Ranni was furious, thinking that the longer she stayed, the more humiliating it would be. She dragged her two swords and headed toward her magic tower, but after a few steps, she turned back.
"What are you still standing there for? I want to hear your combat report."
The matter was not yet over.
As she passed the two fallen, she slowed her pace, performed a curtsy to them, and then instructed War Counselor Iji to bury them. Two more Carian Knights had been lost, but the grief lasted only a moment. As a capable superior, Ranni would never wallow in longing for the dead. There was nothing to be sad about; many more would die on this path.
Was this still the cold, moon-like Ranni?
Throne looked at her back, feeling that he didn't quite understand Her Highness yet. Human nature was indeed complex and hard to summarize in a single word. Last night in front of the academy, the Lunar Princess had been so arrogant and majestic, deciding life and death with a single word.
Yet, facing her fallen subordinates, she would reveal sorrow, even if only for an instant, and she did not view these knights merely as tools.
As for other aspects of her nature, they were even more interesting. Throne followed, reflecting for a moment before a smile slowly appeared.
Ranni was truly saying one thing while meaning another; her exterior was colder than anyone's, yet her heart was incredibly passionate. Perhaps that 'majesty' was an important prop for maintaining her persona. Demigods could not be seen through by anyone, and traitors could not allow themselves to be controlled.
Perhaps only when all majesty was lost would she expose that passionate heart without reservation.
Of course, these words could not be spoken aloud, or Her Highness would explode on the spot.
Throne stopped before the bodies of the two knights, closed his eyes, bowed his head in respect, and then strode away.
"With me here, Caria is safe. Rest in peace."
Throne didn't feel much grief either; he was simply thinking about the future with Ranni, and a 'heinous' thought couldn't help but arise. He wasn't a fool; he could already sense that special treatment from Ranni—a feeling similar to Blaidd's, yet entirely different.
However, before he could think further, a few particles shimmered, and another young woman appeared quietly beside him.
"Throne, why didn't you call me out during the battle just now?"
Melina's face held exhaustion and confusion, and then she saw Throne staring at her with a dazed expression, so she couldn't help but wave her hand in front of him.
"What's wrong with you? Are you injured somewhere?"
"I was just lamenting how slow your reaction time is."
Throne snapped back to reality, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. This blockhead was still stuck in the chaos of last night. He sighed. Forget it; with this natural airhead around, he'd better stop overthinking.
"You're not suited for dealing with the Black Knives. Don't ask, or I'll knock you on the head."
Throne continued walking forward, stepped onto the lift, and then turned his head back.
"However, thanks for last night."
The two shared a tacit understanding; having been through a bitter battle, he could not have blocked the Black Knives without the blockhead's guidance. Melina was stunned for a moment, first revealing a smile, then straightening her face.
"We are companions; this is only natural."
"I'm telling you, you don't learn the good stuff, but you pick up all the rubbish."
"How am I not learning the good stuff??"
"I've said it so many times, you can't learn to be a tsundere, otherwise I'll end up with split personality disorder from dealing with two of you."
"Then you first explain what a tsundere is."
"It means an idiot and a loser."
The lift rose, and the sound of their bickering faded into the distance, leaving Adula and War Counselor Iji to look at each other. After a while, these two behemoths turned their heads away to look at the devastated garden. They felt no shock; for the strong, their gaze always looks toward the future, and they never wallow in the pain of a bitter battle.
War Counselor Iji grimaced as he shifted his body, then suddenly reached out to catch two bottles falling from the roof; they were secret medicines to alleviate soul pain. Ranni certainly hadn't forgotten them; she just didn't want to show her face.
A breeze blew past, and the light veil on the Black Knife's corpse fluttered.
The old Troll randomly blurted out, "Sigh, with Her Highness's personality, she's bound to suffer losses in the future."
Roar—Adula let out a low dragon roar, signifying agreement.
"You idiot who hasn't even ridden a female dragon, what would you know?"
War Counselor Iji laughed and scolded, tossing the medicine over as he watched the morning light in the distance.
It was lonely and peaceful; were it not for the few corpses, everything would be like a dream. In an instant, he felt a longing for a pleasant future.
"Adula, let's set a small goal, even if we are destined to fall on this path one day."
He glanced at the lazy Glintstone Dragon, then looked toward old friends like Kolar. "We must also entrust Her Highness to someone we can trust."
Roar—The Glintstone Dragon let out another low roar, signifying agreement.
"What would you know."
War Counselor Iji tapped it on the head with his great hammer and slowly climbed up.
"Do me a favor and bury those two."
The Troll and the Glintstone Dragon left the magic tower to dig a pit facing the morning sun, yet both of them knew. After this night, Caria had turned a new page.
......
At the top of Ranni's magic tower, looking out from here, one could clearly see large numbers of people returning to the city. Just in case, they had been urgently evacuated last night, but it turned out this was completely unnecessary; the Black Knives and the Baleful Shadow didn't care about these ordinary people at all, let alone use them as hostages.
Throne returned his gaze to the back in front of him and swallowed gently. Actually, when he came up, the atmosphere was far from this heavy. For the first time ever, Ranni was not sitting in her high-backed chair but was brewing tea at the table with a smile on her face. She was holding the teapot, preparing to greet Throne as he came up, when she saw Melina behind the man.
Very quickly, just like changing faces in a Sichuan opera, that little face immediately turned cold, filled with majesty and a business-like demeanor.
If I had known, I wouldn't have let the Melina-blockhead appear.
Throne felt some regret, but for the sake of Ranni's majesty, he had to thump his chest: "Your Highness, this is the process of conquering Raya Lucaria."
"Mm, I know."
Ranni nodded lightly and then said nothing, constantly blaming this idiot in her heart.
The room became quiet; Melina looked back and forth and gently raised an eyebrow. What are these two doing? It was clearly a great victory, so why was the atmosphere wrong? Her little head had no answer, so she poked Throne with her elbow: "Report finished, right? I'm tired and want to go to sleep."
"Then you go."
Before Throne could speak, Ranni had already spoken first, then gave a light cough and switched to a solemn tone: "Ms. Melina, I will naturally commend your achievements. Inside or outside the city, you may go wherever you wish to rest."
Seeing her being so agreeable, Melina looked back and forth with some suspicion and couldn't help but puff out her chest: "I don't think I'm tired anymore; I'll wait until you two finish talking."
Pfft. Throne almost laughed out loud; this Melina-blockhead was truly interesting. A master of causing low blood pressure, right?
Ranni gritted her teeth, so angry that her four arms trembled.
She really wanted to grab the two swords leaning against the window, jump over, and cut this stupid woman down on the spot. She wasn't exactly a saint either, so she continued to look out the window and said coldly: "You need not concern yourself with Caria's affairs. Go and rest."
"Wrong. I am a companion who shares life and death with Throne; his affairs are my affairs."
You!
Ranni felt that their stars were naturally in conflict. This Melina was truly more annoying than that Primeval Sorcery practitioner named Sellen. She turned half her face, glanced at the person holding back laughter, and drawled: "Throne, is that so?"
Throne couldn't laugh anymore.
Just as he wanted to answer, he caught sight of Melina's bright eyes staring at him, and he couldn't help but stand straight, gripping his sword, not knowing how to reply. Facing a life-or-death question, silence was the best answer.
The room immediately fell silent. The three of them were like playing a game of statues; no one spoke.
Time passed second by second until War Counselor Iji had finished digging the pit. Throne couldn't hold it in anymore and was just about to break the silence when he heard a sigh.
Ranni decided to let him off. This, of course, had nothing to do with pity or anything like that, but rather seeing Melina's blank expression, like a dead pig—why was she getting so angry at that!
In terms of status, the two were perhaps similar; in terms of strength, Melina had no comparison. But when it came to the ability to zone out, the blockhead could stand here for a day without blinking and could bore two people to death.
Forget it, forget it; anyway, the gift was almost ready.
Ranni turned around, wanting to return to the high-backed chair to discuss business, but after a light glance at the chair, she very smoothly walked back to the table and touched the tabletop with her hand.
"I didn't expect a Crucible Knight to join. As a member of King Godfrey's personal guard, it is very thought-provoking."
Throne was wondering if it would be too embarrassing to climb onto the high-backed chair—if it didn't work, he could help her up—when he heard a heavy cough and immediately snapped back to reality.
"Yes, King Godfrey has been nowhere to be seen. Clearly, with just a wave of his arm, most Tarnished would flock to his banner, and the Crucible Knights are scattered everywhere. This move is like paving the way for him."
"Do you think there is a conspiracy in this?"
"Mm, perhaps it has to do with the missing Marika." Throne nodded and stated his view: "If no one can ascend the throne, Godfrey may be the final insurance."
"If Godfrey becomes King again, then Father, no, what happens to Radagon?"
Of course, he'd be singing 'Conquer' under his crotch, what else could happen.
Throne thought about it; he couldn't easily say that Radagon was Marika, as that was irrelevant. Although these two were the same person, they had different stances and goals; calling them mortal enemies would not be an exaggeration. One body, two genders, two consciousnesses—Throne had to lament that so-called gods really knew how to play; it was beyond words.
"The conflict between Marika and Radagon is obvious. From the intelligence I have gathered, Radagon is undoubtedly a loyal dog of the golden order, while Marika clearly has other goals. Therefore, the Two Fingers would not agree with this final insurance."
Ranni listened to Throne's analysis while tapping her fingers on the table, beginning to ponder.
She, of course, would not think that Marika and Radagon were the same person, but after being taken to Leyndell, she had long since known her father's stance. He was a fundamentalist who would not allow the slightest modification to the golden order, believing any change to be blasphemy, while Marika's stance was clearly different.
She secretly glanced at the dazed Melina.
This young girl had too long a reaction time and was still thinking about the Crucible Knight matter, whereas Throne had already told her about the girl's mission. Someone with a precise connection to Marika wanting to burn the Erdtree was equivalent to Marika wanting to burn the Erdtree. This was the most primal of cardinal sins, and the Two Fingers would not allow it. So what did It want to do?
Judging from the intelligence Throne brought back, that exiled first Elden Lord must play an important role. Ranni had a feeling he would definitely appear.
"Then the question arises: since Marika is opposing the Two Fingers, why would the Black Knives and the Baleful Shadow act together?"
One conspiracy layered over another was indeed headache-inducing.
"This is illogical. Perhaps your existence is a threat to both sides; only by eliminating the third party can they battle each other."
Throne provided the answer.
"The only explanation."
Ranni sighed and looked over gloomily: "Do you know why Queen Marika the Eternal hates me so much?"
It was indeed hatred.
Even as The Lands Between entered the apocalypse, the Black Knives would still come to cut off the roots and eliminate the source. As for that black flame, it pointed to another person outside the woods. From the moment Godfrey was turned into a Tarnished and driven out of The Lands Between, a grand drama had already been brewing.
"Let me guess: you participated in that conspiracy, but you played her at the last moment. On the Night of the Black Knives, 'Golden' Godwyn was assassinated by the Destined Death; he died, but not completely."
Throne pondered his wording and slowly provided the answer. The Night of the Black Knives was the fuse for everything. Ranni, Rykard, and many demigods participated in it.
They stole the Destined Death from Maliketh and assassinated Godwyn. But Godwyn only experienced spiritual death, ultimately causing a virus to spread across the Erdtree and creating Those Who Live in Death; while Ranni was another beneficiary—she killed her own flesh to break free from the control of the Two Fingers.
What would have happened if Godwyn had died outright, Throne didn't know, but he was certain that this half-dead state disrupted Marika's original plan.
"Sometimes being too smart is not a good thing."
Ranni looked over coldly.
Throne, however, smiled, bowed with his hand on his chest, and said: "Apologies, I am also a conspirator."
Hehehe... The two looked at each other and smiled.
Melina simply shivered, regretting having run here.
Ranni glanced at the Melina-blockhead from the corner of her eye and asked with a smile: "Do you know what Marika wants to do?"
"I don't know, but I can guess. She must be planning to deal with the golden order, which is why she set up such a massive game of chess."
Throne was not a 'Ring-ologist', but his IQ was normal.
The two fell into a moment of silence. At this time, Melina finally had an opportunity to speak.
"Since Queen Marika the Eternal has become the supreme ruler of The Lands Between, why would she want to deal with the golden order? Isn't that working against herself?"
The two looked over. It was like two academicians discussing a thesis when a college student suddenly interjected.
"What are you looking at me for?"
Melina widened her eyes slightly. Throne was fine, but the Lunar Princess's smile-that-wasn't-a-smile was infuriating. The blockhead was burning, and Ranni, who had finally caught an opportunity, maintained her smile, part mockery and part vigilance.
Throne's head instantly swelled. He stepped forward to separate the two.
Two divine artifacts were placed by the window; if they started fighting, it wouldn't be easy to clean up.
"From the moment Marika inexplicably exiled the most formidable Golden Army, her stance was already problematic. Because those who maintain the golden order cannot discard their sharpest blade. Think about it—would the Tarnished, exiled from their homeland, still bow before the Golden Order? This was betrayal laid bare. Fear had fled their hearts. Hatred festered now, roots digging deep into the Erdtree's bark. Rules meant nothing to the desperate. Kings would rise and fall. The old world would shatter. And Marika? She'd get exactly what she wanted."