During that brief moment alone with Ranni, the witch had told Millicent much... whether it was about Malenia or the Scarlet Rot, it had provided Millicent with significant help. More importantly, the mission that had long lain dormant in Millicent's heart began to gradually awaken through their conversation.
Even if it remained blurred and unclear, this kindness alone was enough for Millicent to respect Ranni. Ranni, for her part, truly wished to be a sister to the one-armed girl, so Millicent could call her "sister" and "family" without any reservation.
"He is atoning for his crimes through service, but what about me? Is the reason of 'clearing dangers and obstacles for my family' sufficient?" Millicent's gaze, which had always been polite, humble, and kind, now held only loathing as she looked at Seluvis.
"Wha... what? No... you cannot do this! Ranni has given no such order! You cannot treat me this way! I am a veteran of service!!" Seluvis screamed in a panic.
"Clever to a fault. You truly should have investigated me more thoroughly. Millicent, do it." Following the Tarnished's words, Millicent gave a soft affirmation and severed Seluvis's body with a single stroke. He didn't even have time to wail before he lost all power to move.
"Tarnished... this..." At this moment, Seluvis slumped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, not looking like a normal human death at all.
"Pah! Traitor! Serves him right." Darriwil was as hot-tempered as ever. "My thanks to this lady for resolving a disaster for our mistress."
"Think nothing of it... since she is willing to accept me as a sister, I must naturally ensure the safety of my family." Millicent had few relatives left in the world; aside from Gowry, whom she did not wish to see, there were only the Tarnished and Ranni. But... was the Tarnished family?
The Tarnished and Millicent did not linger. The Tarnished dashed the potion bottle against the ground, shattering it into pieces, before they resumed their path to find Nokron.
According to Asimi, Nokron was located directly beneath the current Limgrave. Given the city's scale and modern geographical conditions, it ought to be in East Limgrave. After some thought, the Tarnished arrived at only one possible location: the Mistwood.
Coincidentally, the Mistwood was very close to the Waypoint Ruins where Sellen resided. Furthermore, the Tarnished was curious about how the unbinding of the stars would affect sorcerers. Thus, he and Millicent first headed to the Waypoint Ruins to visit Sellen.
"Hehe, my busy apprentice has finally remembered to visit his teacher? And you've brought a very spirited young lady with you." Upon meeting, he heard Sellen's smiling banter.
"There have indeed been many matters to attend to, forgive me." The deeper he went, the more he realized how much needed handling; the Lands Between was truly a mess. If he was to become Lord, he would have to settle these disasters.
"Hmph, I understand. My good apprentice defeated the legendary strongest demigod, Radahn. Your teacher is proud of you." Sellen's words were filled with pride for her student. How could sorcerers not know how strong Radahn was? He was the man who could challenge the stars alone.
"My apprentice didn't come here just to see his teacher... let me guess..." Sellen rested a finger against her chin before speaking. "It is for the Eternal City, isn't it?"
"As expected of you. Exactly." The Tarnished clapped in appreciation.
"You've come to the right place, apprentice. The spot where the meteor fell is right in the nearby Mistwood... It seems the method to witness Nokron through the flowing fate of the stars involved a meteor striking the earth. That exaggerated roar and explosion were deafening; fortunately, your teacher is but a projection, or my ears would have been forfeit," Sellen joked.
"I see... so you really are a projection." The Tarnished had felt this way since he first met her, and now Sellen had admitted it herself.
"Eh? Why are you a projection?" Millicent asked, not understanding.
"Hehe, because of certain matters. My body is imprisoned in the ruins beneath the Church of Marika on the Weeping Peninsula, restricted by the Academy and unable to move," Sellen's tone was quite steady.
"Right, speaking of which, apprentice... could your teacher ask a favor of you?" Sellen was somewhat unsure of how to bring it up. The apprentice was not just a student but her guiding star. Their relationship was complex; they could joke normally, but when it came to serious matters, Sellen found herself hesitating.
"Being bashful doesn't suit you."
"True... then your teacher shall be blunt. Apprentice, please go to the place where my true body is held... I have something to give to you." The stars have moved; her life and fate must begin to flow as well...
(It seems my lessons for the apprentice will have to be delayed for a while...)
"But you needn't be in a hurry, apprentice. Your teacher still has plenty of time. Finish your business first before coming," Sellen added.
Bidding Sellen farewell, the two headed into the Mistwood. This was Millicent's first time stepping into this place. Though the mist didn't obscure her vision, it gave her a strange sensation... she didn't seem to rely on her eyes that much.
According to Ranni, Malenia had lost her eyes and right arm to the Scarlet Rot in her early years. By relying on her other senses to keenly capture the surrounding aura, she could still take on a hundred enemies alone. Did she, too, possess a hypersensitivity similar to Malenia's?
"My Lord... can you hear it? The sound of flowing water... it is close... my home, Nokron, is just ahead..." Asimi's voice confirmed they were on the right path.
"Ah... this is..." A scene so shocking it defied imagination unfolded before Millicent and the Tarnished. Gravity had collapsed; shattered stones did not fall vertically but floated upward. Chaotic gravitational pulls emanated from a massive crater.
Such was the power of the stars. It was no wonder the flourishing Nox had been so easily wiped out.
He gestured to Millicent, and she understood perfectly. Holding hands, they leaped into the massive pit. A strange sensation enveloped them, and Millicent in particular felt unwell.
"Home is just below... My Lord, please be careful. Though the Nox have declined, there are still many strange creations and ferocious native creatures. In particular, the 'tears of death' suppress the Golden Grace; please be careful, Miss Millicent." As the largest underground faction, the Eternal City had created many things specifically to counter the Golden Order in their rebellion against the Greater Will.
The most direct example was the Silver Tear capable of suppressing the power of Grace—a trait also seen in the Albinaurics, who were modeled after the tears. Anyone blessed by the Golden Grace would lose their strength upon contact with even a little of it.
"Asimi is right. The air is thick with the dust of Silver Tears. Millicent, how are you?"
"I'm fine..." Millicent didn't want him to worry or to be a burden. Fortunately, her own Grace had grown weak through her daily struggle against the Scarlet Rot; even suppressed by Silver Tears, her strength wouldn't be diminished much.
But there was still a price; they likely couldn't use Grace at will. And in the end, it remained to be seen if there was even any Grace to be found in the depths.
"The road is long; it seems I won't be seeing Melina for a while." This would sap some of the joy from the journey, but luckily he had Millicent, and Blaidd might be ahead. He wouldn't be without conversation.
Descending into the crater, a pale purple sky filled with false stars hung above, creating a very surreal atmosphere. It was hard to imagine the underground of the Lands Between looked like this. Not just Millicent, but even the Tarnished was surprised.
"The underground is like this... how spectacular..." Millicent truly hadn't expected such a vast space beneath the earth. It was as if it were a different world from the surface. If she hadn't jumped down herself, she wouldn't have believed it.
"Home... the stars." Asimi couldn't help but emerge from the Tarnished's body, looking at the false stars with a look of reminiscence.
"Come to think of it, Asimi, how did you end up on the surface?" The Tarnished suddenly wondered. Why wouldn't a tear stay in the underground?
"My Lord... it was like this..." Asimi explained. When the stars were sealed by Radahn, ordinary people couldn't reach the underground, but those with special methods could still travel between. The shapeshifting tears naturally wouldn't be stopped by mere physical obstacles.
Following their instinct to grow stronger, they wandered from their declining home. Naturally, some accidentally reached the surface. These individuals, known as "stray" or "lost" tears, were taken by the people of the Academy—who were the first to discover their existence—for experimentation.
Based on the nature of the tears, they wanted to create biological weapons; thus, the Albinaurics were born. In the past, Asimi was one of these lost tears, wandering aimlessly on the surface. She was very different from ordinary tears, most of whom targeted becoming stronger.
Asimi was more like a blank slate. Even her instincts were weaker than her kin, but eventually, she understood why: it was because she had developed a rudimentary personality long ago. Her humanity suppressed her instincts as a tear.
After that, she witnessed much death. The fear of death constantly struck at her instincts until one day she found she had learned human speech and birthed a unique persona. But unfortunately, shortly after her ego awakened, she was targeted by a Deathbird. That unprecedented deathly aura made Asimi tremble with fear. The Tarnished knew the rest: she had hidden in that ruined shack for a long time until he picked her up.
"You've had quite the life." The journey of a tear awakening its self-identity was quite interesting.
"My Lord, let us go..." This underground journey was not just for the Tarnished to find the treasure for Ranni, but also for Asimi to discover her own "path of kings."
"Sigh... Radahn... the stars have been liberated once more. I should complete my final commission." Jerren looked at the statue-like, crimson-stained Radahn defeated by the Tarnished and slowly stood up.
"Sellen the Witch... your time is near. With the stars flowing, your immortality shall soon vanish. It is time to resolve the disaster that you are..." Jerren drew his Flamberge and murmured. In the past, he had apprehended Sellen, but unfortunately, before he could execute her, Radahn had crushed the stars.
The breaking of the stellar laws allowed many prominent sorcerers to obtain a form of "immortality."
This was because exceptional sorcerers possessed a Primal Glintstone within them—the symbol of a sorcerer's soul. They could use this stone to change bodies; as long as the stone was not destroyed, they could be reborn. Because the stars were locked, these stones could not be easily destroyed.
This was why Sellen survived, and Jerren, helpless, could only strengthen her imprisonment.
But now, destroying a Primal Glintstone had become possible. This time, Jerren intended to uproot this evil once and for all...