Seluvis carefully examined Kaito, his eyes subtly circling as he thought.
Considering Kaito's strength and his deeds, he couldn't be arrogant with Kaito like in the game.
The main reason was that he wasn't qualified to be arrogant with Kaito.
He was a magic professor, but not an exceptionally powerful mage. In Raya Lucaria Academy, he was even inferior to some!
He was merely fortunate enough to become one of Ranni's subordinates.
Naturally, he had his own ulterior motives.
"Lord Kaito, I am very pleased to be working with you. Truly."
After introducing himself, Seluvis put on a smiling face to 'ingratiate' himself with Kaito.
At least, for now.
"Mm."
Kaito nodded faintly, a stark contrast to his attitude towards Iji and even Wolfman Blaidd.
He could also see that Seluvis meant no good.
"Haha, Lord Kaito. I am currently staying at the third Rise nearby. If you have time, please feel free to visit me."
Original line: "I reside at the nearby tower. If you wish to be of some use to Ranni, come find me. I shouldn't waste time on the likes of you, but I cannot ignore her wishes..."
That's what he said when arrogant. Naturally, he wouldn't dare say that to Kaito now.
But the infuriating thing is, when you, as a player, actually go to find him, he just mocks you.
"Oh-ho... You actually came to find me?!"
"You can't even understand polite dismissal. That's why I can't stand frogs in a well."
Yes, just like that.
But Seluvis had his own plans, his own schemes.
So, he would also present his side quest.
He would give you a task, hand you a potion, tell you to find a woman named Nepheli and have her drink it.
Note, this is not something Ranni wants to do; it's entirely Seluvis's private business. And drinking this potion would turn Nepheli into a puppet.
The puppets in the cellar, or rather dungeon, that Kaito saw earlier were his handiwork.
Incidentally, among the Three Sisters, his Rise was the shortest, the shabbiest.
Also the newest.
Later, players could choose whether to give Nepheli the potion.
If players talked to Sir Gideon Ofnir, the 'All-Knowing', they could show him the potion.
He would say: "Hmph... that potion in your hand. Damn, that old bastard Seluvis is up to his vile habits again. Tch!"
Ahem, that's not the exact line, but he definitely knew Seluvis and despised him.
But he would also leave the choice to the player, while also subtly persuading you, even saying deliberately: "Do you intend to be manipulated by that unpleasant man? Or are you willing to give the potion to me, pretending to have followed his instructions?"
He's somewhat stirring the pot, but also giving you a choice.
If you choose to hand it over, he would think slightly better of you, then handle the potion himself. The player just needed to pretend not to know and return to Seluvis to turn in the quest.
Seluvis wouldn't notice anything.
According to Sir Gideon Ofnir's understanding of him, that idiot was a bookworm who wouldn't even conceive of such a possibility happening.
Then he tells the player to enjoy watching his arrogant, ridiculous expression.
It was quite an interesting plotline.
Kaito also chose not to give Nepheli the potion, following his conscience, and gave it to Sir Gideon Ofnir first to handle.
At least, that's what he did on his first playthrough.
Back to the topic.
Seluvis intended to invite Kaito as a guest, with ill intentions.
Even if he might offer some benefits, Kaito dismissed them all.
He'd learn a bit about him, so he would find a suitable opportunity to kill him later.
By then, neither Ranni nor Iji and Blaidd would object, nor would it leave a bad impression on Kaito.
The main issue was that killing him for things he hadn't even done yet was a bit problematic.
"Sorry, I have some things to take care of here. Besides, I have an appointment with Blaidd. I need to get to him as soon as possible. So maybe next time!"
"I see... That's quite unfortunate."
Seluvis didn't dare act arrogantly in front of Kaito, nor say the unpleasant lines like in the game.
Seeing Kaito refuse, he sighed, and his projection slowly faded.
At least he had completed Ranni's task of coming to meet Kaito.
Kaito didn't say much more. After a chuckle, he left Ranni's Rise.
He planned to return to Stormveil Castle first, check the situation, then go back to Limgrave.
Since they were places he had already visited, as long as the Fire Keeper or Melina had planted a seed of Golden Grace, they could use teleportation magic to return.
Like fast travel in the game.
Places they hadn't been to couldn't be helped; they'd have to travel there on foot.
After leaving the Rise, the Glintstone Dragon Adula noticed Kaito again.
But it seemed tired of playing in the mud, so it moved slowly and lightly, though still with a thundering thump, thump, thump as it approached.
With each step, it deliberately avoided stepping on building ruins that might be crushed.
Arriving before Kaito, it lowered its head to examine him carefully.
When Kaito had come earlier, it had noticed him, but since he was someone it couldn't beat, and he meant no harm, and carried Ranni's scent (the invitation letter) and a very strong scent of Rennala, it had let him pass.
But if it had been an outsider, it would have jumped out to scare them, or even stop them from going further.
Now, Ranni had communicated magically that Kaito was their partner, so Glintstone Dragon Adula came for a closer look at this powerful human.
"Hello, Lord Kaito. My name is Adula."
It didn't speak aloud, but it could condense words with magic power in front of it, thus enabling communication.
Dragons, after all, were once the lords of this world, having built a powerful empire and civilization.
After the arrival of outsiders (the Erdtree faction, etc.), the dragons became the Ancient Dragons, eventually losing and losing their civilized empire.
Regardless, a race that once built a civilization could certainly communicate.
It would be strange if they couldn't.
The game is just a game; it needs to provide enemies for you to kill and challenge.
In reality, there are different choices.
"Hello, Adula. Nice to meet you."
Looking at the giant Glintstone Dragon before him, Kaito could tell at a glance... it was a male.
Hidden beneath its scales, not to be unsheathed unless necessary.
"Lord Kaito, are you going out now? If you need my help, I can give you a ride. But only to safe places."
It seemed that being Ranni's companion meant being its companion.
Glintstone Dragon Adula's goodwill surprised Kaito slightly. After examining it for a moment, Kaito shook his head.
"Thank you for your kindness, Adula. Perhaps I will need your help in the future, but for now, I can teleport via Grace to Limgrave to meet with Blaidd."
"Oh, to meet Lord Blaidd. Please be very careful, Lord Kaito, and stay safe!"
"Haha, alright! I will!"
As Kaito said this, a large figure appeared within Caria Manor.
He walked slowly, also being careful not to damage the structures.
Even though it was a ruin now, there was no guarantee it wouldn't be rebuilt later.
Many of these buildings could still be lived in after renovation, so he avoided touching them if possible.
He had always been like this.
"Oh? Lord Iji, why are you here?"
Glintstone Dragon Adula noticed the giant Iji's arrival, still holding his giant hammer and giant book.
As he walked step by step to Kaito, he tried to keep his voice low, then sat down cross-legged.
"Mm, just back to rest for a bit. I need to go back out later to forge a new weapon. Besides..."
"I wanted to see Lord Kaito in person."
Iji's gaze fell upon Kaito.
As he looked at Kaito, then looked up at Ranni's Rise nearby, a look of endearment filled his eyes beneath his helmet.
"Lord Kaito, we meet again."
"Haha, we just met not long ago. So you came from nearby?"
"Yes, I was looking for some materials in the area."
Iji nodded, his voice much gentler than his projection.
"Lord Kaito, as you set out on this journey and adventure with Lord Blaidd, please be very careful. Nokron is extremely dangerous."
"I know."
"Hmm... I have an impertinent request. If you encounter insurmountable danger, please don't stubbornly pursue the mission. Prioritize your own safety and retreat, including Lord Blaidd's. I'm worried he might recklessly do anything to complete the task, getting himself hurt, or even losing his life."
Iji had come specifically to say this.
Earlier, Blaidd's projection was still downstairs, so Iji couldn't speak openly.
Now, he had run from nearby to catch up, hoping to find Kaito before he left.
"Lord Blaidd is like a younger brother sworn to Lady Ranni. At least, Lady Ranni thinks of him as a younger brother, not just a shadow."
"Lady Ranni's mother, Lady Rennala, also accepted him and assigned him to Lady Ranni's side as an attendant."
"When they were young, they truly seemed like real siblings. I wasn't this big back then, still a relatively normal size, so I often played with them."
"But after they grew up, when Lady Ranni chose to discard her body and resolutely walk the dark path of an Empyrean, Lord Blaidd and I chose to become her vassals, serving Lady Ranni."
"That time from our childhood... surely everyone remembers it. I do too."
"Of course, the most important is Lord Blaidd. He's been a stickler for rules since he was young. Sometimes he can be stubborn, even disregarding the consequences to complete the tasks Lady Ranni gives him."
"So I worry about him. And he needs a partner like you to look after him."
"Thus, Lord Kaito, I entrust this to you. For my part, I hope you and Blaidd both return safely. As the strategist, I will naturally consider the consequences of failure. I believe everything will work out."
Iji's words were full of deep affection: endearment for Ranni, care for Blaidd.
It could be said that back when they were children, he played the role of 'big brother', while Blaidd was the youngest brother.
"Lord Kaito, have you heard of the Eternal City, Nokstella?"
"It is another Eternal City, paired with Nokron. Through our long-term investigation, we have already located Nokron."
"In the Mistwood of Limgrave, after descending the well there into the underground, you can look up and see Nokron. But how to actually reach it is a problem we haven't solved yet. Lord Blaidd has put in a lot of effort but is currently stuck at this bottleneck."
"As people encounter difficulties, they become more impatient and prone to doing reckless things."
"After you arrive, Lord Kaito..."
"Please help him calm down."
"I'm counting on you!"
Iji bowed his head, truly entreating Kaito.
Their relationship was not simply that of lord and vassal; they were more like 'family'.
Seluvis?
He was the true vassal!
If he weren't still useful to Ranni in some areas, both Iji and Blaidd would have long ignored him, let alone his arrogant attitude, which was truly annoying, much like some of the things he did.
Helpless, they could only turn a blind eye.
"It seems you truly care about Blaidd. You even ran all the way here for this."
"...Yes."
"I'll keep what you said in mind. Don't worry for now."
"I'm counting on you, Lord Kaito."
"Haha, you get some rest too. Just wait for our good news!"
Kaito chuckled, nodded to Glintstone Dragon Adula, then walked to an open area.
Melina and the Fire Keeper followed closely behind.
As the Fire Keeper began preparing the teleportation magic, a golden Golden Order sigil appeared beneath their feet. Then Kaito, Melina, and the Fire Keeper vanished from the spot.
Iji and Glintstone Dragon Adula watched them go.
Seluvis, from his Rise, also secretly watched the place where Kaito had disappeared.
Similarly.
In Ranni's Rise, the slumbering Ranni slowly opened her eyes again.
She had heard Iji's words.
And she couldn't help but reminisce about their childhood.
Those days were truly a beautiful memory...
But one thing she needed to clarify: she had truly always thought of Blaidd as a troublesome little brother!
This was sincere! Regardless of his identity!