"..."
At the edge of the lake by Summonwater Village, high up in a wooded area of the hills, beneath the trees' deep, shadowy canopy, a hooded figure watched the main road through Limgrave in silence. Her face was hidden, but her slender build made it clear she was a woman.
She was mounted on a spirit steed with horns. On closer inspection, it was none other than Torrent, the horned steed Annie had once dismissed.
And since it was Torrent, the woman riding on his back could only be the mysterious Witch Melina.
At that moment, far away on the main road, a little girl sat swaying on the shoulder of a fearsome, furry great bear as she made her way toward Summonwater Village.
"Look, Torrent."
"That's the Elden Lord you chose..."
"So far, she's taken Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula, and she has two Great Runes. She's one step closer to the Elden Ring."
"But..."
"I wonder how far she'll go. Will she be willing to keep going?"
Watching the little girl and thinking of all she had done—and of her disdain for the Roundtable Hold—Witch Melina couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh.
The girl had found and revived that Witch, who was now managing this territory and seemed to be doing a fine job. Meanwhile, there was less and less for Melina to do.
So at that moment, she didn't know if she herself would ultimately be up to the arduous task of guiding the girl all the way to the foot of the Erdtree.
"No..."
"She has to keep going, Torrent. We have no other choice."
"Even if it means turning away from the Golden Order..."
After hesitating for a moment, Melina let out another sigh, this time with greater resolve, as if she had