At the Old Roadside Ruins in Limgrave, Castle Morne and Fort Haight held a joint feast.
A huge bonfire blazed, driving away the night's chill and lighting everyone's faces. Although mushrooms and Rowa Fruit were the only staples, there was plenty to go around. Most exciting of all, everyone received a small piece of mutton. That rich, succulent fat was enough to make them forget all their sorrows and dream of the future.
The future-what a distant word.
Ever since the Elden Ring shattered and the demigods began warring against one another, the entire Lands Between had been turned upside down. Everyone had lost their future. But today, tempted by a small piece of mutton, people finally picked something out of the ruins that the powerful had trampled into the mud.
"When will we get to eat mutton again?"
"Lord Tarnished said we'll hold another feast once Waypoint Street is rebuilt. It'll be even bigger than this one, with even more food!"
"Then when will Waypoint Street be rebuilt?"
"Soon, soon! As long as everyone works together, that day will come before we know it!"
Humans and Demi-Humans sat together, and the guardians of the Minor Erdtree and the Mushroom People had come too. Some talked loudly, some whispered, some played the fool, and some were quiet and earnest. They chatted and lived together in harmony, as though the barriers between their races had never existed. The sight was nothing short of incredible.
Blaidd was rather surprised. Even at the height of the Lands Between's prosperity, he had never seen anything like this.
"Brother Wolf, have another piece of meat." The Tarnished spooned a chunk of mutton into Blaidd's bowl.
"Ah, thanks." Blaidd accepted without standing on ceremony. It had been a long time since he had eaten mutton this delicious, and he was craving more. "How did you manage this?"
"It's the Haight family's secret recipe. I have to admit, those rotten nobles really know how to enjoy themselves. They can even work wonders with mutton stew. I asked Kenneth for the recipe, but he kicked me out of the kitchen. What a cheapskate!"
"I wasn't asking about the mutton."
The Tarnished paused. "Then what were you asking about?"
Blaidd pointed at the people living together in harmony. "Them."
"Oh, that." The Tarnished smiled. "It's simple. We established fair rules. Everyone has rights, and everyone has duties to fulfill. For example, the Demi-Humans herd livestock, the Mushroom People grow crops, the Minor Erdtree's guardians produce goods, and the humans handle construction. One person can only do so much. When everyone has to depend on one another to survive, they naturally come to appreciate living together in harmony."
Blaidd seemed to understand, but when he thought it over carefully, he felt as though he did not understand at all. All he knew was that the Tarnished was walking a brand-new path, one that had never existed in the Lands Between.
"I heard you want to become Elden Lord?" Blaidd suddenly asked.
The Tarnished shrugged. "I already am Elden Lord. I came back from the future to undo the tragedies of the past. You're one of the people I intend to save, Brother Wolf."
"Hahaha!" Blaidd laughed heartily. "What an interesting story. Perhaps you'd make a better poet than a warrior."
The Tarnished smiled without arguing. He had long since learned that anyone could make empty claims. What truly mattered was action.
Blaidd did not believe the Tarnished's "story," but the people of Castle Morne and Fort Haight believed in the future the Tarnished had described.
Why did people believe in the Tarnished's "fantasy"? Was it merely because they could no longer survive and were grasping at any last hope?
Blaidd could not figure it out. Thinking had never been his strong suit, so since he could not understand, he stopped trying.
He had stayed here too long already. He still had a mission to carry out, and it was time to leave.
Blaidd turned toward the Tarnished and saw him fishing mushrooms out of his bowl. Only then did the wolf warrior realize that the Tarnished did not seem to have eaten a single piece of mutton that night.
"I haven't seen you eat any mutton. Don't you like it?" Blaidd asked.
"No, that's not it. Beef is my favorite, but I don't dislike mutton," the Tarnished answered.
"Then why haven't I seen you eat any?"
"Because I gave you my share. There's only so much mutton, and everyone gets a fixed portion."
Blaidd was a little surprised. "That might apply to everyone else, but you're one of this community's leaders. Do you have to follow that rule too? Don't you get any special privileges?"
"Rules are usually broken by the people who make them, but not here." The Tarnished smiled. "I'm not a particularly capable fellow. The only thing I'm good at is leading by example and being the first to charge into battle."
Blaidd suddenly understood. He understood why everyone believed in the Tarnished's fantasy.
Because the Tarnished really had brought that fantasy into reality.
Blaidd stood. "If you ever travel north to the Liurnia Region and meet an elderly blacksmith of considerable size, mention my name. Once he knows I sent you, he'll do everything he can to help you and give you a discount on his wares."
"All right, I'll remember." The Tarnished stood as well.
"It's time to say goodbye. That was a wonderful meal. I won't forget it." Blaidd spoke with easy grace. "Tarnished, may our paths cross again!"
"Take care, Brother Wolf!"
"Awoooo!"
Blaidd leaped into the night and vanished, leaving only a wolf's howl behind as a memento.
The Tarnished sat back down to continue eating. A figure approached with light steps and sat beside him, stirring a gentle breeze.
She was a woman with a mature figure, wearing an enormous stone headpiece. Her dark blue sorcerer's robe was loose, but it could not conceal her alluring curves. Most importantly of all, she was barefoot. Her slender ankles and arched feet possessed an exquisite, delicate beauty that taught the Tarnished what it meant for beauty to be a feast for the eyes.
"They're only feet. What's so interesting about them?" the woman asked in confusion.
"Food and desire are human nature, Teacher. Looking at your feet makes me want to eat another bowl." The Tarnished made no attempt to hide his perversion.
"What a peculiar fixation." The woman pressed a hand to her forehead in distress. "Taking you as my apprentice may have been the greatest mistake of my life."
The Tarnished smiled without replying and simply continued admiring his teacher's beautiful feet. As for how he had become this woman's apprentice, that story began three days earlier.
After the Miranda Flowers occupying the ruins were burned away, rebuilding on Waypoint Street officially began. The workers immediately set about demolishing the crumbling walls, which led them to discover a cellar hidden beneath the weeds and between the broken structures.
Where there were ruins, there was bound to be a cellar. That was something of a tradition in the Lands Between. The workers were not surprised, but when they tried to explore the cellar, they discovered an enormous, powerful soldier lurking inside, wearing a huge Pumpkin Helm.
The Pumpkin Head attacked everyone indiscriminately. The workers had no choice but to retreat at once and shout, "Quick, fetch Lord Tarnished!"
And so the Tarnished arrived.
He first tried to communicate, but unfortunately, the Pumpkin Head had gone completely mad and could no longer be reasoned with. With no other choice, the Tarnished fought him.
The Pumpkin Head wielded a flail and used his huge, sturdy Pumpkin Helm to block damage. Frontal attacks were almost useless. Fortunately, Tarny possessed the most profound shield-poking art in all the Lands Between. After some extraordinarily skillful maneuvering, he drank only three Flasks of Crimson Tears before easily and smoothly circling behind the Pumpkin Head. Then he stabbed furiously at the soldier's backside until the poor fellow died with blood spurting from his anus.
The watching workers could only think how brutal and bloody it was. Then they gleefully stripped the Pumpkin Head of his equipment.
Aside from his standard-issue armor, the Pumpkin Head had two unique pieces of equipment.
[Pumpkin Helm]: An oval helmet that completely covers the head. Extremely heavy and extremely hard, it greatly reduces damage and impact to the head. Its interior is pitch-black when worn, suppressing the panic of frenzied soldiers. Extra space has been left at the sides to reduce the feeling of confinement.
Huh, so the Pumpkin Helm was meant to calm the Pumpkin Head? The Tarnished had always thought the helmet was what drove him mad.
The other piece of equipment was his weapon.
[Chainlink Flail]: A weapon consisting of a spiked iron block linked to a handle by a chain. Large for a flail, it requires strength rather than dexterity to wield properly.
Both the Pumpkin Helm and the Chainlink Flail were highly distinctive pieces of equipment that might prove useful in certain situations, so the Tarnished had the workers put them in storage.
With the frenzied Pumpkin Head dealt with, the cellar's most conspicuous feature was the iron door at its far end.
Of course, Tarny knew who was inside. He sent the workers back to their duties, took a deep breath, and lifted the iron door.
The glow of glintstone spilled through the doorway, illuminating the entire cellar. Before the Tarnished was what appeared to be a study. Books, flasks, and tools sat on a wooden table, while heaps of glintstone crystals and fragments filled the corners. In the middle of the room stood a barefoot woman in a sorcerer's robe and a Glintstone Crown.
Judging by the smooth, fair skin of her feet, she ought to have been quite young.
"Oh, a Tarnished? Such an unusual visitor is a rare sight. Welcome." The young woman was perfectly composed. Her voice held a trace of cold pride and a hint of teasing, like a playful, haughty long-tailed cat.
"My name is Sellen. As you can see, I'm a sorceress." Sellen folded her arms, raising one hand to her chin as she asked elegantly, "Now, what brings you here?"
The Tarnished took a deep breath. The excitement of seeing an old friend again mingled with the fear of losing her once more, filling him with conflicting emotions. In the end, they all became courage, and he took a firm, resolute step forward.
The former Elden Lord dropped heavily to his knees before his most respected teacher. Gripping her beautiful, delicate bare feet in both hands, he bent down and pressed his forehead firmly against their tops, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Teacher Sellen, I want to play basket... learn sorcery!"
Faced with such an extravagant display, Sellen was utterly stunned.
"Y-you should get up first..."
"No! I won't get up unless you take me as your apprentice!" As the Tarnished spoke, he vigorously kneaded her bare feet to express his eagerness to learn.
The strange sensations in her feet left Sellen blushing furiously. Fortunately, her Glintstone Crown concealed it. Still, she keenly felt the Tarnished's determination to study and was moved by his persistence.
As a scholar, how could she refuse the request of someone so eager to learn?
And so Sellen endured the odd sensations in her feet and struggled to maintain her dignity as a teacher. "Since you're so sincere and possess the basic aptitude, I shall accept you as my apprentice. I will teach you all of my Glintstone Sorcery!"
Just like that, the Tarnished became Teacher Sellen's foolish apprentice once again.
"And after three days, all you learned was a shield spell."
Back in the present, Sellen spoke with some displeasure. "I have so many powerful sorceries, yet you chose a spell used only by those detestable Cuckoo Knights!"
"My intelligence is only 12, which just meets the requirement for Scholar's Shield. How about I learn Glintstone Pebble too?" The Tarnished offered an ingratiating smile.
"Never mind. There's no point in learning unless you choose to do so yourself. Apprentice, whatever you intend to do, and whatever sort of person you wish to become, never forget the importance of a thirst for knowledge. That is what truly allows us to advance toward the future. Even if we are now mere children learning to walk, one day we shall stand alongside the gods."
"Yes. I'll remember your teachings." The Tarnished answered earnestly, then brought out a bowl of mutton stewed with mushrooms.
"Teacher, this is your share."
Sellen was slightly surprised. "There's a portion for me too? I don't recall becoming your accomplice."
"You're my teacher, so of course that means you've joined us. Go on, eat. I saved this especially for you."
Sellen sighed. "I may have been expelled from Raya Lucaria Academy, but I was once a renowned star pupil. Do you think I can't see through your little tricks? To eat, I would have to remove my headpiece. What you really want is to see my face, isn't it? What's this? After developing an abnormal fondness for my feet, have you now taken an interest in my face as well?"
The Tarnished knew how much Sellen doted on her apprentice, so being exposed did not fluster him at all. He answered openly, "Of course I want to see your face. It's hardly right for an apprentice not to know what his teacher looks like. But if I'm being honest, I still prefer your feet!"
Sure enough, Sellen was not truly angry. She merely rebuked him in embarrassed indignation. "What a wicked apprentice! I shall certainly correct this unhealthy mindset of yours! You're not yet worthy of seeing my true face. If you wish to deepen your bond with your teacher, go find Primeval Sorcery and bring it to me as a tribute!"
"Primeval Sorcery? The school championed by Master Azur and Master Lusat?" The Tarnished made no attempt to conceal his knowledge.
"You actually know the names of those two masters?" Sellen was a little surprised.
"Kenneth told me." Explaining would have taken too much effort, so the Tarnished simply pinned it on him.
"Hmm. The Haight family has a long history, and that fallen lord is quite learned. It's hardly surprising he knows of them." Sellen believed him, just as expected, and continued, "That's right. Primeval Sorcery is what those two masters have devoted themselves to studying. Did you know that sorcerers originally spent their time observing the stars? That is why sorcerers are also called Astrologers. But as time passed, they gradually forgot their original purpose. With the rise of the Queen of the Full Moon, those shallow sorcerers flocked to her powerful lunar sorceries. Now, the academy treats Full Moon Sorcery as its mainstream discipline, while condemning Primeval Sorcery as heresy."
"Is that why you were expelled from the academy, Teacher?"
"Exactly. Sorcerers who study the stars are known as sorcerers of the Primeval Current. Master Azur, Master Lusat, and I all belong to it, and all of us were persecuted and expelled by the academy. This was not merely academic rivalry. Political considerations were involved as well. Every primeval sorcery is immensely powerful, posing a direct threat to the Queen of the Full Moon's rule. Thus, the queen officially supported the academy's sorcerers outside the Primeval Current and successfully drove us out. Those shortsighted fools thought this would bring them power and prestige. Little did they realize that losing the powerful sorcerers of the Primeval Current greatly weakened the academy as a whole, allowing the Queen of the Full Moon to control and suppress it with ease. What should have been a sanctuary devoted to learning became the Carian Royal Family's private research institute. Such is the fate of scholars who presume to meddle in politics!"
At that, Sellen let out a long sigh. Then, brimming with ambition once more, she said, "Apprentice, one day I shall revive the Primeval Current and reclaim the academy from the Carian Royal Family. When that time comes, will you still stand by my side?"
"Of course, Teacher," the Tarnished answered without hesitation. "We've been accomplices all along."
A delighted chuckle sounded from beneath Sellen's Glintstone Crown, like a cat that had stolen a dried fish.
"Remember what you said today. When the time comes, I won't hold back from asking." The sorceress rose elegantly, preparing to leave.
The Tarnished called after her, "Teacher, the mutton and mushroom stew..."
"This body is merely an illusion of mine. It has no need to eat. Eat that food for me. Honestly, giving your own food away to others... Even a foolish apprentice needs to eat properly!"