28. Xiling's Morning
Hearing Lemuen's thanks, Xiling stood up from his stool and waved, "We're old friends, it's a bit strange to say this. Okay, you should get some rest early, but I still suggest you go back home and sleep."
Lemuen nodded, saying nothing more, and returned to her own world.
Watching Lemuen disappear, Xiling didn't linger. He returned to his chosen room, closed the door, and jumped directly onto his bed. Feeling the soft touch, Xiling felt a wave of relief. As he felt this relief, Xiling began to think about himself.
He was a hero. Heroes don't appear without reason. Once a hero appears, it means the world is in crisis and has sent a call for help to the Hero Forest. The Hero Forest will then select a hero. Those who pass the test will become heroes, draw their own holy sword, and defeat the guardian. After they defeat the guardian, they can leave the Hero Forest and embark on the journey to save the world. The Guardian is the skeleton soldier Xiling had battled so many times. Born from the Hero Forest, the Guardian's sole purpose is to train and test the Hero.
The Hero Forest is a place of wonder. Even the Hero Heritage Xiling received doesn't explain its exact nature. However, Xiling did receive information about it: it possesses consciousness.
The Guardian was nurtured by the Hero Forest to investigate the severity of the crisis afflicting the world. Only the Hero who defeats the Guardian has a chance of saving the world, but that's only the remotest possibility.
Thinking of this, Xiling buried his head in bed. No wonder the Holy Sword couldn't inflict any damage. The Guardian created by the Hero Forest is truly kind. Even if Xiling slashed with the sword, it wouldn't likely inflict any damage. As for his other attacks, it was simply because of his insufficient strength that he was unable to damage the skeleton soldier.
As for the Forest Keeper whom he had buried, he was also a guide appointed by the Hero Forest. His mission was to teach Xiling how to become a Hero. Once that was accomplished, he would disappear. Xiling raised his hand, looked at it, and whispered, "I don't know if I can defeat the Guardian now and head to the so-called crisis."
"I'll go back after I finish things here."
Xiling wasn't anxious about the other world. It wasn't that he didn't care. If the situation was truly urgent or a large-scale incident was about to occur, the Hero Forest would alert Xiling and prompt him to go there as soon as possible. Even now in the world of the Elden Ring, Xiling still felt his connection to the Hero Forest.
His eyelids slowly drooped, and Xiling fell into sleep...
The next morning, Xiling's eyes slowly opened.
"Is it morning yet?" Xiling sat up in bed, touched the back of his head, and blinked in confusion.
Glancing at the surrounding rooms, Xiling climbed out of bed, stretched his muscles briefly, and then sighed, "It feels like I haven't slept in a bed in ages. I'm not used to lying down on it."
Pushing the door open and glancing at the still-closed door next to his room, Xiling knew someone was still asleep. "Forget it, let him sleep. It's still early."
Xiling's footsteps echoed in the silent corridor, and there was no other sound besides him.
After crossing the corridor and entering the outside, the surroundings remained silent, as if there was no one else here except Xiling and the still-sleeping figure.
Xiling took a step forward, and soon a figure caught his eye. It was Morgott.
Xiling smiled and immediately walked forward and greeted him, "Hey, you're up so early, Morgott."
Morgott didn't turn around, still staring into the distance. Only when Xiling reached his side did he speak. "To protect the royal capital, I went without rest day or night, month after month. I was afraid that my laziness would lead to the collapse of everything. Even if the royal capital stabilized a little, I'd gotten used to my old life."
Xiling sighed, "That was really hard work."
Morgott shook his head, "It was all worth it."
Morgott withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked down at Xiling. "You said you had a meeting today. When was it going to start?"
Xiling looked at Morgott. A thought flooded his mind: "Could he have been waiting all night?"
The thought of this possibility made Xiling want to kick the still-sleeping guy.
Morgott's gaze was met with a guilty aversion, and Xiling avoided it by saying. "It'll probably take a while."
"...Is that so? I see."
After saying this, silence once again returned. Xiling pondered, "How about telling him about his brother now? Yeah, that's fine, I think."
Thinking of this, Xiling cleared his throat and said, "Morgott, while we still have a little time, let me tell you about your brother's situation."
Morgott nodded.
Reaching the edge of the fence, Xiling sat down on it before speaking. "During the Shattered War, your brother, Mohg, abducted Miquella from The Haligtree."
Morgott was, of course, well aware of this past incident. It was his brother's audacious act, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, that stirred up waves and indirectly catalyzed the division within the Monarchs Alliance. This unexpected turn of events ultimately paved the way for his victory in that protracted war. It can be said that without Mohg's shocking action, the Leyndell Royal Capital might have looked completely different, and the course of history would have been rewritten.
"And you may have already sensed in your heart that Mohg is fundamentally different from you. He wasn't content to simply protect the established Golden Dynasty. A burning desire for the unknown burned within him, dreaming of forging a new era all on his own. So, he journeyed deep into the depths of Caelid and personally established a dynasty, the Mohgwyn Palace."
"So he journeyed to the Haligtree and abducted Miquella, intending for him to become his god, and he himself to become the god's consort—the king consort. Unfortunately, no matter how much he tried, Miquella refused and instead used his own powers to seduce your brother."
"Now your brother is madly obsessed with Miquella, believing that with his consent, he could establish his own dynasty."
At this point, Xiling fixed his gaze on Morgott, his tone tinged with curiosity. "Do you think that with Miquella's consent, he could establish his own Blood Dynasty?"
Faced with Xiling's curiosity, Morgott shook his head. "I don't know."
He glanced past Xiling, toward the distant, blurry horizon, as if searching for an answer. "I've never heard of the claim that becoming a consort with a god-man grants one the right to be crowned king."
"The Eternal Queen, our... mother, is the only god in this land. Only by becoming her partner can one truly be called king."
"Indeed," Xiling nodded in agreement.
It's almost like, 'This king is not dead, and you are only crown princes after all.' Both statements are similar.
Morgott withdrew his distant gaze and turned to Xiling: "You, who know so much, can you answer me a question?"
"Please go ahead," Xiling replied succinctly and directly.
"Why does Mohg think that he can become king with just Miquella's consent?" Morgott's tone was filled with confusion and bewilderment. Xiling shrugged.
"Perhaps you don't know. Long ago, Mohg had contact with the Outer Gods. The 'The Formless Mother' or 'Mother of Truth' became his faith, guiding him along his journey. You probably understand what happened next. Under this god's guidance, he has come this far."
After hearing Xiling's explanation, Morgott fell into a long silence. Finally, he sighed deeply, his voice filled with complexity and emotion. "Thank you for your reply."