Stormveil Castle.
The wind howled across the battlements, sweeping up curtains of drifting snow. Fine silver frost glittered beneath the Erdtree's golden radiance, sparkling like scattered stars against the white.
On the great bridge before the castle, thick snow had buried almost everything—save for a narrow path carved down the center, just wide enough for a single person to pass.
Torrent carried both him and Roderika through the drifts and up to the castle gate.
"…Yeah. I might've overdone it a bit."
He looked at the snowbound Stormveil and couldn't help sighing.
With snow piled this high, if someone were thrown into it, they'd disappear instantly. Without Torrent, he would still be wading through the freezing mess.
Then again, this wasn't entirely his fault.
Truth be told, aside from the lightning blade and lightning spear, he rarely used Dragon Communion incantations at full scale. The last time he had gone all out was… well, a very long time ago—hundreds of cycles, perhaps.
Back then, he'd used the fire dragon's power. At most, it had scorched the earth red.
Not like this.
This time he had buried the entire castle in snow.
If he'd used the Dragon Communion Seal instead…
Would he have turned all of Limgrave into a frozen wasteland?
The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.
Still… next time he used Placidusax's Ruin, maybe he could test the limits a little.
Incidentally, obtaining that Dragon Communion Seal had not been easy. He'd been chased and rammed several times by that blasted "mud-head cart" abomination before finally wrestling it from a fire-breathing iron knight's spirit.
Just thinking about it made him twitch.
"Help… is anyone there… please, someone…"
As he guided Torrent toward the gate, a faint voice drifted from a side chamber that resembled a gatehouse.
He remembered the man inside.
Every time he came here in earlier cycles, that fellow had opened the gates for him and even pointed out a secret passage. Not the most pleasant route, admittedly… but far easier than forcing the main gate.
"…What was that guy's name again?"
"Tarnished, did you say something?" Roderika asked softly from behind him.
"Nothing important. Just remembered something."
"…I think I hear someone calling for help," Roderika said, pointing toward the gatehouse door.
"Yeah. I hear it too. Let's take a look."
He didn't actually need the gate opened this time.
But he might as well help.
After all, in the earliest cycles, that gatekeeper had helped him—though his hands had not always been entirely clean.
Moments later, he dug the man out of a snowdrift.
"Ah—thank you! I thought I was going to freeze to death under there…"
The man stood trembling against the wall, arms wrapped around himself. His ragged, yellowed clothes were dusted with snow; his exposed limbs were mottled with frostbite.
After a brief introduction, he confirmed it—this was the gatekeeper of Stormveil Castle.
Gostoc.
As for what relation he had to the "G" family, who knew? But judging from his tone, he despised Godrick.
From what the Tarnished had gathered across cycles, Godrick had mistreated him, forced him into gate duty, and allowed even common soldiers to bully him.
Yet despite being buried in snow, Gostoc had not fled his post.
Responsible… or simply afraid of Godrick?
Either way, it had little to do with him.
Gostoc also mentioned that not long ago, a female warrior had passed through here.
So Nepheli had arrived, just like in previous cycles.
Though… considering Nepheli's rather revealing outfit…
He could only hope she hadn't frozen to death.
He turned his attention to the room.
"Anything useful in here…?"
Roderika remained silent, listening as Gostoc muttered and complained under his breath.
"Ah. There we go."
Too lazy to keep listening, he stepped to the wooden table in the center of the room—exactly where he remembered it.
Then—
Bang!
One punch shattered it. He shook off the snow, gathered the broken planks, and coated them with fire grease.
The place was already half-ruined. Might as well put the table to better use.
Whoosh—
The moment a Firefly brushed against the grease, flames surged upward. Warmth spread quickly through the small room.
"Ah… thank you, Tarnished."
Gostoc's voice trembled with gratitude as the firelight reflected in his frost-reddened eyes.
He had truly believed he would die here.
"Consider it repayment."
Gostoc blinked.
Repayment?
He clearly had no idea what the Tarnished meant.
The Tarnished didn't bother explaining. Instead, he handed over a few slabs of beast meat and more fire grease.
"Take these. And don't stay here. Pack up and find somewhere safer."
That much, at least, repaid the gate openings and secret routes of those earliest cycles.
"Roderika. Let's go."
"Yes."
She nodded gently and followed him toward Torrent waiting outside.
But just as he stepped toward the doorway—
"Wait… Tarnished!"
He paused.
"What is it?"
"You're heading into the castle to challenge Godrick, aren't you? I… I have a request."
"A request?"
Now that was new.
Across countless cycles, Gostoc had been petty, greedy, even contemptible at times—especially after Godrick's death, when he would stomp on the corpse and hurl insults.
And now he had a request?
Strange.
Still, he was curious.
"Go on."
"I beg you—when you reach the throne, kill Godrick brutally! That filthy, disgusting wretch dared to belittle me…!"
Gostoc's frostbitten, gaunt face twisted with hatred so raw it seemed he wanted to drink Godrick's blood and devour his flesh.
Whatever had happened between them, the grudge ran deep.
Perhaps Gostoc was not as simple as he seemed.
"…Fine. I'll do it."
He shrugged casually.
Godrick was going to die regardless. Agreeing changed nothing.
"Thank you—truly."
Gostoc bowed deeply, then quickly added,
"After you enter the gate, follow the stairs and you'll arrive at—"
"Alright, alright." He waved him off. "No need for directions. I know this place well enough."
Stormveil Castle?
Please.
Even Leyndell, Royal Capital, felt like his own backyard—well, except for the sewers.
"In that case… may fortune favor you in battle."
Under Gostoc's gaze, the Tarnished mounted Torrent with Roderika and rode toward the heart of the castle.