After Gawain lost consciousness, Melina tended to his visible wounds, mending them with her light. She had watched the entire battle from the sidelines and naturally understood the weight of the conversations that had taken place.
For a moment, she felt a flicker of happiness for him, yet it was tinged with a strange sense of loss. She let out a soft, trailing sigh.
"So, you already had so many companions... It seems my help isn't as vital as I thought. And yet, you are the only one who can help me remember my true purpose."
She looked up at the spot where Godrick had vanished. A golden, circular object drifted slowly through the air. She reached out, catching it, and allowed it to merge into Gawain's body. With that, Godrick's Great Rune was officially in their possession.
However, having lost its previous host, the Great Rune was currently in a dormant state. It would need to be taken to its corresponding Divine Tower to be empowered once more.
Then there was Godrick's shattered soul. Gawain's final attack had been so overwhelmingly powerful that it had blasted the already eroded and twisted soul into fragments. Now, as if drawn by an invisible tide, those fragments coalesced and merged into Gawain, just as the Great Rune had.
Hearing movement behind her, Melina looked back. A dragon was rapidly approaching, followed by the men who had been controlling the golems at the Divine Tower bridge. Knowing the danger had passed, she allowed her form to slowly fade into mist.
Though the storm overhead had broken, the ripples caused by that final strike continued to spread.
Across Limgrave, from scattered villages to fortified outposts, anyone with a modicum of information could guess that something monumental had happened. Even those facing harassment from demi-humans or other threats scrambled to send representatives to Stormveil Castle. At the very least, they hoped the new master of the castle would be a better ruler than Godrick.
Even Kenneth Haight, who had been driven out by his own knights and stood helplessly at the edge of the Mistwood, felt a surge of hope.
Perhaps I should try my luck there, he thought. Maybe I can find support. He was, after all, a dispossessed noble of the lineage; Stormveil was surely safer than the Mistwood, where one had to worry about the Rune Bears roaming the trees.
In the center of Liurnia of the Lakes, the glintstone sorcerers who maintained the Raya Lucaria Academy made no outward sign. They were currently being blockaded by the Cuckoo Knights. Though the Cuckoos were technically mercenaries, both sides knew exactly what the other was thinking. For now, the Academy could only continue producing more marionette soldiers to maintain the fragile stalemate.
Within the Three Sisters towers, Ranni gazed at the distant storm-shattering strike and furrowed her brow.
"Could he have done this?"
She knew Blaidd was still in the Mistwood searching for the path to the Eternal City, so she couldn't ignore the upheaval in Stormveil. A demigod like Godrick was manageable, but if a ruler with true authority and power took his place, things would not be so simple.
Then again, if she could gain his assistance, her plans would accelerate significantly. But would he truly cooperate with her? She didn't believe her identity could remain hidden forever.
After a long silence, she remembered that he still owed her a favor. She also recalled that after she had "disappeared" previously, she hadn't actually left; she had overheard his quiet mutterings. Though his words had confused her, it was clear he was prepared to meet her again.
"In that case... I shall have Blaidd make contact."
To the east of Limgrave, a middle-aged man in a shack watched the sky, his heart racing with excitement.
There was no mistake. That wasn't sorcery or an incantation—it was the effect of an Ash of War. As a warrior who had spent half his life studying the arts of combat, he burned with the desire to meet the person who had unleashed such a move.
However, considering his own circumstances, he shook his head and gave up on the idea. Turning around, he continued his trek toward Caelid. There were matters there that required his attention.
In Caelid, the land blanketed by the Scarlet Rot, within the still-standing Redmane Castle, Jerren withdrew his gaze from the horizon.
It had been a long time since he had seen a technique so awe-inspiring. The last time was the battle between the General and the Blade of Miquella. Since then, Caelid had been consumed by rot.
He had taken on this thankless task not just to fulfill the General's wishes, but to personally oversee a grand combat festival to end the General's suffering. To see the once-greatest demigod reduced to a beast scavenging on corpses was a sight too painful to bear.
A tremor like an earthquake interrupted his thoughts. A pained roar echoed from the heart of the desert as a massive figure howled at the sky, seemingly in immense agony. The gravity waves released unconsciously by the figure made even Redmane Castle tremble.
Seeing General Radahn's condition worsen yet again, Jerren could no longer sit still. The festival had to happen soon, and he needed enough strong warriors to participate. He waved over a Redmane Knight and gave his orders.
"Take the men you need and cross the Smoldering Wall. Head to Stormveil Castle immediately. Godrick is surely gone. Find out who performed that feat, and if possible, invite them to Redmane Castle for the festival in my name."
Watching his reliable knight depart, Jerren whispered toward the desert, "General... please, hold on a little longer. The pain will end soon. I will hold the most magnificent festival for you."
A few days later, Gawain sat by his bed holding a mirror, looking at his "hollowed" face with a melancholy expression.
This was within his expectations. Although he hadn't experienced the loss of humanity leading to hollowing before this, he had occasionally been cursed into a "hollow face" in the past. Unless he died and respawned at a bonfire, it usually took a long time to return to normal.
He took the last sip of Siegward's brew and stood up, looking as though he had reached a profound realization.
"I have been so ravaged by wine and vice that I look this haggard... From this day forth, I quit drinking!"
"Just drinking?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow. "What about the 'vice' part?"
"Haha, I'm joking. I'm not quitting the booze either."
Elsa rolled her eyes and tossed a stack of scrolls onto the table.
"That stunt you pulled was likely visible from the Altus Plateau. Consequently, while you were unconscious these past few days, the various lords of Limgrave have been sending people to investigate. Since you couldn't show your face, Edgar has been dealing with them. They all talk of 'loyalty,' but every single one of them is just begging for reinforcements to put down rebellions."
Gawain picked up the scrolls. The names were so convoluted and unfamiliar that he lost all interest in reading them. Sometimes he wondered if his "translation charm" from crossing over had malfunctioned.
Tossing them back onto the table, he flopped back onto the bed in a state of total lethargy.
"Edgar is a Castellan; he should know how to handle this. I'll give him the word later. I can't be bothered with the details. Besides, this is all the mess Godrick left behind. Limgrave was crawling with rebels and he wouldn't lift a finger, too busy tinkering with his useless grafting."
Elsa didn't want to deal with the political bickering either. She just wanted to fight. If someone rebelled, she'd cut them down—it was a simple philosophy.
"By the way, Irina should be on her way to Stormveil. Edgar sent plenty of men to escort her this time. Based on the timing, she should arrive any moment."
"She's coming? That's good. She can help lighten Edgar's workload. Wait... why are you looking at me like that?"
Gawain saw Elsa's exasperated expression and was momentarily confused.
"You woke up this morning, and now it's almost evening. Don't you think you should go out and look at your city? Irina rushed here specifically to make it in time for your coronation, and yet you, the protagonist, don't seem to have any sense of the situation."
"Coronation? Isn't it a bit early for that?"
He was genuinely surprised. While he had considered it, he had assumed such things would wait until he actually sat upon the Elden Throne.
"You must have a coronation. It is indispensable."
The spectral form of the Ancient King manifested in the room. He had become much more active since returning to Stormveil.
"Do not forget why those Banished Knights chose to defect the moment you entered the castle. It is because they—and I—have waited for this moment for far too long. Though you received guidance, the fact that you could command the storm surrounding this city in that final moment proves you are worthy."
Gawain flexed his palm. A small whirlwind instinctively gathered around it. It seemed that after experiencing that sensation firsthand, his body had memorized how to command the storm. He was confident he could replicate that power.
Of course, that level of destruction was currently limited to the vicinity of Stormveil, as only this unique city provided such a vast amount of storm energy to draw upon. However, that level of control would still be incredibly potent elsewhere, synergizing with many of his other abilities.
The Ancient King paused, then spoke in a solemn, commanding tone.
"As the last kin of the previous Storm Lord, I acknowledge your talent and your strength. Therefore, I have decided: You shall be the next Storm Lord. I expect you to guard this great city and never again allow desecration to foul the winds of this place. Now, prepare yourself. A new King requires a proper ceremony."
"Uh... so I'm the Storm Lord now?"
"Congratulations, Lord of the Storm," Elsa teased with a smile, clearly happy for him.
Though Limgrave was small compared to the rest of the Lands Between, it was a solid start. She believed he would eventually reach the highest seat of power. She had no complex reason for it; she simply believed in him.
"What's one coronation? Let me think... if you want, I'll name you one of my Four Knights..."
Gawain was cut off by the door swinging open. Edgar walked in, having heard the Ancient King's voice. He was visibly moved by the decision.
"Lord King, you aren't joking about what you just said, are you?"
"I never joke about my decisions. Do you have an objection?"
"None at all. To be honest, even without your declaration, I would have proposed the same thing. After the storm of that day, I doubt anyone in this castle would oppose it. Gawain... no, my Lord Storm Lord, may I have the honor of arranging your coronation?"
Looking at Edgar's newfound reverence, Gawain felt a bit surreal about his sudden change in status. Another title already? He had collected a mountain of titles in the world of Dark Souls; he wondered how long his full name would be by the time he actually reached the Elden Throne.
"I'll leave it to you then. Oh, and where is Irina?"
"I was just coming to report that. Irina has arrived at the front gate. She was delayed slightly by a dispossessed noble's son who was crying for help. Also... many strangers have arrived at Stormveil recently. Should we let them in?"
Gawain thought for a moment. These people were likely the scouts and representatives sent to investigate the disturbance. He saw no reason to hide.
Since he had already caused such a scene, it was better to be open about it. Let the other factions know that this area was under his protection—and that applied not just to other demigods, but to the Two Fingers' faction at the Roundtable Hold as well.
"As long as they aren't carrying anything dangerous and we keep the Frenzied Flame lunatics out, let them in. I've been lying here long enough; it's time to stretch my legs. Let's go meet them at the gate."
Gawain started to walk out but caught sight of his face in the mirror again. His mood soured instantly. He couldn't go out in public looking like this. He turned to Edgar in silence.
"For the ceremony... I'm going to wear a helmet the whole time. It'll be more intimidating that way."
"Uh... no problem. I'll plan the ceremony accordingly."
Deep within the Roundtable Hold, Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing, organized the intelligence gathered from the recent events. He was inwardly stunned by the level of power displayed.
Even with the help of the Ancient King to tap into existing storms, the scale and intensity were absurd. As one of the Tarnished who had been exiled alongside Godfrey, Gideon knew that even during the battle where the Lord of the Battlefield's eyes lost their hue, the original Storm Lord had never shown such raw power.
After careful deliberation, he decided it would be best to maintain a cooperative relationship. Though Gawain held two Great Runes and was a candidate for Lordship, Gideon had long since abandoned that path for himself.
His goal was to use Gawain to uncover the hidden truths of the Lands Between and ultimately understand the deeper meaning behind Queen Marika's grand design.
"Nepheli, are you there?"
At his call, Nepheli Loux pushed open the door, having been waiting nearby.
"Father, you called for me?"
Gideon handed her a sealed letter.
"The recent operation went well. Soon, Stormveil will welcome a new King. I want you to deliver this letter to him in my stead. While you are there, observe the changes in the city and report back to me. I only require your honest impressions."
Nepheli didn't know what her foster father was planning, but she was more than happy to accept the task. She had fought alongside Gawain not long ago, and as a friend, she wanted to witness his moment of glory.
Besides, there would surely be many Tarnished at the ceremony. Perhaps she would bring Therolina along; who knew, they might even run into another worthy warrior.
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (85 chapter - Ongoing)
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