"This ring is Ranni's... It seems I was indeed overthinking things before; there's no way you'd make me do something against my will."
When Rellana followed Arthur to a secluded spot next to the Grand Cathedral, she saw a ring lying in his outstretched palm that looked very familiar to her.
She had once possessed a similar ring, which she later personally gifted to Mesmer.
Rellana breathed a sigh of relief. The man before her had an extraordinary relationship with Ranni; at least his attitude towards Caria wouldn't be as troublesome as those from the Erdtree.
But soon, Rellana's expression turned peculiar. Her gaze subtly swept over Arthur's shoulder, looking at Melina, who had been silently following behind him.
...He's quite capable.
Rellana noticed that Melina's gaze towards Arthur was not like that between normal friends. She knew this kind of look very well because her sister, Renala, had looked at Radaon, the hero of the Erdtree, with the exact same eyes as Melina.
Then Rellana started to get a headache.
Since Melina was Mesmer's younger sister, and she and Mesmer were husband and wife, theoretically, she and Melina were of the same generation. Therefore, she should also address Arthur as an equal.
However, Ranni was Renala's daughter, and she and Renala were sisters. So, as Ranni's husband, Arthur was also her junior.
He was both an equal and a junior... What should she call Arthur?
The confusing family relationships instantly made the battle-hardened female knight feel a bit dizzy. Even Arthur noticed Rellana's state at the moment and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Rellana was startled by Arthur's voice and immediately shook her head, "I'm fine, I was just thinking about what to call you."
Arthur showed a strange expression, "Didn't I already answer that question before? Just call me Arthur."
"Uh, not that address... Alright, calling you Arthur seems to be the best option," Rellana sighed, resignedly.
She had just wanted to explain the tangled thoughts she had been having to Arthur, but Rellana quickly realized that the reason Arthur's family address was so complicated was ultimately because she had fallen in love with Mesmer, who was much younger than her.
Because whether it was Mesmer and Melina, the siblings, or Arthur and Ranni, those four were truly of the same age.
Of course, it was also possible that Arthur was younger than all three of them.
But that didn't matter, because Rellana realized that she was definitely older than all four of them...
In other words, the fundamental reason for Arthur's complicated identity was herself, so Rellana decided not to dwell on the matter any longer.
As for the fact that Arthur and Ranni were engaged, and his relationship with Melina was unusual, Rellana felt she had no standing to comment or judge. They just needed to handle their relationships themselves.
Thinking of this, Rellana discarded the random thoughts that had just been swirling in her mind and asked Arthur, "So, what is the favor you wish to ask of me?"
Seeing that the other party had brought up serious business, Arthur did not press Rellana on what she had been thinking. After briefly telling her about the isolated mountain, he said, "...The general course of events is like this. Bard, the current mayor of Lake-town, no, Dale, hopes that the Erdtree can send an army to be stationed there. That's why I summoned you and the army from Ensis Castle. Considering that both you and General Radahn are from Caria, this will also prevent the Red Lion Legion soldiers from feeling that their hard-won achievements are being taken away by other non-Caria factions."
Rellana nodded thoughtfully, "I didn't expect you to consider the feelings of the Red Lion Legion soldiers. There's nothing improper about this arrangement. On behalf of all the soldiers of Ensis Castle, I am willing to accept the order to garrison Lake-town and Dale."
Arthur said, "Then you can go through the teleportation gate now... Hiss, I forgot the teleportation gate is in Stormveil Castle. You should first take your army and follow me to Stormveil Castle. There's a teleportation gate there that can quickly transport you to Lake-town. If you're lucky, you and the Ensis Castle army can complete the patrol handover with Radahn and the Red Lion Legion today."
Rellana agreed and then asked, "I have another question. Has Ensis Castle also been summoned by you?"
Arthur nodded, then slapped his forehead, "Of course. Oh, you mean you want to go back to Ensis Castle first to let the soldiers organize their personal belongings? I didn't consider that. There's still time for that."
Rellana politely replied, "Thank you for your consideration, Arthur."
Then Arthur remembered something and tentatively asked, "By the way, in Ensis Castle... is there such a thing as a source stone?"
Rellana was stunned. As one of the people with considerable magical attainments in Caria, she naturally knew what source stones were used for.
Although she wasn't sure what Arthur wanted the source stone for, she still answered honestly, "Although source stones are precious, Ensis Castle still has some in stock."
Arthur's eyes lit up, and he asked, suppressing his excited tone, "How many?"
Rellana replied, "If my memory serves me correctly, there should still be two unused source stones in the city."
That's great! Now I can have Sellen, the teacher, make two more soul collectors!
Arthur immediately said impatiently, "I'll take you and your army to Ensis Castle right now."
"Uh, okay, please lead the way."
Arthur's enthusiasm for source stones made Rellana puzzled, but giving them to him was no big deal.
Anyway, he and Ranni were engaged, so Rellana just considered it a gift from her as an elder to Arthur.