"What is our next move?"
"The Giants atop the northern Mountaintops."
Godfrey pulled out a chair and sat down casually, speaking without preamble.
"The Giants? Why?"
Godwyn's eyes flickered with confusion. In his memory, the Giants never descended from the snowy peaks. They posed a limited threat and were incredibly powerful; waging war against them seemed like a thankless, grueling endeavor.
"Their Flame of Ruin can incinerate the Erdtree," Godfrey said plainly, his gaze meeting Godwyn's.
Godwyn was visibly shaken by this answer. He frowned deeply.
"Indeed. If that is the case, they are a threat that cannot be ignored. Moreover, the Mountaintops are not that far from us... We cannot guarantee the Giants harbor no designs against us."
"I will soon issue a call to arms across the land. We need more manpower. I need more heroes and elites," Godfrey said, leaning back in his seat.
"Is there anything you need me to do?" Godwyn asked.
"I need you to remain in the Royal Capital. As the Eldest Prince of the Golden Dynasty, you cannot be put at risk. Furthermore, you must guard against the potential threat of the Ancient Dragons."
"The Ancient Dragons?" Godwyn was stunned. He knew of the ancient race, but he didn't understand why they needed to be on guard against them now.
"Your mother informed me of certain matters. In short, the Ancient Dragons are likely to make a move. As for exactly when or what they will do... that remains unknown. Therefore, I need you to stay in Leyndell and lead the garrison in its defense."
"I understand. I will protect the capital with my life," Godwyn nodded heavily.
"Good. Return to your duties. The war will not begin just yet."
"I'll take my leave... Oh, one more thing, Father."
"What is it?" Godfrey looked at his eldest son, curious about what else he had to say.
"Could you help me share some of the administrative workload? Or perhaps let Lord Serosh assist?"
"...This is for your own development," Godfrey said with a straight face. However, faced with Godwyn's helpless expression, he couldn't help but let out a light cough. "Fine, I understand. I'll have Serosh help you."
Serosh, who had been feigning sleep nearby, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
"Hey, this is your business, Godfrey."
"It is your business too, Serosh. This is your duty as the Regent."
"I'm planning to head out for a 'snack.' What do you say?"
Mohg nudged Morgott in the ribs with his elbow, grinning. Morgott, who was in the middle of studying his Golden incantations, was interrupted and looked at Mohg with an expression of pure exasperation.
"I think you should stay put. Wasn't that experience in the lower levels lesson enough? Our current environment is perfectly fine. Just stay here," Morgott said, shaking his head.
They were currently in an area frequently visited by Perfumers. The Omens here were of the milder variety, and there were no other Omen children around. It was a perfect environment for them to grow.
"Fair... enough," Mohg muttered. However, the glint in his eyes suggested he hadn't abandoned the idea at all.
Truthfully, he wasn't just doing it for a better meal. That was only one reason. The other was to see if he could obtain Runes.
He figured he probably couldn't absorb Rune power directly—that seemed to be a mechanic exclusive to the Tarnished—but he wanted to study how they functioned as currency, or how they manifested in the first place. He had forgotten to check when he dealt with that slug earlier, so now was a good time to test the waters.
"You're really not coming?" Mohg asked one last time.
Morgott looked at him and gave a silent, resolute nod.
Mohg shrugged and set off alone in a different direction.
A moment later, Morgott let out a long sigh, stood up, and hurried after him. What choice do I have? He's my brother.
However, Morgott's worry was misplaced this time. Mohg didn't intend to do anything suicidal; he just wanted to scout the upper perimeter and see if he could snag a rat or something to test his theory.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Mohg's sharp eyes spotted something moving in the murky water beneath his feet. He squinted to pin down the location and slowly took a step back.
Ping!
Aspects of the Crucible: Horns!
Whoosh—!
Splat!
Waste water sprayed everywhere as Mohg lunged headfirst into the pool. Morgott, just arriving, saw the commotion and ran over.
He saw Mohg emerging from the filth, looking absolutely thrilled. For a second, Morgott thought his brother had finally lost his mind. Then he saw what was in Mohg's hands: a large, greenish-brown crayfish struggling frantically. Because its back had been skewered by the Crucible Horn, its resistance was futile.
"There are lobsters here?"
"Wait, I thought you weren't coming down?" Mohg looked at Morgott with surprise.
"I was worried you'd get into trouble."
"Oh. Well, no need to worry. I'm not stupid enough to head to the lower levels. I just wanted to find something to eat... this lobster is a nice surprise."
Mohg laughed and finished off the creature. He guessed that because the Omens in this sector didn't lack food, they stayed in the upper reaches, leaving these creatures undisturbed.
As he killed the lobster, he noticed an invisible force enter his body. However, this energy remained distinctly separate from the power already within him. It settled quietly in a corner, drifting between the internal and external layers of his being.
"Hmm..."
Without much hesitation, Mohg reached out and tried to guide that force. Soon, a faint golden light converged in his palm, forming a physical Rune.
"So this is a Rune..."
Mohg thought for a moment and then crushed the Rune in his hand. Then... it simply vanished.
"Holy hell! Good thing I didn't extract too much..."
Mohg's mouth twitched. He had a pretty good guess where that Rune had gone—likely back into the cycle of the world.
Next, he tried to guide the power he actually possessed within his body. He found that his innate power was as steady as a mountain; he couldn't extract it at all.
"I see... It seems for those of us blessed by the Golden Lineage, Runes can only be used as currency."
Mohg nodded. The upside was that he didn't have to worry about accidentally spending his own life force. The downside was that he couldn't "pay-to-win" his way to becoming stronger.
"It seems only Runes obtained from others can be used as currency. The ones inside my own body can't be used... unless I die. And once they turn into Runes, they can't return to the body. I suppose that's the biggest difference between us and the Tarnished."
Having figured out the nature of Runes, Mohg didn't dwell on it further. He looked around and waved Morgott over to help him catch more "Lobster-bros."
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (63 Chapters – Ongoing)
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