Raya was currently sitting on the edge of the gazebo, waiting.
Her waterlogged shoes had been taken off and were placed upside down beside her to dry.
Raya placed a warming stone on her lap, her two small feet, slightly wrinkled from the water, dangling in front of her.
Although she was eager to return to her snake form, she knew she couldn't let her guard down for a moment out here.
Besides, if Mr. Bai Shi saw her snake form, he would probably grow to despise her, just like all the others she had met.
Remembering the scorn and inexplicable hostility she had suffered in the past, Raya felt a little dejected.
She was still young and was well taken care of at Volcano Manor.
She wasn't actually that clear on what Volcano Manor truly represented in the Lands Between.
She only knew that she had to recruit more heroes for the sake of her mother's and father's wishes.
Though she didn't understand why heroes had to turn their blades on their own kind.But as one of the recruiters, her job was simply to find heroes as instructed.
So far, she had recruited several heroes for Volcano Manor.
But Mr. Bai Shi, whom she met today, was different from the others.
Unlike those heroes who made her a little fearful, he gave her a sense of security and warmth. And he looked very strong.
He was somewhat similar to Lord Bernahl, who was always at Volcano Manor.
Since Lord Bernahl was without a doubt a hero of Volcano Manor, then Lord Bai Shi could surely become a hero too.
Still, it would depend on Mr. Bai Shi's intentions.
Raya continued to wait for Bai Shi's return.
Although she believed Bai Shi would surely be able to bring the necklace back safely, the waiting was always nerve-racking.
Suddenly, Raya saw a figure on horseback emerge from the mist in the distance.
Realizing it was Bai Shi returning, Raya immediately picked up her still-damp shoes and put them on.
Her feet were dry, but the inside of her shoes was still wet, which felt even more uncomfortable than before.
Once her shoes were on, Raya stood up and walked to the front of the gazebo to wait for Bai Shi to approach.
Looking closely, she saw a bald man she had never seen before following behind Bai Shi's steed.
Was that the true face of that iron-masked scoundrel?
No, his clothes seemed different.
But why was this man being led on a rope by Mr. Bai Shi?
When Bai Shi arrived at the gazebo, Raya pushed aside her miscellaneous thoughts.
She hurried forward and asked with concern:
"Mr. Bai Shi, how did it go?"
Bai Shi dismounted from Torrent, walked over to Raya, took out the necklace carved with Tanith's likeness, and handed it back to her.
"Yes, I got it back."
"This is the one, right?"
Raya held the precious, recovered necklace, clutching it tightly in her hands.
Raya looked up at Bai Shi, a purely innocent smile on her face.
"Yes, yes! This is the one!"
"Thank you, Mr. Bai Shi."
Bai Shi waved his hand.
"It's nothing. Besides, the credit isn't all mine."
"If you want to thank someone, you should thank Mr. Patches behind me."
After all, if it weren't for Patches, there would have likely been a lot of arguing.
Patches trotted up, now leaning against a pillar to catch his breath.
Though he was panting, the moment he saw Raya look his way, he immediately broke into what he considered a very friendly smile.
"Haha, that's right. Thanks to my life-or-death struggle with that scoundrel, I was able to snatch this necklace back."
Ever since seeing that necklace, Patches had completely changed his earlier, reluctant attitude of starting and stopping.
Although he had taken two breaks along the way due to his stamina, he hadn't complained of hardship or exhaustion again.
It was strange. Patches was being very strange right now.
To be honest, Bai Shi was a little worried about Patches.
If Patches and Tanith were old acquaintances, then at least he wouldn't be flayed alive on the spot.
But if Patches really was acting on some love-at-first-sight nonsense after just one look at the necklace...
Tanith was no pushover.
To be the current mistress of Volcano Manor and command a host of Recusants was not something she could accomplish just by being Rykard's consort.
Volcano Manor was a gathering place for Recusants who hunted their own kind to seize their strength.
When Rykard was still around, there were warriors among them who genuinely rebelled against the Erdtree and walked the path of heretical heroes.
But the Volcano Manor of today was truly just a den of scoundrels.
There were no so-called 'heroes'—only a band of villains satisfying their own desires under the banner of rebellion.
Even with the help of Rykard's dear friend Bernahl, a woman like Tanith who could rule over this band of villains was not to be underestimated.
And it seemed the Crucible Knight at Volcano Manor answered only to her.
Still, this was Patches, after all. He'd probably be fine, right?
When Raya heard Patches say he had fought a life-or-death struggle with the scoundrel, her eyes lit up.
This bald gentleman was also a Tarnished.
And he was willing to strike down his own kind.
At a glance, he had a fierce look about him.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of person Volcano Manor needed?
"Thank you as well, Mr. Patches."
Raya thought for a moment, made up her mind, and extended an invitation to both Bai Shi and Patches:
"You two heroes, the mistress I serve at Volcano Manor, Lady Tanith, is currently recruiting Tarnished who carry the air of a hero."
"Not only is great strength in combat required..."
"...but also a resolute heart—the courage to raise a blade against one's own kind."
"These are the exact qualities we seek."
"Would you please accept these letters of invitation?"
Raya took two invitation letters from her pocket.
They were invitations to Volcano Manor.
Bai Shi and Patches each took a letter.
The paper of the invitation was quite exquisite, adorned with a pattern of a coiled great serpent.
In the very center, the wax seal was stamped with an image of a man and a serpent face to face.
It was likely an image of Rykard, but it was somewhat blurred due to the color of the wax.
Although Bai Shi didn't need to join Volcano Manor—he could go there without an invitation if he wanted—
...there was no harm in accepting it, and no reason to refuse.
As for Patches, after taking the letter, he raised his hand and asked Raya a question:
"Ahem, before that, might I ask who the woman carved on your necklace is?"
Raya blinked, wondering why Patches would suddenly ask such an unrelated question.
Nevertheless, Raya told him:
"That is the mistress I serve, Lady Tanith."
Raya did not mention her relationship with Tanith.
Because right now, her role was that of a recruiter for Volcano Manor.
She couldn't casually call Tanith "mother" while on the job, as it would have a negative impact.
Patches heard the name he wanted to hear.
A very strange expression appeared on his face.
It was an expression Bai Shi had never seen on him before.
What kind of person was Patches?
Greedy, arrogant, and always acting half-mad.
Although he was always up to some sort of trickery, he still had his own bottom line.
He could be considered a man with a unique personality and charm.
But on the face of such a person, Bai Shi now saw conflict, hesitation, regret... and a hint of inexplicable joy.
"Good, good, very good."
"A hero like that, isn't that just describing me! It seems the hero you folks at Volcano Manor are looking for is me!"
Patches quickly recovered, plastering a grin on his face and shamelessly praising himself.
Bai Shi looked at Patches. Something was definitely off about him.
He hadn't even used his usual "this great one" to refer to himself.
An unknowing Raya covered her mouth and giggled.
Confidence was a good thing; otherwise, how could one be worthy of the title of hero?
"So then, Lord Bai Shi, what are your thoughts?"
Bai Shi nodded.
"I will go to Volcano Manor eventually."
"Just not right now."
Raya smiled happily.
"You two lords, who possess the air of heroes."
"Please continue your advance toward the Altus Plateau, where the Erdtree lies."
"Lingering on the fringes of the Lands Between, gazing at the Erdtree from afar... I trust you are no such common folk."
"Once your strength is proven, Volcano Manor will surely extend a formal invitation."
"To become heroes who fight side by side, and to become our kin."
Raya recited the lines fluently. As a recruiter, she had these formulaic words memorized.
"Alright, give us a moment."
Bai Shi pulled Patches aside.
"Is there something at Volcano Manor that you're concerned about?"
Patches tossed his head nonchalantly.
"Haha, of course not. I'm just a little interested in what she said."
"She said they're looking for a hero. Isn't that this great one she's talking about?"
"After all, she called me a hero. In that case, this great one really ought to head over there."
Patches and 'hero' didn't have a single thing in common.
Bai Shi silently roasted this unreliable fellow in his mind.
Patches seemed to realize he was acting a bit strangely, but he didn't think much of it.
What was normal for a madman anyway? Fickleness was his normal state.
Patches retorted:
"What? Are you opposed to the name Volcano Manor?"
"Actually, I think what that little girl Raya said is very believable."
"Don't judge a book by its cover. I'm going to be a great hero."
Seeing Patches' response, Bai Shi knew he wasn't willing to talk.
"It's nothing. I've just heard some rumors about Volcano Manor."
Patches knew, of course, but he was indeed hiding something.
Bai Shi was already someone Patches was quite familiar with in the Lands Between, yet Patches didn't plan to tell anyone about this matter.
In a place like the Lands Between, even if you'd only met once, as long as you got along, you could be called friends.
And Patches had coincidentally run into Bai Shi several times now. This was fate.
But Patches' grandmother always used to say: some things should not be said, no matter how close you are to someone.
Patches rubbed his shiny head and sidled up to Bai Shi.
"So, uh... can I go to Volcano Manor first, and then come back to serve out my mining sentence?"
Bai Shi nodded and agreed.
"You can."
"...Huh? You... you agreed?"
Patches hadn't reacted yet.
He had only asked by relying on his thick skin; he hadn't actually expected Bai Shi to agree.
After all, he had just escaped from the mine, only to run into Bai Shi.
"If you want to go that badly, then go."
"You're a smooth-talking fellow, but strangely, you're not detestable."
"You enjoy tricking and swindling, but you're not an out-and-out villain. You still have your own bottom line and kindness."
"You truly were looking after those wandering soldiers under you, and you treated that scoundrel well just now."
"Besides, I'm not that heartless."
A strange look appeared on Patches' face, followed by his usual mischievous grin.
"You got one thing wrong, you know."
"This great one is an out-and-out scoundrel. That word is a compliment to this great one."
"But I'm really surprised you made such a decision."
"I thought you'd be the cold and unfeeling type, a so-called ideal king."
Bai Shi raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So you'd prefer I act as an impartial king and punish you properly?"
"Haha, of course not, of course not..."
Patches scratched his head and laughed it off.
Bai Shi looked up at the Erdtree in the distance.
"An ideal king, huh? I wish I could be one."
"As a king, I still have much to learn."
"But I never intend to cast aside my emotions."
"The king I want to be is one who bears the weight of many lives."
"And it is for that very reason that they follow me."
Bai Shi was keenly aware of his own shortcomings.
He didn't know the first thing about governance.
If he hadn't gathered so many willing followers along the way, he wouldn't know what to do.
He didn't know how Morgott had managed it.
If he had to say, Morgott's journey to becoming the 'Grace-Given King' was far more arduous than what Bai Shi had experienced.
He stopped the allied forces, bringing the Shattering war to an inconclusive end.
He ruled Leyndell with his Omen identity hidden from the world.
Though they were enemies, Bai Shi didn't dislike Morgott.
In fact, Bai Shi rarely disliked any of his enemies in the Lands Between; after all, he was once a player.
And Morgott was one of the figures in the Lands Between he admired most, both in the game and now.
--
When Bai Shi and Patches returned, Raya walked up to greet them.
"Oh, it seems you two are finished talking."
"I suppose it's time to say goodbye."
Bai Shi nodded.
"Yes, but before that, could I borrow your map for a moment?"
"Patches said he can draw me a copy, and I'm in great need of one."
Raya had no reason to refuse her benefactor's request.
"Of course."
Patches took the map, sat on the gazebo floor, and began to draw.
Raya seemed to remember something and spoke again:
"Oh, there was one thing I forgot to mention earlier."
"It's something I personally wanted to tell you both."
"In the region of Liurnia, you could once travel to the Altus Plateau via the Grand Lift of Dectus at the end of the road, but the lift has been out of operation for a long time. The road has fallen into disrepair and has been cut off by the academy."
"So, if you want to get to the Altus Plateau, you can take the path through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice."
"Those ruins are located in the ravine next to the Grand Lift; it's an ancient tunnel."
Raya pointed out the location of the tunnel on the map with her finger.
"They say it was a mine excavated from both the Liurnia and Altus Plateau sides at the same time."
"I hope this helps you reach the Altus Plateau."
"I believe you both will surely become heroes. I sincerely look forward to that day."