"It seems you have achieved your goal. What do you plan to do next?" Namiya asked, looking at Mohg with curiosity now that he was clad in a fresh white robe.
"I think I'll head toward the region ruled by the Storm King. I want to see if there's an opportunity to reach the Eternal City of Nokron from there," Mohg replied, adjusting his collar as he pondered his next move.
"In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to remain in Liurnia of the Lakes for a while longer."
"Oh? Why is that?" Mohg asked, looking at Namiya with confusion.
"The Carian Royalty and the Golden Tree are currently in a state of extreme tension. The entire lake region is under martial law. Heavy guards have been stationed at every pass leading to other regions, and every traveler is being subjected to rigorous inspections."
"Has there been no reaction from Stormveil?" Mohg's brow furrowed. The master of Stormveil Castle was the Storm King, a ruler of the Lands Between whose strength was immense—powerful enough to face Old Godfrey in a direct confrontation. And it wasn't the kind of fight where he was simply being toyed with; they were evenly matched, and at times, the Storm King even held the upper hand.
To the Golden Dynasty, this king was likely the greatest obstacle to their conquest of the Lands Between, second only to the Fire Giant clan.
"According to the intelligence we've gathered, there has been no movement," Namiya said, shaking her head. "However, you'll likely need to see the situation for yourself to know the details. We don't know much about the surface; this information was squeezed out of the Carians we captured."
"I see. Thank you for the intelligence." Mohg gave a slight nod and stepped outside.
Holuf, who was standing guard at the door, immediately grew wary upon seeing a tall, handsome, unfamiliar man emerge. However, he quickly sensed Mohg's unmistakable aura radiating from the stranger.
"My Lord?" Holuf whispered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"It is I, Holuf." Mohg looked at him and gave a firm nod.
"You... your appearance..."
"This is the result of the experiment I underwent in the Eternal City. It was one of my primary reasons for seeking this place out. With this human guise, I can move freely in many places above ground without drawing undue suspicion." Mohg extended his arms, inspecting them before turning back to Holuf.
"Congratulations, My Lord!" Holuf shouted, performing a Blood Dynasty knight's salute with fervor. "So, My Lord, what are our next orders?"
"Mhm. Inform Lianna of the situation, then take a squad to scout the border between the Lake District and Limgrave. I will return to Lianna shortly. If you find anything, contact me directly through the medal."
"By your command!" Holuf nodded vigorously and hurried toward the blood pool.
Mohg then turned to Namiya, who had slowly followed him out of the room.
"Lady Namiya, shall we strike a bargain?"
"What do you have in mind?" Namiya asked, her eyes fixed on Mohg's face. With his previous appearance, it had been difficult to read his emotions or facial expressions. With this new face, however... his expressions were much clearer.
"You send some of your kin to join my Dynasty, and in return, I will dispatch some of my subordinates to help you defend the Eternal City. At the same time, I can provide you with the surface intelligence you desire." Mohg's expression was exceptionally serious, and Namiya could see the sincerity in his eyes.
After a moment of deliberation, Namiya nodded, accepting the proposal. They did indeed need a surface-level power to help them achieve certain goals. Furthermore, since they had already established a cooperative relationship with Mohg's Dynasty, this agreement served to deepen the bond and trust between them.
"I will leave the selection of candidates to you. Later, I will have my maidens coordinate with you," Mohg said with a smile, before turning to walk toward the blood pool. "I still have arrangements and deployments to make, so I shall take my leave for now."
"I understand. I wish you prosperous martial fortunes, Lord Mohg." Namiya nodded slightly, watching until Mohg stepped into the blood pool and vanished before finally looking away.
Tara stepped up to Namiya's side. "Lady Namiya, can we truly trust a follower of the Mother of Truth?"
"If it were the Bloodfiends of the previous era, I wouldn't believe a single word they said, no matter how much they promised. Actually... communication probably wouldn't even be possible with those creatures. But this new proxy of the Blood God... he is a very fine partner for cooperation."
Namiya continued, "At least so far, I haven't sensed any trace of him being eroded by the cursed blood. The power of the cursed blood and the Aspects of the Crucible within him are perfectly integrated through his spiritual energy. Even his subordinates are only lightly influenced."
Tara nodded, though he only half-understood. He was a warrior, so the intricacies of strange power systems and deities were beyond him. However, he gathered the core message from Namiya's words: their ally was not prone to blood-crazed rampages and possessed a high degree of intelligence.
"But more than that," Namiya added, "I am intrigued by his revised tenets of the Blood God. He has changed them to focus on the pursuit of honor and combat. This is a complete departure from the past; he has essentially pulled the faith of that deity toward the light..." Namiya shook her head with a smile. "Perhaps that is exactly why that deity favors him so much."
Meanwhile, Mohg, having left the Eternal City through the blood pool, found himself facing an unexpected "crisis."
"You are... Lord Mohg!!"
Mohg had just stepped out of the blood pool and was about to greet Lianna when she recognized him instantly and threw herself into his arms.
Seeing this, Pillar and the other blood warriors who had been waiting for Mohg's orders silently turned and retreated, disappearing into the shadows without a sound.
"I'm surprised you recognized me so quickly. I didn't expect that..." Mohg said with a smile, looking down at Lianna in his arms.
Lianna, however, was staring blankly at Mohg's new face, a visible blush creeping across her cheeks. She had always seen Lord Mohg as the light of her life, but previously, due to the differences in status and race, she had feared rejection. But now that Lord Mohg shared her race... surely it would be alright?
"Lord Mohg... may I request your favor?"
"Hmm?" Mohg was stunned for a moment, looking at Lianna with confusion. "Lianna, what did you just say?"
"I... I said, may I request your favor?"
"Wait, what?!"
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