In addition to the Star-Lined Sword, Gawain found the spirit ashes of a demi-human within the gaol. Although he wasn't sure of the relationship between the two demi-humans, he took the ashes along with him; an extra bit of combat power never hurt.
Emerging from the depths of the prison with the Star-Lined Sword in hand, Gawain found Melina and Ashmi checking on the final few Greatjars. The good news was that they had found several more survivors in the deepest reaches of the gaol.
However, it was clear that the condition of these Shamans was even worse than those on the upper levels. Even the soothing effect of the Minor Erdtree had weakened significantly, and with only two people, it was difficult to care for all of them.
"You're finally out? I heard the sounds of battle inside, but you seem unharmed," Melina noted.
"Just a somewhat troublesome demi-human old man. Even in his madness, his swordsmanship was quite interesting. But that's not important—have all the surviving Shamans been gathered?"
Melina looked back toward Ashmi. Upon receiving a silent confirmation, she let out a soft sigh.
"The ones around me now should be everyone. But their condition is poor; they cannot handle any more stimulation."
"It seems we need to find some helpers as soon as possible," Gawain said. "That might take some time, but what about here?"
"It's fine. Leave this place to Ashmi and me for now. I simply cannot rest easy leaving them in their current state. The dangers of this gaol should have been cleared, so there shouldn't be any accidents."
Gawain looked at the determined Melina and didn't argue. Bringing dozens of mentally unstable Shamans directly outside was indeed a bad idea—who knew what might happen if they encountered trouble on the road?
"Alright, I'll leave these Shamans in your care. I'm heading out. If there's any danger, let Ashmi take the front line. I'll return as fast as I can."
With the combined efforts of the three, all the Shamans were gathered in a relatively warm and comfortable spot. Those in the most critical condition were temporarily put into a trance. Under the soothing presence of Melina's Minor Erdtree, they would be safe for the time being.
Gawain wasted no time and left the gaol. By now, the sun was high, and the view of the great bridge in the distance was clear.
Looking at that bridge—which was essentially a row of Hornsent "skewers"—he decided against rushing over and claiming he was just "visiting relatives." His only contact with the Crusade so far was the Fire Knight from before; he needed more intelligence.
He looked down at his map, and his eyes lit up as he identified his next destination: a place marked as the "Church of Consolation."
According to Ansbach's notes, there appeared to be a camp at the Church of Consolation where some people were still stationed.
After meeting the Fire Knight and learning about the Crusade, the missing pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. He was now certain that Messmer's troops were stationed there, making it the perfect place for an investigation.
Last time, he had let that Fire Knight go to deliver a message to Messmer, so he hadn't had the chance to ask many questions.
What did Messmer currently think about the fact that all the heads of Marika's statues in the Shadow Realm had been destroyed? Why hadn't any repairs been made?
And what was his attitude toward his younger sister? Though Melina had a decent impression of her brother, Gawain couldn't guarantee how "warm" the familial bonds were between the demigods of the Lands Between. (Godwyn: I have no comment.)
Gawain returned to the Site of Grace where he had first entered the Gravesite Plain, mounted Torrent, and headed toward the marked location. He finally approached his destination just before nightfall.
He saw a relatively well-preserved church. A waterfall cascaded down the cliffside behind it, gathering into a pool beside the structure.
From a distance, a small camp could be seen pitched by the water. A few soldiers were huddled together, sitting listlessly. Strangely, the military banners there were tattered and neglected, looking like little more than rags.
Glancing around, Gawain realized there weren't even any guards at the church entrance. Inside, the statue of Marika was just as Ansbach had described—its head had been deliberately destroyed.
As he slowly stepped into the church, he noticed a figure standing dazed before the headless statue of Marika.
It was a knight clad in black and gold armor, wielding a massive hammer and a door-sized greatshield. Judging by the appearance, this was a high-ranking knight of significant status. If he wasn't mistaken, this was one of the so-called Black Knights.
Before Gawain could speak, the knight reacted, hoisting his massive hammer and shouting a warning.
"Intruder!"
Gawain leapt backward, dodging the heavy strike, but the knight's assault was far from over.
The knight didn't immediately lift the heavy hammer from the ground; instead, he pressed down, releasing a second burst of power. Golden light flared on the hammer's head as he channeled magic into the earth.
With a flash of gold, cracks spread across the floor toward Gawain's position. A brilliant, holy light erupted from the fissures. There was no mistaking it—from any angle, this was the power of the Golden Lineage.
By the light of the blast, the two caught a clear glimpse of each other in the dim church.
Through the gaps of his tattered, cloth-wrapped helm, the knight saw his opponent's eyes and let out a startled cry.
"A Tarnished! Soldiers, eliminate the Tarnished!"
Gawain touched his face, suddenly remembering that he had taken off the Grace-shielding film Melina had made for him after sending the Fire Knight away. Wearing that thing always made his eyes feel a bit uncomfortable.
What kind of deep-seated grudge do these Crusaders have against the Tarnished? I bet even if Godfrey, the biggest Tarnished of all, stood here, they'd still spit on him.
During their temporary standoff, Gawain took the opportunity to observe the knight's appearance. The knight was encased in thick, black plate armor adorned with gold filigree—distinctly heavy equipment.
Yet, as heavy as the armor was, it seemed almost light compared to the two massive implements he carried.
In one hand, the Black Knight held a hammer with dimensions even more exaggerated than the Giant-Crusher. In the other was an asymmetrical, heavy greatshield. Both were black iron traced with gold. In the world of Dark Souls, this guy would definitely be a follower of Havel.
This knight, who had clearly participated in the Crusade, was of imposing stature—at least two and a half meters tall. These warriors from the ancient era... truly ruthless men forged in a primitive age. I wonder how many 'Godefroy' clones he could take down in a duel.
Looking at the knight standing ready, Gawain suddenly realized that some time had passed since the call for reinforcements.
However, very few soldiers responded to the commander's summons. Only three soldiers ran over, and they were clearly in a poor mental state.
He looked at the three soldiers—who were significantly taller than the humans of the modern Lands Between—and then back at the commanding knight. He found it strange. Why would soldiers with such low morale be stationed so far from the main city?
The knight kept his eyes fixed on the enemy. Seeing the intruder dare to look around during their confrontation, he felt mocked and didn't miss the opening.
He raised his great hammer high and lunged into an attack once more.
Gawain didn't use lethal force. He simply dodged the strike and delivered a single thrust with Darkdrift, instantly shattering the knight's guard. The invisible blade came to rest against the Black Knight's throat.
The Black Knight was struck with shock. He hadn't seen how the opponent had launched that strike at all. The blade at his throat had already sliced through his gorget; a little more pressure would be fatal.
Instinctive fear paralyzed him for a moment. He didn't know how to respond, and a thought of release even crossed his mind. Perhaps dying like this wouldn't be so bad.
The three soldiers closing in saw their commander threatened and immediately charged. With a roar, they used a "Warcry" skill to boost their attack power and threw themselves recklessly at the enemy who was far more powerful than them.
"Sigh, don't be in such a hurry. Can't we just talk this out?"
A storm erupted out of thin air, repelling the soldiers' attack and sweeping the weapons right out of their hands.
Gawain withdrew Darkdrift from the Black Knight's throat. He believed they could now communicate normally.
"While I am indeed what you call a 'Tarnished,' if we're being technical, I am currently the most legitimate successor to the Golden Lineage in the eyes of the Two Fingers."
Hearing such sacrilegious words, the black-clad knight disregarded his own safety and shouted in a furious tone.
"You Tarnished, what are you say—?!"
Mid-sentence, the Black Knight's voice caught in his throat. He went silent as four different Great Runes manifested on the Tarnished's chest.
Staring at the four Great Runes—three of which were in perfect, functioning condition—he fell into deep contemplation. The Land of Shadow had been isolated from the Lands Between for too long; the members of the Crusade were unaware that the Elden Ring had been shattered.
Great Runes were precious items that only the demigods of the Golden Lineage could possess. Owning even one was proof of status. With four appearing at once... in the Lands Between, aside from Queen Marika herself who controlled the Elden Ring, who could be more "legitimate" than the person standing before him?
He opened his mouth but found he couldn't say a word. This situation was simply too absurd.
"Since you are a Black Knight who fought alongside Queen Marika, I'm sure you know of Melina. She is currently my Maiden. I can take you to see her."
These words were the final straw that broke the Black Knight's resolve. The expression under his helmet became extremely complex. Finally, he stowed his great hammer and shield.
Seeing their commander stand down, the surrounding soldiers also lowered their weapons. Yet, for some reason, even this earth-shattering news didn't cause their expressions to change; they simply found a spot to sit back down.
The Black Knight saw this and could do nothing. In truth, even his own condition was poor. He was only keeping his sanity intact by praying daily before the statue of Marika.
The horrific Crusade they had participated in was nothing but a dishonorable slaughter. That massacre had left them stained with a stench of rot that would never wash away.
Originally, none of that mattered. Queen Marika's will had to be carried out. As long as they endured until the end of the Crusade, it would all be worth it.
But afterward, they were forsaken by the very Erdtree they believed in, never again allowed to return to the Lands Between to bathe in its holy light.
And all of this was because of Messmer. That vile traitor had betrayed Queen Marika, betrayed the Erdtree, and destroyed almost every head of Queen Marika's statues in the Land of Shadow.
It was because of that man's betrayal that this place was abandoned, turning into a land forsaken by the gods!
The Captain of the Black Knights had even discovered the truth behind Messmer's winged serpent—the essence of a wicked serpent. Such a blasphemous existence had actually led them for so long.
Under the leadership of their two Captains, they had gathered more than half of the Black Knights and all the loyal soldiers. They were willing to be burned by the King's flame if it meant preserving the legitimacy of the Erdtree.
Unfortunately, their enemies were not just Messmer and the Fire Knights, but also the Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight from the Academy. The gap in strength was too vast, and they eventually failed.
The Captain and Vice-Captain of the Black Knights were imprisoned and executed, and the rest suffered heavy casualties. However, to their surprise, the vast majority of the defeated army was still accepted back by Messmer.
Soldiers like them, who refused to return, were no longer hunted, but they lacked the strength to resist further. Thus, they could only stay here, praying in despair to Queen Marika, hoping that one day a miracle would occur.
And now, a new hope had descended before him. He hadn't expected a powerful warrior wielding four Great Runes to arrive from the outside. Though he was a Tarnished, he had brought Lady Melina—a child of Queen Marika—with him.
Was there any heir to the Golden Lineage more legitimate than this? He didn't care anymore; he had to cling to this powerhouse.
With that thought, the Black Knight immediately dropped to one knee to pledge his loyalty. This sudden "face-turn" performance left Gawain stunned; the evidence and arguments he had prepared weren't even needed.
"Uh... aren't you one of Messmer's men? Is it really okay to pledge loyalty to me like this?"
At the mention of Messmer, the Black Knight began to tremble with rage.
"I have nothing more to do with that wicked serpent who betrayed and defiled the Erdtree. I only wish to see him receive the punishment he deserves!"
"Betrayed the Erdtree? Wicked serpent? What's going on here? It sounds like you have quite a lot to tell me."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (347 chapter - Ongoing)
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