Irina began recounting to Edgar the events that had transpired on her journey. Lucian did not interrupt the father and daughter.
Instead, he walked toward the captured envoy. The man was bound tightly, unconscious, with a soldier stationed beside him as guard. When the soldier saw Lucian approach, he immediately dropped to one knee and gave a formal salute — startling Lucian for a moment.
Upon closer look, he recognized the soldier — the youngest among them. "Huh? What's all this for?" Lucian asked.
The young man rose to his feet, eyes bright with emotion. "Lord Edgar just told us everything that happened. He said we must treat you with the utmost respect. Even if he hadn't, I would still honor you. You faced those beasts alone and avenged our fallen — you are the hero of Castle Morne!"
"If not for you, we might never have witnessed the end of those monsters with our own eyes."
His voice trembled, and two lines of tears slid down his face. The memories of the dead were still vivid — family, comrades, even his childhood sweetheart… all that made up his life. Now they were reduced to mangled corpses, piled together beyond recognition.
The garrison was small, and their strength even smaller. They had not been able to protect the townsfolk, let alone hunt down the misbegotten for revenge.
Lucian stayed silent. Praise meant little — the dead could not be brought back. He patted the soldier's shoulder. "I won't be staying in Castle Morne forever. If you want to prevent such tragedy from happening again, you need to grow stronger — strong enough to protect the people who matter to you. As for revenge, next time, you'll have to take it yourselves."
The young man wiped his tears and nodded firmly. "Right, my lord… do you mean to interrogate this one? Should I escort you to the prison? There's a chamber for questioning."
Lucian waved his hands quickly. Interrogation was different from killing. He'd slain plenty since coming to these Lands Between, and even enjoyed meting out violent justice at times… but torture was better left to those who made it their trade.
"No, I only want to see if he's carrying anything dangerous," Lucian replied — though truthfully, he was there to loot him.
This envoy's rank seemed higher than the one Lucian had killed earlier. High enough that he might be carrying valuable tools — charms like the Bewitching Branch or flasks like the Sacred Flask. Anything of worth was fair game.
"I see! As expected of you, my lord — thinking ahead to possible dangers," the young soldier said with admiration. Fortunately for Lucian, he couldn't hear the man's thoughts, or he'd be embarrassed — danger wasn't on his mind, loot was.
The first find was a black short crossbow — the very same weapon that had ambushed him twice. The name shimmered before his eyes: Crepus's Black-Key Crossbow [Replica]. Lucian raised a brow. It was his first time seeing the [Replica] suffix. Crepus — he remembered — the head confessor who served the Two Fingers from the shadows of the Roundtable Hold, famed for his skill. The true Black-Key Crossbow was stored there, but clearly the envoys had created standardized imitations.
The quiver held eight barbed black bolts, likewise marked as Black-Key Bolts [Replica]. He slung the crossbow at his hip and continued searching.
The motion roused the envoy from his stupor. Seeing Lucian alive and well, the man knew at once his mission had failed. He spat out broken teeth and blood, and said coldly "Hmph. So Singh didn't kill you. And they call him a Misbegotten warrior… a beast is still just a beast."
Lucian slapped him hard enough to knock out more teeth. "And the rats who hide in the dark can talk, too. How curious."
The envoy glared with venom before forcing what he thought was a kindly smile — though with so few teeth, it was grotesque. "You're a Tarnished as well. You know of the Two Fingers. Join me, and help fulfill their will."
Lucian frowned. Why did they all say the same thing? And why try recruiting him only when they were already half-dead? No sane man would agree at that point. Still, he supposed it was part of being an assassin — once caught, survival was unlikely. This wasn't fear of death, but stubborn devotion to the Two Fingers' orders, willing to use any means to complete them.
Seeing Lucian's silence, the envoy thought he had an opening. He began to speak again — but something was suddenly shoved into his mouth.
It wasn't anything strange — just Lucian's hand. He knew their type too well. Four fingers went inside, his thumb stayed out, and with a sharp yank downward, he dislocated the envoy's jaw.
"Ngghhh—!" The envoy's blood and spit dribbled freely as he kicked weakly, groaning in muffled pain. "Your friend already told me everything worth hearing. You just keep your mouth shut."
Lucian resumed his search, soon finding a small pouch. Inside lay a Bewitching Branch, strangely alluring even in its stillness. He shook off the odd thoughts that crept into his mind — relics of the Empyreans were never to be taken lightly.
Next came a small pot reeking faintly of blood, engraved with two concentric circles of arcane symbols — the mark of the Two Fingers. The name came to him: Beastlure Pot. He remembered it vaguely — a tool to draw the wrath of beasts, no doubt used by the envoys to drive the misbegotten into a frenzy, overriding Singh's influence.
There was also a small, dreamlike medallion glowing with pale light — Baldachin's Blessing. Lucian stiffened. The envoy was one of Fia's Champions. Just his luck — go out to slay misbegotten, stumble upon one of her chosen.
The rest was mundane: rations, a few crystal darts. Finished with the search, Lucian felt refreshed. Looting your enemies — one of the undeniable pleasures of the Lands Between.
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[T/N: For those who may not know, forgotten, or lazy to look it up]
Empyrean is a term used to refer to powerful beings who could ascend to godhood and create a new era in the Lands Between. Empyreans typically descend from a royal line, and are selected by the Two Fingers, who are envoys of the Greater Will. Only a select few are given this title, and they have very important impacts on the story and lore. By the time of the Shattering, only three Empyreans would serve as possible successors to the current rule.
Empyreans:
Queen Marika the Eternal
The Gloam-Eyed Queen[Was chosen as an Empyrean long before the events of the game.]
Lunar Princess Ranni
Miquella the Kind
Malenia, Blade of Miquella