Throne recalled slightly; among the three siblings of the Carian royal family, Rykard was the most low-key, his territory was the most barren, and he was also a rebel. Even while Ranni was still a shut-in at the royal manor, he had already defected, participated in The Shattering, and raised the banner of blaspheming the golden order.
To this end, Morgott even launched a dedicated expedition, but because Mt. Gelmir was so treacherous, and Rykard used all sorts of alliances and maneuvers to harass their logistics, this expedition eventually turned into a war of attrition.
Rykard was blocked and couldn't leave, and Morgott could not break in; the two sides stalemated for a long time, and finally, the Leyndell army had to retreat, leaving countless corpses on the road to Mt. Gelmir. This crushing defeat caused quite a stir among the nobles at the time and profoundly affected the progression of The Lands Between.
If not for the failure of the Leyndell army, The Shattering would likely have ended long ago, and Leyndell could have swept across The Lands Between with the momentum of a great victory. After all, Morgott wanted to end this war that brought shame to honor more than anyone else.
"Rykard?"
Throne pondered for a moment.
He didn't know much about this demigod; his only impression was that he had merged with a serpent—oh, and there was a furry-loving consort and a shy, well-behaved little snake.
"Ranni, tell me your impression of him."
"We haven't met for many years, but Rykard was undoubtedly a hero. He had many followers back then who were willing to fight alongside him even after he betrayed the Erdtree."
Ranni's words were somewhat unexpected. The greedy serpent in Throne's memory didn't look like a hero at all; what kind of hero would be scum enough to lure their subordinates in to be eaten as snacks?
"Why did he betray the Erdtree? Was it also for freedom?"
"Not entirely. Mt. Gelmir, which he guarded, was itself a massive prison, previously used to confine blasphemers, heretics, and criminals. As the darkest place beneath the light of the Erdtree, it required the most loyal of people to guard it."
Ranni's voice was calm, yet contained a faint trace of anger.
"Rykard had always been dutiful, but to be in the abyss is to be consumed by the abyss. He gradually discovered that the golden order was not as magnificent as imagined, and everything the Two Fingers depicted was nothing but lies."
"So he chose to betray it."
Throne nodded, putting himself into Rykard's role, he sort of understood. Staying in the darkness every day, discovering that so-called demigods were merely sacrifices and playthings, and that everything he guarded was just a joke—the more firm he had been back then, the more furious he was now. This was a corruption.
However, after staying in a dungeon for so long, it was inevitable to be influenced, which just confirmed the saying: When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.
"However, Rykard became very strange after The Shattering. I heard he rarely appears, and I don't know what he is doing, but there is no doubt that he is blaspheming the golden order."
Ranni added, taking the opportunity to offer her own hypothesis: "I think he got the idea of forming an alliance after seeing Caria rise again. After all, we have common enemies, and we have worked together before."
"During the Night of the Black Knives?"
"Yes, I gave him an item that could counter the Black Blade, but with your existence, I want to take this item back."
The Blasphemous Claw?
Ranni must have been laying plans to kill the Black Blade long ago; after all, that guy was one of the Erdtree's greatest safeguards, a figure in the top three of The Lands Between. Having almost come face-to-face with that guy before, Throne certainly knew how strong he would be; he was also one of the few existences that needed to be avoided. 'The Black Blade slays gods and wields Destined Death. Even if Ranni and I were combined, I fear we would not be his match. This can also be seen from Lansseax; he is a powerhouse at least on the same level as Radagon and Godfrey.' Throne thought this to himself without saying it aloud, simultaneously rubbing his chin as he fell into deep thought.
Ranni had finished analyzing the cause and effect, and logically there was no problem, but he knew some intelligence that Ranni did not. Beneath Mt. Gelmir was an immortal great serpent. For reasons unknown, Rykard voluntarily sacrificed himself, turning from an ambitious hero into a monster that only knew how to consume, luring all kinds of powerhouses to become snacks.
He just didn't disclose this intelligence, because Throne also didn't know when Rykard turned into that state. This was the trouble brought by the timeline being advanced; many things had already changed. 'Looking at Bernahl, he is Rykard's close friend; surely he couldn't be friends with a greedy great serpent. Because of the revival of Caria, Rykard's pressure is not that great, and his need for power is not that urgent.' Throne had no certainty and was unwilling to be influenced by the memories in his mind. The worst kind of transmigrator would only act as a prophet, as if they would be at a loss the moment the future they foresaw changed.
But he was not like that; from the Tarnished to Radahn, he had long been accustomed to changing plans based on reality. No matter what choice Rykard made, he would ultimately have to see it with his own eyes.
"Alright, I will immediately return to Caria, and then go to Volcano Manor to see Rykard."
"That is good. It is not very convenient for me to see him. Even in the past, he had a better relationship with Radahn, and because he often said shameless things, he would get beaten by me until his head was covered in lumps."
Ranni's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. The childhood of the three siblings was the most pure and happy.
As demigods of the in-laws, they had caused quite a ruckus in the Leyndell of those days, but after growing up, interests were mixed in, and family affection became distant.
"Oh? Was Rykard quite mischievous back then?"
Throne was curious about Ranni's dark history—no, stories from her childhood.
"Well, I suppose he was unyielding. Radahn was a bit careless and would always get into some trouble, and he would run over to help without even gauging his own weight. And he was also a bit lecherous, often going to some vulgar places..."
Ranni rambled on, but suddenly feeling she had said too much, she stopped the topic.
"These are not important. Adula is already on the way; you should return as soon as possible."
Am I really going to ride a dragon this time? And it was already arranged, yet she asked for my opinion? Throne gave a bitter laugh. Ranni was truly clever, quietly arranging everything and then pretending not to know to test him. However, he didn't feel any resentment. After all, his ability to cause trouble was truly too strong, and being targeted was within reason.
He and Ranni both knew very clearly that after the incident with the Black Blade, the time for pleasant plotting was drawing to a close.
"Actually, I'm doing quite well staying in Caelid, and I still want to go and see the legendary Redmane Castle."
"Heh, the Black Blade has already found you; be careful of dying while stalling for time. And you are not allowed to use my avatar when that happens."
"What if I insist on using it?"
"I, I will!"
Ranni was suddenly at a loss, and couldn't help but grind her teeth in hatred.
"You are becoming more and more presumptuous! Every time I look for you to discuss things, you always make me lose face!"
"Hahaha, losing face is a good thing. Once you get used to it, the two of us..."
"Yo, Lunar Princess~~~~"
Before he could finish, a cheerful voice gave Throne a huge fright.
He subconsciously turned his head, only to see that Lansseax had already appeared beside him, while Melina and Millicent on the other side of the stream both spread their hands, indicating that she was going to force her way over and no one could stop her. 'What the hell do you want to do?' Throne expressed with his expression, thinking to himself that this Ancient Dragon was truly a freak; Melina would avoid such things at all costs, yet she actually took the initiative to come up.
The dragon woman ignored him and continued to stare at the doll: "Isn't this the Snow Witch's technique? I didn't expect you to replicate it. Hmm, you also added a bit of Carian technology; this is interesting."
"Ancient Dragon, don't try to get familiar; I have never met you."
Ranni's voice quickly turned cold, and it contained a few degrees of hostility and majesty.
"I am in human form now; you can just call me by my name."
The dragon woman was very familiar, waving her hand and saying: "But I have seen you. You three siblings were quite a handful back then. Hmm, I was a priestess in Leyndell at that time."
"I remember one time when Rykard was surrounded by noble scions, you rode on a little Red Wolf, grabbed a wooden stick, and rushed out. You tore your long skirt, went up, and beat those noble scions until they fled in panic. Tsk tsk, that was truly majestic."
"Stop talking! I have absolutely no memory of this!"
Ranni interrupted furiously, already burning with anxiety in the Grand Library thousands of miles away. Throne chuckled quietly, sighing in the process.
As expected of a former overlord, Ranni indeed could not outfight this Ancient Dragon. The latter had too much material on her loss of dignity, enough to make the Lunar Princess lose face a hundred times. Should he quietly ask about her dark history? Lansseax glanced at Throne, who was pricking up his ears to eavesdrop, and placed her hand on her lips: "You don't remember? Oh, there are a few other things. Let me talk about them, and you might remember."
"What do you want?" Ranni said decisively, clearly knowing the dragon woman's intentions.
"Simple, give Throne to me."
"Impossible!"
"Why not? He is just the Chief Knight of Caria, right? I won't stop him from doing things for Caria. Wouldn't adding the title of Ancient Dragon Knight be even cooler?"
This...
Ranni didn't know how to answer either, so she simply gritted her teeth: "Throne, you explain the reason."
The person who was eavesdropping was hit while lying down, giving a bitter laugh for a moment, then said solemnly: "I have drifted for half my life and was fortunate to meet a wise lord; of course, I will be forever loyal to Her Highness Ranni."
"I am not asking you to betray Caria; this point does not conflict, right?"
Throne paused slightly and looked at the exquisite doll; naturally, no expression could be seen on it. Ranni, you are the one who told me to say it; don't blame me if you lose face.
"Actually, I have another identity, which is the prospective consort of Caria. Now you understand, right?"
Throne unleashed his finishing move, making Lansseax blink her eyes and look at the doll with some surprise.
"Really?"
On the high-backed chair thousands of miles away, Ranni twisted her body, and her four hands simply clasped together. Her mind was a bit chaotic, yet she subconsciously gave a soft hum.
"Mm, he is indeed my prospective consort."
Wait, why did I say that?
The moment the words left her mouth, her twisting intensified, and she instantly found a reason. Right, this is an expedient measure to prevent this stinky dragon from blaspheming my majesty. I will tell that guy later that he heard wrong, and he must have heard wrong!
Lansseax's gaze lingered, shifting from Throne to Melina on the far side of the stream. Her expression twisted into something comically exaggerated.
"It's fine. I don't mind. We Ancient Dragons don't share your tedious moral codes. I don't mind sharing with you. By the way, this guy and that kindling maiden are very—" Hiss—
Throne choked on air.
This old dragon actually dared to NTR someone to their face? He severed the mental connection before she could finish. If she kept going, he'd be caught in the crossfire. A black shadow swooped down from the sky.
"Adula's here. Melina, Millicent, let's move!"
This wasn't the place to linger—Melina had already crossed the stream with curious steps.
One more piece of wood added to this tripartite mess, and he'd explode. "Hey, I wasn't finished. Why'd you cut me off?"
Lansseax's displeasure was palpable.
"Because I'd rather not die. Don't dig my grave deeper—I'm already sinking fast enough."
Throne clasped his hands in mock pleading.
"Besides, the Lunar Princess won't kill you."
"An awkward atmosphere is worse than death. Stay in Caelid and heal."
Throne shook his head, feigning profundity.
"Too many accidents in Caelid have thrown the plan off track. I have to go back."
Lansseax wasn't stupid. She knew the Black Blade had surfaced, and anyone with half a brain would send word back. That werewolf incident was unexplainable. If the Two Fingers were feeling chaotic, they might've already flattened everything.
"Fine, but let's agree—when this is done, I'll find you."
Her next words made him pause.
"Flying dragons are too low-level. Ride me next time."
Throne frowned. Strange phrasing, but he had bigger concerns.
"As you wish."
Woo—Adula descended with a gust of wind, wings spread wide. It lowered its head in respect to Throne and the others. Though it clearly hated the idea of being ridden, offending anyone here wasn't an option. Pride swallowed, it waited.
Throne grabbed Millicent and leapt up. The dragon's back was rough, with uneven protrusions that served as handholds—nothing like the smooth, graceful rides from fantasy tales. Fighting from its back? Forget it.
"Leave Caelid to you. Heal quickly—I'm still waiting to head to Crumbling Farum Azula."
Lansseax's voice carried a promise.
"Remember, the moment Radahn leaves, I'll come for you."
"Come then."
Throne thought, What's there to fear? It's just a contest of who's thicker-skinned.
"Go, and fly steady."
Roar—Adula's cry echoed as it flapped its wings, rising slowly. Throne leaned out to glance down. Lansseax blew him a flying kiss. He jerked his head back. Retract that thought—this dragon's trouble.
A new mental energy flickered in his mind.
"Ranni?"
Her voice dripped venom.
"That stinking dragon…"
Her Highness the Princess gritted her teeth, her voice filled with rage.
"I'll skin her and pull out her tendons!!!"