In the end, Cleanrot Knight Finlay became Millicent's mentor. The two of them left the Church of the Plague together.
Meanwhile, he quietly followed behind them, silently observing Millicent as she visited the shack.
Just as he remembered.
Millicent seemed somewhat downcast after failing to meet Gowry, yet she was not overly distressed.
Because the Scarlet Rot had already eroded most of her memories.
She no longer remembered Gowry as her adoptive father.
She only felt that someone in that shack was supposed to be someone she should meet.
Unfortunately, Gowry had no intention of meeting Millicent.
Even now, he still had not figured out why.
Perhaps it had something to do with the needle that concealed Scarlet Rot?
After Millicent and Finlay left and passed through the Sellia Gate, Gowry's figure reappeared near the shack.
Walking with an extremely strange gait, he entered the shack and sat down.
No one knew where that old insect had crawled out from.
But it didn't matter.
As long as the creature appeared, that was enough.
"…Ah, Tarnished. Thank you very much for delivering the needle to Millicent."
"Yes. Now the girl can begin her journey. She can finally face her true destiny."
"You have helped me many times, and I am deeply grateful. To express my thanks…"
"That won't be necessary. I've already received the reward. Millicent delivered it on your behalf."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the direction of Sellia Gate.
He had absolutely no interest in Gowry's rewards.
The only things Gowry could offer were the lost sorceries of Sellia, the Eternal Descendants.
And he already knew those spells by heart.
He had helped only for Millicent's sake.
Though speaking of which…
Aside from the Ancestral Followers, the Kindred of Rot could also be considered neighbors of the Eternal City, couldn't they?
"Oh? Is that so?"
"In that case, I would like to make one more request…"
Here it came.
The real point.
"Go on."
A faint smile appeared on the Tarnished's face as he stared at Gowry. Deep within his eyes, a trace of killing intent flickered.
Gowry turned his gaze toward Sellia Gate.
"Millicent's journey will eventually lead her to Miquella's Haligtree. There she will encounter my former daughters… Millicent's sisters."
Gowry turned back and looked directly at him.
"Before Millicent meets her sisters, I ask that you kill her."
"Do not entrust the task to another. I want you to do it personally."
"…Millicent seems to hold special feelings for you. If you are the one who does it, then the flower will bloom all the more beautifully."
Gowry's lips stretched into a wide grin.
His face twisted into a strange smile, as though imagining something extremely delightful.
Slowly raising his hands in a gesture of praise toward the sky, his voice became increasingly fervent.
"When Lady Malenia ascends to godhood, she will be reborn as the Valkyrie of the Scarlet Bloom!"
Throughout Gowry's dramatic performance, the Tarnished simply watched in silence.
Gowry was so excited that he failed to notice how cold the Tarnished's gaze had become.
"…Do you not wish to witness it?"
"To see that girl's finest bud blossom into the most magnificent flower?"
"Of course I want to witness it," the Tarnished replied calmly.
"But compared to that brilliant crimson flower… there is another flower I would rather see."
"…What flower?"
"Is there truly a flower more beautiful than the Scarlet Bloom of Lady Malenia?!"
Gowry's attitude changed instantly, his voice filled with anger.
To him, no flower in the world could surpass Malenia's Scarlet Bloom.
That was the most beautiful existence in all creation.
"Of course there is."
The Tarnished smiled mysteriously and placed his hands behind his back as he slowly approached the old insect.
"That flower is—"
"You."
Slash.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
A crimson line appeared across Gowry's neck.
In the Tarnished's hand now rested a blade drenched in blood, as though forged from mountains of corpses.
"…..!"
Gowry's eyes widened in shock.
He could not utter a single word.
His head slowly slid from his neck and rolled across the floor before coming to a stop.
Meanwhile, the headless body sitting on the chair began to crumble into ash.
Within the ashes was a grotesque skeleton—like a centipede with countless legs.
The true form of the insect creature hidden beneath the shack.
"Disgusting old bug."
He glanced at the corpse with disdain.
Then he casually conjured Black Flame, burning the shack to ashes.
After that, he walked calmly toward Sellia Gate.
Thankfully, Millicent no longer remembered Gowry as her adoptive father.
If she had, learning the truth about him would have devastated her.
Still, counting things up—
He had now completed two assassinations from his list.
Next came the matter of his "brother-in-law," Starscourge Radahn.
After that, he would return to the Roundtable Hold to deal with Sir Gideon Ofnir.
The only question was whether his plan would actually work on Radahn.
While he was planning his next steps, he failed to notice that night had already fallen.
As he rode Torrent toward Redmane Castle, a surge of black-and-white flames suddenly rushed toward him.
"Damn!"
Seeing the approaching ghostly fire, he cursed aloud.
He immediately dismissed Torrent and raised his shield to block the attack.
"I actually forgot about this thing…"
Looking up, he saw a massive winged creature charging toward him.
Its body resembled a bird, but its enormous wings and grotesque form were unmistakable.
The creature's body was pitch-black, its edges glowing with a pale bluish light.
It was a Death Rite Bird.
These creatures were ancient.
They had existed in the Lands Between long before the Erdtree appeared.
They governed death in ancient times.
However, unlike the Destined Death associated with the Gloam-Eyed Queen, these birds merely cleansed the dead with ghostly flames.
They were also guardians of graveyard flames.
In ancient times, priests who had contracts with these birds would handle funeral rites for the dead.
The origin of these birds was equally mysterious.
They were said to be the offspring of a being known as the Twinbird.
The Twinbird was rumored to be a messenger of an Outer God—something akin to the Two Fingers.
Or perhaps it had once served as the Two Fingers of that ancient era.
Unfortunately, no trace of the Twinbird remained.
Only eight Death Rite Birds still existed throughout the Lands Between.
Clang!
The creature's iron hook slammed heavily against his shield.
The impact bounced back from the parry.
The Tarnished immediately drew the Sacred Relic Sword.
Golden light burst across the blade as he gathered power.
Then he swung.
"Die already!"
The enormous Death Rite Bird barely had time to react.
A torrent of golden energy surged forward, swallowing the creature whole.
The bird vanished instantly—along with the nearby hill.
After killing the annoying creature, he sheathed the Sacred Relic Sword.
Then he stared thoughtfully at the place where the bird had once stood.
Ever since he learned about the Death Rite Birds, one question had always bothered him.
Why did these creatures attack him?
Why did they keep trying to burn him with ghostflame?
Logically speaking, they should be burning Those Who Live in Death, not him.
He was a Tarnished.
Not one of the undead.
So why did they attack him?
Did these creatures somehow consider him a being that deserved death?
He simply could not understand it.
"…Forget it."
"Let's just head to Redmane Castle and join the festival."
Summoning Torrent again, he decided to stop thinking about it and rode onward.
Before Redmane Castle.
Smoke from countless bonfires filled the air around the Impassable Greatbridge leading to the fortress.
Many Redmane soldiers were fighting against enormous black dogs with grotesque appearances.
After killing the beasts, the soldiers threw the corpses into burning piles.
The thick smoke came from those fires.
These dogs were creatures mutated by Scarlet Rot.
Alongside them were giant crows—massive creatures that strangely could not fly.
These two monsters had practically become the "specialties" of the Caelid plains.
The Tarnished ignored the monsters entirely.
He left them to the soldiers of Redmane Castle.
Riding Torrent, he crossed the flaming battlements and reached the Impassable Greatbridge.
Just as he was about to step into the teleportation gate leading to Redmane Castle—
Melina appeared once again.
"…Greetings, Tarnished."
"Hey. Long time no see."
Seeing Melina, he immediately stopped and walked over to the nearby Site of Grace, sitting down.
For some reason, the air around the Grace felt cleaner than anywhere else.
"…Yes. It has been a while."
Something about Melina seemed slightly different this time.
Normally she appeared only when summoned.
Yet this was the first time she had appeared here on her own.
Did she have something to say?
"…Are you preparing to challenge the demigod General Radahn?"
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
As he spoke, he took a sip from his Flask of Crimson Tears, treating it like a drink.
He offered it to Melina.
She gently declined.
"…No, there is no problem. I came only to remind you."
"Unlike Godrick, Radahn is truly powerful."
"He is known as the Starscourge, the one who shattered the movement of the stars themselves."
"He also defeated Malenia after her Scarlet Rot blossomed."
"Among all demigods… he is the strongest."
"So please, do not underestimate him."
"This battle is extremely dangerous. Please be careful."
Hearing this, the Tarnished raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a teasing grin.
"Oh? Is Miss Melina worried about me?"
"Afraid something might happen to me? I'm touched."
He could barely suppress his laughter.
Moments like this were extremely rare.
Even across countless cycles, Melina rarely showed concern like this.
Had his sincerity finally moved her?
The thought filled him with joy.
His efforts had not been in vain.
"Since you're so worried, Miss Melina… could I get a hug?"
"As encouragement before I head into battle."
"….."
Melina looked at him silently for a long moment.
No one knew what she was thinking.
Finally she spoke softly.
"…If that is truly your wish."
She lifted her cloak slightly.
Her arms emerged from beneath it.
Then she opened them.
And gently pulled him into an embrace.
Soft.
Warm.
Familiar.
Every time he arrived exhausted and covered in dust, her embrace felt just as comforting.
Being held by Melina truly was wonderful.
If possible, he would gladly remain in this embrace for a hundred years.
Though suddenly he wondered—
If a flat chest's embrace was called a "flat tablet," then what should one call an embrace like Melina's?
Meanwhile, Melina's cheeks flushed faintly red.
That strange fluttering feeling returned to her heart.
She didn't dislike it.
But she feared it.
If she grew to like this feeling…
Would she still be able to leave it behind once she discovered her true purpose?
For now, however—
She chose to simply enjoy this moment.
After a long time, the two of them separated.
The Tarnished reluctantly stepped out of her arms.
"…May victory be yours."
Melina spoke those words.
Then she vanished.
Only faint motes of light and a lingering fragrance proved she had been there.
"Well then."
"Time to join the battle festival."
Filled with renewed energy after that embrace, he felt like a fully charged machine.
After passing through the teleportation gate into Redmane Castle, he quickly arrived at the central plaza.
There, he saw many familiar figures again.
Heroes from all across the Lands Between had gathered here.
"Brave warriors! Welcome!"
A voice rang out from the castle walls.
Standing atop the platform was Castellan Jerren.
The host of this battle festival.
He was the one who had summoned the heroes here.
And he was also the one who had hunted Sellen.
As previously stated, the festival existed for one purpose—
To grant Starscourge Radahn a glorious warrior's death.
The heroes gathered here shared the same goal.
They all wished to defeat Radahn.
To surpass the demigod known as the strongest.
However, two familiar figures were absent this time.
Blaidd was not here.
And Serolina would never appear again.
"Oh! You're here too!"
A booming voice suddenly called out.
Looking ahead, he saw a figure shaped like a large jar slowly approaching.
"Yes. Long time no see, Alexander."
"You seem to be doing well."
The figure was none other than Iron Fist Alexander, the Warrior Jar he had once helped near the Gael Tunnel bridge leading to Caelid.
Alexander had come here for two reasons.
First—to defeat Radahn.
Second—to collect the bodies of fallen warriors and strengthen himself.
But that path would eventually reach its end.
"Hahaha! I've been doing quite well lately."
"But you seem to be doing even better. I've heard your name mentioned in many places."
Alexander laughed heartily.
Then he suddenly lowered his voice with a mysterious tone.
"But tell me…"
"Do you know who this battle festival is meant to send off?"
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