Bai Shi took a deep breath, deciding he had to interact more with those people later on.
Without a doubt, he could obtain a great deal of information and intelligence from them.
This intelligence regarding Miquella was of the utmost importance.
Having already received warnings about Miquella from Ranni and Iji, the more Bai Shi knew about him, the safer he would be.
The plot in the original game was far too fragmented.
While the stories of most demigods and regions could be pieced together, some of the deeper lore was never fully revealed.
For example, why on earth did Queen Marika shatter the Ring? Who was Miquella? Who was the Gloam-Eyed Queen...?
The base game was missing far too much of the story.
Normally, such a popular game would undoubtedly release a DLC to supplement the story (and for a cash grab).
But the players in Bai Shi's world waited for many years with no news.Bloodborne was already on PC, Armored Core was up to its sixteenth installment, and even the trailer for the next GTA 7 had been released.
Yet there was still no news about Elden Ring's DLC or a sequel.
Every time they asked the old scoundrel Miyazaki, the answer was always, "It's in the works, it's in the works."
The game was always playable, and still fun, but the discussions would eventually fade away.
Without a DLC or a new title to maintain the hype, a game's discussion level is ultimately limited.
The "Ringologists" had already gone extinct by the time Bai Shi died in 2043.
After all, what was the point of waiting for something you knew would never come?
It was better to play new games and do plot analysis while they were popular.
Only an oddball like Bai Shi would tirelessly play Elden Ring.
He would even dig through the trash in ancient forums to read the lore theories of the Ringologists.
Bai Shi thought about it. A completely unknown situation wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
He had always wanted to explore the hidden truths of the Lands Between.
The known lore didn't provide any starting points to dig deeper, but things related to Miquella were different.
Completely unknown meant that he would make some gains no matter what.
Through Miquella, he could at least learn about the storylines related to Malenia, Mohg, Godwyn, and Radahn.
Malenia and Mohg had the most plot connections to Miquella in the game.
The text on the golden epitaph and the phantoms showed that Miquella and Godwyn were connected.
And as for Radahn...
Since Miquella appeared after the Battle of Aeonia, it was highly likely he was the one who instigated Malenia.
So, in reality, it was Miquella who wanted Malenia to fight Radahn.
There was definitely a connection between the two of them.
He just didn't know if they were enemies or something else.
While Bai Shi was thinking, Jerren was also contemplating.
Miquella and Malenia were twins.
And the fact that Malenia was absolutely obedient to Miquella was common knowledge in the Lands Between.
After all, Malenia took pride in her title, "Blade of Miquella."
Miquella had appeared in Caelid, and after the Battle of Aeonia, no less.
Did that mean Malenia was actually sent by Miquella to battle General Radahn?
But for what reason?
Or had Malenia lost control? She didn't say a word at the time.
Regardless, Jerren was prepared to investigate.
Suddenly, the list of things to do after the festival had grown much longer.
Originally, Jerren had planned to leave Redmane Castle and Caelid after the festival ended.
At that time, Jerren felt this land was hopeless.
So he was going to punish the enemy of the Carians, the greatest disaster in the history of the academy, Sorceress Sellen.
Then, after fulfilling this final responsibility, he would find a quiet place to die.
But the perfumer Bai Shi had brought, Hilbert, had undoubtedly shown him the possibility of curing the Scarlet Rot.
So, managing the Scarlet Rot had to be his top priority once again.
After all, it was the long-cherished wish of the Redmane Knights.
However, today, after Freya's return, he had something even more pressing to investigate.
Namely, what role did Miquella play in that war?
Although things were getting more and more complicated, Jerren was actually quite happy.
This was a good thing!
Compared to being clueless about everything, wandering in a painful struggle, having a goal was the best thing possible.
Even if it was difficult, as long as he knew what he had to do, he would persevere without hesitation.
In any case, thanks to Freya, both Bai Shi and Jerren had learned a great deal of previously unknown information.
Jerren suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Lord Bai Shi, as I mentioned to you before."
"Redmane Castle is home to a legendary weapon: the Ruins Greatsword."
"The Radahn Festival is about to begin. Why not go and claim it?"
Bai Shi nodded. He had already agreed last time when Jerren offered to give him the Ruins Greatsword.
After all, he still needed to collect legendary armaments to complete the achievement and unlock more uses of Fengling Yueying.
But at the time, the festival was still far off, so he hadn't taken it.
Jerren had someone lead Bai Shi to the storeroom where the Ruins Greatsword was kept.
As an incredibly large and exceptionally heavy stone chest was opened, a heavy greatsword appeared before Bai Shi's eyes.
A line of small text appeared before his eyes: Ruins Greatsword +7.
This greatsword showed almost no craftsmanship; it was incredibly crude.
That was because it was originally forged from an uncracked stone block found in the debris of a falling ruin.
As a weapon, it was far too heavy.
With Bai Shi's current strength, even wielding it with one hand would be strenuous.
He would have to either hold it with two hands or use a Great Rune to increase his size.
But what came with its immense weight was also unparalleled destructive power.
However, its Ash of War, Wave of Destruction, was a bit underwhelming for Bai Shi.
The comet torrent from his Sword of Night and Flame was simply too powerful.
Bai Shi still planned to use the Ruins Greatsword as a purely physical melee weapon.
And although it was a greatsword, its length couldn't compare to the Dragonslayer Swordspear, which could be extended.
He might not even use it in the upcoming battle, so Bai Shi didn't study it in detail.
He still needed to find Hilbert.
Hilbert had been talking with several very old Redmane Knights.
These Redmanes were both healers and warriors, and they had previously tried many methods to clear the Scarlet Rot.
Although due to various reasons like cost, effectiveness, difficulty of creation, and material acquisition, the actual efficiency was worse than simply using fire.
But now with a professional like Hilbert, they could also hand over all their past failed ideas to her.
If it could provide her with some inspiration or use, then it would be for the best.
Hilbert had taken off her heavy Fallen Perfumer's cloak and was working in simple, light attire.
She was processing some kind of raw material, her hands sticky with an unknown green slime.
Hilbert was completely absorbed, not even noticing Bai Shi approach her side.
It was only after a long while, when she turned her head, that she realized.
"Huh?!—Oh, it's you. You scared me."
Hilbert's hands didn't stop moving. "Honestly, if you needed something, you could have just called me. What are you doing just waiting there?"
"I was afraid of disturbing you and causing some kind of accident."
Hilbert shook her head.
"It's just processing materials, what could possibly happen?"
"In that case, just wait a little bit longer for me."
"I'm almost done. Let's talk about whatever it is after I finish."
Bai Shi began to watch from the side.
Although he couldn't understand any of it.
The raw material had already been processed into a fine powder, and Bai Shi couldn't tell what it once was.
Only after Hilbert had finished processing the material and put it into a jar did Bai Shi speak again:
"I brought the Crystal Cave Moss from Stormveil."
Hilbert paused for a moment, then remembered that Bai Shi had said he would plant the moss in Limgrave to be used as a material for the neutralizing incense.
"It's already grown? I remember crystal moss takes quite a while to grow."
"Or is the yield not that large?"
Bai Shi said nothing and dumped all the crystal moss from his dimensional disk, almost burying Hilbert.
Hilbert emerged from the pile of moss, staring in astonishment at the massive quantity.
"So much! This is great!"
—
On the eve of the Radahn Festival, a grand banquet was held in Redmane Castle as promised.
On the tables were bread, fruits, vegetables, and the rarely seen inferior wine of the Lands Between.
Aside from the wine, these were all very common foods.
But Redmane Castle hadn't paid much attention to food for a long time, so this was already considered a very thoughtful meal.
The vast majority of warriors in Redmane Castle gathered in the square to participate in this grand banquet.
Tomorrow, the Radahn Festival would begin.
They had all come to challenge General Radahn, and they were naturally aware of how terrifying his strength was.
In other words, the warriors here were all psychologically prepared for death.
Therefore, on the night before the festival, they sang and danced to their hearts' content.
Everyone fully enjoyed the revelry before the festival.
Preparing to face death tomorrow with the highest of spirits.
A Knight of Eochaid stood on a stage, performing a sword dance where he controlled his blade with spiritual energy.
Warriors from the badlands formed a circle and immediately started wrestling with their newfound friends.
Warriors from the highlands stamped their feet as they sang the war songs of their homeland; sailors from the coast loudly sang sea shanties...
They dared to cross the vast expanse of Caelid just to participate in this great festival of combat.
Without a doubt, regardless of their strength, they were all true warriors.
Jerren appeared on the second level of the square.
He raised the unique Flamberge in his hand.
Over the long years of battle, this greatsword had become a symbol of Redmane Castle.
Fierce flames erupted from the blade, becoming a conspicuous beacon in this star-studded night.
Everyone in the square could easily see him.
The various noises gradually faded as everyone's gaze fixed upon Jerren.
Jerren plunged the burning greatsword into the ground.
The heat distorted the air around him, illuminating the iron old man's mask on his face.
He didn't know when, but the face beneath his mask had become as old as the elderly figure depicted on it.
But thankfully, the long wait was almost over.
"Warriors, since you are all gathered here, you should know what you are about to face!"
"The invincible warrior, the conqueror who sealed the stars, the strongest demigod of the Shattering!"
Jerren's tone shifted:
"But, it is heartbreaking that General Radahn has been wandering in a state of confusion."
"Malenia's Scarlet Rot has not only corroded the general's body from the inside out, but it has also driven his mind to madness."
"He gathers corpses and gnaws on them, friend and foe alike..."
"Just like a wild dog, he has forgotten all his former glory...!"
With a voice so loud it was almost a roar, Jerren declared to the assembled warriors of Redmane Castle:
"So, the honor that the general himself has forgotten, we shall reclaim for him!"
"Warriors who have come from all corners of the land!"
"The stars have filled the night sky!"
"As planned, tomorrow, the festival of combat will begin!"
"Show your courage, your perseverance, your strength!"
"For General Radahn, offer him an honorable death!"
The warriors in the square drew their weapons, pointing them high to the sky, and let out a roar that echoed through the night.
—
After a night of revelry, the crowd gathered in the square once more.
But unlike before, everyone was silently preparing their equipment, striving to be in the best possible condition for the coming battle.
From the second level of the square, Jerren delivered the final mobilization:
"The sky is filled with stars, the time for the festival has come!"
"The most powerful demigod of the Shattering, General Radahn, is waiting for you."
"Warriors, fight on! Defeat the general with honor and claim the Great Rune!"
"The Radahn Festival begins! The Radahn Festival begins!!"
Without need for further instruction, the warriors, led by the soldiers, descended via the lifts to the shoreline at the very bottom of Redmane Castle.
There, the Redmane Knights had long since set up a pontoon bridge for the warriors to reach the Wailing Dunes.
The warriors on their various mounts were the first to set foot on the Wailing Dunes.
After getting onto the dunes, the area was so vast that for a moment, they couldn't find any sign of Starscourge Radahn.
It was only after galloping across the boundless dunes for some time that they saw General Radahn, crouched on the ground in the center of the expanse.
At this moment, General Radahn's hands were planted on the ground, his back to the crowd.
A dozen Cleanrot Knight spears were embedded in his massive back, and he was gnawing on a desiccated corpse.
As they approached, several mounted riders raised their bows and shot at General Radahn from a distance.
A few more small arrows were added to General Radahn's back.
Only then did General Radahn belatedly notice the enemies.
He rose from the ground and let out a roar at the sky.
Radahn took the Lion Greatbow, long unused, from his back, and plucked several blood-stained Cleanrot Knight spears from his flesh to nock upon it.
As the massive bow was slowly drawn taut, everyone's heart was filled with a sense of crisis.
The cavalry immediately broke formation and scattered.
But it was of no use.
As the spears descended from the heavens, several riders were struck with precision.
Anyone hit by a Cleanrot Knight's spear was instantly torn to shreds.
Just as the surrounding warriors felt relieved to have survived the first wave of attack, gravity magic spread out from the impact points of those spears, expanding dozens of meters in all directions.
All the surrounding warriors and their mounts were crushed to the ground by the force of gravity.
Soon, blood gushed from their mouths and noses, their eyes bulged, and their breath ceased.
The warriors stained the dunes red with their blood for the first time in a long while, becoming the first sacrifices of the Radahn Festival.
But countless warriors charged past their bodies, inheriting their last wishes, roaring as they rushed Radahn one after another.