The next morning, Gawain stood before the mirror in his room, examining his new suit of armor. He had picked it up from Iji on his way back after checking on the Albinaurics the day before—or rather, it was a gift Iji had insisted on giving him once he learned of Gawain's next destination.
The Village Elder, who had recently moved into the city, had been moved to tears upon hearing they would be allowed to reside in the Eternal City. He'd thanked Gawain so profusely he nearly stood up from the "tricked-out" wheelchair Iji had built for him (seeing as the elder had difficulty moving).
Iji was living quite a leisurely life in Stormveil now. He no longer had to worry about sudden assassination attempts, and better yet, there was finally a lead on how to break the Two Fingers' mental grip on Shadowbound Beasts. They'd be bringing Blaidd over in a while.
As for Seluvis? Who was that? (Not that anyone cared.)
Since he was planning to visit the Academy, Gawain didn't want things to get too ugly. The Full Moon Queen was still in the library, and Ranni would likely be waking up soon; he had to show a bit of respect for his future mother-in-law.
"Mmhmm, not bad at all. This Carian Knight set really is a looker. I have to say, the Academy's sense of aesthetics is miles ahead of Leyndell's."
"Really? I actually think the patterns on the Leyndell attire are quite beautiful," Irena chimed in.
"I remember, when I was very, very young... back when my eyes could still see... I saw my mother wearing such clothes. But it's a shame; all her belongings were burned during the rebellion. I'll never have the chance to see them again. Now, turn around. There's a bit in the back that isn't quite right."
"Irena, you don't have to be so meticulous," Gawain said. "I'll likely be in a few fights at the Academy, and everything will get messed up anyway. That's why I didn't even bother putting the helmet on."
Irena pursed her lips and gripped Gawain's shoulders, forcibly spinning him around so she could fix the minor flaw in the back of his surcoat.
"That won't do. Didn't you say last night that this wouldn't be a world-shaking battle like the Festival? Appearing proper will earn you more respect from those sorcerers—at least, that's what my father always told me."
"Respect isn't bought with clothes. Besides, no one knows better than I do how to handle those 'academic lords.' I have plenty of personal experience to draw from on that front."
"Oh? I detect a hint of personal grievance in your tone."
"Let's not talk about it. Those are unpleasant memories I'd rather forget."
Every time Gawain saw sorcerers who had been persecuted and driven out of the Academy, he felt a certain kinship with them. It reminded him of the tragic days before he crossed over, when his own mentor had held his graduation project hostage.
His mentor had been just like the professors currently in power at the Academy: zero academic ability, but a master at tormenting students. If those pests were allowed to keep running the place, how could any real research get done?
So, his trip to the Academy was indeed fueled by a bit of personal spite. Once he reached the gates, he'd summon Master Sellen and charge in to sweep those professors away in one go.
After smoothing out the last crease, Irena let out a yawn and sat back on the edge of the bed. Since she was still in her nightgown, she simply climbed back under the covers. Handling the mountain of administrative tasks over the last few days had exhausted her; opportunities to relax like this were rare.
"You look fine now. I wish you a safe journey—come back soon. It's still early, so I'm going to sleep a bit longer. Once the Academy is settled, Stormveil will have enough hands to take over."
"Rest well."
Gawain stepped out of the room. He took one last look at the corridor of the city, which was operating in an orderly fashion, and nodded with satisfaction.
Just as he was about to teleport to the Liurnia lakefront, he heard a series of massive, rhythmic snores. Was that Irena? No, it was coming from above.
He had a hunch. Leaping out a window and using the power of the storm to reach the roof, he found a massive creature sprawled out, sleeping peacefully.
"Agiheel? I knew it was you making all that noise this early."
Startled awake, Agiheel lifted his head and cracked one eye open before flopping back down.
"I should be asking you that. Barging into my nest at the crack of dawn and disturbing my sleep... can't a dragon get some rest?"
Gawain blinked, looking around. He realized that this wide, open rooftop had indeed become Agiheel's new roost. Piles of random junk the dragon had scavenged were scattered everywhere.
"Since when did this become your nest? Weren't you sleeping on the landing pad next door?"
"Those sorcerers have been so noisy lately I couldn't sleep, so I moved. Besides, the view here is better; I can sense things from much further away."
Agiheel seemed to remember something and lifted his head again, looking toward Liurnia of the Lakes.
"Not long ago, I felt it... one of my kin was killed in Liurnia. It seems there are some very powerful hunters in the lake district. If you're going there, you'd best be careful."
"One of your kin? The Glintstone Dragon?" Gawain mused. "The only people who hunt dragons like that are the Dragon Communion followers. I just hope we don't end up with another Magma Wyrm in the lake."
If it was one of Agiheel's fellow flying dragons, Gawain knew it wasn't the one at Ranni's Three Sisters. That left Smarag, the dragon guarding the Academy Glintstone Key. Someone took him out already?
That was an unexpected discovery. Who in the lake district was capable of that right now? He couldn't think of anyone offhand.
Agiheel curled his body, let out a yawn, and went back to being a "salted fish" on the platform.
"Alright, I've given you the warning. I've only been asleep since the day before yesterday, and you woke me up. Don't disturb me again."
"Sleeping since the day before yesterday? You're going to rot from laziness. I saw the Mother of Dragons back in Caelid; one of these days, I'm dragging you to Greyoll so you can experience some 'maternal love.'"
"Hmph. Only if she can stand up again. Do you think my wings are just for show?"
Looking at the dragon whose gaze was becoming increasingly 'filial,' Gawain realized there was no fixing him. He'd raised him; he couldn't exactly throw him away now.
He turned his gaze toward Liurnia and, with a thought, vanished. He reappeared at the Site of Grace on the shore of Liurnia of the Lakes.
He didn't head straight for the Academy's front door; that would be a bit too aggressive. Instead, he chose to head for the foot of the hill where the Four Belfries stood.
Previously, he'd been in a rush to get to Caria Manor and had only lit the Grace before leaving. Now, he could investigate the Belfries and use the vantage point to observe the Academy.
Looking back, he remembered there should have been a Cuckoo's Evergaol nearby. But the seal was now broken, and the surrounding ruins of a Cuckoo Knight camp suggested the prisoner had already been released.
Clearly, Blaidd had finished the task Ranni had given him. He was likely heading back to Caria Manor with Bols, the knight he'd captured.
Resuming his journey, Gawain quickly found one of the important landmarks from his memory: the location of the Jellyfish Shield.
On the road lay a destroyed wagon surrounded by several human corpses. Their skin was a disturbing shade of purple.
Based on the color, they had been poisoned to death by jellyfish. However, the jellyfish responsible were nowhere to be found; they had likely departed after taking their revenge. There were banners of the Cuckoo Knights nearby, suggesting someone had already inspected the scene before he arrived.
Gawain checked the wagon. It was trashed, and the cargo was scattered. Most of it was mundane goods, likely picked over by the Cuckoos.
The Jellyfish Shield that should have been there was gone. A shame, he thought. I lost a good buff-shield. Oh well, it wasn't like he was lacking in powerful gear.
Gawain looked up at the hillside, where the outlines of the architecture were clear against the bright daylight. The Four Belfries stood out prominently.
He made his way up the slope. He remembered there were spirit Carian Troll Knights here. Whether those headless spirits still possessed a consciousness was unknown, but he didn't feel like entangling with them. Mounting Torrent, he quickly crossed the distance.
He successfully reached the summit, lit the Site of Grace, and then turned to examine the structures.
The chest that usually held an Imbued Sword Key in the game was long gone. That made sense; who would leave something as important as an Imbued Sword Key sitting out in the open? Fortunately, he had already secured one from the Sellians.
True to their name, there were four ancient stone belfries distributed across the hilltop.
The design of the four towers was identical. At the top of each, three large bells hung in a triangular pattern. Carved into the walls at the base was the image of an elder holding a stone tablet, hoisted aloft by the branches and leaves of the Erdtree.
Gawain looked closely at the statue. It was strikingly similar to the tablet-holding elders of the Uhl Palace. Though the facial features had been blurred by time, there was no other figure it could possibly represent.
Why were these ancient belfries built in the first place? The game never explicitly explained it, but since they led to such specific locations, their construction must have been the result of an agreement between various powerful factions.
Considering the age of the architecture, he could only guess they predated the Nox era, hailing from the legendary time when the Dragon Lord and the Dragon God ruled the Lands Between together. Only then would it make sense for people from Farum Azula and the Eternal Cities to cooperate on such a project.
According to his memory, the Four Belfries featured three portals leading to the Eternal City, the Crumbling Farum Azula, and the Chapel of Anticipation.
The portals to the Eternal City and the Chapel of Anticipation were unnecessary now, as both locations were already within his sphere of influence. That left only one logical choice.
However, as he explored the site, he made a startling discovery: the Four Belfries were not as they appeared in the game. In the game, only three of the towers had portals at their base, while the highest tower had no portal—only the chest with the key.
But here, there were four portals, matching the name exactly. In the spot where the chest should have been, there was a completely unfamiliar portal. It looked different from the other three.
Though it clearly had some age to it, it was obviously not from the same era as the others; it was newer.
Checking the portals one by one, he confirmed that in addition to the "Precipice of Anticipation," the "Eternal Night Sky," and the "Crumbling Lands," there was a new destination. The inscription at the base of the portal read: The Boundless Snowfield.
"The Boundless Snowfield? That... that has to be the Consecrated Snowfield. What is going on here?"
Gawain hesitated. Should he use his Imbued Sword Key to see where it led?
"There is no need for second-guessing. That portal leads exactly where you think: the Consecrated Snowfield."
Ranni had woken up at some point. Finding herself at the Four Belfries, so close to the Academy, had likely triggered her reawakening.
She glanced at Gawain. He was wearing the Carian Knight armor—the set Iji had been keeping. For some reason, a small, inexplicable sense of pride welled up within her.
Surveying the scene, she knew exactly where the portal led.
"The Consecrated Snowfield? Why does this portal look so different from the other three?"
"Because it was built by Miquella's messengers," Ranni replied. "On the eve of the Night of the Black Knives."
"The Night of the Black Knives! Miquella was involved in that too? What exactly happened that night?"
Gawain had many theories about that night, but hearing Miquella's name from Ranni's mouth made his heart race. With both a mastermind and a victim right here, he had to seize the chance to find the truth.
"You wish to know what transpired that night?"
Ranni's expression held a hint of playfulness. She knew Gawain already had some inside information about her, but there were details that only someone as deeply involved as she could know.
If this had been their first or second meeting, she might have been reluctant to share. But things had changed.
Primarily, since her brother's soul had been spirited away to who-knows-where by Miquella, she was more than willing to share intelligence on him. She needed to find that demigod—who even she found dangerous—and uncover the truth.
"Very well. Let me tell you of the causes and consequences of that night. That demigod who will never grow up... beneath that harmless exterior lies a heart far more dangerous than you can imagine.
Though, unfortunately for him, he was outplayed by me."
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (218 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────