Sellen's physical examination went smoothly.
Because of her research into sorceries, her mindset leaned toward rationality. During the examination and adjustments, she rarely showed the kind of coyness others might.
Of course, she still had a sense of shame. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered to maintain such a beautiful face, or worried earlier on the way back about being seen in a disheveled state.
The issue was, the one facing her was Lloyd.
Though she often called herself a witch, claimed to be worthless, cold, and heartless, and warned him to be mentally prepared...
There's a saying: the more someone insists on something, the more they often lack it.
It might not always apply, but right now it fit Sellen perfectly.
Forget a proper examination—if her idiot disciple really had some outrageous thoughts about her, she probably wouldn't even be able to refuse if he asked sincerely. It would likely end with her cursing him as a fool, wearing a look of disdain, yet still helping him anyway.
Classic Soulslike Witch.
As for the present...
Since Lloyd had a legitimate reason, and since Sellen herself had a research interest in her own body, there was no need for shyness. She even took the initiative to remove her coat. At the start, she directed Lloyd's examination herself, guiding him to check areas he hadn't originally intended to.
"I don't even care. What are you fussing about, you idiot?"
"I was already thinking about how to collect data on my body. You might as well just finish it all at once."
Not long after saying that, she realized Lloyd's technique was surprisingly practiced. Once he started, there wasn't much left for her to instruct him on.
Not wanting to waste time, she simply picked up a book from the bedside and began to read.
And so, with the sound of pages turning, fingers moving, and the occasional faint tremor, the examination of Sellen's body was eventually completed.
Afterward, Lloyd spent some extra time using the materials at hand to make minor repairs and optimizations to her body. He then handed her the optimized data and notes in written form.
"All done. Our Elden Fool has plenty of his own business to take care of, so I won't trouble you further."
When everything was finished, Sellen spread her arms and pulled her foolish disciple into an embrace. After a brief "lesson," she let him go.
"But no matter what, remember—your teacher is here."
"No matter what happens, or what you need, you can always come to me."
"I'll always be waiting for you."
With that, Sellen dressed herself, walked Lloyd to the door, watched him leave, and only then slowly closed it.
Maybe she really should cut down a little on research time...
Otherwise, she'd have no time left to look after this fool...
...
After leaving Sellen's room, Lloyd didn't immediately warp back to the Altus Plateau.
Earlier, after seeing a certain function of the magic engine, an idea had struck him. He went straight to find Moongrum.
Moongrum, the Carian Knight who had once guarded the Queen of the Full Moon's chambers.
Long ago, before the Queen of the Full Moon lost her mind, he had even managed Caria's accounts for a time. It was said he possessed remarkable business acumen and had contributed to the design of the magic engine as well.
As for why Lloyd sought him out...
"Old Moong, have you ever heard of a 'Duel Disk'?"
"You know, the kind where you put cards in and they project holograms..."
Moongrum froze.
He was certainly familiar with card games. After all, the scholars at the Academy were researchers at heart. Outside of sorceries, their main pastime was playing cards.
But this Duel Disk—what was that supposed to be?
Even though Lloyd's brief explanation wasn't enough for him to fully grasp it, some instinct told him the idea carried the scent of Runes.
"Explain."
So Lloyd laid out what a Duel Disk was, and while at it, explained what a duel meant.
As the explanation went on, Moongrum's expression shifted again and again. From confusion, to surprise, to shock, until finally he understood. His eyes shone with admiration as he looked at Lloyd.
"I see..."
It was a brilliant idea.
The magic engine wasn't yet advanced enough to create the handheld Duel Discs Lloyd described, but it could already produce Duel Bases—platforms placed on the ground where both players inserted their cards to project the duel.
Everyone knows sorcerers have three great desires: new technology, card games, and explosions.
If such a device could be made, it would fulfill the first two instantly. Add a few explosive effects to the duels, and then...
Moongrum could hardly imagine just how explosive this idea could become—it might even transform the Academy of Sorceries into a Dueling Academy.
And beyond that, spreading it had another advantage. The reason sorcerers so often broke into conflict was, to a large extent, because they had too much idle time.
Think about it: the sorcerers at the academy spent their lives doing little besides research and playing cards. And even the card games were just casual entertainment among friends.
So what else was left when they had free time? Academic disputes, of course.
If this thing could be popularized, it would drain off some of their excess energy. Better yet, if they could resolve conflicts this way, how much trouble could be avoided...
Moongrum committed the idea to memory. When their discussion ended, he went straight back to his room, pulled out pen and paper, and began drafting a rough proposal.
Naturally, Lloyd knew nothing of this.
He had only sought out Moongrum because the projection from that magic engine earlier had felt strangely familiar, so he'd brought it up in passing.
As for why he hadn't approached anyone else...
Well, everyone else was busy with serious work. Moongrum, on the other hand, looked relatively free. And since the idea itself was fairly abstract, Lloyd tossed it to him half as a joke, without giving it much thought.
After leaving the Academy and returning to the Altus Plateau, Lloyd resumed his exploration of the map.
This time, though, after gathering a pile of sorcerer gear, he reconsidered his stat distribution. He raised Intelligence and Focus, then equipped the magical items he'd acquired earlier.
The White Dragon Sword. The Crystal Queen's Staff. Ranni's Knight Set.
Eight Sorceries Engines. The Ancestral Spirit's Horn. The Sorcerer's Orb Talisman (boosting magic damage by 4%), which he'd picked up at the academy but rarely used. And Radagon's Portrait (shortening spell casting time)...
After swapping to this setup and exploring the map for a while, Lloyd suddenly understood.
No wonder this land pursued the Elden Ring.
So that "ring" was the Mage's ring!
Mobs popped with a single blast. Elites couldn't even get close. No more worrying about monster swarms, no more exhausting charges into melee.
He could simply stroll along at leisure, waving his staff, occasionally drawing the White Dragon Sword for a couple of swings when the mood struck.
What is an Easy-mode? What is enjoyment? What is a Mage?
This is the Easy-mode. This is the enjoyment. This is the Mage.
And in this blissful state, Lloyd pressed on triumphantly—until before long, he ran into a familiar face.
"Woo! Wooooooooo!"
"Volcano! Burn me, Alexander!"
The Warrior Jar, whom Lloyd hadn't seen for some time, was standing waist-deep in magma, roaring as he tempered his body in the molten rock.
When he noticed Lloyd approaching, he froze, visibly puzzled.
After all, while Alexander could strengthen himself with magma, Lloyd was only flesh and blood—or so he thought. For him to appear here was strange, to say the least.
Lloyd, however, gave no explanation.
Instead, he switched to his main build and, under Alexander's dumbfounded stare, stepped slowly through the magma until he stood beside him. Then, without a word, he lay down.
A brief silence.
Lloyd let out a sigh.
"It's a bit chilly..."
Alexander: "...?"
Wait a minute. Who's the Warrior Jar here—you or me?
How could a human body lie in magma and complain that it was too cold?
With that bizarre thought, Alexander shared a short conversation with Lloyd, who was still lounging in the lava. When they finished, he handed Lloyd a gift to thank him for his previous help.
[Acquired Equipment: 'Jar Helm']
A helmet crafted by Alexander himself, enhancing the power of thrown projectiles.
Though seemingly of little use now, perhaps one day a throwing-focused style would emerge.
Lloyd stowed the helm in his inventory, then glanced back at Alexander.
"Have the cracks on your body increased?"
"Yes."
Alexander didn't shy away from it. In fact, he laughed heartily, patting the fissures across his surface.
"These are my badges of honor as a warrior!"
No—that sounded like a death flag.
Even so, Lloyd neither stopped him nor tried to talk him down.
From past encounters, he had already realized that although Alexander's body was a jar, he possessed a soul of his own.
After confirming this, Lloyd had even traveled to the Caelid Colosseum to ask the pot warriors there if they were in need of more jars.
When they gave him an affirmative answer, he stopped worrying about Alexander.
This jar was clearly destined to fall in battle. Better to let the story play out. When the time came, Lloyd could simply extract Alexander's soul and toss it to the Colosseum.
Alexander could revel in glorious battle and still fulfill his jar duties. Lloyd doubted he would refuse such temptation.
After a brief dip in the "cold bath" of lava, Lloyd set off once more, continuing his exploration of the volcanic region.
Because of the old man's orders he'd carried back, the conflict between Volcano Manor and Leyndell's forces had ceased.
Even the earlier supply shortages had been resolved thanks to Lloyd transporting materials, so both sides were now in recovery and left him alone.
It was almost a shame. Having just swapped into his sorcery build, he had hoped for some fun.
Sigh... I was really looking forward to it...
During this time, Lloyd encountered another Demi-human Queen. Summoning Boc, he had her escorted to Castle Morne.
With two Demi-human Queens now in place, management of the Demi-human faction in Castle Morne had largely become the queens' responsibility. As for Boc, he'd never been particularly good at it, nor did he want to handle such matters; he'd only stepped in at first to help Lloyd.
Now that the two queens were overseeing the Demi-humans, Lloyd noticed Boc still eager to assist. After some thought, he gave Boc a new position in addition to his work as a tailor.
Demi-human Diplomat, tasked specifically with facilitating communication between Lloyd and the Demi-humans.
Simply put, whenever Demi-humans were encountered, Boc would go speak with them. If negotiations were possible, he would negotiate; if not, Lloyd would go talk to them himself.
After hearing of Boc's new assignment, Edgar, the Castellan of Castle Morne, considered the matter and sent a Misbegotten to serve as Boc's adjutant. On one hand, this provided some combat protection; on the other, it allowed Boc to communicate not only with Demi-humans but also with the ostracized Misbegotten.
"Speaking of which, how are things in Castle Morne?"
Lloyd asked casually.
"Quite well. Maybe because everyone's had it rough, the city is stable now. It's already back to pre-rebellion levels and still growing…"
In truth, the main reason was the Damocles' sword hanging overhead—the Golden Order Dynasty—which frightened everyone and left them no choice but to unite.
After escorting the Demi-human Queen there and getting a quick read on Castle Morne's situation, Lloyd resumed exploring the map. Near the Demi-human Queen, he picked up a spell called Comet Azur. From a cave that ate two of his Stonesword Keys, he obtained a set of Mushroom Gear and a Kindred of Rot's Exultation Talisman.
After another stretch of that climbing and jumping Miyazaki loves so much, Lloyd spotted a creature like a black bull—a Fallingstar Beast. At the time, its name and health bar were visible, and Lloyd drew his staff, ready to test its mettle.
But sensing something as he approached, the creature curled into a ball. After a while, it even came over on its own and rubbed lightly against him in an almost fawning way.
Then...
[Obtained Spirit Ash 'Fallingstar Beast']
Well, fine. I'll toss it to Roderika for her challenge runs later.
Seeing it so cooperative, Lloyd didn't press the issue. He nodded and put the Spirit Ash back into his inventory. After finishing most of his exploration of the volcanic region on the left side of the Altus Plateau, he continued east.
After a while, he ran into Brother Corhyn, the prayer teacher he'd met earlier at the Roundtable Hold. A brief conversation revealed that Brother Corhyn was searching for his own teacher—a being known as the Golden Mask.
Golden Mask? What was that supposed to be?
No matter; he would find out soon. Not long after he moved on, at a broken bridge, he spotted a strange figure. Emaciated and in rags, it stood ramrod straight, one hand raised to point into the distance, its face covered by a golden circular mask.
From afar, it looked like a golden wheel grass that had sprouted in the wrong place. Up close, it was like that golden wheel grass had gained sentience. Stranger still, no matter how he tried to communicate, it would only reply with six dots.
After his attempt at conversation failed, Lloyd Fast Traveled back to tell Brother Corhyn where the Golden Mask was, then continued eastward.
Before long, towering city walls rose before him—the walls of the Royal Capital Leyndell.
Then...
BAM!
Lloyd kicked open the capital's gates.
"I've reached the Royal Capital!"
"Where the hell are you, Margit?"
...
[Up to 20 chapters ahead for now]
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