Ranni had a dream.
A short, yet beautiful dream.
In the dream, Arthur had become her king.
Together, they journeyed beneath the starry sky, traveling through the endless night.
They searched for the shadow of the Greater Will.
Only by hunting It down could the Lands Between be freed completely from its laws.
All beings would then face fear, hesitation, and loneliness in the cold, endless dark night—
and finally, by their own strength, overcome them.
That was the Age of Stars Ranni longed for.
Ever since she abandoned her flesh, leaving only her soul behind,
she had not dreamed for a very long time.
Souls do not dream. They only fall into slumber,
remaining in silence until their state recovers and they awaken once again.
And during that silence, all a soul can feel is endless darkness and solitude.
This time, however, when Ranni awoke from her slumber, everything was different.
She had dreamed again.
She had even felt the satisfying sense of rest a body imparts to the mind after deep sleep.
Stretching with a lazy yawn, she glanced around.
Inside a cylindrical container more than two meters tall lay the puppet body she once used.
When she saw it, Ranni suddenly realized something was wrong.
Looking down at her hands, feeling the power flowing within her—
"This… this is my original body?"
The familiar sensation told her the truth—she had been revived.
"You're awake! The surgery went great. You're a girl again."
A familiar yet strangely new voice came from behind her.
Familiar, because she had heard that mischievous tone countless times when her soul had been bound to the doll.
Strange, because the voice was just a bit too childish.
Turning her head, she saw a boy of twelve or thirteen dressed in clothes unfamiliar to her.
On his young face lingered faint traces of the adult Arthur she once knew.
"You are… Arthur?"
Though phrased as a question, her tone was utterly certain.
A person's face may change, but some things in their aura never do.
Clearly, Ranni had recognized him.
Arthur nodded.
"It's me～〃."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Despite her many doubts, Ranni's voice was calm and unhurried.
"In short, I brought you back to life."
Ranni: Thank you, what a fine summary. Next time, don't you dare.
"I'm more curious—where is this place? The scenery here looks nothing like the Lands Between. And what's with your condition? Why are you so… weak?"
She asked all her questions in one breath.
The word "weak" stabbed Arthur straight in the heart.
Back then, for convenience, he had created a separate avatar to act through.
He never expected that avatar to rise swiftly through the game, becoming a mighty force in the Lands Between—
while his true self barely improved, save for a few drops of sap from the Erdtree.
The result was that now, he couldn't even defeat the girl standing before him.
Never mind that she looked his age at the moment—
Ranni was still a demigod. From the essence of life itself, she stood a tier above him.
Even if ten of him were tied together, they wouldn't be her match.
Arthur thought grimly:
I need to find a way to merge the avatar's strength into myself someday.
Otherwise, his future standing in the household was in real danger.
While thinking, he also explained his origins and the nature of this world to Ranni.
After listening carefully, Ranni summed it up:
"So, you come from another world. The body you wielded in the Lands Between was just your consciousness anchored onto it—rather like my doll form. No wonder I always felt something unreal about you."
Arthur nodded. Her understanding was spot on.
"Then can you explain… Why is my body this young?"
Ranni, too, had noticed—her current body looked no older than eleven or twelve.
"Hehe, your real body was too strong. I didn't have enough energy to restore you to your original age, so… it turned out like this."
Arthur rather liked it this way. Now they could grow up together.
"…That makes sense. Energy capable of aiding a demigod is indeed rare. For you to manage even this much is no small feat."
She gave him due praise before asking another question:
"I'm curious—where did your energy come from?"
At that, Arthur fell into an awkward silence.
"Ahem… well, I… stripped it from General Radahn."
Ranni was silent for a long moment, then sighed softly.
"…So be it. Perhaps that was also a form of release for my brother."
Remembering Radahn's body ravaged by Scarlet Rot, she felt some peace.
"Well, I did preserve his soul's imprint. Maybe, someday, we can find a way to bring him back."
Seeing her mood dim, Arthur pulled a white crystal from his pocket and handed it to her.
Strictly speaking, it was Radahn's ashes—
dust Arthur had gathered as Radahn's body scattered to the wind, later condensed by special means.
There could be no better vessel to house his soul's imprint.
Arthur even wondered—if he shook his summoning bell, would Radahn's soul answer the call?
Ranni: …
"々｀ Next time you have surprises like this, tell me sooner."
Her tone carried a rare hint of reproach.
Arthur nodded earnestly. "Next time, for sure."
Looking at the boy's wide, silly grin, Ranni could only sigh wearily.
What else could she do?
She had chosen him as her king—so she would simply have to endure it.
At that moment, Arthur suddenly remembered something.
From his pocket, he drew out a ring.
Dropping to one knee, he asked:
"Though it's a little late, I think now is just right. Will you be my one and only princess?"
Looking at his serious, earnest face, Ranni extended her right hand.
"Weren't you already my king?"
Her voice brimmed with joy—so much that even Arthur could feel it.
He took her hand, trembling with excitement, and slipped the ring onto her finger.
Seeing the golden gemstone set in the band, Ranni asked in puzzlement:
"Why not my Dark Moon Ring?"
Arthur chuckled, answering with a question of his own:
"Why should it be? The Dark Moon Ring was your token of love to me. What—do you want it back?"
He had always felt the game's depiction was strange.
That ring was clearly meant to be the bond Ranni bestowed upon her chosen consort—
yet somehow, he had been forced to put it on her instead.
So, using the shell of a spent Enhanced Philosopher's Stone, he refined and compressed it down to the size of half a fingernail.
Fashioned after the style of Ranni's Dark Moon Ring, he forged this new ring.
Through alchemy, he even added an "Immaculate Expansion Charm," creating a ten-cubic-meter space inside.
Which meant this magic crystal not only absorbed and refined energy,
but also served as a storage ring.
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