Crossing the Smoldering Wall, one arrived at the most vital structure in Caelid and the stronghold of the knights led by Radahn—Redmane Castle, marked by the sigil of the searing lion. Though it had long fallen into disrepair, it still exuded a majestic and formidable aura.
Currently, atop the castle walls, a towering knight looked down. Seeing the Tarnished galloping toward them, a flicker of curiosity crossed his mind.
"Jerren, another has arrived... Is it time to begin?" The knight remained as motionless as a statue.
"Please wait... the moment has not yet come... the stars have yet to fill the sky." Jerren took a cursory glance at the Tarnished and didn't pay him much mind. So many warriors had come here that it was impossible to remember every face, unless they left a particularly deep impression... and speaking of deep impressions, that half-wolf man certainly possessed enough impact.
"Hm...?" The knight gazing at the Tarnished let out a hum of doubt. "Such a familiar presence... could it be?"
Without overthinking, the knight suddenly unfurled brilliant golden wings, took flight from the wall, and landed directly in front of the Tarnished.
"I sensed your presence long ago... Lansi." The Tarnished called out the other's name without hesitation. This knight was one of the sixteen Crucible Knights, specifically one under Ordovis's lineage.
"You truly have returned." Lansi sheathed his greatsword. "However, you seem a shadow of your former self... what happened? The mere loss of Grace shouldn't have left you in such a state." In the past, Grace had been nothing more than an ornament to this man.
After all, he was the one who had entered the Lands Between without Grace and successfully dueled two Ancient Dragons simultaneously. Even without Grace, he was a master who stood above all heroes. Yet now, he felt only slightly stronger than an ordinary hero.
Seeing Lansi's curiosity, the Tarnished gave a brief account of what happened after they were exiled from the Lands Between.
"...I see. So there are still such masters in those lands." Lansi fell into deep thought. There was no strict physical distance between the Land of Fog and the Lands Between; the Lands Between itself was like an isolated continent, while the Land of Fog was the world beyond the walls.
Queen Marika herself had come from that place to the Lands Between. The term "Numen" referred to these outsiders or wayfarers. Although Lansi knew Marika was an outlander, he didn't know much about the nature of her race.
It was a race of extraordinary intelligence and predominantly female... no, it would be more accurate to say that in Marika's homeland, it was likely a matriarchal society where women were the dominant force. Before being chosen as an Empyrean, Marika seemed to have been a blacksmith; that hammer was the symbol of her identity.
"White Wolf, I recall your homeland was also in the Land of Fog? It seems quite close to the origins of those Kaiden Mercenaries," Lansi noted. The Tarnished nodded in confirmation. From the perspective of the Land of Fog's geography, his homeland was considered the North.
Incidentally, though the Land of Fog seemed empty, it actually possessed a complete ecosystem. The North where he was from was very similar to the North of the Lands Between—a frigid land of drifting snow. It was simply that the perpetual gray gloom made it feel hollow and void.
"Not just me; many have come from beyond the Lands Between. It's just that we don't know much about places outside our own homes... Personally, aside from my own land, I'm only somewhat familiar with the origins of the Deathbed Companions." The Land of Fog was vast, far larger in scale than the Lands Between.
Where there were people, there were scholars. In the past, many had organized expeditions to explore the world, but all had failed without exception. The reason was simple—being away from home for too long caused people to lose their sense of space, eventually dying within the boundless, borderless mist.
"Enough talk of that... Have you come for Starscourge Radahn?" Lansi shifted the topic.
"Yes. I have my reasons."
"I won't pry into your reasons, but I must warn you: Radahn is strong. Even if he has lost his mind, he still possesses power that can shake the heavens and move the earth. He has not forgotten his gravity sorcery." Through the observations of Lansi and his kin, they had concluded that Radahn truly deserved the title of the strongest demigod. While perhaps not equal to Godfrey in his prime, he was stronger than Lansi himself—a level of power that was a point of pride in the Lands Between.
"Fortunately, this is a Festival. There are warriors from all walks of life here to face this final demigod together... I'll say no more. The Festival hasn't started yet. Whether you leave for now or wait here is up to you." Lansi nodded to the Tarnished, then spread his wings and flew back up to Redmane Castle.
The Tarnished decided to speak with the acting castellan. However, the gates of Redmane Castle were currently tightly shut. It seemed one had to either sneak in through a side path or...
Jump directly in.
"Ah, the Tarnished mentioned by the Crucible Knight... indeed, you are extraordinary, climbing the outer walls to enter the city... It seems you have already defeated the Leonine Misbegotten acting as the gatekeeper." Jerren sat in a chair, stroking his prosthetic beard, seemingly in high spirits.
"You lot are quite something too, having a Misbegotten guard the door."
"Heh, he was an admirer of the General as well," Jerren chuckled.
"It seems Radahn truly held the hearts of the people."
"Alas... how glorious the General once was is exactly how painful his existence is now. Malenia's Scarlet Rot has caused irreversible damage to him from the inside out. He piles corpses together, unable to distinguish friend from foe... gnawing on them like a wild dog. Even now, one can occasionally hear his desolate, agonizing howls." Jerren gripped his knees, lamenting for Radahn.
"What is your view on Malenia?" the Tarnished asked.
"A demigod second only to the General... or so it should have been. If one accounts for that Scarlet Rot, she might even surpass him. I should clear the air here to avoid misunderstanding... the Redmane warriors, including myself, have never resented the Valkyrie. Victory and defeat are part of war. As for the rumors spread outside—that Malenia is a coward for unleashing the rot—those words are not only an insult to Malenia but also an insult to the General who fought her with everything he had.
The General already had a preliminary understanding of the Scarlet Rot when he first came to Caelid. He naturally knew of Malenia, who harbored the rot but fought against fate. Though they met few times, the General deeply respected Malenia's resolve. How could he not know she carried the rot? Yet he still went to war with her, giving his all... that was his respect for her struggle against destiny. Even if he was infected, he still had comrades of the same mind."
"The General could not resist fate... perhaps he tried once but failed. Therefore, to the General, Malenia was no ordinary enemy. It's just a pity that the battle was ultimately a farce..." Jerren's hands tightened involuntarily.
"A farce? How so?" The Tarnished caught the scent of something foul.
"Forgive me... I don't know. I am old... I no longer have the strength to investigate or discern right from wrong and the truth. I can only say... shortly before the General and Malenia went to war... in the early stages of the Shattering... when several demigods allied to attack the Capital, someone was meddling. In the end, they returned empty-handed.
It was then that the General, returning to Caelid, found that some of the warriors stationed at Redmane Castle had mysteriously vanished. Not only that, those who disappeared were key personnel in charge of logistics. Shortly thereafter, corpses began appearing in the Aeonia Swamp without cause. What exactly happened, I do not know..." It was undoubtedly a conspiracy—a plot to dismantle the allied forces. And the General was unquestionably the victim of that plot.
At that time, the Scarlet Rot became active, and soon after, Malenia came knocking at the door.
"It seems there is a conspiracy. But putting that aside... I want to state my reason for challenging Radahn."
"Oh? Not simply to inherit the General's Great Rune?" Jerren was curious about his motives.
"I heard you were once part of the Carian Royals. I am currently an ally of Ranni. To unseal the fate of the stars, Radahn must be faced." The Tarnished spoke plainly.
"Ho ho, what a familiar name... So you are an ally of Lady Ranni. You are right; the General has sealed the Lady's fate." Jerren nodded in confirmation. "Alas... to be of the Carian lineage and yet seal the stars... Radahn, you have suffered." He tilted his head back and took a deep breath.
Radahn was a man who cared deeply for his family, holding immense reverence for his parents. To his younger siblings, he was the perfect elder brother. It was a tragedy; though Radahn was a warrior, Queen Rennala's excellent education had put a chasm between his intellect and that of an average soldier.
He understood that under an absolute rule, any other powerful faction would eventually be purged. Even though his father was a Golden Hero... even though his father later became the King Consort, making the Carian house an outer branch of the Golden Lineage.
But Radahn knew: if they were not of the same blood, their hearts would inevitably differ. Even as in-laws, the Golden Lineage would never fully accept them. In fact, the positions he and Rykard were given were nothing but "messy business."
Under such circumstances, could the Carian house truly find peace? Thus, Radahn made a decision—to offer a token of allegiance. And that token was the sealing of the stars... using the stillness of the cosmos to bring about peace. Though the stars could not move forward, so long as the family endured, it was enough. He had no other choice.
"Tarnished... leave for now. The time is not yet right. When the sky is filled with stars... that will be the time to celebrate the General's passing. Come back then. In that Festival, you shall earn glory... you shall obtain a Great Rune... and you shall liberate Lady Ranni's fate. Three birds with one stone," Jerren smiled bitterly. This was the pact between him and Radahn. This Festival was the final act Jerren could perform as Radahn's dearest friend.
"Siluria, where have we arrived?" Two Crucible Knights seemed to be searching for something of great importance to them.
"The well to the Siofra River... I sense something below... the presence of our other kin."
"Are we giving up on the surface?" Inkolo asked, puzzled.
"I think your brain has turned to water. Didn't you notice the White Wolf has come to Caelid? Of the two kin on the surface, one is at Redmane Castle for the Festival, and the other is at the Divine Tower. Those are both places the White Wolf must pass through. Once he has greeted them, if they wish to join us, they will find us. Conversely, if he doesn't come looking for us, we won't be able to gather them even if we go in person; it would be a wasted trip."
"I see... I understand."
"Let us move. This underground world feels abnormal... I wonder what has transpired."