Crossing over the massive rocks, Bai Shi arrived at the side of Caria Manor.
From here, his gaze could easily pass over the walls to see the towering structures within.
Bai Shi didn't get too close to the manor walls, instead following their direction toward the main gate.
On the path leading to the entrance of Caria Manor, a pool of water blocked his way.
He had intended to simply cross it, but he suddenly noticed a strange trail in the water.
It seemed something invisible was darting about within the pool.
As the unseen creature moved, it left a faint trail of frost on the water's surface behind it.
Rather than a trail of frost, it was more accurately described as a vapor trail.
The creature was likely small, but its movement speed was astonishingly fast.
Leaving a frosty wake, it zipped around the entire large pool in just a few dozen seconds.Its trajectory was chaotic and random, like a panicked insect bumping into everything.
Bai Shi considered it for a moment. Could this be an invisible scarab?
There were many scarabs scattered throughout the various regions of the game.
They would roll all sorts of things they had collected, searching for their next target.
The items these scarabs collected included translucent gray Ashes of War, various smithing stones, and more.
Judging by the frosty trail this scarab left on the lake's surface, it was certainly carrying a cold-type Ash of War.
A cold-type skill, in a pool right next to Caria Manor.
Bai Shi couldn't help but recall that once-glorious Ash of War—Hoarfrost Stomp.
In the early versions of the game, Hoarfrost Stomp and Flame of the Redmanes were the undisputed top-tier skills.
One ice, one fire, the two skills dominated everything with their sheer power, cutting a swath through every foe.
The Icerind Hatchet, which came with Hoarfrost Stomp, was also one of the designated weapons for speedruns at the time.
Unfortunately, it was brutally nerfed later, vanishing into obscurity among countless other weapons and skills.
As for its power in the current world, Hoarfrost Stomp probably wouldn't be overwhelmingly strong; its effectiveness would depend on the user.
Bai Shi followed the scarab's trail, preparing to take it down.
Hoarfrost Stomp was an Ash of War that originated from the mountaintops.
Although Bai Shi could technically learn it from Erlisa, he rarely had the time to study skills from scratch anymore.
If he used an Ash of War to practice, he could do so anytime and anywhere, without having to schedule a session.
He had been consistently collecting cold-based skills.
Bai Shi hoped to gather as many skills, sorceries, and incantations of other elemental types as possible.
He then aimed to raise their proficiency to the same level as his mastery of storm.
Among the various elements, the cold element—with his command of Zamor Ice Storm—was undoubtedly the closest to this goal.
Bai Shi was now an all-rounder with relatively balanced stats, capable of using various systems.
But he wasn't without his problems.
For instance, he still knew too few techniques.
Moreover, only his command of the storm element had been truly honed to perfection, enough for him to create his own techniques.
Besides storm, his most proficient skills were various martial arts, including Quickstep, Lion's Claw, and Stormcaller.
Beyond that, his knowledge was limited, let alone mastered.
He had a slight grasp of the basics for both the lightning and cold elements.
As for the others, like fire and gravity, he had none at all, not to mention rarer types like blood and poison.
Training another element to be a primary skill on par with storm would be incredibly difficult, as Bai Shi had a real talent for the storm element.
For Bai Shi, storm was no longer confined to the framework of skills and sorceries.
Without needing a weapon or a staff, he could summon a storm with just a thought by releasing his magic.
Using storm had become as instinctual to him as breathing.
However, even if other elements couldn't reach the level of storm, they had to at least be usable as conventional abilities.
He had also collected very few incantations, totaling only three plus the Dragon Communion incantations.
It was nowhere near enough to unleash the true power of an incantation wielder from the game.
On the other hand, he had collected a fair number of sorceries; all he needed was to practice them continuously.
One could imagine that the scarabs of the Lands Between were in for a rough time.
Bai Shi raised his dragonslaying swordspear, and a bolt of lightning struck down into the lake.
Spreading through the water, the attack's range was so vast that the scarab had no chance of escape, no matter where it was.
The poor scarab was shocked out of its invisibility. It immediately dropped the small ball it had been painstakingly collecting and quickly flew away.
Bai Shi walked over and picked up the small sphere containing the Ash of War.
Scarabs were only called that by name; they didn't actually roll dung balls.
These little creatures collected rare items and wouldn't dream of letting their precious treasures be covered in filth.
As soon as he opened the Ash of War's shell, a chilling aura poured out.
Unlike the usual translucent gray Ashes of War, the one for Hoarfrost Stomp was a white crystal, like ice.
Bai Shi placed the Ash of War inside his pouch, storing it carefully.
Later, at a Site of Grace, he could have Melina help him affix it to a weapon for use.
After crossing the pool, Bai Shi ran to the entrance of Caria Manor.
There was a Site of Grace at the main gate.
However, after lighting the Grace, Bai Shi found himself in a difficult position.
Looking out from the manor's entrance, he realized something:
Where Iji was supposed to be, there was no sign of him.
If Iji were there, Bai Shi couldn't possibly miss his massive frame.
In fact, Bai Shi could already see the huge smithing anvil Iji had left behind.
This anvil was even larger than the one he had brought to Stormveil.
It was likely the one Iji used regularly but was too inconvenient to carry around.
This meant Iji was usually here, but his current whereabouts were unknown.
Bai Shi had originally planned to have Iji lead him inside or inform Ranni of his arrival.
That would have saved him a lot of trouble.
But with Iji gone, what was he to do?
There wasn't even a gatekeeper at the entrance to Caria Manor.
Even if Bai Shi wanted to find someone to send a message inside, there was no one to be found.
Bai Shi felt this was a bit too absurd. Could this even be called a manor?
Bai Shi stepped through the main gate for a look and, indeed, saw not a single soul, which made him sweat a little.
Although he had some idea that Ranni wasn't good at management, he didn't expect the reality to be this dramatic.
Bai Shi didn't want to force his way in, as that would likely leave a bad impression on Ranni.
After thinking for a moment, Bai Shi shouted at the entrance:
"Is anyone here? Somebody, anybody!"
Before long, a rustling sound came from within the manor.
Bai Shi focused his attention in the direction of the sound, hoping someone would emerge to relay his message.
However, what crawled out from the bushes was not a soldier or a resident.
It was a bizarre creature that looked like several hands stitched together.
Seeing the Fingercreeper scuttling across the ground, Bai Shi couldn't help but feel a chill.
He began to mentally criticize the sick mind that had created such a creature.
A magical projectile shot out from the small Fingercreeper's finger, speeding toward Bai Shi.
Bai Shi blocked it with his swordspear, dissipating the projectile.
Looking at the Fingercreeper on the ground, Bai Shi realized that no one was likely to come out.
He sighed. "Looks like there's no other way."
"I'll try not to kill anything..."
After all, this was Ranni's home.
Even if Ranni herself didn't seem to care, Bai Shi couldn't just barge in and slaughter everything in the manor.
Bai Shi shrouded himself in storm and charged into the manor.
The vortex of wind made it impossible for the Fingercreepers to get close; any that approached were blown away.
The Fingercreepers' magic was slow and couldn't catch up to the charging Bai Shi.
A brief gust of wind was all it took to deflect their magic, giving Bai Shi enough time to move out of their range.
Bai Shi had no intention of collecting any other items within Caria Manor.
If he still couldn't find anyone to inform Ranni, he would have to run all the way to the Royal Moongazing Grounds and defeat the phantom of Royal Knight Loretta to meet Ranni in her tower behind the manor.
Blowing away the reckless Fingercreepers that rushed him, Bai Shi followed the main path through Caria Manor and entered the tower in the lower section.
He had taken a wrong turn just a moment ago and had almost gotten lost.
Fortunately, he spotted this tower and realized this was the way to go.
As soon as he entered the tower, Bai Shi heard a spirit muttering to itself nearby:
"Lady Ranni, I have been waiting.
Please, restore the Carian Royal Family.
May the full moon be with Caria..."
Afterward, it just kept repeating these few lines.
Looking at this muttering spirit, a sense of helplessness washed over Bai Shi.
Seeing the current state of Caria Manor, he feared that when he married Ranni in the future, she might not have any dowry besides the Dark Moon Greatsword.
Was there really no one else in this entire manor?
Oh, wait.
A glimmer of hope appeared.
Bai Shi remembered that there was a certain character with an ambiguous relationship with Sorcerer Seluvis right around here.
Perhaps he could find him and have him contact Ranni later...
Bai Shi was lost in thought.
In a corner he hadn't noticed, a giant Fingercreeper on the wall raised its middle finger, which wore a jeweled ring, toward him.
As purple magic took effect on Bai Shi, a ring of pinkish-purple magical light appeared around his body, holding him firmly in place.
Bai Shi was slightly surprised; there had been one hiding in this room.
The Fingercreeper had been clinging to a corner of the ceiling, completely out of sight.
Seeing that Bai Shi was immobilized, the giant Fingercreeper's body, which looked like three hands stitched together, crawled rapidly toward him.
The power of this binding spell wasn't very strong, but it couldn't be broken by physical strength; it had to be dispelled with magic.
Bai Shi couldn't find a way to break it immediately; after all, he was still too inexperienced as a sorcerer.
But it didn't matter. He just had to deal with the Fingercreeper casting the spell.
A storm roared to life, and a blade of wind sliced off the middle finger casting the spell. The creature could no longer maintain the magic.
Bai Shi broke free from the binding ring and immediately raised his swordspear.
The spear thrust directly into the center of the Fingercreeper's palm, and lightning continuously poured into its body.
Stimulated by the electricity, the Fingercreeper's various fingers twitched and writhed helplessly.
Soon, the Fingercreeper was shocked until it was blackened, turning into a piece of charcoal.
Kicking the creature's corpse aside, Bai Shi stepped onto the stairs leading up.
Upstairs was a room resembling a chapel, filled with many long benches.
Inside this chapel, Bai Shi lit a Site of Grace.
Looking ahead, he could see a bridge connecting to another building outside the door.
This bridge was the path to the upper levels of the manor.
However, Bai Shi didn't rush to exit through the door.
He glanced up and, sure enough, saw that the chapel had a second floor.
Bai Shi placed the large pot containing the Black Knife Assassin on the ground and then used the storm to leap directly up to the second floor.
Up there, a figure was furtively crouched by the railing.
He had heard the scuttling of the Fingercreepers and the sounds of battle, realizing an outsider had entered Caria Manor.
Just now, he had heard the sound of footsteps coming upstairs, so he had been hiding here, secretly observing.
But Bai Shi's sudden jump up truly startled him.
"Eek—!!"
He shrieked as he scrambled backward, even knocking over the corpse of a Cuckoo Knight propped against the wall.
He covered his head with his hands, his tattered long robe concealing his whole body, preventing Bai Shi from seeing his face.
However, seeing this person, Bai Shi actually felt a small sense of relief.
In the vast Caria Manor, he had finally found the first living person.
"Well, what's your name?"
The figure on the ground was meek and timid. Hearing Bai Shi's question, he hugged his head and answered in a small voice:
"I... I'm Pidia."
"I am a servant of the Carian Royal Family, responsible for looking after these... these disgusting puppets..."
"You... no, how did Your Lordship get up here?"
Bai Shi looked at the cowering man before him, finding it hard to believe that this person and Seluvis could possibly be one and the same.
Or perhaps, this man was the true body, and Seluvis was merely one of his puppets.
In the game, various clues pointed to this conclusion.
When Seluvis was looking for Amber Starlight, Pidia would sell a map to its location.
And when Seluvis died, his posture was identical to that of a deceased puppet.
At the same time, Pidia also died, killed by his own puppets.
Just before his death, Pidia's attitude of calling the puppets disgusting would completely change, and he would lament how he loved them and the happy times they had spent together.
But the most crucial clue was actually an external factor: both characters were voiced by the same actor.
Now, looking at Pidia before him, Bai Shi found it difficult to connect him with the arrogant Seluvis.
Seluvis was completely different from Pidia, he was the epitome of arrogance.
Calling everyone a dull-witted cur or a country bumpkin, he looked down on everyone and even thought he could drug Ranni.
But the baffling thing was, among Ranni's followers, Seluvis seemed to be the only one actually doing any work.
Blaidd was constantly getting lost, and Iji, as the war counselor, somehow couldn't remember in the game that the fate of the Carian Royal Family was tied to the stars.
In the end, only Seluvis, who seemed like a pervert collecting puppets, was genuinely getting things done.
On one hand, he used his puppets to help with the manor's defenses, and on the other, he was responsible for using magic to repel enemies outside the manor.
The magical sword rain outside Caria Manor was cast from Seluvis's tower.
At the same time, he had once helped Sorceress Sellen just after she had been expelled from the academy.
In any case, he should be able to contact Ranni.
Bai Shi didn't answer his question, but asked one of his own:
"I wish to visit Ranni, but there's no one in this manor."
"You know how to find her, don't you?"