The Girl Is Facing Off...
—I have no interest in being a guide.
The girl's movements disappeared in the optical distortion, but before vanishing, she stirred a wisp of wind, causing the chapel doors to open to both sides—causing the villagers to scream. But after the screams came the joy of regaining their freedom.
They surged out in a chaotic rush, without any order except for bringing along relatives and acquaintances. Several people with mobility issues were left far behind, while the rest scrambled and stumbled into the woods.
Chaos reigned.
The signs and torches Miss Surtr had prepared for them—to guide their way and for nighttime use—were carelessly tossed aside and turned into trash. Clearly, someone had overestimated the organization and average quality of these Middle Ages refugees. Some of the stronger ones even pushed unfamiliar elderly and weak people to the ground, as if this would delay nonexistent pursuers and wild beasts, thus increasing their chances of survival.
--mob.
That's just how mortals are.
Miss Surtr had no interest in guiding them—after all, she had already killed or scared away all the wild beasts in the vicinity, and the path leading out of the woods wasn't particularly rugged. If a few of them were to die in infighting, it would only be their own fault—she could understand the fear of these weaklings, but she had never bothered with such things.
—In terms of disappointing me, mortals have never disappointed me.
Oh well, they didn't beg me or ask me for anything anyway.
She rose into the air imperceptibly, drifting in another direction—but as she left, she flicked her finger slightly, using magic to activate the courage of these mortals. She held no hope for it, nor did she care about the outcome.
She was just thinking.
The greatest advantage of mortals lies in their variability. They are capricious, their morality unpredictable. Unlike gods, who, if they firmly believe in a principle, will not break it for hundreds or thousands of years. If a god makes a promise, they will fulfill it even after ten thousand years. A being a god fell in love with ten thousand years ago will not change their mind ten thousand years later... And perhaps this is why the Fire Keeper and her companions are still willing to fulfill their ancient vows even after fourteen thousand years. After all, she is, in a sense, a variant of a god.
Humans, however, are different. Breaking oaths and breaking promises is commonplace for them. Loyalty only needs one reason to be betrayed... This has always been true of humans, and of short-lived species in particular. Yet, this is also humanity's greatest strength. They can easily accept new things and new ideas; principles cherished five minutes ago can be rendered worthless five minutes later. This also means that mortals develop at a much faster pace than gods, and indeed, this is the case.
She breathed lightly, recalling her many dream-world experiences—indeed, in many worlds, the era of mortals always replaced the era of gods. This was because the gods' adherence to tradition was almost universal—they did not break their vows, nor abandon old knowledge and beliefs; what was a thousand years ago remained the same a thousand years later unless forced to change by external forces. This was a common flaw of long-lived species, and also the reason why long-lived species always lost to short-lived species.
And the world is the same.
She didn't experience the Dark Souls II era of this dream world, but she was still certain that this world had traversed stages such as 'Gods,' 'Heroes,' and 'Kings,' and finally arrived at where she was now.
But--
Even as the gods and heroes gradually disperse, is there truly a difference between Lordran and Lothric?
In the age of the gods, mortals tilled the land and protected themselves with swords. The most profound knowledge lay in the art of Crystal Magic and the secrets of dragons.
During the king's reign, mortals still farmed, still wielded knives and swords, and the most exquisite knowledge remained the magic of crystallization and the secrets of dragons.
The two eras of civilization were indistinguishable, their order was indistinguishable, and their technology was indistinguishable—humanity spent fourteen thousand years proving that they had made no progress relative to the gods. And the underlying rules governing this world were the First Flame, not the physical laws common to other worlds.
—The laws of physics and the order of spacetime will be distorted as we approach the edge of the world and as the First Flame dims. Newton would truly become an immortal, rising from his coffin in this world. The essence of life would be the soul, the flame, not flesh and blood. This means that the mutability of mortals, relative to the immutability of gods, might offer no advantage in this world.
Ultimately, no matter how many factories are built, industries developed, and technologies researched, when the First Flame is about to go out, it will still be up to the heroes, as Lords of Cinder, to rekindle it. Because humans cannot abandon the flame, nor can they abandon their own souls... and neither nuclear reactors nor spaceships can keep the First Flame alive.
—Perhaps the dark ages were humanity's true ages? A land of darkness, a kingdom of wandering souls?
—But can the undead really be considered human? They live only because of their obsessions; once their wishes are fulfilled or shattered, they instantly turn into living corpses... And more importantly, the undead cannot reproduce. A false immortal species, where every death diminishes them and they could self-destruct at any moment? I don't think that counts as human civilization.
She sighed softly, her heart gradually shifting in her direction.
—The era of the First Flame cannot be changed... I have no evidence that allowing the flame to go out would cause the era to shift from Dark Souls to Bloodborne. Therefore, even if I ultimately succeed, I will only be creating a new era that does not require linking the flame, but still relies on the order of the First Flame. And in that new era, some old rules should perhaps not be easily changed.
If I cannot find a way to continue the era beyond the First Flame, then perhaps I need one, or a group of, guardians to uphold the order that sustains the First Flame. Mortals are too fickle; gods are a better choice. Perhaps one day the guardians I choose will decline like the gods of today, but at least until that time arrives, the world will not be destroyed under the order I have established.
—Hmm, perhaps I will be summoned again at that time?
She clenched her fist and chuckled softly—what was she thinking? The vegetables were still in the field, and she was already debating whether to add more sugar or salt? It was pointless. Perhaps something else was more worthy of her consideration right now.
—Yelena, I promised her last time that I would bring her back to the Dark Souls world.
How can I keep my promise?
Miss Surtr is troubled.
I'm too tired to write anymore, so I'll just be a one-upman beast for today _(:з"∠)_
Chapter 191: The Girl's Online Battle...
One problem was set aside, but in its place a more difficult question arose—the former involving millions of lives while the latter concerned only Yelena. Miss Surtr had already reduced the former to a choice between two options, but regarding the agreement with Yelena, she was now completely clueless.
—I will eventually leave.
—I must eventually resolve all the difficulties and confusions on this land.
However, if I truly resolve everything here, perhaps it will take a very long time for me to return. Perhaps not long in Terra, but for millennia to come on this land.
—What if it's a thousand years, ten thousand years later... If I bring Yelena back then, will that still be considered fulfilling the promise I made with her?
Miss Surtr thought to herself, then shook her head helplessly.
An agreement is an agreement, and what you use to ensure its smooth execution is your own principles and heart. Self-deception will never fool yourself. A broken agreement is destined to leave a mark of shame on your soul.
—Is the only option to sincerely apologize to her when I get back?
—This is the only option left... Ah, really, if only Yelena had come with me instead of Kal'tsit this time.
A somewhat unfriendly thought crossed her mind, but she quickly and deftly dismissed it. After all, taking one's anger out on others was hardly a sign of good manners, and Miss Surtr was always very particular about such things.
"Forget it, let's not think about it. There's always a way out... If there isn't, I'll just carve my own way through the mountains."
Surtr let out a soft breath—she glanced at the sky; the Fire Keeper and Kal'tsit still showed no sign of returning.
—They may have been teleported to another place.
—Strange, it's just preparing some ingredients. Why go to such lengths... Hmm, perhaps the Fire Keeper took Kal'tsit to a nearby city to buy them?
"That's possible, after all, even if I, in my Ashen Body, wanted to eat, I wouldn't be able to taste much. However, although Kal'tsit exists in Spirit-like Entity form, her sense of taste hasn't disappeared. Catering to her tastes, taking her to experience the local customs and providing menu options wouldn't be bad. After all, that's something my Fire Keeper would do."
—But the Fire Keeper ... Ah, the reason she gave me must be true. She really has been waiting there for me all this time. So, if one day—and that day won't be long—the dust settles, will I, like so many times before, leave forever and part from her forever?
Old sorrows linger, and new worries arise.
One annoying thing after another.
The Fire Keeper is not Athena, nor Erica, nor Liliana — Miss Surtr can abandon them so easily because she knows those Goddess and female knight are only attracted to her because of her power. Perhaps there might be a little genuine affection involved, but that emotion is faint and quickly forgotten.
Athena made it clear from the beginning that it was all about self-interest. And those twin knights... they were human, not elves or angels so deeply in love that they could be heartbroken. Mortals are fickle and quick to forget; perhaps in a month or two, perhaps in three to five years, those who wield the power to govern will forget this experience as if it were just a normal heartbreak.
In other words, those whom Miss Surtr abandoned were all capable of living well without her, perhaps even better and more comfortably, without any mental illness. This allowed her to act without restraint or concern. However, the Fire Keeper was a different type altogether.
—The Fire Keeper is a god. She carries the aura of Gwyn lineage, clearly inheriting the bloodline of the Sun Princess.