"You're heading to the Roundtable Hold? You mean that place where the legendary Tarnished heroes are said to gather?"
Facing Elsa's question, Gawain simply shook his head. The Roundtable Hold of today was hardly overflowing with heroes anymore.
"It's not quite as grand as you might imagine. That place fell from its glory long ago. But as they say, it remains a gathering ground for Tarnished. After all, few other places in the Lands Between are willing to accept our kind. So, do you want to come along? I can pull you in for a look."
"I'll pass. I don't have much interest," Elsa replied. "Don't forget, I can use the Sites of Grace you've lit through our soul-link. I'd rather spend the time out there honing my skills. Fort Haight seems like a good spot; I heard that dispossessed noble complaining about knights driven mad by blood. My old scimitar was ruined in the last fight, so I might as well go blow off some steam on those knights."
Elsa twirled her twin blades. She was becoming increasingly proficient with them. With no major battles on the immediate horizon, she was happy to go out and harvest some Runes. Her current level wasn't quite enough for the revenge she sought; she had nearly "falled over" during the encounter with the Omens earlier.
However, just as she was about to leave the room, she stopped, her expression turning slightly subtle.
"By the way... you should know that Edgar wants me to keep an eye on Irina. So, my room is right next to hers."
"Uh, I just found out. Is there a problem?" Gawain asked.
"No problem. I just wanted to remind you: keep the noise down next time. I could hear everything perfectly clearly while I was trying to sleep that night. I couldn't get a wink of rest."
"Ahem... next time, for sure."
Gawain's face flushed with embarrassment. He could only watch as Elsa departed. After steadying his nerves, he teleported to the Roundtable Hold. Instead of appearing directly at the Table of Lost Grace, he arrived at the entrance, wanting to gauge the general attitude of the Tarnished first. His deeds had surely spread by now.
While his first arrival had caused a bit of a stir due to his obvious strength, this time was different.
The once-boisterous hall seemed to hit a pause button. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the entrance, followed by hushed whispers.
"Is that him? The new Storm Lord of Stormveil? I saw that storm art that pierced the heavens the other day—it must have been his. I didn't think anyone could claim a demigod's Great Rune this quickly."
"That's him, alright. I was at the coronation yesterday. Stormveil doesn't reject Tarnished anymore. I spent a few days there helping with the reconstruction and actually earned some Runes. Finally, I don't have to fight demi-humans for scraps of food."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me? You were hiding such a good deal from me?"
"I've been wandering around Liurnia lately, dodging those wraiths and Bloody Fingers. I have to look over my shoulder every second for those giant lobsters sniping at me from nowhere. If you'd told me Stormveil was this welcoming, I would've been back ages ago! I only ran to Liurnia to escape those Grafted Scions in the first place. I ran from the Scions only to be hunted by lobsters—did I run for nothing?"
Gawain found the chatter a bit "difficult to hold back a laugh," but he was pleased. His reputation was officially established. Even if these Tarnished didn't know his face, they knew Limgrave had a new master, and the banner on his cloak would ensure more people sought refuge under his rule in the future.
He walked up to the central area where the regulars gathered. This time, Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing, personally left his study to greet him.
"Welcome back, my comrade. As the leader of this Roundtable, I am pleased to see a fellow Tarnished make such substantial progress on the path to Lordship."
Gawain looked at the helmeted Gideon. He didn't know what face lay beneath the mask, but the tone suggested Gideon was very satisfied with the results.
"So, did you find what you were looking for? I heard the scrolls left in the castle were thoroughly picked over."
"That depends on what value I can extract from them," Gideon replied. "But we can certainly cooperate like this again. For the sake of our common kinship, I will provide whatever assistance I can."
Gideon's primary goal was gathering hidden intelligence to uncover Queen Marika's true intent. With the other two "potential kings" currently out of the picture, he was more than happy to help a promising comrade whose power had already piqued his curiosity.
"Come. Show your Great Rune. The doors to the Two Fingers shall open for you."
Gawain turned to the heavy, locked doors and projected the silhouette of the Great Rune within him. A mechanical grinding sound echoed from within.
The doors slowly swung open, revealing a massive figure inside: the Two Fingers of the Roundtable Hold. They looked similar to the corpse he had seen at the Divine Tower, but these were alive—they had more hair, and their skin wasn't as desiccated. They looked well-maintained.
Sitting beside them was Finger Reader Enia. She looked more kindly and approachable than her in-game counterpart, her face not a total mummy-like husk, but resembling a regular old woman.
"It has been a long journey. I am Enia, the Finger Reader."
Enia looked at the Tarnished with satisfaction. She had heard of his deeds from "the Gideon lad." He was clearly a man with the potential to become Lord.
"The Fingers are the messengers of the Greater Will, and I am the crone who interprets their words."
The massive body of the Two Fingers began to quiver rhythmically, emitting strange but structured sounds—much like an encrypted code. Enia turned her head to receive the decree, then translated it for the young man.
"Look closely. The Fingers shiver. They welcome you, the bearer of a Great Rune... Now, heed the words of the Fingers."
Enia began the translation. Gawain listened carefully, wondering if he should memorize the patterns to decipher them later. If he ever fell out with the Two Fingers, he'd want to be able to hurl back the foulest "finger-curses" imaginable. At the very least, he wouldn't let the Three Fingers in the capital basement escape a lecture.
"The Great Elden Ring is the Golden Order, which gives the world its laws, and blesses life with Grace. But the Ring is broken. To shatter the Law is a grave sin, and the consequences are unavoidable. The world and life itself are ruined beyond measure; curses and misfortune spread everywhere. Even so, the Greater Will has not abandoned the world or its life. That is why you Tarnished are guided by Grace and given your mission. Tarnished, the Great Rune you hold is a major shard of the Elden Ring. Go, and claim another. Become the Elden Lord, repair the Golden Order, and forget not the words of the Fingers."
As Enia finished the long translation, the upright Fingers curled back down, heaving slightly as if breathing. Her expression turned a bit strange.
"Hm? Did you not claim the golden Remembrance after defeating Godrick?"
Gawain's gaze shifted from the Fingers. Thinking about the Remembrance he had already "crushed" into Runes to level up, he wasn't sure how to explain it, but ultimately told her the truth.
Enia blinked in surprise, then shrugged it off. It wasn't unheard of. However, out of kindness, she advised:
"The golden Remembrances are carved by the Erdtree when demigods and great heroes perish. They preserve the power of their masters in the form of Runes. Converting them into a vast hoard of Runes is one way to use them. But if you wish to wield that power yourself, the Fingers and I can assist you, transforming the master's memory into a weapon for your cause."
"I wasn't much interested in Godrick's power," Gawain said. "But the other demigods might be different. I'll count on you then, Enia."
Enia smiled kindly. This young Tarnished had quite the ego, but she liked his spirit. It was a refreshing change from the Gideon boy who spent all day buried in scrolls.
"Do not underestimate your future foes. The demigods are the children of Queen Marika. They were led astray by the power of the Great Runes and fought amongst themselves, but in the end, none could become the Elden Lord. That is why you Tarnished are guided by Grace."
Hearing mention of the demigods, the Two Fingers stood upright again, vibrating. Enia immediately resumed her translation.
"Hear them! The Fingers have spoken. The Greater Will abandoned those demigods long ago. Tarnished, do not hesitate. Kill them, and pillage their power."
After translating this encouraging sentiment, Enia leaned in.
"That being said, you must be careful. As I said, the demigods are Marika's children. The only exception was Godrick, whom you defeated. He was a distant descendant; his divine blood was thin, and his power the weakest of them all. Before you challenge the others, prepare yourselves well. May your path be guided by Grace."
Gawain spoke with Enia for a while longer, subtly probing for more information about the Two Fingers, but she didn't let much slip. With that, the meeting concluded.
As soon as he stepped out, the doors slammed shut and locked behind him. Gideon, who had been waiting nearby, gestured for Gawain to follow him into his study for a more detailed discussion.
Gawain followed. He wanted to get some intelligence on Caelid before heading out.
After Ensha took his post at the door to keep others out, Gideon looked Gawain over, somewhat surprised by how calm he remained after meeting the Fingers.
"I assume the Fingers told you of our mission in there?"
"The usual stuff," Gawain replied. "Urging me to go around pillaging Great Runes. I thought since I already got one, they might give me a reward or something, but... nothing. I'll just keep going at my own pace."
Gideon nodded slightly. He had known for a long time that something was off with the Fingers, which is why he had pivoted from following Grace to researching Marika's true motives.
Seeing that Gawain had no intention of being a puppet for the Fingers either, Gideon wondered: Was he clever enough to spot the anomalies immediately, or is he just naturally cautious and pragmatic?
"Since you are now a formal member of the Roundtable, I have yet to give you a welcoming gift. How about this: tell me which demigod is your next target, and I will provide you with the necessary intelligence. Free of charge, this time."
Gawain planned to visit the Eternal City before heading to Caelid, but he had no intention of sharing that. The technology of the underground Nox civilization was a priceless treasure, even in small amounts. He wanted the techniques for Dragonkin Soldiers and Mimic Tears all to himself. He had saved all the related records in text format; eventually, he'd find someone capable of researching them for him.
"My next stop is Caelid," Gawain stated. "That land blanketed by Scarlet Rot. Do you have any intelligence on it?"
Gideon went silent for a moment. He had expected Gawain to target Liurnia next, as it was a far easier mark. To go from Godrick straight to the Mightiest Demigod was unexpected.
"Caelid? My apologies, but I have little to tell you of that land. Since the shattering of the Ring, the entire region has been polluted by the Scarlet Rot. The abundance of Kindred of Rot makes it difficult for my scouts to gather specific details."
He thought for a moment, then pulled a scroll from a pile and handed it over.
"What's this?"
"A rough map of Caelid. It is yours. At the very least, I can provide the basic geography."
Gawain looked at the map, which was similar to the in-game version, showing the general state of the region. It wasn't nearly as precise as the map Edgar had given him, but he knew how hard it was to get details in that hellscape.
"Furthermore, I can give you one small piece of advice: prepare ample protection against the Scarlet Rot before you go. If you are tainted, things become very troublesome. You wouldn't want to end up like General Radahn, would you?"
A smile played on Gawain's lips. The one thing he wasn't worried about was being tainted. Scarlet Rot feared two things: the flowing water swordsmanship, and Fire.
And he was a walking flame.
"I have my ways of dealing with that. Thank you for the map. If I find any intelligence you're looking for, I'll share it. After all... comrades should cooperate."
"Indeed," Gideon replied. "Let us cooperate."
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (100 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────