Enlightenment · Five
—So that's how it is, a conflict of faiths? The faith of angels, the faith of dragons, the faith of linking the fire... Just as I expected.
"So..." Kal'tsit nodded slightly. "Gwyndolin left the royal city so easily because of the Winged Knights' behind-the-scenes manipulation? She thought she could take the opportunity to leave the royal city, away from the strife and the cage. But she didn't expect that the plan would have a flaw, that Rundall would take advantage of the situation, and that someone in the royal city would go with the flow."
"...Yes." The burly knight nodded heavily. "We've had too little contact with His Highness. As a result, we've both overlooked that maid who seemed to be just scheming. And now, the news of His Highness's attack should be firmly suppressed by the princes. They need to prevent the Winged Knights from starting a civil war of revenge. And that means that the Lothric Castle is now a powder keg."
"Rundall won't let this opportunity slip by... The longer it drags on, the better for them. So their pursuit isn't as intense as we expected. Even if they don't catch the Princess, they can use the right Mars of information to ignite the powder keg at the right time."
Kal'tsit took a deep breath.
She really wanted to shout to the sky, "Surtr! Help me!" But she knew that her voice would never reach Surtr's ears at this moment.
The situation in Lothric is a complete mess. There are definitely forces within the city that want Gwyndolin dead. The Azure Cult is the most likely culprit, but others are not without suspicion. And Princess Highness, who had already planned to flee and withdraw from the political center, clearly understands the principle that peace must be achieved through struggle. And regardless of whether he pledges allegiance to her, once he arrives in the capital, he will become a deadly enemy in the eyes of many.
Ah, that familiar feeling. Dancing on a tightrope, one wrong step and it's all over... And compared to Terra, the situation in Lordran is even more brutal.
—At least, Terra won't be fighting for power before the end of the world... because Surtr is there.
"I understand." She nodded, giving her assurance. "His Highness Gwyndolin will arrive in the capital, and this plan will ultimately succeed."
Are you sure?
"I haven't, but I will try my best."
"Doing your best isn't enough," Bordeaux shook his head. "You have to give it your all... I know you learn quickly, so next, I'll teach you about the application of miracles—"
It stretched out its hand, and within its palm, the flames of its soul flickered.
That is... the soul of an unclaimed knight, used by the Winged Knights to pass on skills in times of emergency.
"—In the simplest and quickest way." And it placed that soul into Kal'tsit's hands.
Purified knowledge flooded her mind. Following the inheritance of sorcery, another path of power for Lordran, the path of miracles based on faith, was thus Kal'tsit Kal'tsit's grasp—she discovered that she indeed possessed extraordinary talent, and in just a few seconds, the techniques of using miracles that ordinary people might spend months or years to grasp were thoroughly familiar to her.
—I... am becoming stronger. This amplification of my spirit, this miraculous power, will also return to Terra with me.
Her thoughts drifted to a distant place.
—Surtr, what are you doing right now?
The endless flames continued their assault on the depths of the abyss, engulfing vast swathes of abandoned and forgotten ancient cities in the Flame Tide. They were pieced together, reassembled, and transformed into a small part of the mountain-like lava giants. If the abyss were Giant Tree, then the city giants were like children clinging to its center. With each step forward, the giants expanded in size.
Crossing Drangleic Castle, whether it be Mithril, the Bulldozer Tower, the Ironforge, or Loyes, everything was swallowed up by this ever-expanding giant. As she descended, Miss Surtr's gaze swept down to the edge of the abyss.
She could see the end, the faint glow at the edge of her vision. She knew Ashen Lake was there, and that was the end of the world.
Lian has left. After Doran, she revisited the old land of Oolacile, where she had once suppressed the Abyss—there she encountered many old acquaintances. Mainly, more than three hundred Soul Eater, and Artorias, as expected, once again embarking on the path of conquering the Abyss.
There's not much to say; even the Soul Eater couldn't withstand her gaze. Simply being seen by her was enough to set them ablaze with her will. Artorias couldn't defeat her more than ten thousand years ago, and after being corrupted by the Abyss for millennia, the outcome was naturally the same when he fought her.
Of course, there were some unexpected twists. Artorias wasn't alone; another of Gwyn's guards, the Wasp Knight Ciaran, was also there, immersed in the abyss in this ancient place—and of course, the outcome remained the same. Miss Surtr gave them a sound beating and, with meticulous precision, used the Profaned Flame away the abyssal extensions within them.
Lian left, explaining that she was taking the two knights to the Oolacile Township to heal the curse of the Abyss— Miss Surtr didn't stop her, knowing that the Oolacile Township held the world's largest uncurse stone. What she didn't know was that, including these two, Filianore had now gathered all four of her former royal knights!
It's interesting, but not a big problem.
Miss Surtr knew that a battle between her and Filianore was inevitable in the Oolacile Township. Because no matter how she ultimately dealt with this world, before that, ending Filianore's mission would ultimately require a military conquest.
—Fine, let's fight then.
Miss Surtr gently pressed her hand to her chest.
—The firewood collection has arrived, even exceeding the limit. Now, even if all my backup plans ultimately fail, I can force the fire to be reignited and extend the lifespan of this era... I only have two things left to accomplish.
First, I will reach the bottom of the world. From there, it's easiest to touch the abyss... I want to see what's wrong with the abyss and, incidentally, verify whether the transformation of the Profaned Flame is going smoothly. Second, I will enter the First Flame with the plan of firewood and the Flame of Civilization, to modify it, or to end this cycle.
Ah, thinking about it this way, it's actually quite easy.
Miss Surtr thought to herself. The situation had progressed to her favorite part: a contest of brute force, where she believed she could pull off a miracle. All that was needed next was to go all out, try again, and try a third time.
She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief—the analysis of the original runes was still ongoing, and she felt that perhaps she didn't need to be so serious at this moment.
So, Miss Surtr, finally free of all worries, reached out to the Fire Keeper was holding the spellbook.
"Come to me, Fire Keeper," she said.
And to add.
"Sit on my lap. I want to hold you while you read."
27/75
Ah... the Heavenly Tribulation is quite interesting.
Unfortunately, this text probably doesn't quite fit the style of ancient Eastern literature. I'll add a fragment of memory sometime.
Chapter 216 Enlightenment, Part 5
It must be said that with a beautiful woman in one's arms, even the most boring book becomes interesting to read. Moreover, this book of spells before me... is extraordinary.
The ruins of the city formed the giants, whose heads were replaced by the palace. As the giants descended, Surtr sat leisurely on the sole throne in the very center of the palace. The Fire Keeper obediently carried out her command, lifting her skirt and curling up in her arms like a small animal.
Her body felt the girl's soft form and weight that couldn't bear any weight—she raised her hand, letting the spellbook float in front of her, and read it page by page, starting from the last point she had visited.
She could sense the book's unease—details that were usually subtle became strikingly obvious when she paid extra attention. No matter how well Clara hid them, she could clearly perceive the words of complaint flashing on the pages she had already turned, and as soon as she turned forward, those emotional statements would instantly transform into explanations of the original runes.
— [That annoying Surtr, always wanting more than he has! I've never seen you so quick-witted before!]
— [You're already being so blatant, do you dare to go any further?]
—[Now you know you should coax a little girl instead of slapping her!?]
Miss Surtr raised an eyebrow slightly, ignoring most of the complaints—and she really shouldn't have. She'd be carrying the spellbook with her when she got back anyway, and then she'd have plenty of time to deal with this troublemaker!
But...
Ah... speaking of which, is a spellbook considered a weapon?
—Hmm, probably not. A spellbook isn't Magic Engineering book; it doesn't have spell-casting assistance functions. I doubt Laevateinn would care too much... Right, Laevateinn doesn't usually burn all the weapons around me. She only shows displeasure when I use other weapons. So even if Clara can be categorized as a weapon, it doesn't matter, as long as I never use her in combat, it should be fine.
—Well, that's good.
A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, and after arriving at a reassuring conclusion Miss Surtr shifted her attention slightly from this 'long-term concern' to the study of the primordial runes, focusing instead on her 'immediate worries'. Her gaze swept over rune after rune, comparing them to other parts of her memory, while the runes themselves interconnected in her mind, constructing energy circuits that were unprecedented in this world.