"Lady Snow Witch."
Mohg bowed slightly toward Renna before speaking.
"Mm."
Renna nodded briefly, her eyes scanning Mohg from head to toe.
"As Rellana said, Righeius's armor suits you well. However, I find myself curious about one thing."
Mohg looked up at Renna. Though he remained silent, his eyes clearly conveyed his confusion.
"Can your loyalty to Caria reach the heights of Righeius's? Are you that kind of man?"
The moment Renna asked the question, the atmosphere in the room froze. Rellana's brow furrowed instantly; after all, Mohg was her recruit. Renna asking such a question was a blatant doubt of her judgment—and an interrogation of her subordinate!
"There is no need for that, Princess Rellana," Mohg said, stepping forward just as Rellana was about to speak up in his defense.
"It is understandable that you do not trust me yet, Lady Renna. I have not been with Caria for long, and I joined the Academy and the Carian royal family with my own ulterior motives. However, I can promise you this: I harbor no ill will toward Caria, and I am willing to offer my strength to aid its cause."
Mohg gazed at Renna with a steady, resolute look.
Renna showed little outward reaction to his words, though she gave him a long, searching look. Beside them, Rellana nodded with satisfaction, clearly pleased with Mohg's answer.
While Renna remained skeptical of Mohg's identity and goals, she couldn't sense a lie in his statement. In fact, he was... unexpectedly sincere.
"If that is the case, perhaps I am being a bit too paranoid. Very well—as a small gesture of apology and a welcoming gift, take this."
With that, Renna slowly drew a talisman from her robes. It looked like an ice-blue gemstone. Mohg hesitated, glancing toward Rellana.
"Lady Renna is giving it to you. Why are you looking at me?" Rellana remarked casually, though her eyes were fixed on the item in Renna's hand.
Seeing that Rellana had no intention of making him refuse, Mohg stepped forward and accepted the talisman.
"My thanks, Lady Renna."
"Mm. This is the Ice Crystal Talisman. It will lessen the effects of frostbite on your body and allow you to turn that chill to your own advantage, negating a portion of incoming damage. I believe it will be an excellent piece of equipment for a warrior such as yourself."
"Uh... but where in the Lake region am I supposed to find a snowy environment to utilize this?" Mohg blinked, looking up at Renna.
"Indeed. Why didn't I think of that?" Renna blinked back at him, her expression one of utter innocence.
Mohg's face darkened. What kind of answer is that?
"You will simply have to create the environment yourself to aid your combat. If you wish, I could teach you Cold sorcery."
Hearing this, the previously composed Rellana lost her cool. She shot Renna a sharp, unfriendly glare.
"I say, what is the meaning of this? Are you trying to poach my talent?"
"Not at all. I simply feel that with his magical aptitude, it would be a waste not to learn a broader range of sorceries," Renna replied with a slight shake of her head before turning back to Mohg. "And what is your opinion?"
"I will follow Princess Rellana's arrangements," Mohg said, standing straight and staring fixedly ahead.
"Rellana, surely you also believe your new favorite should improve his strength. Let him follow me to learn Cold sorcery."
"No. You aren't the only one who knows Cold sorcery. I can find the time to teach him other magics myself, and I'll simply arrange for someone else to teach him the frost arts."
"What a pity."
Renna shook her head with a look of feigned regret. Mohg wasn't buying it for a second; her expression looked entirely performative.
Regardless, being able to learn Rellana's sorcery was a win. Her magic was highly compatible with a warrior's playstyle, and her mastery was peerless. As for finding "someone else" to teach him frost magic... Mohg wasn't surprised that others knew those spells, but he suspected they had likely learned them from Renna anyway.
In other words, his future teacher would probably be one of Renna's disciples.
Looking at it this way, his upcoming schedule would be packed—either learning from Rellana or from other sorcery professors. He wouldn't have a single moment of free time to do anything else.
Is this the Snow Witch's real goal?
The thought made Mohg glance at Renna, only to find her already watching him. When their eyes met, she offered him a small smile.
Mohg looked away, feeling a bit awkward. Truth be told, seeing that face smile at him made him uneasy; it constantly reminded him of Ranni.
Seeing him turn away, Renna lowered her head, letting the wide brim of her hat hide her face as if she had drifted off to sleep.
In truth, her plan was exactly that: to keep Mohg restricted to Rellana's side. She knew Rellana would never agree if she used conventional methods or asked directly.
The current situation satisfied her perfectly. It ensured this "Mr. Gwyn" remained within sight, making it easy to observe and test him while simultaneously increasing his strength.
If he proved to be a problem, he could be dealt with in a controlled environment. If he was genuine, then she was effectively protecting and nurturing a genius.
Renna felt like applauding herself. How am I so clever?
"Princess Rellana, is there anything else you need me to do?" Mohg asked.
Rellana remained silent for a moment, glancing at the seemingly sleeping Renna before speaking. "No. For the time being, stay with me. Once I've finished handling things here, I will take you to the practice grounds."
"The practice grounds?" Mohg faltered at the term.
"Yes. It is a facility built specifically for the Haima Conspectus, our Carian soldiers, and those sorcerers who wish to improve their practical combat skills."
"What are we going there for?"
As he asked, a sense of dread washed over him. He already knew the answer deep down; he just didn't want to face it.
"For your special training, of course. Moreover, I need to understand the true level of your strength. Up until now, I have only had a rough estimate."
Mohg's face instantly fell. He really didn't want to get beaten up!
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (400 Chapters – Ongoing)
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