"Then could you turn around, look me in the face, and say that again?"
As her hair brushed against him, Throne blew out a breath. Melina had truly changed. Now, he actually missed the 'Wood-Melina' from when they first met.
Was this a case of shooting himself in the foot?
Whatever. Ranni might not succeed anyway, and I still have a backup plan. Throne remained as steady as an old dog.
At a time like this, he absolutely could not show Melina any weakness; otherwise, this piece of wood would be raised into a black-bellied type, and that would cause endless trouble later. Since saying more wouldn't change anything, he didn't want to continue the topic.
He sat back down in his chair and casually picked up a magic book. "Go make me a late-night snack. Add extra meat."
You really treat me like a maid? Melina shot him a glare, then remembered what she had said at the Church of Marika and turned to leave sullenly.
Throne didn't take the minor episode to heart. He looked at the magic book, but his mind was on future matters.
The next step should be dealing with Raya Lucaria Academy. This matter requires the cooperation of the Carian Army, so it can't be rushed, but I'm more inclined to hold this power in my own hands.
He had stayed at the Academy before, so he knew those sorcerers weren't cold-blooded killers. Everyone was simply following orders; there was no need for a total massacre. The intellectual property of Thops's Barrier was firmly in his hands.
The sorcerers hadn't been rendered useless; instead, they held an extremely important position in offensive and defensive warfare. Their range was shorter than bows, but their power was far greater. They also had multi-dimensional attack methods like Magic Downpour and Star Shower.
One only needed to look at the battle situation in Nokstella to know how powerful sorcerers were.
"Of the remaining four sorcerer professors, Chelona has ties to the Royal Family and should be winnable. As for the other three, it's fine to take them out. The most important thing is to find an excuse."
Because he suddenly intervened, leading to the fall of a Baleful Shadow, the Two Fingers must still be confused. Combined with the fact that the Nox are now on guard, investigating the truth will be very difficult. In other words, the Two Fingers don't know Caria was behind it.
If we can occupy Raya Lucaria Academy and establish a fait accompli before It figures it out, that would be best.
If all else fails, while the Tarnished of Limgrave are still useless, blocking the Grand Lift of Dectus would leave us in an invincible position.
"So what excuse should I use, and what can I do?" Throne pinched his chin, looking at the two spirit-calling rings on his fingertips, and remembered that Godrick's ring had not yet been unsealed.
Clearing the court of evil officials? No, the Academy hasn't actually done anything to the Queen of the Full Moon. Could I use a self-injury ruse? Ranni probably wouldn't agree.
It was a bit difficult, but fortunately, he held a trump card. Queen of the Full Moon Rennala is still the Head of the Academy. Those professors are merely acting on her behalf. The key is to present a justification that everyone finds convincing.
"The food is ready."
Light footsteps interrupted Throne's thoughts. He looked up to see Melina walking in with a tray, and noted the time was already late at night.
Throne immediately sat up straight, his face full of anticipation. Honestly, no matter how bad Melina's cooking was, he could accept it. Could it possibly be worse than Sellen's?
But when the girl opened the lid, his eyes slowly widened.
This is...
It was an entire roast suckling pig. The skin was a golden color, dripping with honeyed fat, and the air was filled with the aroma of spices.
"Did you wake up the Carian cooks? Or did you order takeout from the outer city?"
"Who would be awake at this time? I went to the kitchen and made something with whatever I found."
Melina's expression remained icy, devoid of pride. She frowned slightly when she noticed Throne hadn't moved. "If you don't want to eat, forget it. Let me be clear—I won't make it again."
"I'll eat, I'll eat." Throne was already hungry. He grabbed a pig's trotter, still warm in his hand.
He inspected it carefully, ensuring it wasn't some elaborate trick, then took a massive bite. His eyes widened. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. The spices and honey blended perfectly, leaving a lingering sweetness.
He stared at Melina, silent, as if seeing her for the first time.
"Does it taste bad?"
"Can't you have a bit of self-awareness about your own abilities?"
"I'm just wondering if my clothes should explode or if I should just say 'so delicious.'"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Just basic respect for gourmet food."
Throne devoured the food like a whirlwind, stripping the trotter clean in seconds. "You worked half the night. Let's eat together."
Melina hesitated, then slowly sat down. She tore off a piece of meat, popped it into her mouth, and chewed delicately.
Her eyes widened as memories surged. Was this the taste of gourmet food? Her pace quickened noticeably, and soon she was competing with Throne, who began to regret his invitation.
The scent carried.
Not far away, Ranni's sharp senses stirred. She jumped from her high-backed chair, following the aroma to the window. Her gaze fixed on the Nameless Magic Tower.
She blinked, bewildered. Throne, she knew, could be lazy. But her attention locked onto Melina.
The girl's lips glistened with grease as she elegantly fought Throne for food. Such behavior clashed with her complex identity.
In Ranni's eyes, the contrast was stark. Wasn't she just an ordinary, well-bred girl? A spirit existing between life and death, carrying a supreme mission? A heartless figure as cold as wood?
Hmph. Who would believe that?
Ranni had tasks—monitoring the Two Fingers, assembling troops, finding excuses. None could be rushed. Throne, meanwhile, had settled into leisure.
Ten years, a thousand miles, hunted and hunting dozens of times. His blade was soaked in blood.
In The Lands Between, nowhere felt safer than Caria Manor.
Here, he didn't worry about ambushes or schemes. No need to overthink survival.
That's why he'd left the Ainsel River in haste.
Slacking in Caria beat idle chatter with the Tarnished—the more he spoke, the greater the risk of exposure.
The plan progressed steadily. He'd entered a period of slacking—no, self-cultivation.
On the bustling street, Throne and Melina walked side by side.
After ten years of development, the outer city, which once resembled a ghost realm, had grown livelier. Farmers ground wheat into flour, vats of fruit wine filled the air with fragrance.
Throne had visited many markets. This one felt the most normal—food and medicine, no strange props in sight.
The place felt less like The Lands Between and more like some late medieval city. Carriage wheels rumbled over cobblestones.
Melina nibbled on fried Bar-fruit—a red thing resembling a banana. She'd learned to sleep, then to eat. Watching the man ahead of her, she couldn't shake the strangeness of it all. This wasn't the transaction she'd imagined.
She took another bite, her eyes clouded with confusion. In her mind, after gaining the power of a Finger Maiden, he should've been a cold, calculating killer. Like those ambitious Tarnished, storming castles, delving into caves, scavenging graveyards and ruins, hoarding power with every breath.
Sure, he handled people well enough, but most days? He was just a civilian. A walking contradiction, two people in one body. She couldn't reconcile the mad swordsman with the young man who kept pressing food into her hands.
Strange as it was, she didn't refuse. After spending so much time together, she couldn't be bothered to push back. The languid air of Mistwood hadn't slowed them down.
Throne still played everyone like a fiddle, killed Godrick, and stirred chaos across The Lands Between.
"This woman can really eat," he thought.
He stole a glance at Melina, the poster child for saying one thing and doing another. At first, she'd been a cold, lifeless thing, a moving plank of wood.
Then she learned to sleep, and she slept deeper than anyone. After being dragged to eat, she became a glutton. Like a cold machine slowly filling with the warmth of human life. And it was all because of him.
The 'Wood-Melina Completion Project' had reached a new stage. Throne felt a swell of pride.
To stretch a metaphor, Melina was slowly being molded into his shape.
"Weren't you broke on the road? How'd you suddenly turn generous?" Melina remembered his stinginess, how he'd wanted to borrow from her. He'd certainly been tainted by the scent of money.
"I don't like money. I have no interest in it," Throne said, spreading his hands.
In reality, he'd collected his wages from Iji. As a Carian Knight, going unpaid for over a decade was exploitation.
"Oh," Melina said, taking another bite of fried Fiarro fruit. It crackled like popcorn. "Why hasn't the Lunar Princess shown her face?"
"As a demigod, Ranni's busy. You think she's like us, idle?" Throne snorted, defending the Princess's dignity.
Ranni was probably sleeping. If only she could roam freely like Melina. It was Throne's regret, but being ordinary in The Lands Between was no easy feat.
He carried several jars of fruit wine he'd bought and asked the patrolling guards for directions. Turning into a narrow alley, he found himself among the families of the Carian Army. Under Iji's management, the place was orderly.
Following the house numbers, Throne stopped at a small courtyard gate. The house had clearly been renovated. The drainage ditch in front of the door was clear, and there was no foul stench.
"Should I spiritize?" Melina stepped forward.
"Let's go in together."
"But I don't know them."
"Chat a bit, drink some wine, and you'll naturally know them." Throne wasn't taking no for an answer. He dragged her into the courtyard, where clothes hung drying in the yard.
The Lands Between was filled with madness, but its people remained human—flesh and blood, emotions and needs intact.
In the courtyard's corner, beneath a small tree, a bald, muscular man played with a lively little girl. Throne spotted him and called out, "Thops?"
The man looked up, recognition flashing across his face. "Senior, you're finally back." He strode over and offered a formal sorcerer's salute.
Thops knew the truth, but he was wise enough not to pry. Throne felt a surge of relief. Over the years, Thops's Barrier had saved his life more than once.
"Why are you here?" Throne asked.
"You told me to leave the Academy back then," Thops replied. "I was hunted on the way, but Arnold's patrol found me. They saved my life. We've stayed in touch ever since."
So Arnold had been his savior. Throne nodded, a hint of apology in his voice. "I'm sorry. Things were too urgent back then. I didn't arrange everything properly."
"Don't dwell on it," Thops said with a smile. "At least we've met again while alive."
Throne exhaled softly, his gaze drifting to the peaceful courtyard and the girl who kept stealing glances at him. A smile broke through. "Yeah. Being alive matters more than anything."
After everything he'd been through, he understood the weight of those words in The Lands Between.
Seeing these "little people" filled him with genuine joy. He introduced Melina. She remained her usual reserved self, offering a slight nod in greeting.
Soon, Arnold and Karin emerged to welcome them. Karin, Throne's first comrade in The Lands Between, still carried her burly, masculine demeanor. She'd retired after losing her arm during the night at the manor.
"Hahaha, it's good you're back!" Karin slapped Throne's shoulder with a force that would have once sent him coughing blood. Now, it felt almost gentle.
"You've grown stronger," she remarked, "but some things haven't changed."
"What?"
"You're still that same brat from back then."
Karin's excitement was palpable. Throne's visit proved one thing: despite the gap in status and power, neither side had grown distant. This powerful knight still treated them as friends.
"Oh my, you're here! Why bring gifts?" Arnold walked over, rubbing his waist, and casually took the wine flask. "We've got to have a good drink."
"What's the rush!" Karin slapped him, nearly knocking him over. Hands on her hips, she barked, "Go bring the table out. I'll make a few more dishes."
Throne watched with a dry laugh. Is this the terrifying life of a married man? Who was the one claiming yesterday that he was the head of the household?
As Arnold hurried to move the table and chairs, Throne pulled Melina down to sit and turned his attention to the little girl.
The couple's daughter, about five years old, had inherited her mother's genes perfectly. She was a little tyrant on the street, though she rarely spoke. Her eyes locked onto the snacks in Melina's arms.
Under the girl's unrelenting stare, Melina sighed and handed them over.
Watching the girl eat and drink heartily, Melina tilted her head slightly. "Feels pretty good, right?"
Throne leaned in. "What feels good?"