Messmer's voice trailed off in the enclosed dark chamber. He became like a silent stone statue, gazing intently at the Tarnished before him, a flicker of expectation hidden deep within his eyes—one even he hadn't realized was there.
He both sought an answer regarding their mission from the man's eyes and vaguely hoped to hear something unexpected that might shatter this long-solidified fate.
"So, if one day your mission is complete, have you considered what you might do in the future?"
Gawain did not follow Messmer's line of thought. Instead, he suddenly shifted the topic and asked a strange question that caught Messmer completely off guard.
Messmer instinctively furrowed his brow. The future? The word was too foreign to him, so alien it felt as though it had never existed in his life.
For the past thousand years, he had grown accustomed to the endless darkness of this chamber, the coldness of the seal beneath his fingertips, and the singular goal of "guarding the seal and exterminating the Hornsent."
But now that Gawain had laid it bare, he realized with a start that if that day truly came—if the seal of the Scadutree turned to ash and the Hornsent vanished from the Lands Between—his mission would indeed reach its end.
Fragments of memory involving two intertwined white moons flashed through his mind—remnants of the Academy and warmth—but they were instantly swallowed by the chill of the dark chamber.
He slowly shook his head, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible wandering.
"I do not know. Since Mother has already abandoned the Golden Order, there is no longer a need for me to bring death upon the unblessed. Be it the Order or becoming King, these are matters I never needed to consider."
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the depths of the chamber, as if he could look through the walls and see the crusaders who had followed him into battle.
"The soldiers of the Crusade are also weary of this unending war. When the mission ends, they will finally be free from battle."
At this point, his voice softened, tinged with a hint of melancholy.
"But a Lands Between where Mother's tenderness no longer exists is not a sight I wish to see. In that case, staying here in this dark chamber, guarding the remaining silence, wouldn't be so bad."
"Heh, just as I thought."
Gawain let out a light chuckle, his tone laced with understanding.
"However, such a life sounds quite nice when you think about it. Perhaps when the time comes, Rellana will set aside her responsibilities and come here to the dark chamber to look after you."
He paused intentionally, watching Messmer's eyes lift ever so slightly, and continued.
"I've heard that Rellana has already made up her mind. Once the war is over, she wants to return to the Lands Between frequently to visit her sister, the Full Moon Queen. If all else fails, you could accompany her. The stars above the Academy are surely a better sight than the darkness of this chamber."
Messmer remained silent, though his lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Gawain's words were like a seed quietly falling into his heart. Return to the Academy for a look? For a moment, he actually contemplated the possibility.
Then, Gawain turned his head, his gaze falling upon Melina nearby. In the dimness, he could clearly see her clenched fists, her knuckles white from the force. Even her breathing carried a faint, hidden urgency.
He softened his tone and asked gently.
"And what about you, Melina? I remember asking you a long time ago what you wanted to do once you regained your body. But so many things happened afterward that I never got a real answer from you. Now, can you tell me?"
Melina slowly lowered her head, hiding the complex emotions in her eyes. Her fingertips curled slightly as countless images flashed through her mind.
During the days when she hadn't remembered her mission, she had secretly fantasized about many different futures. But those fantasies had been shattered by the broken state of the Lands Between.
Later, as things gradually improved, she not only regained her body but also recalled the finality of the end—a destiny she could not and would not escape.
Though her heart was full of regret, she did not resist this future; she only cherished every day spent with Gawain more. She had even prepared herself to never reveal a single word of her heart until the final moment arrived.
She feared her honesty would distract Gawain; she feared he would waver in his resolve to become King because of her.
When that time came, even if she was no longer there, Gawain should be able to understand her feelings and continue on his own path.
But now, his question was right in front of her, stripping away all her pretenses. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry, I haven't decided yet. And... I don't think I need to consider things beyond the completion of my mission."
Gawain did not press further. He simply stepped forward and patted Melina on the shoulder. Then, he raised his hand and slowly removed his helmet. In the darkness, the pupils he had hidden for so long—ever since seeing that phantom image in the Tower Settlement—were finally exposed to Melina.
"It's fine. Whenever you decide, it won't be too late to tell me."
His voice was very soft, yet it carried a reassuring strength.
"After all, there is still plenty of time in the future."
Melina jerked her head up, her eyes immediately locking onto Gawain's pupils. The next second, she froze as if turned to stone, her mouth dropping open in utter disbelief. Within those pupils was the clear reflection of the Erdtree burning.
"How do you have—"
Before she could finish, a slight tremor shook the entirety of the Shadow Keep. Even from a distance, one could sense that some powerful object had shattered.
"What's going on?"
Gawain turned back to look at Messmer, seeking an answer. However, the demigod looked equally bewildered. After sensing where the vibration originated from, he furrowed his brow and spoke.
"The disturbance came from the very bottom of the Shadow Keep. Before Miquella left, he traveled to the base of the Scadutree via the Tree-Worship Path. This can only be the result of something he left behind breaking."
"The Tree-Worship Path? Where is that? I'll go down and check now."
Messmer waved his hand to signal him to stay calm.
"There is no rush. That area is not somewhere one can simply waltz into. After the Land of Shadow was separated, the Scadutree—as the shadow of the Erdtree—gave birth to a gray will that cannot be called an Order. Since then, an entity known as the Scadutree Avatar has been wandering the base of the tree. It rejects all outsiders and has even launched active attacks, causing immense damage. Consequently, I flooded that entire area. When Miquella made his request earlier, I only briefly drained the water to open the passage. It is currently submerged again, so we must wait a while before entering."
"Then please, have your men drain the water as quickly as possible. If I'm not mistaken, that was the sensation of a Great Rune shattering. I need to find Leda and the others to confirm the situation."
Gawain looked down at the Great Runes functioning perfectly within him. Having used these items for a while, he naturally understood what the previous disturbance meant. The best course of action now was to use the time it took to drain the water to find Leda.
Melina watched Gawain as he hurried out of the dark chamber, her mind in a daze. Her head was filled with the phantom image of the fire she had just seen. For a moment, she felt a sense of self-deprecation. She should have realized it long ago—an existence whose status could suppress even the Frenzied Flame, how could he not be capable of igniting the Erdtree?
She turned her head to see her brother looking at her with a half-smile, and she rubbed her forehead.
"Brother, you must have seen it long ago, which is why you specifically explained my mission."
"It was just a few guesses. It started when I saw him absorb my flames during our first meeting. I originally wanted to see what kind of attitude he would maintain toward the sacrifices required on the path to becoming King, but I didn't expect him to actually be capable of such a feat."
"But I am the one who should have been the chosen kindling. He has already acted as fuel for the sake of the living in the Lands Between for far too long. This shouldn't be a price he has to pay."
Messmer looked at his sister. The silhouette of Rellana flashed through his mind, and he sighed softly, thinking of everything she had done for him over the years.
"I could tell from his tone. Even before I pointed it out, even if he wasn't certain, he had a general idea of what your mission entailed. He has already resolved to change the final outcome. One-sided devotion has nothing to do with your thoughts, nor is there any question of whether it 'should' be."
Melina recalled the stories she had heard about Vyke, the prospective Lord. He had accepted the Frenzied Flame to save his maiden, never considering whether the maiden herself wanted to see the King she chose fall into such a state. That, too, was a form of one-sided devotion.
Thinking of it this way, it seemed she was no better. She had prepared herself for sacrifice and intended to keep it hidden until the end, never considering if such behavior would lead to an even worse result.
But... did her status in his eyes truly compare to that of the prospective Lord's maiden? She didn't know, nor did she dare to fantasize so boldly. But after today, she felt she could no longer face her traveling companion with the same mindset as before.
The air in the Specimen Storehouse was thick with the musty scent of ancient scrolls and the peculiar odor of biological specimens.
Ansbach's fingertips brushed against the dark patterns on the edge of a tattered scroll. The golden enchantment that had once enthralled him still left a lingering phantom in the depths of his pupils—until a dull tremor rose from the ground. Like the breath of a waking giant, it caused the glass bottles on the shelves to rattle softly. In the next second, the gold in his eyes abruptly shattered.
"So that's how it is. So this is the truth of everything."
Distorted memories rushed back like a burst dam, crushing his mental defenses: the failed challenge, the fear and hatred for the Empyrean, and the humiliation his Lord had suffered naturally flooded back into his mind.
He gently placed the scroll back on the carved bookshelf. The sound of parchment meeting wood was exceptionally clear in the silence. On the surface, he showed little emotion, as if he were merely settling a sudden palpitation.
But the accursed blood within him was already churning like a boiling pot, racing through his veins as if wanting to burst through his skin. Every pulse screamed for vengeance. Only when he forcibly swallowed the metallic sweetness rising in his throat did he slowly lift his eyes, which were now cold and bottomless.
"Relying on one person alone is not enough."
At the same time, in the corridor on the west side of the Storehouse, the clatter of Fire Knight armor broke the silence. Gawain followed several knights clad in flame-patterned plate around a corner and immediately saw Leda shrinking behind a bronze display case.
Her back was pressed tight against the cold surface of the case, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her fingers white from the strain. She seemed to be recalling some unpleasant memories.
"Leda, I finally found you."
As soon as Gawain's voice fell, a cold gleam of steel left the scabbard. Leda instinctively leveled her sword before her, the blade reflecting her tense profile. A thick unease wrapped around her like fog, her breathing ragged and trembling.
Only when she recognized the face before her did her grip on the sword loosen slightly, the tip of the blade dipping to drag a shallow mark on the floor.
"Gawain?"
Leda let out a long breath, her tense spine relaxing slightly, but the vigilance in her eyes did not dissipate.
"I heard a while ago that you had arrived at the Shadow Keep. You appeared later than I imagined. The tremor just now... did you feel it?"
She raised a hand to rub her temples, her voice carrying an undeniable exhaustion. The moment the enchantment vanished, memories of past betrayals stabbed into her mind like needles. The images of the last internal strife within her knightly order—where companions turned their blades on one another—remained vivid.
Now, without the shackles of Lord Miquella's miracle, she wasn't even sure if the companion she met around the next corner would suddenly swing a sword at her. That was why she was hiding here, trying to find a modicum of calm through solitude.
"I was in Messmer's dark chamber; there were important matters to discuss."
Gawain stepped closer and spoke in an inquiring tone.
"The moment the vibration came, I could feel a Great Rune shattering. This could not be an accident. It must be related to Miquella."
Upon hearing this, Leda's face darkened instantly. She reached up to touch the insignia on her chest that represented her status, her fingertips tracing the gold-needle patterns. Her voice carried a complex mix of emotions.
"It was discarded."
She paused, her gaze turning toward the depths of the Storehouse as if she could see through the walls to the Empyrean chasing his goal. "That was the Great Rune Lord Miquella left behind earlier. He had been using its power to maintain the enchantment. Now that it is shattered, it means the Lord is one step closer to the plan he wishes to complete."
"The enchantment has vanished completely..."
Gawain's voice trailed off. His gaze fell on Leda's hand gripping her sword hilt. He recalled how Leda had initially appraised certain individuals in the group.
"Then what of your companions? Without the enchantment's binding, will they...?"
Before he could finish, Leda shook her head with a bitter smile. She leaned against the display case, her eyes full of confusion.
"Before, relying on the Lord's miracle, we could barely function as a team. But now..."
She pressed her hand to her temple, her voice laced with helplessness.
"I do not know if they can still believe, or if they have recalled facts that destroy their loyalty."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash
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