Seeing that the Festival would not begin for some time, the Tarnished activated the Site of Grace within the castle, planning to wait there until the proceedings commenced.
"So this is Redmane Castle... the domain of the once-strongest demigod. It has a powerful presence," Melina remarked, tilting her head back to survey the modest yet imposing structure.
"Hm..." Suddenly, she let out a sound that was both adorable and filled with confusion.
"What is it?" It was the first time the Tarnished had seen Melina make such an expression.
"I heard General Radahn is as large as a mountain... How... how did he live in this small castle?" Melina tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
"Hahahaha! What a curious little girl. Allow me to answer that," Jerren said, walking out from the inner sanctum. "The General is indeed immense... and this place truly could not house him. When he was not at war, he stayed on the vast plains behind the castle. It is a tragedy that the battle destroyed the structures there... It was already a desolate place, but now it is beyond recognition. That very place shall serve as the General's tomb."
"I... see," Melina whispered, lowering her head. She seemed affected by the hollow atmosphere of the castle. It was strange—though empty of people, the air was heavy with grief, as if the castle itself were mourning the legendary General.
"What's that... what now?" Just as the conversation ended, a familiar voice echoed in the Tarnished's mind.
(Brother... it's me, Blaidd.)
(Blaidd? Is this how you people communicate?)
(Yes. Sorry for the late contact, but we've run into a bit of trouble. Could you come over? We're in a tunnel at the border between Limgrave and Caelid.)
(We? Who else is with you?)
(Alexander... he's stuck. And it's worse than last time. I don't even know how he managed to squeeze himself in there. It's preposterous.)
"..." The Tarnished was speechless. After a brief explanation to Melina and Jerren, he departed from the nearest Grace and hurried toward the destination.
"You truly are one of a kind, Alexander..." Blaidd grunted, pushing against the jar warrior wedged in the entrance.
"Ah... it seems having a large physique isn't always a blessing. I thought I was smooth enough to pass! Wha-ha-ha-ha!" Alexander let out a booming laugh.
"How can you still laugh?" Blaidd's lip twitched with irritation. This was a tunnel; if they used too much force and caused a cave-in, it would lead to untold trouble. "I've notified the Tarnished. More hands should help us find a way."
"Wha-ha-ha! My thanks, wolf-brother!" Alexander waved his arms from the other side of the passage.
"Just call me Blaidd... Sigh, the Festival hasn't started yet anyway. I might as well deal with your antics," Blaidd said, scratching his ear.
The two didn't dare move recklessly. During the wait, Blaidd had contacted Old Iji. The war counselor's suggestion was simple: find something to act as a lubricant, like oil.
(Being stuck in a doorway is truly extraordinary... but such is the life of a counselor. I exist to handle these unexpected calamities.)
(My thanks, old man... By the way, is Ranni still asleep?)
(Yes. Lady Ranni's slumber is quite deep this time... No doubt her rest is uneasy.)
(...I will eliminate every threat to her.)
"What a strange sight. You really outdid yourself this time, Alexander," a voice called out from behind Blaidd. It was the Tarnished, brushing dust off his clothes. "Took me a moment to find this place."
"Brother, it's been a while... What happened to your clothes?" Blaidd noticed the Carian Knight armor was missing its signature cape.
"Gave someone some warmth, don't worry about it. Now, let's see about getting him out." The Tarnished tapped Alexander's rear; it was as hard as stone.
"Tarnished! You're here! I'm stuck again! Wha-ha-ha!"
"I have no words. I honestly think you could establish an Order where everything is just stuck in walls... You and Inkolo are a real pair of 'talents'."
"Hm? I don't quite take your meaning, but I'll assume you're praising my sturdy build!" Alexander raised a hand and laughed.
"Blaidd, did Iji give a solution?" the Tarnished asked, turning away from the boisterous jar.
"He said to use oil or something for lubrication... but where are we going to find oil in a place like this?" Blaidd was at a loss. The Tarnished fell into thought.
"My Host... I may have a way. Please let me try." Asimi's voice broke the silence. Holding Lusat's staff, she closed her eyes, recalling the Nox sorceries from her inherited memories.
With a wave of the staff, a cloud of silver mist drifted out, swirling around Alexander and gradually enveloping him.
"Ooh! What is this? I feel... slippery! Brothers, I think I can make it!" Both sides of Alexander's "shoulders" were now covered in a thin, incredibly slick silver film.
With a mighty heave, Alexander lunged forward. Moments later, he popped through the entrance and went rolling down the tunnel floor.
"Wha-ha-ha! Excellent! I am free once more!" Alexander continued to roll further down, his spirits soaring.
"Impressive magic. Brother, this companion of yours is truly versatile," Blaidd said, genuinely surprised.
"Just a minor trick... don't mind it." It was a spell used by Nox Swordstresses to summon primitive silver matter. It was originally meant to consume life, but since Asimi had just mastered it and the staff wasn't a perfect fit, it only produced this lubricant effect. However, it was exactly what they needed—non-lethal and adhesive.
"Hey!! Brothers, come quickly! There's something incredible here!!" Alexander's voice echoed from deep within the tunnel. The two shared a helpless shrug and followed him.
When they arrived, they understood Alexander's excitement. They stood before a massive door. From the other side came a heavy, rhythmic breathing—not the sound of any man, but the breath of a beast.
The Tarnished, however, noticed a detail the other two had missed: the faint, razor-sharp sound of something metallic scraping against the earth.
"I sense the presence of a master, wha-ha-ha..." Even Alexander lowered his voice to avoid waking the creature.
"Hm... such a scorching aura." Blaidd gripped his royal greatsword, staying on high alert. The Tarnished, however, walked straight to the door and placed his hands on it.
"Since we're all curious, why not have a look? It might make for a decent appetizer before the Festival."
He pushed the doors open. Inside sprawled a massive, pitch-black reptilian creature with a pair of small wings on its back. It had four limbs, and its forepaws clutched a gargantuan cleaver. It looked utterly savage.
"A Magma Wyrm?" Blaidd recognized it instantly.
"Magma Wyrm? What's the story there?" The Tarnished didn't have much of an impression of these creatures.
"Humans who pursued dragon communion too zealously and transformed," Blaidd explained concisely. Even the simple-minded Alexander understood immediately.
"Oh... so this is a man who became a dragon." The Tarnished walked up and delivered a sharp kick to the Wyrm's face.
"!!" The Magma Wyrm's body jerked. Its bloodshot eyes flew open, and a roar erupted that made the tunnel walls tremble.
"Careful... Magma Wyrm eat men. They've lost their humanity and are nothing but monsters now." Blaidd readied for battle. In the days of order, many sought to hunt these creatures, as they were warriors in their past lives, but now they were heartless beasts due to their own hubris.
"This Wyrm has something in its gut. Knock it out and take it," the Tarnished said, smelling the scent of treasure.
The Wyrm flicked its massive tongue, its mouth twisting into a grotesque, human-like grin. Its eyes were filled with gluttonous desire, and lava-like saliva dripped to the floor, epitomizing its primal fall.
"Hah... seems this fellow was watching us from the start," Blaidd hummed.
"I know you were faking sleep. We aren't fools." The Tarnished pointed his blade at the Wyrm.
"Eat!!" The Wyrm ignored everything else, raising its massive cleaver and slamming it down toward the trio.
"Battle with a dragon! Wha-ha-ha, how exhilarating!" Alexander leapt high into the air, his heavy fist smashing the Wyrm's head into the ground. He was forced back by a sweep of the Wyrm's tail, but Blaidd seized the opening to circle behind, aiming to sever the massive appendage.
"Tch, not that easy to hit, is it?" The Wyrm's tail was surprisingly flexible, snapping toward Blaidd the moment it drove Alexander back. But just as the beast tried to lift its head, it felt an irresistible, monstrous force pinning it down.
"Did I give you permission to look up?" With a surge of strength from the Tarnished's hand, the Wyrm's entire body was tilted up like a see-saw.
"What incredible strength! Hahaha!" Alexander was eager to strike again, but he suddenly felt an unusual heat beneath him. Looking down, he saw the floor had been flooded with magma.
"Spewing lava... that heat is no joke." Blaidd grabbed a protrusion on the wall and swung himself onto the Wyrm's broad back, hacking down mercilessly with his greatsword. Unlike ordinary wyverns, Magma Wyrms were covered in dense scales everywhere except their bellies. Their hide wasn't as tough as an Ancient Dragon's, but it far surpassed that of a common drake.
"Then how about... this!" Blaidd raised his sword, charging it with frost as he aimed for the neck. Alexander, moving with surprising speed for a jar and unbothered by the heat, rushed behind the Wyrm and locked the tail in a powerful bear hug.
At the front, the Tarnished decided to end the fight. His left hand manifested as a dragon claw. He and Blaidd struck the Wyrm's weakest points simultaneously.
"ROAR!!!" The Wyrm let out a sharp, strangled shriek. Alexander felt the resistance in the tail vanish as the creature's life force expired.
"Wha-ha-ha! A dragon! Truly formidable! I might not have been able to face it alone. You two are impossibly strong!" Alexander crossed his arms, beaming with respect for his companions.
The magma and the Wyrm's corpse eventually faded, leaving something behind. "The body is gone... what's that?" Blaidd jumped down, spotting an elegantly crafted longblade that had dropped from the Wyrm.
"Seems this is the treasure I smelled." The Tarnished picked up the blade. As he drew it, the steel revealed a deep, celestial blue, shimmering like a vision of the galaxy. "A fine, fine weapon..."
"You don't mind if I keep this, do you?" the Tarnished asked the other two.
"Of course not. We can't use it anyway."
"Wha-ha-ha! Exactly! A warrior jar relies on his own body!" Alexander puffed out his chest.
Thus, the Tarnished unexpectedly acquired a famous blade—the Moonveil. As for the dragon heart, the Tarnished already had Greyoll's and didn't need it. The other two had no use for it either, but they insisted that since it was spoils of war, he should take it.
As the three stepped out of the tunnel, starlight began to drift down. The heavens were filled with brilliant stars—a clear signal. The time for the Festival had arrived!