Could the Fire Keeper be reborn in the Lands Between? To be honest, ever since Gawain realized she had traveled to this world with him, he had been fantasizing about that very possibility.
Unfortunately, the reality of the situation made it difficult. He still needed her to remain within his inner world to safeguard the stability of the Dark Sign. If it were to spiral out of control, Gawain's very existence might bring an unforeseen catastrophe to the Lands Between—much like Manus of the Abyss once had.
This was an inherent trait of the Dark Soul, and a perfect solution was hard to find. Where there is light, there must be shadow; this was a fundamental truth that had existed since the birth of the First Flame. Perhaps in the future, by utilizing the power of Great Runes or some other force, he could bypass this obstacle, but for now, it was impossible.
Therefore, the best he could do for now was to ask Ranni to use the secret of rebirth to grant Melina a new physical body.
"You wish to borrow the power of the Great Rune held in my mother's arms? It is not impossible," Ranni said, pausing for a moment. She knew that the man before her would inevitably continue to expand his influence toward the throne of the Elden Lord. Invading the Academy was only a matter of time, and the Sellen currently standing in this room was likely his designated successor to take control of the institution.
Ranni had no objections to this. In fact, she felt a faint sense of anticipation; after all, several loathsome individuals would surely be purged in the process.
"That shall be a separate transaction. I can assist you in mastering the secret of rebirth in the future. In exchange, however, you must not disturb my mother's peace. Even if she is lost in her slumber, she remains the head of the Academy and the last Queen of the Carian Royals."
"Furthermore, when you deal with those fools within the Academy, it would be for the best if you also took care of those noisy Cuckoo Knights."
"No problem. It's a deal," Gawain replied.
He knew Ranni was securing favorable treatment for the Queen of the Full Moon in advance. But since Rennala was his "designated mother-in-law" whom he visited in every playthrough of the game, he would have ensured her safety within the Grand Library regardless of the request.
As for the Academy scholars and the Cuckoo Knights? That was a joke. In the game, it was hard to even find a named character among them; facing them would be nothing short of a slaughter. His only real concern was how to absorb the Academy's resources and manpower as quickly as possible.
Drawing his thoughts away from the Academy, he turned his focus back to the upcoming Radahn Festival. With Ranni right here, this was the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence on the General—and perhaps even squeeze out some information on Rykard.
"So, can you tell me more about General Radahn? Ideally, things the public wouldn't know. It would make dealing with him much easier."
Ranni nodded. Since she had already decided her brother had to die, she might as well give Gawain all the information he needed. Though she mourned her brother's fate, Ranni was not a person to let sentimentality halt her progress.
"I assume you are already aware of my brother's mastery of martial arts and gravity sorcery, so I shall not dwell on those. But do you know what kind of power his Great Rune bestows upon him?"
Gawain considered the Great Rune currently within his own body. The effect it had on him was vastly different from the effect it had on Godrick. Even with the same Rune, the power it manifested varied depending on the host. He wondered what specific qualities the General's Rune possessed.
"Please, go on."
"As a holder of a Great Rune yourself, I imagine you understand the immense power they contain. Before the Elden Ring was shattered, the complete Golden Order governed the cycle of life and death. From what I know, some Tarnished were granted a powerful blessing beyond the Lands Between, allowing them to rise from the dead."
Ranni recalled the time she was chosen as an Empyrean and assigned a similar Great Rune, though that felt like a lifetime ago.
"Brother Radahn's Great Rune contains the laws of the Golden Order that govern the aspect of life. Because of this, his Rune grants him an incredibly robust vitality, along with nearly inexhaustible stamina and mana. Outwardly, this manifests as his physical stature, which is massive even by the standards of the demigods."
Gawain recalled the effect of activating Radahn's Great Rune in the game: a straightforward, massive increase to maximum HP, FP, and Stamina.
He realized why, in the cinematic, the General looked so unfazed even after Malenia had fought him to a standstill and broken her prosthesis. It was likely a case of "chip damage" that couldn't keep up with the man's natural regeneration.
"This grants him an effect that arguably makes him the strongest demigod: as long as he possesses the will to live, the Great Rune will mend his wounds. The extent of this healing depends entirely on the strength of the wielder's resolve."
Ranni sighed. This was the primary reason her brother had been tortured to such an extent. To illustrate her point, she shared a story from the past.
"My brother's willpower on the battlefield was unshakeable. During the war, when he was ambushed and impaled through the chest by the 'Fell Omen,' his wounds healed almost instantly, and he immediately returned to the fray. Unfortunately, his opponent was equally formidable, and the duel ended in a stalemate."
Recollecting her brother's once-powerful and reassuring presence, Ranni's voice carried a hint of pride. She did wonder, however, why that tiny Empyrean in the Royal Capital—the one who never seemed to grow up—always used to follow her brother around.
Perhaps that was why, after Miquella disappeared, Malenia chose to march her army all the way south to Caelid. Ranni wasn't privy to all the details, but she was instinctively wary of that seemingly harmless Empyrean. After all, as one of the masterminds behind the Night of the Black Knives, she knew exactly what role Miquella had played that night.
"But even if the flesh remains whole, the Scarlet Rot that erodes the mind and soul is beyond the Great Rune's power to cure. Conversely, the immense vitality provided by the Great Rune only serves to make the Scarlet Rot more vigorous. This is why my brother chose to 'burn' the power of his Great Rune to maintain a seal over the rot."
Gawain knew that only a "dirty bomb" like the Scarlet Rot could break a man like the General. However, it seemed the upcoming battle would be even harder than he had anticipated.
"With an effect like that, can't he recover from anything that isn't instant death? And combined with the extra vitality from the rot, how can he be killed? If the General wanted to die, he could have ended it long ago. But he endured the rot's erosion and commanded the Redmane Legion to build the Smoldering Wall to contain the spread. When I saw him, he was still feasting on corpses in the center of the battlefield just to survive. His will to live is clearly still incredibly strong."
Ranni shook her head and looked through the skylight at the firmament.
"The Great Rune provides an effect, but that does not mean it can be used indefinitely. Even if my brother is unwilling to die, his Great Rune can no longer sustain itself after such prolonged 'burning.' When the stars fill the sky, the festival will begin. That shall be the proof that his Great Rune has begun to fail; my brother is losing the strength to keep the stars in their shackles."
"Well, that's a relief. I have a bit more confidence now."
Gawain let out a breath. He didn't want to face a "tank" with infinite health regeneration. The General's gravity magic, which could shake the entirety of Redmane Castle, was already terrifying enough. If the fight turned into a war of attrition, Gawain wasn't sure he could win before his Embered power drained to a dangerous level—and he didn't want another experience of the Dark Souls going out of control.
Ranni felt she had shared everything necessary. Her time in this awakened state was limited, and she needed to return to her slumber to maintain her strength.
"I have said all I came to say. Blaidd will participate in the festival alongside you. I look forward to your performance on the battlefield."
She recalled Gawain's mockery of the Two Fingers during their previous meeting. Suddenly, she felt that simply leaving wasn't enough. Having found a partner who was both powerful and pleasant to work with, perhaps she should show a bit more appreciation.
"Once the deed is done, I formally invite you to Caria Manor. Iji and I shall await your arrival. To show my gratitude, I shall present you with an extra gift—consider it a reward for your part in the festival."
Gawain's interest was instantly piqued. An extra gift? What could it be? The Dark Moon Greatsword seemed a bit early... and honestly, a "Miniature Ranni" doll wouldn't be bad either.
"An extra gift? Well, I'll have to put on a good show then. Make sure to find time to watch the festival. I'll give the General the most dignified curtain call possible. I won't disappoint you."
With a subtle upward curve of her lips, Ranni whispered something meant only for her own ears before her form slowly dissolved into the air.
Because of his size and the awkward camera angle, Iji had remained silent for most of the meeting. As they prepared to part, he bowed as deeply as he could, nodding to the three people in the room.
"Give my regards to Jerren. I shall prepare the necessary items at Caria Manor. My craftsmanship will not disappoint you."
With Ranni gone, Blaidd didn't linger either. They agreed to meet at Redmane Castle before he hurriedly departed.
Sellen had remained a silent observer in the corner throughout the meeting. She knew this was a choice her apprentice had made for himself, and that was enough for her. However, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry.
"Apprentice, I shall not oppose the path you have chosen. But General Radahn is the strongest of the demigods. Stay safe, and do not overextend yourself. Remember... no matter how much of a failure you might think you are, your master will always have a place for you here."
Gawain was genuinely touched by her words. His master was always his master.
"I know. But don't worry—your student is tougher than he looks. I've crossed obstacles like this many times before."
Ranni's consciousness returned to the puppet she inhabited. Though Seluvis was still playing with his puppets in the neighboring tower, she was not alone; Iji's projection stood beside her.
"Iji, did you sense it? The unique traces upon him."
Iji nodded. As a troll who had served the Carian Royals for ages, he was highly sensitive to powers originating from the stars.
"Like your Dark Moon, Lady Ranni... I believe he has encountered a Law of his own. It seems, however, that he is not yet aware of it."
Ranni reflected on her encounters with Gawain. If their first meeting had been to see what kind of master Torrent had chosen, the subsequent meetings were driven by her own growing interest in the man himself.
It wasn't every day that a common person found a Law of their own. Her mother, Queen Rennala, had spent her youth searching until she encountered the Full Moon and used its beauty to conquer the Academy. Under her mother's guidance, Ranni had spent a long time searching the stars before finding her Dark Moon. Usually, a Law and its representative undergo a process of mutual selection—this was why she had embarked on her dark destiny without hesitation.
Under normal circumstances, one should actively seek out a Law. To have a Law come knocking on one's door without the person even realizing it was something she had never seen before.
Theoretically, there was only one possibility: the man's inherent nature was so unique that an external deity from the stars had proactively sought him out as its representative. It wasn't like the parasitic Scarlet Rot within Malenia; this unknown entity seemed almost... humble. While its influence was currently weak, there were no signs of predation—only traces of blessing.
She looked toward the distance, where the stars were converging over Caelid. It seemed the festival's timing wasn't an accident. Theoretically, many wills from the stars were currently trying to break through the seal; after all, only after the seal was broken could the external deities representing their respective Laws better interfere with the Lands Between.
Something was accelerating this process—something very bright. She suspected the entity that had chosen Gawain was involved.
"There is no need to speak of this further. I suspect we shall soon see exactly what kind of entity has chosen him."
Iji nodded silently. He couldn't guess what the Lands Between would look like after the festival. He was just a blacksmith; his only wish was to find a quiet place to work after assisting Lady Ranni in reaching her dark destiny. But reality would likely deny him such a peaceful end.
"I only wonder if he will stand in direct opposition to us in the future. What do you think, Lady Ranni?"
Ranni remained silent for a moment before shaking her head. For some reason, she felt Gawain's attitude toward her was strange. Since their first meeting, he had treated her with a warmth that felt like they had been close for years.
Even she felt it; she could sense her destiny gradually deviating from its original course, as if being drawn toward something.
"I do not think it will come to that."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"I do not know. Intuition, perhaps. I suspect the Law that chose him is just as unique as the man himself."
She paused, making a final decision. "Iji, return for a moment. Perform maintenance on that weapon in advance. It shall serve as the gift I have prepared."
"As you command."
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