Chapter 874 - 3: Fate and Rivals? (2)
The Flame will draw the gaze of those who look upon it──
Therefore, those who watch the Flame are also believers in the Flame.
One can only say this Princess of the Moon is still quite delicate of mind, just not bold enough in her thinking. Even so, she did guess part of it right: there really is the power of the Sun flowing within a certain someone’s body—only, it’s a biological engine housed in his cells, a nanomachine‑level, room‑temperature nuclear fusion device.
It truly is the finest embodiment of mystery fused with technology——
And it’s also what allows his Clone to master a considerable portion of the Power of the Fixed Star, giving him a perfect foundation to rouse Destruction Killing Techniques and transform into a magnificent Great Sun.
"Me? Next, I want to travel all over the Boundary Land and see which way this world’s future is headed..." The black‑haired youth in white smiled faintly as he spoke.
"Is that so..." Beneath the Witch’s Hat, the Puppet Girl gave a slight nod. He did seem like a young man driven by some ideal; if she could persuade him, he might provide significant help in sketching out a future blueprint for the Boundary Land, right?
It was just that they had only met not long ago; to rashly speak of recruiting him would seem far too eager for quick success, the intent too obvious. So she said nothing, only turned her gaze to Melina.
"I... I don’t know either. I guess I’ll start by wandering around the Boundary Land too..."
Melina thought for a moment and sighed. Right now she truly didn’t know what she ought to do.
"So you still haven’t seen your future path clearly?" the Puppet Girl said softly, a hint of a smile seemingly in her tone. "Then go and look for it first—go seek the reason that calls to you. Perhaps in the not‑too‑distant future, we might end up as rivals; you never know."
"...What?"
Melina couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows again, but when she carefully observed the other girl, she realized the other wasn’t provoking or threatening her. She seemed to be merely stating something she was absolutely certain of, as though she had already confirmed some line of reasoning.
"Isn’t that so? Even now, the world remains in ruins, everything waiting to be rebuilt. A long time has passed since that war; a new era has already begun, yet the new law has yet to descend. People say it’s because there is no King, that the holy Black Moon is quietly awaiting the appearance of the King Elden."
The night was tranquil and the wind faintly cool.
Within the lonely church atop the hill, in the cross‑weaving of light and shadow where the glow of the Blessing mingled with the darkness, Lani sat upon that low wall, quietly speaking like this, simple yet direct.
"I won’t deny that I’ve had the same thought. After all, it’s a kind of curse—just like in the past, as long as one was human, one would inevitably seek the Elden Ring... Since we will walk the same road, then in the days to come we will naturally be opponents."
Having abandoned the path of becoming a god, she now had only the path of ascending the throne left to choose.
The Puppet Girl had no doubts about this; her heart was exceptionally clear as she made her decision.
Only...
"Mm, no, I don’t have that kind of idea..."
Melina froze for a moment before realizing the other had probably misunderstood something. As frank, open, and unreserved as this explanation was—this way of showing absolutely no hesitation in revealing her own thoughts, something truly worthy of admiration—she still wanted to set things straight——
She really had no such intention!
Even in the past, all she’d ever wanted was to guide the chosen one, to help them walk the road of becoming King Elden, not to step onto that kingly path herself.
"Don’t doubt it. You may be lost in your heart right now, but Torret does not choose the wrong person..."
The Puppet Girl spoke faintly, her gaze shifting toward the outside of the church, looking with great conviction at that magnificent Spirit Horse.
"You simply haven’t gained that awareness yet. But sooner or later, you will understand——what it is you fight for, and what it is you wish to protect... Even if it’s only to herald the arrival of the era you yearn for, to make the world into the beautiful shape you imagine."
"I’ll leave it at that. Sorry to disturb you two. I hope we can meet again... Perhaps that day is not too far off."
Leaving behind these faint words, like melting white snow in the night, the petite girl wrapped in the Snow Witch’s hat and cloak seemed to dissolve into star‑like matter. Her figure scattered like whirling fireflies and, with a single breath of the night wind, vanished without a trace.
Her outline faded, her figure gone, as though she had never appeared at all.
"..."
"..."
Only the one‑eyed girl in the traveling witch’s outfit was left standing beside the glow of the Blessing, her face stunned. She had also figured it out: the other must have assumed she was the master Torret had chosen of his own accord, and thus mistaken her for a hero bearing the dignity of a king, someone with that sort of potential, right?
If the other was indeed pursuing the goal of becoming King Elden, then deeming her an enemy would be perfectly normal.
It should have been a misunderstanding...
It ought to have been a misunderstanding, and yet... thinking of the other girl’s final words, the girl suddenly felt something stir in her heart.
——Even if it’s only to herald the arrival of the era you yearn for?
——To make the world into the beautiful shape you imagine?
Turning such thoughts over in her mind, she couldn’t help but sigh softly and shake her head. Then she walked to the spot where that Miss Witch had just been sitting and took down the item from the wall.
An old‑fashioned, somewhat worn bell.
"This is a Soul Summoning Bell, right? By using its power and taking ashes that have not returned to the Golden Tree as a medium, you can summon a Soul from within them. They will temporarily acknowledge you as their master and reenact the way they fought in life..." A calm voice came from the side; the black‑haired youth in white spoke with evident interest.
"Yes..."
Melina gave a slight nod. She had recognized the true nature of this item as well, and so she frowned as she examined the bell in her hand.
This was a very ancient and very powerful Spell Catalyst, only it required strong battle ashes to manifest correspondingly powerful combat strength... Used well, it would be a great help. But she herself possessed no such thing, so there was probably nothing she could——
"Then Miss Melina, do you need to buy a few things?"
Her train of thought was cut off midway as that voice continued from the side.
She reflexively looked up and saw that unfamiliar youth solemnly taking one item after another from his wide sleeves, neatly lining them up on the ground like goods on display. Many of them exuded an intense Magic Power that made one inwardly gasp.
"To tell the truth, I’m actually working part‑time as a Traveling Merchant as well... And as it happens, I’ve collected quite a few ashes recently. Want to take a look? This Pumpkin‑Head Soldier one is pretty good, and this Exiled Knight’s Ashes are also very practical. Lastly, I strongly recommend this Biomimetic Tear Drop Ashes, a specialty from the Eternal City..."
In the space of a moment, he’d switched into the tone, cadence, and smile of a professional salesman.
Only for some reason...
Even though he was earnestly pitching his wares, the girl couldn’t shake the feeling of a very strong malice, as if she could faintly hear a note of mockery in his voice...
It had to be her imagination...
She gave her head a small shake, glanced at the many powerful battle ashes he’d laid out like a street stall, then subconsciously looked again at the bell in her own hand.
Was this...fate?
Power was actually being delivered to her so easily, seemingly within arm’s reach, as though something were pushing her forward.
Thinking back on that Miss Reina the Witch from just now, she also felt a bit unsure at this moment. Could it be that she really would become that girl’s rival?
...
(PS: Still a bit sleep‑deprived, and my stomach’s acting up... but it feels like I’m doing better today. Emmmm, probably...)