How many Tarnished Ones could resist the temptation of Melina and Torrent?
Miquella would never believe there was no scheme or hidden manipulation behind all of this, not even if he were beaten to death.
And this person had actually used his horse to bribe the person who belonged to him. It was outrageous.
The expressions of everyone behind Nolan turned subtle. Trina was the first to raise her hand and say with a smile, "Hey, we'll be able to leave this place soon!"
She was thrilled. She had long since had enough of this dull world without the Chosen One.
Nolan did not hurry forward. Instead, halfway along, he crouched down and carefully studied the elegant line of writing on the ground, beautiful enough to be called a work of art.
"I abandon my love here!"
Looking at those words, Nolan could not help teasing, "Tsk, tsk. How heartless."
"It was him!" A shout rang out as Trina suddenly raised her hand. The movement came without the slightest hesitation, instantly selling out her own other half.
Her little hand pointed straight at Miquella as she cried, "He wrote it! It has nothing to do with me!"
Hearing that, Miquella was left speechless. How could this fellow be so disloyal and so unable to keep calm? He glared fiercely at Trina.
What are you panicking for? Even if they asked who did it, couldn't you just say you didn't know? Why did you have to point me out?
Miquella could not help feeling awkward. He had also believed that, after separating from Trina, he would become a cold, emotionless being who relied purely on absolute reason to think and act.
In the grand blueprint he had painstakingly drawn up for Nolan, the one who would ultimately be qualified to ascend to godhood and become his companion was Trina.
After all, planning did not require feelings. It should even have been more efficient that way. There was nothing wrong with that.
But who could have known that after he had made such a show of it and gone through with the separation, he would realize things were not what he had imagined? He still had feelings. His so-called love had not diminished in the slightest. It had only been suppressed.
Ranni could not help covering her face and laughing softly. Her clear, pleasant laughter rang through the air like silver bells.
She was like an ordinary girl who had accidentally discovered her younger brother's deeply buried, embarrassing past and was now gleefully using it to tease him.
As Ranni's cheerful laughter sounded, the already delicate atmosphere around them instantly became even harder to describe.
Faced with Ranni's merciless ridicule, Miquella merely glanced at her, then spoke in a calm, even tone.
"The situation after this separation has indeed exceeded my expectations. But that is fine. One learns from experience."
"In the future, when I make plans, I will be twice as cautious and careful. I will never make the same mistake again, nor will I let my guard down."
Though Miquella said it so lightly, he was truly vexed.
He really could not understand how this half-sister of his still had the leisure to laugh. It was one thing to act tough and fool others, but had she even fooled herself?
Nolan had no interest in men, and seduction was useless against him.
Miquella had never had a chance from the very beginning, but Trina had already succeeded, which at least gave him some comfort. This sister of his, on the other hand, had accomplished absolutely nothing.
What right did she have to laugh?
Looking at his sister laughing foolishly in front of him, Miquella thought with disdain, What an idiot.
But he pressed his lips tightly together and forced the thought back down before it could leave his mouth.
He knew very well that he could not speak his mind so casually. Ranni was not someone who could be dealt with lightly.
He was clever, and he understood Ranni well. If he said anything too extreme or too provocative now, Ranni might simply abandon all restraint, and that would be a difficult mess to clean up.
Trina had done what Ranni could not. That already put her a large step ahead. There was no need to create new complications, or the loss would outweigh the gain.
"You dared to try something like that without even knowing what consequences you would face. You really are bold," Nolan said. "Speaking of which, without death, how did you do it?"
That last question drew even Ranni's interest. Back then, to escape the fate of an Empyrean, she had been willing to kill herself. Now that Miquella had achieved something similar, how could she not be curious?
Ranni quickly adjusted her posture, sitting on Nolan's shoulder as she openly pricked up her ears, making it clear she intended to "eavesdrop" to the very end.
"Of course it was through the power of The Scadutree. We could never have done it on our own," the girl said, smiling at Nolan, whose words had betrayed his concern.
"The Scadutree again. Is that thing really so miraculous? The way you say it, it sounds like some all-powerful wishing tree."
Ranni pursed her lips slightly. A trace of doubt rose in her heart, and she instinctively hugged her arms.
"After all, it is a divine tree on the same level as the Erdtree. It would not be an exaggeration to call it the highest-ranking existence in the Lands Between itself." Nolan glanced back. "But in that case... Melina!"
Hearing her collaborator call her, Melina frowned. "Why are you calling me? If you have something to say, say it!"
Getting a temper now?
"It's not really anything important. I just wanted to remind you of something. Remember, we don't only have one path. There are other options."
Nolan turned back and did not look at her again. His voice was soft, extremely soft.
Melina blinked, briefly bewildered and at a complete loss, unable to understand what was going on.
Yet for some reason, from Nolan's words, she seemed to faintly catch the scent of fate.
Nolan was always like this, fond of saying strange things to her, such as "My fate is mine, not heaven's."
But how could something like fate be broken free from so easily?
Thinking of this, Melina could not help sweeping her gaze over the other three people besides Nolan.
Fine. Living examples were right in front of her. Though their methods had been extreme, they had ultimately broken free from fate.
But could she do the same? Melina did not know, so the only response she gave Nolan was silence.
She truly could not imagine whether she could resist the shackles of fate the way they had.
Melina's mind went blank. Everyone was watching her. It was time to choose. As long as Melina showed even the slightest sign of holding a different thought.
Even the tiniest expression or movement would at least let everyone guess what she truly felt inside.
In truth, Nolan had not thought that deeply about it. He was only worried that when they reached the great cauldron, the girl might throw herself in and burn herself without saying a word, leaving him with no one to reason with.
He had simply failed to keep his mouth shut again.