Night fell, and the sky over the Lands Between once again grew dim and gloomy. The Erdtree, whose light had seemed faint during the day, sometimes visible only as the vaguest outline, now shone brighter once more.
Of course, nothing had changed about the Erdtree itself. It was simply nighttime, and without other light to interfere, its faint glow looked a little clearer and brighter.
"..."
At that moment, atop the high wall by the main gate of Stormveil Castle, a shadow stood perfectly still. Cloaked and hooded, with a slender build, the figure looked like a woman.
If Annie had been there, she would have realized that the mysterious figure was none other than Melina—the one who had inexplicably teleported her to the wilderness of Limgrave, forcing her to waste a long time making her way back to Stormveil Castle.
"..."
Melina remained motionless atop the castle wall.
In fact, she had been there for quite a while, perhaps ever since nightfall.
Soldiers were on watch not far from her, but she wasn't worried.
She had cast some kind of concealment spell on herself, so she didn't mind the ordinary soldiers dozing beneath the battlements, clutching their weapons. They wouldn't spot her from a distance.
Now she was silently watching the ruined city beneath the sheer cliffs, keeping her eyes fixed on a particular courtyard.
She had seen a faint white light appear there, utterly unlike the flames burning at the castle's posts and the sentries by the city entrance.
She knew it had to be that troublesome little girl Annie's illumination spell. The girl had stopped in that courtyard, and judging by the looks of it, she didn't intend to come straight to the castle tonight.
Melina frowned and pondered the situation.
"..."
To be honest, Melina still