After using his ability to remove all the abnormal effects from his body, Lucian began to consider his next move.
The charm placed on him by Miquella had already been dispelled.
Yet the mark itself remained, now completely harmless.
That meant as long as he paid a bit of attention to his words and behavior, he could continue interacting with Leda and the other followers without exposing anything.
Lucian turned to Melina.
"It's dealt with. That little trick Miquella left on me is gone."
"But from here on, I'll still need to keep in contact with them."
Melina looked at him strangely.
At a time like this, he still wanted to stay close to Miquella's group… had the charm really been removed?
Or was Miquella's influence simply that strong?
She raised a hand and waved it in front of Lucian's face.
"Lucian… are you clear-headed?"
"He just tried to charm you."
Lucian smiled.
"Exactly. Which is why this is the best time to stay close to them."
Melina paused, thinking, then asked.
"What are you planning?"
In response, Lucian revealed the golden mark on his body.
"If they realize I've broken free, they'll probably panic and run."
"But the mark didn't disappear after the charm was removed. That's the perfect cover."
"As long as I keep it, I can track their movements… and by extension, Miquella's."
Melina understood immediately. After a moment of thought, she nodded.
"That's true. If we want information on Miquella, this is probably the only way."
"Otherwise, we have no leads at all… unless we go to the Haligtree."
"But from what Leda and the others have said, they don't seem to know much either."
"Other than Leda, the rest appear to have very limited knowledge of him."
"And as for Miquella himself, we still haven't seen or contacted him directly."
She paused slightly, then added.
"But can you really be sure you won't slip up?"
Lucian thought back to how he had felt while under the charm.
It didn't seem like a problem.
Compared to the kind of forced hypnosis often seen in stories, Miquella's influence was far subtler.
It didn't overwrite thought or logic. It didn't alter his loyalties or erase his feelings toward others.
Instead, it planted something deeper.
A quiet, fundamental inclination: do not oppose Miquella. Help him.
"Miquella's charm is different from what I expected," Lucian said.
"I thought it would be direct control. But it's actually very light."
"It doesn't interfere with reasoning, or even emotions toward others."
"It just adds a layer at the core… a tendency not to oppose him, and to assist him."
"So avoiding suspicion is simple."
"As long as I act normally and help them a little, nothing will seem off."
"And honestly… they should be praying they don't realize it's no longer working."
A faint smile appeared on Lucian's face.
Being exposed didn't concern him in the slightest.
If Leda and the others found out, their best option would be to pretend they hadn't.
Otherwise… the consequences wouldn't be pleasant.
Thinking of Leda, Lucian glanced around but didn't see her.
"By the way, where did Leda go?"
Melina pointed outside the temple, toward the battlefield from earlier.
"She said the Unalloyed Gold suppressing Mohg is about to lose its effect."
"To prevent the power of the Formless Mother from leaking out of the corpse, she went to reinforce the seal."
"Oh, and she asked earlier what we plan to do with Mohg's body."
"I thought it would be better to wait for you to decide."
"So… have you thought about it?"
Lucian clicked his tongue, finding it surprisingly difficult to answer.
Mohg's corpse…
It really wasn't something you could decide on lightly.
Within that body lay something akin to a "divine essence" tied to an Outer God.
Anything related to an Outer God was, by nature, not something that could be dealt with casually.
This was his first time encountering something like it. He knew almost nothing about it.
He had no idea what might happen if it were released.
Lucian decided to ask Melina for her thoughts.
"What do you think?"
Melina lowered her head slightly, one finger resting against her chin as she spoke.
"There must be something more to this."
"Miquella isn't here in the Mohgwyn Dynasty. That means Leda and the others are acting on his instructions."
"And earlier, they were willing to risk exposure just to bring you into the fight. That suggests killing Mohg was absolutely necessary."
"One possibility is that Miquella wants Leda and the others to use this body to enter the Land of Shadow."
"But Leda seems unusually concerned about the corpse itself."
"That makes me suspect Miquella may have some use for Mohg's body."
"Even if she acted naturally, the fact that she repeatedly intervened and asked about it is… suspicious."
"Of course, I could be overthinking it. After all, killing Mohg is unavoidable if one wants to reach the cocoon…"
Lucian blinked, momentarily stunned.
Miquella… interested in Mohg's corpse?
That was… hard to process.
The idea that Miquella might want to use the body as a means of entry into the Land of Shadow made sense.
Operating alone in such a place would be inefficient. Having followers would make things far easier.
But wanting Mohg's body for something else entirely?
That was… a bit much.
Lucian instinctively felt that Leda's actions were likely just to prevent the power of the Formless Mother from manifesting again through that "divine essence."
Still, after thinking it through, he didn't completely rule out the possibility.
"…Well, it's not impossible," he admitted.
"According to what the Ancient King told me before, the Land of Shadow is home to the Hornsent."
"Back in the era before it was sealed away, horns were seen as a blessing of the Crucible and were revered."
"Maybe he intends to make use of that aspect of Mohg's identity…"
Melina spoke again, her tone calm but deliberate.
"In that case, let's proceed under the assumption that Miquella does indeed have a use for Mohg's corpse."
"There are two options before us."
"The first is for us to take possession of it ourselves… or even destroy it outright."
"The most obvious advantage is that it eliminates any risk tied to Miquella obtaining the body."
"Of course, it would be troublesome. And it would likely expose the fact that the charm has already been broken."
Lucian nodded.
Destroying Mohg's corpse itself wouldn't be difficult.
But whether that "divine essence" within it could truly be erased… that was another matter entirely.
Melina continued:
"The second option… is to hand it over to them."
"But if we do that, you'll need to watch them even more closely afterward."
"So, which do you think is better?"
Lucian fell silent for a moment before answering.
"If Miquella really does need the corpse, then under the influence of the charm, I would probably choose the second option anyway."
"So we might as well see what he's planning."
"A corpse isn't something irreplaceable. If he can't use Mohg's, he'll find another."
"But if we cut off this lead now, and he later finds a substitute without us knowing… that would be worse."
"At least this way, whatever he gets his hands on, we'll know."
Besides, he had already killed Mohgonce.
What was there to fear from a corpse?
Even if Mohg somehow came back to life, Lucian could simply kill him again.
—
Below the temple, Leda once again acted.
Using the power of Unalloyed Gold, she reinforced the seal on the power lingering within Mohg's corpse.
This time, without the urgency of battle, she strengthened it further. The seal would now last for quite some time.
After finishing, she turned to Dane and Freyja.
"I'll be going back up to speak with Lucian."
"If anything happens, take Mohg's body and leave. Find a way to return to the Haligtree."
"Understood?"
Dane nodded. Freyja, though somewhat confused, still complied.
Leda let out a long breath and removed her helmet.
For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that things wouldn't go smoothly. A vague sense of unease lingered in her chest.
If things didn't unfold as Lord Miquella had predicted… that would be a problem.
Carrying that unease with her, she returned to the temple.
The moment she stepped inside, she saw Lucian had already come back.
And in her eyes, a golden mark appeared on his body, something only those who served Miquella could perceive.
Leda froze for a brief instant, then relaxed.
There was no mistaking it.
That was Miquella's mark.
Relief washed over her.
It had worked.
Lucian had become one of them.
Now, he could stand alongside them in pursuit of a peaceful world.
With someone like Lucian joining their cause… success felt within reach.
A faint smile formed on Leda's lips as she stepped forward.
"Lord Lucian, you've returned."
"Well? The Land of Shadow didn't disappoint, I hope?"
Lucian nodded.
"It's an extraordinary place. I'm looking forward to exploring it further."
"By the way, you mentioned earlier… how to deal with Mohg's corpse, right?"
Leda's heart skipped.
A trace of tension crept into her voice.
"Yes… how do you think it should be handled?"
Lucian stepped closer, stopping right in front of her.
Leda's expression remained steady, though inwardly she regretted removing her helmet.
Even so, Lucian could sense it, the tension beneath her composure.
He almost found it amusing.
"I think… handling it myself would be too troublesome."
"The power of Unalloyed Gold can suppress the influence of Outer Gods and seal what's inside that body. Correct?"
"In that case, I'll leave it to you."
"That should prevent any dangerous power from leaking out, right?"
The effectiveness of Unalloyed Gold against Outer Gods was exceptional.
By its very nature, it countered them.
In the era when the Erdtree still fully blanketed the Lands Between, even the power of Outer Gods, and the so-called divine essence could be blocked by it.
If given the chance, Lucian wouldn't mind mastering some of that power himself.
Hearing his answer, Leda let out a quiet breath of relief.
She had been wondering how to convince him.
Instead, he had handed the corpse over willingly.
Doubting Miquella earlier… that had been unnecessary.
She bowed slightly.
"Rest assured. In the name of the Needle Knight, I swear we will handle Mohg's remains properly."
Lucian nodded, then asked.
"As for the Land of Shadow… what else do you know?"
"Tell me everything you can."
Leda glanced briefly at the withered arm extending from the cocoon, then met his gaze.
"What I know is limited. Only fragments passed down from Lord Miquella."
"But if you wish to hear them, I can relay them to you."
Lucian gestured for her to continue.
Taking a breath, Leda spoke.
"Very well. I will repeat Lord Miquella's words."
Melina tilted her head slightly. Something about this sounded oddly familiar.
Leda began.
"The beginning of everything… The seduction. And the betrayal."
"An affair from which Gold arose. And so too was Shadow born."
"What followed was a war unseen. One that could never be put to song."
"A purge without Grace or honor."
After finishing, she added:
"…And after that, the Land of Shadow was completely severed from the Lands Between, sealed away. Even knowledge of it faded."
"But now, we finally have a way to enter it."
Lucian looked at her.
"You're planning to go there as well, aren't you?"
Leda nodded.
"In the Land of Shadow, I have companions waiting."
"They are like me, people guided by Lord Miquella."
"He has left behind a path, and we will follow in his footsteps together."
"If you're interested, Lord Lucian… you are welcome to join us."
Lucian stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It seemed Leda had completely lowered her guard.
She truly saw him as someone trustworthy now, even extending an invitation.
That would make things… very interesting.
"So you already have people waiting for you in the Land of Shadow?"
"That's perfect. I'd like to meet them as well."