"I see. That's not surprising then."
Gawain quickly understood the implications. It seemed that even creatures like the Two Fingers followed the local laws of this magical world—acts of 'filial piety' and 'brotherly love' were par for the course.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was at least worth a try.
"Can you be absolutely certain of this?"
"At the very least, after the incident occurred, the offspring of the Mother of Fingers did nothing to stop us," Avina replied. "Furthermore, almost no one in the Lands Between today even knows of her existence. I believe those two points alone speak volumes."
"And then? Was your operation a success? What exactly happened to turn the Eternal City into what it is now?"
Avina recalled the scene from back then. Even after the passage of so many eons, the memory remained etched into her soul.
"At the time, I was merely an unremarkable face in the crowd. I traveled with my companions to that grand Godhood Ceremony to witness the birth of a God and a King.
From my vantage point, under the radiance of the Moon of Nokstella, the chosen Empyrean—serving as the vessel for the Elden Ring—underwent the final transformation. Then, that being became a blade in the hands of the King, striking out to shatter the Elden Ring. The Mother of Fingers was wounded in that very attack.
Unfortunately, she vanished from the site amidst a blinding light and has been missing from the Lands Between ever since."
"And then the calamity struck, didn't it?"
"Yes. Soon after, the disaster that befell the Nox arrived. Malice from the stars descended from the far reaches of the cosmos, bringing despair to every living soul."
"But according to what you said, shouldn't the Mother of Fingers have lacked the ability to contact the Greater Will? Why did the punishment come so quickly?"
Gawain remembered the description of the Eternal Darkness spell, which explicitly stated it was a disaster sent personally by the Greater Will.
Avina sighed. "Even after scouring countless scrolls in the ages since, I haven't been able to find the specific reason. Perhaps our actions profaned the great Elden Ring itself, prompting the Greater Will to hand down judgment.
Or perhaps the leaders of that era were researching even more rebellious plans. After all, the secrets of the 'Lord of Night' plan were only revealed to me later under your guidance. I can only say it is fortunate that both 'Cradle Chalices' were preserved intact."
"I told you that too? So... under what circumstances did I appear back then? Can you tell me in detail?"
Avina nodded, a hint of warmth rising in her heart. She had never forgotten that dreamlike encounter.
Through her detailed account, Gawain pieced together the general timeline. After the calamity struck, countless Nox perished under the cosmic malice. Avina was one of the lucky ones; she survived the initial impact and fled with a few remaining companions to escape pursuit.
That was when Gawain had appeared. He and Millicent had abruptly emerged from a shroud of mist in that distant past. Together, they fought side-by-side, slaughtering the pursuing Fallingstar Beasts. After giving several instructions, they vanished back into the mist.
The mist? It couldn't be the mist I'm thinking of, could it? But I've never even seen that thing, Gawain thought.
He could only guess that he had used something like the Ashen Mist Heart, but he had never met Aldia—why would he have that item?
And why was Millicent the one traveling with him? According to Avina's description, Millicent had been wearing armor similar to Malenia's and calling herself a Valkyrie. What kind of story had unfolded between her and Malenia by that point?
None of it made sense to him now, but since it had already happened in the distant past, he knew he would eventually complete the temporal loop in the future. At that point, he would know the truth.
He had absorbed far too much information today and needed a moment to process it. He looked at the chest before him; it was better to let Asimi absorb the Cradle Chalice first.
"This is the Cradle Chalice you've been guarding, right? Can I let Asimi absorb it now?"
"Of course. It was prepared specifically for the Lord of Night. However, for safety's sake, the other half is stored in Nokstella, guarded by my companion."
At Gawain's prompting, Asimi scrambled out of his body. With visible excitement, she threw open the chest and began a 'hurricane-style' inhalation, even gobbling up the Great Ghost Glovewort that had been placed inside with it.
"Your companion? Then I won't have to explain too much when the time comes. I expect to head to Nokstella in a while anyway."
Avina thought of the companion she hadn't seen in many years, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly. She wondered if that person was still as pathetic as they used to be—back then, after being rescued, they had clung to the protagonist's leg and cried for ages. Though, to be fair, they had indeed taken up their heavy responsibilities afterward.
"The reason they chose to stay in Nokstella, aside from guarding the other half of the Chalice, was to continue monitoring the Lake of Rot. After all, the essence of the sealed god down there cannot be allowed to break free."
"The essence of the god sealed by the legendary blind swordsman? That is indeed something that requires attention."
Gawain thought of the Lake of Rot directly beneath the Academy. That place was a major liability. It looked like he'd have to find a way to deal with the Scarlet Rot there eventually.
Just then, Asimi finished completely absorbing the power within the Cradle Chalice. There wasn't much change in her outward appearance, as the transformations seemed to be happening in more subtle, profound layers of her being. However, it was certain that her 'stats' had definitely increased.
After the absorption, Asimi seemed unable to process such a massive amount of power all at once. she quickly retreated back into Gawain and fell into a temporary slumber.
"This girl... all she knows how to do is sleep. I wake her up, she eats, and then she goes right back to sleep. I wonder who she learned that from," Gawain muttered.
After his brief complaint, he looked up to find that Avina had retrieved the Fingerslayer Blade from an adjacent room. It was a blade stained with black blood, radiating a thick, cursed aura.
"Please, deliver this to the Empyrean who possesses the corresponding destiny. I believe that is the most fitting use for this weapon."
Gawain solemnly took the ominous weapon. His journey to Nokron had officially met all its intended goals—though the extra gains were arguably more valuable than the blade itself.
"Thank you for standing guard for so long. So, what's next? Is there anything you want to do? If there's anything I can help with, just ask."
"I am the Gravekeeper of the Nox civilization," Avina said. "For me, waiting for your return was the only thing of importance during this long stretch of time.
After this, I think I will remain here and rebuild my home, brick by brick. Having such a long lifespan is truly a blessing, isn't it?
To see you bring a glorious age to the Lands Between with my own eyes... that is my only remaining wish.
The girl waiting outside is named Lilian, correct? She is a Night Maiden with great potential. Perhaps I can provide her with some proper guidance in the future."
"That sounds like a good plan. I doubt she'd refuse. Well, we should probably head out. As for the 'past' that hasn't happened yet..."
"It is enough that it exists in our hearts," Avina replied. "I have already prepared a suitable explanation to convince my kin. I don't think they will refuse an opportunity to rebuild their home."
"Alright. I'll leave that to you."
The two of them left the hidden room. When Ranni saw the Fingerslayer Blade in Gawain's hand, she let out a sigh of relief. It seemed there had been no issues.
Still, she wondered what those two had been discussing inside for so long. Whatever, she thought, as long as the result is good.
The Nox waiting outside saw their leader's demeanor and understood the outcome of the talk. They lowered their guard and gathered before Avina, awaiting her orders.
A while later, Gawain sat atop the highest point of the Siofra River temple, watching the busy crowds below. Word had already been sent out that a large number of Albinaurics would soon be settling in the Eternal City to help with the reconstruction.
Naturally, no one opposed this decision. At their core, Albinaurics shared the same silver blood as Mimic Tears; there wasn't much difference. This underground environment was perfect for them, and they would have no trouble getting along with the Nox.
Meanwhile, Lilian had been taken by Avina to a specialized library. Although most of the Eternal City's technology had been lost during the ancient calamity and subsequent schisms, their heritage remained deep, and a great deal had been salvaged from the ruins.
These legacies of a once-brilliant civilization needed a suitable heir. Comparatively speaking, the sorcerers of Sellia were far more 'normal' than those at the Academy—who, after the Queen's descent into madness, were controlled by a bunch of squabbling professors obsessed with internal purges.
At least General Radahn had been in charge of Sellia. Under a martial atmosphere, when people had disagreements, they tended to resolve them physically in private. Their magic was practical and direct; the sorcerers there were mostly 'muscle-wizard' types, far stronger than the weaklings at the Academy.
Gawain looked at the Fingerslayer Blade. He had just shared the information he'd learned with Ranni—excluding the parts about his own time travel, which was a bit too sensational to reveal just yet. Holding it by the flat of the blade, he handed it to Ranni.
"You wanted this blade to take revenge on the Two Fingers, right? It's yours now."
Ranni was still reflecting on what she had just heard. Taking the Fingerslayer Blade, she gripped it tightly and looked at Gawain with a complicated expression. She hadn't expected him to fulfill the agreement so readily.
"What am I to say to you? If you knew nothing, it would be one thing... but you know how important this dagger is, yet you give it away so easily?"
"No matter how important it is, it's just a partially broken dagger. If it's useful to you, why wouldn't I give it to you? In the hands of the one with the corresponding destiny, this blade can achieve its maximum value. That was our agreement from the start, wasn't it?
Though, now that you know all this, I imagine your revenge won't be limited just to the Two Fingers who chose you as an Empyrean."
Ranni sighed. To be honest, the turn of events had exceeded her expectations, and her expression grew heavy.
"Indeed. Originally, my plan was simply to escape the control of my Two Fingers—that would have been the best possible outcome. But now it seems the path ahead of me is much longer.
My Order is one of the Moon and the Stars. I believed that all life should be free from the shackles of Order, to think for themselves and choose their own path forward. Whatever the end may be, it should be the choice of life itself.
But... if the stars are mostly comprised of such malicious calamities... if even the most brilliant civilization could not resist them... then is the only way to ensure survival to do as my brother did? To conquer the stars and lock away everyone's destiny to preserve continuity?"
Gawain shook his head dismissively. He knew Ranni was just venting out of frustration. After planning for so long to escape the Fingers, finally getting a result only to have this 'Mother of Fingers' thing pop up was a lot to handle.
But clearly, Ranni—the 'hard-hearted' woman who had used Destined Death to kill her own body and was now prepared to use the Fingerslayer Blade to kill a god—was not the type to back down. If it were him, he probably wouldn't have the nerve to go that far.
Truthfully, Gawain himself was wary of the calamity that had struck the Eternal City. It had appeared out of nowhere, completely bypassing any defenses. It would be bad if his 'base' got back-capped while he was out fighting on the front lines.
He needed to research some defensive measures. Perhaps he could learn some star-conquering techniques from the General; the people of Sellia likely had relevant information.
Gazing up at the false starry sky, Gawain spoke slowly.
"In my view, the stars possess neither benevolence nor malice. They simply move according to their established trajectories.
I've seen those malicious meteors that fall from the sky. They're just slightly more powerful creatures—like the Two Fingers.
I think you've realized by now, after all our time together, that where I come from is very far from the Lands Between. It is a place the Greater Will cannot reach, and the power within me has nothing to do with it.
Therefore, I don't have a shred of respect or fear for these alien creatures. In my eyes, humanity should never be the sacrificial pawn in a struggle between so-called gods.
Whether it's the Two Fingers or this Mother of Fingers that came out of nowhere... if it can bleed, it can be killed. And this blade... isn't it already stained with the Mother's blood?"
Ranni looked at the residual black blood on the Fingerslayer Blade and smiled, her tension easing. There was a touch of self-deprecation in her look; it was hard to imagine a doll's face showing such complex emotion.
"I spoke out of turn just now. Therefore, I command you to forget what I just said. You are not to reveal it to anyone—not even Blaidd!"
"Fine, fine. Since it's a request from the Witch, I have to agree. But speaking of Blaidd, I have an idea."
Ranni blinked, her eyes widening. How had she not thought of this before?
"You mean...?"
"I just think we need to figure out exactly what the Two Fingers did. Whatever means they used, they successfully escaped the influence of the Mother of Fingers and replaced her as the spokespersons for the Greater Will. I think we could try a similar method for Shadowbound Beasts like Blaidd."
Gawain thought of that massive set of Two Fingers back at the Roundtable Hold. He started wondering if he should go back there, haul them out, and slice them up for research. If he could figure something out, he might be able to save Blaidd from his fate of going mad.
Seeing a glimmer of hope for the salvation of Blaidd, who had grown up alongside her, Ranni couldn't sit still. She frowned in deep thought, scouring the depths of her memory for anything she might have overlooked. Soon, her eyes brightened with joy.
"I think I know where the Mother of Fingers is! If she is still alive, there is only one place she could be hiding!"
"Where?"
"Do you know of the... Land of Shadow?"
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (201 chapter - Ongoing)
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