The girl paused, tilting her head as if weighing the meaning of "only friends joke around like this."
Her hesitation flickered, then vanished as her eyes widened at Throne's sudden sprint.
"Who wouldn't be angry!"
Provoking two people at once—Throne was satisfied.
He hadn't overthought it. Comfort dictated his actions, not the polished tactics of a seasoned charmer. Teasing Melina and embarrassing Ranni? Far more entertaining than icy silence or stiff respect.
People grow closer through interaction. Without it, even years together leave them strangers. Caria's situation was excellent, and Throne's mood lifted as he grew closer to Melina and Ranni.
But stepping into the dungeon, he sobered. This was where the academy imprisoned sorcerers.
He'd nearly been locked up here once. Despite the ominous name, the dungeon lacked bloodstained racks or cold iron bars. Sorcerers were respectable; even imprisoned, they lived comfortably. The walls were unyielding stone.
In the center sat a round table and a single bed. On a stool, a Tarnished brooded over his life.
Vilhelm had no intention of escaping. Without his confiscated staff, the thick walls were insurmountable. At the sound of footsteps, his head jerked up. Lifeless eyes met the newcomer.
A Carian Knight entered, his cold stare sending a shiver down Vilhelm's spine. He shot to his feet, electrified. The memory of a row of Cuckoo heads haunted him. If he'd been fearless, he wouldn't have fled that night. The sight of the long blade and the cloaked girl made him retreat half a step.
Him. That demon. One man, one sword—corpses littered the field. Even a Crucible Knight fell. For days, Vilhelm's nightmares replayed it endlessly.
"Good afternoon, Tarnished."
Throne's tone was warm. He wasn't worried about stubbornness. Those who've faced death understand life's true value.
"My lord, I beg to atone! The Roundtable Hold will pay a ransom!"
Vilhelm blurted, words tumbling out. Before he could continue, Throne raised a hand. Silence fell. Vilhelm was the fish; Throne, the knife. A single gesture could end him.
"You have no bargaining chips. Sir Gideon Ofnir wouldn't pay your ransom. Impossible."
Throne crushed the fantasy. Vilhelm slumped.
Throne's voice brightened. "Knowing too much isn't good, but keeping you alive depends on your value."
"Really?" Hope surged in Vilhelm, but Throne raised a hand again.
"Truth or lies, you have no right to ask. Besides trusting me, what can you do?"
Brutal honesty. Vilhelm's face twisted. He nodded slightly.
"Fine, I trust you."
What else could he say? If he'd known capture awaited, he'd have fought to the death that night. If he had been determined to die, these past two days would have been enough for him to bash his head against the wall a hundred times.
"Very good."
Throne nodded, producing a round talisman. He swung it like a pocket watch.
"Tell me, where did you come into contact with Primeval Sorcery?"
......
Elphael, the "Branch of the Haligtree" in the north. No towering stone walls like Leyndell or Stormveil—this city thrived in a jungle, its beauty bordering on art. Gnarled branches formed walkways, Erdtree leaves weaving a living canopy overhead.
Sunlight pierced the foliage in scattered beams, dappling light across the delicate houses clinging to the trees. They looked like something out of an elf tale. Wind stirred the leaves, a whispering hush that calmed the soul. Misbegotten, humans, Albinaurics—all lived here in rare harmony.
In a treehouse beside the grand stage, a woman leaned against the windowsill. Black hair, blue eyes sharp with intellect. The breeze played with her locks, making Sellen squint in contentment. She tucked a stray strand behind her ear, breathing in the scent of blossoms and sap.
Years here, and the view still didn't bore her. Green everywhere, vibrant and alive. Maybe that fool apprentice would like it too. A faint smile touched her lips. The fantasy resurfaced, bright as ever.
A lab in Elphael. Research by candlelight, wandering the branches for inspiration when her eyes grew tired.
Her smile faltered.
"That idiot's kept me waiting too long. Unless he's crawled off to that Lunar Princess?"
Hmph. If he had, she'd flay him alive. Apprentices belonged at their teacher's side, not chasing royal skirts. She was halfway through mentally drafting his punishment when heavy boots thudded outside. The door swung open.
A Cleanrot Knight stood there, helmet tucked under one arm. Golden hair, one eye—Ivan, Throne's old friend. Ten years had weathered him, carved lines where there'd once been boyish charm. The Haligtree's retreat had left its scars.
Sellen shot him a glare.
"In a hurry? I'm elbow-deep in rot-suppressant. And your so-called Perfumer's useless—just slows me down."
She hadn't come here for leisure. After raising hell across Altus Plateau, certain "dignitaries" had taken notice. Running into the Cleanrot Knights hunting for a rot cure was pure coincidence. Sellen loathed killing, despised travel—give her a quiet corner to research in peace.
"I've got news." Ivan gritted his teeth. The woman was insufferable, but Throne's widow was his responsibility.
"Talk. Water's over there if you're thirsty. Fetch me two buckets while you're at it."
'Do you hate sunlight that much?!' He bit back the retort.
"Godrick's dead. Limgrave belongs to the Tarnished now."
"And?"
"You were driven out by him."
"Only because he brought an army. I'd planned to gut him after this job."
Sellen was a bit angry; she hated having her plans ruined. She'd been content waiting at Waypoint Ruins, but those bastards had hunted her down. At first, she'd resisted—then the pursuers multiplied, forcing her retreat. Typical. Even demigods were just obstacles to her.
Ivan coughed lightly and added: "Also, Caria has taken back the Raya Lucaria Academy. This matter also concerns you."
"How did that annoying Lunar Princess finally come to her senses?" Sellen was finally a bit surprised; she certainly knew the inside story.
"I don't know, but that's the result. By the way, I heard Caria has produced a powerful knight who killed several magic professors single-handedly. Heh, those Carian fellows are always hiding things; they don't even know how to promote such a great hero."
"Wait, you said one person?" Sellen turned her head, her clear, azure eyes staring intently at him.
"Yeah. You don't think it's Throne, do you? It's not that I'm bad-mouthing him, but how could this rookie..."
"It's him. It must be him." Sellen said with certainty, leaving the knight not knowing how to respond. Then, he saw the sorceress quickly leave the window and begin stuffing various items into her backpack.
"Miss Sellen, what are you doing?"
"Obviously, I'm going back to Liurnia to settle the score with him. Damn it, he didn't take me, his teacher, seriously at all."
Ivan opened his mouth, completely at a loss for words. Wasn't this woman usually quite rational? How could she believe it just from hearing a piece of intelligence?
"What about our commission?"
"Suppressing the rot is too much trouble, and waking up Malenia is even harder than ascending to the heavens."
Sellen shoved things haphazardly into her backpack and stood up, only to see the knight blocking the door with no intention of moving. She raised her slender eyebrows and gripped her staff: "You aren't qualified to stop me. Send that woman, Finlay, over."
Her killing intent was chilling; Sellen was beautiful, dangerous, and did as she pleased.
"Please calm down." The knight held a large shield in front of him to prevent her from suddenly going mad.
"Regardless of whether this person is him, if it really is him, you have many enemies, and you will endanger Throne."
"I'll just kill them all."
"If you could kill them all, would you need to hide in Elphael??" Ivan gave a bitter smile. To bring this woman back, he had taken several kicks from Finlay.
If Sellen weren't truly a genius capable of suppressing the spreading rot, the Haligtree wouldn't have protected her. After all, here, Miquella and Malenia were everything; the Erdtree didn't amount to much.
Sellen was actually quite calm.
She hesitated for a moment, knowing full well that she was the one taking the blame for Throne, causing all sorts of Erdtree big shots to search for her like madmen. She pinched her chin, thinking quietly, and then immediately set down her backpack: "You're right. A teacher shouldn't bring trouble to their student."
Sellen was very clear that she had shouldered most of the hatred, and she was even clearer about what Throne wanted to do. To destroy that tree, the power of a mere hero was not enough.
Ivan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. This woman had finally come to her senses. With all the baggage she carried, who in the entire Lands Between would dare take her in besides the Haligtree Army?
"I'll send someone to send a message to Caria."
"No need. I hate for that Lunar Princess to know. I'll have my own ways when the time comes. You go first."
Sellen waved her hand, and seeing the knight leave, she slowly took the items out of her backpack. A teacher shouldn't bring trouble; a teacher should provide help to their student, paving the way for his ideals.
She opened the cabinet, glanced at the exquisite doll inside that looked exactly like her, and turned to see the falling leaves of the Haligtree. The leaves swirled down toward the roots, where a sleeping demigod lay.
"It seems this teacher will have to prepare an extra gift for you."
......
"So, Teacher ran off to the Altus Plateau. How on earth did she cross the Center Sea?"
Throne stood on the stone steps, looking toward the north. The interrogation of Vilhelm had yielded results. After returning to The Lands Between, he had been searching for the origin, and then, a few years ago, during a joint capture operation, he met Sellen and made a deal with her.
Vilhelm led away the pursuers, and the price was that Sellen gave him the method to condense primeval glintstone.
However, Sellen later disappeared without a trace, and he was as regretful as if he had received an unfinished book. No wonder this guy was so afraid of death. For sorcerers pursuing the origin, there was no such thing as loyalty; the core of all their actions was exploring 'truth'.
"What kind of person is that teacher of yours?" Melina asked suddenly.
She had noticed that there weren't many people Throne cared about.
"An intellectual, focused person, I suppose." Throne didn't know how to describe her, so he had to give a vague answer. Sellen only cared about things that interested her.
He looked at Melina with pity, always feeling that the latter would have a rough time. 'I'll have to keep an eye on things then; don't let Teacher trick her into becoming an experiment. Melina could be the subject of at least ten research projects.'
"What kind of look is that?"
"Nothing, just realized I have more work to do."
Inexplicable.
Melina didn't quite understand and asked again: "Then, are you planning to go find her next?"
Throne had indeed considered it, but although he missed her, he remained calm.
"She is being hunted; she won't stay in one place for long. Searching like a headless fly won't yield any results. Besides, the situation is too tense recently, and Morgott must be on guard."
He and Sellen dared not expose their identities; it wouldn't be as gentle as dealing with Caria. If the Black Blade Maliketh were drawn out, Ranni would also be killed along with them. Before obtaining enough power, he would keep this secret as long as he could. That was why he hadn't let Allen and the others publicize it with great fanfare, fearing that the other side would connect all the dots.
Melina, who could be considered an insider, nodded slightly. A powerful Carian Knight was also an existence under the Golden Order, and a guy capable of devouring a great rune could be called an enemy of the Erdtree. All the powerhouses would use their full strength to destroy him.
"I'll leave the decision to you."
"Hmm, let's wait for news first."
Throne nodded and pulled Melina along as they walked out. It wasn't a good day to see Ranni, so he changed into casual clothes to take the opportunity to revisit old haunts; he didn't know if those restaurants from back then had closed down or not.
The two left the academy and went to the town in front of the gate.
After the war, it was much more desolate than before, but fortunately, after order was restored, it slowly regained some signs of life. There weren't many shops open, and even the restaurant he often frequented had changed owners. The blonde waitress had become a Finger Maiden. After asking around, he heard that the original owner had moved his whole family to Leyndell.
Things were different, and people had changed; it always stirred melancholy, and coupled with Sellen's situation, it always made one feel heavy-hearted. Throne found a corner and sat down, in the same spot as back then. He ordered some food, took a couple of bites, then put down his spoon and sipped the Heppa tea; it still had a bit of the taste from back then.
"Why aren't you eating?" Melina was eating a cream roll, with a bit of white cream hanging from the corner of her mouth.
"I'm not hungry. Don't worry, I'm treating you to this meal; I won't make you pay."
"Even if you asked me to pay, I don't have any money." Melina didn't appreciate the gesture and continued eating in small bites; she had recently fallen in love with this feeling.
Throne slid the plate aside, propped his chin on one hand, and studied Melina in silence. Lately she'd developed a habit—eating more, sleeping more, actually recognizing that warm glow people called happiness.
"What?" She caught his stare and bristled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
His expression unsettled her—that soft, paternal fondness didn't belong on his face.
Throne took a sip of tea, covering his face with the cup: "Being with me, you're quite happy, right?"
Melina whipped her head away. "Not at all!"
"Hey. Don't start copying Ranni's attitude."
"Afraid I'll tattle to the Lunar Princess?"
"If you'd actually speak to her?" He laughed into his teacup. "I'd throw a banquet."