After bringing Alexander and Millicent out of Jarburg at the bottom of the cliffs, Lucian returned with them to the shores of Liurnia.
Calling upon the winds, he quickly located a nearby Stormhawk.
Using the communication network formed by the Stormhawks, news of Jarburg was swiftly relayed to the nearest military encampment.
As luck would have it, Commander Hakkan's Drakeblood Knights were stationed nearby.
There was no one Lucian trusted more to handle the matter.
Using a glintstone communication stone, he contacted Hakkan directly, gave him detailed instructions regarding the jars, and left the rest in his hands.
Once every follow-up arrangement for Jarburg had been settled, Lucian ended the transmission and turned to Alexander and Millicent.
"So, there's nothing left for you two to do in Liurnia, is there?"
"Are you planning to head straight for the Altus Plateau now, or would you rather continue traveling for a while?"
Alexander folded his arms across his chest.
"My last lingering concern has already been resolved."
"Logically speaking, now is the perfect time to press onward on the road to becoming a hero."
"But when you're traveling with companions, you have to consider their wishes as well."
"So I'll leave the decision to Millicent."
Hearing Alexander hand the choice over to her, Millicent lowered her head and thought quietly for a moment.
After a short while, she looked up at Lucian.
"I don't think there's much reason for me to continue exploring Liurnia."
"So... I feel the same as Alexander."
"I'd like to head for the Altus Plateau while we have the chance."
"I do want to find a prosthetic arm, but searching for one in Liurnia doesn't seem very realistic."
"After all, Lady Malenia never left any traces of herself here. Leyndell, where she once lived, seems like a far more likely place to find one."
"On the other hand, reaching the Altus Plateau would certainly benefit Alexander."
Alexander nodded in agreement.
"That's right. Millicent told me about everything she saw in Stormveil."
"Apparently, to the west of the Altus Plateau lies Mt. Gelmir, where molten lava never cools."
"If I could temper my body in that lava, it should completely seal all the cracks."
"And after being reforged in the flames, perhaps my body will become even stronger."
"Maybe I'll take another step closer to becoming a true hero! HAHAHA!"
Lucian nodded, understanding what they had in mind.
The two of them traveling together really did put his mind at ease.
They were both kind-hearted and resilient people, capable of looking after one another.
After thinking for a moment, Lucian said,
"In that case, I'll take you both to the Altus Plateau."
The two of them were startled and immediately tried to refuse.
"No, no, there's no need for you to spend so much time on us."
"As long as we find that mysterious merchant, we'll be able to get up there."
Lucian shook his head.
'Mysterious merchant?'
If that mysterious merchant really was Patches, then he was probably the least reliable person imaginable.
Of course, Lucian had no proof that it was actually him.
"That mysterious merchant may not even exist."
"And even if he does, nobody knows where to find him."
"Placing your hopes on an unverified rumor is far too reckless."
"I, on the other hand, can absolutely take you to the Altus Plateau."
Seeing that they still looked ready to decline, Lucian continued,
"And besides, I'm not doing this just for you."
"I was already planning to head to the Altus Plateau myself to see how things are developing."
"Since we're going the same way, stop being so formal."
"Our relationship isn't that distant."
It wasn't just about activating another Site of Grace to make future plans easier.
Lucian had other business there as well.
The Magma Wyrm waiting along the route also dropped an achievement he still intended to claim.
Besides, even if he didn't accompany Alexander and Millicent, he had nothing particularly urgent waiting for him back at Stormveil.
Returning now would simply mean sitting around and waiting.
When he eventually ventured into the Land of Shadow, he intended to bring everyone with him in a single expedition.
Otherwise, he'd have to keep making repeated trips between the Land of Shadow and Stormveil.
By the time he reached the Altus Plateau and activated another Site of Grace, the forces gathering at Stormveil should be ready as well.
Millicent said nothing more.
Instead, she stepped forward until she was standing directly in front of Lucian.
She stood so close that he could even catch the faint scent of sweat lingering on her after the recent battle.
Just as he wondered what she intended to do, Millicent suddenly rose onto her toes and wrapped her single arm around him in an embrace.
Leaning close to his ear, she whispered softly,
"Please... wait for me a little longer."
"When I can hold a sword again..."
"I'll become your blade."
"I'll fight for you alone."
"I promise."
Lucian nodded and gently patted her back.
The embrace lasted only a brief moment before Millicent hurriedly stepped away, her face burning crimson.
Only moments ago she had boldly declared that she would become Lucian's blade.
Now...
She couldn't even bring herself to look him in the eye.
Many people in the Lands Between still possessed remarkably simple ideas of good and evil.
There were certainly those who manipulated others.
But Miquella had earned Freyja's unwavering loyalty simply by drawing the poison from her body.
What Lucian had done for Millicent was no less than that.
If anything, it far surpassed it.
Even so, Lucian had no intention of using that debt of gratitude to bind her.
If Millicent's resolve one day came from her own heart, rather than from obligation...
That would make him even happier.
Seeing Millicent hug Lucian, Alexander suddenly had a realization.
'Oh! So that's how you express gratitude!'
Without another thought, he decided to follow her example.
Thus, while Lucian was still savoring Millicent's soft embrace and heartfelt words...
He was suddenly swept into Alexander's massive arms.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"You're one of the finest people the Lands Between has ever seen!"
"No... a true saint!"
"If someone like you ruled the Lands Between..."
"It would surely become a paradise!"
Pressed against Alexander's rock-hard body, Lucian couldn't help laughing helplessly.
It wasn't that he disliked Alexander's hug.
It was simply...
A bit much.
'One's a beautiful young woman. A hug is sweet.'
'We're two grown men.'
'A pat on the shoulder would've been plenty...'
After Alexander finally released him, Lucian snapped his fingers.
Wind and gravity magic lifted the three of them back into the air.
"Alright."
"It's about time we got moving."
Having experienced it once already, Alexander was finally able to maintain his balance while flying.
Though...
His arms and legs still flailed awkwardly from time to time.
Leading the pair through the skies, Lucian quickly crossed most of Liurnia.
He could have flown them directly to the Altus Plateau.
But the Magma Wyrm still had an achievement waiting for him.
So instead, he guided them down into the valley beneath Liurnia.
Besides...
He was genuinely curious about that mysterious merchant who was supposedly guiding travelers.
If it really was Patches...
Why wasn't the man staying at Volcano Manor?
What exactly was he doing out here?
—
Following the dark, winding canyon, the two humans and one living jar soon arrived at the Ravine-Veiled Village at the bottom of the valley.
After landing, Alexander stretched out both arms and loosened up.
"Phew... Flying still makes me feel awful, but it's much better than the first time."
Millicent patted his jar body in consolation.
Meanwhile, Lucian was already surveying the hidden village.
The dim surroundings did nothing to hinder his vision. Before long, he spotted a suspicious figure hiding in the shadows.
The man was completely wrapped in a stiff black cloak, concealing every trace of his appearance.
He squatted casually on a raised platform in the village, legs spread apart, elbows resting on his knees. It looked as though the commotion had only just caught his attention, prompting him to turn toward Lucian and the others.
He was most likely the mysterious merchant Millicent had mentioned.
But after seeing that unmistakable squatting posture, Lucian was almost certain of the man's identity.
At the same time, Millicent and Alexander noticed him as well.
Millicent murmured,
"So the mysterious merchant really does exist..."
Upon seeing them, the cloaked figure stood and hopped down.
"Oh? Finally, more customers..."
"...Huh?"
The moment he got a clear look at Lucian's face, he froze.
Lucian smiled.
He had changed into different clothes, and without the Dragonscale Armor his silhouette wasn't nearly as recognizable. No wonder the man hadn't identified him immediately.
Looking at him, Lucian asked,
"Patches. What are you doing here?"
Millicent and Alexander exchanged surprised glances.
The mysterious merchant knew Lucian?
The so-called merchant stammered,
"H-Haha... I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
"I'm just an ordinary merchant."
"I've got absolutely nothing to do with that famous, wise, and heroic Patches."
Lucian's eyelid twitched.
Yep.
It was definitely Patches.
No one except Patches himself would describe Patches with words that had absolutely nothing to do with reality.
Lucian reached out, grabbed the merchant's cloak—
—and yanked the hood clean off.
Let's see who you really are.
As the hood came away, Millicent and Alexander were greeted by an incredibly shiny bald head.
For a brief moment, the cavern itself seemed a little brighter.
Seeing that familiar gleaming scalp, Lucian finally smiled.
"So it really is you."
"Weren't you supposed to be heading to Volcano Manor?"
"Why are you running an escort business up to the Altus Plateau instead?"
Now that his disguise had been exposed, an ordinary person would have been embarrassed.
Patches, however, was anything but ordinary.
He acted as though nothing had happened.
Not only was he unashamed, but that familiar sly grin immediately spread across his face.
In his mind, the only reason he'd been recognized was because Lucian was simply too capable.
Rubbing his bald head, Patches casually squatted back down on the stone platform behind him.
"Well... as for why I'm here..."
"Naturally, it's to help fellow Tarnished."
"I've made some new friends lately. They're all very generous people."
Then his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Oh! I never expected you'd come here."
"Planning to head to Altus Plateau too? Perfect! Let me guide you."
"It's one of my specialties these days."
Lucian snorted.
"Enough. You think I don't know what kind of person you are?"
"Quit changing the subject and tell me the real reason."
Seeing there was no fooling Lucian, Patches shrugged.
"Fine, fine."
"After we parted ways, I made it through this route and reached Mt. Gelmir."
"Naturally, I joined Volcano Manor and became one of them."
"You already know Volcano Manor recruits Tarnished."
"Since this is the only remaining path to Altus Plateau, Lady Tanith assigned me here to guide travelers."
Lucian nodded.
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation, but...
"Then why are you spreading the word and bringing in unrelated Tarnished?"
Patches gave one of his trademark crooked grins until his whole face nearly scrunched together.
"Well..."
"Naturally, to help even more Tarnished reach Altus Plateau..."
Seeing Lucian's knowing smile, he smoothly corrected himself.
"Ahem. Truth is, Volcano Manor wasn't recruiting enough people, so I figured I'd earn a little extra on the side."
"If I'm already escorting a few people, I might as well take a few more. More profitable that way."
"Besides, the more Tarnished who reach Altus Plateau, the more potential recruits Volcano Manor gets."
"Don't get the wrong idea, though. So far, nobody's died on this route."
"The Nomadic Merchant, that guy named Yura I met before, they all made it up safely."
Hearing those names, Lucian was slightly surprised.
Back in Limgrave, Yura and Patches had met because of Lucian, so it wasn't strange that they knew each other.
Although their first meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant.
As for the Nomadic Merchant...
That was probably Kalé.
It was good news that both men Lucian had once pointed in the right direction had successfully reached Altus Plateau.
Still, he shook his head.
'That's Patches for you.'
He could even turn something like this into a Rune-making scheme.
"The route to Altus Plateau is certainly tempting to Tarnished."
"But once they're up there, whether they live or die is another matter."
"Especially if they get tangled up with Volcano Manor."
"Don't keep doing this."
Patches nodded repeatedly.
"Alright, alright. Don't worry, you know me."
"I may fool around all the time, but when I say I'll stop, I really stop."
"So I'll escort you three up there."
"Consider it my last job."
Lucian nodded.
For all his shady dealings, Patches really was the type to keep his word once he gave it.
"Good."
"Then I'll leave the guiding to you."
"I've been curious to see how exactly you've been making money off this."
Millicent and Alexander still weren't entirely sure what kind of relationship the two of them had.
But as long as they could reach Altus Plateau, that was enough.
Patches grinned smugly.
"Leave it to Uncle Patches!"
"My professional guiding skills are second to none!"
—
Under Patches' guidance, the four of them followed the familiar route upward.
The path matched Lucian's memories almost perfectly.
The only difference was that every monster along the way had already been cleared out.
As they walked, Patches chatted nonstop.
"You know, this place used to be crawling with monsters."
"Bats, those little demi-human soldiers... there were tons of them."
"The first time I came through, it took me a huge amount of effort to reach the top."
"But after more Tarnished started using this route, we gradually cleared everything out trip by trip."
Lucian looked at the scattered traces of battle along the path and nodded.
"So..."
"What about the Magma Wyrm at the end?"
Hearing Lucian casually mention the creature, Patches looked surprised.
"Oh? You even know about that thing?"
"Then again... coming from you, I guess that doesn't surprise me anymore."
Recalling that troublesome beast, Patches clicked his tongue and spat on the ground.
"As for that guy..."
"You'll see soon enough."
After climbing for quite some time, the group finally reached the very top of the cavern.
Just ahead lay the domain of the Magma Wyrm Makar.
Waiting there was a knight clad in heavy armor, sitting quietly atop a boulder.
Recognizing the knight he'd briefly met during the Festival of Combat, Lucian couldn't help but glance at him.
It was Great Horned Tragoth.
A mighty warrior famed for his immense strength, unwavering courage, and willingness to aid fellow Tarnished.
Countless Tarnished had survived the dangers of the Lands Between thanks to his assistance.
He was the silent comrade of every warrior.
In the game, Tragoth could indeed be summoned to help fight Makar.
But why was he simply sitting here now?
As if reading Lucian's thoughts, Patches leaned over and whispered,
"That guy's a real soft-hearted do-gooder."
"I told him lots of Tarnished needed help here."
"And just like that, I got him to stay without spending a single Rune."
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
Good grief.
Not only was Patches helping people illegally sneak into Altus Plateau—
he'd even tricked an honest, good-hearted man into working for him for free.
Patches really deserved to be hung by the roadside in the Lands Between and whipped into a spinning top with a copper-studded belt.