"…Mm… you… who are you?"
Their conversation seemed to wake the girl. Leaning weakly against the wall, **Millicent** struggled to lift her head and look toward them.
"I—"
**Finlay** could barely contain her emotions upon seeing the girl awaken. Just as she was about to speak, the Tarnished stopped her.
"Oh, we were asked by someone to come help you."
"…Is that so? But no matter who you are… please stay away from me…"
The **Scarlet Rot** writhing inside her body made Millicent's brow tighten in pain. Soft groans escaped her lips, and even her voice trembled slightly.
"The Scarlet Rot inside me is stirring… It's a curse. Not something ordinary people should come near…"
Even while suffering such agony, she still refused to burden others.
That stubborn will moved Finlay deeply.
The girl's resolute posture blurred Finlay's vision.
For a moment, the image of Millicent overlapped with another figure in her memory—
The noble Valkyrie she once served.
**Malenia.**
Among all the **Cleanrot Knights**, Finlay had served Malenia the longest.
She knew the torment of the Scarlet Rot better than anyone.
And seeing Millicent endure it while still trying not to harm others only convinced her further.
There was no doubt.
This girl was truly Malenia's daughter.
"Master…"
"Yes."
After exchanging a glance with Finlay, the Tarnished slowly approached Millicent and crouched beside her.
From his pouch, he took out a **Unalloyed Gold Needle** and held it before her.
"If you insert this needle into your body, it will suppress the Scarlet Rot."
"…."
Millicent stared at the needle in his hand, then looked back up at the two of them.
"…Is that true? All I need to do is stab myself with that needle?"
"And it will suppress the Scarlet Rot?"
Her hesitation wasn't due to suspicion.
She had nothing worth scheming over.
At this point, she was nothing more than a useless burden despised by others.
If these two intended harm, they wouldn't need such a complicated method.
Even if she couldn't judge the Tarnished's strength, the female knight beside him could clearly kill her instantly.
"…You…"
Her hand reached out, yet stopped halfway.
She was afraid.
Afraid that if the needle failed, the Scarlet Rot might erupt and harm them.
But when she met the Tarnished's calm and resolute gaze, she finally chose to believe.
"…Alright. I understand."
"Rather than continue suffering from the Scarlet Rot… I will trust you."
She took the needle and held it tightly, as if grasping a lifeline.
After all, she was already a broken person.
The Scarlet Rot could claim her life at any moment.
So instead of hesitating, she decided to gamble.
But still…
"…Could you step away a little? Or perhaps close your eyes?"
Millicent's voice carried a quiet plea.
If the attempt failed, she did not want anyone to see her body rot away under the Scarlet Rot.
It was the last dignity she possessed.
The dignity of a human being.
Like a dying cat that hides itself away before its final breath.
The Tarnished understood and respected her choice.
After all, that was why she had hidden herself in this isolated place.
"Come on, Finlay. Let's wait over there."
He pointed toward the **Site of Grace** on the other side of the ruined church and walked over to sit down.
"Master…"
"I know what you want to say."
The Tarnished looked up toward the shattered ceiling of the church.
Above them, the sky was thick with crimson clouds.
"Actually… after learning in this cycle that all of you possess your own awareness, I no longer intend to bind you."
"If there's something you want to do, go do it."
"If you have wishes you want to fulfill, go fulfill them."
"That's what I've always thought."
"So if you want to stay with Millicent and take care of her, then go."
"I have something I need to handle anyway. I'll come back later."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and gave Finlay an encouraging smile.
Those words were sincere.
The future was uncertain.
Life and death unpredictable.
Besides the **Spirit Jellyfish** and the **Lone Wolf Ashes** gifted by Ranni, most of his spirit ashes had been obtained through various means.
He had no right to bind them.
"Thank you, Master. I will ensure Miss Millicent's safety."
Finlay bowed deeply.
Her voice was full of gratitude—and unwavering loyalty.
She had already made her choice.
From the moment she chose to follow this Tarnished, she had no intention of leaving.
She would follow him until the very end of the cycle.
---
While Millicent used the needle to suppress the Scarlet Rot, the Tarnished walked to a stone wall in the nearby graveyard and found a familiar hidden passage.
At the end of that tunnel was where **Master Lusat** had been imprisoned.
Moving with practiced familiarity, he bypassed the **crystallized constructs**, reached the prison, killed the sorcerer guarding it, and broke the magical seal of the academy.
Inside the quiet prison chamber, **Master Lusat** lay collapsed against a rock.
When he saw the Tarnished arrive, the old sorcerer trembled and raised a hand as if trying to speak.
But no words came out.
Lusat's life had reached its end.
He was like a candle flickering in the wind.
At the final moment of his life, he entrusted his lifelong research to the Tarnished.
Just like the first time they met in previous cycles.
They had been strangers.
Yet he had entrusted everything.
"Master Lusat… thank you."
…And I'm sorry.
The Tarnished bowed deeply before the lifeless body.
Then he slowly raised his hand.
The **Erdtree Seal** on his finger began to glow with dark light.
A darkness that seemed capable of devouring everything.
This apology was not only for Lusat.
It was also for **Sorceress Sellen**.
"Incantation — Black Flame Sweep."
Black fire surged forth and instantly engulfed Lusat's body.
Within seconds, the massive **Primeval Sorcerer** body had been completely consumed by the black flame.
Only a brilliantly colored stone remained.
The Tarnished picked it up and examined it carefully.
It was Lusat's **Primal Glintstone**.
The same type of stone that existed within Sellen's body.
But this one had lost its life.
Still, the power remained within it, as if something were gestating inside.
In previous cycles, Sellen's transformation into a grotesque sphere had always begun after obtaining the Primal Glintstones of the two masters.
Those stones contained the origin of their knowledge.
But this time…
Crack. Crack.
"I will save you, teacher."
The Tarnished crushed the Primal Glintstone into dust.
The glittering fragments scattered into the dark abyss like falling stars.
---
Back at the **Church of the Plague**, he saw Millicent again.
But this time, her appearance was different from what he remembered.
Her vivid red hair was no longer tied back.
Instead, it flowed neatly down her back like a crimson waterfall.
Her right arm, however, was still missing.
Streaks of crimson stained the empty sleeve.
Combined with her pale, sickly complexion—
She looked almost like a smaller version of Malenia.
A civilian version.
Compared to the Millicent he remembered, she seemed less sharp and more feminine.
Yet the heroic spirit in her bearing remained unchanged.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward Finlay, who stood nearby like a silent guardian.
There was no need to guess.
This had to be Finlay's work.
Yet Finlay showed no reaction at all.
She simply stood there respectfully.
What exactly was that woman thinking?
Did she intend for Millicent to become a second Valkyrie?
Or was she recreating the image of Malenia out of nostalgia?
Only Finlay herself knew the answer.
"…Thank you."
Millicent spoke as she noticed the Tarnished's return and stepped toward him.
"The needle you gave me truly works. After inserting it into my body, the Scarlet Rot stopped writhing… it even seems to be receding."
"I also stopped having nightmares… I can move freely now. I still can't quite believe it."
Her voice trembled with excitement.
Gratitude filled her expression.
"…I don't know how I could ever thank you."
"It's alright. I was simply fulfilling someone's request."
Seeing her vitality restored made him genuinely happy.
At least the **Unalloyed Gold Needle** truly worked.
And originally, the needle belonged to Millicent anyway.
He had merely returned it to her.
"No…"
Millicent shook her head.
"Regardless, I must thank you. My gift may be small, but I hope you will accept it."
She reached behind her and produced a **golden pendant**.
The pendant depicted a girl meeting a swordsman.
The moment when **Malenia** once encountered the **Blind Swordsman**.
"Alright. I'll accept it."
The Tarnished looked at the pendant in his hand with a complicated expression.
If he counted carefully—
This was probably the hundredth pendant Millicent had given him across all cycles.
He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
But he sincerely hoped that this time—
Millicent could escape her fate.
"…Tarnished."
"I don't know what your plans are, but I intend to travel."
"After inserting the needle, something awakened in my hazy memories."
"My destiny."
"Yes… thanks to your help."
"My name is Millicent."
"I hope we meet again someday."
She bowed deeply to him before turning and walking toward the church exit.
The familiar scene stirred countless memories.
So much so that the Tarnished nearly forgot something important.
"Wait."
"…?"
Millicent turned back.
"…Do you wish to travel with me?"
"Ah… no. I just have something to give you."
He shook his head and took out a set of armor and a golden sword from his bag.
"…For me? I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that."
Millicent refused immediately.
But he firmly pushed the items into her hands.
"No. This is a gift from me… and from a friend."
"I once had a friend who was like you. Born without a right arm, yet strong-willed."
"But when I finally obtained this armor for her… she had already reached the end of her life."
"Before she died, she told me:"
"If you ever meet a girl like me, give this armor to her."
"So this armor belongs to you."
"And I can tell you're a swordswoman."
"It suits you perfectly."
While speaking, he glanced subtly at Finlay.
But Finlay showed no reaction.
She simply listened quietly.
After hearing his story, Millicent looked down at the armor in her hands.
"…Very well. If you insist, I will accept it."
"Oh, one more thing."
"I have a small request."
"Please put the armor on so I can see how it looks."
"…Here?"
Millicent glanced around the ruined church.
"…Yes. I want to see such a beautiful girl wearing this armor."
"Don't worry. I won't peek."
With that, he turned around and walked to the far corner of the church.
"…Alright."
Millicent nodded.
Soon the Tarnished heard the soft rustling of fabric.
The quiet sounds of changing clothes.
Though a mischievous voice in his mind urged him to turn around—
He resisted.
When the sounds stopped, he turned back.
Millicent now stood clad in the armor.
The golden blade rested in her hand.
Her crimson cape fluttered softly in the wind.
The sight nearly froze him in place.
She looked almost identical to Malenia.
Just as he had imagined.
"…Well? Does it fit? Is the prosthetic arm easy to use?"
"Yes. Thank you. It works perfectly."
Millicent moved her new arm slightly.
It felt completely natural.
As if it had been made specifically for her.
Meanwhile, the Tarnished quietly walked over to Finlay and nudged her with his elbow.
"Well? Pretty similar, right?"
"…Yes."
Finlay's voice was full of emotion.
"She truly resembles Lady Malenia."
For a moment, it felt as though Malenia herself had returned.
But Finlay was curious.
What exactly was her master planning?
After all—
Millicent's journey would eventually lead to the **Haligtree**.
Just as Finlay pondered this, the Tarnished suddenly pushed her forward.
"By the way, Millicent…"
"How about letting Finlay travel with you as your mentor?"
"…?!!!"
Finlay stared at him in shock.
What was he planning now?
Although this was what she secretly wished for—
She still didn't understand his intentions.
Millicent looked equally surprised.
Before she could refuse, the Tarnished continued.
"Don't reject the idea so quickly."
"If you want to travel, you'll face countless dangers."
"Your swordsmanship may be good, but in the Lands Between, that's not enough."
"Even if Finlay isn't a master swordswoman, she can teach you far more about surviving battles."
"So let her guide you."
"How about it?"
"I don't want the next time I see my friend to be a cold corpse."
"…."
Millicent lowered her head.
"…Friend…"
A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
Then she looked up again and bowed deeply.
"…Thank you."
"I cannot repay your kindness now."
"But someday, no matter where you are—"
"I will come to aid you."
"This is my oath."
"My name is **Millicent**."
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