"Hmm?"
While hunting for little Lobster-bros in the sewers, Mohg suddenly spotted a flicker of light through an extremely narrow pipe. A steady stream of water was flowing through this particular conduit toward the outside.
After a moment of hesitation, Mohg decided to squeeze inside. Given how small the space was and the fact that they were in the upper levels of the sewers, the chances of encountering danger were low. If anything, there might be a few little Lobster-bros hiding in there.
However, it soon became clear that there were no "bros" to be found. Upon reaching the end of the pipe, Mohg was met with the brilliance of the outside world, separated only by an iron grate that cut off the sewers from the exterior.
Mohg pressed himself against the iron bars and looked down. Below, he saw a man-made canal catching the runoff from the sewers and carrying it all the way to the city's moat.
A bit dazed, Mohg couldn't help but scratch his head. Where the hell did I end up? Is this still the Royal Capital from my memory?
A terrible thought crossed his mind: what if the Leyndell of this world wasn't the one he remembered? That would be a disaster.
Mohg pressed his face tighter against the grate and scanned the surroundings. He realized that his current position wasn't just "not low"—it was actually quite high up within the city. From this vantage point, he could see numerous buildings, crowds of people moving about, and... the radiant glow of the Erdtree.
Though he could only see a fraction of the Great Tree, he figured that if Morgott knew about a place like this, he would be overjoyed.
Mohg, however, was currently feeling quite vexed. The layout of the modern-day Leyndell was different from his memory, which was a huge problem. It meant he couldn't use his prior knowledge to pinpoint the lowest levels of the Shunning-Grounds, the seal on the Frenzied Flame, or the location of the Leyndell Catacombs.
But he wasn't ready to draw a final conclusion just yet. After all, the current Leyndell was from an era countless years before the one he knew from the game. Moreover, his memory was based on a game, whereas this was a living, breathing world. A certain amount of deviation was to be expected.
He could only hope that the overall structural layout of the Capital remained consistent.
But from what he could see... at the very least, this version of Leyndell was even more gargantuan than the one in his memory. He even spotted a massive plaza in the distance. It was teeming with people, though he couldn't tell exactly what they were doing.
Before long, however, the passing crowds provided the answer. He saw people dressed in Astrologer robes, others in Samurai armor, and warriors in various other types of gear.
In an instant, a term flashed through Mohg's mind: Tarnished!
"No... it's too early to call them Tarnished..."
Mohg shook his head. At this point, these people hadn't been stripped of their Grace—in fact, many hadn't even been granted it yet. They were simply warriors from all corners of the world.
But seeing a few groups wasn't enough to confirm his theory. It wasn't until the number of these foreigners increased, and he saw them surrounded by wary Leyndell soldiers and curious, albeit distant, citizens, that he felt certain.
"So, the timeline is just before the campaigns begin... right on the cusp of the Great Conquest."
A sense of urgency welled up in Mohg's heart. Although he didn't know exactly how long the War against the Giants would last—even if history books called it a "protracted conflict"—he felt it was best not to rely too much on the passage of time.
There was also the matter of the Giants' corpses on the mountaintop in the future... Mohg suspected that Messmer the Impaler would almost certainly play a role in this war.
As for Messmer's true identity... Mohg didn't know for sure, but he was certain the man was intimately connected to Marika. Messmer would likely remain active until the era of Radagon before being dispatched to another realm.
With these thoughts in mind, Mohg backed away from the grate. To be honest, living in the sewers made it impossible to accurately gauge his own power level. He couldn't leave yet, so he needed more combat experience—combat against the various monsters he remembered.
Perhaps the day he could easily dispatch an adult Omen or a Lobster-bro would be the day he could consider himself truly strong.
"The lower sewers..."
Mohg muttered the name again. A thick veil of hesitation still lingered in his eyes, but he couldn't be blamed for that. Even though he had lived in the sewers for a while and possessed a powerful bloodline, in his previous life, he had been nothing more than an ordinary person.
Just like the many incidents that had occurred in the sewers: if not for the boost from his bloodline, he likely would have been as lost and helpless as any commoner.
But Mohg's gaze soon hardened. Regardless, he had been given a second chance at life. He had to take control of his own destiny. He refused to become a "walking ATM" for some destined Tarnished in the future, and he certainly wouldn't become a meat-puppet for a certain "femboy" who wanted his body!
"I'll go back and talk to him... If he's not willing, I'll just have to push through on my own..."
Mohg murmured to himself and began the trek back up through the pipes.
Once he returned, the first thing he did was find Morgott to discuss his plan, dragging him over to the vent to see the city.
"Even so... what can we actually do right now?"
After hearing Mohg's news about the Golden Dynasty being on the brink of war, Morgott looked slightly lost. He turned to Mohg with a look of confusion.
"That's exactly why we need power. Only then can we do more. The training method Father gave us requires combat; it requires blood. And if we want combat and blood, we have no choice but to head to the lower levels!"
Mohg stared at Morgott, speaking with absolute seriousness. He knew that talking about "becoming stronger" probably wouldn't move his "cheap" older brother. So...
"You don't want something to happen to the Golden Dynasty you want to protect while you stand by, powerless to help, do you?"
Morgott's pupils constricted. He stared at Mohg for a long moment before finally nodding.
"Fine. I agree. But we need time—at least until we've finished absorbing the energy Big Brother left within us."
A grin spread across Mohg's face. He had finally hoodwinked him. All that was left now was to wait, and he could afford to wait a little longer.
He still wasn't quite sure just how far Godwyn's energy would allow them to grow.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (88 Chapters – Ongoing)
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