After sorting out the situation in Sellia, Town of Sorcery, Gawain did not linger. He instructed Lilyan and her followers to prepare for the move to Stormveil Castle. At dawn the next morning, he bypassed the Chair Crypt and pressed upward; the Church of the Plague sat just a short distance away on the cliffside.
The mountain path was treacherous. Even with Torrent's mobility, they were frequently obstructed by overgrown, withered branches and white, bone-like shards. It reminded him of a certain spectacle from the game; if he wasn't mistaken, they were about to see it.
"Look over there, right above us. Is that... a giant's skull?"
Melina's voice, tinged with wonder, came from behind him. Gawain looked up. A colossal skull was embedded into the mountainside.
It was carpeted in rot-fungi, with thick, deep roots growing out of its eye sockets. The skull appeared so abruptly that it was difficult to fathom the sheer size of the giant's full body.
"I thought it was just a strange rock formation at first," Melina remarked. "Now that I see it clearly, it's definitely a skull. That means those white bone fragments we saw earlier were also..."
"There's no mistake. They likely all belonged to the same giant."
Melina had few memories of the War against the Giants. Seeing a skull of this magnitude was a first for her, and she found it startling. The descendants of the giants—the trolls—weren't even as large as their ancestor's head.
"It's even bigger than I imagined," Gawain mused. "If all giants were this size, it's terrifying. I can't imagine what kind of monsters the humans on the mountaintops were actually fighting back then."
Gawain thought of the Giant-Crusher hammer. He figured that even with a weapon like that, one could only "give the giant a pedicure." For some reason, the mental image of Godfrey grabbing a Fire Giant's ankle for a command grab made him want to laugh.
A loud, rumbling boom interrupted his thoughts. It sounded like something heavy was rolling down toward them, gathering speed.
Soon, a massive iron ball came thundering down from ahead. The polished sphere possessed incredible momentum and looked much larger than the ones in Sellia.
Gawain didn't bother dodging. With a subtle manipulation of the storm, he forced the iron block off course. It slammed deep into the rock face before he continued on his way.
The path ahead was littered with gravestones. Many "Those Who Live in Death"—skeletons formed by the spread of Deathroot—crawled out of the earth, attempting to strike at the living. However, at Torrent's speed, these sluggish creatures had no chance and were quickly left in the dust.
Before long, another iron ball appeared. This time, Gawain saw the exact moment of its creation. A white summoning circle glowed on the ground, and the sphere manifested from thin air.
Theoretically, this was Academy technology. Similar summoning circles for iron balls could be found within Raya Lucaria; Gawain couldn't count how many times he'd been sent flying by them before the boss room of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.
A similar magic circle had guarded the place where Master Sellen was held. The "Graven-Mage Ball" only appeared after such a circle manifested. A bit of deduction made it clear: these were traps set by the Academy to guard Master Lusat, and they just happened to block the path to the Church of the Plague.
Bypassing the summoning circles, Gawain finally saw his destination. After easily dispatching a few Kindred of Rot guarding the entrance, he and Melina entered the church, which was thick with the scent of decay.
The interior was filled with items resembling incense burners made of unknown materials, but the air they emitted was pure Scarlet Rot vapor. This was likely the way the Kindred of Rot "pleasured" the one they viewed as the future Goddess of Rot.
Gawain pulled out some toxic mold mushroom powder and scattered it into the air. Soon, the lingering rot-mists were mostly neutralized.
With that done, Gawain stepped into the depths of the church. Against the wall, he found the person he was looking for: Millicent, currently unconscious.
Blood occasionally seeped from the stump of her missing right arm. Millicent was the only one of the five sisters who hadn't been born with a physical disability; the others all bore some form of birth defect. Her missing arm was likely a result of her own effort—an act of self-mutilation to sever herself from the flower bud she was born from.
However, she had eventually been driven mad by agony in the swamp before being captured by the Kindred and imprisoned here.
The stump of her arm showed clear signs of being overtaken by something other than human tissue. White spots and a garish, nauseating scarlet color writhed within, corroding the host's body and mind from the inside out.
When Melina saw the woman's face, she felt a surge of confusion. This woman looked remarkably like the Blade of Miquella who had invaded Caelid. That vivid red hair was far too iconic.
Between the maimed body and the symptoms of Scarlet Rot, Melina couldn't help but recall the stories of the Valkyrie. But after the Battle of Aeonia ended, hadn't Malenia been rescued by her Cleanrot Knights while in a coma?
Though Melina had doubts, she didn't voice them. If the Kindred of Rot had imprisoned her here, there was clearly a hidden story. Melina thought of her own connection to her mother; could this girl be in a similar situation? No wonder Commander O'Neil had acted the way he did.
Sensing that the girl was about to wake, Melina hid her form, hoping the gold needle would have its intended effect.
Gawain didn't even have time to pull out the needle before Millicent's eyes snapped open. It seemed that neutralizing the rot-vapor in the air had significantly lessened her suffering.
"...Ugh... You... who are you? Whoever you are, it's best if you don't stay near me. The Scarlet Rot is writhing inside me."
"This thing is the most malevolent of curses; it isn't something ordinary people should touch. And those... things are wandering nearby. If you stay, you'll be in danger. Leave while you still can."
"Don't be afraid. I've already dealt with the Kindred of Rot outside. I was entrusted by someone to bring you this. Prick yourself with this gold needle, and it will temporarily suppress the Scarlet Rot."
Millicent struggled to open her eyes, but her vision was so clouded by corruption that she could only see a blurred golden shape being offered to her.
Her memory was a haze. She didn't know what the object was or what the stranger's motive might be, but she no longer cared. She reached out with her remaining hand and took it.
"You want me to prick myself with this? This will inhibit the rot? Just who are you...?"
"Forget it, it doesn't matter. Rather than being consumed like this, I choose to trust you. Please wait... just a moment."
Gawain dutifully turned around. Although he had always been curious about where exactly Millicent pricked herself in the game, Melina was watching from the sidelines. He had to maintain his image.
Before long, he heard soft groans behind him. It seemed Millicent had inserted the needle. The power Miquella had imbued into the Unalloyed Gold was taking effect. The writhing rot within her became calm, no longer agonizing her flesh.
When Gawain felt it was safe to turn back, the results were better than he had expected. Millicent was actually able to support herself against the wall and stand up.
It seemed his earlier theory was correct: the Unalloyed Gold Needle made by Miquella could suppress the rot in the Goddess herself from childhood until the end of the Shattering. Malenia's second bloom had only occurred because the needle had been removed.
Millicent was merely a "daughter" or offshoot of Malenia; the intensity of the rot in her couldn't possibly compare to the host chosen by an Outer God.
However, the game's actual progression had been different. Despite Millicent's legendary will, why had she been unable to suppress the rot at the end?
Clearly, that old bastard Gowry had tampered with the needle to ensure that the individual representing Malenia's will to resist the rot would fail to reach the roots of the Haligtree.
But the needle in Gawain's hand had been given to him directly by Commander O'Neil. Gowry never had the chance to touch it. Consequently, its efficacy was far superior to the version in the game's story; Millicent could stand immediately instead of falling into a coma.
Millicent felt the change in her body with disbelief. Her memories, which had been a chaotic mess of corruption, seemed to clear slightly, reminding her of a task she had to fulfill.
Though she didn't know her savior's identity, she spoke with genuine gratitude.
"Incredible... the Scarlet Rot is no longer writhing. I truly don't know how to thank you. Though it is a meager gesture, this is all I have on me."
Millicent pulled a talisman from the inner folds of her clothing and handed it to him: the Prosthesis-Wearer's Heirloom, depicting a maimed woman learning the art of the sword.
Gawain thought for a moment before accepting the gift.
"There's no need for thanks. I was simply fulfilling a request to deliver this needle to you. If it weren't for your own iron will lasting until now, even my help would have come too late. I've heard the Scarlet Rot erodes one's memory. How much do you remember?"
Millicent touched her forehead, trying to recall, but ultimately shook her head. The influence of the rot wasn't entirely gone; or rather, since her "birth," she hadn't been a complete individual, so a "complete" memory didn't exist.
"I don't know what I've forgotten. I can't even remember why I was imprisoned here. I only know that my name is Millicent, and that I have a mission I must complete. Now that I can move freely, I wish to journey out. Perhaps I will remember more on the road. Can you tell me who entrusted you with such an important item? I wish to meet them."
"His name was O'Neil. I believe he was someone who cared for and respected you deeply. But, unfortunately... he couldn't hold on after entrusting me with his needle. I will take him back for a proper burial."
"O'Neil? The name sounds familiar, yet I cannot recall who he was. Perhaps I will remember in the future. Regardless, thank you for your help."
Gawain pointed to her missing right arm. Though Millicent's "Flowing Water" swordsmanship, inherited from Malenia, was formidable even with one hand, she was still incomplete.
"The world outside is a mess right now. Traveling in your current state would be dangerous. Let me help you further. Don't be nervous. Relax. No matter what happens next, don't be alarmed."
Though Millicent didn't know what he intended, she lowered her left hand from her stump and relaxed. She soon felt herself enveloped in a gentle, warm light.
The ulcers and lesions caused by the Scarlet Rot began to heal. It didn't feel like ordinary healing; it felt as though her tissues were being restored to their original, intended state. An odd sensation prickled her stump, and then, bone, nerves, and flesh began to knit together out of thin air, regrowing a complete, perfect arm.
"Sorry, I don't have a perfect way to purge the rot from your blood yet. I can only fix the basic parts. I'd hate to see a warrior as strong as you unable to fight because of a missing limb."
Gawain truly didn't have a way to cure the rot yet; it was too integrated into her body. For now, the needle was the only answer. Perhaps he'd need to take her to his "mother-in-law" (Rennala) for rebirth to get her a new body.
He pulled out a katana suited for Millicent's fighting style and handed it to her. He didn't feel like hunting down a prosthesis; a real, working arm was ten thousand times better than any mechanical substitute.
During the healing process, he noted that her condition mirrored Malenia's; her legs and eyes were also showing signs of corruption. Now that the rot was suppressed, he had healed those "disabilities" as well.
Millicent stared at her restored arm for a long time, unable to process what had happened. In her fractured memories, she could still feel the phantom pain of her arm being severed—a necessary sacrifice to escape her initial imprisonment.
She had worried about the difficulties of traveling without her sword-arm. She never expected to have it back.
Furthermore, the stinging ulcers across her body had vanished. Only a lingering sensation remained to prove the wounds had ever existed. With the rot suppressed, her body felt no different from that of a normal person.
In a state of shock, she took the weapon he offered. It took her a moment to find her voice.
"I... I truly do not know how to thank you for what you've done. I have some confidence in my martial skills. If we meet again, I will use this blade to cut down your enemies."
"I just didn't want the person I worked so hard to save to be unable to defend herself. Now you can travel with peace of mind. I have a feeling our paths will cross again in the future. I hope by then, you will have found your purpose."
Gawain paused, sensing uninvited guests approaching.
"No more words. This isn't the best place for a chat. We should leave. I can sense the Kindred of Rot closing in. You were under heavy guard; if they find you trying to escape, the fighting will be endless."
"True. Let us leave, then."
Millicent walked toward the church entrance. Now fully restored to her peak state, she instinctively flourished the katana. As her body's muscle memory of her sword-arts returned, she found she didn't mind slicing through a few "pests" to vent some frustration.
As they stepped out of the church, several Kindred of Rot were indeed approaching. Gawain entered a ready stance, but he braked mid-lunge and stayed his hand.
Millicent was moving. He was about to see the legendary move for himself.
Millicent adjusted her stance, pulling her katana back into a ready position. Before the enemies could react, she locked onto the center-most Pest.
She lunged forward with explosive speed. Using the momentum of her charge, she seized the creature and flung it into the air. She followed it up, impaling it mid-air before slamming it back down. As she withdrew the blade, the sharp edge sliced the unfortunate creature clean in two.
The other Kindred of Rot were horrified. They let out shrill screeches and scuttled along the ground, trying to create distance to fire their pest threads.
But Millicent gave them no time to breathe. She leaped into the air, locking onto their positions. The katana in her hand suddenly dissolved into a blur of countless shadows.
As she began to swing her blade in a frenzied, whirling motion, a sphere of death composed of overlapping slashes descended upon the Kindred. They had no room to counter; once caught in the vortex, they were instantly shredded into ribbons of meat.
On the other side, a few Pests thought they saw an opening. They aimed their threads at the figure in the center of the whirlwind.
To their shock, the moment the first group of Pests was annihilated, Millicent changed her trajectory with an impossible, fluid motion. She spun 180 degrees and surged toward them.
The Kindred of Rot had never seen swordsmanship like this. Their hurried threads were all deflected by the sheer speed of her blade. Before the thought of flight could even form, they were carved into countless pieces.
"Yes! That's the stuff!" Gawain cheered.
As a skill that was nearly an "instant kill" for players on their first encounter, it had left a deep psychological scar on him, even if he could eventually parry or dodge it through trial and error. Seeing the Waterfowl Dance that had slaughtered him countless times being used by Millicent to turn those "mantis shrimp" into sashimi was incredibly satisfying.
Millicent sheathed the blade with a satisfied nod. She had relied entirely on instinct, but with her arm whole again, the result was excellent. It felt good to vent.
After clearing the wave of enemies, the two descended the mountain and left the Church of the Plague behind. On the way, Gawain asked if she wanted to come to Redmane Castle with him.
However, Millicent wasn't interested in the festival. She only wanted to embark on her own journey; she had a mission she had to fulfill.
Seeing her mind was made up, Gawain didn't press her. He knew they would meet again. The Haligtree was a place he had to visit eventually, just as he would have to face the dangerous demigod Malenia herself.
For now, his priority was Caelid—both the festival and the management of the Scarlet Rot required his full attention.
And, more importantly... taking Millicent to go beat up General Radahn just felt... wrong. It felt like a "hell-joke" that would make the Redmane Knights lose their minds. He decided against it.
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