57. Malenia's Request
The seven Great Runes and the Death Rune have been recovered.
The Elden Ring can be repaired at any time.
The Lands Between will usher in a complete rebirth.
In a room, six figures sat around a round table.
These six were Xiling, Radagon, Ranni, Radahn, Morgott, and Goldmask.
Each of them held a book.
To be more precise, a Holy Scripture.
"Huh!"
A soft exhale broke the almost frozen silence.
Xiling closed the book. A face previously immersed in thought now wore a brilliant smile. Xiling generously raised a thumbs-up to Goldmask across the table, his eyes gleaming with heartfelt gratitude and bright excitement.
"Master, I'm so grateful to you this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."
The Goldmask bowed slightly.
"To be able to participate in the weaving of the Holy Scripture is an unparalleled honor. Your vision provides the direction, and I'm simply following the trajectory."
"Ah, you're too polite!" Xiling smiled and waved his hand. Then, his gaze swept over the others at the round table, still holding the Holy Scripture.
"Everyone, how are you feeling? Is there any need for revisions or additions to the Holy Scripture that need to be made?"
Ranni put the Holy Scripture down and fell silent. She knew everything written there. What silenced her was not the content itself, but the Silver King before her. Once again, she was certain that he wasn't joking about weaving a fairy tale. He truly intended to use an unprecedented framework on this shattered land!
Radahn shook his head. "I have nothing to add."
Radagon also put down the book in his hand and looked at Xiling.
"One of the laws of the Holy Scripture is that all who believe in Silver will be unified. All races that believe in the new rule, regardless of origin or form, will be transformed into a single life form..."
"This will certainly eradicate the discrimination and conflict caused by differences in form, as you wish. However, is the price too high? The unique talents that countless creatures are proud of, the physical characteristics inherited from their ancestors, and even the racial identity that forms the core of their culture... will be destroyed and erased in this unification."
Xiling said helplessly, "That's something only those with the energy to spare would consider. Currently, countless beings across the Lands Between are still struggling to survive. Even after the Elden Ring is fully restored and the Silver Rule bestows blessings upon all, it will still take a long time for this Lands Between to slowly recover from its shattered state."
"And there's another crucial issue. Most of those who believe in the Golden Rule have become deformed. I must consider them."
That's more than just deformity; it's a complete transformation of race.
Radagon thought of the pitiful figures he'd seen, their bodies twisted, swollen, and festering into inhuman forms by the Undead Curse.
After a moment, he nodded slightly.
"Then I have no problem."
Xiling nodded and added, "What you say is indeed something to keep in mind, but we'll have to wait and see how things develop."
Xiling looked at the last person, the Cursed Child, once spurned by the Golden Rule, imprisoned in the sewers, and regarded as an ominous omen by the entire population. Morgott's head, crowned with enormous, twisted horns, drooped. His massive hand rested on the open Holy Scripture, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the edges of the pages.
Xiling softly asked, "What about you, Morgott?"
Morgott shook his head at Xiling's question.
He didn't have anything to say or add, which was fine, right?
Xiling nodded. "Then let's go back to do our own things. I'm leaving now."
Xiling was about to turn and head for the door when he suddenly remembered something and glanced at Radahn.
"By the way, Radahn, I have some things I need you to do with me."
Radahn nodded, then stood up and followed Xiling out. Entering the grand yet somewhat empty main corridor of the royal capital, the towering vaulted ceiling seemed to reach the heavens. Armored soldiers stood like statues at each checkpoint. Upon seeing Xiling and Radahn approach, they immediately knelt on one knee, their movements in unison, the clink of armor audible.
"King!"
"General!"
Xiling waved. "Thank you for your hard work."
After crossing another corridor, Xiling slowed his pace and spoke without turning back, his voice remarkably clear in the empty hallway:
"Do you remember those stars you sealed?"
Latan's steps remained unbroken.
"I have not forgotten."
"That's good. This time, I'm primarily looking for you because of those stars."
Xiling paused, turned, and looked up at the giant general.
"There are quite a few of these stars. Even with many soldiers dispatched to search, the search is still slow. So, I'd like to ask you to use your gravity magic, which allows you to fly quickly, to find the stars here and mark them."
Xiling handed Radahn a map with numerous markings in it, indicating the locations where the stars had been found.
Radahn took the map from Xiling and examined it.
"Then I'll set off now."
"Okay, stay safe. Um, and I have a favor to ask of you."
Radahn paused in his flight, awaiting Xiling's next words.
Xiling smiled. "If you discovered the fallen stars in a more remote area, leave them alone for now. I'll keep them for other uses."
Although Radahn didn't understand Xiling's intention, he nodded.
As he was about to take off, Radahn glanced in a certain direction, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of stone walls to see a figure, but he said nothing.
The next second...
BOOM!!! A terrifying sonic boom once again shattered the tranquility of the royal capital! Radahn's figure transformed into a streak of light, swept along by a violent gravitational torrent, soaring skyward. What was left behind were only spiderweb-like cracks on the ground, a cloud of flying dust, and Xiling, whose hair was tossed by the violent turbulence.
"Huh... this guy, couldn't he take off more gently?" Xiling raised a hand helplessly, his fingertips brushing against his short silver-white hair, which had clung to his cheeks by the violent turbulence of Radahn's takeoff, straightening it back into place.
Xiling watched the meteor quickly disappear into the skyline at the edge of the royal capital, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He turned, his gaze fixed on the deep, shadowy corner behind the pillars, untouched by the turbulence.
"What? Waiting here on purpose? Do you need something from me?"
The shadows rippled like water. A tall figure silently emerged from them, as if she were part of the darkness. It was Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who had once infuriated countless warriors.
However, she was not clad in the knightly armor that symbolized war and valor. Instead, she wore a dark, elegantly cut, expensively crafted court gown, its hem flowing like the night.
This soft attire softened her unmatched murderous aura, but unexpectedly highlighted a hidden, almost fragile fatigue.
The vortex left by Radahn's takeoff swept through the corridor, also blowing her long hair and the soft hem of her skirt.
Malenia raised her left hand slightly, gently pressing down the wind-twisted strands.
In response to Xiling's direct question, she did not immediately respond. Her eyes, once tainted by corruption but now clear, gazed deeply at the Silver King before her.
Malenia's lips parted several times, but no sound emanated. Xiling observed Malenia's silence, his easygoing smile still on his face.
"If you haven't figured out what to say yet..."
Xiling leaned aside and gestured, "Why don't you think while we walk? Walk with me for a while, and perhaps your thoughts will flow more freely."
Silence lingered in the corridor for several breaths, the only sound being the gentle brush of their sleeves. Finally, Malenia nodded gently, her movements graceful yet with a subtle stiffness. She said nothing, simply walking quietly and following Xiling.
Two figures once again walked through the palace. The tall and majestic Radahn had become the Valkyrie Marennia.
This path happened to pass through the corridor Xiling had walked side by side with Radagon not long ago.
Soon, they arrived at the secluded garden courtyard.
Xiling walked to the familiar, cool stone bench and sat down casually, even leaning back comfortably to stretch his shoulders. "Tsk, it's still comfortable here." Xiling sighed contentedly and closed his eyes for a few seconds.
Malenia sat upright on the stone bench opposite him.
Even in her gorgeous court dress, she remained upright. The soft fabric and flowing lines softened her fierce aura, revealing a strange, melancholy softness.
Xiling opened his eyes and looked at the Valkyrie across from him with clear eyes.
"Okay, now tell me, what's the matter?"
Malenia's hands, resting on her knees, unconsciously clenched the soft fabric of her dress. She took a deep breath.
"Silver King, please... do you have any way to save my brother, Miquella?"
Everything in this world has changed. Her brother might never reach the King he promised her. If so, he will remain there forever, in the place called the Land of Shadow.
"That's the question, indeed." Xiling wasn't surprised that the other party would ask about it.
However, he was somewhat curious why they would ask him, given that it would clearly be better to ask Radagon.
Xiling didn't realize that his presence gave many people the impression and a feeling of, "Leave it to me, I'll handle it." Even Malenia felt the same way.
And Malenia hadn't chosen the wrong person. Xiling did have a solution to this problem. After the God-Devouring Serpent devoured Miquella, it gained all of Miquella's possessions. After slaying the God-Devouring Serpent, Xiling gained both the God-Devouring Serpent and Miquella's possessions.
This included entering the Land of Shadows.
So, Xiling nodded in response to Malenia's question. "I do have a solution."
"Really...really!" Malenia asked excitedly.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Yes..." Malenia took a deep breath, as if sucking all the fresh air in the courtyard into her lungs, forcibly suppressing the ecstasy and excitement that threatened to burst forth from her chest. After her pounding heart settled, Malenia spoke again, "Silver King, you have no reason to deceive me."
Malenia looked directly at Xiling. "Then, what should I do? Or..." She paused, then spoke clearly, "What price should I pay?"
To gain, one must first give.
As a Valkyrie, Malenia naturally understood this principle. The other party was not her own. If she sought their help, she must pay something in exchange for it.
Whatever it was, Malenia would not back down. She was ready to put everything she had on the table.
The wind in the courtyard seemed to hold its breath.
"Pay what?" Xiling waved his hand casually.
"No, no, that's fine."
Malenia was slightly startled, a flicker of disbelief and confusion in her eyes.
No price? That was completely unexpected.
But Xiling's next words immediately refocused her attention. "But," Xiling said, a smile gracing his face.
"You do need to do a little favor for me."
"...Please tell me," Malenia replied immediately, her voice steady. No matter what the task, as long as it meant returning her brother, she would complete it without hesitation.
At that moment, Xiling slowly raised his right hand. His movements were slow and deliberate, his fingers moving across the table before finally rising steadily and pointing directly at the person sitting across from him—Malenia herself!
"I want you—" Xiling's voice echoed clearly through the quiet courtyard.
"What did he…he he he he he say?!" A thunderous thought exploded in her mind. The finger pointing at her, coupled with the ambiguous "I want you"… countless awful, most unbearable, and humiliating possibilities of "price" she had ever heard or experienced in her long life, instantly flooded her mind!
The price for exchanging her brother... could it be... her body? Her... freedom? Becoming, in some sense, his... possession? A mixture of astonishment, disbelief, and a touch of offense suddenly surged, instantly staining her pale cheeks with an unnatural blush.
However, just as Malenia's thoughts were swirling in a turbulent storm, her heart pounding with anger and shame, and on the verge of exploding completely—
Xiling's voice, tinged with laughter, finished saying what he had been saying previously:
"To go and bring your brother back personally."
For a moment, it was as if time had paused.
"......Huh?"
Malenia's complex expression of shock, anger, shame, and determination froze in an instant. Her mouth parted slightly, the question that had nearly escaped her lips in a flurry of emotion caught in her throat.
Seeing Malenia like this, Xiling couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
"Pfft...Hahahaha! No, Malenia, what did you think I was going to say? Huh?"
Xiling's laughter echoed through the courtyard. When Xiling heard Malenia's tone, as if she was ready to sacrifice herself, she asked him what price she should pay. A terrible thought instinctively entered his mind, nearly causing him to act it out right there and then—Malenia, you don't want your brother to be trapped in the Land of Shadow forever, do you? If you don't want to... hehe.
Thankfully, his strong willpower allowed him to suppress this extremely inappropriate teasing.
Watching Malenia quietly return to her chair, her face noticeably flushed, Xiling was certain she wasn't shy at the moment, but rather trying hard to control her emotions and resist slapping him in the face.
"Calm down...Calm down...You can't beat him...You can't beat him...You can't beat him!"
Malenia repeated this incredibly frustrating fact in her mind, gritting her teeth, forcibly suppressing the urge to draw her sword and strike. Xiling finally stopped laughing and cleared his throat.
"Hey, it was just a joke. Why are you so excited? Besides..."
Xiling spread his hands with an innocent and shifty expression.
"You have only yourself to blame for your unhealthy thoughts and wild imaginations! Is the great Silver King's character not worthy of your trust?"
"..."
Marennia simply glared at him coldly with her silver eyes, saying nothing.
"Alright, alright, let's get back to business."
Xiling's smile faded, and he pointed at Malenia again, his tone becoming serious and direct.
"I will send you to the Land of Shadow. Then, you will go there yourself and bring back your brother, Miquella."
"...How will you do that?" Malenia took a deep breath, forcing herself to ignore the other person's recent misdeeds and focus on the key issue.
Xiling extended his hand towards her.
"It's simple. If I touch you, I'll open a passage to that realm and send you inside."
Xiling met Malenia's eyes and asked. "So, are you ready to go now? Take this hand, and the journey begins."
Malenia's gaze fell on Xiling's outstretched hand, and the courtyard fell silent for a moment. After a few breaths, she unexpectedly shook her head slightly.
"It's not time yet," Malenia thought silently.
"Wait until the Elden Ring is fully repaired, and peace is restored in the Lands Between, and then brother... I will definitely come and bring you back!"
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A/N [Author Note]:
Reader, you don't want to—hehe