Marika in a dream? Ranni's doing? Ridiculous. Malenia wouldn't fall for that. She'd suspect Thorne. Even if she believed him, no Sites of Grace exist in the real world. She couldn't instantly teleport to the Consecrated Snowfield, where the portal lay hidden. To order the army to halt, waste months, and send knights to the snowfield for a portal that might not even be there? That level of trust demanded Radagon himself.
More importantly, some truths are useless, even if spoken. When interests clash, especially between demigods, understanding vanishes. Malenia sought her brother. Radahn craved the Elden Lord title. The two most powerful lords in The Lands Between had never been so close. This battle had to happen.
Even if I suddenly gained power and slaughtered Mohg tonight to rescue Miquella, it would be pointless unless the Haligtree Army disbanded and surrendered immediately. If I were Radahn, I wouldn't let them return north either.
Besides—
He eyed the colossal Erdtree in the distance. The Shattering had dragged on endlessly. The Greater Will grew impatient.
Demigods and armies were mere sacrifices to maintain the Order. This helplessness gnawed at him. Knowing the world's end approached, yet unable to stop it. Did he have to play it safe? Stay away? Thorne exhaled, then asked, "By the way, how long until we march again?"
"That's a military secret," the knight replied, his smile gone, his face serious. "My apologies. But why hasn't Radahn entered Limgrave in all these years? Surely you can tell me that." Thorne was curious. Given Godrick's weakness, he couldn't hold the territory. General Radahn didn't seem the type to let it be. "The Redmane Army is busy with dragons. They haven't had time to deal with Godrick. But this war ends soon." Dragons?
Ah, the books. Descendants of the Ancient Dragons, and many of them. They opposed the Erdtree lords. The Ancient Dragons once ruled The Lands Between. The Erdtree had seized power from them. A massive Ancient Dragon War had happened. Even Leyndell, said to be invincible, had fallen. Ancient Dragons became rare, but dragons were common. Two in Liurnia, for example.
Their intelligence rivals humanity's. Some choose the Erdtree's side. Others, naturally, are hostile.
Thorne nodded. He understood. Ivan didn't need to explain further. Before Thorne could shift the conversation, a hand landed gently on his shoulder.
"Curious, are we? The Lands Between is vast. Reach the summit if you want to know more." Ivan chuckled, his tone laced with something seductive. "The Haligtree Army accepts guest generals. Would you consider it?"
"Did Lady Finlay send you?"
"No. This is Lady Malenia's wish, as well."
The knight clapped Thorne's shoulder, a serious look on his face. "Stay. Even if your loyalty lies with Caria, you'll lack for nothing in honor or glory." This was a respect earned in blood. He'd faced Godrick, even stabbed him. The Valkyrie herself would hold him in high regard.
"I am deeply honored to be valued by Her Highness." Thorne feigned gratitude, but shook his head. "I must decline."
"Why? You could become Her Highness's personal guard. The highest honor!" A personal guard? Impossible. Thorne didn't want to face the Scarlet Rot head-on. His eyes flicked, an idea sparking. The swordsman retreated. The actor took the stage. A look of internal conflict played across his features. Finally, he ground out the words.
"As an honorary knight of Caria, I must first complete Lady Ranni's mission. Caria and the Haligtree are not the same, but I will not betray my allegiance for wealth or glory."
"Lady Ranni's mission isn't finished? Didn't you turn Raya Lucaria Academy upside down?"
"That was a side quest. The specifics, I must keep confidential." Ivan opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn't push further without insulting Thorne's honor, breaking the knightly code of The Lands Between.
"A pity. I wanted to fight alongside you. But Her Highness will understand." The knight sighed, then brightened. "If we meet on the battlefield, I will not hold back." If not allies, they could be enemies.
Neither was a naive youth. If they became enemies, the path was clear.
Give it your all, and cut off the other's head without causing any pain! Thorne punched him in the chest, laughing. "If that day comes, I'll build your tomb beautifully and pour three cups of fine wine."
"Heh, I'll pour four."
It was time. They walked on, laughing, joking, discussing tomb construction. For a warrior, a dignified death was a form of respect.
It's not like in shonen manga, where if someone was once a companion, you must use talk-no-jutsu to pull them to your side. The wind howled incessantly. Under the gaze of the war hawks, they headed to the South City. However, while passing through the central chasm, Thorne suddenly stopped and leaned against the railing to look down. The chasm was shrouded in gray mist, and the bottom could not be seen at all. A few torches flickered in the mist, looking slightly eerie. "I heard from the locals that below is the graveyard of Stormveil. However, it was abandoned after the elden ring shattered."
The Cleanrot Knight walked over and explained casually. The view of life and death in The Lands Between is different from that on Earth. When the elden ring was intact, the concept of 'death' did not exist. When one's time came, they would enter the graveyard to 'return to the Erdtree.'
Returning to the Erdtree requires getting close to the Erdtree. Of course, if everyone went to Leyndell to return, the Royal Capital would have been overflowing with corpses long ago.
Therefore, the Erdtree very considerately extended its roots to every corner of The Lands Between, and the Golden Order also built graveyards at the roots. The roots of the Erdtree? Thorne frowned slightly. He knew there was something down there, something completely different from the people he had killed in terms of life form. 'There is no Grace, and no biological soul exists. So what is the energy driving it? Can I plunder it? If I can, will it increase physical attributes or intelligence?'
As someone who grows stronger by plundering, Thorne was very curious.
This was not just a simple desire; he wanted to clarify one thing:
Since he would sooner or later be an enemy of the Erdtree, whether his Dragons Heritage could take effect on the other party was extremely critical information. "Hey, what are you thinking about? The victory celebration is about to start!" Seeing Thorne lost in thought, the knight slapped him hard on the shoulder. "I was just a bit curious about returning to the Erdtree. Let's go." Thorne snapped back to reality and hid his curiosity, but he looked back once as he finished crossing the bridge. The arched bridge remained empty.
The pervasive gray mist seemed eerie, and a few small roots had already crawled up the wall. Hmm, I must find an opportunity to go down and take a look.