After a few days of rest, Gawain found himself buried in work once more. The curtain had temporarily fallen on the crisis of the Scarlet Rot, but it was replaced by the even more arduous task of managing the aftermath.
This included coordinating the reunion of the survivors from the two Eternal Cities. Having been silent for far too long, the Eternal Cities needed to strengthen their ties with the surface to restore their lost heritage. With Asimi's cooperation, this transition proceeded without major issues.
Then there was the reconstruction of Caelid. Considering the inevitable outcomes of the future, Gawain took the initiative to arrange a meeting between Master Sellen and Castellan Jerren.
Though the meeting was fraught with tension—the two nearly came to blows the moment they laid eyes on each other—Jerren eventually conceded to a begrudging reconciliation. The condition was that the Primeval Current, currently represented by Sellen, must exercise restraint and avoid the path of madness that had consumed its practitioners in the past.
This effectively neutralized a potential internal conflict. Having fulfilled his life's ambition, Jerren decided to stay on as the Castellan of Redmane Castle. The prospect of returning to the Academy and watching that "witch" run the place every day was something he found difficult to stomach.
It was a sentimental turn of events. Jerren had originally been a guest commander, stepping in only to give General Radahn a dignified end. He had planned to vacate his post immediately after the Festival, but plans rarely survive contact with reality. After witnessing so much, he had grown attached to the land and the people; he simply didn't want to leave Caelid anymore.
At dawn, Gawain walked through the streets of Stormveil with Melina. Guards and commoners alike watched them with respectful eyes, occasionally whispering about the identity of the mysterious maiden.
Over the past few days, he had made sure Melina was a familiar face to everyone, introducing her to the core members of his group.
Elsa, however, still felt a lingering unease around Melina. The aura of the Golden Lineage radiating from her made Elsa—who had once served Godfrey—instinctively uncomfortable, though she held her tongue.
For Melina, this communal living was a novel experience, but that was all it was. Interacting with others didn't hold much special meaning for her.
Reflecting on it, she had lived a solitary life under her mother's influence for as long as she could remember. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to avoiding contact with the outside world.
Now, things were almost too lively. Occasionally, she found herself reminiscing about the quiet times she had spent alone with her traveling companion. Given how rapidly his influence was expanding, she wondered if those solitary moments would ever return.
"So this is where you're hiding! I've finally found you. Master Sellen sent word from the Academy—it seems an acquaintance of yours wishes to see you."
"An acquaintance? From where?" Gawain asked, looking at the approaching Irina. If Sellen had personally sent a messenger from the Academy, the visitor's identity couldn't be simple.
"It's more than just one or two people, actually. You should go and see for yourself. One of them is a female swordswoman with striking red hair."
"Millicent? By all rights, she should have reached the Altus Plateau by now."
Gawain was perplexed. Why would she come looking for him now, and at the Academy of all places? He shared a look with Melina and decided to return to the Academy to find out.
"We're heading back immediately. I'll leave the castle affairs to you, Irina."
Before Irina could respond, the two of them vanished. she pouted slightly; it looked like she was going to be busy again. But who is this red-haired woman?
After the brief disorientation of teleportation, Gawain and Melina arrived at the entrance of the Grand Library. Walking out into the small garden and looking down at the plaza below, they both froze.
Six people were sitting together in the Academy courtyard. There was Master Sellen, looking rather conflicted, and then Millicent's group of five. Four of them were sitting on chairs brought out from the classrooms, while Patches maintained his signature squat.
In front of them stood an Abductor Virgin, its interior roaring with fierce flames. Blackguard Big Boggart was using several iron skewers he'd scavenged from somewhere to grill freshly peeled crab meat. Beside him, Rya was staring intently at the skewers, waiting for the feast to be ready.
The empty, discarded shells of the Academy's giant crabs nearby told a silent story: this group had caught one of the Academy's residents and turned it into a barbecue.
The scene was so absurd that Gawain and Melina didn't even know where to begin critiquing it. Gawain opened his mouth, then closed it. Whatever. Might as well have a couple of skewers first.
Sellen noticed their return and enthusiastically waved them over, announcing that the food was almost ready.
Taking two sizzling skewers of crab meat, Gawain handed one to Melina. After a bite, he had to admit that Boggart's grilling skills were superb—even better than his memories suggested. The man had managed to bring out such flavor without even using seasoning.
"Alright, big guy, we're out. Go grab some more," Boggart grunted.
Great Horned Tragoth hauled over an entire crab leg to help, while Rya and Patches adjusted the vents behind the Abductor Virgin to manage the heat.
Gawain then turned his attention to Millicent, who seemed lost in thought.
"I didn't expect you all to stick together," he said. "Tell me, what's happened since we parted ways in Caelid? If you need help, just ask."
"Sigh... I've already accepted so much help from you without being able to repay it, yet here I am seeking aid again. But this time, I believe you are the only one capable of handling the matter."
Millicent hesitated for only a moment. In her heart, since their time in Caelid, she had come to view him as her most trusted comrade in the fight against the Rot. She organized her thoughts and recounted her journey since leaving the swamp.
She had been reluctant to ask for more favors, but an unexpected situation had left her at a loss. It concerned Malenia and the nature of the southern campaign.
"After defeating that Glintstone Dragon, the five of us headed toward the Altus Plateau together. Since we lacked the medallions for the Grand Lift of Dectus, we had to climb through the abandoned ruin-strewn precipice. As I told you before, my memory was fragmented due to the Scarlet Rot, but as I progressed, more shards of my past began to surface."
A trace of fear flickered in Millicent's eyes. The Unalloyed Gold Needle currently suppressing the Rot within her was pure and untampered with. Coupled with the care of her companions, she was far more aware of her surroundings than she would have been otherwise.
"I gradually realized a terrifying fact. Malenia's campaign to the south... it seems it was aimed at killing General Radahn from the very beginning. The blooming of the Scarlet Rot was not an accident; it was a calculated move."
"A calculated move? But for what reason would the Blade of Miquella do such a thing?"
Gawain found the idea preposterous. Wasn't Malenia's march south intended to find Miquella? Why had it shifted to an assassination plot against Radahn? Recalling his encounter with Leda, his confusion only deepened.
But Millicent's recovered memories were likely accurate. As an offshoot of Malenia representing her will to resist the Rot, she wouldn't joke about such things.
No wonder she was so desperate for help. If Malenia had never intended to suppress the Rot from the start, then even if Millicent returned to the Haligtree, she might be powerless to change anything.
Millicent also felt the situation was steeped in wrongness. She had intended to return to the Haligtree to remind Malenia of her dignity and her will to fight the Rot, but now she suspected a hidden hand was pulling the strings.
"A few days ago, I felt the Scarlet Rot suffer a devastating blow across the Lands Between. For a moment, I even felt the Rot within my own body cry out in agony. All signs pointed toward the Academy. I figured you were the only one capable of delivering such a blow, so I decided to return and seek your counsel."
The final straw that drove her to seek help was something else entirely. She pointed to her own eyes. At some point, her pupils had begun to be overlaid with a faint golden hue.
This golden glow had even caused her to begin forgetting the memory fragments she had recovered. Had her companions not noticed the anomaly and warned her, she might have forgotten the terrible truth and continued blindly toward the Haligtree.
Melina, standing beside Gawain, frowned. She recognized this. In her memories, her mother Marika had once fashioned a similar "false Grace" to gift to the brother she remembered.
While they looked similar at first glance, there were distinct differences. There was only one possibility. She whispered to Gawain:
"This technique belongs to Queen Marika. In the past, it was used to grant Grace to the heroes of the Golden Order. I see a similar blessing in her eyes. I believe only the Empyrean Miquella would have the ability to replicate such a thing."
Gawain nodded impassively. So this involves Miquella too? He had very few clues about Miquella's specific powers, only that he represented Unalloyed Gold and "abundance." St. Trina, Miquella's other half, possessed the power of sleep.
Was the gold in Millicent's eyes a lingering gift Miquella had given to Malenia that was now manifesting in her offshoots? Or was it something else?
Was Millicent's memory loss truly due to the Rot, or were there other influences at play?
As an Empyrean, could he truly "embrace" his sister? Gawain had his doubts. He couldn't help but connect Miquella to the sudden change in Malenia's personality.
It seemed the priority of dealing with Mohg had just shot up. He had to personally investigate Miquella's current state. Otherwise, a power that could directly manipulate memories was far too dangerous to leave unchecked.
The power of St. Trina combined with memory manipulation... the possible applications he could theorize were terrifying.
"Melina, since you recognize this blessing, do you have a way to neutralize it?" Gawain asked.
"I am not entirely certain, but I can try."
Though Millicent didn't know who Melina was, she was willing to trust her. She sat perfectly still as Melina went to work. She had no desire to lose her memories again or have them tampered with.
As Melina's palms began to glow, an incantation circle reminiscent of the "Law of Regression" appeared before Millicent. The faint golden layer over her pupils began to crack and shatter, eventually dissolving into the air.
Gawain let out a sigh of relief. "This whole situation is incredibly strange. I know you want to get back to the Haligtree as soon as possible, but you see the state of things. I suspect the Malenia you find there might not be the person you remember. Stay here for now—at the Academy or Stormveil. At least wait until I investigate Miquella's situation before you continue your journey. Besides, I have a way to get to the Consecrated Snowfield quickly; you won't need to take the long way back."
Millicent went silent for a moment before nodding. This was indeed her best option.
She felt a lingering fear. The sisters who had been born with her after the blooming of the Rot had been consumed far too quickly, embracing the Rot without a struggle.
Exhausted by the Rot herself, she hadn't thought much of it at the time. But now that there were likely hidden agendas at play, she was unwilling to return to the Haligtree blindly. What if she, too, ceased to be herself?
"Actually, I have one more item..."
The aroma of grilling meat interrupted Millicent's thoughts and Gawain's plans. Rya, walking with her usual hunch, brought over several skewers of crab meat, snacking on one as she walked. She distributed them to the group. With the addition of seasonings, the crab was significantly better than before.
Gawain decided not to mention the "Bone-Stone" yet. Even Enia only had a vague idea of its purpose; both its method of use and its consequences were unknown. He intended to save it for a direct confrontation with Malenia or an absolute emergency. It wouldn't do for Millicent to be accidentally re-infected by its influence.
After finishing her skewer, Rya wiped her oily hands and mouth and asked expectantly, "Lord Hero, have you thought about my invitation to join Volcano Manor? I can take you to see Mother anytime."
"As for that... there's no rush. I'll head there personally when the time is right."
Gawain looked at Rya and frowned. He stood up, walked behind her, and gently kneaded her shoulders, physically straightening her hunch.
"Little ones shouldn't spend all day walking with a hunched back, or you'll never grow tall. And stop calling me 'Hero.' It sounds so distant. If we're being precise about it, you should be calling me 'Uncle' by now. Understood?"
Rya's small eyes widened in confusion. She hunched because she was used to it as a Man-Serpent; even if she straightened up, she doubted she'd grow much taller. And when did she get an uncle?
Ever since receiving the Dark Moon Greatsword from Ranni, Gawain viewed Rya with the mindset of a protective elder. He pointed to the ring visible on his finger.
"Your father, Rykard, has a sister named Ranni, right? She is now my consort. So, tell me, shouldn't you acknowledge me as your uncle? Stay here for a while and don't go running off; the world is dangerous. I'll visit Volcano Manor when I'm free. Come, I'll take you to the Grand Library to see your grandmother, the Full Moon Queen."
"Er... what? I have a grandmother?"
The revelation left the group in stunned silence. Melina offered a polite, if slightly awkward, smile and followed Gawain toward the Grand Library. She couldn't help but wonder what the Full Moon Queen would think of her "granddaughter."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (272 chapter - Ongoing)
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