Little Godrick's contribution

"Ugh..."

Tarnished opened his eyes, his head feeling as though it would split apart.

"Awake already? Looks like you're tougher than that sorcerer."

Laurendi's voice rang out. Tarnished looked up and saw Rogier lying beside him. They had both been moved away from the "face skin." Laurendi sat beside a campfire, silently feeding it dry branches and kindling.

"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?" Tarnished asked Laurendi.

Laurendi froze. "What?"

"No, forget I said anything." Tarnished sat up and asked, "How long was I out?"

"A little longer than Rodini and me. As for exactly how long, there's no daylight in this damned place, so I can't tell."

"Where's Rodini?"

"Standing guard outside."

"Shouldn't he have gone back for help?"

"No." Laurendi's voice was icy. "We're afflicted with an unknown curse. Until we know whether it can spread, we can't recklessly return to base."

Tarnished knew death blight wasn't contagious, but Laurendi didn't have an omniscient perspective. Their decision was unquestionably the right one.

"You're right. I was being reckless." Tarnished admitted his mistake, then asked, "You'd rather put yourselves in danger than drag others into it. Are all Crucible Knights this principled?"

"It's a military regulation."

"A military regulation?"

"Yes, one laid down by King Godfrey." Laurendi stirred the fire as though stirring memories of the past. "Back then, the Erdtree declared war on the entire Lands Between. We faced countless enemies of different races and faiths, wielding no end of bizarre curses and spells. To keep us from falling into enemy traps, King Godfrey established this regulation: anyone afflicted with an unknown curse or a strange disease was forbidden from returning. They could only rejoin the ranks after confirming it wouldn't spread or infect others."

"That caution was probably why Godfrey managed to unify the Lands Between," Tarnished said admiringly. "He really was impressive!"

"Impressive?" Laurendi sounded a little surprised. "I thought you'd condemn King Godfrey for his cruelty."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you're always talking about 'protecting everyone,'" Laurendi said with a hint of mockery. "Yet King Godfrey sacrificed the few to keep the many safe. That runs directly counter to your ideals."

"I'm not that inflexible. That was war, and war is a kill-or-be-killed struggle where anything goes. There was nothing wrong with what Godfrey did."

"Are you saying something you don't mean?"

"No, I'm just telling the truth. War is cruel. No matter how beautifully you dress it up, that fact doesn't change. That's true for the attackers, and even more so for the defenders. If war really broke out, I wouldn't show mercy. But before that happens, I'll do everything I can to prevent it."

"Prevent it? What Stormveil is doing now is no different from open rebellion. The Elden Ring may be shattered and the kingdom divided, but if you keep going down this road, war with Leyndell is inevitable."

"It isn't inevitable," Tarnished countered. "Godfrey led you in conquering the entire Lands Between. Would he have led you to attack Goddess Marika?"

"Of course not. She's the Goddess! How could we possibly win?"

"Another question, then. If Goddess Marika hadn't disappeared, would the demigods have dared attack the Royal Capital of Leyndell and start the Shattering?"

"Certainly not. With the Goddess there, those demigods would be nothing but children who hadn't even grown their first whiskers. She could deal with all of them with a single finger."

"So you see," Tarnished said with a smile, "if you're strong enough, you can prevent war."

Laurendi paused, then snorted. "You certainly share King Godfrey's thirst for strength. But can you really accomplish something even he couldn't?"

"I don't know, but I want to try."

"Hmph. Naive fool." Laurendi's tongue remained as sharp as ever.

"Naive indeed." Rodini came back and repeated his usual refrain. "But not unlikable."

Laurendi didn't agree, but neither did he object.

The three sat beside the fire. After a while, Rogier woke with a little groan.

"I'm not dead?" the spellblade asked, clutching his head.

"That's right, Roger. We're all alive. I didn't think adding more people would actually divide the curse's power!" Tarnished sounded thoroughly amazed.

Laurendi was equally amazed. "What? That was just a guess? Damn you, you nearly killed us!"

"But we didn't die, did we?"

"That doesn't make it acceptable! This reckless attitude of yours is bound to cause serious trouble someday. You must correct it!"

"Yes, yes, yes. I promise I won't be reckless again."

"I don't believe such a flippant promise!"

"Tch, you're so hard to fool... persuade. Then tell me what I should do!"

"Fool? You just said fool, didn't you? You really were lying to me!"

As the two bickered noisily, Rodini asked with a smile, "I was only gone a little while. How did you two become such good friends?"

Tarnished and Laurendi both jolted, then shouted in unison, "I'm not friends with this guy!"

They froze, then spoke in unison again. "Stop copying me!"

Both fell silent. "..."

Rodini couldn't hold back any longer. He burst out laughing at Tarnished and Laurendi glaring at each other. Then a thud sounded beside them. All three turned to see Rogier drop heavily to his knees and press his forehead to the ground. "I will never forget that you saved my life! If you ever need anything, please command me without hesitation!"

Rodini helped Rogier up. "In that case, finish your research into enlarging livestock as soon as possible. I spent far too long living beneath that cliff. An unlimited supply of fresh, succulent beef and lamb would be the greatest repayment you could give me."

Rogier's eyes reddened slightly. He nodded. "I will not disappoint you."

Tarnished patted Rogier on the shoulder too. "Roger, surely you're ready to join us properly now? I put my life on the line to recruit you. You can't possibly refuse to join Stormveil after that."

"Yes!" Rogier's eyes grew redder. "Since you hold me in such esteem, Tarnished, I can only devote myself to your service until my dying breath."

"Woo-hoo!" Tarnished laughed with his hands on his hips.

He was delighted to have gained another companion, and even happier that he had saved Rogier from death blight. After Edgar and Irina, he had secured another happy ending.

A true Elden Lord could, of course, save his companions, but...

"There's no need to work yourself to death. Work healthily, eat properly, exercise moderately, and get plenty of rest. That's how you'll live to a ripe old age and let me sustainably exploit you to the last drop!"

Rogier looked thoroughly exasperated. He almost regretted agreeing so quickly, yet he didn't truly regret it.

"We can discuss the future in the future," Laurendi said, habitually dampening their spirits. "For now, let's examine the curse."

Tarnished explained to Rogier why the four of them had remained there, and Rogier agreed with their decision.

He carefully examined all four of them and arrived at two findings: one good, one bad.

The good news was that the curse wouldn't spread and had already dissipated completely. After all, the face skin here wasn't the Prince of Death's actual skin, so the curse's strength was limited.

The bad news was that even divided among four people, the curse had inflicted irreversible damage on their bodies. It was still a demigod's power, after all, and couldn't be underestimated.

Laurendi moved his arms and legs. "I don't feel anything wrong with my body."

"Because it isn't illness or injury, but death itself," Rogier explained.

"What exactly is the damage?"

Rogier sighed and answered with deep shame, "Our lifespans. The Prince of Death's curse is death. It reduces a living creature's lifespan to cause 'instant death.' But because the four of us shared it, its effect was divided as well. The lifespan it should have erased was split equally among us. By my calculations, each of us has lost roughly twenty years."

Silence fell.

Rogier prepared to kneel and apologize again. It wasn't that he lacked dignity, but that the consequences he had caused were so grave that even kneeling seemed inadequate.

But before he could finish lowering himself, Tarnished caught him.

"It's all right, Roger," Tarnished said with complete confidence. "Once I become Elden Lord, I'll use divine power to restore everyone's lifespans!"

Rogier paused. "No, the Elden Lord doesn't seem to possess that ability. At least, there's no record of it in any text. Tarnished, you don't need to comfort me. This is my sin, and I'm willing to give anything to compensate you..."

Before he could finish, Laurendi coldly interrupted him.

"Then it's a promise," Laurendi told Tarnished. "Become Elden Lord, then restore my lifespan."

Rodini added, "Remember to include some interest. For twenty years lost, you should give us at least twenty-five."

"Haha, no problem!" Tarnished gave them a thumbs-up. "A true Elden Lord will naturally create a world everyone is happy with. I promise!"

Rogier knew the three were being considerate of him. Their attempt at comfort was a little clumsy, but for a man, this was enough.

"Thank you. Truly, thank you!" The spellblade's voice choked up.

Tarnished smiled and held out his hand. "Let's go home together, Roger."

And so Edgar and Kenneth were greeted by four disheveled figures covered in dirt, supporting one another as they walked.

"Didn't you go down there to investigate? Why do you look as though you fought several hundred people?"

"Fighting several hundred people wouldn't leave us looking like this. What actually happened was..."

Tarnished told the two what they had discovered below, including the Prince of Death and the death curse he had brought.

"To think Golden Godwyn, in whom everyone once placed such great hopes, would meet such an end. What a tragedy," Kenneth Haight sighed. "It seems the golden order does indeed have its shortcomings."

No one responded to that blasphemous remark. Edgar spoke instead. "We can't leave something so dangerous in Stormveil. Is there any way to deal with it?"

Everyone looked at Rogier. He was the only expert present, after all.

And the expert offered expert advice. "Ultimately, that face skin is formed from the Erdtree's roots. Use fire. A great blaze should burn it all away. But we must take proper precautions. I suspect the smoke will carry some degree of the death curse as well."

"Leave that to me," Tarnished said. "I'll contact Kale and buy a batch of Deathmoss from the Nomadic Merchants, enough for everyone in Stormveil Castle to receive two doses. Our inadequate preparations nearly got us killed before. I won't make that mistake again!"

"Deathmoss, yes. That is indeed a specific remedy for lethal curses." Kenneth Haight hesitated. "But two doses each is a little..."

Tarnished interrupted him. "Those carrying out the burning will get four."

"Deathmoss is expensive." Kenneth Haight's stinginess resurfaced. "That will cost a great deal of money."

"Any amount is worth spending for our future." Tarnished pointed at the ravaged Stormveil Castle. "Or do you like these holes and thorns? Do you want to live forever in a house that's slowly being eaten away by death?"

"Of course not!" Kenneth Haight sighed. "I mean we might not have enough money."

Tarnished looked surprised. "We've captured Stormveil Castle, and we're still that poor?"

"Godrick had already squeezed Stormveil Castle dry. He intended to return to his homeland someday, after all. People don't care about things that aren't theirs. The horse we couldn't bear to ride, he'd ride standing in the stirrups and flogging!"

Tarnished fell silent. "..."

He suspected Kenneth Haight was making a dirty joke, but he had no proof.

Edgar suggested putting the "Death Face Skin" issue aside until they had enough funds, but Tarnished rejected the proposal.

The Erdtree was continuously pouring power into Godwyn's corpse. The "Death Face Skin" wasn't affecting the surface now, but no one could say what would happen in the future.

Perhaps nothing would happen for a hundred years. Perhaps everyone would drop dead tomorrow.

He didn't know whether anyone else dared take that gamble, but Tarnished certainly didn't.

So the "Death Face Skin" had to be dealt with, and quickly, at any cost, until every last trace was gone!

In the end, Kenneth Haight procured enough Deathmoss because Tarnished contributed his private savings. He had accumulated them little by little through earlier battles, intending to use them to level up and grow stronger. Now, however, every last bit went toward buying Deathmoss.

Unfortunately, even with his savings, they were still a little short. Only when Godrick personally stepped in did they scrape together the full payment.

Yes, you heard that right. The dead Godrick lent a hand.

Everyone had runes within them, and Godrick was no exception.

Runes had a particular property: when you killed someone, that person's runes automatically entered your body.

Godrick had murdered countless people for grafting, accumulating an enormous quantity of runes. When the ragtag army swarmed him and killed him, those runes became everyone's shared property.

Of course, the runes inside ordinary people were simply called runes. But Godrick belonged to the Golden Lineage, a grand gentleman of Leyndell, a lofty demigod. How could he be lumped together with a bunch of worthless commoners? So the runes within him were given a distinctive name: a remembrance, the Remembrance of Godrick.

[Remembrance of Godrick]: Remembrance of Godrick the Grafted. With the help of Finger Reader Enia, the power of its namesake can be unlocked. It can also be used directly to obtain a vast quantity of runes. A feeble man sought power through grotesque grafting: Soldiers, one day we shall return together to our home, at the foot of the Erdtree!

Now, hearing that Tarnished urgently needed money, everyone handed over the "Remembrance of Godrick," hoping to help their king through this difficulty.

Tarnished was deeply moved when he heard. What wonderful people they were. He absolutely couldn't let them down.

So Tarnished sold Godrick to Kale by weight along with the Tarnished Golden Sunflowers, beef, lamb, and other farm produce, buying enough Deathmoss in return.

Incidentally, Godrick fetched 20,000 runes, making him somewhat more valuable than the farm produce. But for a demigod to be worth only 20,000-Little Godrick truly lived up to his name, as shabby as ever.

Regarding this matter, Mr. Kenneth Haight, foremost mocker of Godrick, lord of Fort Haight, and chief administrator of Stormveil Castle, delivered a scathing assessment: "Fun fact: what's more useful dead than alive? The answer-Godrick!"

In any case, thanks to Mr. Godrick's generous contribution, Stormveil Castle was finally ready.

At noon on a sunny day, Tarnished led everyone in officially launching the "Death Face Skin Joint Eradication Operation." He swallowed a dose of Deathmoss, which felt like eating shit-flavored chocolate, and spoke between dry heaves. "Urgh! This is the power Lord Godrick has given us. Don't waste it. Light it up! Burn it!"

"Yeah!!!" Everyone shouted eagerly and swallowed their Deathmoss, then chorused, "Urgh!!!"

It couldn't be helped. The stuff was made from cave moss. It tasted better than shit, but only slightly.

As thick smoke billowed from Stormveil Castle, fire engulfed the entire underground area. The grotesque roots and twisted face skin turned to ash, and the Thorns of Death filling the holes in the castle walls withered away as well.

This was undoubtedly good news. Without those thorns getting in the way, Stormveil Castle could finally begin reconstruction in earnest. The bad news was that while the underground Death Face Skin had been burned away completely, the treasury had been cleaned out even more thoroughly.

It hurt. It hurt so much!

Looking at the empty accounts, Tarnished felt it hurt even more than "drinking blood in snowy mountains, listening to the passing wind vent its sorrow"!

He slammed the table and declared resolutely, "Money! We have to make money! If we want to restore the Lands Between, we have to restore our wallets first!"