"If I told you that the Deeproot has gathered at least a hundred thousand people, would you still be so indifferent, General?"
"A hundred thousand?" Connaught was visibly shaken by the number. "Impossible. If the Royal Capital lost a hundred thousand people, there is no way I wouldn't have noticed."
"A hundred thousand is a conservative estimate. The citizens of Leyndell are only a fraction; a massive number of outsiders have also poured into the Deeproot through the sewers."
Connaught immediately grasped the implications behind this.
"Is it Godwyn again?"
"I'm not certain yet," Raven said, his elbows on the table and fingers interlaced. "But undoubtedly, someone is pushing this from behind the scenes."
"It has to be Godwyn," Connaught said, his expression shifting darkly. "I may have resigned, but the officers of the Capital City Watch are mostly my old comrades-in-arms. To think that Godwyn began laying this groundwork three years ago just to eliminate my influence within the Watch..."
"I don't think it's quite that simple..." Raven shook his head. "But you're right. Once a massive rebellion breaks out in the Deeproot, you certainly won't escape the blame, and many in the City Watch will be held accountable. Whether or not Godwyn is the mastermind, he won't pass up such a perfect opportunity to purge the Loyalist factions within the Watch."
"Under the pretext of suppressing a rebellion, Godwyn could also take the opportunity to consolidate command over the surrounding Lordsworn armies." Connaught stood up, pacing back and forth. "We must inform the King immediately."
"The war at the volcano shows no sign of ending; Radagon likely won't be able to pull himself away for two or three years. The Deeproot is a powder keg that could blow at any moment. We must defuse it in advance."
"You underestimate the King," Connaught said, shaking his head. "But you're right—we must act. I will contact the other Loyalists shortly to discuss a counter-strategy."
"The only way is a peaceful resolution," Raven said, gesturing toward Mohg. "His brother, Morgott, is the leader of the Deeproot and is deeply beloved. If his brother is appointed as the Lord of the Deeproot and the region is brought under the banner of the Golden Dynasty, the rebellion will never happen. A disaster can be turned into a blessing."
"Appoint an Omen as a Lord?" Connaught cried out. Beside him, Mohg shifted uneasily. "That's preposterous!"
"What if this Omen is the son of Marika and Godfrey?"
"What? Are you certain?" Connaught's voice dropped. "I have heard some rumors..."
"His horns were never excised, and the same goes for his brother."
Connaught looked grave, measuring Mohg with his eyes. "In that case, a lordship would indeed not be out of the question—provided Queen Marika does not object."
"That will depend on luck," Raven said with a shake of his head. He couldn't begin to guess the Goddess's thoughts or stance. "But I hope the Loyalists will support my plan."
Connaught remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. "I will do my best to convince the others."
"A pleasure doing business with you." Raven shook hands with Connaught.
"Prince Raven," Connaught called out behind him as Raven was leaving. "The matter of the Deeproot originally had nothing to do with you. By choosing to intervene, have you decided to stand with the Loyalists?"
"I simply do not wish to see a needless river of blood." Raven looked back, catching the surprised look on Connaught's face. "Is that a strange answer?"
"You are too much like the King. He said something very similar back then," Connaught said. "During the Liurnian Wars, the King went against all opposition to conclude a peace treaty with Caria. You have inherited the King's mercy, Prince."
Raven almost couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.
"Perhaps it is because my mother has a merciful heart." He suppressed his anger, his voice dripping with irony. "Words are but wind; they prove nothing. Not even oaths sworn at the Church of Vows."
"If you and the King had a chance to truly talk, perhaps many misunderstandings could be cleared," Connaught sighed. "The Loyalists will always welcome you, Prince Raven."
"Mohg, it's time to go." Raven remained noncommittal and strode away.
Outside the General's mansion, Mohg asked, "Can my brother really become the Lord of the Deeproot?"
"The matter will be discussed at the Roundtable meeting," Raven said. "As for the outcome, no one can guarantee it."
"Will my performance at the meeting... have a big impact on the result?" Mohg asked nervously.
"It will indeed. You are attending the meeting on your brother's behalf. Others will judge Morgott based on your conduct."
"On my brother's behalf..." Mohg whispered. "If I mess this up, it means I truly don't deserve to be his brother."
Seeing Mohg's mood suddenly plummet, Raven realized his words might have put too much pressure on him.
"Don't worry," Raven comforted him. "There won't be many people at the meeting. Just relax and read the speech I prepared. I'll be sitting right next to you, and I'll deflect any tricky questions. If we fail in the end, the responsibility lies with me. You won't have let Morgott down in any way."
"I've let him down in too many ways already," Mohg said. "Just a few weeks ago, I cursed him to die."
"It's perfectly understandable to lose control of your emotions when things are heated," Raven said, knowing Morgott had beaten Mohg a few weeks prior and guessing this happened then. "When Morgott fell over the waterfall, you tied yourself to a rope and were ready to jump down to save him. Doesn't an action like that make up for a moment's slip of the tongue?"
"That was for atonement. I felt it was my curse that caused him to fall."
"You're overthinking it."
"And when I knew my brother might have fallen to his death, the first thought that rose in my mind was actually... 'Good, he's finally dead'." Mohg's voice trembled. "In that moment, I was a monster. I..."
"You were jealous of him, weren't you?" Raven asked softly. "You felt like you lived in his shadow, that you were inferior to him in every way?"
"Yes." Mohg lowered his head and sobbed. Baring his soul before Raven was almost more than he could bear.
"I don't know why my brother can be so perfect, so strong. He is an Omen just like me, he suffered the same insults and mockery, yet he could overcome it all, change everyone's mind in the Deeproot, and become their rightful leader. While I—I am just a monster in the sewers, a twisted, psychological monster!"
Mohg crushed the carriage door handle in his grip.
"I'm sorry, Raven. I shouldn't have come to the surface with you and wasted your time. I couldn't even understand your conversation with the General, let alone help you. Even in these clothes, I'm still just useless Mohg."
"Where are you going?" Raven called out as Mohg turned away.
"Back to the sewers." Mohg tried to take off the suit, but the buttons slipped through his fingers; he couldn't undo them. He grabbed his collar, but in the end, he didn't pull. He couldn't bring himself to tear the garment.
Raven let out a deep sigh.
"Morgott isn't as perfect as you think," Raven said, echoing some of the things Morgott had mentioned before they left. "He is also ashamed of his accursed blood. He didn't even have the courage to come to the surface himself."
Mohg looked up in shock. "That's not him. He wouldn't say things like that."
"He just wouldn't say them in front of you. Why would he show his weak side to his younger brother? We are all mortal at heart; we only act as if we are omnipotent so we don't disappoint the ones we cherish."
Mohg fell silent.
"If you insist on backing out, I won't blame you. I know that defeating one's past self is no easy feat; I might have done worse in your shoes. But what I worry about is that after you quit, you'll never be able to forgive yourself for today's choice. You'll live in regret forever."
"I don't want to regret it." Mohg took a deep breath.
"Then get in the carriage," Raven said with a small smile, mounting Captain Leon's horse. "You were brave once when you promised me in the Deeproot. Now you've been brave a second time. In a person's life, there aren't many chances to prove oneself like this. If you can be brave a third time, you'll be a hero through and through."
"A third time?"
"At the meeting. That will be the third." Raven closed the carriage door and nudged his horse forward.
Inside the carriage, Mohg watched Raven's back through the window and whispered, "I won't let you down."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(170 Chapter - Ongoing)
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