Elden Lord of Cinders

What was his relationship with Ranni?

Faced with the blue-skinned weirdo's question, Lloyd thought for a moment.

"We met once."

The blue-skinned woman blinked. "Just once?"

"Yeah, just once," Lloyd replied, looking at him. "Is that a problem?"

"Ah, no, no problem. It's just, uh… never mind."

This weirdo talks like a damn bulldozer.

After chatting with Renna and making sure she was fine, Lloyd used teleportation to return to the cave entrance and resumed his exploration.

But this time, he hadn't gone far when a faint blue glow drifted up beside him, carrying a chill in the air.

Why was she tagging along again?

"Just on the way," Renna explained.

Even without overthinking it, Lloyd could tell how forced that excuse sounded.

But he didn't care. He'd been followed before—last time it was the massive Old Margit and that was no big deal. Now it was someone way smaller, hovering silently the whole time. No complaints here.

After a bit more exploration, Lloyd encountered some new types of monsters in the lake area.

There were second-generation Albinaurics that looked like chubby aliens, with silvery skin, oversized black eyes, and crooked wooden sticks or broken wavy halberds. They patrolled the lake's edge, seemingly on guard for something.

Then they charged at him—and got wiped out.

There were also cursed mummified specters—hunched over, lying on the ground, or mounted—who would suddenly appear up close and launch black-and-yellow flame-like homing spells from their hands.

Lloyd chased them down on horseback and cut them down one by one.

Then came the Great Crab, who hadn't even bothered with a reskin. Same size, same texture, same sideways scuttle, same claw slams and water jets. For a moment, Lloyd thought he was back at Farron Keep. He half-expected a purple summon sign on the ground for an old man with a +22 Hornet Ring.

Then muscle memory kicked in, and it was over.

After clearing out those three monster types, Lloyd couldn't help but sigh—Miyazaki was clearly out of ideas, just dragging in old monsters without even changing their looks. Truly…

Pfft. Pfft. Pfft.

Three massive lobsters, each man-sized and gleaming with a bronze sheen, rose from the water, locking eyes with Lloyd.

Then—

"Shit, snipers!"

A barrage of claw attacks, followed by high-pressure water jets that fired with pinpoint accuracy from hundreds of meters away—faster than a greatbow—and to top it off, all three had surfaced at once. The front ones tanked, the back ones blasted away. Total chaos.

"We're back in business! The whole damn family's alive again!"

Of course, in the end, he still killed them all.

Didn't even switch to his main character, didn't call Melina for backup. Just used his alt with the Bloodhound's Fang and diced them up—scored three big chunks of lobster meat too.

After clearing the lobsters, Lloyd pushed forward a bit more and ran into a familiar face.

"Yo, Kalé, you made it all the way out here?"

Standing atop a small rise, Lloyd spotted that familiar Santa Claus-looking figure.

Kalé clearly recognized him too, grinning and waving in greeting.

"You're here again, my favorite regular. What would you like to buy?"

After a brief chat, Lloyd learned why Kalé had shown up here.

"Ever heard of the 'Great Caravan'? No? That's a shame."

"We used to have something like a homeland—it was the 'Great Caravan'. But it vanished without anyone noticing, and no one's seen it in ages."

"I've been searching for the Great Caravan ever since. With a name like that, who knows how many rare treasures it might hold."

As Kalé spoke, his eyes gleamed in the firelight. Even someone half-asleep could feel the hope and longing in his words.

It sounded like a noble dream, and honestly, if Kalé really did manage to find the so-called Great Caravan, chances were good he'd have some incredible new wares for sale.

But Lloyd's smile was a little stiff.

Buddy, why does it feel like that death flag hovering over your head is starting to glow?

He had assumed Kalé was one of those stationary, harmless merchant NPCs—you know, the kind who just hang around half-ruined churches and don't trigger any trouble. But now? A questline about searching for something lost? From Solaire to Anri and Horace, quests like that never end well...

"Hey man, if there's anything you need help with, just say the word."

Lloyd didn't really want to get involved in this side quest. But this wasn't a game—this was real. Even if you didn't push them, people still went down their own paths. And in games too, some quests had fixed outcomes. If certain conditions weren't met, NPCs would still die whether you got involved or not.

So for whatever reason, Lloyd had to help Kalé.

Kalé thought for a moment. "Have you seen any crows nearby? The kind that carry letters on their claws—graveyard messenger crows."

"If you spot one, I hope you'll bring me the letter it's carrying. Of course, I'll buy it off you, and I'll throw in a discount on some items as thanks."

"Sure." Lloyd nodded. "If I see one, I'll bring it to you."

...

After parting ways, Lloyd pulled out the Spectral Steed Whistle—but this time, he didn't blow it right away. He glanced at Melina beside him.

"So... Melina, do you know anything about this 'Great Caravan'?"

Silence.

But it wasn't the usual kind of silence she used to shut things down—not rejection, not irritation, not indifference. It was something new. Something like... unease. A quiet, visceral discomfort at the question itself.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too."

Lloyd had gotten used to her silences. He was about to raise the whistle to his lips when he felt a tug on the edge of his cloak.

"Give me... a little time." Melina spoke quietly, her head down. Her voice sounded different from usual.

It was the first time Lloyd had seen her like this. He didn't press her. He just reached out and gently patted her head, then turned back and blew the whistle.

...

What followed was some straightforward exploration.

Running across the map, slaying monsters, grinding Runes...

Gathering materials, looting, crafting...

Time passed uneventfully. After killing who-knows-how-many enemies, on a clear night, Lloyd rode Torrent up a hillside. He looked around and gradually slowed to a stop.

"What is it?" Melina looked around too, seeing no threats. "Is there an enemy nearby?"

Lloyd turned to her with a puzzled look. "This is clearly a great spot to rest, right? Why's your mind always on fighting? That's not healthy."

Melina: "…?"

"You're actually going to rest?"

The blue-skinned weirdo who'd been tailing them popped out, staring at him in disbelief.

After following him for so long, she'd experienced all the same shocking events Morgott had—none of them spared her.

But unlike Morgott, Renna wasn't tired or worn down after the shocks—she found them amusing.

So she simply decided to keep following this guy. She wanted to see just how many more surprises this oddly warm-hearted freak could show her.

And now, for the first time, she realized—

This weirdo actually needed rest too.

"I need a break. Big surprise, huh?"

After shooting the blue-skinned weirdo a look, Lloyd put away the Spectral Steed Whistle, but didn't dismiss Torrent. Instead, he pulled out some fruit and soul clumps, bundled them together, tossed them over, and let the spirit steed enjoy them on its own. Then he lit a small bonfire on the ground.

Sticking the Spiral Sword into the flames, he had Alice help him create a temporary Site of Grace, then returned to the Roundtable and brought out Irina and the others in batches.

"Staying cooped up in there all the time isn't healthy. Come out and get some air."

After gathering everyone, Lloyd paused and decided to call Chaos over from a distance.

"Alright, my kin—who are we protecting this time?"

The crazed yellow witch asked with practiced ease.

"Uh, no one's getting protected this time."

Lloyd scratched his head. "I just thought the night sky in Liurnia looked amazing, and since I troubled you twice already, figured I'd ask you to come out and enjoy it with us... see it?"

As he spoke, Lloyd glanced at the cloth tied over her eyes.

Right. She was blind.

A wave of awkward silence followed.

"My kin, you…"

Chaos sighed and touched the broken shard at her neck.

"If that's all, I'll be heading back."

Lloyd hesitated. "Wait—how about some grilled meat before you go…"

"Where's the meat?"

"Uh, haven't started cooking yet."

Chaos: "…"

"Fine. Give me the meat. I'll cook it for you."

"You know how to grill?" Lloyd eyed her skeptically.

Chaos chuckled. "Better than someone who once grilled themselves."

Lloyd didn't react much to that, but Melina raised an eyebrow.

With no one objecting, the Frenzied Flame Incarnation took over the grilling, while Melina watched with a furrowed brow.

Roderika, having adjusted over time and sitting a bit farther from Chaos with others around her, seemed fine.

Renna, however, crept up beside Melina, pointing at Chaos, who was busy grilling meat.

"Who's she?"

"A regular Frenzied Flame Incarnation."

Renna: "...?"

Renna was stunned.

Frenzied Flame Incarnations are considered "regular" now?

And she's grilling meat? A Frenzied Flame barbeque?

...

Meanwhile, on the other side...

While the Roundtable crew chatted, Melina and Chaos traded barbed remarks, and Renna reeled from shock—

Lloyd sat alone on a grassy hillside, gazing up at the star-filled sky.

It truly was beautiful—stars like scattered jewels blanketed the heavens, the deep cosmos overhead like a mirrored Milky Way.

For some reason, ever since arriving in Liurnia of the Lakes, he'd felt a creeping fatigue.

After talking with Latenna—and especially after cuddling the dog—that weariness had only grown stronger. He just wanted to find a quiet place to rest.

And now, staring up at the sky, the exhaustion deepened again.

It was as if something from the past tugged at his cloak, making every step heavier.

But whenever he turned to see what it was... nothing was ever there.

Just like now—he turned his head.

Behind him, nothing.

"Ashen One, the stars here really are beautiful."

Lloyd turned back, startled to see a familiar figure suddenly sitting beside him.

She was curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, her blindfold set aside. Her blue eyes quietly took in the sky.

Noticing his gaze, she slowly turned her head to face him.

In that instant—the sky, the stars, her.

Everything seemed to stand still.

Lloyd instinctively reached out to touch her.

And just before his hand made contact, everything shattered like mist.

An illusion...

Lloyd froze.

But then, warmth.

Alice sat quietly, letting him poke her cheek. She tilted her head slightly.

"I don't mind," she said.

The stars shimmered behind her.