Patches walked up, shamelessly looking Bai Shi up and down.
“Are you the fellow Arnogo told me would be looking for me?”
Bai Shi looked at Patches, with his sly grin and cynical demeanor.
And that shiny, round bald head of his.
This was him, alright. Patches hadn’t changed a bit.
“That’s right. I’m Bai Shi, and I’m looking to buy something from you.”
Patches planted his greatshield on the ground and, unconcerned by the blood covering Bai Shi’s hands, extended one of his own to shake.
“Oh, excellent! A walk-in customer.”
“It seems my reputation as ‘Madcap’ Patches precedes me, haha.”
Bai Shi wiped the blood from his hand on his clothes and gave Patches a firm handshake.This outfit was temporary anyway. Once his Banished Knight armor was repaired, he wouldn’t be wearing it again.
Then, Patches’s tone shifted, and he gestured toward Yura with his chin.
“By the way, is that man with you?”
Seeing all three of them looking his way, Yura spoke up to explain.
“No. I am Yura, merely a Bloody Finger Hunter passing through.”
“There are traces of a Bloody Finger in this area. I have been investigating and heard a scream. I thought someone else had been attacked by them, so I rushed over at once.”
“I did not expect to find Bloody Finger Nerijus getting a beating. A truly gratifying sight.”
Patches nodded. He’d heard of the Bloody Fingers and their hunters, but he never thought he’d run into one today.
“Are you looking to trade? If not, don’t get in the way.”
Yura shook his head, his large iron kasa obscuring his face and making his expression impossible to read.
“No. I am not here to buy anything, but I have a reason I cannot leave.”
“I must witness the death of a Bloody Finger with my own eyes to ensure they have no chance of returning.”
Patches raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? You don’t seem to take a hint, do you? I’m telling you to scram. I’m not asking for your opinion, see.”
Patches had just acquired a batch of valuable goods, and he suspected that was what Bai Shi had come for.
But these items had a dubious origin, one that pointed to a certain secret he didn’t want outsiders to know about.
However, Yura didn’t back down an inch. As a Bloody Finger Hunter, he had his own principles.
“And if I were to say no?”
Yura placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Seeing this, Patches also raised his greatshield and pointed his spear at Yura.
“Don’t you underestimate me. If you want a fight, you’ll get one!”
Bai Shi quickly stepped between them to stop them from senselessly fighting.
“How about this, Sir Yura? For now, could you keep an eye on Nerijus for me?”
“Once we’ve concluded our business, we’ll come back to execute him. I happen to have some questions about the Bloody Fingers for you as well.”
Yura removed his hand from his sword hilt and nodded.
“So long as these Bloody Finger vermin are eliminated, I do not mind.”
He then walked silently over to Nerijus and began watching him with his full attention.
Patches didn’t say anything more, lowering his spear.
“Then follow me. We can talk somewhere more private.”
Bai Shi followed Patches.
Arnogo scratched his head. The three Tarnished had been talking so intensely that he couldn't get a word in.
Patches and Bai Shi were off to discuss business. Knowing Patches, the fact that he was actively trying to drive others away meant the cargo wasn’t clean; it was probably something with a shady history. Arnogo had considered following them, but he thought it was unwise to leave a prisoner in the care of a stranger.
‘Bai Shi is too trusting,’ he thought. ‘The Lands Between are built on lies, yet he’s just letting an outsider watch his captive.’
‘What if that Yura fellow was just pretending to be a Bloody Finger Hunter? What if he’s actually trying to rescue the guy?’
The more Arnogo thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Why else would he be so insistent on witnessing the Bloody Finger’s death with his own eyes?
If the man died, he’d leave. If not, he’d take him away and save him. It made perfect sense.
So, Arnogo stayed behind, keeping a watchful eye on Yura and Nerijus from a distance.
He had his little donkey, so if something happened, he could probably escape and warn Bai Shi.
The scene fell silent once more, broken only by the occasional, unconscious groan from Nerijus on the ground.
—
Bai Shi followed Patches to his hideout in Murkwater Cave.
Along the way, he saw several soldiers in shabby attire inside the cave.
Unlike regular soldiers, these men wore cloth armor and the like, suggesting they served logistical roles or operated siege equipment in the army.
Most of these soldiers were severely hollowed, with only a few who still seemed capable of communication.
Noticing Bai Shi staring at the soldiers, Patches spoke up.
“What, curious about them?”
Bai Shi nodded. Although he had seen many residents in Castle Morne, most of those he could communicate with still had their wits about them.
The fact that Patches could mingle with these nearly mindless soldiers was quite incredible.
“I’m a wanderer. I pick up odd jobs here and there. Like being a bandit.”
“I used to run with a band of bandits made up of those soldiers to make a living. I guess you could say I’m looking out for them.”
“Even though most of them can barely communicate, I just happen to get along with them. Call it fate, I suppose.”
Bai Shi nodded. It was just like Patches to so easily accomplish what others found difficult.
Hanging around with a group of nearly mindless, hollowed soldiers for no reason... if it were anyone else, Bai Shi would have suspected some trick was involved.
But since it was Patches, he probably just fell in with them somehow. After all, gag characters are invincible.
Patches sat down by the campfire and asked Bai Shi his purpose.
“So, what is it you want to buy from me?”
Bai Shi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said something that seemed completely unrelated.
“I want to go to Stormveil.”
Patches’s eyes narrowed. This fellow who had sought him out really did know something. He had expected as much, but it was still surprising.
“Heh heh, so you know. You know about the greatest obstacle on the road to Stormveil—the Fell Omen.”
“So, do you want information on how to sneak past him into the castle, or are you after something else?”
Bai Shi was a little surprised. There was actually a way to get past the Fell Omen and into the castle?
Then again, it made sense. Based on Edgar’s map, Stormveil Castle was much larger than it appeared in the game.
Even if there was only one main road, it was plausible that other paths existed.
Otherwise, there would be no way for the Roundtable Hold to have inside information on Stormveil.
However, Bai Shi didn’t intend to take a shortcut. If he couldn’t even defeat the Fell Omen’s apparition, there was no point in challenging Godrick.
After all, he could still retreat if he couldn’t beat the Fell Omen, but if he couldn’t beat Godrick, he’d be trapped inside the castle.
“I want something related to the Fell Omen.”
As Bai Shi spoke again, Patches licked his lips.
“You’re a bold one. A word of advice: that guy is ridiculously strong.”
“But, with these two items of mine, he’s not invincible.”
Patches rummaged through a chest behind him and pulled out two items, holding them out to Bai Shi.