Hello, my friends! This one is fairly relaxed compared to some of the more recent chapters!

In the last chapter, I asked how you guys feel about fight scenes, and I actually received a few people saying that they like them shorter. Good thing for both of us, because I like shorter, more narrative fight scenes too!

So, even though in the next chapter will be one of my favorite bosses in Elden Ring, it won't be an extremely long chapter of punching and slashing and blah blah blah. That stuff can be fantastic to read, but honestly, I'm a bit tired of coming up with a way of making each fight scene fun and snappy every single chapter.

I'd rather enjoy some moments like this chapter, where it's slower and more intimate. 

But enough from me!

For this chapter's question: Are you excited to run into St. Trina? For those who know, you know.

Enjoy this laid back chapter, and hopefully there'll be more soon!

-----

The immediate response to (Y/n)'s statement was simple.

"What do you mean? If you're the runner up and you throw it all away, how can the Lands Between ever find peace?"

Lanya, the servant of the Hoslow family, was the one to speak up. (Y/n) had never heard her voice, and he didn't know much about her beyond her tomboy-ish nature. With how she spoke, (Y/n) found that he wouldn't have a hard time reading her.

The Shadow Sovereign glanced at her and noticed Diallos gently shaking his head to himself. On the other hand, his elder brother, Juno Hoslow, took a protective half-step forward, his intricate whip held tight in his hand. That, in turn, made (Y/n) smile.

"Another god isn't what the Lands Between needs. The last god... Queen Marika the Eternal... can you tell me what she wants?"

Lanya stared; her eyebrows furrowed. "W-What?"

"Can you tell me what Queen Marika the Eternal, the reigning figure of the Lands Between, our god, wants?"

"H-How could I...?"

(Y/n) gestured lightly to Lanya. "Exactly. How could you? It's absolutely impossible to tell what she wants for the Lands Between. Furthermore, I would argue, it's impossible to even tell what the Greater Will, who empowered Queen Marika, wants."

Snapping his fingers, the flying image of a flying five-headed dragon flew through the room, weaving between the Tarnished. Gasps came from all around, particularly from Boc and Roderika.

Hewg scoffed, a miniscule smile on his face. "Flamboyant boy, he knows how to capture an audience."

(Y/n) opened his mouth, glancing at Brother Corhyn, who was entranced by the sight all the same.

'To create the Eternal Sovereign, I must do this, even if it's gonna be... really difficult.'

"Before Queen Marika, there was another Elden Lord, by the name of Placidusax. And to be Elden Lord, suggests that the Greater Will in some way, had already forged the Elden Ring, and gave Placidusax the ring. And it ruled for quite a long time, until... it decided to change things."

Three of the dragon's heads were chopped off by a golden-haired woman, and the dragon fled. The golden-haired woman sat on a throne, right next to (Y/n). "And then Queen Marika came into the picture, empowered by the very same Outer God that once supported Placidusax."

(Y/n) waved his hand, and the image of Queen Marika split into two. "With this in mind, there's two possibilities."

He held his left palm up, and with a whoosh, one of the sitting figures was suddenly pulled into the prison of pure light. "Possibility one, the Greater Will couldn't get another Queen Marika from wherever, so it shattered the Elden Ring and let the demigods fight amongst themselves so it could get the best one as its new Elden Lord. That didn't work out, so it called to the Tarnished as a last-ditch effort to get an Elden Lord."

He held his right palm up, and the second sitting figure rose and shattered the Elden Ring before being strewn up and held by the very same shattered pieces of the ring. "Possibility two, the Elden Lord chose to disobey the Greater Will after learning or realizing something. Unlike the Placidusax and Marika situation, with a broken Elden Ring, it couldn't just go and choose a new Elden Lord. So, it calls to the wee little Tarnished for help."

(Y/n) shrugged.

'From what I know, the chances of it being the second option are far, far higher than the first. Still, I can't sell this as a guarantee since it isn't one. Easier to sell it as possibilities than as facts to a skeptical audience,' (Y/n) thought, nervous sweat running down his face. He looked out to the room's Tarnished warriors, scholars, and everything in-between. Many were captivated by the new information, but Corhyn was clearly appalled by it.

Swallowing, (Y/n) continued. "In either possibility, one thing remains true. The Greater Will can't be trusted. So, if I become Elden Lord, how do we know the Darkness won't get bored of me, and the whole process just starts over again?"

'I mean, I know that won't happen. There was no reason for it to get involved in the first place, let alone literally getting erased from existence to give me another shot, but I've gotta convince them somehow. Sorry, Darkness!'

The room fell silent once more before (Y/n) swiped his hand and the images of Queen Marika disappeared.

'Thanks, Rennala. I needed that help,' (Y/n) told his Shadow, the Queen of Caria. He could feel her elation in turn.

"Are we supposed to simply accept that the Elden Ring will never be made whole again? Are Tarnished supposed to continue fighting endlessly for Great Runes, simply to be stopped by a... a god of death who refuses to try?"

Several heads whipped around to face the questioning voice. There were different reasons for the sudden reaction, but many of them were drenched in shock. To insult the man who could clearly kill them all, and who had shared his knowledge with them was a very... interesting choice.

The questioner was Brother Corhyn, whose face was uniquely between rage and utter disbelief.

(Y/n) smiled to Brother Corhyn, gently shaking his head. "No, I'll collect all of the Great Runes, but after that... well, I don't know."

Nepheli, Rogier, Hewg, Corhyn, and Juno all let out the same sound. "Huh?"

(Y/n) scratched the side of his head, laughing awkwardly, "I'm powerful, but that doesn't mean I have it all put together. That is also what I gain from you all, some reliable allies, and different perspectives. So that hopefully, when the time comes, we come to a conclusion that we're all somewhat satisfied with."

The room shifted awkwardly. Some were confused, some were still trying to wrap their head around the existence of an Elden Lord before Marika, and some were just staring with large doe eyes.

Well, some, being just Roderika.

(Y/n) sighed and waved his hand, beginning to walk out of the main hall. "I don't need an answer now. If you all want my blessings, travel south to the Shadow of the Erdtree. It's... kinda impossible to ignore."

As he walked down, (Y/n) softly grabbed Hewg and Roderika's arms. "Except for you two. I need to talk to you two."

Ignoring Hewg's complaints and Roderika's moans of glee, (Y/n) pulled them outside and spun around to face them. He faced Hewg first, "So... you know Malenia's legs?"

Hewg stared. "You want me to create new legs for the demigod who houses the Scarlet Rot."'

(Y/n) glanced away, "Who used to hold the Scarlet Rot, if it makes any difference. So, the material won't need to be consecrated, at the very least!" He faced the misbegotten blacksmith. "Can you... do it?"

Hewg scoffed. "Of course, I can do it! I'll need the proper materials, but I have a feeling you already have them." (Y/n) nodded, causing Hewg to scoff once more. He walked off with a certain misbegotten hobble, going to gather his tools.

Now facing Roderika, (Y/n) smiled gently. "I...."

Roderika batted her eyes romantically, lingering on each of (Y/n)'s words. She nodded with a heavy blush, "Y-Yes, my... Lord?"

(Y/n) held his hand over his face for a moment. 'In comparison, Melina and Sellen are so much easier to handle. All this cuteness is gonna kill me.'

He took her hands in his own, meeting her eyes with a sincere gaze. Sensing his seriousness, Roderika replied with silence and her undivided attention. "I know I just said that you all have plenty of time to choose, but I need your help, as a spirit tuner. If you could—"

"Yes."

"H-Huh?"

Roderika's eyes darted to the ground, and her voice became very quiet. "I um... I thought you may need me to accept your blessing, and I would really love to be under your protection, no matter the risk associated. I trust you with my life." As the young spirit tuner spoke, she gained confidence, eventually meeting (Y/n)'s eyes confidently. "And the Spiritual God who I'm accorded with is a fan of you, so I'm sure she wouldn't have any problems with a union of power."

(Y/n) blinked. 'Well, I'd rather the Spiritual God be cool with me rather than having to go fight it or something.' (Y/n) nodded gently, darkness gathering in his palm. He looked down at her plush chest, feeling awkward. 'I need to get as close to her heart as possible, but....'

A fascinating glint appeared in the meek woman's eye, and she quickly grasped the man's hand and pulled it to her chest, forcing her breast into his hand with a moan. "Y-You need to take me for this to work, right? Then please, take—"

(Y/n)'s face flushed from the woman's advances, but he took the opportunity and pushed his hand a bit further, trying desperately to ignore just how much pleasure the action was bringing Roderika. His energy flowed through the woman, and a link was formed between them as the blessing of shadows settled in.

[Spirit Tuner Roderika has been granted the Blessing of Shadows, evolving into the Transcendent Spirit Tuner. For the small cost of mana, Shadows can now be evolved by the Transcendent Spirit Tuner.]

After a moment passed, (Y/n) slowly pulled his hand back from Roderika's chest, finding it very hard to ignore how alluring the woman looked. It wasn't anything new, really, but with her reddened face and admittedly very, very attractive moans, it was impossible for (Y/n) not to see her beauty. The two spent a moment staring at one another, and Roderika began to close the distance before—

"Later," (Y/n) said, his finger covering the woman's lips. Her eyes suddenly cleared up as he spoke. "I... I promise. There's a time and a place, and right now is not the time."

Roderika quickly bobbed her head. Her face reddened. "B-But... soon?"

(Y/n) could feel Melina's gaze on him despite her being nowhere near him. "Yes, soon."

Roderika took a deep breath and tucked her hair behind her ears. She bowed her head respectfully. "Okay, then right now, I will do absolutely everything I can to assist you as a spirit tuner."

With Roderika's absurd horniness momentarily abated, (Y/n) refocused as Hewg appeared once more, this time with his hammer in hand. He glanced between the two before sighing and hobbling towards them.

"I hope you've got an anvil, otherwise you're outta luck," Hewg noted, but (Y/n) waved his hand lackadaisically.

Beneath the three, Adula rose from the ground. The three found themselves on the dragon's back, which was more than enough for Roderika to squeal in shock. Hewg simply let out a low, nearly impossible to hear chuckle. His clawed hand ran gently over Adula's shadowy scales, "It's been quite a while since I was atop a dragon...."

(Y/n)'s eyebrows rose at Hewg's statement. "Y'know, I'm really gonna need an explanation about what sort of badass antics you've experienced."

Hewg scoffed. "Many of those times should be left in the past. It was back then that... well, before the death of Godwyn the Golden, times were certainly different."

(Y/n) hummed softly as Adula took flight. Roderika's arms pulled tight across his waist anxiously. "Hewg, how long will it take to build Malenia a new pair of legs?"

Hewg spent a few minutes in thought as the wind raced by and the land far beneath the flying dragon changed to sea and back to land. As the Erdtree's Shadow loomed like a beacon in the distance, Hewg sighed. "It shouldn't take long, if the girl is there. Some specific measurements will be needed, but it can be done within an hour if we're lucky."

(Y/n) bobbed his head, gently patting Roderika's very tense hands. "Good. That amount of time will be enough to rest and prepare before we go and... kick some ass."

Minutes of silence later, (Y/n) could feel the uniquely restorative properties of the Shadow of the Erdtree as the distance to the tree decreased. Roderika let out a low hum and began relaxing as the tree's effects flowed over her. On the other hand, Hewg grunted in response to the tree.

"Death, huh?" He said lowly. "I suppose a bit of discomfort is expected."

(Y/n) patted the misbegotten blacksmith's back. "You'll get used to it. Or I could just bless you, like Roderika."

Hewg chuckled lowly, "Like her?"

(Y/n) flushed. "Okay, not exactly like her. Still, if you'd like the blessing, I could offer it."

Hewg tsked. "I'll give it a thought. My allegiance isn't to a single being, I'm only loyal to my task and to smithing."

With a bob of his head, (Y/n) left the topic there, enjoying the wind sweeping through his hair.

-----

Hewg settled in quickly and got to work as soon as (Y/n) brought him Malenia. She was still unconscious, but Hewg found that his work would be much easier if she wasn't moving around. (Y/n) offered to leave a few Shadows as aids, but Hewg brushed off the suggestion, saying, "How do I know they won't screw things up? This is a delicate process, and I don't have time to verify the skills of all of them!"

However, as (Y/n) began to relent, Hewg grumbled something to himself. "The only one I'd trust anywhere near my tools is that old fool Iji, and who knows where that bloke is...."

(Y/n) took that as the perfect opportunity to leave Iji with Hewg. The old blacksmiths hit it off quickly. While the Shadow Blacksmith was unable to speak, the tools of the two did far more talking than their words.

(Y/n) trusted the blacksmiths and left them alone, returning to his obnoxiously large chambers.

In the center of the giant bed was Sellen, looking worse for wear. The powers of the Formless Mother and the Moon clashed within her, and she was the one who suffered the most in the energy scuffle.

The Moon only had Sellen as an option, so her powers were more densely concentrated on the so-called Graven Witch. Comparatively, the Formless Mother had Mohg and possibly Miquella she was blessing, two demigods. In a battle of possession, the Moon would win 99% of the time, but the problem wasn't about possession.

No, rather, because the Moon didn't give up Sellen as her main vessel, she was caught between the immense forces of power. The force on her body would kill her in short order, despite the Moon trying to keep her safe.

Unfortunately, Raphael's attempts to help the sorceress's condition were fruitless. Her condition was even worse than when (Y/n) had left, and she still hadn't woken from her unconsciousness.

(Y/n) bobbed his head to Raphael, thanking the Fused Shadow for her hard work. She simply nodded back, hyper-focused on keeping Sellen's condition as good as possible.

Melina and Millicent weren't here, but (Y/n) already knew that. His supernatural senses informed him of their exact location, but he still wanted to see Sellen with his own eyes. Seeing her filled him with a sense of duty, reminding him of why he was journeying in the first place.

'I won't lose anyone else, ever again.'

(Y/n) strolled through the Shadow Castle at the base of the Erdtree's Shadow. All around his Shadows were hard at work, so underneath his feet there was absolutely no one. It felt odd, after having gotten used to them so much. Regardless, his thoughts roamed as he found himself looking out of the second-story windows.

The area within the boundaries of the Shadow Erdtree's barrier became a somewhat nice village. The Shadows could move without rest, and the area did have adequate resources, so buildings were created quickly.

'A lot of the buildings have no purpose, really. They're just homes for the allies who choose to join us, so they could have some sort of privacy if they want any. I wonder if this place will become anything like that dream the Outer God of Rot forced me into. That place... seemed like a possibility, one day,' (Y/n) sighed, slapping his hands on his face. "Well, it's only a possibility if I continue to work hard. But I suppose... there's a few things I've neglected since this all got started. Maybe... maybe I shouldn't forget so easily."

(Y/n) extended his supernatural senses, noting that Melina and Millicent were okay, and Roderika was working on Salem like he'd asked her to. Calling out to the Agheel, (Y/n) exited the Shadow Castle and took off into the sky.

It didn't take more than a minute for Agheel to land at the sight of an Albinauric woman, sitting next to her fallen wolf companion. Rather, she wasn't just sitting out of exhaustion, she physically couldn't move from her spot. As a first generation Albinauric, her legs were less than useful on the very best of days, so she was bound to stay in one place without the assistance of another.

That assistance did come in the form of her wolf, Lobos, but the wolf now lay dead, leaving the Albinauric, Latenna, stranded and alone.

The sudden appearance of Agheel didn't receive any reaction from the woman. She simply looked, observed, and silently noted.

Without Lobos, her death was more about when, than if. If (Y/n) decided to take her life, it would make no substantial difference to her. So why... why did this man seem so familiar to her?

(Y/n) approached Latenna gently, having Agheel stay back. He held his hands up gently, "I don't work with Gideon. He's... an asshole."

Once upon a time, (Y/n)'s blunt evaluation would've received a brief snort from Latenna, but now, she merely sneered. "And why would I trust the word of a foul Tarnished like yourself? All you know how to do is take and destroy, without those simple skills, the Greater Will would've never called to you fiends."

(Y/n) scratched the side of his head.

'I'm not hiding my past experiences anymore, so... there's a really easy way through her admittedly fair prejudices.' (Y/n) sat down and took an easy breath. "I can take you to Philia. I've already traveled to Miquella's Haligtree, so the Consecrated Snowfields won't be too difficult in comparison."

Now, Latenna reacted. Her eyes widened and her lips twitched. Her fists clenched, "H-How do you know about that?! I—"

(Y/n) gently tapped Latenna's head with a finger, allowing his memories to connect with hers. In a flash, she understood everything.

His failures, his successes, even his ability to take her to Philia, just as he said he could. Furthermore, she understood the plights of the Outer Gods, and (Y/n)'s relationships with his allies and enemies. But more than everything, she focused on the loss of the Village of the Albinaurics.

Latenna closed her eyes and quieted the rising flood of emotions from within. When she opened her eyes, she bowed her head gently to (Y/n). "I... apologize for my rudeness. If you would allow it, I would like to join your journey to the Consecrated Snowfields, to make sure the race of the Albinaurics will continue to its third generation."

(Y/n) bobbed his head, but as Latenna readied herself to join (Y/n)'s Shadow Army, he extended his focus elsewhere. "Arise."

Latenna's soul left her body without a fight, and at the same time, the soul of Lobos rose.

Latenna found herself facing her closest companion, and wrapped her arms around the wolf's torso as he licked her face happily. "I thank you, my Lord. Thank you for reuniting us, even as souls."

(Y/n) gave the woman a toothy grin and Agheel swooped underneath the two newest Shadows, tossing them onto its broad back. "You'll meet Philia soon. Just hang onto Agheel!"

Lobos let out a howl, and Latenna found herself smiling, despite how small that smile was. It was a new beginning, and for the woman, things suddenly looked a lot brighter. Agheel took off with a burst and (Y/n) let out a sigh of relief, "Now, time to do the scariest work since I started this new life. Gift gathering."

-----

(Y/n) returned to the Shadow Castle with a pounding heart. But regardless of his fear, he pushed onward. He received no help at all, so the gifts he held were all his own choosing. Depending on him, they would be loved or hated.

It didn't take him long to find Melina and Millicent, mainly because he knew where they were from the moment he entered the Shadow Erdtree's barrier. Despite that limited omniscience, he was extremely nervous.

They were taking some time to breathe and collect their bearings in one of the main rooms, furnished with surprisingly comfortable sofas and chairs. Sitting in front of a lit fireplace, Melina read one of the Fell God's Tomes carefully, holding her hand up, where white flames flickered within her palm.

Millicent stood away from the comfortable furniture, standing on a surprisingly well fortified area where mana was densely packed together. Her sword flickered like a shadow, flowing, and striking her invisible foe fiercely.

When (Y/n) entered the room, Millicent stopped her training, and Melina glanced up from her reading.

"Are the preparations prepared?" Millicent asked, returning her Shamshir to her side. (Y/n) shook his head. "Oh? Did you need something?"

(Y/n) rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Not really. Just... here." (Y/n) stuck his hand into his shadow, pulling a weapon from within. He handed the weapon over to Millicent, and she took it happily. The weapon was a pitch-black katana, cloaked in Destined Death, just like Legacy.

She set her Shamshir down and wielded the newer weapon instead. She glanced at (Y/n) with a gentle smile, "Why did you decide on a weapon upgrade?"

(Y/n) smiled back, "Well, you're my blade now, and you need a sword fitting that position. Just as the Shadow Army follows me, they will follow you. And... well, more than anything, I eanted to congratulate you. You are the first person to banish the Outer God of Rot successfully, there's no one else around like that. That was all you."

(Y/n)'s words caused Millicent to flush. Her reddened face caused (Y/n)'s heart to flutter. The redheaded woman bowed her head, "I promise, I won't disappoint you."

With that, Millicent returned to her training, now getting used to her new weapon's abilities.

(Y/n) sat down next to Melina with a gentle sigh. She closed the Outer God of Fire's tome, taking a moment to simply sit.

"I'm pretty sure you know I'm garbage at this, but here," (Y/n) pulled some dark purple flowers from his shadow. The flowers thrived and pulsed with energy despite being surrounded in an aura of death.

Handing them to Melina, (Y/n) carefully watched her reaction. The demigod brought the flowers to her nose and smelled them. After a moment, she smiled, a blush rising to her face. She glanced over to (Y/n), her eyebrows rising.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, looking into the fireplace. "I'm used to going and going without stopping, and there's still so much more I could be doing right now, but... but right now, I need to take this time to be here, with you."

Melina didn't argue, snuggling closer to (Y/n). "Will you be able to be this romantic with all the women who adore you?"

(Y/n) scoffed. "Oh God no, I could barely do it with you without exploding out of nervousness. But I'm positive that each of you are different, and if I can find what makes you all happy, that'll be good enough for me."

Melina leaned up, taking her hand and moving (Y/n)'s jaw and planting a gentle kiss on his lips. "You are perfect."

(Y/n) smiled, kissing her back. "I try to be."

In less than an hour, they'd be fighting the Formless Mother, but right now, they were simply loving the time they got to spend together. For now, that was enough. It was more than enough.