The battle had ended.
After Malenia was placed into the inventory and Friede abandoned the fight, the struggle at the base of the Haligtree finally drew to a close. What remained now was to clean up the battlefield.
First came Friede.
Long ago, she had indeed stood as an enemy to Lloyd for a time, forced to watch helplessly as he destroyed everything she once sought to protect. Yet, not long after that, Lloyd did something that erased the rift between them entirely.
Simply put, he created a separate timeline just for her—one where the Painted World remained untouched by the flames. He stayed with her there, accompanying her until the very end of time.
What happened during that period was known only to the two of them. But when they emerged, Lloyd had become Friede's master, and she willingly served him, remaining by his side until the world itself came to an end.
Now, restored by Lloyd and having regained most of her memories, Friede naturally saw no reason to continue fighting him. When their kiss ended, she quietly fell into step beside him, just as she had done countless times over the ages.
As for what to do with her, Lloyd initially planned to bring her back to his castle. There was, after all, a prayer room there that needed a nun to tend to it.
The problem, however, was that while the previous Friede could have fit within that domain, after her restoration, her power had become somewhat excessive. The dungeon would need to be upgraded several times over before she could enter it again.
And for now, since Lloyd needed to take Malenia to the Land of Shadow to find Miquella, the Haligtree would be left short on strong defenders.
Taking that into account, Lloyd thought for a moment before deciding to leave Friede behind. She could help guard the area while also familiarizing herself with this world, assisting in repairs and reconstruction along the way.
Friede had no objections. After a brief exchange, she nodded in agreement.
Next came Malenia.
After retrieving her from his inventory, Lloyd examined her condition, and his expression gradually turned strange.
No wonder they called her an "empty shell." She truly was just that—a shell.
To summarize her state: within this Demigod's body, Lloyd couldn't find a single trace of her original soul.
Corruption, enchantment, and a faint trace of obsession—those alone made up her consciousness.
In comparison, even the puppets that emerged from the neighboring academy—let alone Seriel—were more human than she was.
Under these circumstances, Lloyd couldn't burn away the haze clouding her mind as he had done with Mohg, because she was that haze and corruption itself. To burn it would mean to destroy her entirely.
But there was no need for destruction.
Because, upon realizing her sister's condition, Trina—for once—had gotten serious.
With Lloyd's help, she channeled her own Strength into the lifeless shell before them. After two surges of energy, she hadn't dispersed the haze or corruption, but instead stained them with her own color. Layered atop the murk, her influence plunged the vessel into a half-awake, half-asleep state—one where it would act purely on instinct, obediently following commands.
In simpler terms, a hypnotized state.
In that state, as long as Lloyd or Trina gave an order, she would carry it out without hesitation. There was no need to worry about the haze clouding her thoughts, nor the nature of the corruption itself—it no longer required intervention.
After confirming the vessel's condition, Lloyd paused, then turned toward Millicent.
Without a word, she stepped forward. Her gaze lingered on the shell before her for a moment, her eyes complicated, before she turned to Lloyd and nodded.
"I'm ready."
Satisfied with her resolve, Lloyd nodded back, reached out, and pulled the golden needle from Millicent's body—the one that had long suppressed the corruption within her.
Whoosh—
The moment the needle came free, a wave of decay and rot filled the air.
But before it could spread, Seriel—perched on Lloyd's shoulder—raised a hand, invoking the Law of Abundance to transform the corruption into a gentle golden fragrance.
Moments later, once the corruption had mostly dissipated, Lloyd pulled Millicent close. He lowered his head, sinking his soul deep into hers, seeking out the core of corruption—the essence he had gradually extracted and marked during countless treatments before.
Enveloping it with his own soul, he slowly drew it out. Then, gripping the essence in his hand, he placed it within Malenia's body.
As the essence fragment rejoined her, the corruption around Malenia grew thicker, yet no longer spread uncontrollably. Instead, it stabilized, becoming something he could contain. A faint outline began to form at her lower abdomen, pulsing softly in the dim light.
That was the embodiment of her Law.
Yet even after Lloyd infused Millicent's corrupt essence into it, the outline remained hazy and indistinct. It formed only a vague foundation—barely enough to suggest the shape of a butterfly—before ceasing all movement.
It was incomplete.
After all, Millicent was not the only "sister." Malenia's soul and essence had been divided into multiple fragments.
Though Millicent held the largest and most vital piece, without the others, it would still remain an imperfect whole.
As for how to recover the remaining fragments...
"I can't simply extract the essence fragments from your souls," Lloyd said, his gaze sweeping over the five sisters before him. "Those fragments are bound to you—they are part of your souls. Forcibly removing them would cause severe damage to you..."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"But if you're willing, I can help purge the corruption within you. During that process, I can gradually separate the corruption from your souls and return the essence to where it belongs..."
And as for the treatment method—
It would be the same one used to treat Millicent before.
Since all but the Fifth Sister had already been saved by Lloyd once, none of them opposed his suggestion.
The Fifth Sister, though, had once stood against him. Yet now, she seemed even more eager than the other four.
The reason was simple.
"I've always served the Goddess," she said softly. "Since you're willing to help make Her whole again, of course I'll help as well, Ma..."
After hearing the other sisters describe their own "treatments," and after witnessing Lloyd, calm and composed, lower his head and dip his tongue into the small pool of rot, her impression of him rose sharply.
"You don't seem to dislike corruption at all," she observed.
"Actually, I dislike it a little," Lloyd admitted honestly. "But I believe they're more important than the corruption itself. So, I can accept it."
"That's enough," the Fifth Sister said with a gentle smile.
"You probably don't realize it, but this is corruption at its most wretched state. True corruption—" she paused briefly, eyes glinting "—is far more beautiful than this."
"But even so, you've accepted us. You've chosen to help us. You are a friend of corruption," she said softly. "The Goddess herself said as much."
Lloyd thought about it for a moment and didn't argue. His tolerance was, after all, rather exceptional.
"Then tell her to restrain herself for now," he said. "Once corruption and Abundance merge again and wholeness is restored, she can run wild all she wants."
"I'm afraid that's not something the Goddess can control," the Fifth Sister replied, shaking her head.
"Corruption is a natural phenomenon—it's the very essence of the Goddess. She can't erase it, only suppress it to a degree. She doesn't like to do that, but for your sake, she's willing to hold back the Scarlet Rot a little."
"Would that be acceptable?"
"Fine," Lloyd replied. "Restrain it, then."
After speaking with the five sisters of the Haligtree and performing a preliminary examination and treatment, Lloyd shook the scarlet corruption from his hands. Then, turning away, he walked to where Seriel stood beside the tree's massive roots.
"How's the situation?" he asked.
Hearing his voice, Seriel withdrew her hand from the roots and let out a deep sigh.
"Not good."
Though Malenia had been placed into Lloyd's inventory, and the fragment spreading corruption from another world had been sealed within his palm, the wounds left behind still remained. The Haligtree itself stood battered and broken, its form marred by decay.
If not for Malenia—who, even without her soul, still remembered her duty to guard the roots—and the influence of the Friede fragment, the two working together to repel the twin corruptions and prevent them from reaching the tree's heart, then by the time Lloyd arrived, he wouldn't have found a corrupted Haligtree—he would have found its ruins collapsed upon the ground.
Even so, the situation was dire.
Under the twin influence of rot, the trunk was riddled with holes, its branches trembling on the verge of collapse. From the smallest boughs to the great main trunk, everything was at risk of crumbling.
Still, it wasn't beyond saving.
"This tree was originally cultivated by Brother using the power of Abundance," Seriel said quietly. "So it can also be healed through the Law of Abundance."
"But even Brother spent immense time and effort, along with the help and cooperation of many, to nurture the Haligtree to its current state. Now, I am alone... and my mastery of Abundance is far inferior to his."
She hesitated for a moment, then turned to Lloyd.
"Will you help me?" she asked softly. "I can't bear to see it collapse like this. If you're willing, I'll swear allegiance to you on behalf of the Haligtree..."
Her words broke off abruptly.
Before she could finish, Lloyd grasped her hand and pressed it firmly against the tree's roots. Lowering his head, he began channeling his power into her body.
After a brief moment of surprise, Seriel began to cooperate with him. Her fingers tightened around his as she absorbed the strength he poured into her, then guided the refined energy into the roots behind her. With golden Abundance, she began to heal the wounds left by decay.
Abundance began to spread.
Golden light flared, and before their eyes, the once-ravaged Sacred Tree—pockmarked, fractured, and on the verge of collapse—began to recover with visible speed.
Its bark renewed, its wounds sealed, and even the withered branches—long starved of life—burst forth with new buds beneath the golden glow.
The people of the Haligtree, who had been frozen in fear as the corruption spread, were stunned at first. Then, realizing what was happening, they rejoiced. One by one, they dropped to their knees, bowing toward the light in gratitude and reverence—for their survival, and for the miracle unfolding before them.
Time passed.
When the last trace of decay had been healed, and the Haligtree had grown stronger and fuller under the nurturing golden power, the radiant light finally faded.
Then...
"She seems to have fainted."
"Not just seems—she's been unconscious for quite some time."
Only after lifting his head did Lloyd realize how long Seriel had been out cold in his arms. Even in her unconscious state, driven purely by lingering instinct, she had continued to fulfill her duties.
Whether it was because the converter's transformation had been incomplete, Lloyd's power too overwhelming, or some other unknown cause...
In any case, once the restoration and nourishment of the Haligtree were complete, Lloyd felt something new—a faint yet undeniable link forming between himself and the tree.
Or rather, he had come to command the Haligtree.
[Bond of the Oath Deepened]
[Obtained Talisman: 'Haligtree Talisman']
[A talisman carved from a fallen branch of the Haligtree]
[Greatly boosts the bearer's maximum HP and resistance to ailments]
[Gradually restores HP while equipped]
[Long ago, a gentle youth once stood before this sapling and made a wish:]
["Whether beautiful or ugly, all shall grow strong in their true form."]
[This was the beginning of the Haligtree—]
[And also the beginning of its ruin.]
"So, we're doing post-battle reward drops now, huh?"
After inspecting the talisman, Lloyd muttered dryly, then suddenly paused.
Wait… the one he'd just fought wasn't those two… it was himself...
He shook his head, brushing away the thought. Stowing the talisman, he glanced around to make sure everything had been dealt with before turning his attention to Millicent.
She hesitated for a brief moment, then, seeing the Crucible Fragment in his hand, quickly understood his intention.
"Do you want to wait, or do it now…"
"Now."
Millicent answered without hesitation. She had longed for a body untouched by rot—a whole, normal body—for far too long.
Once she agreed, Lloyd wasted no time. Accepting the Flowing Water Sword she handed to him, he drove the blade straight through her heart. He watched as her eyes slowly closed, her body growing cold in his arms.
Unaware of what was happening, the other sisters—along with Loretta, who had just arrived on horseback—stared in shock, confusion spreading among them.
Before anyone could ask, Lloyd reached out, seized Millicent's spirit, refined it in an instant, and guided it into the new vessel.
Then, in Lloyd's palm, the delicate doll of a young woman opened her eyes. For a brief moment she looked lost, then slowly raised her hands to inspect them.
There wasn't a trace of rot upon them—smooth and flawless as white jade. Even her Strength felt greater than before, though it would take some time for her to adjust.
Once the others realized what had happened, they surrounded her, bombarding Lloyd with questions. After hearing his explanation, even the Fifth Sister looked at him with a deep, yearning gaze.
The other four sisters' reactions were expected. Because of the fragment's influence—and particularly due to certain events that had taken place in Caelid—they had avoided falling into the embrace of corruption as fate once intended. Their current states were much like Millicent's before her restoration.
As for the Fifth Sister, as she had once said herself, her current state of Scarlet Rot was perhaps the most wretched and grotesque form corruption could take.
Although the Corruption Goddess's sense of beauty differed from most, even she hadn't intended for it to appear so hideous. The Fifth Sister, too, wished to change her appearance—though the direction of that transformation... was a little questionable.
"Could you get me some insect limbs? Maybe butterfly wings, a spider's lower body, or centipede segments…"
Though the request sounded rather abstract, after seeing the Fifth Sister's conceptual sketches for her new body, Lloyd had to admit—while her corruption-themed tastes leaned toward the bizarre, her aesthetic sense was undeniably impressive.
To put it simply, her design was... a nightmare for anyone with entomophobia, but a dream come true for monster girl enthusiasts.
Having lived through the Dark Souls world, Lloyd was used to that kind of aesthetic and had no objections to her design.
But insect limbs... that was another story.
"I'm not that practiced with those yet. I'll look into it for you later."
"Thank you, that would be a great help."
After chatting with the Five Sisters for a while longer and answering their questions, Lloyd turned toward Loretta, who stood nearby, clearly hesitating to speak.
"Do you have a question?"
Loretta hesitated for a moment, glanced at the gray-maned horse girl beside her, then looked back at Lloyd.
"Well... my horse..."
"Oh, that is a problem."
Just as Loretta thought he'd realized the issue with her horse's unusual appearance, Lloyd spoke casually, as if missing the point entirely.
"There aren't any other horse girls here. One horse alone might get lonely—and without a proper academy education, that's definitely an oversight on my part."
Loretta: ".........Huh?"
Wait—that's the problem?
And what's a Horse Girl Academy supposed to be? Why does he sound like horse girls are commonplace in the Lands Between?
The Haligtree had always been somewhat isolated. After Malenia went mad and Miquella disappeared, it lost its leadership and was effectively cut off from the outside world. News rarely reached this place—no one here even knew what had happened in Caelid.
Then, in front of Loretta, Lloyd summoned Starscourge and his little mare. After giving her a small Hermes-tier shock of surprise, he had a brief conversation with her before sending her off to Caelid—both to settle her own mare and to help the red-haired mare handle a few tasks there.
With Loretta's situation settled, the affairs at the Haligtree came to an end.
The Five Sisters remained to await treatment, while Seriel and Trina followed Lloyd to the Land of Shadow in search of Miquella.
As for Friede...
Before departing, Lloyd found her and explained the situation. She nodded, saying she would wait for his return.
However...
"Master, I—"
Her words cut off abruptly.
Before she could finish, Lloyd's hand pressed over the mark on her lower abdomen through her clothing.
Moments later, the composed nun bent forward, her face flushed a deep crimson unlike before, her breath unsteady.
Using his other hand, Lloyd lifted her hood, leaned close, and gently bit her earlobe before murmuring softly.
"Don't worry. I won't forget you."
"I... I didn't mean... that kind of thing..."
Friede's voice trembled, her words breaking between shallow breaths.
"I just... just want to keep following you..."
"But your body seems to be saying otherwise."
After teasing her lightly, Lloyd pulled her into an embrace to calm her.
"Relax. I won't leave you behind. Just wait here for me to come back."
".........Yes."
Once she agreed, Lloyd stayed with her a bit longer to ensure she was completely reassured, then kissed her cheek and rose to leave.
Since his next destination was the Land of Shadow—and because Millicent had just acquired a new body she wasn't yet accustomed to, one that couldn't be stored in the inventory—Lloyd thought for a moment, then granted her the same arrangement as the others, placing her carefully within his embrace.
Then...
The instant she entered, Millicent saw a familiar figure.
The blue doll sat there, holding a handful of scattered candies, feeding them to a tiny Elden Beast sitting before her.
"...Miss Ranni?"
Millicent froze.
The other hadn't appeared in quite some time—Millicent had assumed Lloyd had sent her back. But now...
"You didn't go back?"
Melina had already regained her full form, so logically, Ranni should've returned long ago.
Ranni didn't answer immediately. After finishing feeding the small Elden creature, she turned to Millicent and replied calmly.
"I had intended to return, but I've changed my mind."
"Why? And if you're here, why not go outside—"
"Because I'm curious."
Ranni's tone was serious.
"I want to see just how many people this man can form a Covenant with when no one's there to stop him... and whether he can even handle it."
As the Lunar Princess—and given her family background—Ranni naturally had a jealous streak.
In truth, when Lloyd first started flirting around, she had been annoyed. But now, after spending so much time within Lloyd's embrace, annoyance was the least of her feelings. Once the numbness faded, she had even begun to doubt herself.
Was there something wrong with her mindset—or was he simply not normal?
After some reflection, she concluded it was the latter, and decided to stop worrying about it.
How to even describe it...
If Lloyd had been affectionate with one other woman, she might've been upset. Two or three, and she'd be angry.
But when the number rose to twenty or thirty... or even two or three hundred...
It just became abstract.
So now, Ranni no longer cared. Instead, she found herself curious—just how far could he take this, and what new, ridiculous situations would arise along the way?
Originally, Ranni had assumed he was only involved with the women around him. But when Renna casually mentioned her own name, Ranni had nearly lost her composure—and her suspicions only deepened afterward.
"You didn't... get involved with my mother too, did you?"
"What are you talking about?"
Lloyd looked at her, genuinely confused.
"How could I possibly be involved with your mother? What kind of idea is that...?"
"It's not my imagination—it's your behavior that makes it hard not to suspect something."
After a pause, and once she was sure Lloyd hadn't actually slept with her mother, Ranni nodded, satisfied.
She started to retreat, but then remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, did you know? Queen Marika's beauty—in the Lands Between, it's said to be—"
"Isn't that your father?"
Silence.
A long pause.
The small blue doll quietly retreated.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Lloyd found her behavior rather strange that day, but didn't think much of it.
After confirming that Ranni had nothing else to say and that everything at the Haligtree was settled, he opened his map, selected a destination, and vanished from the spot.
Malenia was secured.
It was time to head for the Land of Shadow.