After Morgott's projection dissipated, the Fire Keeper and Melina immediately rushed over and embraced him.
Their king had succeeded!
Their king had defeated Godrick the Grafted!!
Initially, they had suggested Kaito train more outside before challenging him, yet he chose to go ahead regardless.
Even though they believed in Kaito without a doubt, they still had lingering worries.
Now, Kaito had not only won, but had killed him with ease. They had watched the entire battle!
As Kaito continued to grow, perhaps he truly could become the Elden Lord!!
"My Lord, this is the Great Rune!"
The Fire Keeper used magic to extract the golden, broken crystal ring from Godrick's corpse—the Great Rune.
Kaito looked at it curiously. Limited by his current abilities, he couldn't sense much beyond the powerful energy within.
Looking at this object of interlocking rings, anyone who played the game knew these Great Runes were fragments of the Elden Ring.
This particular Great Rune was the [Anchor Rune], located at the center of the Elden Ring.
Truthfully, if he regained all his strength, he might understand the laws contained within.
This world did have Outer Gods, after all!
"My Lord, I implore you to rest."
Melina was worried about Kaito's condition. Even if he seemed relaxed, battles were tiring, weren't they?
They consumed mana, didn't they?
Thinking this, Melina felt she should do something. The Fire Keeper felt the same.
"Makes sense. But before that, we need to make an announcement outside, free everyone, and eliminate all the nobles."
"It's still early, not yet morning. We'll rest tonight, the two of you together."
Hearing this, the Fire Keeper and Melina blushed.
But since their king had spoken, they could only comply.
Soon, news spread throughout the castle that Kaito had killed Godrick the Grafted and become the new king of Stormveil Castle.
Kaito then began a purge.
He killed all the nobles within the castle, the wicked, the corrupt, those who had become monsters... all were wiped out!!
The slaves were freed, though they were first tasked with cleaning the castle from top to bottom.
All remaining soldiers and knights gathered in the castle square. Holding the Great Rune aloft, Kaito wore a golden crown he had crafted and held a golden scepter.
Don't question why he did this; it was part of this world's culture.
Nobles, especially kings, had to display these symbols of status.
Not doing so would diminish one's standing.
This was an ingrained, unspoken rule. Kaito had to adapt.
Moreover, only by wearing them could he clearly show them who they should now swear allegiance to.
In short—
With Kaito's arrival, the sun shone anew.
With Kaito's arrival, Stormveil Castle found peace!
Kaito opened Godrick's treasury and distributed a portion of the vast gold and silver.
After all, if you want a horse to run, you must let it graze first, right?
After a stirring speech to the assembled crowd, they all knelt and swore their allegiance.
From now on, they were no longer Godrick's soldiers and knights, but Kaito's!
Soon, the castle was thoroughly cleansed. All of Godrick's grotesque remnants were burned or disposed of. Dilapidated areas were repaired with a wave of Kaito's hand.
At noon, Kaito donned his royal robes and crown, raised his scepter in one hand and the Great Rune in the other, and declared his legitimacy to the 70,000 households—approximately 210,000 people—gathered below.
He was the new king of Stormveil Castle.
He then began implementing a series of reforms.
He announced he would travel to the Limgrave Divine Tower in a week to formally inherit his status (activate the Great Rune).
Kaito naturally cared little for the Two Fingers or the Three Fingers, those Outer Gods.
But to become the Elden Lord and gain power from the Great Rune, he truly needed to go to the Divine Tower to activate it.
This step couldn't be skipped.
Well, after becoming king, he could just follow his future wife Ranni and kill them, right?
By evening, the castle's maids had thoroughly cleaned Godrick's former quarters. Using money provided by Kaito, they bought new furniture to use temporarily.
What? It's only temporary.
Over time, the true grandeur befitting a king would be established.
Time was tight; this would do for now.
The entire large chamber was cleaned inside and out, from early morning until evening.
Much of the castle remained uncleaned.
After a busy day, Kaito finally relaxed.
Becoming king of Stormveil Castle wasn't easy; there were too many problems.
Reform was simple enough, as all the nobles were dead. Who could oppose him?
Kaito also selected trustworthy knights and officials, ensuring their complete loyalty to carry out his systems.
"Alright, rest time."
Kaito removed his robes, put down the golden scepter, and turned to look at the Fire Keeper and Melina...
It was hard to imagine how the Limgrave Divine Tower was constructed.
When Kaito, accompanied by the Fire Keeper and Melina, reached the tower's peak, they saw what appeared to be withered, decaying Two Fingers, even with insects on them.
After Melina presented the Great Rune to Kaito, he placed it before the massive Two Fingers.
As the [Anchor Rune] dissolved into light and merged with his body, Kaito felt an immediate surge of heat and light within himself.
If he could see inside, he might witness the Elden Ring manifesting within him.
Yes, similar to Radagon.
His body resisted slightly; it felt like an insult. If it were the complete Elden Ring, perhaps it would be different.
But this?
Did it not sense the vast power and divine energy hidden within Kaito's body?
It was only sealed by the system for now.
But as Kaito actively accepted it, his body absorbed the energy.
The result was a tremendous boost to all his attributes!
It wasn't simply +5 to all stats like in the game; in this reality, it was at least a onefold increase across the board.
If he collected the other Great Runes and restored the Ring, this [Anchor Rune]'s multiplier would increase, potentially reaching sevenfold or more.
After all, there were seven Great Runes.
The other three were Mending Runes, used to repair the fractured Elden Ring.
"Not bad."
But even with this Great Rune providing a onefold boost, Kaito was surprised Godrick was still so weak.
He had thought it was just +5 to stats, but it was a direct onefold increase!
That made sense. If the Great Runes in Elden Ring were weak, why would anyone covet them?
They were powerful, that's why they were so desired.
This onefold boost wasn't static; the higher Kaito's level and attributes, the greater the boost!
So why was Godrick so weak?
His level wasn't low, right?
With a onefold boost, he should have been formidable...
Yet he was still this weak!
Honestly, if Morgott had this Great Rune, he'd be terrifyingly strong!!
"Yes, my body feels... different."
He was certainly stronger, but his body had changed slightly.
It felt like gaining a sliver of divinity?
Oh, right. It was a clear sign to others that he held a Great Rune and was a legitimate candidate for Elden Lord, no longer just an ordinary Tarnished.
He could now be called a hero; Tarnished were challengers without Great Runes.
Before leaving the Divine Tower, he looked around curiously, even touching the Two Fingers. There was no reaction.
It truly seemed like a mere tool, a medium.
Melina gazed at the Two Fingers without a word, quietly waiting for her king to finish exploring.
Leaving the Divine Tower, Kaito returned to the castle walls and once again summoned all the residents.
Now, no one could question his status. He was not only the king of Stormveil Castle but also a candidate for the future Elden Lord of this world!
After announcing several more reforms, the entire town erupted in cheers.
Overthrowing the garbage medieval feudal system? Of course they were excited!
Merchants protested?
Ha, who cared.
Kaito could easily generate vast amounts of gold for trade.
Inflation was a future problem.
Once Stormveil Castle was completely revitalized, generating gold wouldn't be necessary. Normal commerce and agricultural taxes would provide a steady stream of wealth.
During the reforms, Kaito couldn't leave; Stormveil needed his leadership.
Still, he could take knights to hunt outside the city, slaying monsters.
He used this time to grind levels.
The higher his level, the greater the Great Rune's enhancement.
The Fire Keeper and Melina were deeply gratified. Their king was no longer a reckless fighter. If he had just abandoned Stormveil to challenge other demigods holding Great Runes, they would have been truly worried!
Six months later—
Kaito reached level 70. After leading the knights to clear all monsters near Stormveil Castle and throughout Limgrave,
Stormveil Castle entered an era of unprecedented peace.
The six months of construction had revitalized the castle, filling it with new life.
The population grew, and commerce flourished.
All the people adored their king. The knights were fanatically devoted to Kaito.
But Kaito had been here a long time. His leveling had stalled; it was hard to gain more experience. So, it was time to leave.