Swimming Against the Current (Ten Thousand Words) (Continued)

Miss Surtr, recall for a moment.

Ah, that's right. I did encounter these Gwyn's personal knights in the royal city. Including the exiled Gough the Hawk Eye, I took them all down, one by one. Whether it was one-on-one combat or a group fight, I wiped them all out and spared their lives afterward. And then...

She frowned slightly.

"Did Artorias go to the abyss again after I left?"

"Very likely." Kal'tsit nodded.

"According to records, legends, and some unrealistic speculations, that generation of the Undead Legion encountered two Royal Knights deep beneath Izalith who, in imitation of your past deeds, suppressed the raging abyss. The specifics are unknown, but when the Undead Legion returned to the surface, they swore an oath of wolf blood, uniting their souls so that they could walk the earth with immortality even during times of intense fire. Their swordsmanship thus acquired the style of the former Royal Knights, and they became known as the Wolf-like Hunters."

Kal'tsit replied that discovering this ancient history seemed to excite her so much that her cheeks flushed.

She casually moved closer to Miss Surtr, and pointed to a page of an old book as the red-haired creature instinctively tried to keep a safe distance.

"The Undead Legion of Farron flourished and gradually became exalted—they paid no heed to the rise and fall of dynasties, but took it upon themselves to suppress all evil and darkness. And all this continued until three thousand years ago, when a powerful Monarchs known as Vordt rose up, unifying the lands and even showing only superficial respect to Lothric."

—Carthus.

"It was a powerful nation called Carthus, skilled in sorcery. It is said that Vordt defeated a hundred nations and forged their kings' crowns," Kal'tsit explained, pointing from one side of the page to the other. "And as every overlord inevitably does, this king, later known as the Overlord, could not tolerate the Farron Undead Legion, a powerful force that could not be used by him."

—Yeah, I know that. Carthus was eventually slaughtered by the Undead Legion for searching for the power of the Abyss. And on their ruins, they built the Undead Legion Mausoleum to permanently suppress this kingdom... Uh, wait a minute, if that's the case, Carthus's tomb shouldn't be under the shrine, right?

Surtr was slightly confused.

Kal'tsit seemed to sense this confusion and moved closer to her. Their shoulders then touched.

It is worth emphasizing that both Kal'tsit and Surtr usually wear off-the-shoulder dresses.

This means that the thoughts of that certain red-haired guy paused for a moment.

She instinctively tried to dodge—but Kal'tsit was faster than her.

"Sorry, I bumped into you by accident." — The green-haired Miss Lynx spoke in a light tone. One wonders if her tail wagged slightly.

"Holy crap! Am I out of my mind, or did I hear that right? This lynx is actually apologizing to me?!"

"Uh... um. It's nothing, it's inevitable." The red-haired fellow stammered, startled.

"Okay, let's continue." So the emerald-haired Miss Lynx nodded, and continued explaining to Miss Surtr as if there really was no problem.

"Thus, a conflict arose between Vordt and the Undead Legion —he used the peace of the earth as leverage to order the Undead Legion to leave Farron, because he intended to establish the new capital of Carthus on Farron's land— the Undead Legion chose to back down, but warned him not to touch the dark power that had already sunk deep underground. Unfortunately, the Overlord's arrogance ultimately made him ignore the heroes' thoughts."

Kal'tsit's fragrant shoulder pressed against hers once again. The girl's soft skin was lightly touched and caressed by the red-haired thing. The subtle touch made her a little uneasy, but she had no right to refuse or protest.

Should I dodge it? I just said that this was just unavoidable physical contact. Do I have to swallow what I just said after only a few seconds?

So... should we just leave it like that and ignore it?

It doesn't seem like it's impossible. But...

Surtr was restless but tried hard not to show it. Even what Kal'tsit said next, she unusually failed to fully take in.

"... Ultimately, Overlord Vordt established his capital in the land of Farron. And, unbeknownst to the world, he ventured deep into the ruins of Izalith to explore the buried power... He succeeded. Deep within the ruins, in a place that might no longer be the ruins of Izalith but some other ancient burial ground, he came into contact with a dark power that could grant him immortality. And the Abyss embraced this mortal king, sending its messengers to aid him..."

—Damn it, Kal'tsit is too close! What's wrong with her? I just cut ties with her a couple of days ago and we agreed to be friends, and she's already acting like this so quickly!? But if that's the case, doesn't it mean she was hoping to build a connection with me that was deeper than just friendship in the past?

"... But there are also documents suggesting that perhaps from the very beginning, the Overlord coveted the abyss beneath Farron. Historical records state that a petite swordswoman in black followed Vordt before he rose to power, fighting for him in countless battles. Even after the Overlord's defeat, it was this same swordswoman who took on the responsibility of reaching the abyss, being thrown into the First Flame and forced to become a Lord of Cinder. And the whereabouts of that Lord of Cinder's remains are ultimately unknown..."

"Are you kidding me? 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'? Ugh—don't disgust me... No, no, ah, I see, so that's how it is. Kal'tsit doesn't understand how to make friends at all. She only knows how to unilaterally give and care from the position of superiority. And once she loses that advantage, she becomes irritable and panicked! She needs to be thoroughly disciplined before she can regain her footing!"

—Damn! So, does that mean if I had just retaliated and given her a good beating three or four years ago when she first confronted me, the conflict between us would have been resolved, and there wouldn't have been any ground for it to even begin?

—Damn it, is it because I spoiled this lynx that it has such a foul mouth?!

Red-haired thing, and I couldn't help but let my mind wander.

She wasn't sure if her guess was right, or if her thinking was flawed. But she felt her intuition might not have been wrong this time. And this Kaimiaomiao in front of her had just needed a good beating from the start; the only reason it had become so foul-mouthed was because her slap hadn't landed hard from the beginning!?

This is not my responsibility...

—But I really should have taken a tougher stance against her a long time ago...I should have done so a long time ago!

Feelings of frustration and joy swirled in my mind.

Just as she made up her mind... a familiar name reached her ears.

"... Elfriede, that's the name of the petite swordswoman in black I just identified. She wields black twin swords from the Higashi and the mysterious flames of darkness..."

Miss Surtr blinked.

"Elfriede?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"You know her?" Kaimiaomiao tilted her head in confusion.

"So I know her name..."—But shouldn't this guy be staying in the Painted World guarding the church? Wait, Friede is indeed Ash, and the difference between Ash and the Undead is that Ash has been kindled the First Flame. And Friede is indeed recorded as using dual swords before going to the Painted World, and there is indeed such a swordsman by Vordt's side... Goodness, could it really be her?

"Then this Lord of Cinder might need to be treated with extra caution— Surtr, I suspect she has already been awakened..."

—No doubt about it, she's definitely awake. This guy has exclusive access to the DLC for the Painted World!

"And she belongs to the Abyss forces..."

—Of course she belongs to the Abyss. If she didn't want to be a recluse in the Painted World, she would definitely be the Lord of Hollows in the main storyline ending, not some ashes. Her two younger sisters are the leaders of the Dark Church and the rulers of the Ghost Kingdom of Rundall. The difference between her and the protagonists of the third generation lies in one reason for not being a recluse!

"You're very likely to encounter her on your journey to Farron, especially if you're planning to clear the Undead Legion Mausoleum and head to the deepest part of the Ashen Lake world. I think this ancient Lord of Cinder, known as Elfriede, might be the most powerful, and perhaps the most troublesome, enemy you'll ever face. I believe you'll win, but you'd better be careful."

—Ah...beware of a guy who stays cooped up in his Painted World and never leaves his house?

—Okay, considering the butterfly effect, it's not impossible for Friede to step outside the Painted World ... As fellow Ash, if she decides to embark on the path of Lord of Hollows who steals the First Flame and bestows its blessings only upon the Undead, then she could indeed expand her power without limit, like a game protagonist, until she surpasses all gods and kings. Therefore, even just to justify Kal'tsit's extensive research, I should maintain sufficient vigilance and caution towards her.

"Yes." Miss Surtr nodded. "Thank you, Kal'tsit. This is a great help to me."

"I'm glad I could help." A faint smile appeared on Miss Lynx's lips. She stretched and naturally moved her shoulder away from Surtr's. "But the Undead Legion also needs to be taken seriously... According to records that they share a single soul. Perhaps when they suffer heavy casualties and only one remains, their power will be exceptionally strong."

—Ah, that's right. I even knew it was phase two. And it definitely doesn't have a weakness or stagger.

"And..." she suddenly changed the subject, asking, "Are you really planning to kill them, Surtr?"

Why ask this question?

"Because I don't think killing them aligns with your consistent principles—you've always respected heroes, Surtr. He's the kind of hero who fights against evil and darkness even in death. The first thought after being awakened by the linking of the First Flame is to return and guard the mortuary. I don't think you would consider them mere adversaries."

Miss Surtr pondered for a moment.

"Awakening the Lords of Cinder and killing them again is merely to extend the preparation time for the Season of Linking the Flame, so that the heroes who have truly completed the pilgrimage can bring enough firewood into the First Flame... In other words, as long as there is enough firewood, it doesn't matter whether all the Lords of Cinder are dead. And in the underground of Farron... there is plenty of usable firewood."

"That means you don't intend to kill them."