The Black Knight nodded and carried his great hammer toward the statue of Marika inside the church. Under the gaze of the goddess, he finally made his decision.
To be honest, had it been any other time, he would never have believed a stranger so easily, even one carrying four Great Runes. But now, he had no other choice. He had to gamble.
Turning around, he removed his helmet, revealing a weathered face. His features were typical of those from the Badlands—hardened and rugged. It made sense, considering the soldiers here were like "mini-Godfreys," prone to opening with Warcry skills before hacking people apart with axes.
"You may call me Carian. That is my name," the knight said. "I was once a member of the Black Knight Legion under the command of Godfrey, the Warrior King. I will tell you everything I know."
"Good," Gawain replied. "Start with the deeds of Queen Marika and Godfrey before the Land of Shadow was severed."
Carian closed his eyes, reminiscing about a glorious past. Back then, he could never have imagined he would end up in such a state.
"No one knows where Queen Marika originated. But after being chosen as an Empyrean by the Two Fingers, she traveled the lands, spreading the teachings of the Erdtree. At the start, the Hornsent were hostile toward her, and on the other side, she faced a powerful rival: the Gloam-Eyed Queen. It is said that Queen Marika was pushed to the brink several times, narrowly escaping death."
"But everything changed when the Lord of the Badlands, Lord Godfrey, appeared."
"Queen Marika and King Godfrey became consorts. I had the honor of being a Black Knight then, participating in the countless campaigns that followed. From that point on, the power of the Golden Lineage expanded relentlessly. All enemies were crushed by the armies led by King Godfrey. Even the once-mighty Hornsent, after several defeats, could no longer contain the growth of the Erdtree."
"In the beginning of the Erdtree's era, war was constant, which earned Lord Godfrey his title as the Warrior King. Later, it was said that Queen Marika reached a pact of some sort with the Hornsent. I do not know the details of that agreement; I only know that from then on, the Hornsent stopped interfering with the Erdtree. Instead, they joined the wars against the Gloam-Eyed Queen and even the Fire Giants."
Carian paused, a complex look in his eyes. This was why the Crusade's morale eventually plummeted—the Hornsent had once fought side-by-side with them. Back then, the Golden Order was inclusive of all things. Later, everything changed.
"After that, no force in the Lands Between could stand against Queen Marika. We followed the King through campaign after campaign. At Mt. Gelmir, the Queen guided the King to find the weapon for hunting the great serpent, and they slew the God-Devouring Serpent."
"Finally, after Queen Marika's rival, the Gloam-Eyed Queen, was slain by her Shadowbound Beast, there were no longer any qualified competitors. Once the Gloam-Eyed Queen fell, Queen Marika underwent her transformation in the Hornsent's Tower of the Gods, becoming a god and merging with the Great Elden Ring."
"At that moment, the long-standing chaos was replaced by a reconstructed Order. The Erdtree became the sole ruler of the Lands Between, and the sap—the Blessed Dew—flowed without end. Lord Godfrey became the first Elden Lord. When the King received the dew, his presence was magnificent, overflowing with power. In that moment, he stood unmoving. The King of the Erdtree, towering over the earth!"
As expected, Gawain thought. Whenever these Black Knights talk about Godfrey, they can't hide their adoration. Though the description of receiving the dew sounded like a commercial for orange juice, it was clearly a stirring memory for them.
However, he noted that the Gloam-Eyed Queen had died before the Fire Giants. That made sense. Since the Empyrean's sword, the Godslayer's Greatsword, was tied to serpents, she was likely a more immediate threat to the Altus Plateau heartland. Only after clearing her out could Marika afford to face the powerful Fire Giants. He wondered what Marika had discovered after godhood, given that she began to doubt the Golden Order toward the end of the Giant War.
What happened next was common knowledge. To protect the Erdtree, Queen Marika allied with other factions who hated the Fire Giants. With the end of that war, the Erdtree faced no further threats and entered the legendary Age of Plenty.
But that age was brief, a flash of brilliance at the peak of the Golden Lineage. Once Marika launched the war against the Hornsent, the Land of Shadow was severed from the Lands Between, and the Shadow Tree—the Scadutree—vanished. Without the Shadow Tree's balance, the Erdtree could no longer produce its dew. The Age of Plenty vanished in an instant.
No wonder the Hornsent think Marika betrayed them, Gawain mused. Her ascension relied on their support, and that 'Divine Gate'... the name alone is enough to make one wonder.
"So, what happened with Messmer?" he asked, focusing on the question that mattered most.
Carian sighed and began to recount Messmer's life as he knew it.
"It is said that Messmer was Queen Marika's firstborn and the elder brother of Lady Melina. No one knows who his father was. Once he came of age, he participated in various wars. His strength was peerless, earning the respect of both Queen Marika and King Godfrey. He quickly became the strongest warrior beneath Godfrey himself."
"Messmer campaigned far and wide, clearing away countless enemies for the Queen. He led a massive army, including his personal guard, the Fire Knights. Our Black Knight Legion was eventually assigned to his command. Additionally, there was a host from the Carian Royal Family, led by Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight, who followed him."
"After the long Giant War ended and the Fire Giants were purged, the fighting didn't stop for us. Instead, we were ordered to cleanse the Hornsent—our former allies. Initially, we respected him with all our hearts. We followed him through endless war. Even if our hands were stained with the blood of the innocent, we told ourselves it was for Queen Marika, for the Golden Lineage."
"But at the end of the Crusade, Messmer betrayed Queen Marika. He betrayed the Erdtree. He claimed the Scadutree for himself and destroyed the heads of all Queen Marika's statues throughout the Land of Shadow. This brought about the Queen's punishment. This place became a god-forsaken land, severed from the Lands Between forever."
Carian looked up, his heart filled with conflict.
"Even then, we didn't immediately decide to rebel against Messmer. We were merely dissatisfied with his actions. After all, the order to eliminate the Hornsent had been given by Queen Marika. We even fought our way into Enir-Ilim, which is now veiled in shadow. But it was then that our Captain, Andreas, discovered Messmer's true nature as the Base Serpent! This was a betrayal and a defilement we could not accept. Under the leadership of our Captain and Vice-Captain, we rebelled. To prevent the legitimacy of the Erdtree from being defiled, we declared war on Messmer."
Carian clenched his fists, then slowly let them go, looking defeated.
"In the end, we failed. The Captain and Vice-Captain were imprisoned and executed. The rest of the participants suffered heavy casualties. As for us 'leftovers,' Messmer didn't even launch a further pursuit, as if our very existence was of no consequence."
Gawain processed this massive dump of information. Messmer's essence is a serpent? Recalling Melina's gloam-colored eye, it seemed both siblings were inextricably linked to the Gloam-Eyed Queen.
If Melina's destiny as the kindling maiden to burn the tree was preordained, was Messmer's "betrayal" the same? The truth was likely hidden from the rank-and-file soldiers, much like how prospective lords' maidens believed sacrificing themselves to burn the Erdtree was their own choice.
However, after so many years, Gawain wasn't sure what Messmer's current mindset was. Especially since the Black Knights had already rebelled once. He wouldn't know for sure until he met the man.
Unfortunately, because this Black Knight was a rebel, he couldn't act as a guide. Gawain would have to head in alone. But Melina could use these helpers. The only question was: did these Black Knights know about the Shamans?
He patted Carian's breastplate and spoke with a tone of appreciation.
"Well done. Thanks to you, I've cleared up many things I didn't understand when I first arrived in the Land of Shadow. Regarding Messmer, I will find a resolution. Rest assured."
Carian felt a bit more at ease upon hearing this promise. Suddenly, he remembered something and shouted to the three soldiers behind him who could still follow orders.
"Quick! Bring the item we have been guarding."
the soldiers paused, then turned and walked quickly toward a specific direction.
Gawain watched curiously, wondering what they were bringing. Not another weapon like Euporia, surely? Based on the level of importance, it had to be something rare.
Soon, the soldier returned, carefully holding a small box with both hands. He stood before the two of them, offering the box with a posture of reverence.
Carian unlocked the box and stepped aside. Inside, nestled in soft cotton, was a small golden bottle. The bottle was covered in Erdtree leaf carvings, and the gentle power of Grace radiated even through the glass.
"This is an item the Captain entrusted to us before his capture. We lost much on this journey, but this alone had to be protected with our lives. But now, I believe it is more appropriate for it to be kept in your hands."
Gawain's eyes widened as he looked at the item: Blessing of Marika. It was clearly a flask of Physik, but one with an incredibly powerful effect—completely restoring health and dispelling all status ailments.
He took it from the box and stowed it carefully. While theoretically such "physiks" could be refilled, Marika was currently hanging from a stone shard in the Erdtree, meaning this was a finite resource—one bottle less for every one drunk. It might be of vital use one day.
"I'll accept this. Now, take me to see your soldiers. In return, I believe I can solve some of the problems you're facing."
Carian had no reason to refuse. Under his lead, the two went to the small camp beside the church.
The camp was silent, save for the crackling of wood in the fires. Soldiers sat around the flames, staring blankly at the dancing heat. The only things with any "life" in them were several dogs wreathed in black-red flames, patrolling the camp and rooting for food. God only knows how they stayed so energetic while literally on fire.
There were about twenty or thirty soldiers left, all of whom had rebelled alongside the Black Knights and survived the subsequent defeat. They all sat with their heads bowed, looking like the walking dead. Even as a stranger approached, they didn't move.
Gawain frowned. He could tell their mental state was likely no better than the Shamans in the gaol. These soldiers had endured a "crusade" that was actually a massacre; their battle-fatigue was extreme. This specific group had then rebelled and lost, dealing a final blow to their spirits. They were utterly broken.
No wonder only three people had responded when the Black Knight called for them.
Carian turned, his voice tinged with apology. "The soldiers' spirits are shattered. They can no longer fight. I fear they will be of little help to you."
Gawain waved a hand, signaling that he didn't need to say more. He connected to Melina through their soul-link. After a brief moment of shared intent, the preparations were complete.
He gently rang a Sacred Chime, and a phantom of a Minor Erdtree appeared in the center of the camp. Interwoven with the golden light was the power of a Miracle, silently nourishing every lost soul present.
The soldiers couldn't help but look up. They crawled out of their tents, staring unblinkingly at the Minor Erdtree. Faces that had been as numb as hollows finally showed signs of emotion after a long, long time.
Carian couldn't stop the tears from falling as he watched the scene. He now believed in Gawain's identity without a shadow of a doubt. Before Queen Marika became a god, she often used such incantations to soothe the hearts of her warriors. It was because of this that the Erdtree had become the faith of all.
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (347 chapter - Ongoing)
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