27. Lemuen's Choice
Xiling stared at the Elden Ring in his hand in confusion. It had nearly entered Lemuen's body just now, and if Xiling hadn't stopped it, it would have succeeded.
"No, how could this thing still move on its own!" Everyone had witnessed the scene just now, and the Tarnished exclaimed in shock.
Xiling was equally confused, shaking his head. "I don't know what this situation is about."
Just then, Morgott stepped forward. He first looked deeply at the Elden Ring, then at Lemuen. Lemuen blinked in confusion. It was Lemuen's blinking that caught Morgott's eye; it was some kind of blessing.
Morgott immediately thought of the origin of the blessing, and he couldn't help but whisper, "The blessing of the Supreme Will."
His whisper naturally didn't escape everyone's ears, and Xiling immediately made the connection. He looked at the Elden Ring in his hand, or more accurately, at the Elden Beast. As a creature of the Supreme Will, the other party might have sensed the Supreme Will's blessing within Lemuen, thus seeking to enter her body.
"But why didn't it choose Kevin? It chose Lemuen instead?" Xiling looked at Kevin, then at Lemuen. Both of them had received blessings. Surely the Elden Beast wouldn't choose based on gender, right?
Xiling shook his head, dismissing the strange thought. He then tossed the Elden Ring into his Starry Cloak and smiled at everyone.
"Very good! In just one day, we're already halfway through our strategy. We should have a party to celebrate, but unfortunately, time is tight and the task is heavy. Let's go home and get some rest."
Houraiji Kyuushou exclaimed, "Ah! Why are you saying something so depressing at this moment?"
"Are you really not tired?" Xiling casually glanced at Houraiji Kyuushou. After entering the Mature Stage, he could tell a person's condition with just his eyes. Everyone present had been tired, especially Kevin, Luo Tianyi, and finally Houraiji Kyuushou.
Lemuen and the Tarnished were fine; their stamina wasn't much, but they had been busy all day and deserved a break. Theoretically, Xiling could restore everyone's energy instantly, but he preferred not to. If possible, he wanted his friends to recover through rest.
The Hero's power isn't about making your wishes come true. Rather, it's a profoundly overbearing ability. The Hero's will warps the world, distorts reality, and the power that executes all of this is the Hero's magic. The white magic is an extension of the Hero's will, and the Hero's characteristic: an indestructible will that never dies. This is why Xiling's magic is EX.
Xiling hoped not to use this power on his friends, because... It's addictive.
"We're leaving like this, is that okay?" Kevin asked Xiling before leaving.
Xiling gave Kevin an OK sign. "I've tried it, don't worry."
Kevin glanced at Xiling speechlessly, then said, "I'll come early tomorrow," and returned to his own world.
The others also gradually returned to their own worlds. The Tarnished, being locals, didn't need to leave, but one figure remained in this world. Xiling looked at the figure and asked, "Aren't you going back, Lemuen?"
Lemuen smiled and shook her head at Xiling's question. "There's something I want to discuss with you privately."
Xiling: "...Okay."
Just then, the Tarnished approached Xiling and asked sternly, "Where are we staying tonight?"
"Just lay the bed on the floor... You're right, we need to find a place to stay." Xiling had originally said the floor would be fine, but upon seeing Lemuen, he immediately changed his mind.
He and the Tarnished, two grown men, didn't care about that, but Lemuen was at least a wounded soldier, and finding a place to stay wouldn't be difficult.
Xiling approached Morgott with a smile plastered on his face. He asked, "Morgott, is there any room to rest here?"
Morgott nodded. "Come with me."
"Thank you, you're such a kind person!" Xiling clasped his hands together and bowed to Morgott. Then, he turned around, pushing Lemuen's wheelchair and following behind him. Morgott led the way silently, while Xiling and the others followed without speaking. The night seemed devoid of any other sound except their footsteps. As they turned a corner, Morgott asked Xiling a question:
"...Eternal Queen, what did you do with him?"
Knowing Morgott would undoubtedly ask him about this, Xiling openly explained his approach. "I pulled out the Elden Ring and sent him flying, letting him see what the Lands Between looked like now."
Morgott shook his head. "What was your purpose?"
"I just wanted to see how he felt about the Lands Between now."
...
A frail figure cloaked in a cloak walked through the night, heading towards the Raya Lucaria Academy. But before he could take a few steps, he was stopped by a group of people. Radagon stared expressionlessly at the group who tried to stop him, golden ripples flickering in his hands. Seconds later, Radagon stepped over the rotten flesh on the ground and headed forward. However, before he had gone far, the shattered flesh began to shift.
Radagon didn't look back; he had seen this sort of thing too many times along the way.
This was the result of the Elden Ring being shattered; the entire Lands Between was in chaos.
...
Morgott and Xiling paused in a corridor. He then pointed to three rooms and said, "Distribute them as you please." With that, Morgott departed.
"Thank you, Morgott. By the way, there's a meeting tomorrow, don't come too early," Xiling thanked him and told him about the meeting.
Morgott turned back and nodded to Xiling before walking away again.
After Morgott left, Xiling and the other two searched the rooms for any dangerous objects or individuals. Fortunately, there were none. The Tarnished yawned loudly. "Ah, finally, a good night's sleep. I'm going back to my room."
"Don't sleep too deeply. Stay alert, okay?"
"Got it, got it." The Tarnished returned to his chosen room and waved to the two before closing the door. "You guys should go to bed early, too," he said, closing the door behind him.
Xiling and Lemuen were the only two left. After sending Lemuen back to her room, Xiling didn't leave immediately, but sat down on a stool. "Tell me, what do you want to discuss with me?"
After a moment's silence, Lemuen took a deep breath before looking at Xiling. Her tone was pleading, "Xiling, can I integrate the Elden Ring into my body?"
"...Why?"
Lemuen placed a hand on her chest. "Laterano also has a rule, and we Sankta have always been protected by it. It may be different from the Golden Rule, but I want to try it. I want to accept the Elden Ring into myself and try to bless all the races in the Lands Between. If it can be accomplished here, then...is it possible...to do so in my world as well?"
Lemuen looked Xiling in the eye and said earnestly. "So, I'm asking you, Xiling, if I could accommodate the Elden Ring?"
"...Yes."
Xiling leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and said helplessly, "Let me make this clear: the Elden Ring must remain in this world. At most, I'll give you a taste of it. Also, the Ring may have some effects on you, so be prepared."
Seeing Xiling's expression of helplessness, Lemuen's lips curled up into a bright smile. "Thank you, Xiling."