Elden Lord of Cinders

"If you won't let me open it, then fine—but why the sudden tackle?"

Caught off guard by Ranni's sudden charge, Lloyd instinctively turned, raised his hand, and suddenly found himself holding a small, blue-skinned, four-armed puppet in his arms.

"Let go of me—"

The puppet immediately began to struggle.

"Oh."

So Lloyd let go.

The blue-skinned puppet dropped to the ground, smoothed out her clothes—slightly disheveled from the collision—then looked up at Lloyd with an annoyed glare.

"Don't touch that chest."

Just moments earlier, while watching her dog outside, Ranni suddenly remembered—this guy's Law had a habit of revealing people's hidden items in the form of treasure chests, often unearthing bizarre things in the process.

If it were anything else, even the legendary weapon from Caria Manor, the Sword of Night and Flame, she could turn a blind eye if he took it. After all, that sword had been missing from the manor for ages—she'd long assumed someone had taken it and lost it. As far as she was concerned, it was ownerless now. If he grabbed it, so be it.

But the thing in the Grand Library? Absolutely not.

It might be worth only a tenth of the Sword of Night and Flame in rarity or value, but its importance to her was immeasurable—beyond comparison.

That's why, the moment she realized he might have turned even that into a treasure chest, she forgot about her dog entirely and rushed back.

And as soon as she entered, she saw Lloyd's hand on the edge of the chest, just about to open it.

In a panic, she slammed into him.

It worked. He let go of the box and stopped the opening sequence—whatever was inside was safe.

But thanks to Lloyd's Law and various other factors, she didn't knock him away as planned. Instead, she barreled straight into his chest.

Which led to Moongrum, who had followed behind thinking something serious had happened, charging in—only to freeze.

How to put this...

As a Carian knight entrusted with guarding the Queen's door in times like this, Moongrum was close enough to be considered part of her inner circle. He wasn't just familiar with the royal family's affairs—he also knew more about the Queen's children than most.

Especially the "Lunar Princess," Ranni. The Queen's most treasured daughter. He'd dealt with her more than once and often heard the Queen mention her.

But the thing was—whether through personal experience or secondhand stories—he had never seen, nor even heard of, Ranni acting like this.

Elegant. Mysterious. Cold.

That was how not only Moongrum but nearly all of Caria, and even the scholars at the Academy, viewed her.

Even those who were close to Ranni would say she never broke from that image—not even in private.

Like the moon in the sky: eternally serene, flawless, and untouchable.

But now...

Moongrum stared at Ranni—just pulled from Lloyd's arms, fixing her clothes with a sulky look.

He thought for a moment, then silently backed out of the Grand Library—without even turning around.

And he closed the door behind him.

The two inside didn't notice. Or even if they did, they didn't care.

They had more pressing concerns.

For Ranni, it was the contents of that chest.

Though she'd managed to stop Lloyd this time, she knew what he was like.

He'd once circled nearly an entire city, ran three hundred and sixty-five miles, and killed who knows how many enemies—just for a glimmer of light on a wall that caught his eye.

And now, right in front of him, was a treasure chest. A chest possibly holding who-knows-what kind of treasure.

She didn't even want to imagine how obsessed he'd become.

Even though it was sealed with her magic, she wasn't sure if it would work against his strange Law—and she didn't want to find out.

Ranni didn't know, and didn't care to.

But Lloyd knew.

Because the moment his hand touched the chest, the system interface popped up with a message: [Key Required].

Otherwise, following the Souls tradition of invincible chest-opening, he wouldn't have flinched even if Ranni herself crashed into him—or if someone had launched a Dark Moon spell at him.

Now, staring at Ranni and recalling that prompt, Lloyd seemed to understand.

Oh. So this one's gated behind a side quest.

"I won't touch it."

To reassure Ranni, Lloyd took two steps back, putting some distance between himself and the chest to show he meant it.

—Not that he could open it anyway.

"But could you at least tell me what's inside? I don't mean anything by it, just a bit curious..."

"No."

Ranni shot him down without hesitation.

Seeing how firm she was, Lloyd didn't push the matter and quickly moved on. Ranni, after confirming that he really wasn't planning to mess with the chest—for now—didn't drop her guard, but she did breathe a little easier.

After that, having obtained the Great Rune and spoken with the Full Moon Queen, and after confirming that the chest really couldn't be opened...

Lloyd, hoping to tie up any loose ends, took Ranni on another "exploration" through the academy.

Ranni had another satisfying round of killing, and Lloyd collected more Runes and items.

The future looked bright for both of them.

And after she'd had her fill of bloodshed, Ranni made good on her earlier promise—she pulled out a stash of items she'd hidden in the academy and handed them over to Lloyd.

A Caria Glintstone Staff, some of the academy's spells and items, and a set of Caria Knight armor that Ranni had personally modified and enchanted.

It was a bit heavier than the standard Caria Knight set, but the defense was significantly better, and it boasted high resistance to both magic and frost.

And, of course, like the original Caria Knight armor, it looked absolutely stunning.

The moment Lloyd put it on, he knew—this was going to stick with him for a good long while.

At his side, watching him suit up in what now seemed like his personal Caria Knight armor, the blue-skinned, four-armed weirdo gave a slight nod and asked,

"So, where are you headed next?"

With two Great Runes in hand, they should've been ready to head straight for the Royal Capital.

But when Lloyd turned to Melina, she gave a small shake of her head.

"I'm not in a hurry."

The Elden Ring had been shattered for a long time, and her mother's disappearance—who knew how long it had been?

Sure, heading to the base of the Erdtree in the capital to find her purpose was important, but there was no need to rush.

Besides, she was worried that if she left to pursue her mission without keeping an eye on Lloyd, he might stir up some world-shaking event in the Lands Between by the very next day.

Not that Melina doubted Lloyd himself.

On the contrary, after spending so much time with him, she'd come to realize that, despite all his eccentric behavior, when it really came down to it, he was surprisingly dependable.

But just because Lloyd was reliable didn't mean the people around him were.

Take Alice, for instance—always vanishing and reappearing, impossible to get a read on. Still, she seemed relatively safe.

The others, though...

Graven Witch Sellen—an infamous sorceress with countless lives on her hands, a Primeval Sorcerer obsessed with the stars.

Lunar Princess Ranni—mastermind of the Night of Black Knives, an Empyrean who wielded The Law itself, and whose indirect kill count probably dwarfed Sellen's... not to mention, she seemed to be planning something massive.

And then there was Chaos, the Incarnation of the Frenzied Flame—an absolute powerhouse and the main reason Melina wasn't willing to let Lloyd out of her sight.

Sure, she seemed gentle and harmless now, even helped beat up Seath once—but if you were being honest, this guy probably deserved to be run over more than Seath ever did.

Even the seemingly kind "Kalé" Lloyd met early on was a Nomadic Merchant.

Not that Melina was prejudiced against the Nomadic Peoples, and Kalé wasn't exactly faking his kindness either—it's just that, well... Nomadic Merchants had a bit of that Frenzied Flame vibe about them.

Especially when she heard him mention that name before—

The Great Caravan.

A stain on the Golden Order that could never be scrubbed clean.

Understand this: in the age of the Golden Order, killing—no, massacring—those unblessed by Grace wasn't a crime. It was seen as an honor. The fate of the Albinaurics, the sacred law committed to wiping out Those Who Live in Death—even the Misbegotten, who were technically blessed by the Erdtree, were shunned and persecuted for "tainting" that Grace. And no one among the people of gold ever saw a problem with that.

But the disappearance of the Great Caravan? Total silence. Not a single record remained.

The last being to receive that kind of treatment had already been cut out of the Lands Between—literally—and as for the Caravan...

In short, Melina simply couldn't let Lloyd out of her sight. Who knew what world-shattering chaos he'd stir up under the influence of the "precious beings" around him?

That was also why she supported Trina and Lloyd being together.

Sure, Trina's Eternal Sleep might come off a bit abstract, but compared to the others around Lloyd, it was downright peaceful and gentle.

Of course, that didn't mean Melina had given up on her own mission.

Her plan was to travel with Lloyd through the Lands Between, letting him form connections with more... normal beings.

Once his mental state had stabilized a bit—and, ideally, once someone else could take over her role of guiding and restraining him—she would go pursue her own purpose.

As for what that purpose was...

Melina honestly didn't know.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked Lloyd to take her to the Royal Capital, to the base of the Erdtree, to look for it.

But there was one thing she did remember:

"Those who walk with flame will one day face their destined death."

She stared at the burn on her hand, feeling the phantom pain from her left eye.

Maybe she wanted to say something.

But in the end, as always, she stayed silent.

...

Why isn't she saying anything now?

After getting nothing but a cold "I'm not in a hurry," and seeing Melina bristle up like a hedgehog again, Lloyd felt a bit awkward.

He was used to it by now, sure—but still. Even a riddle-slinger at least gives you a riddle. Three words? Seriously?

Forget it.

"I'll go ask someone else."

First up, the ever-reliable workhorse, Old Margit.

"You've got two Great Runes? Then head to the Royal Cap—no, actually, go take a look around elsewhere first. No need to rush into the capital."

Morgott had originally planned to send Lloyd to the capital, to meet his true body and maybe even recruit him into the Erdtree's faction.

But midway through, he suddenly remembered—this guy might have teleportation abilities.

If he went to the capital now and unlocked a Site of Grace near Morgott's true body, he might start zipping back and forth between Stormveil and the Royal Capital... tormenting both his incarnation and original self. The thought alone was horrifying.

Given how Lloyd had handled things in Stormveil and Liurnia, letting him keep exploring outside wasn't a bad idea. He could handle problems remotely while Morgott was tied up, and incidentally, he could punish some rebels too. No need to rush him to the capital.

Besides, Morgott had a solid recommendation.

"How about heading to Caelid?"

He pointed east of Limgrave.

"Starscourge Radahn isn't in great shape right now, and..."

Morgott trailed off for a moment, then shook his head slightly.

"Existing in that state is a torment for him—a disgrace to a Demigod."

"A dignified death would be a mercy."

And on that, Ranni agreed with him.

He was her brother, and they got along well enough.

But whether it was to end his suffering, or to move forward with her own plans, Ranni needed him to find peace.

"According to what Blaidd reported, Jerren is gathering heroes from all over to hold a festival—a battle that will let Radahn's soul rest."

"It's still a bit far, and the preparations are just beginning, so there's plenty of time if you want to take part. You can even rest up here a bit first."

"As for Renna and me—honestly, I'd love to go. But I can't leave here for long, and Renna needs to stay to help me."

"But if it's possible, I hope you'll teleport back here now and then."

Ranni paused.

"—Don't get the wrong idea. I just need you to help replenish my soul. Nothing more."

"Of course, I'll compensate you."

[Obtained "Starlight Shards" ×3]

"Alright, if I've got time, I'll come back and help you recharge."

With the fragments in hand, Lloyd parted ways with Ranni and left the Three Sisters and Caria Manor.

But he didn't head straight to Caelid. After all, he hadn't fully explored Liurnia of the Lakes yet, and there were still a few things to take care of.

For instance...

"Hey, Brother Thops, I brought you the key!"