After Gawain dealt with the attacking rot-creatures, peace finally returned to the border between Caelid and Limgrave. At the very least, the white, verminous Kindred of Rot were no longer visible, crawling across the landscape.
The Storm Knights he had brought along served as a vital reinforcement for the border defenses. For the time being, there was no longer an immediate risk of the corruption spilling over.
The mangled corpses were piled together and put to the torch. The resilience of these Kindred of Rot was nothing short of absurd; even when sliced into countless pieces by combat arts, the fragments continued to writhe on the ground. Even when cast into a bonfire, clumps of flesh would occasionally twitch and pop out of the flames.
During a lull in the cleanup, Gawain took the opportunity to learn more about the current state of Caelid from Ragnar. The situation was, indeed, bleak.
According to Ragnar's memory, the Rot hadn't been this severe when it first erupted. That was why the Redmane Legion, despite taking heavy losses, had been able to establish the Smoldering Wall across the entirety of Caelid's border.
However, as the environment changed and the corruption deeply permeated all life, the Scarlet Rot continued its relentless expansion, leading to the nightmare wasteland it was today.
The cult of the Scarlet Rot was an ancient faith that had existed in the Lands Between long before the current era, with followers scattered across the world. When they sensed their Goddess of Rot blooming in the Heart of Aeonia, they flocked to Caelid to partake in the "grand occasion."
The Redmane Castle's grip on Caelid was no longer what it once was. Even basic logistical supply chains had broken down; caravans were frequently ambushed and destroyed by Kindred of Rot. The pressure to contain the expansion was mounting by the day.
Even with the unquenchable flames learned from the Fire Monks of the Mountaintops, they were barely maintaining the status quo.
Furthermore, the greatest threat to Caelid remained the very sovereign they once followed: Starscourge Radahn. If the General were to be completely consumed by the Rot, no one could guarantee he wouldn't leave his sealed desert—even if he had discarded his own legs. After all, many had witnessed the General's feat of shattering the stars.
Gawain knew that the Redmane Knights were likely living in a state of quiet despair. Their blind defense was merely an act of fulfilling the General's final command.
But at least he was here now. He could buy them some time before a permanent solution for the Scarlet Rot was found.
Once the handover was complete, Ragnar finally had a moment to rest. With his frayed nerves finally relaxing, he and the other Radahn soldiers found a relatively clean spot and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Seeing that things were settled, Gawain decided to head to the nearby Smoldering Church to light the Site of Grace. As he approached, a series of low sobs drifted from the interior—the sound of a woman moaning in the wake of immense suffering.
For a moment, he couldn't place the person. He remembered that in the game, this location was only home to the invasion of Anastasia, the Tarnished-Eater. Yet there was no invasion here—only this scene.
He searched his memory and realized this was likely a reference to cut content: the encounter with Recusant Bernahl's Finger Maiden.
The maiden had likely learned the truth about the Thorns of Refusal and the need for a Kindling on the Mountaintops. However, a normal maiden cannot see the "phantom of fire" and thus cannot become a proper Kindling. Bernahl, unable to accept this reality, had ultimately chosen to join the Volcano Manor and raise a banner of rebellion against the Erdtree.
Gawain hadn't found a trace of Bernahl in Limgrave; it turned out the man was here with his maiden.
Even now, the poor maiden was still searching for a way to burn herself, trying to become a suitable Kindling to help her champion become the Elden Lord—even if it meant the ultimate sin of betraying the Two Fingers.
Entering the Smoldering Church, he found it in much better condition than the ruined, roofless version in the game. It at least provided shelter from the elements. On a bench in the center sat a woman wrapped entirely in bandages, groaning rhythmically in pain.
Melina's spectral form appeared beside him. She frowned at the bandaged woman, sensing a shared aptitude—a symbol of their kind. This woman was also a maiden serving a Tarnished. But why was she in this state?
Countless possibilities crossed Melina's mind. Perhaps her champion had abandoned her, or she had been separated from her hero in battle and wandered here, mortally wounded. But none of those theories fully explained her current condition.
Gawain scanned the surroundings, his mind forming a clearer picture. He reached out an arm to stop Melina from approaching.
"Wait here. I'll go check it out."
Melina nodded and stayed back, sensing the heavy, unsettled atmosphere within the church.
Gawain slung his greatsword across his back and approached the maiden. He had been uncertain before, but now he could see it: she was wreathed in actual fire. It was still burning.
If he was right, those were embers taken from the Smoldering Wall. Sensing someone's approach, the bandaged head turned toward him, and a trembling voice asked:
"Lord Bernahl... is that you? I have waited so long for your return. Please, do not leave me behind. This time, I will become a proper Kindling. I will burn the Erdtree for you so you may become the Elden Lord... even if it is a grave sin against the Fingers, it matters not..."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Gawain said softly. "I'm not the one you're waiting for. But if you're willing, I can heal your wounds and end your suffering."
A look of profound disappointment crossed the maiden's bandaged face. She seemed to realize she had spoken out of turn, revealing such vital information to a stranger. She quickly rejected his offer.
"Forgive me, I mistook you for another. I appreciate your offer, but it is enough that I remain as I am. I am preparing for a matter of great importance. Compared to the pain of the flesh, this is my true wish."
Gawain looked at the stubborn maiden and sighed. The tragedies of these "almost-Kings" and their maidens were truly heart-wrenching.
"Stop forcing yourself. Your sacrifice is meaningless right now. You're moving in the wrong direction; effort will only take you further from your goal. If you die, how do you think the man you mentioned will feel?"
He decided that regardless of her wishes, he would heal her. If she continued this self-mutilation via fire, she would eventually be reduced to ash. The fire of the Smoldering Wall was linked to the Giants' Flame on the Mountaintops.
Just as he reached out, a figure lunged from the rafters above, attacking with lethal intent.
Already on guard, Gawain didn't hesitate. He sidestepped the strike. His storm-wrapped greatsword clashed with the massive, hammer-like weapon of his assailant. The shockwave sent the church's furniture flying and knocked the exhausted maiden unconscious.
"A Recusant? Why come here? Are you looking to lay hands on this Finger Maiden?"
Gawain looked at the figure clad in the Beast Champion Armor. It was Bernahl. He hadn't found him at the Warmaster's Shack because the man had been here all along.
"Think what you will," Bernahl growled. "But I advise you to leave this church. Do not meddle in things that do not concern you."
"Meddle? That doesn't sound like the words of a Recusant," Gawain countered. "Let me guess... she's your maiden, isn't she?"
Bernahl seemed stung by the retort, his anger flaring, but he didn't dare unleash his full power for fear of catching the maiden in the crossfire. Instead, he lunged with the Devourer's Scepter for a close-quarters engagement.
Gawain glanced at the maiden lying on the floor. He suppressed his Storm arts and met Bernahl's strikes with pure swordsmanship, blade against scepter.
Because Gawain had invested the majority of his points into Intelligence and Faith, his raw Strength was somewhat lacking. In a physical contest against a hero of Bernahl's caliber—a man who had once been a candidate for Elden Lord—he found himself slightly outmatched.
However, having spent a lifetime fighting opponents who surpassed him in size and strength, he didn't feel overwhelmed. He parried and countered with practiced ease.
Since both men were holding back to avoid destroying the church, the brief skirmish ended in a stalemate.
"Stop. I can see what's going on here," Gawain said, lowering his sword. "You're a conflicted man, aren't you? You must have escorted her all this way without her even knowing, right? How else could a defenseless maiden make it to the border of Caelid?"
"There is no need for idle chatter," Bernahl replied, pulling back. "The combat art you showed just now was formidable. That disturbance in Stormveil the other day... that was your doing, wasn't it?"
Bernahl sheathed his scepter. He had only initiated the fight to gauge the stranger's true skill. Although the man's physical strength wasn't top-tier, his technique was astonishing. Having studied martial arts and combat arts for so long, Bernahl was surprised to find a true peer in technical skill.
"Yes, things got a bit loud that day," Gawain admitted. "And you... I heard the maiden mention the name 'Bernahl.' You wouldn't be the Bernahl I'm thinking of, would you? To think you've become a Recusant."
Bernahl remained silent. After learning that his Finger Maiden could not become Kindling, he had realized the Fingers were playing him for a fool. He had turned his back on the Order and become a Recusant—a path of no return. Thus, he could no longer keep his maiden by his side.
He glanced at the maiden on the ground, a trace of sorrow in his eyes beneath the helm. After realizing she couldn't burn the Erdtree, she had traveled across the Lands Between all the way to Caelid, hoping to use the fire here to transform herself into Kindling. It was a tragic, one-sided obsession.
"I have heard of your deeds," Bernahl said. "Can you heal her?"
"I would have finished already if you hadn't interrupted. Don't stop me again; if she burns much longer, there won't be anything left to save."
Bernahl stepped back, giving him room. Gawain approached and unleashed Bountiful Sunlight and Great Heal. The potent miracles washed over the maiden, mending her charred flesh and restoring her skin to its original state.
However, she wasn't an "Ashen One" like him. Even though her wounds were gone, the sheer agony she had endured left her in a deep coma from which she wouldn't wake anytime soon.
"That's all I can do," Gawain said. "But are you sure you want her to keep doing this? I don't have the time to babysit a maiden to make sure she doesn't try to set herself on fire again."
Bernahl remained silent for a long moment. He took the opportunity to lift the maiden from the floor and place her gently on a bench that was still intact.
He turned back to Gawain, unsure of what to say. He removed his helmet and let out a weary sigh.
"I don't know," he admitted. "Just get her somewhere safe. Lock her away if you have to—anything, as long as she stays alive."
The face beneath the helm wasn't that of a confident aspiring King, but a tired, melancholic middle-aged man. It was clear that being a Recusant was not a life Bernahl enjoyed, yet it was a path he felt compelled to walk.
Gawain shook his head. "I won't do that. When she wakes up, I'll have someone tell her you were here. Let her know she hasn't been abandoned; maybe that will give her a reason to keep living. Many problems can be solved by just talking. You went off to rebel without a word... did you never consider that your maiden might have the same resolve as you? You're acting like you don't trust her."
Bernahl looked at him with surprise. The man's words sounded even more rebellious than his own. Was this person also someone who had seen through the Two Fingers and harbored his own seeds of defiance?
"Hmph. You are an interesting fellow," Bernahl said. "I owe you one for today. I'll make sure other Recusants steer clear of your territory. Perhaps we will meet again. I hope you keep honing your skills; don't disappoint me."
Gawain watched as Bernahl turned to leave, then called out to him.
"What, leaving already? I have business to attend to outside. No one will disturb this place until dawn. Do what you will."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Bernahl's lips. This man certainly knew how to handle things. He watched Gawain walk out of the church, then leaned against a pillar and simply gazed at his sleeping maiden, his thoughts unknown.
"What were the two of you talking about in there?" Melina asked. She had stayed outside to avoid being spotted by the dangerous Recusant.
"Just a tragic story," Gawain replied. "You'll understand the details eventually."
"Very well. I assume you have your reasons."
Gawain looked at Melina. He wasn't ready to tell her about the nature of the "Kindling" yet. That was a destiny she wouldn't recall until they reached the Royal Capital. There was no need to burden her with such a heavy weight before then.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (127 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────