65. Dance Under the Moon
"Hiss... it hurts!"
Xiling rubbed his shoulder, grimacing as he gasped for air as he ascended the stairs to the Elden Throne. Every step brought a sharp, sharp pain to his shoulder.
"Damn it! Biting me! Such a shame! Even dragons don't follow the rules of martial virtue."
Walking up the stairs to the Elden Throne.
The previous escape had ended in a tragic failure.
He was pounced on by the dragon and bitten hard.
After completing its mission, the dragon transformed into lightning and dissipated into the night sky, leaving its victim disheveled in the wind.
Stepping onto the last step.
A figure on the Elden Throne caught Xiling's eye.
Seeing Xiling approaching with a slightly awkward look, rubbing his shoulder, Lemuen's lips curved up. Xiling naturally raised his uninjured arm and waved at her.
"Hey, Lemuen! I'm back from hell!"
Lemuen's smile deepened.
"Welcome back," her voice was as gentle as ever.
The thunder and the shrill cries of someone echoing through half the royal capital were loud enough to have been noticed by anyone who wasn't deaf.
Sitting on the throne, she had a full view of the chase.
Xiling walked over to Lemuen and plopped down on the chair he had prepared. He sighed comfortably, then gritted his teeth at the strain on his shoulder.
Lemuen also poured Xiling a cup of black tea.
"Here," Lemuen said, handing the tea to Xiling.
"Thank you!" Xiling took the tea and took a sip.
Lemuen watched Xiling finish the tea in one gulp, smiled softly, and slowly refilled the teacup for him.
"We'll be completely done with things here tomorrow."
"Yes, it'll be done tomorrow!"
Xiling leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
"Ah...it's only been a few days, but why does it feel like it's been ages?"
Lemuen's gaze shifted from her teacup to the deep, radiant starry sky above her.
"Yes, it hasn't even been a few days, but it feels like ages..."
Xiling turned his head, one hand resting on the armrest, and looked at Lemuen with a look of inquiry and teasing.
"Sure enough, sitting quietly in one place is torture for you. How dare you say such things?"
As the vessel of the Elden Ring, the newly born ruler of the Silver Rule, Lemuen, became the convergence point of countless streams of faith the moment the Golden Erdtree transformed into the Silver Erdtree.
In this state, Lemuen and Xiling dared not allow her to act outside. Even now, Lemuen was still accepting all kinds of new believers. The other person's calm demeanor was simply because she was used to it.
At this, Lemuen curled her lips slightly, not answering Xiling's question.
Xiling also withdrew his gaze, lying in a chair and gazing at the stars overhead.
A cool night breeze blew across the terrace, gently ruffling their hair and clothing.
After a brief silence, Xiling's voice rang out again:
"How are you feeling? Did you gain anything? Did you find the answers you were looking for?"
Lemuen nodded, then shook her head.
She looked at her hands.
They were slender, white hands, more delicate than her own. Yet, these beautiful hands held the power to shake the world—because they were connected to the Elden Ring within her, the core of order.
Lemuen's original desire to become the vessel of the Elden Ring was for a reason.
She wanted to try to protect the diverse creatures of the Lands Between, each with its own unique form and culture.
Here too, there were demihumans, hybrids, humans, mountain goblins... even dragons.
They had different histories and customs, and even while they shared bonds of cooperation and trade, they also harbored deep-seated hatreds and divisions, much like Terra.
However, after truly taking this position, becoming the core of the Silver Rule, Lemuen sensed something far more complex than she had imagined.
She felt the people's almost instinctive, devout, and fervent faith in the Rule.
Every believer's prayer, every call to the Silver Rule, flowed like a trickle into her perception.
She also witnessed firsthand that, under the guidance and constraints of the Silver Rule, races once plagued by conflict and even mutual hatred had truly embraced an unprecedented vision of peace.
Lemuen understood the foundation of this peace.
It was despair—the devastation left by the shattering wars that instilled in all living beings an instinctive desire for order, even if that order was a shackle. It was faith—the Silver Rule that bestowed their blessings and unshakable devotion.
And most importantly…
Lemuen looked at Xiling.
Strong enough to conquer everything.
Powerful enough to subdue those who held sway above all others.
An underlying sense of despair, universal faith, and the power to suppress everything—these three were indispensable. Without these three conditions, the scene today could not be repeated.
Lemuen sighed in relief, a smile returning to her face.
This path seemed unworkable. She hadn't found the answer to transplanting the peace under the Silver Rule to Terra.
Terra had never experienced such a complete, collective despair, enough to force all races to abandon all prejudices.
Laterano's laws might offer protection, but the idea of a unified faith with absolute binding force and appeal for all races was almost impossible. Even overwhelming power can only force people to bow their heads. Resentment, humiliation, and anger will surge within them like falling rocks, eventually erupting completely.
Disappointed? A little. But Lemuen remained undeterred.
Though this experience as a vessel of rule didn't offer a ready-made solution, she gained something—a more ruthless understanding of the nature of order, a deeper insight into the conditions necessary for achieving peace.
Lemuen slowly raised her hand, her fingers reaching toward the night sky, as if to grasp the cold, distant moon.
Power!
The desire to gain power burned fiercely within her heart.
Yes...power!
Without power, everything is illusory.
The precious things you seek to protect will be crushed by the stronger crushing force—
The hand you seek to lend will fall in vain amidst your own weakness—
Those you seek to shelter under your wings will be exposed to danger due to your fragility when the storm strikes.
Language…communication—it certainly has the power to move hearts and build consensus.
It can ignite hope, spread goodwill, and weave dreams.
But in the face of hatred, profit, and the powerful who believe only in the law of the jungle, language is so fragile!
It can be misinterpreted, ignored, dismissed as a cowardly groan, and even brutally interrupted at the negotiating table.
The only thing that can uphold ideals, protect bottom lines, ensure that words are truly heard, and enforce rules... is power!
Absolute, overwhelming, and irrefutable power! Only when she possesses the power to silence all voices and subdue all hostility will those who once sneered at her, disdained her ideals, and coveted what she protects, quietly and truly listen to her.
Not out of politeness, but out of awe, out of fear of the consequences.
Ideas?
Andoain's lofty ideals are certainly moving, but relying solely on ideals won't carve a path through the iron wall of reality.
Faith?
The laws of Laterano may offer a sanctuary for all.
But even beneath that beacon, shadows still grow.
Light alone cannot eradicate darkness.
Protecting ideals requires more than just the letter of the law; it requires the power to uphold it and sweep away the shadows!
Xiling watched her withdraw her hand from reaching for the moon. He had a feeling that, in that brief moment of silence, something had occurred in Lemuen that he wasn't aware of.
"What's wrong? I feel like you've had some sudden realization, Lemuen?" XiLing tilted his head.
Lemuen's lips curled up, and a smile tinged with relief appeared on her face.
"To put it in a way, I've finally attained enlightenment."
"Haha, what did you attain? Tell me."
Lemuen raised a finger, playfully silencing him.
"That a lady's secret~"
"That a lady's secret~"
Xiling mimicked Lemuen's tone and movements, even deliberately twisting his waist. The next second, he was met with Lemuen's half-smile, deathly gaze.
Xiling, driven by a strong desire to survive, instantly shifted to a serious expression.
"Well, tonight, we're going to remove the Elden Ring from your body. Are you ready?"
Lemuen nodded.
This had been agreed upon long ago. The adventure was about to come to an end, and the Elden Ring would finally be restored.
When the Elden Ring was removed, Lemuen's power would vanish, but she felt no regret, nor did she linger on something that didn't belong to her in the first place. The cool moonlight poured down on the throne like mercury, casting a hazy glow around Lemuen.
Lemuen suddenly stood up and gracefully extended her hand toward Xiling.
"I wonder if after the Elden Ring is removed from me, I'll still be confined to a wheelchair for a while like before..."
Lemuen them chuckled and said, "Would you mind dancing with me now? Just as a... farewell?"
"Huh?"
Xiling pointed at himself, bewildered.
Dancing? Him?
When did he learn that skill?
Xiling immediately waved his hand away.
"I can't dance. And even if the Elden Ring is removed and your body is back to where it once was, I should be able to try to heal it."
"Don't be such a dampener!"
Lemuen's smile deepened. She ignored Xiling's protests and stepped forward, grabbing his still-flailing hand and forcibly yanking him with a face filled with resistance, from the chair.
"Let's go!"
Lemuen practically half-dragged Xiling to the center of the Elden Throne.
"Lemuen, I really can't dance!"
Xiling was still struggling desperately.
"It's okay," Lemuen said with a mischievous smile. She turned and faced Xiling.
"Just follow my rhythm. Don't worry, I'll guide you well."
"Why are you suddenly so elegant?"
Xiling grumbled, but he stopped resisting.
"We agreed beforehand," Xiling emphasized, still worried, glancing at her feet.
"Don't blame me if I step on your foot! I promise it wasn't intentional!"
"Don't worry," Lemuen's smile grew even brighter.
"I'll step on your foot back twice as hard."
She stood slightly on tiptoe, as if she was about to fulfill her promise.
"Then I won't dance!"
Xiling immediately pretended to pull his hand away.
"No!"
Lemuen grabbed his wrist.
Xiling rolled his eyes.
"So how do we dance?"
Lemuen took Xiling's hand and placed it around her waist. However, she felt no contact.
Lemuen looked down at her waist, a silvery tint blocking their contact.
Lemuen chuckled at this scene.
"Have you really needed to be so gentlemanly?"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking—
Buzz...
The silver tree standing behind the throne swayed gently, even without a breeze. Countless tiny points of light, shimmering with pure silver light, drifted down from the towering canopy.
They were silent, yet seemed to carry some ancient rhythm.
Music began to play from the Elden Throne.
A piece of music woven by Lemuen officially began.
Lemuen suppressed all teasing, her eyes focused only on concentration:
"It's time to begin. Relax."
The dance officially began. Lemuen took the first step, as light as a moonlit elf. After an initial stumble, Xiling's stiff limbs were miraculously guided by her, taking their first truly danceable steps.
The moonlight was like a veil, the silver glow like a dream, and scattered specks of light swirled and swirled around them.
Beneath the silent throne on the eve of restoration, under the silent witness of the silver tree, the two danced from beginning to end.
...
Xiling looked at the Elden Ring in his hand, then glanced at Lemuen, who stood there.
Yes, the Elden Ring had been removed, and her once white hair had turned back to pink. However, the changes induced by the Elden Ring had not disappeared, remaining within Lemuen's body.
As expected, the dance had been in vain; his feet had suffered dozens of blows. Xiling tutted and raised his middle finger at Lemuen.
"Even I can't teach you. I'm never dancing with you again."
Lemuen glanced at her dusty shoes. She said nothing, but her meaning was clear.
Xiling noticed Lemuen's gaze.
He coughed guiltily.
"Ahem, I told you I couldn't dance, but you didn't believe me. Blame yourself if you want to."
Even though he said it, Xiling still felt a little guilty, so he added.
"You've paid me back double, so we're even now."
Lemuen sighed.
"These are my favorite shoes."
"...How about I wash them for you?"
Watching Lemuen disappear in the light, Xiling stood there, holding her shoes, his body disheveled in the wind.
Had he... been tricked?
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A/N [Author Note]:
Dancing won't just happen because you're in the mood.
You still have to step on your feet.
Hehe