Ranni did not stay away for long. Ending her "sightseeing," she returned to Miriel with a composed expression.
"It seems the two of you have grown quite acquainted. That is well. Master, I suspect you won't have to stay in this church alone for much longer. Do you still remember the sorceries you taught me long ago? You may have a large flock of apprentices coming to seek your guidance in the future."
"I am not so old that I have forgotten such things," Miriel replied. "With the right materials, those spells will return to me quickly. I only hope these new apprentices won't be as mischievous as your two brothers—always plotting to flip me onto my back."
Miriel chuckled, recalling the antics of the two "troublemakers" from his memory, a hint of helpless affection in his voice.
"As for you, Ranni... I am glad to see you as you are now. I remember the last time we met; it was the day you left the Academy to live in the Royal Capital. Back then, your face was clouded with uncertainty and worry for the future. Compared to then, I believe you have finally found your path and a place to belong."
Ranni did not answer. She merely gave a soft "hmpf" and turned her head away, a silent affirmation of her attitude.
Finding a rare audience, Miriel didn't stop talking. The old turtle chattered on, while the two before him chimed in occasionally, content to play the role of quiet listeners.
Through Miriel's stories, Gawain gained a detailed understanding of many past events—the progression of the two Liurnian Wars, and how Queen Rennala and Radagon transitioned from bitter enemies on the battlefield to an inseparable couple.
As a fan of the lore, Gawain found it exhilarating. Many things truly could only be understood through the words of those who were there. The fragments provided in the game were far too sparse, lacking the completeness of a firsthand account from the "Turtle Pope."
What amused him most were the childhood anecdotes about Ranni and her brothers. It seemed that no matter the world, elderly relatives loved using such stories as conversational fodder. The carefree, happy Ranni of that time was a far cry from the aloof and solitary figure she became later.
For instance, the plan to flip Miriel over was actually masterminded by Ranni, who directed her two brothers to carry it out. The aftermath involved Rykard and Radahn being "double-teamed" by both Rennala and Radagon, facing a barrage of hammers and glintstone staves alike. Meanwhile, the true culprit escaped scot-free—though the victimized turtle didn't seem to mind much.
Standing to the side and hearing her past exposed, Ranni frequently felt the urge to rush forward and cover her teacher's mouth. Ultimately, she settled for glaring at Miriel with a huffy expression. The once-desolate church was suddenly filled with a cheerful, lively atmosphere.
Time slipped away during their chat. By the time Miriel realized it, the church was once again bathed in the starlight reflected off Liurnia of the Lakes.
"Is it already this late? I didn't realize so much time had passed," Miriel said apologetically. "Forgive me, one gets talkative with age... I hope you can bear with me. Very few people visit this place nowadays, let alone provide such a chance for conversation."
Gawain shook his head. How could this be considered a waste of time? He'd gladly "waste" more time like this. Detailed historical information wasn't easy to come by. Had time not been a factor, he felt he could have chatted with the turtle even longer; after all, he had plenty of stories of his own to tell.
"Don't worry about it. While she and I have a vow to fulfill, there is still time. Ranni herself said we should proceed at a measured pace, which is why we took this route. I suspect she wanted to come here to see you from the very beginning."
Ranni shot Gawain a look, silently telling him to hold his tongue, before speaking with feigned indifference. "It is late. There is no harm in staying here one more night."
Leaving the two to their space, Gawain walked away, coming to a stop by the statue at the deepest part of the church. Despite the lack of maintenance, the basin was still filled with clear liquid, showing no signs of stagnation or decay.
He carefully studied the statue of the Nox Priest, imagining the events that had unfolded here.
Perhaps the union of Gold and Moon was a lie from the start, but at that moment—when Radagon used the Celestial Dew to wash away his territorial sins and convey his heart to the Full Moon Queen—his feelings were likely sincere.
Even if the "scoundrel" later walked away without a backward glance, he had left for another version of himself. Did that count as a form of extreme narcissism?
The logic was airtight: Radagon probably returned to the capital feeling he hadn't broken any vows. He hadn't fallen for anyone else besides Rennala, after all. Could self-love be called infidelity? It was just a matter of having too much charisma.
However, even as a loyal hound of the Golden Order, Radagon's treatment of the children he had with Rennala was somewhat "human." Rykard became a Praetor of the Royal Capital, Leyndell; Radahn was given Caelid as his fiefdom; and Ranni was chosen as an Empyrean, living in the capital for a long time.
Then, the three siblings saw their chance and rebelled together, striking a heavy blow against the Golden Order. It was a bit of revenge for their mother; the boomerang of the broken vow eventually struck Radagon himself.
Lost in thought for who knows how long, Gawain was snapped back to reality by a voice at his ear.
"The most critical moment is upon us, yet you still have the mind to stand here staring into space. Should I call you confident, or merely dull?"
Ranni had approached him at some point, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him beneath the Nox statue.
"Maybe a bit of both. Why aren't you taking this chance to keep reminiscing with your teacher?"
"Master has said enough for one day. Truly, the elderly become loose-lipped with age, revealing secrets even Blaidd and Iji don't know..." Ranni paused, her tone turning stern. "Whatever you heard today, you are to forget it. You are not allowed to mention it to others, understood?"
"I'll keep the secrets," Gawain replied, "but asking me to forget is probably impossible. My brain has already stubbornly seared those images into my memory."
Ranni sighed, but she didn't take it to heart. Over the last two days, she had reached a state of "letting it be." Her image was already beyond repair anyway. Besides, having someone by her side who didn't require her to maintain a perfect facade wasn't so bad.
She admitted to herself that she had indeed wanted to revisit her old home before the final confrontation with the Two Fingers. This man was always so perceptive in certain matters.
Ranni looked up at the roof of the church. Countless stars shone through the broken ceiling, illuminating where she stood. She could almost see the Dark Moon corresponding to her fate, which had now completely broken from its original path, seemingly attracted by something, veering sharply away from its intended orbit.
Steeling herself, she silently produced an exquisite container carved with intricate patterns. It was filled with a deep blue liquid—the only one of its kind she possessed.
She didn't quite know why she had kept a bottle of Celestial Dew. Just as she had kept the key to that sealed chest when she left the Academy, even spending a good deal of effort engraving words upon the ring within—words intended for some unknown recipient.
She had thought there would never be a day to use these things, but now she was suddenly glad for the choices she had made so casually in the past.
"Here. This is for you."
Gawain was a bit puzzled by the bottle Ranni suddenly handed him. From its appearance, wasn't this the Celestial Dew used for absolution in the game?
He scanned Ranni up and down. She didn't look angry. Did she think he had heard things he shouldn't have and wanted him to repent? If so, he was in trouble—he had no idea how many Runes it would take to successfully "absolve" such a massive amount of resentment.
"What is this?"
"An item I wish for you to use here. It is called Celestial Dew. Long ago, Radagon bathed in it at this very spot to convey his heart's repentance for the war to my mother."
"Uh, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on those stories today. If you're asking me to repent all of a sudden, I don't even know how to convey my 'sincere heart' to you."
Seeing the embarrassment on Gawain's face, the corners of Ranni's mouth curled slightly, and her mood brightened.
"While you truly should repent for what you heard today, that is not my primary purpose. Celestial Dew is merely a medium in the rite of absolution. Its true function is to temporarily connect two souls, allowing their emotions to flow between them. It can be one-way or two-way. Through this, because the seeker's sincere repentance is felt by the other, a broken bond can be somewhat mended."
She knew this could only transmit the feelings held at the moment the vow was made, but that was enough.
"I can feel it. The Two Fingers have already sent their Baleful Shadow to roam the Eternal City of Nokstella below. My confrontation with Him is drawing near. Before that time comes, I wish to confirm your true thoughts one last time. Are you truly prepared to commit a Great Sin alongside me?"
"I see. Actually, you aren't the only one who wants to confirm things. I'm also quite curious—are you truly prepared to stand with me against those malicious entities from the stars?"
Ranni did not speak. She simply took his hand and led him slowly into the center of the pool.
She opened the container of Celestial Dew and shook it gently. The liquid evaporated rapidly, enveloping the space where they stood in a shimmering mist. Within that light, an invisible connection began to form.
In the distance, Miriel squinted his eyes at the two in the pool, a kind smile spreading across his face. After so many years, he was once again witnessing two connected souls performing the rite here. He only hoped that this time, the ending would not be a tragedy.
After an unknown amount of time, the blue mist of the Celestial Dew dissipated completely. The effects of the ritual ended, and the two returned to reality from the shared vision.
"Well? My heart should have been conveyed clearly. You can rest easy now."
"Ahem... I have no more questions. Prepare yourself well; don't disappoint me tomorrow."
Ranni practically fled from the center of the pool, her mind racing with what she had just felt.
The ritual didn't allow one to see the other's specific thoughts, but it allowed genuine, unfalsifiable emotions to flow directly from the depths of the soul. From this, one could judge if the other's heart was true.
The good news was that his heart was indeed true. The bad news was that his feelings seemed a bit too true.
She couldn't help but look back at Gawain, who was still standing there, seemingly savoring the ritual. She felt her soul gradually "overheating," a state that manifested on the doll's body as a slight tremor in her expression.
Could these be the feelings of someone who has only just met me? The sincere, thick, almost overwhelming emotion she felt from him had repeatedly struck her heart.
What could she have possibly done to earn such devotion? It was as if feelings accumulated over countless meetings had all exploded at once. Did he... have memories of her from long before they ever met?
She became even more curious about him. The longer they spent together, the less she felt she understood him. But at least there was one thing she could confirm: she could trust him without reservation.
"Is this how you feel for me? Now it is my heart that feels inadequate to respond in kind. I shall trust you this once. When everything is over, come and take what you deserve."
Ranni squeezed the key hidden in her palm. Just imagining that scenario made it impossible for her to remain calm. Could she truly wait for such a moment?
Gawain was also processing the emotions he had just sensed. Within that cluster of feelings, he could taste trust, doubt, tension, and fear. Clearly, the unease accumulated since the Night of the Black Knives still filled Ranni's heart.
But those complex emotions only made up a small part. The primary components were her trust in him and her concern for him, mixed with a touch of anticipation and hesitation—a "twisted" sincerity that was exactly like the tsundere, sharp-tongued Ranni in his memory.
He didn't indulge in the feeling for too long, soon pulling himself back as his mind shifted toward the Ainsel River.
He wasn't actually too worried about the Baleful Shadow. To him, the threat it posed was negligible—it was just a shadow, after all.
The Astel later on might be a bit more troublesome, but he had just finished training in the techniques of those "Stars-born" under Master Sellen. With the power of three Great Runes currently in his possession, there was no contest against anyone below the level of a demigod.
Ranni had also reclaimed the power she once stored in the Grand Library to protect her mother. He had no doubt that a Ranni even more powerful than her original self wouldn't need a hard-fought battle; using the Fingerslayer Blade, she could practically dice the Two Fingers into mincemeat.
His only concerns were saving Blaidd in time and dealing with the Lake of Rot directly beneath the Academy. Legend said that the essence of an Outer God of Rot was sealed there by a blind swordsman.
If Caelid, which had been blasted by Malenia's "nuclear" bloom, could still be slowly remediated with ordinary methods, the Lake of Rot could not.
Even if the majority of the Outer God's essence resided within Malenia, he knew that in the world of Dark Souls, even the fragments of gods defeated by the Chosen Undead could cause upheaval across distant lands.
Would the being sealed beneath the Lake of Rot be any different? Even if most of its power was with the Blade of Miquella, the residual essence still polluted the entire lake, and the Grand Cloister was still teeming with countless Kindred of Rot on pilgrimage.
Regardless, he could not allow such a threat to exist directly under the Academy. He had to find a way to deal with it.
He also wanted to see for himself what kind of combat power and authority those "gods" who existed only in the lore backgrounds actually possessed. It would allow his future self to make more adequate preparations.
Leda opened her eyes from her meditation. Beside her were her gathered teammates—fellow followers of Miquella waiting for further guidance from the Empyrean.
As the knight most trusted and favored by the Empyrean, she could receive the Master's guidance through her golden eyes. After a slight hesitation, she issued the latest order:
"Everyone, return to the Consecrated Snowfield first. It won't be long before a warrior capable of defeating the Lord of Blood descends upon the snowfield. His fury shall open the path for us to the Land of Shadow."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (238 chapter - Ongoing)
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