Preparing for battle

Since I had promised Boc I would recover the treasure his mother had left him, I needed to prepare thoroughly for the fight.

Under cover of night, the two of us made our way forward and furtively poked our heads out of a thicket.

Wow, so people blessed by grace didn't even need to sleep at night? It felt well past midnight, yet bonfires still blazed throughout the Gatefront Ruins. The Godrick Soldier captain patrolled the only passage as though he were strutting down a runway.

Huh? The two Black Carriages parked here had become three.

So this was where that convoy from last time had been headed.

"L-Lord Zero, what are we doing here?" Boc asked in a puzzled whisper.

I explained, "Every ruin in Elden Ring hides a treasure chest, and the one here contains the best early-game skill for dealing with groups and interrupting enemy attacks-Storm Stomp! That's our target!"

"But there are so many guards here, and only two of us..."

"Two is plenty." Smiling, I patted Boc on the shoulder and continued, "All right, learn a few lines from me, Boc."

"R-right now?"

"Yes. The first one is: come and get me, you useless cowards! You losers!"

"Come and... wait, Lord Zero, aren't those insults?"

"Never mind that. Just learn them."

"I-I think I've memorized them." It seemed kind little Boc was still reluctant to let such foul words leave his mouth.

Well, remembering them would do.

I continued my lesson. "The second one: can't catch me, can you, you sluggish, stinking snails?"

"...Lord Zero, it's not that I doubt you, but will these help?"

"They definitely will!" I cleared my throat. "Now, the third line is: I'm terribly sorry! Please be merciful and spare me, my lords! Then bow down~"

"Huh? I-I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this, Lord Zero." Boc looked utterly shocked. "Why is the third one so different from the first two?"

"Well, hopefully you won't need that third line." I took the Spirit Calling Bell out of my pocket and gave it a gentle shake.

As the bell rang, three Lone Wolves answered the summons.

Boc's eyes widened, and he shrank behind me.

"Don't be afraid. They're our companions. They won't bite you." I stroked one wolf's head and said, "Come on, Boc. Get on his back."

"Me?" Though confused, Boc obediently did as instructed.

As expected, Boc was so small and skinny that even with him sitting on the wolf's back, the wolf showed no discomfort.

I nodded in satisfaction. "You can hold tight to his neck. Get ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Off you go, wolf knight!"

"Awoooo-"

At my command, the three wolves immediately charged toward the Gatefront Ruins, dragging Boc's scream out like an unspooling roll of toilet paper, longer and longer. "Aaaah-"

"Don't forget those three lines I taught you!" I called, waving my hand. "You can use them now!"

"Huh?-"

Soon, a commotion erupted in the ruins. A horn blared in the night breeze, and the Godrick Soldiers hidden among the ruined buildings grabbed their weapons and chased the three wolves toward the other end.

"Good! I'd better hurry too." While the guards were distracted, I quickly found the cellar in the Gatefront Ruins, lifted its heavy iron door, and opened the treasure chest.

Inside lay a Whetstone Knife gleaming with white light.

After picking it up, I gave my hand a gentle wave. The knife turned into golden light and vanished beside me, mingled with the pale white glow of an Ash of War.

-This was one of the blessings Queen Marika had left to the Tarnished.

-Whenever they picked up an item or weapon they had no immediate use for, they only needed to think of storing it. It would turn into the golden light of grace and merge into the Sites of Grace, ready to be retrieved when they rested nearby.

-Of course, they could also retrieve something in an emergency, but it took time for it to fly from the nearest Site of Grace into a Tarnished's hand. For that reason, frequently used items were best kept equipped.

Melina had taught me all of this.

Once I got back to the Site of Grace, I'd change the skill on my Straight Sword to Storm Stomp.

Unfortunately, a weapon couldn't hold two skills at once. Square Off was certainly good, but its effectiveness dropped sharply when I was being swarmed.

Well, I'd have another chance to get it later. No rush.

With these thoughts in mind, I walked out of the cellar.

From the far side of the ruins, I faintly heard Boc's excited shouts. "Hahaha, faster! Go faster! You useless cowards are so slow! Go back and eat shit!"

Uh, he'd learned pretty well~

I blew the Spectral Steed Whistle, summoned Torrent, and charged toward the woods to the left of the ruins.

Hearing the whistle, the Lone Wolves quickly shook off Godrick's soldiers and headed over to join me.

"Lord Zero!" Boc waved at me excitedly.

I grabbed him. "Boc, over here!"

With a gentle tug, I pulled Boc up onto Torrent's back. I shook the Spirit Calling Bell again, and the wolves turned into ghostly light and vanished into the air, leaving the soldiers panting behind us.

"Hahaha, that felt great! So great! Lord Zero, I've never run circles around anyone like that before!" Boc couldn't stop laughing, and his complexion looked much healthier than before.

I laughed too. "Well? Those first two lines I taught you were useful, weren't they?"

"Yes!"

"Next, we're going to see an old friend of mine. Hopefully he hasn't fallen asleep yet."

Riding Torrent at a gallop, we soon crossed the quiet woods and found the ruined Church of Elleh.

Wisps of gray smoke rose inside, and I led Boc in.

Sure enough, Kale was still awake, making the Roasted Rabbit Meat I had taught him to cook.

"Mmm~ Smells wonderful. Got a share for me, Kale?" I walked over with a smile to greet him.

A hint of surprise flashed in Kale's eyes before he hurriedly waved me away. "No, no. If you want some, go catch your own. Stop taking advantage of me."

Ah, this crafty old merchant.

I gathered a thousand runes into a ball in my palm and tossed it over. "I remember you have three Cracked Pots, right? Keep the change from those thousand runes. Do I get a share now?"

Kale immediately beamed and made room beside him. "My dear customer, why didn't you say so? It's only a little rabbit. Of course you can have it."

Boc stared at the rabbit meat, drooling, so I cut off half with my knife and gave it to him.

It seemed he hadn't been able to eat for a long time after being turned into a tree. After thanking me, he wolfed it down without hesitation.

I turned to Kale and asked, "Old friend, how much dried meat do you have left?"

"Hm? Boiled Prawn costs extra." Kale found the Cracked Pots in his leather bag and handed them to me, still haggling as he did. "Besides, didn't I teach you how to make it? Go hunting yourself. Stop trying to get a free ride."

"One good turn deserves another. I taught you how to roast rabbit too, didn't I?" I took out my remaining runes and handed them to Kale. "Never mind. Give me as much as you can. Is this enough?"

"Yes, more or less." Kale pointed toward a corner of the church. The fellow had actually hunted a wild boar and brought it back. "But why do you suddenly need so much meat?"

"To prepare for a big battle." My eyes shifted, and I gave Kale a mysterious smile. "By the way, old Kale, if you're free tomorrow, come along with me. I promise it'll be worth your while."

"Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Kale narrowed his eyes and studied me for a long while, then seemed to smile faintly. "All right. No other Tarnished have come to do business with me lately anyway. I'll go with you."

Great! One more fighter~

"What do you mean, no other Tarnished? I'm the only one, aren't I?"

"...Shut up."