Today, a grand banquet was to be held in Redmane Castle.
The Radahn Festival, a great weight on the minds of the Redmane Knights, had finally come to a successful conclusion.
Therefore, the Redmanes were treating the upcoming banquet with the utmost seriousness.
It was a banquet to commemorate the end of the festival and to celebrate the champion, Bai Shi.
But before the celebration, an unexpected person sought out Bai Shi.
Bai Shi was somewhat surprised to see Bernahl standing before him.
He wasn't sure how this veteran Tarnished had found him.
Bernahl wasn't wearing his helmet at the moment, and his thick beard made him look rather old.
Bernahl sized Bai Shi up before speaking.
"Bai Shi, Lord of Stormveil, you are strong.""Moreover, you possess a remarkably noble character. In my eyes, you are a model for all Tarnished."
Bai Shi looked at Bernahl, who had started with a string of compliments, and felt a bit puzzled, unsure of his purpose.
"Thank you for the praise."
"You're Bernahl, aren't you?"
Hearing Bai Shi say his name, Bernahl wasn't too surprised. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.
After all, he hadn't concealed his identity in public.
The Beast Champion Armor was a rather obvious trademark.
"If my senses don't deceive me, you seem to be carrying an invitation to Volcano Manor."
Bai Shi was quite surprised. Could he really sense that?
It seemed the Volcano Manor invitations had a special trick to them, to identify who had received one.
"Yes, a girl named Rya did give me an invitation earlier."
"And I am somewhat curious about Volcano Manor."
"There might be something of interest to me there."
"When I have the time, I think I'll pay them a visit."
Especially Rykard's Great Rune. Bai Shi wanted it badly.
Bernahl shook his head.
"Curious about Volcano Manor?"
"I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment."
"Perhaps heroes once existed there, but now, nothing remains."
"The Volcano Manor of today is a den of Recusants, a nest for those who blaspheme grace and hunt their own brethren."
"Do you understand what that means?"
"I advise you to have nothing to do with that place. There is nothing there that would interest a man like you."
Bai Shi nodded.
"I know what kind of place Volcano Manor is."
"I can't say I approve of their actions, and I have no interest in preying on the weak."
"However, it's not because they attack their own kind, but because of their cruelty toward the weak and my aversion to madmen."
"I don't divide the world into camps by fellowship or shared blood. In my eyes, there are only friends and enemies."
"If someone is my enemy, I'll treat them the same, whether they're a Tarnished or anyone else."
To be honest, Bai Shi couldn't care less about the term "brethren."
He only distinguished between who was a friend and who was an enemy.
After all, he was just a lonely soul who had drifted here from afar.
Were the Tarnished really his brethren?
Bai Shi had never thought so.
What he detested was the cruelty that both Volcano Manor and the Mohgwyn Dynasty inflicted upon the weak.
Bai Shi wasn't about to stand on a moral high ground and condemn them just because they attacked their fellow Tarnished.
If a Tarnished stood in his way and became his enemy, he would cut them down without a moment's hesitation.
But torturing and tormenting the weak was another matter entirely.
Bai Shi simply loathed their habit of preying on the weak, as well as their lunatic way of thinking.
Because they were all madmen and scum, they acted like psychopaths, torturing the defenseless.
If there were any among them with decent character, Bai Shi wouldn't hold such a prejudice.
Just like Bernahl, who upheld the dignity of a knight. Bai Shi didn't dislike him at all.
Bernahl raised his eyebrows.
Although he was at Volcano Manor and was not satisfied with its current state, he didn't want to interfere.
He knew all too well that Volcano Manor was beyond saving.
However, Bai Shi was a Tarnished with the makings of a king, his character and strength both impeccable.
Bernahl saw a dazzling light in him that he hadn't seen for a long time.
Bernahl didn't want Bai Shi to get involved in the affairs of Volcano Manor.
The manor's current mistress, Tanith, was remarkably silver-tongued. The weak-willed could be easily swayed.
But after their conversation, it seemed he had no reason to worry about Bai Shi.
"Is that so? Well then, I wish you luck in finding what you seek at Volcano Manor."
After bidding Bai Shi farewell, Bernahl left Redmane Castle, with no intention of attending the evening's celebration.
He still had some business to attend to in Caelid.
---
When evening came, the celebratory banquet was held as planned.
The warriors raised their cups and drank heartily, but compared to the boisterous scene before the battle, the current atmosphere felt somewhat desolate.
Nearly half of them had perished on the Wailing Dunes.
But at least the purpose of the Radahn Festival had been achieved, hadn't it?
Bai Shi, too, took a rare moment to relax and join in the festivities.
After a night of revelry, numerous warriors were passed out unceremoniously in the plaza.
Those who were still sober left one by one.
Blaidd and Iji came to find Bai Shi, ready to bid him farewell.
Blaidd looked at Bai Shi and spoke first.
"Lord Bai Shi, I must now go to where the falling star landed, so I will take my leave."
"The seal on the stars has been broken, and Ranni's fate is in motion once more."
"The path to Nokron, the Eternal City, must have appeared by now."
Iji stroked his beard. Finding the meteor's crash site was his judgment as a war counselor.
Since fate had been unsealed, that unusual star was likely its guide.
So, he had planned Blaidd's next course of action.
Bai Shi looked at Iji.
"What about you, Master Iji? Are you going there as well?"
Iji waved his hand.
"A place like that is best left to the warriors."
"I'm old now, not as spry as I used to be. I'd just be a burden if I went."
"I'll be returning to Caria Manor."
"If you need any armor or weapons forged, you can find me at the manor's entrance."
Iji slapped his head.
"Oh, forgive me, I forgot you haven't been to Caria Manor yet, have you? Should I leave you a map?"
It seemed they didn't know that Ranni had already arranged a deeper cooperation with him.
Bai Shi thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Well, actually, I've already been to Caria Manor once."
"Though the process of meeting Ranni was a bit... convoluted, we met successfully at the Royal Moongazing Grounds."
"And after our discussion, Ranni and I decided on a deeper cooperation."
Iji and Blaidd glanced at each other, a bit embarrassed.
They knew full well the dilapidated state of Caria Manor.
It was rather shameful for an outsider to see it like that.
Well, no matter.
Since Bai Shi had already been there and met Ranni, there was no need to be secretive about it.
Iji looked at Bai Shi and asked about the details of their cooperation.
"May I ask what sort of cooperation Lord Bai Shi and Lady Ranni have reached?"
Bai Shi didn't go into detail, only mentioning the parts relevant to Blaidd and Iji.
"The blacksmiths of Stormveil are in great need of guidance. So, Master Iji, you can head directly to Stormveil."
Iji nodded. Going to Stormveil wasn't a bad idea; it would give him something to do.
Bai Shi then turned to Blaidd.
"As for Nokron, I'll go myself to ensure we retrieve the item Ranni desires."
"You can go on ahead, Blaidd. I will follow shortly."
Blaidd was overjoyed.
Exploring Nokron, the Eternal City, would surely not be without its dangers.
But with the help of a powerful warrior like Bai Shi, he had nothing to worry about.
The two bid farewell to Bai Shi and set off on their respective journeys.
After seeing Iji and Blaidd off, Leda also approached Bai Shi.
The more Leda saw of Bai Shi, the more she liked him.
During this time, she had been gathering information and had learned about Stormveil under Bai Shi's rule.
It was a place that valued the peaceful coexistence of all species—it aligned perfectly with the ideals of Lord Miquella's Haligtree.
The strength Bai Shi had previously displayed was also terrifying.
Leda felt that collaborating with him to borrow his strength was a very feasible option.
That being the case, she needed to interact with him more.
Leda came before Bai Shi and bowed slightly.
"Lord Bai Shi, may I have a moment of your time?"
Bai Shi had a rather good impression of this Knight of Miquella's Needle.
This 'Needle Knight Leda' didn't seem to have any issues.
She was polite, powerful, and pleasant to be around, making it hard to dislike her.
Furthermore, during the fight with Astel, she was the last to leave and had successfully drawn its aggro for him.
Although the people who knew Miquella had given some less-than-favorable reviews of the Empyrean, at least no one had cursed his name, right?
And the master's faults shouldn't necessarily be borne by his knight.
After all, even a place like Volcano Manor had a Crucible Knight serving Tanith.
Bai Shi nodded at Leda.
"I believe your name is Leda?"
"What can I do for you?"
A soft chuckle came from under Leda's helmet.
"Thank you for remembering my name."
"Your strength is truly breathtaking."
"As a knight, I admire you greatly, and so I wish to get to know you better."
Looking at Leda, a phrase suddenly popped into Bai Shi's head:
Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding.
"Let's skip the pleasantries."
Hearing Bai Shi's words, Leda didn't say more.
"Then I'll get straight to the point."
"Lord Bai Shi, what are your thoughts on Lord Miquella's Haligtree?"
Bai Shi thought for a moment before giving his answer.
"The plan for the Haligtree sounds quite wonderful. It must be a paradise of a world."
"My own governance of Stormveil has been influenced by the Haligtree's ideals to some extent."
Leda was very satisfied with Bai Shi's answer and asked her second question.
"Then, may I ask if you are aware of the existence of the Mohgwyn Dynasty?"
Bai Shi was a little surprised.
Was she hoping to use his strength to rescue Miquella?
Bai Shi was definitely going to kill Mohg.
But now, it seemed he would have to learn more about Miquella before he could make his move.
Bai Shi had no desire to be used as a pawn, especially now that he knew Miquella had been active after the war in Caelid.
"I don't know much about the Mohgwyn Dynasty."
"Why do you ask so suddenly?"
After speaking, Bai Shi waited for Leda's reaction.
Leda pondered for a moment before continuing.
"Since you don't know much about it, I would like to offer you a warning."
"The Mohgwyn Dynasty is a force to be wary of. Please be careful."
"Otherwise, you may suffer a loss where you least expect it."
Bai Shi nodded.
"Alright, thank you for the warning. I will keep an eye on the Mohgwyn Dynasty."
Leda looked up at the night sky and bowed to Bai Shi in farewell.
"It is time for me to depart."
"It was a pleasure speaking with you. I hope we can meet again."
Having gotten a general sense of Bai Shi's views on the Haligtree and the Mohgwyn Dynasty, Leda now had a clearer idea of how to proceed.
Leda took her leave, departing from the plaza under Bai Shi's gaze.
---
Alexander also came to bid Bai Shi farewell, preparing to leave.
"Haha, Bai Shi, you were incredible yesterday!"
"Not only did you almost single-handedly defeat General Radahn in the festival..."
"But you also later eliminated those things called... uh, what were they called again..."
Alexander had to think for a moment to remember what those strange creatures were called.
"Oh, right, right, you also destroyed those two terrifying Astels."
"Especially that final blow. I can't even imagine what kind of incredible power that was."
"Yesterday, I stayed behind on the Wailing Dunes to look for remains of warriors willing to become my contents."
"And do you know what? You nearly turned half the dunes into a sea!"
"Sigh... Compared to you, I'm such a useless jar. I didn't even provide any decent help during the fight."
"After taking that one hit, I even ended up in this state."
...
Alexander was particularly talkative today. Perhaps being so grievously injured had been a heavy blow for him.
After all, an injury like this wouldn't heal in a day or two, and his mindset wouldn't adjust immediately either.
So, Bai Shi listened quietly as Alexander spoke, figuring he would feel a bit better after getting it all out.
When Alexander finished, he also realized he had talked a bit too much today.
He apologized to Bai Shi and prepared to leave.
But Bai Shi stopped him.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Because you look like you're about to break."
Bai Shi remembered that in the game, the damage Alexander sustained never really healed; it just stayed on his body.
Even taking a dip in the lava at Volcano Manor only gave him fire resistance.
Alexander reached out and touched the cracks on his body.
"Well, I may be a bit damaged right now, but I think I'll be fine, hahaha..."
"Are you planning to travel around looking like this?"
Bai Shi tapped his jar body.
The current Alexander was covered in cracks, and he'd even leaked a lot of his contents during the previous battle.
With just a light tap from Bai Shi's finger, Alexander couldn't help but cry out in pain.
"Hiss—"
Bai Shi shook his head. If even a tap like that was unbearable, how could he possibly continue to fight?
A random sheep on the side of the road could probably smash Alexander to pieces.
At that rate, Alexander would likely become the first Warrior Jar in the Lands Between to be solo-killed by a sheep.
And so, Bai Shi took Alexander by the arm, planning to find Hilbert to see if he had a solution.
He was an artisan, after all, and even had a Jar-Bairn with him. Surely, he must know some Jar-wright techniques, right?