Refuge

Irina and Nepheli were both mortified.

Though they were only engaged, they already had something of the wife about them, and naturally understood what Tarnished was asking for.

Irina was too embarrassed to raise her head, while Nepheli punched Tarnished in flustered anger. "Stop acting crazy here!"

Grinning, Tarnished caught Nepheli's hand. "Nepheli, I'm a man. What's wrong with a man wanting to sleep with his own wife? If I really gave up all desire and kept passing my own doorstep without ever coming in, you'd be the ones worrying."

Feeling the warmth of Tarnished's palm, Nepheli became acutely aware of the aggression radiating from the man before her. Nervously, she said, "B-but you're a leader. You should care more about the bigger picture and your image, not these romantic affairs!"

"Only gods need to worry about their image. Humans have feelings and desires." Tarnished pressed closer, whispering into Nepheli's ear, "Nepheli, I don't want to become some lofty god. That's too lonely. I just want to be an ordinary person, so please, let me experience the joys of being human!"

With his argument taken this far and elevated to such lofty ideals, what else could Nepheli do? She could only... drive a heavy punch into Tarnished's stomach, doubling him over like a shrimp and instantly clearing every filthy thought from his head.

"I told you that would wait until we're officially married! Don't you understand plain speech?" Flushed scarlet, Nepheli grabbed the equally red-faced Irina. "Let's go!"

Irina bowed to Tarnished, cast a healing spell on him, and left.

Tarnished rubbed his stomach and straightened up, clicking his tongue. "Damn it, that didn't work. Oh well, I'll try again next time. For now, let's drink!"

Just as Tarnished himself had said, he wanted to be human.

Every man might live differently, but Tarnished chose to drink the strongest liquor with his friends, sleep with the women he loved, crush anyone who stood in his way, and pursue his ideals without hesitation.

How could someone who dared not face his own will ever face the Greater Will?

If that sounded too crude, call it friendship, love, and a career instead.

His career was progressing steadily, and his love life had just suffered a setback, so friendship was all Tarnished had left. He drank himself senseless with everyone, ultimately losing by a narrow margin to Alexander the Warrior Jar... though the fact that he had challenged a magical being without a liver to a drinking contest showed he had already been drunk beforehand.

Once the feast ended, Tarnished was carried back to his room.

His powerful constitution soon sobered him up. Though he still felt a little top-heavy and unsteady, at least the drunkenness debuff was gone.

Seeing the mess all over himself, Tarnished decided to shower before bed. He wasn't a clean freak, but he did have a normal sense of hygiene. He couldn't stand climbing into bed sticky and wet.

Thanks to Flying Dragon Agheel, Stormveil had hot water even late at night.

As Tarnished washed beneath the wooden showerhead, he considered how to modify the existing pipes so the ordinary people outside the castle could have hot water too. It didn't have to run twenty-four hours a day, but at least once each morning and evening. Hot water would reduce illness, and with the current population shortage, every worker mattered. Losing them to sick leave would be a real waste.

As for whether Flying Dragon Agheel could handle such a heavy workload... hmph, a dragon that had hurt countless people at Agheel Lake had no dragon rights. He had to get to work despite any difficulties, and even if there weren't any, they could create some for him to overcome. Making him work was helping him atone. He ought to thank them.

With that thought, Tarnished happily began humming a tune.

"At which station will we kiss goodbye?

Only when the wind and roses part do they chatter on.

You and I lift our eyes to watch the snow,

Waiting for God to tear the lies apart, piece by piece..."

He was only halfway through when the door creaked open. In a husky voice, Nepheli asked, "Miss Melina really can't see, right?"

Utterly dumbfounded, Tarnished nodded and made a sound of assent.

As though she had finally made up her mind, the brave warrior woman ducked down into a crouch and said in a voice barely louder than a mosquito, "Just this once. Never again!"

"Hiss!"

An hour later, Nepheli opened the door, confirmed that the corridor was empty, and fled back to her room, holding her aching jaw.

That damned Tarnished! He'd promised once, but it ended up being three times. I can't go soft on him next time. I have to firmly say no to outrageous demands like that!

Tarnished returned to his room completely satisfied. Calm and wise now, he couldn't help pondering profound questions. For instance, did humming Melina's little tune while his passions erupted count as a kind of NTR?

Before he could reach a conclusion, soft footsteps entered the room.

Irina came in wearing her nightclothes and said shyly, "Lord Tarnished, the medical team still can't do without me for now, but Miss Fia taught me a few things. Now I-I can fulfill my duties as a wife too."

As soon as she finished, Tarnished felt a pair of soft hands slip beneath the covers.

"Hiss!"

Tarnished sucked in another sharp breath. Damn you, Fia, what have you done? You've really... done a wonderful job!

An hour later, Irina left, holding her aching wrist.

Pale-faced, Tarnished lay serenely on the bed, his eyes radiating an almost tangible Buddhist enlightenment, as though his soul had escaped the shackles of his flesh and reached the supreme realm of astral projection.

Supreme realm, his ass. His soul really was about to leave his body!

Two hours! Two whole hours! Six times! Six! He was only human, not a god!

But he couldn't exactly refuse Irina. The blind girl was sensitive enough already. What if she thought he didn't like her?

The result was that Tarnished walked as though floating the next morning, with pitch-black circles beneath his eyes. The moment he stepped out of his room, he saw Irina and Nepheli emerging too. He shuddered in fright, slammed the door shut, and hurriedly shouted, "Melu, take me to Roundtable Hold, quick!"

Melina: ?

Though confused, the obedient girl did as he asked.

As he stepped into Roundtable Hold once more, Tarnished finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Gideon Ofnir and the Two Fingers might be here, but that was still ten thousand times better than facing Irina and Nepheli. Taking refuge in a boss room was an Elden Lord's specialty, and this was no exception.

Tarnished's arrival immediately drew everyone's attention. This time, however, the blind prophet didn't attack, merely nodding calmly to him. Diallos drew his weapon, but his attendant showed no reaction.

"What are you standing there for, Lennia? Prepare to fight!" Diallos shouted at his attendant.

But she shook her head. "Diallos, he isn't a bad person."

His attendant was a young girl who looked a little younger than Diallos, with blond hair tied into a neat, short ponytail.

Diallos snapped irritably, "You're disobeying my orders again! Someone as undisciplined as you doesn't deserve to be my attendant!"

Lennia grew angry. "I disobey your orders because they're always ridiculous! We have no reason to fight him. Don't you understand?"

"Of course we do! He caused havoc in Roundtable Hold. We're Tarnished of Roundtable Hold, so naturally we must fight for its honor!"

"Roundtable Hold is just a place to stay. We aren't its Tarnished, either. Your elder brother said it himself: a knight should fight for justice, not honor!"

"Don't mention my brother!" Diallos roared. "He's the family's pride! He's the hero everyone admires! If you like him so much, go be his attendant! You don't have to keep following a failure like me!"

"Diallos, you... you make me so angry!" Lennia lost her temper completely and stamped her foot. "I've had enough of your childishness and stupidity! Fine, I'll leave! I'll never be your attendant again!"

With that, the young girl touched the grace in Roundtable Hold and teleported away.

Tarnished: "..."

The blind prophet: "..."

Diallos glanced at the two of them, gave an embarrassed snort, and turned toward the balcony.

So this was why Lennia left Roundtable Hold?

Tarnished hadn't expected to witness such a spectacle as soon as he arrived.

"Ahem." The blind prophet cleared his throat to draw Tarnished's attention, then bowed. "Let us introduce ourselves properly. Welcome to Roundtable Hold. My name is Corhyn. I am a cleric, teaching people incantations while also exploring the Golden Order."

Tarnished returned the bow. "I'm Tarnished. My goal is to become Elden Lord and establish a new age where everyone can be happy and live without regrets."

Corhyn looked mildly surprised. "To state your ambition so directly is rather..."

"Crude? I won't deny it." Tarnished smiled. "But if I don't even tell the people what kind of lord I'll be, why would they follow me?"

"So you believe the people's support is what qualifies someone to become lord, rather than divine approval?"

"Yes. If you consider me a heretic, I have nothing more to say."

"Your views do indeed differ greatly from traditional thought, but I am not a rigid believer either. After all, the Elden Ring has been shattered, and something has clearly gone wrong with the Golden Order. I believe we should find the flaw and repair it. Perhaps your approach is a hint the gods have given us."

Tarnished nodded.

It was clear that Corhyn still firmly believed in the doctrine of divine supremacy. He didn't believe Tarnished could become Elden Lord by relying on the people, but if Tarnished did succeed, that would merely be the gods' design.

Corhyn claimed not to be rigid, but he was actually the most rigid of them all. He simply wasn't aggressive. He belonged to the mild sort who would kill himself if his faith crumbled rather than tie heretics to a stake, so he posed little danger.

Considering Stormveil's desperate shortage of personnel, Tarnished promptly extended an invitation. "Mr. Corhyn, you said you teach people incantations. Would you be interested in teaching at Stormveil?"

Corhyn said in surprise, "I would certainly preach Golden Order Fundamentalism while teaching incantations. That conflicts with your governing principles. Aren't you afraid..."

Tarnished wasn't afraid of a damn thing.

You don't even hand out eggs when you preach. I provide food and housing.

If you can still poach my people under those conditions, I'll let Irina and Nepheli ravage me once a day!

So Tarnished confidently replied, "Rest assured. In Stormveil, there is freedom of religion."

Corhyn understood better than anyone just how much weight those words carried.

Whether or not Tarnished ultimately became Elden Lord, his tolerance had already earned Corhyn's approval.

"Thank you for your invitation. I am sure I shall have a pleasant time in Stormveil." The blindfolded prophet bowed solemnly to Tarnished.

Satisfied with his successful recruitment, Tarnished turned his head and saw Gideon Ofnir watching him from nearby with a sour expression.

"What are you here for this time?" Gideon Ofnir asked coldly.

"To get my weapon back," Tarnished answered honestly.

"Bernahl has already left. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"You're welcome to try." Tarnished didn't give an inch.

Gideon Ofnir narrowed his eyes at Tarnished and was surprised to discover the change in him.

"How did you... You've used runes to increase your power. You have a Finger Maiden?!" True to his reputation, Gideon Ofnir quickly arrived at the correct deduction and sought confirmation.

But Tarnished had no obligation to answer him. Instead, he said coldly, "Pull your spy out of my Stormveil, or I'll deal with him myself."

Without a spy, Gideon Ofnir couldn't have known Bernahl had left.

Gideon Ofnir made no attempt to conceal it and nodded. "I'll have him withdraw. Tarnished, would you like to work with me?"

Taken aback, Tarnished asked, "How?"

"I know the whereabouts of several other Great Runes."

"Then I risk my life taking them, and you swoop in to reap the rewards?" Tarnished scoffed. "Sorry, Sir Gideon Ofnir. I don't trust you."

"But you trust Volcano Manor? I heard Stormveil has also sent messengers to Caelid and Liurnia. So you'd rather work with the Redmane Army and Raya Lucaria Academy than with me?" Gideon Ofnir put on an air of tearful anguish. "You're engaged to Nepheli, and she's my daughter. Surely our relationship is closer!"

Mentioning Nepheli only made Tarnished's expression colder. "Nepheli is no longer your daughter. Have you forgotten? You abandoned her for a single Great Rune."

Gideon Ofnir said sincerely, "I can return the Great Rune to you."

"Really? Hand it over."

Gideon Ofnir actually returned Godrick's Great Rune, otherwise known as the Center of the Elden Ring, to Tarnished.

Tarnished pressed the Great Rune into his body.

Gideon Ofnir said, "Now we can discuss working together, can't we?"

Tarnished looked puzzled. "When did I say I'd work with you?"

Gideon Ofnir froze, then exclaimed in shock, "But I already returned the Great Rune!"

"Returning my Great Rune and working together are two completely separate matters," Tarnished said as though it were obvious. "When did I say I'd work with you if you returned my Great Rune?"

Gideon Ofnir trembled with rage, his knuckles whitening around his scepter.

Through clenched teeth, he said, "I thought you were a gentleman!"

"When dealing with a gentleman, of course I am." Tarnished snorted. "But when dealing with a scoundrel, I'll be an even bigger scoundrel!"

Gideon Ofnir frantically calculated and ran through scenarios in his mind. Should he kill Tarnished here, or use this opportunity to resolve their conflict and build a good relationship with him?

Which would offer the better return? Which would bring the greatest benefit?

After a brief silence, Gideon Ofnir made the wisest decision of his life.

"Since personal ties cannot persuade you to cooperate with me, let us speak of mutual benefit," Gideon Ofnir said. "I have the most comprehensive intelligence network in all the Lands Between. Would that be enough to secure your cooperation?"