Not long after Bai Shi returned to Stormveil from the Altus Plateau, Lanslet ca to find him.
Standing before the throne, Lanslet reported to Bai Shi:
"Lord Bai Shi, the personnel and supplies you requested have been fully prepared and have already set out."
"As you instructed, they will proceed to the vicinity of the Siofra River and await your orders."
Bai Shi nodded with satisfaction.
"And what is the estimated travel ti?"
Lanslet thought for a mont before answering:
"Although the Mistwood is so distance away, the path to the underground has been well-trodden..."
"Given the speed of the dragon beasts, it should only take about one or two days."
"However, considering the physical condition of the personnel, they will likely need considerable ti for rest along the way."
"So, the actual ti required should be around three days."
After a brief pause, Lanslet continued:
"If you are in a hurry, I can order them to quicken their pace. They should be able to arrive a day earlier."
Bai Shi stroked his chin.
Three days? That's acceptable.
"No need. Just have them proceed as planned."
"A little ti is not an issue; it's only an extra day on the road, after all."
"I'm not concerned with speed. I want to ensure a safe and steady arrival."
"If the physicians arrive only to be unable to perform their duties, then there was no point in summoning them in the first place."
Most physicians, unlike the perfurs, did not possess the physical constitution for battle.
A high-intensity forced march was demanding on a rider's stamina, and he had to be considerate of them.
Furthermore, there were significant quantities of supplies to transport. This couldn't be rushed.
Lanslet nodded in understanding.
"Yes, I understand."
With that, the report was concluded, yet Lanslet showed no intention of leaving.
Bai Shi noticed the strange expression on Lanslet's face and grew curious.
"What is it?"
"Is there sothing else you wish to discuss?"
Lanslet nodded and glanced at the guards stationed around the throne.
Seeing this, Bai Shi knew he had more to say—sothing not ant for others' ears.
With a wave of his hand, Bai Shi dismissed the ceremonial guards.
Only after the guards had all departed did Lanslet speak again:
"Lord Bai Shi, there is one more matter I believe requires your attention."
"On the shores near Castle Morne, our n salvaged a ship."
"That ship ca from the badlands."
Lanslet looked at Bai Shi, his expression grave.
"There were only two survivors on board."
"They brought a ssage—"
"Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, has all but conquered the continent across the sea and is preparing to lead his grand army back to the Lands Between."
Upon hearing this news, Bai Shi's expression turned serious as well.
He knew this day would co; he just didn't know when.
"Heh, so he's finally coming back?"
"That's right. It has been so long since I arrived here."
"There's no reason for Godfrey to be any slower than I was."
Bai Shi pondered for a mont before asking again:
"By the way, what is the situation with those two survivors?"
Lanslet quickly replied:
"Upon learning of this, Castellan Edgar placed them in solitary confinent."
"They were discovered by the Castle Morne patrol."
"According to Castellan Edgar, the n who found them were all survivors of the Misbegotten rebellion who personally received your grace. Their loyalty is beyond question."
"However, as a precaution, they too have been put under observation."
"Very few people know of this matter, and with the news being so well contained, it has not yet spread."
Bai Shi nodded, fully approving of how they had handled the situation.
Godfrey's prestige in the Lands Between was imnse.
How imnse?
So imnse that if almost anyone else had brought this report, Bai Shi might have suspected them of having ulterior motives.
But Lanslet was not to be worried about.
Setting aside Lanslet's proven loyalty, his very status as the rightful descendant of the Stormhawk King precluded him from harboring such thoughts.
In any case, when Godfrey returned, his prestige would undoubtedly cause a great number of unaffiliated Tarnished to flock to his side.
Even among the Tarnished who had joined Stormveil, many would likely have second thoughts.
Bai Shi smiled faintly and said to Lanslet:
"You've done well. If this information were to spread, it would indeed influence the thoughts of the Tarnished."
"But since they are already making no secret of their desire to spread this news across the Lands Between, it's clear this tide cannot be stopped."
"Even if we patrolled the coasts day and night, hoping to intercept them all, it would be impossible to prevent it."
"With so many places to land, so will always slip through the net."
"Concealnt and suppression are useless. The people of the Lands Between will learn of this news sooner or later."
Lanslet, realizing this as well, wore a look of slight resignation.
"That... I must admit, is true."
"If we want to completely control the coastline, we must invest more manpower."
"But increasing our forces would inevitably include those whose loyalty is questionable."
"Furthermore, astute individuals could deduce the truth from such a large-scale maneuver, and the prophets are an unpredictable factor as well..."
"Then, what should we do?"
Lanslet looked to Bai Shi, hoping for an answer.
As the deputy regent of Stormveil, Lanslet had to handle matters great and small, but never before had he faced sothing he was so unsure about.
After all, his opponent was the legendary Godfrey, the First Elden Lord!
A king one had to admire, even as an enemy.
Bai Shi laughed, his face radiating confidence.
Lanslet understood how to manage affairs as a governor, but he did not understand the decisions of a king.
"It doesn't matter. There is no need to interfere."
"Even if the Tarnished find out, it's fine."
"Let them spread the news as they please."
"No, in fact, we should actively publicize it ourselves."
Bai Shi rose from his throne, spreading his arms wide, his face alight with a smile so confident it bordered on arrogant.
"Because when Godfrey returns, I will defeat him, head-on and in open combat!"
"Go and spread the word. Say that I eagerly await my duel with King Godfrey."
"Since strength is what makes a king in the Lands Between..."
"Then I will use my strength to defeat the one they see as the strongest king of all!"
Hearing Bai Shi's words, Lanslet felt a surge of fervor. This was the ttle of a true king!
Even when facing an opponent of overwhelming prestige, no one thought of losing before the battle was fought.
As a follower of Bai Shi, Lanslet naturally hoped he would triumph over Godfrey and beco the Elden Lord.
However, just as Bai Shi had thought, his role as a governor required him to consider far more.
The consequences of defeat were a part of his necessary considerations.
Only by taking every possibility into account could one achieve sothing close to perfection.
So, even though his heart felt otherwise, Lanslet ventured to say to Bai Shi:
"This kind of publicity... it's a double-edged sword."
Bai Shi was, of course, aware of this.
Actively spreading the news was tantamount to pushing the power of the Tarnished away from himself.
If he controlled the information as much as possible, his losses would be minimal.
After all, if only thirty percent of the Tarnished knew, then even if seventy percent of them chose Godfrey, Bai Shi's losses wouldn't be significant.
Conversely, if Bai Shi actively promoted the news, more than ninety percent of the Tarnished would learn of it.
And even if many were moved by Bai Shi's kingly bearing and chose to stand with him, a greater number of Tarnished would still choose Godfrey.
Bai Shi could understand Lanslet's concern.
But so what?
Bai Shi smiled faintly.
"None of that is important. The only thing that truly matters is the outco of the battle between Godfrey and ."
"The contest of kings has always been this way."
"The victor takes all, while the vanquished will naturally lose everything."
"Whoever wins will carry even greater prestige, take command of both armies, and return to the Erdtree with unstoppable montum."
"If I lose to Godfrey, I will not beg for rcy and ask him to spare my life."
"Besides, I will win."
The thirst for victory flowed through Bai Shi's veins.
Bearing the na Fengling Yueying, he had a reason he absolutely could not lose!
Even if they called him a cheat, a win was a win!
And even without Fengling Yueying, Bai Shi didn't think he was completely incapable of defeating Godfrey.
Once he returned to the Land of Shadow and had lina convert his remaining runes into strength, he would be on the sa level of power as Godfrey.
With Queen Marika trapped inside the Erdtree, Godfrey would be unable to unleash the true power of a "King" and "God" combined.
Facing only the strength of a king, Bai Shi had no problem confronting him in a proper fight.
Seeing that Bai Shi was completely unafraid, even when facing the legendary King Godfrey, Lanslet felt much more at ease.
In any case, regardless of the outco, he intended to follow Bai Shi all the way.
He desperately wanted to see the prosperous era Bai Shi had once described to him be realized by their hands.
—
After giving orders regarding the recovery of the Magma Wyrm's corpse, Lanslet took his leave.
Sitting on the throne, Bai Shi suddenly recalled the Tarnished Archaeologists he had t in Liurnia so long ago.
That was before he had participated in the combat festival and fought Radahn.
Although he had guessed they were bringing news of Godfrey, that group hadn't revealed a thing to the public.
After a mont of thought, Bai Shi quickly understood.
"So that's how it was..."
Those n at the ti didn't spread the news and headed straight for the Grand Lift of Dectus.
It seed they only intended for the Royal Capital, Leyndell, to receive the ssage.
Morgott's lack of major actions might have been due to this very reason.
After all, if he knew Godfrey was on his way back, there was no need for him to risk an attack on Bai Shi.
Back then, Bai Shi, having been the first to defeat a demigod and reclaim Limgrave, had garnered such prestige that nearly all Tarnished returning to the Lands Between made their way to Stormveil.
It was like a server-wide announcent for the first player to defeat a world boss.
Even if only a portion of those Tarnished beca Bai Shi's strength, it was still a force that could not be ignored.
After the Shattering, every faction was weakened and in disarray. Only the Royal Capital still possessed an army superior to Stormveil's.
And due to geography, Stormveil was an even tougher nut to crack for Leyndell than Mt. Gelmir.
Leyndell could block the grand lift to prevent an army from ascending, but the reverse was also true.
Without support from below, Leyndell's army would descend right into an enemy encirclent, with only being annihilated as the result.
The main road to Stormveil had been destroyed during the Shattering, and it would take a monuntal effort for Leyndell to even get there.
And over such a long distance, even if they arrived, their supply lines would be impossible to secure.
Leyndell's supply lines had been cut even when attacking the nearby Mt. Gelmir.
The distance from the Royal Capital to Stormveil was on a completely different scale than the one to the volcano.
Whether it was a small force or a full-scale invasion, neither was a good strategy.
Traveling such a great distance... if they won, all would be well.
But if they lost, it would be akin to surrendering their existing advantage.
This must have been a decision Godfrey would have been pleased to see.
Because once Godfrey returned, the utility of these Tarnished armies would be greatly diminished.
After all, the prestige of the First Elden Lord in the Lands Between, and among the Tarnished, needed no explanation.
So, even after Bai Shi had killed off most of the Night's Cavalry, Morgott still made no further move.
His plan was to stabilize the situation, prevent Bai Shi from breaking through the Royal Capital, and wait for Godfrey to return. Then, it would all be over.
That's what they all thought.
Unfortunately, they all underestimated the speed of Bai Shi's growth.
How long did it take for Godfrey to conquer his way through enemy armies and achieve the strength of a king?
Ten years, decades, centuries?
Bai Shi didn't know how long it took Godfrey. He only knew that he had taken less than a year.
Bai Shi stood silently before his throne, then teleported to the Roundtable Hold.
Might as well put the Roundtable Hold to good use while he still could.
At the very least, he'd upgrade his weapons first.
—
Far across the ocean, Godfrey stood silently atop a mountain peak, clad in armor, with Serosh, the Beast Regent, on his back.
Below the peak where Godfrey stood, countless Tarnished and badlanders tirelessly hauled massive logs of timber.
Looking up at Godfrey on the summit, even the weakest warrior of the badlands would puff out his chest, their face shining with reverence.
In simple, makeshift workshops, the raw lumber was processed piece by piece into magnificent warships.
Thanks to the exceptionally high-quality materials and the badlanders' technology that could be said to defy imagination...
Even in such a crude production environnt, they had constructed mighty warships the likes of which had never been seen in the Lands Between.
And such magnificent warships were already moored densely in the sea.
Godfrey paid no mind to the rapidly progressing fleet. He simply stood there, gazing quietly at the vast, dark, icy sea, looking towards the unseen Lands Between.
There lay everything he had.
His holand and country, his glorious achievents, his children...
And his enemies.
More importantly, Marika was there.
Recalling Marika's decision, a trace of sorrow appeared in Godfrey's eyes.
To defeat the master they once had absolutely no power to resist, they had already given their all.
And what they gained in return was just a single, possible chance—
A chance so tiny, so infinitesimal, it could slip through one's fingers in an instant.
But the ti to return had co.
Gazing at the icy sea, Godfrey murmured to himself:
"Marika, I am coming back."
"Our small, selfish wish, our desperate gamble, our invincible foe... our everything."
"Wait for . Wait for
to draw back the curtain."
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