Your King Can Only Be Me

After that came the scene of Melina and Ranni's souls separating...

This was the only scene all three of them saw in common.

Then came what Ranni saw...

The scene she witnessed was utterly shocking.

Lin Luo wielded a longsword, defeating Starscourage Radahn, the Ancestral Spirit, Dragon Soldiers, and gargoyles along the way.

He set giant ants ablaze, kicked massive iron balls, tore apart the Baleful Shadows sent by the Two Fingers, waded through festering pits of rot, enjoyed a thrilling coffin ride, and finally defeated the starborn aberration from outer space—the Dark Child of the Stars—before arriving outside Manus Church.

For some reason, as Ranni watched these scenes unfold like a film—especially when Lin Luo placed the Dark Moon Ring on her finger and took her hand at the end—

A smile unconsciously appeared on her face. She did not know why.

Then the scene shifted, showing Lin Luo standing before the Elden Beast, sword in hand, confronting the Greater Will...

Ranni could scarcely believe it. She knew how powerful the Greater Will was. No matter how many gods entered the Lands Between, they would only be defeated one by one by the Greater Will before fleeing in disgrace.

It was so powerful that even at Mother's peak, she would never have dared to challenge it head-on.

Yet Lin Luo, with only a sword and himself, could stand undefeated against it...

Then came the scene from the beginning...

The three stood blankly atop the magic tower for a long while as the sky gradually darkened.

Seluvis, downstairs, had already grown impatient.

"What exactly is Ranni doing?"

"I don't have the leisure to stay here and play such boring games with you!" Seluvis said angrily. "If there is nothing else, I should be studying my lovely puppets right now, not sitting here gathering dust!"

Because of Ranni's summoning, although they were spirit forms, their consciousnesses had been transferred over as well.

"Seluvis, watch your words!"

Blaidd narrowed his eyes, a trace of killing intent within them as he lightly gripped the Royal Greatsword.

Iji also looked at Seluvis with an unfriendly expression.

"There, there... don't take it so seriously. I was just complaining..."

Seluvis felt a chill and hurriedly explained.

He knew that if those two said they were going to kill him, they truly would act on it...

Still, his foul mouth was certainly not something he could change.

...Seluvis silently slapped himself across the mouth and quickly lowered his head, though a trace of malice remained in his eyes.

Seeing that Seluvis knew his place, Blaidd snorted coldly and looked toward the top of the tower in confusion.

However, he knew what he should and should not do. He lowered his greatsword and continued sitting on the steps as he waited.

Time slowly passed, and Lin Luo's eyes began to clear.

He was the first to recover...

A few seconds later, the two women also woke up.

Melina's eyes were red, though no one knew what she had experienced. Ranni appeared unchanged, but she silently pulled down the brim of her hat. She did not seem calm either.

Melina suddenly threw her arms around Lin Luo and burst into tears.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Lin Luo was completely bewildered. What was going on? Who am I, where am I?

Lin Luo did not have time to think. He quickly embraced Melina and gently patted her back to comfort her.

Then Lin Luo remembered what had just happened. Could those have been Ranni and Melina's memories?

Then... Melina just now...

Lin Luo immediately understood.

He raised a hand and wiped the tears from Melina's face.

"You don't need to apologize... those things weren't done by you."

Lin Luo gently kissed Melina on the forehead and spoke slowly.

Melina looked at Lin Luo with reddened eyes, then hugged him tightly.

Ranni raised her head and gave Lin Luo a meaningful look. In her "rebellious phase," she absolutely would not develop any sort of relationship with this Tarnished just because of those memories!

At most... she had a tiny bit of goodwill toward him. Yes... just a tiny bit.

Besides, the Ranni in his memories was not her.

Ranni kept trying to persuade herself inwardly.

Can't find the book by its title? Try searching for the author instead—perhaps it was simply renamed!

As for jealousy? Who would be jealous of herself?

"Then... Lady Witch, can I help you kill the Two Fingers now?"

Lin Luo looked at Ranni, his eyes carrying an indescribable meaning.

Yet hearing that made Ranni inexplicably angry.

Damn Tarnished, why did he have to address her so formally? No, wait, why was she angry?

"No rush!"

Ranni said indignantly, "We must obtain Godslayer's Greatsword."

"At the very least, I must have that weapon in my hands!"

Lin Luo sensed the strange hint of gunpowder in Ranni's words.

He cautiously asked, "Ranni?"

"Hmm?"

Ranni's eyes lit up, but they were hidden beneath her hat brim, so Lin Luo did not see them.

"If the Two Fingers keep sending Black Knives to ambush us, it will definitely cause plenty of trouble..."

But Lin Luo regretted those words as soon as he said them. He seemed to understand what Ranni meant.

"I'll get it for you!"

Lin Luo suddenly changed his words. He had indeed failed to consider this. After all, Ranni had few ways to counter the Black Knives' assassinations, but with Godslayer's Greatsword, things would be completely different.

Moreover, even if they killed this Two Fingers, the Greater Will still had other Two Fingers it could use to dispatch Black Knives.

And nearly all of Lin Luo's previous weapons containing the Death Rune had already been fused together.

The previous Godslayer's Greatswords had also shattered in his struggle against the Greater Will.

Therefore, aside from the Black Sword and the Frenzied Flame, Lin Luo truly seemed to have no other way to deal with the Greater Will.

Ranni looked at Lin Luo in confusion and pursed her lips, seeming as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

Ranni looked at the several books piled atop the wooden chair, but in the end chose not to sit down.

After a few seconds of silence.

Ranni spoke. "Um... well, I'm going to sleep now. You should leave first. I hope that when I wake next time, I'll hear good news..."

Ranni tightly clasped her little hands together, though no one knew what she was thinking.

"Mm."

Lin Luo nodded lightly, picked Melina up, and walked straight out of Ranni's room.

"?"

Ranni froze. What was going on? He was leaving that decisively?!

Shouldn't he linger for a while? At least give her one wistful glance... Leaving so decisively, did she not have even a little...

An inexplicable anger rose in Ranni.

"Damn it, he's only a Tarnished. The one in those memories wasn't me! Why should I..."

The more Ranni thought about it, the angrier she became. In the end, she sat directly on the floor, puffed out her cheeks, and repeatedly slapped the ground with both little hands.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

However...

After leaving, Lin Luo hid on the stairway. Melina stood beside him and gave him a small nod.

Having received his first wife's approval, Lin Luo happily kissed Melina's little lips, then seized the chance to sneak back into Ranni's room.

While Ranni was sulking, Lin Luo's head slowly appeared at the doorway. (A little creepy, don't mind it.) This completely recorded Ranni's socially mortifying moment.

Perhaps because she was angry, Ranni did not notice Lin Luo's arrival.

Not until Lin Luo stood before her and she felt part of the light before her being blocked.

Only then did she raise her head.

The air went out of Ranni's puffed cheeks. By all rights, given her personality, she should have been embarrassed and furious—but upon seeing Lin Luo again, she instead felt inexplicably happy...

"Why did you come back? I'm going to sleep!"

Ranni lowered her head and said haughtily.

"I only came to remind you of something..."

Lin Luo's expression was exceedingly calm, and the sight left Ranni feeling somewhat disappointed.

Then came anger. He was only a Tarnished, so what right did he have...

However, Lin Luo's next words made her completely fall for him.

Lin Luo placed Varré's bouquet on Ranni's lap and leaned close to her ear.

"Your king... can only be me."