A Tarnished poked his head out from a small side door and waved for Bai Shi and the others to come over.
Bai Shi and his group quickly slipped through the door.
The Tarnished was dressed as a resident, with a wide-brimmed hat to cover his discolored eyes.
The soldiers weren't very strict when inspecting residents; a careless check was usually enough to get by.
"Everyone, please follow me."
"I'll be your guide and lead you to Godrick's throne."
"After that, I'll leave the rest to you."
This man had, of course, also been arranged by Gideon.
Stormveil Castle was enormous, far larger than it was in the game.
Godrick's location wasn't somewhere one could just walk up to.The city was clearly divided into residential areas based on status, and there were even dedicated places for raising livestock.
Patrol platforms for soldiers were built throughout the various areas, allowing them to move around quickly.
Without a guide, it would be easy to get lost in the city.
Then you'd be surrounded and annihilated by enemies coming from all sides, with no hope of escape.
However, after hiding out for so long, these Tarnished had already mastered nearly the entire layout of Stormveil.
Except for a few places that were always heavily guarded or were simply impossible to enter.
For instance, Godrick's grafting room was watched by many soldiers, making it extremely difficult to slip past.
Another place was the area beneath Stormveil, which had no guards.
But every Tarnished who had tried to scout it out never returned.
Over time, the Tarnished came to see it as a forbidden area.
"My apologies, but this is where I leave you."
"Good luck."
Rogier waved. He hadn't come here to defeat Godrick in the first place.
Helping defeat the Fell Omen was his way of paying for the ride, so to speak.
"Yes, good luck to you too."
Bai Shi hesitated for a moment before adding,
"By the way, I sense a strange aura of death in Stormveil."
"If you see anything bizarre, whatever you do, don't touch it."
Bai Shi couldn't be direct—it wasn't something he could just say—so he could only give Rogier a subtle warning.
He couldn't very well just tell Rogier, "There's a piece of the Prince of Death's face under the castle, and you'll die if you touch it," could he?
Rogier gave Bai Shi a surprised look, having understood his unspoken meaning.
Bai Shi must know something as well.
Rogier nodded solemnly.
"Yes, don't worry. I have some understanding of the matter."
"If we have the chance in the future, please, we must discuss this in detail."
Bai Shi was still a little worried; Rogier's curiosity was too strong.
But at a time like this, it was impossible for Bai Shi to abandon his main objective, Godrick, to help Rogier.
"Yes. Take care."
Maintaining curiosity and a desire to explore wasn't a bad thing.
Many sorcerers these days had long since lost that, which was why they never progressed.
But curiosity killed the cat—a perfect description of Rogier's eventual fate.
He hoped his warning would have some effect.
With Rogier's departure, the party was one member smaller.
But everyone had rested at the Site of Grace before entering the city, so they were all in top condition.
Nepheli also retrieved a new pair of twin axes from the Site of Grace, though their design was slightly different from her last pair.
These were her backup weapons.
The other heavily-armored Tarnished had also swapped in a new breastplate, completing his gear.
"Everyone, it's complete chaos outside right now."
"Although there are plenty of soldiers, it'll be hard for them to notice us amid the panicked crowds."
"We're going to charge straight through. Please, make sure you keep up."
The group exchanged nods and followed the guide, rushing out of the room.
They broke into a run. Because of their attire, they were quite conspicuous and were quickly noticed by the soldiers.
"Intruders!"
As the first of Godrick's soldiers spotted them, the others nearby all turned their gazes.
When they saw the direction the group was running, the soldiers were all shocked.
That's... the direction of Lord Godrick's chambers!
The soldiers temporarily ignored the crowds and drew their swords, chasing after Bai Shi's group.
But when the residents heard the cries of 'Intruders!' they panicked even more.
They began to run about wildly, joining those who had lost all sense of direction.
Bai Shi used a strong wind to forge a path ahead.
Any residents in front of them were blown aside by the gale, forcibly clearing a path.
Under Bai Shi's control, the gale was not lethal, so no residents were injured.
Godrick's soldiers, on the other hand, were a different story.
As elite soldiers left to defend the city, their minds were mostly intact.
Naturally, they were concerned for the residents and didn't dare to simply barge through the crowds.
Soon, Bai Shi and his group left the soldiers far behind.
All they could do was repeatedly shout, "The gate has fallen! Tarnished are invading from the front!"
Having completely shaken off their pursuers, the Tarnished guide was excited.
"We're moving much faster than expected! This is amazing!"
Their rapid pace was one thing, but Bai Shi's display of power was another.
He had never seen such exquisite control over the storm.
And to cause no harm to the residents... how merciful.
Overwhelming military might can only make people submit, but it is benevolence that truly wins them over.
Nepheli also began to praise Bai Shi:
"I've been wanting to say it since the battle earlier—your control over the storm is truly powerful."
"And now, I feel ashamed. I never thought the storm could be used like that."
"Your treatment of the common folk has my admiration."
Bai Shi said nothing.
He just didn't want to harm the innocent; after all, the residents had done nothing wrong.
But in a place like the Lands Between, where etiquette and order had collapsed, such an act was already considered highly moral.
Suddenly, two Banished Knights emerged from around a corner—one wielding a halberd, the other a sword.
These two had lost track of a group of trouble-making Tarnished they had been pursuing.
Then, hearing that the main gate had fallen, they had decided to head back and check on the exiled soldiers.
After all, they and the exiled soldiers were cut from the same cloth; they didn't want to see them all wiped out.
They hadn't expected to run right into the invaders.
The two groups met and drew their weapons, facing off against each other.
The Ancient King cried out once more.
The two Banished Knights instantly understood why the gate defended by the exiled soldiers had been breached.
"It's the Ancient King!"
The two Banished Knights immediately dropped to one knee in salute.
After rising, the sword-wielding Banished Knight stepped aside, his heart pounding with excitement.
To think he would get to see the Ancient King in his lifetime.
Both of these Banished Knights were descendants.
Unlike the exiled soldiers, Banished Knights could still pass down their martial arts and armor to their heirs.
But when he looked over at his companion, he froze.
The halberd-wielding Banished Knight had risen from the ground and was now gripping his weapon with both hands, blocking Bai Shi's path.