touch it immediately.
'Asimi.'
He called out silently in his mind.
'Yes, my lord? What is it?'
'Is there something you need me to do?'
After a moment of thought, Lucian gave his instructions:
'If, after I touch that arm, you notice anything unusual about me…'
'No matter how small the difference, anything that deviates from normal, tell me immediately.'
'And if I don't react with alarm when you point it out, then go find Melina and inform her.'
Asimi was a little confused, but she still agreed.
She had not been with Lucian for long and did not fully understand these precautions.
But if the lord deemed it necessary, then there must be a reason.
With everything arranged, Lucian finally felt ready to proceed.
Miquella was an Empyrean, one who naturally possessed the ability to make all beings feel affection toward him.
If Lucian were just an ordinary Tarnished, he would never risk this.
But he wasn't.
He was a Tarnished with cheats, one backed by the "Wemod-like" power.
Even if it wasn't in its full form, it still had the option to remove abnormal states.
No matter how outrageous Miquella's abilities were, could they really surpass that?
As long as he could recognize the influence, he could simply cleanse it.
The real problem was—
Would he even realize he had been affected?
A line from a wise man surfaced clearly in his mind.
"Since when were you under the impression that I wasn't using Kyōka Suigetsu?"
That was the most terrifying aspect of mental manipulation.
If you couldn't detect it, then there was nothing to dispel.
Asimi, as a Mimic Tear, should not be affected by such conditions. She would serve as his observer.
And Melina, remaining outside, was the final safeguard.
With all preparations complete, Lucian took a deep breath.
He released Melina's hand, and reached out to touch the withered arm.