At the former site of the Rose Church in Liurnia of the Lakes, what was once a stronghold for the Mohgwyn Dynasty now lay in ruins. Two days prior, the Crucible Knight Kaendan had led a detachment to dismantle the site, leaving behind nothing but patches of congealed, cursed blood amidst the debris.
The normally placid surface of the lake began to tremor slightly, as if an earthquake were brewing. Even the aggressive local "land octopuses" scrambled away, sensing the descent of something profoundly dangerous. Suddenly, a geyser of scalding, dark-red liquid erupted from the ruins, and a massive silhouette began to coalesce into a solid form.
Mohg surveyed his surroundings in silence, but his remaining eye burned with unmistakable fury. After his followers in Liurnia had been wiped out, he had been plotting a retaliatory strike, only to suffer another blow before he could act.
Incensed, he had decided to dispatch another projection to seek an opening.
Caelid was a chaotic, high-alert battlefield; even with important figures stationed there, it wasn't an easy place for an ambush. Moreover, there was a high probability he would run into that Zamor warrior again. He remembered all too clearly the sensation of her twin blades biting into his neck. He had heard the woman had grown even stronger recently, making Caelid a poor choice for a strike.
Limgrave was likely off-limits as well. The cursed blood he had left there had been purged too thoroughly, and because of his previous activities, the city's defenses were incredibly tight. Even the underground Siofra River was now occupied, with eyes constantly watching the direction of his Dynasty Mausoleum. It wouldn't be as easy to pull off a sneak attack as it had been before.
So, where should he strike?
He turned his gaze toward the Academy of Raya Lucaria at the center of the lake. If his intelligence was correct, those isolationist sorcerers had finally been brought to heel after their magical seal was breached.
The name Sellen came to mind—a sorceress of the Primeval Current with whom he'd once had a minor dispute. He had long since forgotten the unremarkable mage, but she was now gaining fame as the magical mentor to the Storm King, and it was highly likely she would become the new administrator of the Academy.
(Note: In Sellen's cut dialogue from the game, she immediately recognizes the cursed blood upon seeing the apprentice accept it, stating she can help purge it and even issuing a long-distance threat to the Lord of Blood to stay away from her student. This confirms a pre-existing animosity between the two.)
With this in mind, Mohg reached into his ornate robes and produced a glintstone key engraved with exquisite patterns. This was an item his Blood Nobles had accidentally recovered after the death of the Glintstone Dragon Smarag.
He stared at the distant Academy, still shrouded in its blue seal. He didn't know if the new management had rendered this key obsolete, but he had to find an opportunity to try. At worst, he would lose another projection. But if he succeeded, he would plunge the newly-surrendered Academy into chaos once more, dealing a severe blow to that damnable Storm King.
Inside the Three Sisters, Gawain looked down at the corpse of Seluvis and curled his lip. Even the servant, Pidia, had been taken out in an orderly fashion. Seeing Seluvis lying flat on his back, dead to the world, Gawain still wasn't entirely sure which of the two had been the real master.
There was an interesting detail in the game: Seluvis would ask the player to find the Amber Starlight shard but wouldn't provide a location, yet the information could be found directly with Pidia.
Gawain knew that in the original timeline, Ranni would have Seluvis killed just before she departed, having obtained the Fingerslayer Blade.
He had originally hoped to coax some information out of the man regarding puppet techniques. Seluvis might have been a wretched person, but his technical skill was undeniable. Given the man's confidence in the game, Gawain suspected that if Ranni had actually drunk that potion, it truly might have hypnotized and controlled a demigod-level figure, allowing Seluvis to "enjoy Ranni to his heart's content."
As it happened, they had barely exchanged a few words before the man turned up dead upon their second meeting. That was the downside of moving through questlines too quickly, he supposed. Well, since the man was dead, Gawain figured he might as well spit on the body before leaving.
"This is likely the puppet you were looking for, though I am curious why you are interested in her."
"It's nothing. I just want to settle a debt."
Taking the puppet made from the soul of Dolores the Sleeping Arrow, Gawain left Seluvis's Rise with Blaidd.
Because their souls were damaged, spirits turned into puppets theoretically lost their self-awareness. However, in Gawain's hands, there was still hope for her.
He planned to keep the puppet for now. Once this business was over, he would return to the Roundtable Hold and see if he could restore Dolores's consciousness.
This was his way of repaying a favor to Sir Gideon Ofnir. Only a foster daughter with deep emotional ties like Nepheli Loux could leave Gideon freely; anyone else possessing so much sensitive information would likely have been silenced on the spot. Given how many unknown secrets were surfacing in the Lands Between, it was necessary to maintain a good relationship with such an excellent information broker.
Re-entering Ranni's Rise, Blaidd remained below to wait in silence. He watched Gawain disappear into the tower, his gaze somewhat distant.
The increasingly severe, maddening thoughts in his head were beginning to affect his actions and judgment. He had thought he could hold out through sheer willpower, but now that the moment had arrived, he realized how naive that thought was.
He would never betray the Empyrean he had sworn to serve, but could this body still act according to his own will? He doubted it. If there was even a shred of a possibility that he might betray her, he wouldn't allow it to happen.
Yet, doing nothing but waiting like this was its own form of torture. With a soft sigh, he could only pray that Lady Ranni had chosen the right person.
"Ah, it is indeed you. Even from afar, I can sense your presence. Have the affairs of the Academy been settled?"
"I thought you'd still be sleeping. You seem much more energetic after absorbing the power you left with the Queen."
"The Academy is taken care of," Gawain continued. "Now, according to our agreement, we're sending Blaidd to Stormveil Castle to hide out for a while. I hope you can find some clue from the Two Fingers that will allow him to escape their influence. We shouldn't waste time. I can already tell something is wrong with him—he's looking at me with red in his eyes."
"Yes, quite right. After a few days of rest, I am ready to take my revenge upon the Two Fingers. Let us depart immediately."
Ranni hopped down from her chair—which was bolstered by several thick books. She still found it a bit jarring to have to look up at people. Looking at the man who had traveled with her for so long, she felt a strange sense of indebtedness. It was a feeling she had previously felt only toward Blaidd and Iji.
Even now, she didn't fully understand why he was willing to go to such lengths for her. Whether it was the matter of Blaidd or Iji, he had arranged everything perfectly on her behalf.
While the exploration of the Eternal City and the recapture of the Academy could be explained as a mutual alignment of interests, the current task was a private matter that had nothing to do with him. They had, after all, only known each other for a short time.
Ranni recalled the moment she had first learned Torrent had chosen a new master—the moment her curiosity was piqued. Perhaps destiny had been guiding her from the very beginning.
Realizing her thoughts were drifting, she shook her head inwardly. When had she become like this? She had resolved from the start to cast everything aside and betray all she knew. Now that she was so close to her final goal, why was she hesitating?
No. Regardless of anything else, she had to have her revenge on the Two Fingers first. Everything else could wait.
After a moment of internal struggle, she decided not to produce the Carian Inverted Statue. This time, she would lead him there personally. She had something she needed to entrust to him.
"Come. As before, I shall accompany you for the duration. There is something I wish to show you."
Gawain didn't notice the psychological battle Ranni had just fought behind her expressionless doll face. He habitually opened his arms, and Ranni once again transformed into a streak of blue light, swirling around him.
Unlike the last time, the light didn't feel cold; it carried a hint of warmth. This was quite different from the "cold dark moon" he was familiar with.
A line Seluvis had once said suddenly came to mind: Even burdened with sin and an aloof bearing, Ranni's heart is but that of a fragile, gentle young girl.
He thought that while the old man was rotten to the core, that particular assessment might have been spot on.
Wasting no time, Gawain spoke briefly with Blaidd. The half-wolf agreed to the plan, and the two of them left Caria Manor for Stormveil. With the primary targets gone, perhaps the Black Knife Assassins would stop coming around.
The return journey was much smoother than the trip out. Most obstacles along the way had already been cleared, and they arrived at their destination by nightfall. The first order of business was finding Iji.
Though it was late, Iji was still in his specially assigned, oversized smithy, leisurely hammer away. Since moving here, he hadn't worried much about safety. However, once Jerren heard he was here, the man had placed a massive order for weapons. Iji's hammer had been swinging so much it was practically smoking.
Still, he was happy to see his old friend so busy; it meant the situation in Caelid was improving. As a blacksmith, he had also kept an ear out for news within the city.
Under the coordinated efforts of the Storm Knights and the Redmane Legion, the front had steadily pushed into the heart of the Aeonia Swamp. The leadership was hoarding supplies for a plan to resolve the largest patch of Scarlet Rot once and for all.
Of course, that wasn't a blacksmith's concern. Doing his job well was the greatest support he could give the front.
Just as Iji finished a piece and set down his hammer, two familiar figures appeared before him. Blaidd had actually come to Stormveil?
With a single look from Gawain, Iji understood the situation. He turned and retrieved an exquisitely crafted helm from the back of the smithy.
"Wear this Mirrorhelm, Blaidd. It should make things easier for you."
Blaidd took the helm with a complex gaze. He had never imagined he would see the day he needed such an item to keep his sanity, but if it worked, he wouldn't complain.
After donning the Mirrorhelm, the item—designed to ward off the interference of the Two Fingers—brought him some relief, but only a little. The root of his pain was a conflict within his very nature as a Shadow. Unless that instinct could be purged, he wouldn't truly be free even if the Two Fingers died.
"Thanks, Old Iji. It looks like I'll be staying with you for a while. If I start to lose control, call for people to restrain me immediately."
"I will. Though, have you considered staying in an Evergaol for a time? I heard there is one near the main gate that used to hold a Crucible Knight. It might offer you some peace and quiet."
"Uh... let me think about that one."
Blaidd knew he was at risk of losing control, but being locked in an Evergaol was a hard pill to swallow. He sat aside in silence to think. Of course, if things truly deteriorated to that point, he wouldn't hesitate.
Seeing Blaidd settled with Iji, Gawain felt at ease. The smithy was one of the safest spots in the city—which also meant it was the most heavily guarded. If anything happened, the garrison could respond instantly.
Gawain turned to leave, only to hear Iji's voice, sounding relieved, come from beneath his helm.
"We are fortunate to have had your help on this journey. As Lady Ranni's counselor—no, as the old servant who has looked after her since she was small—allow me to offer my deepest thanks. You are Lady Ranni's true hero."
"No need for that. I think you two are more important to her than you realize. Just wait for my good news, Iji. I'm off to fulfill the final promise."
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (229 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────