Bai Shi traveled from the broken bridge near the Academy Gate Town to the eastern shore of Liurnia.
Although his destination was due north, the direct path was blocked by steep cliffs, making it impassable.
He could have landed in a dense forest and followed a path to the Church of Vows, but Bai Shi still decided to make his way ashore from the Gate Town Bridge.
From there, he would first head south, then ascend another slope before turning north again.
This was because along that route, there was a Tibia Mariner and a Leyndell Knight.
In the game, he could loot a Dragon Cult Prayerbook from the knight.
It was right on his way, so he might as well collect it and give it to Miriel to learn lightning incantations.
While passing through a gorge, Bai Shi and Lanya witnessed a battle.
It was a fight between Carian forces and the Cuckoos.
However, the Carian forces were somewhat unusual; without exception, they were all spirits.The Cuckoo Knights were leading their soldiers against the spirit soldiers guarding this place.
The Carian spirit soldiers were quite weak, merely the ghosts of nobles and common soldiers.
But there was one exception.
A behemoth dominated the battlefield.
It was the spirit of a Troll, wearing a Carian Knight Helm and a blue cape.
In his hand, he held an immense Troll Knight's Sword, unleashing a spinning sword sorcery around himself.
Long ago, the Queen of the Full Moon had formed an alliance with the Trolls.
Among them, several powerful Trolls were granted knighthoods and became Carian Knights.
The Carian Knights numbered fewer than twenty, each a hero capable of standing against ten thousand foes, with strength comparable to the Crucible Knights. They were the elite of the elite.
The Troll Knight spirit here was no different. Its power was immense, and the Cuckoos were helpless against it.
It not only possessed a powerful body but could also cast sorceries.
Even its weak point, its head, was thoroughly protected by the Carian Knight Helm.
This Carian Troll Knight rampaged through the Cuckoo ranks. With one sweep of its greatsword, none of their soldiers could get back on their feet.
Even when the Cuckoos smashed their Cuckoo Glintstones on the ground, releasing Glintstone Pebbles that struck its body, it remained unfazed.
Yet, no matter how valiant he was, he was now nothing more than a spirit.
He had died on this battlefield long ago.
Though he had become an unwilling spirit and continued to fight, he could not change the outcome of the Academy and the Cuckoos' victory.
Bai Shi cast Unseen Form, putting a spell on Lanya as well.
Then, he led Lanya quietly past the battle along the edge of the gorge.
The fight was none of his business. Besides, the Carian Troll Knight was already dead; there was no reason to get involved.
After leading Lanya through the gorge, the two dispelled the spell and began to climb a small path up a slope.
Along the way, they met someone unexpected.
From a patch of woods, two Tarnished emerged, one after the other.
The one in front was Diallos, with his usual noble demeanor.
Upon seeing Diallos, Lanya immediately started walking toward him.
But when she saw the person who emerged from the woods right behind Diallos, she stopped in her tracks.
That person was the Tarnished who had attacked her earlier.
Diallos, however, was unaware of this and approached them naturally.
"Lanya! You ran off again!"
"I really can't deal with you when you lose control."
"Fortunately, I met this friend on the road, and he said he'd seen you before."
"If he hadn't led the way, I really wouldn't have been able to find you."
Only after saying this did Diallos turn his attention to the person beside Lanya, Bai Shi.
Seeing Bai Shi, Diallos was taken aback.
He hadn't been to the Roundtable Hold for some time, and by sheer chance, he had never met Bai Shi before.
However, he had heard descriptions of the Lord of Stormveil's appearance from others.
But because he had never seen him in person, he couldn't be sure if the man before him was Lord Bai Shi of Stormveil.
So, he simply nodded at Bai Shi.
"Hello. Thank you for looking after Lanya."
Lanya trembled with fear.
But she didn't forget what was important. Suppressing her terror, she warned Diallos:
"Diallos, get away from him, quickly!"
Diallos paused, turning to look at the other Tarnished with a puzzled expression.
But the man's expression was normal, showing no hostility, nor did he draw a weapon.
He even shrugged helplessly, his look of confusion feigned with great skill.
Trusting Lanya, Diallos took half a step to the side.
Then he asked hesitantly:
"Lanya, what's wrong?"
"Did something happen between you two?"
Lanya's face was pale as she stared intently at the other Tarnished.
She was terrified that if she looked away for a second, he would pull out his weapon.
"Before, I thought he was a good person, just like you."
"But he waited until I let my guard down and attacked me from behind!"
Hearing Lanya's words, Diallos looked at the other Tarnished in disbelief.
Or rather, at the Recusant.
The Recusant smiled, speaking calmly and collectedly:
"Sir Diallos, do you remember what I said to you earlier?"
Diallos frowned, trying to recall.
They had said many things to each other on their way here.
But what had left the deepest impression was when this man had praised him for having the qualities of a hero.
"Are you talking about when you said I had 'the right to walk the path to becoming a hero'?"The smile on the Recusant's face grew wider.
"Of course. You undoubtedly have the makings of a hero."
"But not right now."
"Do you know what has been troubling you, holding you back?"
Diallos frowned, deep in thought.
Before he could answer, the Recusant interjected:
"Look at your pristine hands! Do they look anything like a warrior's?"
Diallos's face darkened at the remark.
He clenched his fists, but instinctively hid his hands behind his back, as if wanting to conceal them.
The Recusant continued to bewitch Diallos:
"What has been troubling you is your own heart."
"To become a true hero, you must defile those hands! Let them be stained with blood, just like a hero's hands should be!"
"A true hero deliberately chooses the foulest of paths. You should walk the path of blasphemy!"
"Even when you must strike down your own kin, you should feel no sense of 'pity' or 'cruelty'!"
"And you have been hindered by that compassionate heart of yours for far too long."
"Don't you agree? A so-called hero should possess such unyielding quality."
"To become a hero, you absolutely cannot be blinded by your own cowardly emotions!"
The Recusant fanatically threw his arms open, shouting at Diallos:
"Diallos, abandon those ridiculous emotions completely!"
"You want to become a hero without giving anything up? Don't you think that's far too naive?"
"Go and kill that girl! Kill your closest kin!"
"This is how you sever your weakness! Kill your past along with her and be utterly reborn as a hero!"
"The first step to becoming a hero is to have the heart of a hero!"
"Though she was originally my prey, if it is for the sake of your ascension to heroism, I am willing to give her up."
Diallos wanted to say something, but no words would come out.
The words were too mad, making it hard for him to believe. Could someone truly be so insane?
He longed to become a hero, but how could he possibly raise a hand against Lanya?
To cast aside one's emotions and walk one's own path without hesitation—that did sound like something a hero would do.
But to cast aside his emotions, must he really kill his own friend with his own hands?
His rational mind told him that what this man was saying was absolutely bizarre, unreasonable.
He could not possibly harm Lanya. No, absolutely not!
But a terrifying seed began to sprout in his heart.
'Could it be... the reason I can't become a hero is, just as he said, because I haven't cast aside my emotions?'
'No, impossible! That's wrong!'
'This is wrong! It's wrong!'
He desperately told himself that wasn't the case.
But his mind uncontrollably pictured the scene of him killing Lanya.
Diallos panicked.
The clash between his lifelong desire and his true, unfeigned emotions made it impossible for him to see his own heart clearly. His mind felt like a chaotic mess, unable to think.
He had always been the shame of the Hoslow family, hiding behind his brother like a coward.
He wanted to be a hero, too.
Lanya looked at Diallos in terror.
"Diallos, don't believe him!"
The Recusant, on the other hand, looked at Diallos with a cold smile.
"She isn't even willing to sacrifice herself for your path to heroism. Is such a woman worth protecting?"
"Or are you just that weak? The opportunity is right in front of you, and you won't even reach out and grab it? Do you really want to become a hero?"
"Come. Walk the path of heroes with me."
"Embark on that filthy, blasphemous path of heroism! Such a figure is what truly deserves to be called a hero!"
However, Diallos was just that weak of a person.
So he did nothing. He just stood frozen in place, allowing his thoughts to be torn apart until his mind shut down.
Bai Shi could no longer stand it. He walked forward and slapped him.
The slap landed on Diallos's face with a crisp crack.
Diallos fell to the ground, staring blankly at Bai Shi, not understanding what he was doing.
'I was hit?'
Diallos came to his senses.
"You... Why did you hit me?"
"Even my brother has never hit me!"
Bai Shi looked at him, frustrated and angry, as if scolding an underachieving child.
Although he had long known that Diallos was a weak-willed person, seeing it firsthand was still infuriating.
It was unlikely that Diallos would have actually harmed Lanya, but his hesitant attitude was what infuriated Bai Shi.
"Why did you hesitate?"
"You hesitate even on something like this?"
"Don't tell me you were actually thinking about killing your attendant, your childhood friend?"
"If you're a man, you should have rejected him outright! Then you should have given that damned Recusant a thorough beating!"
"You idiot, did you really think that's how you become a hero?"
"No, doing that would only make you unable to forgive yourself for the rest of your life, or turn you into a complete bastard!"
The Recusant frowned, glaring at Bai Shi for interrupting his fun.
Though Diallos was weak-willed, his strength was decent, probably on par with his own, he thought.
If that was the case, fighting wasn't a good deal.
He had thought that with a little persuasion, he could bring a guy like this to Volcano Manor.
Although he wasn't a recruiter, bringing people in still came with extra rewards.
This Recusant walked toward Bai Shi.
Bai Shi didn't look weak, so now was definitely not a good time for a fight.
But if he didn't persuade Diallos while he was conflicted, he would have no chance of escaping once they came to their senses.
He approached Bai Shi, intending to threaten him. However, Bai Shi shot him a fierce glare, and the Recusant instantly froze, his whole body turning to stone.
Lying on the ground, Diallos was struck to the core by Bai Shi's words.
He was, in essence, a weak and kind person.
But he hated this part of himself. If he had a stronger heart, perhaps everything would be different.
"What do you know!"
"How could I possibly harm Lanya!"
Diallos pushed himself up, trying to get to his feet.
But Bai Shi lightly kicked him back to the ground.
"If you wouldn't harm Lanya, then you should have immediately drawn your weapon on that man!"
"You should have shown him with your actions that he shouldn't try to drive a wedge between you!"
"The right thing to do was obvious! Why did you hesitate?!"
"To become a hero, must you truly discard such precious emotions?"
"If you're a hero, you should be strong for someone else's sake!"
"Now, get up! And give that bastard a thorough beating."
Diallos had never been scolded so severely in his life. He was at a loss.
But he could feel that, unlike the unbelievable words of the Recusant, he found truth in what Bai Shi was saying.
Unlike his brother, unlike everyone else.
They always treated him gently, telling him to just do his best. If he ran into trouble, they would comfort him.
He had gotten used to it; it was okay even if he failed.
But now, Bai Shi had ripped open this warm shell.
He was forcefully commanding him, telling him what he should do.
No one had ever treated him this way, but he found it strangely reassuring.
Because this way, he knew exactly what to do.
That's right. It was so simple, so obvious.
Why had he been influenced by that man's words? That wasn't the path he wanted.
If he truly was the Lord of Stormveil who protected the Tarnished of Limgrave, then what he said must be right.
Because that Lord of Stormveil was a true hero, a hero who protected others.
So, if he became strong for someone's sake, could he also become a hero like him?
Diallos silently got to his feet.
This time, Bai Shi did not stop him.
Bai Shi simply threw him a line in a low voice:
"I will not tolerate cowardice."
Diallos clenched his fists and nodded forcefully.
Diallos rose from the ground and drew his greatshield from his back.
Then he uncoiled the Hoslow's Petal Whip from his side.
"I'm sorry, Lanya. I never thought about hurting you."
"But this lord is right. My hesitation in a moment like this must have made you very uneasy."
"It's alright. Stand behind me. I will always protect you."
Tears welled up in Lanya's eyes.
She had always believed in Diallos. He would never hurt her; she never worried about him attacking her.
She was happy for Diallos.
Because she could see it—Diallos had truly changed. He was starting to shine.
It was the radiance of a hero.
Lanya nodded and ran behind Diallos, placing a hand on his back to encourage him.
"Go, Diallos..."
Seeing that things were going south, the Recusant finally snapped out of his panic.
Bai Shi's fierce glare had terrified him, freezing both his mind and body.
Now he realized he had to escape.
However, when he turned to run, a storm barrier blocked his path.
The storm grazed the tip of his nose, and the blood that trickled down beside his mouth reminded him:
This was no ordinary storm he could pass through. It was an inescapable cage.
The storm swirled around them, forming a circle that prevented them from leaving.
Bai Shi looked at the Recusant coldly and said flatly:
"What? Are you trying to run away?"
"Aren't you walking the heartless path of a hero? Are you afraid now?"
"Or perhaps, that heroic path you spoke of was a joke all along."
"You believe one should cast away 'pity,' yet you can't even cast away fear? Your own argument falls apart."
The Recusant turned around and fiercely raised his weapon.
He was an experienced warrior, and his sword and shield did look somewhat intimidating.
But Diallos could see through the man's feigned composure.
And so, Diallos was relieved.
He had wanted to be a hero so badly that even his heart had been swayed.
This man was full of lies. He should have seen through them long ago. It was shameful that he had almost been influenced.
"How dare you deceive me! I swear on the name of Hoslow, I will not let you get away with this!"
Diallos charged forward, his petal whip lashing out at the man's legs, which were exposed below his shield.
The sharp petals of the whip tore through his leg armor, carving a deep gash in his leg.
Due to the unique shape of the petal blades, the wound was very irregular, and blood flowed from it ceaselessly.
The petal whip Diallos used was a metal whip made of countless petal-shaped blades linked tightly together like a chain.
It was a special weapon used by the noble Hoslow family from beyond the Lands Between, exquisitely crafted to the point of being a work of art.
But this was no mere ornamental piece. The petal whip's attacks could cause massive hemorrhaging in enemies.
"Hoslow is vouched for by blood"—this was where the saying came from.
This was a whip that could not be used without exceptionally high dexterity.
Someone lacking in dexterity would only end up injuring themselves, with severe consequences.
The Recusant had never seen such a weapon before and couldn't defend against it. He switched from defense to offense and charged fiercely at Diallos.
Diallos's ornate, overly-decorated noble greatshield covered most of his body.
This greatshield, which had once earned him the name 'coward,' was now the best defense to protect both him and Lanya.
No matter how the Recusant attacked, Diallos firmly blocked every blow.
During the fight, Diallos repeatedly left wounds on the Recusant.
But the Recusant could do nothing against Diallos's greatshield.
Because of Diallos's appearance and demeanor, the Recusant had initially misjudged his strength.
In terms of physical attributes alone, Diallos completely overpowered this Tarnished.
The petal whip required considerable dexterity, and the noble greatshield demanded enough strength to wield.
Diallos's stats were already considered top-tier among ordinary Tarnished.
This was likely due to his family's training before he came to the Lands Between.
Despite the difference in strength, Diallos maintained a steady and solid offense, giving no openings.
This made the Recusant across from him suffer greatly.
The Recusant started shouting curses:
"You bastard, you're a real coward!"
"Your strength is clearly greater than mine, and you're still relying on that greatshield!"
The word 'coward' stung Diallos.
He frowned in pain but did not abandon his shield.
"Yes, I'm a coward. So what?"
"If I can't become a hero, what's wrong with being a coward who can protect his friend?"
The whip arced in a highly unpredictable trajectory, whipping around the shield and landing a heavy blow on the Recusant's back.
After taking the hit, the Recusant could no longer stand. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
His body was covered in gashes, all bleeding nonstop.
The wounds from the Hoslow's Petal Whip were horrific. Each strike was agonizing and caused severe blood loss.
Watching Diallos slowly approach, he began to panic.</
With a look of terror, he held his shield in front of him and began to beg incoherently:
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was wrong before."
"It's because I want to be a hero. I want to gain power."
"I could see that you want power too, that you want to be a hero, that's why I approached you."
"You... you, you can't kill me!"
Diallos stood before him, raising the petal whip high in his hand.
The Recusant squeezed his eyes shut in terror, unwilling to face what was to come.
However, Diallos's petal whip did not fall.
He wasn't mentally prepared to kill a fellow Tarnished.
This Recusant preyed on his own kind to absorb their strength.
He had attacked Lanya and deceived him with lies, nearly shaming the Hoslow family.
But to kill him?
How does one take the life of a fellow Tarnished? He didn't know what to do.
Although he had taken the first step, it seemed the next one was too large a leap.
So he looked at Bai Shi with pleading eyes.
Hoping that Bai Shi would push him as he had before, tell him what to do. Should he kill him?
But Bai Shi did not make him kill the Recusant.
This was enough. Bai Shi didn't plan to kee