Not long after Lucian returned to Stormveil from the Altus Plateau, Lancelot came to report.
Standing before the throne, he bowed respectfully.
"Lord Lucian, the personnel and supplies you ordered have all been assembled."
"They've already departed."
"As instructed, they'll gather near the Siofra River and await your orders."
Lucian nodded in satisfaction.
"And the estimated travel time?"
Lancelot considered the question before answering.
"Although the Mistwood is quite far away, the route leading underground has already been explored and secured many times."
"With the Dragonbeast's speed, it would only take a day or two."
"However, considering the physical condition of the personnel, they'll likely need frequent rest stops."
"So the actual journey should take around three days."
After a brief pause, he added,
"If you're in a hurry, I can order them to pick up the pace."
"They should be able to arrive a day earlier."
Lucian rubbed his chin.
'Three days...'
That wasn't bad.
"No need."
"Let them proceed according to plan."
"One extra day on the road won't matter."
"I'm not looking for speed."
"I want reliability."
"If the physicians arrive too exhausted to do their jobs, then there was no point gathering them in the first place."
Unlike the perfumers, most physicians lacked the physical ability to participate in combat.
Long-distance forced marches were demanding even for experienced riders.
They deserved some consideration.
Besides, there were plenty of medical supplies and other equipment that also had to be transported.
There was no point rushing.
Lancelot nodded.
"Understood."
With that, the report should have been finished.
Yet he remained where he stood.
Noticing the unusual look on his face, Lucian asked,
"What is it?"
"Is there something else?"
Lancelot nodded before glancing toward the guards surrounding the throne.
Lucian immediately understood.
Whatever he wanted to say wasn't meant for anyone else's ears.
He waved a hand, dismissing the ceremonial guards.
Only after the hall had emptied did Lancelot continue.
"My lord, there's another matter that requires your attention."
"Our people recovered a ship along the coast near Castle Morne."
"It came from the Badlands."
His expression grew grave as he looked at him.
"There were only two survivors aboard."
"They brought back a message."
"'The First Elden Lord, Godfrey..."
"...has all but conquered the continent across the sea."
"And now he is preparing to return to the Lands Between with his army."
Lucian's expression likewise became serious.
He had always known this day would come.
The only uncertainty had been when.
"Heh..."
"So he's finally coming back."
"That makes sense."
"I've been here for quite some time already."
"There's no reason Godfrey's progress should have been slower than mine."
After a moment of thought, Lucian asked another question.
"What happened to those two survivors?"
Lancelot answered immediately.
"After learning what they knew, Lord Edgar had them detained separately."
"They were discovered by Castle Morne's coastal patrol."
"According to Lord Edgar, the soldiers who found them were all survivors of the Misbegotten Rebellion, people who personally received your mercy."
"Their loyalty is beyond question."
"But to be safe, they've also been placed under supervision."
"Very few people know about this."
"And thanks to the information lockdown, the news hasn't spread outside."
Lucian nodded approvingly.
Their handling of the situation had been appropriate.
Godfrey's prestige within the Lands Between was simply too overwhelming.
Just how overwhelming?
To the point that, had someone other than Lancelot delivered this report, Lucian might have suspected they had begun entertaining other loyalties.
But Lancelot was different.
Setting aside his unquestionable loyalty...
As the legitimate descendant of the Storm Lord, there was no possibility he would ever side with Godfrey.
In any case, once Godfrey returned, countless independent Tarnished would flock to his banner simply because of his reputation.
Even among the Tarnished already serving Stormveil, many would inevitably begin to waver.
Smiling faintly, Lucian said,
"You handled it well."
"If this news spreads, it will undoubtedly affect how the Tarnished think."
"But since they're making no effort to hide the fact that they want this information to spread across the Lands Between..."
"...there's no stopping the tide."
"Even if we stationed patrols along the coastline every single day, we still couldn't intercept everyone."
"There are simply too many places to make landfall."
"Some will always slip through."
"Hiding it."
"Suppressing it."
"Neither will accomplish anything."
"Eventually, everyone in the Lands Between will know."
Lancelot sighed softly.
"...I have to admit, you're right."
"If we truly wanted to seal off the coastline, we'd need to commit far more manpower."
"But the more people we deploy..."
"...the more likely disloyal individuals will be among them."
"Some intelligent observers might even deduce the truth simply from such an unusual mobilization."
"And seers are another unpredictable variable..."
"So..."
"What should we do?"
He looked toward Lucian, waiting for an answer.
As Stormveil's Vice Regent, Lancelot was accustomed to handling countless administrative matters.
But this...
This was unlike anything he had ever faced.
After all...
Their opponent was none other than Godfrey, the First Elden Lord.
A king worthy of admiration...
Even as an enemy.
Lucian laughed, absolute confidence written across his face.
Lancelot understood how to govern.
But he did not yet understand how a king made decisions.
"It doesn't matter."
"We don't need to interfere."
"It doesn't matter if every Tarnished learns the truth."
"Let them spread it."
"No."
"We'll spread it ourselves."
Lucian rose from his throne.
Throwing his arms wide, he wore a smile so confident it bordered on arrogance.
"Because when Godfrey returns..."
"I will defeat him openly."
"Go."
"Spread the word."
"Tell everyone that I eagerly await my duel with Godfrey."
"If strength is what rules the Lands Between..."
"...then I will use strength itself..."
"...to defeat the king they believe to be the mightiest warrior in history."
Hearing those words, Lancelot felt his blood begin to boil.
This...
This is the bearing of a true king.
No ruler worthy of the title ever entered a war expecting defeat.
Having chosen to follow Lucian, Lancelot naturally wished to see him overcome Godfrey...
...and ascend as the true Elden Lord.
Just as Lucian had expected, Lancelot's position as an administrator forced him to think about far more than victory alone.
The consequences of defeat also had to be taken into account.
Only by considering every possible outcome could one prepare as perfectly as possible.
So, even though he did not truly wish to think that way, Lancelot still voiced his concern.
"This kind of publicity... is a double-edged sword."
Lucian naturally understood.
By spreading the news himself, he would effectively be pushing the Tarnished toward Godfrey.
If they suppressed the information as much as possible, the losses would be minimal.
After all, if only thirty percent of the Tarnished ever learned of Godfrey's return, then even if seventy percent of those chose to follow him, Lucian's losses would remain manageable.
But if Lucian publicly announced it himself, then more than ninety percent of the Tarnished would hear the news.
Although many Tarnished might be impressed by Lucian's magnanimity and choose to stand beside him, even more would still choose Godfrey.
Lucian understood Lancelot's concern.
But...
So what?
A faint smile crossed Lucian's lips.
"None of that truly matters."
"The only thing that matters... is the outcome between Godfrey and me."
"The struggle between kings has always been this way."
"The victor claims everything, while the defeated loses everything."
"Whoever wins will inherit the greater prestige, take command of both armies, and march triumphantly back to the Erdtree."
"If I lose to Godfrey, I won't beg him for mercy and ask him to spare my life."
"Besides..."
"I'd win."
Lucian's blood burned with an unquenchable thirst for victory.
Bearing the name Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, he had every reason never to lose.
Even if his opponent was hailed as a god among men...
A win was still a win.
And even without relying on his 'cheat', Lucian did not believe he was incapable of defeating Godfrey.
Once he returned to the Land of Shadow and had Melina convert the remaining runes into strength, he would stand on the same level of power as Godfrey.
With Queen Marika imprisoned inside the Erdtree, Godfrey could not unleash the true might of a Lord united with his God.
If it was only the power of a king...
Then Lucian had every confidence he could meet him head-on.
Seeing that Lucian remained completely fearless even in the face of the legendary King Godfrey, Lancelot finally relaxed.
No matter what happened...
He had already decided to follow Lucian to the very end.
He wanted to witness with his own eyes the prosperous age Lucian had once described.
—
After arranging for the recovery of the Magma Wyrm's corpse, Lancelot took his leave.
Seated upon the throne, Lucian suddenly remembered the old Golden Order loyalists he had encountered in Liurnia long ago.
That had been before the Radahn Festival, before his battle against Starscourge Radahn.
Although he had suspected they were carrying news of Godfrey's return, not a single one of them had spread the information.
After thinking for a moment, Lucian quickly understood.
"So that's how it was..."
Those people hadn't spread the news because they had headed straight for the Grand Lift of Dectus.
Apparently, their intention had been to inform only Leyndell, the Royal Capital.
That also explained why Morgott had made no significant moves all this time.
After all, if he already knew Godfrey was returning, there would have been no reason to take the risk of attacking Lucian.
At that point in the Lands Between, Lucian's prestige had soared after becoming the first person to defeat a Demigod and reclaim Limgrave.
Nearly every Tarnished who returned to the Lands Between made Stormveil their first destination.
It was like being the first player in an online game to defeat the world's first raid boss, a server-wide announcement.
Even if only a portion of those Tarnished became Lucian's followers, it was still a force that could not be ignored.
After the Shattering, every faction had been weakened.
Only Leyndell still possessed an army larger than Stormveil's.
Yet because of geography, Stormveil was an even tougher target for Leyndell than Mt. Gelmir.
Leyndell could block armies from ascending the Grand Lift of Dectus.
Likewise, armies trying to descend faced the same problem.
Without allies waiting below, Leyndell's forces would simply descend into enemy territory and be surrounded.
The main road leading to Stormveil had been devastated during the Shattering.
Just reaching Stormveil required enormous effort.
Even if they managed to get there, maintaining their supply lines across such a distance would be nearly impossible.
Leyndell's forces had already suffered from severed supply lines while campaigning against Mt. Gelmir.
The route from the Royal Capital to Stormveil was even longer and more difficult.
Whether deploying small elite units or marching with a grand army, neither strategy was ideal.
If such a long campaign succeeded, then everything would be worthwhile.
But if it failed...
They would have thrown away every advantage they possessed.
That was undoubtedly the outcome Godfrey himself hoped to see.
Because once Godfrey returned, the value of those Tarnished armies would decrease dramatically.
The First Elden Lord's prestige throughout the Lands Between, and especially among the Tarnished, needed no explanation.
That was why, even after Lucian had slaughtered most of the Night's Cavalry, Morgott had never made another move.
Stabilize the situation.
Keep Lucian from breaching Leyndell.
Wait for Godfrey to return.
Once that happened...
Everything would be over.
That was what they all believed.
Unfortunately for them...
They had all underestimated Lucian's rate of growth.
How long had it taken Godfrey to fight countless wars, crush endless enemies, and forge himself into the mighty king he was?
Ten years?
Several decades?
Hundreds of years?
Lucian didn't know.
He only knew one thing.
He hadn't even needed a single year.
Lucian stood before the throne for a moment before teleporting to the Roundtable Hold.
While the Roundtable still served a purpose...
He might as well make full use of it.
At the very least...
It was time to reinforce his weapons.
—
On the distant shore beyond the vast ocean...
Godfrey stood silently atop a mountain peak, clad in armor, with Serosh, Lord of Beasts, resting upon his back.
Below the mountain, countless Tarnished and barbarians hauled enormous logs without pause.
Every warrior, no matter how weak, looked up at the towering figure on the summit with admiration shining in their eyes.
Within crude workshops hastily erected nearby, those massive timbers were gradually transformed into magnificent warships.
Thanks to the exceptional quality of the lumber...
And the barbarians' astonishing craftsmanship that defied imagination...
Even under such primitive conditions, they were constructing warships unlike anything the Lands Between had ever seen.
And those magnificent vessels already filled the sea in overwhelming numbers.
Godfrey paid no attention to the rapidly growing fleet.
He simply gazed silently across the boundless, pitch-black frozen sea...
Toward the Lands Between that still lay beyond the horizon.
Everything he had ever cared about was there.
His homeland.
His glorious achievements.
His children.
And...
His enemies.
Most importantly...
Marika was there.
Remembering Marika's decision, sorrow flickered across Godfrey's eyes.
To overcome the master they had once been utterly powerless against...
They had sacrificed everything.
And in return...
They had gained only a single possibility.
A fragile chance...
One so tiny it could slip through their fingers at the slightest mistake.
But...
The time of return had finally come.
Gazing across the frozen sea, Godfrey murmured quietly,
"Marika..."
"I am coming home."
"Our small and selfish dream..."
"Our desperate gamble..."
"Our enemy that cannot be defeated..."
"Our everything..."
"Wait for me."
"Wait for me to raise the curtain."