Lucian helped Millicent to her feet, then sat down upon a flat rock nearby.
He gestured lightly with his hand, signaling for Millicent to sit down as well.
"There's no need to thank ," he said calmly. "A will as strong as yours should not be devoured by the Scarlet Rot."
"It seems the golden needle has done its work."
"How do you feel now?"
Millicent sat across from him and nodded.
"I feel better than ever," she said softly. "The pain of the severed arm has subsided, the Scarlet Rot no longer writhes beneath my skin, and I can move freely again…"
As she spoke, Millicent looked toward Lucian, and a trace of sorrow flickered across her face.
If the golden needle was truly this powerful, then what would beco of Grandfather O'Neil without it?
Lucian had returned alone. Could it be that O'Neil…?
"Without the golden needle," she asked hesitantly, "Grandfather O'Neil… what has beco of him?"
Lucian t her eyes, answering plainly, "O'Neil is fine for now."
Millicent fell silent for a mont before speaking again.
"Is that true?" she asked, her tone low and uncertain. "You don't have to comfort with a kind lie. I am no child who cannot bear the thought of death."
"Has Grandfather O'Neil… already passed away? Because there was no golden needle to save him?"
Seeing her like this, Lucian imdiately understood that she had misunderstood the situation.
"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "O'Neil is not so easily killed. He's a veteran who has survived countless battles, he would never yield to a re trace of the Scarlet Rot."
"I treated him earlier. His condition isn't good, but his life is safe for now. He's resting outside the cave at the mont. Said he didn't want you to see him in such a pitiful state."
Millicent let out a quiet breath of relief.
She had long regarded O'Neil as her own family. Knowing he was alive was enough to ease her heart.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
Lucian waved a hand lightly.
"It's thanks to his own stubborn will," he said. "If not for that, there'd have been no saving him."
He paused for a mont, then asked, "By the way, do you have anything you wish to do next?"
Millicent thought for a mont before replying.
"I want to go to the Haligtree," she said.
"In my coma, I saw fragnts of Lady Malenia's mories, I witnessed her experiences."
"So I want to et her. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of person she truly is… the one with whom I share so mysterious bond I still cannot comprehend."
Lucian nodded slightly. It was a truth Millicent had no choice but to pursue.
"If you're heading for the Haligtree, you'll pass through Limgrave. When you do, you can stop by Stormveil for a visit."
"All of Limgrave is under my rule now. I believe you won't find it unpleasant."
Millicent smiled faintly.
"All right. Thank you, truly."
Lucian pondered for a mont before deciding to ask about what she'd ntioned earlier — the 'mories of Malenia' she had seen while unconscious.
After all, he had already noticed discrepancies regarding Miquella's tiline — it didn't quite match the events known from the ga.
If Malenia's invasion of Aeonia wasn't rely for the sake of finding her brother, then there must have been another reason behind it.
Malenia had always obeyed Miquella's will completely; it was almost certain that her actions were directed by him.
"Millicent," he said, "could you tell what you saw during your coma? What exactly did you witness in those mories?"
Millicent agreed without hesitation and began recounting the scenes she had witnessed.
Lucian listened carefully, asking questions repeatedly whenever certain details puzzled him.
At first, everything she described sounded fairly normal — consistent with the story he already knew.
But the later parts… they left him deeply confused.
Miquella and Radahn, it seed, had been on good terms.
They had even made so sort of promise, one in which Miquella expressed a desire to beco Radahn's god.
But if that were true, then why had Miquella later sent Malenia to Caelid — to fight Radahn in such a devastating battle?
And not an ordinary battle either.
In the Battle of Aeonia, Malenia had even unleashed the Scarlet Rot she had kept suppressed for so long, a desperate act that made no sense at all.
Then there was Malenia's final, unconscious whisper.
What had that ant?
Was she afraid that Miquella would abandon her? Or had he already done so?
Why would sothing like that happen?
Lucian couldn't make sense of it, no matter how he tried.
In his mory, hadn't Miquella forsaken his own golden blessing precisely for the sake of saving Malenia — seeking the Haligtree as a cure for her?
But now, after hearing Millicent's account, his doubts had only multiplied.
The mysteries didn't unravel — they tangled further, like a knotted rope twisted beyond repair.
Lucian exhaled heavily.
Perhaps he would need to gather information from elsewhere before the full picture could co together.
Millicent, anwhile, turned her gaze toward him, slightly embarrassed.
"Sir Lucian," she said softly, "could I ask you for a small favor?"
"Would you help tie my hair?"
"I know it's a sudden request, but I'm not used to leaving it loose. And… missing one arm makes it rather difficult."
In truth, Lucian thought she looked better with her hair down — but if she wished to tie it, then so be it. It was practical, after all.
"Tie your hair, huh?" he muttered with a faint smile. "I'll warn you, I'm not very good at it."
He stood and stepped behind her, gathering her still-damp hair into his hands.
Using a length of rope, he tied it into a sowhat uneven ponytail.
There was no helping it — Lucian had never tied anyone's hair before, and he hadn't the faintest idea how to make it look good.
From the side, lina watched Lucian tying Millicent's hair, and for so reason, an odd feeling welled up inside her.
'Could it be… that Lucian actually liked this sort of hairstyle?'
She recalled how he had been around Irina before — he'd treated her differently, more gently, almost too familiarly.
lina began to wonder quietly to herself: perhaps she should try tying her own hair into a ponytail soti as well…
Before long, after the hair was tied, heavy footsteps echoed into the cave — O'Neil entered with large, steady strides.
His expression was calm, as though nothing had happened.
Seeing that he was unhard, Millicent leapt to her feet, her eyes bright with relief.
O'Neil nodded to her.
Though his condition remained far from good — his life now hanging by a thread, he had at least avoided death's embrace for the mont.
Earlier, Lucian had forcibly poured various dicines down his throat, cleansing a good portion of the rot from his body.
Even so, the internal damage was grave.
Several of his organs had already co to rely on the Scarlet Rot to function — a troubling situation indeed.
At first, O'Neil had wanted to simply die and be done with it.
But Lucian had convinced him otherwise.
O'Neil had always believed his own death aningless — that he had long lost the reason to keep living.
Yet Lucian told him there was soone who valued his life greatly.
If he died, Millicent would grieve deeply.
Hearing that, O'Neil chose to keep living — even if only barely.
Looking upon Millicent, now able to stand and move freely again, O'Neil smiled.
"Millicent," he said, "you must now leave Caelid and begin your own journey."
"Do as your heart desires."
Millicent hesitated for a mont.
"Before leaving Caelid," she said, "there's still sothing I wish to do."
"In my mories, there was soone important — soone who raised when I was young. But I can no longer rember his face."
"I want to return to the area near Sellia Town, the place where I grew up. I want to see it again, with my own eyes."
Though she had already noticed strange inconsistencies within her mories, Millicent still wished to seek the truth for herself.
O'Neil frowned ever so slightly.
Lucian had already told him once, that those five "sisters" had been found and raised by disgusting insects, beings that had taken them in for no pure purpose.
They had done so only to nurture vessels — vessels to beco the next Scarlet Valkyries.
O'Neil didn't truly wish for Millicent to go there. But, knowing her nature, he understood — no matter what he said, she would go.
"Then you must be careful," he said solemnly. "You don't even have the strength to protect yourself right now."
Millicent nodded earnestly. "Yes… I'll be careful."
Lucian thought for a mont, then spoke up. "In that case, I'll take Millicent there myself."
Both Millicent and O'Neil looked startled.
"That would be… too much trouble for you, wouldn't it?" she asked hesitantly.
Lucian waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. This way, at least I can ensure your safety."
At present, Millicent was completely defenseless. Not only was her sword arm severed, but she also had no combat techniques she could use. Even setting aside her four powerful and watchful "sisters", the common Rot-afflicted creatures could easily capture her now.
And this was Caelid, a land crawling with monstrous hounds and grotesque carrion birds. Each one a nightmare to deal with.
Millicent thought for a while, then reached into her chest pocket and took out a pendant. "Thank you for your help," she said softly. "Please accept this as a token of my gratitude. I insist you take it."
Lucian looked at the pendant in her outstretched hand. Her gaze was unwavering — she ant what she said. If he refused, she would likely insist on going alone, no matter the risk.
He accepted the pendant. It was carved with two figures — both facing each other, each holding a blade. It was the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, a talisman said to enhance dexterity.
Millicent had worn it since childhood, aware of its subtle power. But now, with her sword arm lost, its gift was useless to her. So she chose to offer it as her ager token of thanks.
Lucian accepted it without imdiately equipping it, then asked, "Are you planning to set out right now?"
Millicent bit her lip, hesitant to speak. "I'd like to… clean myself first," she murmured. "Since I'll be starting a journey, I want to at least look presentable. It may take a little while…"
Lucian glanced at her clothes — torn, dirt-stained, and stiff with dried blood and rot. She had managed to wash her body sowhat, but not her garnts. Sweat, blood, even traces of scarlet rot still clung to the fabric. It must've been uncomfortable.
He nodded. "Alright then. When you're ready to leave, find outside."
With that, Lucian and O'Neil left the cave, giving her space.
—
Once they were far enough away, O'Neil could no longer keep up his facade. He dropped to one knee, coughing violently, a spray of blood splattering the ground.
"Cough—! Cough…"
Lucian stepped forward and patted his back. "What will you do now? Stay here?"
O'Neil drew in a long, ragged breath. "Yes. I won't die just yet… so don't worry about ."
"If, soday, there truly is a cure… co see this old fool again."
He wasn't lying. Death wouldn't take him easily — though life would be nothing short of agony. He refused to go to Redmane Castle, so Lucian simply left him so Neutralizing Boluses and Preserving Boluses before departing.
O'Neil remained behind to rest, while Lucian stood at the cave's entrance, waiting.
A while later, Millicent erged. Her clothes were soaked, clinging tightly to her slender fra, outlining every curve. Fortunately, the fabric was thick enough to stay opaque.
There was no fire in the cave, so she couldn't dry them. With only one arm, she couldn't wring them properly either, and air-drying would've taken far too long.
Lucian sighed and summoned a small fla. It leapt from his hand and ignited a nearby dead tree. He avoided using sunlight-based sorceries for now — until he fully understood the rot's new reactions, but ordinary fire was safe enough.
Millicent sat by the warmth, drying her clothes in silence. While they waited, Lucian made light conversation — nothing important, just talk to fill the quiet.
Soon, her garnts were dry again. Their journey could finally begin.
Lucian raised his hand and blew a short whistle. With a low neigh, Torrent appeared in a shimr of golden mist.
Millicent's eyes widened in awe at the magnificent steed's sudden appearance.
Lucian mounted first, then reached back to take her left hand, helping her up behind him.
"Hmph."
He heard a soft, discontent hum from lina. He could only laugh awkwardly, but lina wasn't the unreasonable type. She simply looked slightly displeased, nothing more.
With that, Torrent galloped forward, hooves striking sparks as they sped along the main road.
From both sides, scarlet-tinted beasts lunged at them — twisted servants of rot trying to block their path. Lucian raised his hand, and each was engulfed in cleansing fla, turned to ash before they could even howl.
Millicent watched in awe at the sheer ease of his power.
Thanks to Torrent's incredible speed, they soon reached the checkpoint outside Sellia, Town of Sorcery — just before the ruins of Sage Gowry's Shack.
Beyond this point, no rot-spawn ca to disturb them. Perhaps they had retreated out of fear… or perhaps by Gowry's command.
The old shack stood silent, empty as before.
Millicent paused before the worn wooden chair. Her gaze drifted, distant and uncertain.
After a long silence, she spoke — half to Lucian, half to herself. "This place feels… familiar. Nostalgic, even."
"I truly did grow up here… my childhood was spent within these walls."
"It's just… a pity no one's here anymore."
She lowered her head slightly. "I suppose… before setting out, I wanted to say goodbye to soone."
"Strange, isn't it? But… one can't easily forget the person who raised them."
Millicent sighed quietly. "Thank you — for saving my life. Without you, I would've long since perished in the rot of Aeonia, devoured and forgotten."
Lucian looked at the resilient young woman before him, feeling a swirl of emotion.
In the ga's world, he had always admired Millicent — her iron will to resist the Scarlet Rot, her courage to keep moving forward despite her curse. She had been a valued ally… and yet, her story had never found a happy ending. A lingering regret.
So, this ti — perhaps things would be different.
Lucian escorted her all the way to the border between Caelid and Limgrave. The lands of Caelid were far too dangerous — the Rot Servants alone made survival nearly impossible.
Millicent needed a safe place to begin her journey. And Limgrave, now under Lucian's governance, was one of the few safe havens left in the Lands Between.
Before they parted, he handed her several protective charms and tools to ward off beasts and wild creatures.
With her strength and spirit, starting her journey from Limgrave would be safe enough.
After expressing her gratitude again — and vowing that one day she would repay him, Millicent bowed deeply.
Then, she turned and set off on her own path, disappearing into the morning mist, toward the distant Haligtree.
User Comments
0 comments from readers