After the coronation, Bai Shi dismissed the generals and soldiers, sending them back to their posts.
For now, they would continue in their former roles. New assignments would be made once the city's affairs were completely settled.
As the soldiers departed, the area beneath the throne instantly emptied.
Only the various lords, great and small, remained before the throne.
Bai Shi naturally knew their purpose, so he rose and walked toward them.
The lords seemed to have already communicated and arranged themselves according to the size of their territory, status, and other factors.
First in line was a familiar face, Edgar.
In Limgrave, Castle Morne was considered the largest stronghold after Stormveil.
Though its military strength had waned after the rebellion, Edgar still held the highest status among the lords.
Bai Shi placed his ceremonial straight sword, shimmering with golden light, on Edgar's shoulder and tapped it twice before moving on to the next person.Without any elaborate fanfare, the simple ceremony was quickly concluded.
Although the ritual was brief, none of the lords had any objections.
They were here to pledge their loyalty to Bai Shi, and his acceptance was all that mattered.
Bai Shi returned to his throne and looked down at the lords below.
Aside from Castle Morne, most of the remaining strongholds were smaller fortress-like castles.
Many were more akin to settlements, and calling their leaders "village chiefs" would be more fitting than "lords."
There weren't many lords in total, only about twelve or thirteen.
These individuals would become the executors of Bai Shi's will in Limgrave.
However, among them, Bai Shi did not see Kenneth Haight.
He probably got driven out of his fortress by Godrick's knights, just like in the game, and thus knew nothing of Bai Shi's ascension.
Well, I'll go check on him later.
There's an important item in his fortress.
Bai Shi waved his hand, dismissing the lords, but asked Edgar to stay behind.
Now, only Nepheli, Hakan, Lanslet, and Edgar remained before the throne.
Looking at the few people before him, Bai Shi spoke slowly:
"I want to transform Stormveil and Castle Morne into settlements open to all species."
"They can trade, rest, or join the army here."
"I hope you can help manage them."
"Do you have any thoughts or suggestions?"
The four below were all taken aback.
Bai Shi elaborated on his plan.
The gist of it was to establish a harmonious place under his protection.
It wouldn't be just for the Tarnished and the native residents.
Other races could also find a good life there.
Perhaps discrimination and conflict would still exist; it was destined to be an imperfect place.
After all, he didn't have Miquella's ability to create an idyllic paradise.
But life there should be much better, at least everyone should be able to have enough to eat.
As long as a start was made, things would get better and better in the future.
After some discussion, Bai Shi's plan was officially set in motion.
Lanslet was appointed by Bai Shi as deputy regent, as he was the only one here with any formal education.
Bai Shi couldn't stay in the city forever, nor did he want to deal with administrative affairs every day.
The Lands Between couldn't be conquered with Stormveil alone; Bai Shi was destined to travel and improve himself.
In this world where power belongs to the individual, strength is the reason to be king.
Therefore, having someone who could handle administrative tasks was very important.
From Bai Shi's observations over the past few days, Lanslet was indeed a good choice.
Not only did he have a natural advantage in status, but he also possessed a certain degree of strength and was a decent person.
He was the one who had called upon the Storm Knights to support Bai Shi.
Thus, Bai Shi confidently delegated authority to him.
As for whether this was too casual and might pose a hidden danger in the future?
As mentioned before, this is a world where power belongs to the individual.
Anyone with a brain wouldn't harbor thoughts of betrayal after witnessing that one sword strike from Bai Shi.
Nepheli had always been a good person, willing to protect the weak.
When she heard that Bai Shi wanted to establish a settlement to provide a place for Tarnished who couldn't see the guidance of grace and couldn't even enter the Roundtable Hold, she immediately agreed.
Bai Shi tasked her with temporarily leading the soldiers to manage the Tarnished, making sure to punish any who broke the law.
In truth, assigning this role to someone of Nepheli's strength was a bit of an underutilization.
But Nepheli herself said she would only hold the position temporarily and would leave once new personnel were in place.
She was a warrior, after all. This was not her ultimate destination.
Edgar would send people to spread the news on the Weeping Peninsula and also to assist the Tarnished who had just landed.
Its geographical location meant that many Tarnished would land there.
Castle Morne would also serve as a settlement, operating on a trial basis concurrently with Stormveil.
As for Hakan, he refused the important position Bai Shi offered him.
This kind of charity-like care was not what he wanted.
So, Bai Shi gave him another mission.
—
"Hey, have you guys heard? It seems a Tarnished has defeated Godrick and claimed a Great Rune."
"Yeah, and it seems after he became the Lord of Stormveil, the castle has been opened to all Tarnished. Should we go take a look in a couple of days?"
"Are you guys going too? Count me in."
"Add me too, then."
...
In the Roundtable Hold, the Tarnished were endlessly discussing.
Bai Shi defeating Godrick and obtaining a Great Rune was the hottest topic these days.
Sir Gideon still sat at the table, though this time he wasn't engrossed in his studies.
There were no books before him, only a few pieces of parchment with intelligence recorded on them.
Gideon repeatedly reviewed the reports from Ensha and his other subordinates.
For the past two days, he had been studying these reports, with no mood to even read books.
Over and over, he could now recite them from memory.
He had previously taught his subordinates the recording magic, but this time, the few who dared to go forward and record all died in bizarre ways.
Gideon was getting irritated.
It was precisely the most crucial information that was missing. These guys were truly unreliable.
In the end, all he had were written reports and a field recording from a distance witnessing the collapse of the pillar of qi. He didn't even know what the enemy was.
The submitted reports were also written in a confusing manner:
Godrick fell into the earth, then climbed out from underground, his body transformed into a monstrous creature of immense size, far surpassing a troll.
The monster's body was as huge as a mountain, completely black and covered in sores.
It was gaunt and skeletal, but its face was enormous and upside down, looking somewhat like an octopus.
Does such a thing really exist in the Lands Between?
In the end, it was suspected that Bai Shi used a devastatingly powerful move to completely obliterate Godrick. The subsequent personnel couldn't find even a trace of the monster...
If it weren't for multiple reports corroborating each other, Gideon would have suspected it was something written after someone ate poisonous mushrooms.
But the only clear and direct field recording forced him to take this matter very seriously.
Because that pillar of qi that pierced the heavens and the earth was simply too shocking.
It even made Gideon doubt whether it was a move that a human could possibly unleash.
And that monster.
Both its bizarre appearance and its ability to kill with ease were worthy of attention. Gideon was very experienced and his information network was extensive.
But he had never heard of such a move or such a monster.
Gideon studied it again and again, but could not find an answer.
This concerned his judgment of Bai Shi's strength and would also determine his future attitude towards Bai Shi.
If Bai Shi truly...
Just then, a cheer erupted in the Roundtable Hold, incredibly loud.
Gideon could hear it clearly even from his well-soundproofed study, which showed just how noisy it was outside.
Gideon frowned. What a bunch of useless Tarnished.
A little thing could get them so riled up. It was truly unbecoming.
Soon, Gideon's informant at the Roundtable reported what had happened outside.
The protagonist of the Tarnished's discussions—Bai Shi—had arrived at the Roundtable Hold.
And he had been summoned once again by the Two Fingers.
—
Bai Shi was still wearing the magnificent attire from his coronation.
He wore golden ornaments symbolizing his royalty.
It had to be said, this outfit was indeed handsome, and Bai Shi liked it a lot.
Bai Shi had come this time to have the Two Fingers fulfill their promise.
He had indeed defeated Godrick and obtained the Great Rune.
So the Two Fingers had to show some further appreciation.
Behind him, several young Tarnished carried his Banished Knight armor and his somewhat damaged twin swords.
Roderika was also brought along by Bai Shi, holding his scepter with both hands.
She herself wished to stay in Stormveil and was not very willing to go out.
But Bai Shi thought of bringing her to meet Hewg the blacksmith.
It just so happened that his own armor and weapons needed major repairs.
If he could obtain the legacy of the spirit tuner as in the game, it would be a great help to Bai Shi.
However, Bai Shi was also prepared for the possibility that the game's plot might not be followed and he might not receive the legacy.
After all, the plot had already diverged so much; none of Roderika's companions had died.
Like the butterfly effect, it was hard to say if he could still follow the game's story.
If Roderika did not receive the legacy, Bai Shi would arrange a safe and easy job for her, so she could live a good life.
After Bai Shi brought everyone to the Roundtable Hold, the surrounding Tarnished quickly recognized him.
As they shouted, more and more Tarnished gathered around, wanting to see what kind of person had defeated Godrick.
Upon seeing Bai Shi, all the Tarnished were very surprised.
Because Bai Shi looked very young.
Generally, Tarnished of such a young age were mostly fledgling novices.
Except for a few with extraordinary talent, like Nepheli and Rogier, who had earned respect for their strength at a young age.
The backbone of the Roundtable Hold consisted mostly of older, more experienced Tarnished.
However, Bai Shi's youth did not earn him any disdain.
The fierce aura emanating from Bai Shi made every warrior feel as if a blade was at their back, as if they were being stared down by a wild beast.
His noble attire displayed a king's domineering presence, and his achievements were unprecedented.
Bai Shi did not drive away these onlookers.
He came here dressed like this precisely to let his reputation spread throughout the Roundtable Hold.
With a reputation among the Tarnished, it would be easier for him to attract them to Stormveil and Castle Morne.
Before long, Enia pushed through the crowd and came before Bai Shi.
She cleared her throat and announced the will of the Two Fingers in a loud voice to all:
"Tarnished Bai Shi, it is truly commendable that you were able to follow the guidance and complete the task of seizing the Great Rune."
"The doors of the Fingers will open for you. Come and have an audience."
At these words, the surrounding Tarnished were greatly astonished.
The doors of the Two Fingers were tightly shut and had never been opened.
They didn't know that Gideon and Enia could enter the Two Fingers' chamber through a secret passage.
In their eyes, Bai Shi was the first Tarnished to truly have an audience with the Two Fingers.
The doors of the Two Fingers creaked open with a harsh sound, but the Tarnished were thrilled and relieved.
All eyes turned to the chamber of the Two Fingers. Through the open doorway, they caught a blurry glimpse of the twin digits.
The Tarnished committed that sight to memory, then made way for Bai Shi to pass.
As Bai Shi entered the room, the door to the chamber closed tightly once more.
Roderika and the others were not qualified to enter, so they waited outside.
Bai Shi had already informed Nepheli, and she would handle the matter of repairing the equipment.
Soon, Nepheli arrived and took Roderika and the others to find Hewg.
—
Bai Shi arrived once more in the dim chamber of the Two Fingers, feeling a bit emotional.
It hadn't been long since his last visit, yet the manner of his arrival was completely different.
Back then, he had followed Enia through a secret passage; now, he entered openly through the main door.
The Two Fingers had even deliberately sent someone to make an announcement in front of everyone, letting them all know that They were summoning Bai Shi.
It also let Bai Shi show off a bit.
Recalling the admiring and shocked gazes of the Tarnished just now, Bai Shi finally understood why so many people enjoyed posturing.
Enia gestured for Bai Shi to come closer.
Bai Shi walked over to Enia and the Two Fingers.
Enia said to Bai Shi with a smile:
"The Two Fingers are very pleased with you."
"Not just for defeating Godrick and seizing the Great Rune."
"Your idea to establish a settlement for the Tarnished in Stormveil is also excellent."
"Summoning you here today at the Roundtable Hold was also specially arranged by the Two Fingers."
The Two Fingers also began to sway their digits.
Bai Shi nodded; the Two Fingers building up his prestige was not unexpected.
Enia was present when he discussed this matter, so the Two Fingers would naturally know.
The Two Fingers wanted the Tarnished to take action.
If there were Tarnished outside the Roundtable Hold who could also be mobilized, that would be even better.
"I have not failed my mission."
"To have achieved what I have today, it is all thanks to the previous assistance from the Two Fingers."
"Of course, the most important thing was the guidance of the Two Fingers."
Bai Shi's attitude greatly pleased the Two Fingers, who swayed their digits slightly.
Enia turned to Bai Shi and translated:
"The Fingers say:"
"We will not be stingy with those who have rendered meritorious service."
"Since you have completed your mission and become the first Tarnished to seize a Great Rune, we have prepared a handsome reward."
Bai Shi licked his lips. The last aid had made him rich overnight.
He wondered what kind of reward it would be this time.
Soon, Enia presented a tray.
One Sacred Tear, a Flask of Crimson Tears, a Flask of Cerulean Tears, and runes of various sizes.
But what was most eye-catching was the large number of Rune Arcs.