After paying his respects to the fallen witch, he returned once again to the mist-shrouded lake.
Riding his beloved steed Torrent, he sped past the roaming giant crayfish, weaving between towering Glintstone crystal pillars that radiated powerful magic while leaping to avoid the streams of water they fired like pressurized cannons.
Those giant crayfish were extremely powerful, and their accuracy with those water blasts was terrifying.
But their taste—
Absolutely exquisite.
One of the rare delicacies of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Once cooked, they only needed a light sprinkle of salt.
If you preferred something spicy, you could smear a bit of Fire Grease and Lightning Grease on the meat to imitate a numbing, fiery flavor.
Pair that with the roe from those enormous crabs nearby, and the result was nothing short of heavenly.
Unfortunately, he was in a hurry today.
So the shrimp and crabs were granted a temporary reprieve.
Passing through the familiar woodland trail, he arrived at the ruins within the Caria Royal lands, pried open the hidden stone door, and stepped into the path leading toward Caria Manor.
The ruins were filled with sorcerers who delighted in stabbing people in the back.
All of them served the Caria Royal Family, stationed here to block intruders and guard the road leading to the manor.
The first time he came here, those sneaky sorcerers ambushed him repeatedly before he finally discovered that cursed hidden door.
However, just as he passed beneath the stone archway, a familiar voice called out from ahead.
"…Oh? A visitor. That's rare."
Looking toward the sound, he saw a Troll descendant sitting on a rock.
Like other trolls, the creature's chest had a massive hollow cavity—as though something had once been dug out from within.
Yet this particular troll was slightly different.
Inside the cavity rested a shield, apparently serving as protection.
He also wore a helmet that resembled a mask, concealing his face completely, and a large dark cloak draped over his back.
Although the troll's appearance was rather strange, the Tarnished's eyes filled with nostalgia upon seeing him.
This troll was War Counselor Iji, one of Ranni's loyal followers.
A blacksmith.
That much was obvious from the forge before him and the furnace beside it.
What made him unusual was that despite being a blacksmith, he was also a strategist.
He constantly held a book in his hands.
Even while greeting the Tarnished, he never bothered to close it.
The Tarnished didn't mind.
He dismounted Torrent and walked forward.
"Hello."
"…Hmm. You appear to be Tarnished. May I ask what business brings you here?"
No sooner had he said it than Iji paused.
"…Ah. Forgive me. That sounded rather interrogative. How rude of me."
Rude?
That level of politeness already surpassed ninety-nine percent of the inhabitants of the Lands Between.
"My name is Iji. I once served the Caria Royal Family as a blacksmith."
"Though I've reached retirement age and my forging skills have declined somewhat, I still remain here working quietly."
He glanced up from his book.
"Would you like to test this old man's abilities?"
The Tarnished simply smiled.
He knew perfectly well that Iji's role as a blacksmith was merely a facade.
His true duty was guarding this passage and preventing the Cuckoo Knights from launching another assault.
In other words, he was the first line of defense for Caria Manor.
All for the sake of protecting the manor—
And protecting Ranni, who lived in the tower beyond.
Knowing Iji's true purpose, the Tarnished shook his head.
"Sorry, I'm not here to upgrade weapons. I came to visit Renna the Snow Witch."
"Oh?"
Iji's gaze finally lifted from the book as he examined him carefully.
"…Hmm. Are you the Tarnished Lady Renna mentioned meeting at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave?"
"That's right."
The Tarnished nodded with a smile.
"In that case, you may proceed."
"But allow me to give you a warning."
"This land once belonged entirely to the Caria Royal Family. Up ahead lies Caria Manor, where Lady Renna resides in the tower deep within."
"However, after Raya Lucaria Academy betrayed the royal family, many Cuckoo Knights attacked this place. They destroyed much of the land here and advanced toward the manor."
"Fortunately, the Caria Knights managed to repel them."
"But the powerful magical traps used during that battle remain active to this day."
"If you truly intend to reach Caria Manor, be careful."
"Understood. Thank you for the warning."
The Tarnished nodded gratefully before walking toward a nearby Site of Grace, preparing himself to continue toward Caria Manor.
Iji said nothing further and returned to reading his book.
As for the history between Caria and the academy—
The Tarnished understood it far better than Iji.
Ahead lay Caria Manor, while across the lake stood the elegant towers of Raya Lucaria Academy, rising from the water like a classical palace suspended in the air.
Moon and stars.
Intertwined.
But that harmony only existed before Queen Rennala withdrew from the world.
As the saying goes—
Fortune creates greatness, and fortune destroys it.
Rennala became Queen of Caria because the royal family believed the Full Moon she symbolized represented heroic power.
As queen, she accomplished something remarkable:
She united Raya Lucaria Academy and House Caria.
But in truth, Rennala's position had always been precarious.
Like the moon in the sky—
Magnificent, radiant, illuminating the world at night…
Yet unbearably lonely.
Then she met Radagon.
And Radagon abandoned her.
From that moment onward, Rennala retreated into herself.
The royal family declared that the once-brilliant Full Moon had lost its light and no longer deserved to rule.
They rebelled.
They abandoned their final queen.
Meanwhile, Raya Lucaria Academy—having lost its strongest pillar after Caria's collapse—imprisoned Rennala within the Grand Library and resumed its war against Caria.
One of their objectives was to reclaim the Sword of Night and Flame, the ancient treasure known as the Origin of the Astrologers, which symbolized the academy itself.
Thus the once-unified moon and stars became rivals like the sun and moon competing for the sky.
War reignited.
And Rennala—
Having lost her heart—
Remained locked within the Grand Library, cut off from the outside world.
Ignoring everything beyond her chamber.
Focusing solely on one thing.
Giving birth.
Thinking about it, the Tarnished suddenly remembered an important person.
He immediately pulled out the Spirit Calling Bell and shook it gently.
A clear ringing echoed.
Moments later, the glowing figure of the Spirit Jellyfish, Aurelia, appeared.
"Master."
Her voice was soft and youthful.
The luminous jellyfish floated gracefully in the air, her tentacles drifting like a dancer's ribbons.
"Aurelia," he said.
"What do you think about Caria and Raya Lucaria Academy?"
He pointed toward the academy and Caria Manor respectively.
"Do you feel any desire for revenge? I could help you with that."
Technically speaking, this would be unfair to Ranni.
But Ranni didn't truly care about the Carian royal family.
Her only goal was to destroy the Two Fingers, to sever the influence of the Greater Will, and to lead the world into an age where the laws of the cosmos would remain beyond mortal reach.
However, Aurelia's answer surprised him.
"No, Master. I don't feel any desire for revenge."
"You're sure? After all, Raya Lucaria was founded by your Astrologer lineage."
"…Perhaps that is true."
Aurelia drifted downward, stopping near his chest.
Her tentacles gently brushed against him, almost like a child seeking affection.
"But if Raya Lucaria was truly founded by my people, that happened in a distant future beyond my memory."
"I remember very little about the history of the Astrologers. I was only an Astrologer girl."
"At that time, our people lived near the giants of the Mountaintops of the Giants."
"That is all I know."
"As for the events that happened afterward… I feel little connection to them."
"Right now, I only want to remain by your side, Master…"
"And someday see my sister again."
Her words sounded almost like a confession.
The Tarnished scratched his head helplessly.
Was the number of emotional debts he owed increasing again?
Still, she had a point.
After all, when she died she had only been fourteen.
War and revenge had never been part of her life until she began traveling with him.
But something she said caught his attention.
"You said the Astrologers once lived beside the giants?"
"Yes, Master. Is something wrong?"
"…Wrong?"
He stared at her blankly.
Wrong?
It was a massive problem!
Hadn't she said the Stargazers' Ruins were located in the Consecrated Snowfield?
So why were they suddenly near the Mountaintops of the Giants?!
Sure, the two regions were connected.
But the elevation difference alone was enormous.
Looking at the floating jellyfish girl before him, he didn't even know how to respond.
"…Forget it. Never mind."
Fortunately he had summoned Aurelia today.
Otherwise, if he had gone straight to the Consecrated Snowfield later, the trip might have been completely pointless.
Though Aurelia still seemed puzzled, she soon dissolved into a wisp of blue light and vanished.
Sitting beside the Site of Grace, he glanced toward the magnificent Caria Manor embedded into the rocky cliffside.
Then he opened the chat group again.
The people there loved watching his livestreams.
Perhaps today he could show them what a real giant hand monster looked like.
Those seven-fingered monstrosities were unforgettable.
At the moment, however, the chat group was unusually lively.
Tony Stark:
"Damn it. Nick Fury came again trying to recruit me into his superhero team."
Fujiwara Chika:
"Tony-uncle, who is Nick Fury? And what is a superhero team?"
Tony Stark:
"Nothing important. I'm just complaining. Nick Fury is that guy with the bald head who keeps inviting me to join some organization called an alliance."
Tony Stark:
"Image.jpg"
Fujiwara Chika:
"Umm… Tony-uncle, your description is surprisingly accurate."
The image indeed showed a man with a dark tactical coat and an eye patch.
The resemblance to Stark's description was uncanny.
The Tarnished looked at the picture and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
If he remembered correctly…
Wasn't this the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
The one organizing something called the Avengers?
Tony Stark:
"The worst part is that he planted a spy in my company. Someone I trusted! Whatever happened to basic trust between people?"
Tony Stark:
"He's always bothering me over trivial nonsense."
Otto Apocalypse:
"My friend, allow me to offer some advice. Use your financial power to undermine Nick Fury's organization and create obstacles for him. Once he becomes overwhelmed, he will no longer have time to trouble you."
Tony Stark:
"…Not a bad idea. I'll think about it. But for now, Tony Stark is still a respectable businessman."
Fujiwara Chika:
"Well, calm down, Tony-uncle. After all, only our worlds are relatively normal. Restrictions are inevitable."
She had confirmed that during Stark's livestream of his battle with Iron Monger.
Compared with the other members of the group, only her world and Stark's seemed truly ordinary.
Even Otto's world—though it looked normal—contained the terrifying phenomenon known as Honkai.
Almost like giant monsters.
The Tarnished finally typed into the chat.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"What are you all discussing?"
Fujiwara Chika:
"Ah! Mr. Tarnished! What brings you here today? You seem to be in a really good mood."
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"Am I?"
Fujiwara Chika:
"Yes!"
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"Well… I'll take your word for it."
Perhaps it was because he would soon meet Ranni again.
That alone was enough to brighten his mood.
But that wasn't why he had come.
He began typing again.
Tarnished Who Wants to Save His Wife:
"I'm here to fulfill my promise from earlier. I'll start a livestream so you can watch—and maybe help analyze something."
Fujiwara Chika:
"Eh?! Yay!"
[Group Notification: Livestream has started.]
After confirming the stream had begun, he summoned Torrent once again and rode toward Caria Manor.
But as he approached—
The sky suddenly erupted with a rain of crystalline arrows, descending like a storm.
The spectacle resembled the gravitational arrow barrage once fired by Radahn himself.
No wonder the Cuckoo Knights had suffered such devastating losses here.
Against magic of this scale, anyone below the level of a demigod would struggle to survive.
But for the Tarnished, who had already grown accustomed to it, the attack posed little threat.
He skillfully dodged the arrows and slipped into Caria Manor.
"Pathetically weak."
That was his verdict.
Though… there had once been a time when he had been chased halfway across the courtyard by those very arrows.
But the moment he entered the manor grounds, the atmosphere changed.
The surroundings grew dark.
Thick mist blanketed the area, just like the earlier regions of Liurnia of the Lakes, blocking even the light of the Erdtree.
The environment was quiet.
Yet not truly silent.
Because the moment he stepped into the central courtyard—
Two enormous hand monsters crawled forward and blocked his path.
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