Hearing that Ansbach had already explored the tower settlement, Leda's interest was immediately piqued.
If they had prior reconnaissance, their next expedition would be far smoother.
She turned to him and asked:
"About the horned warriors… and this 'divine invocation'..."
"Could you explain it in more detail?"
Lucian was curious as well.
He had heard of this concept before. Back when he spoke with the ancient king about the history of the Land of Shadow and the Hornsent, it had come up.
According to that king, it was the Hornsent's core technique, the very foundation of their strength.
But at the time, the explanation had been brief, and Lucian had been more focused on understanding the broader picture.
Now, he could only rely on Ansbach's account.
Ansbach stroked his beard, organizing his thoughts before speaking.
"Hm. Since you intend to explore the tower settlement, I'll summarize what I've learned so far."
"I could give a concise explanation of the horned warriors, but that would barely scratch the surface of the Hornsent's rather complex social structure."
"And… perhaps it's a habit that comes with age. I do enjoy sharing my findings."
"So, if you'll indulge me, I'll take my time with this."
Seeing no objections, he began.
"The Hornsent are… quite a peculiar race."
"Though their physical structure resembles that of humans, they are, in truth, an entirely different species."
"The settlement before us is called Belurat, the final stronghold of the Hornsent."
"Tell me, have any of you seen the massive corpses placed upon altars?"
"Near them, a peculiar ash tends to accumulate, one with unusual properties."
The others looked confused. None of them had encountered such a thing yet.
Only Lucian nodded.
He recalled the Revered Spirit Ash Torrent had found on its own earlier. That was likely what Ansbach was referring to.
Ansbach didn't elaborate. They would see it soon enough upon entering.
He continued.
"Those corpses… are the ancestors of the Hornsent."
"For reasons unknown, the difference in size between them and their descendants is immense."
"These ancestral remains hold profound significance for the Hornsent."
"At first, I couldn't understand why they would kneel in worship before them."
"That is, until I discovered the reason inscribed on stone tablets."
Ansbach lowered his gaze, pausing.
It was precisely because he had uncovered the truth that he now felt fear.
After taking a deep breath, he continued:
"After suffering the flames, after losing everything, the Hornsent discovered something within the shadows of their ancestors' remains."
"A fragment… of an Outer God's essence."
The group's expressions changed instantly.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
An Outer God? And not just that, a fragment of its very essence?
That revelation far surpassed anything about horned warriors in importance.
Lucian clenched his jaw slightly.
Why was everything lately tied to these Outer Gods?
Before, Mohg had fully assimilated the power of the Formless Mother, refining his Great Rune and elevating his strength to an entirely new level.
He had no idea what kind of effect this essence had on the Hornsent, but it was definitely something to be wary of.
Ansbach sighed.
"The discovery was… extraordinary."
"From what I've read on the tablets, the Hornsent did possess some understanding of this essence."
"They described it as ominous… terrifying. Their knowledge of it was clearly limited."
"And yet, driven to desperation, they sought aid from this accursed, alien power."
"What we now see, their shadow-like forms, is the result."
"They differ entirely from the Hornsent in our group. He represents what their kind originally looked like."
Ansbach gave them a moment to process this before continuing.
"Now then, my personal conclusions regarding their social structure."
"In the settlement, the most common are those Hornsent transformed by the Outer God's power, reduced to shadowy beings."
"Their strength has increased as well. Do not underestimate them."
"Among them are particularly large individuals, and others capable of casting sorceries."
"Beyond these shadowed Hornsent are the other types, the ones I referred to as horned warriors."
He paused briefly, clearly recalling unpleasant memories.
Those enemies had been… troublesome.
They stood like immovable stone, unshaken no matter the attack.
Wielding oversized weapons, each of their strikes demanded full attention, one mistake could result in severe injury.
And they fought relentlessly, refusing to fall until the very end.
Their "divine invocation" was clearly worth studying.
Ansbach continued.
"These horned warriors are larger than the others, sometimes nearly twice their size."
"Unlike the common Hornsent, they retain their original forms rather than becoming shadows."
"From the records I've gathered, this 'divine invocation' is an ancient technique passed down through their people."
"They battle powerful natural entities and draw strength from them."
"After Messmer the Impaler led the purge, only a few of these warriors remain."
"I have only encountered the most basic type, and even those were formidable."
"They wear full-body heavy armor, with metal masks from which Crucible-like horns emerge."
"According to the texts, there are three higher ranks beyond these warriors."
"The first are known as Divine Bird Warriors, the progenitors of all horned warriors."
"Records on them are scarce, mostly myth and legend. I cannot say much."
"However, the second type is well documented within the settlement."
"They wear armor draped in lion pelts. Only those with exceptional mastery of divine invocation can attain this title."
"They are called Divine Beast Warriors."
"When a horned warrior's invocation reaches a superior level, they are granted this designation."
"And among them, the most outstanding may ascend further."
"To become the supreme champions, those who wield the dancing lion, serving as vessels for the divine beast worshipped by the Hornsent."
Ansbach stroked his beard, muttering as if thinking aloud.
"There also seems to be a separate hierarchy among their sorcerers, though I've yet to uncover it…"
"Their hierarchy reflects both status and strength. I do wonder what counterparts exist for the Divine Beast Warriors…"
"Perhaps I'll investigate further, given the chance."
"In any case, that's the general picture."
"Be cautious of the horned warriors and the more unusual shadowed Hornsent."
"As for the rest, they shouldn't pose much of a threat to you."
Lucian nodded thoughtfully.
So their progression system even had branching "class upgrades," huh?
Maybe he could pick up a weapon with a related skill later… might be interesting to learn.
Ansbach then produced a simple but clearly drawn diagram.
Without explanation, everyone could tell, it was a structural map of the tower settlement.
After handing it to Leda, his tone shifted slightly.
"What I'll mention next isn't directly related to your exploration… but I believe it's worth saying."
"There appears to be another type of creature within the settlement."
"I'm not even certain whether they should still be called Hornsent."
"They have fly-like heads and wings. Yet there's no doubt, they were once Hornsent."
"The swamp they inhabit is marked here. There's no need to go there unless necessary."
"There are signs they are being bred, likely for materials harvested from their bodies."
"I must say… the way the Hornsent treat their own kind is rather horrifying."
"Even as a Pureblood Knight, I find it unsettling."
"Additionally, they raise giant scorpions. Exercise caution."
With Ansbach's thorough explanation, everyone now had a solid understanding of what awaited them.
Everyone except Freyja.
She was already sitting on the ground, clutching her head, chewing on a slightly sweet plant stem Moore had gathered.
She had stopped listening halfway through.
All this talk of social hierarchy, classifications, and structure was far too complicated for her.
All she needed to know was who to fight.
If Ansbach had simply explained how to kill them, she might have been far more interested.
She nudged Moore with her elbow and whispered.
"Hey… wanna spar later?"
Moore shook his head blankly.
"Fighting… bad."
"We're companions. Should be peaceful…"
Freyja patted his shoulder.
"Not fighting, sparring. Spar~ring."
Leda cleared her throat lightly.
Freyja immediately straightened up, no longer bothering Moore.
Even before entering, they now had a clear picture of the enemies they would face, and the general layout of the settlement.
With the detailed map Ansbach had provided, their exploration would be much easier.
Unfortunately, the current map only covered the main paths.
The unexplored areas, and whatever lay deeper within, remained unknown.
Even so, it was more than enough.
After quietly listening to Ansbach's explanation, Moore turned around and began rummaging through the supplies on his back.
He pulled out a number of antidotes, several throwing knives that might come in handy, and a few Stone Sword Keys.
"These… take them."
"Things I collect… are meant to be used by companions."
Leda smiled and accepted everything Moore handed over.
"Thank you, Sir Moore. You're very reliable."
Hearing the praise, Moore broke into a simple, satisfied smile.
Standing to the side, Lucian watched the exchange and suddenly felt that this mismatched group wasn't as dysfunctional as it first appeared.
Aside from the Hornsent, who was… a bit much, everyone else he had met so far at least seemed relatively normal.
With preparations more or less complete, it was time to begin the exploration.
Standing before the towering gates of the Tower Settlement, Lucian was just about to step forward when he felt someone tug at his clothes.
He turned back to see Melina lowering her head, lost in thought.
Lucian stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace.
"What's wrong?"
Melina rested her head against his shoulder and spoke softly.
"I… won't be going in."
"If the Hornsent see me, they'll charge at me again… and be killed."
"I don't know why my mother did what she did, but… seeing what they've suffered, I can't help but feel pity."
"And when I face that kind of deep, burning hatred… I don't know how to respond."
"…Maybe I'm just too weak."
Lucian gently stroked her hair, feeling the softness slip through his fingers.
"That's not weakness. You're just too kind to ignore their suffering."
"If you don't want to go in, then don't."
Being the target of so much hatred, it was only natural to feel uneasy.
And that hatred was real. It wasn't baseless.
It was the aftermath left behind by Queen Marika.
Lucian couldn't help but think, not for the first time, that if Messmer had done a more thorough job back then… maybe Melina wouldn't have to bear this now.
"Then… should we go somewhere else?" he asked.
Melina shook her head.
"No… I'll stay out here."
"Judging by the cross marker, this must be an important place for Miquella."
She looked up at Lucian, her eyes clouded with quiet sorrow.
"Lucian… can you help me uncover the truth from back then?"
"I want to know… why my mother did it."
"Please. This matters to me."
It was rare for Melina to ask anything of him.
But this time, Lucian didn't answer immediately.
He met her gaze and spoke quietly.
"If the truth reveals that Queen Marika had a reason you can accept… then that would be a good thing."
"But the truth might be cruel. It's possible she had no justifiable reason at all."
"If that's the case… how much pain will it bring you?"
"If you want peace, sometimes it's easier not to look."
Melina shook her head.
"Turning away… isn't true peace."
"Even if the truth is unbearable… it's still my choice."
At that point, there was nothing more to say.
Lucian exhaled softly.
Worst case… he could always wipe out the Hornsent himself later.
Because of the difference in race, he couldn't fully empathize with their hatred.
Back at Morne, when humans were slaughtered, he had felt anger, he had wanted revenge.
But here?
The Hornsent were strangers to him. Not even the same species, in his mind.
At first, he had felt some pity.
But the moment they lunged at him, those feelings had largely vanished.
After a moment's thought, Lucian raised the whistle at his lips and summoned Torrent.
Then he removed the ring from his own hand and placed it back onto Melina's.
"Let Torrent keep you company."
"Stay nearby. I'll come find you when I'm done."
Melina might not be fond of fighting, but she was far from weak.
And with Torrent at her side, she would have no trouble escaping any danger.
Looking at the whistle returned to her hand, her mood visibly improved.
She nodded, mounted Torrent, and watched as Lucian stepped through the gates of the Tower Settlement.
Only after his figure completely disappeared did she turn away, gently stroking Torrent's mane as she guided him toward a nearby cliff.
According to the map, there should be a church somewhere in that direction.
Along the way, she encountered a few strange creatures, and even enormous goats crackling with lightning.
But with Torrent's nimble movements, Melina reached the hidden church atop the cliff without much trouble.
The structure itself was remarkably well-preserved.
Yet the statues inside told a different story, they had been deliberately destroyed.
Melina stood before a decapitated statue of Queen Marika, silent.
She said nothing.
Only stared.