Ranni looked at her mother, her heart aching—yet there was nothing she could do.
Her good-for-nothing father had, for no clear reason at all, run off with Queen Marika.
True, becoming Elden Lord as a consort, essentially marrying into power was an incredibly tempting choice.
But what, exactly, had he taken his wife and children to be?
Especially her mother.
Rennala's current state was entirely the result of Radagon's betrayal.
Now Queen Marika had vanished without a trace, and that wretched father of hers had likewise disappeared, no one knowing where he had gone.
He was probably hiding away in some forgotten corner of the world, whispering sweet nothings with Queen Marika—
Just thinking about it made her grind her teeth.
Lucian watched Ranni's constantly shifting expression and tried to guess what was going through her mind.
She was probably thinking about Rennala and Radagon.
Only matters involving those two could make Ranni wear such a complicated look.
As a former player, Lucian possessed a great deal of information—and, more importantly, a god's-eye view of events.
From his perspective, Radagon had genuinely harbored deep feelings for Rennala and their children.
At the very least, it hadn't all been merely a mission assigned by Marika.
Later, within the Golden Order, Radagon had used his authority to grant his children from Rennala highly advantageous positions, elevating them to important roles in the Golden lineage.
Ranni's two brothers both held significant power.
General Radahn commanded military authority, ruling vast territories and defending entire regions.
Rykard, meanwhile, served as the Golden Order's Lord Justiciar—an office with immense real power and considerable influence within Leyndell.
That position was no small matter.
Even the Night of the Black Knives bore Rykard's involvement, he had likely provided crucial assistance in allowing the assassins to infiltrate the capital.
Ranni herself held no official post, but as the Princess of the Moon, she was still treated with considerable respect and privilege within the Golden Order.
Yet Rennala had already lost her heart.
No matter how Radagon tried to make amends afterward, that truth could never be changed.
And Ranni would likely never forgive him so easily.
Once, a certain sorcerous tutor who had served at Ranni's side had evaluated her thus:
"Even burdened with sin, her bearing remains dignified—Ranni is, at heart, merely a delicate and lovely girl."
Lucian thought Seluvis had actually hit rather close to the mark.
And so, Lucian began to wonder—
Could he, perhaps, do something about his future mother-in-law's condition?
Rennala had lost her heart because Radagon had once sworn vows with her in the Church of Vows, only to later betray them, abandon her, and choose instead to become Queen Marika's consort, the second Elden Lord of the Erdtree.
In short;
Her husband had gone off to be a pretty boy kept by a wealthy woman, and she'd been cuckolded by that same wealthy woman.
What if he told Rennala that Marika and Radagon were actually the same person?
If they were the same being, then… technically, there wouldn't be any "betrayal," right?
But Lucian thought about it and decided—
If he was going to say something like that, it would be better to wait until Melina's body had been fully shaped and reborn.
If the Queen of the Full Moon misunderstood or fixated on the wrong point, things might spiral in a very bad direction.
For example, what if Rennala came to believe that Radagon had approached her from the very beginning as part of Marika's scheme?
'Tch.'
Just imagining that scenario was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
The person you loved… having been your enemy from the very start—
No, worse—having been the enemy herself.
What kind of story was that?
That was pure family-drama tragedy.
Ranni took a deep breath, forcing herself to stop thinking about her wretched father.
In doing so, she also pulled Lucian's wandering thoughts back to the present.
Ranni walked to her mother's side and began gently guiding Rennala with her words, leading her toward performing a rebirth for Melina.
"Mother," she said softly, "A dutiful child stands before thee, seeking rebirth."
"Grant her return, within thy amber egg."
Rennala giggled like a child.
"Oh? Oh?"
"Someone wishes to be reborn…?"
"Which child might that be?"
"Come now, let Mother grant you new life."
Ranni floated into the air, drifting beside Rennala's head, and pointed toward Lucian's side.
"Look, Mother. There... a child, bereft of her own body."
"Let her be reborn. Let her be whole, once more."
Rennala followed Ranni's gesture.
There should have been nothing there—
But with Ranni's assistance, she could now see a young girl standing quietly in that space, her rose-gold hair softly framing her face.
"What a lovely child…"
Yet something felt strange.
There was an air about her that felt familiar—
And yet… not quite.
No, no.
She was only a child.
If she wished to be reborn, then Mother should grant her wish.
Rennala gently beckoned to Melina.
Seeing this, Lucian felt that things were proceeding smoothly.
He took out the Silver Larvae Tear he had gathered earlier.
The Great Rune of the Unborn that Radagon had given Rennala was a peculiar thing, its origin unknown.
Unlike other Great Runes, which required activation at a Divine Tower before they could be used, this one demanded a Silver Tear Larva as its catalyst.
It seemed that Great Runes had different activation conditions depending on the era.
This one, perhaps, still followed the rules of a far older age.
Lucian cautiously placed a single Silver Larval Tear atop the amber egg.
The moment it made contact, the larva melted into it seamlessly, as though there had never been any barrier between them.
As the Silver Larval Tear merged within, the Great Rune of the Unborn hidden inside the amber egg began to emit a faint glow.
Rennala silently watched Lucian's actions.
She didn't know what that thing was—
But she could feel it.
Rebirth… felt complete now.
Surely, this would allow that lovely child to be reborn properly.
Meanwhile, Ranni stared at the Silver Larval Tear in Lucian's hand, a thoughtful look gradually forming in her eyes.
Even Ranni herself had never known how to properly use the Great Rune contained within the amber egg, only that it was somehow tied to the secret art of rebirth.
When Lucian had sought her cooperation earlier, his ultimate goal had been to make use of that very ritual.
At the time, Ranni had clearly explained all the flaws and risks of rebirth to him, yet he had acted as though none of them mattered at all.
Now it seemed obvious, he had already known the solution.
Lucian was truly a mysterious man.
Seeing that the Silver Larval Tear actually worked, Lucian finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then he took out the remaining Silver Larval Tear and fed them into the amber egg as well.
In one go, he placed three more Silver Larval Tear into it.
The Great Rune of the Unborn within the amber egg erupted into a brilliant radiance.
At this moment, the Great Rune was fully awakened.
The secret art of rebirth could now be performed in its complete form.
Lucian glanced at the two Silver Larval Tear still left in his hand and gave a small shake of his head.
He had originally thought that six larvae would be more than enough. Now it seemed he had cut it rather close.
He had planned to reserve three or four larvae for sculpting Melina's body—But now he had no choice but to lower his standards a little.
Still, two would be enough.
After all, even two Mimic Tears were sufficient to replicate his physical attributes.
Creating a body powerful enough for Melina would be no problem at all.
This time, the two Silver Larval Tear placed inside were not absorbed by the Great Rune of the Unborn.
Instead, they gathered at the center of the amber egg, slowly writhing before gradually merging into a single mass.
Then, little by little, their form began to change.
Before long, they resembled a living embryo.
Lucian could clearly feel the pulse within it.
Next—
It was time to reshape Melina's body.
Soon, Melina would regain a physical form, transforming from a soul into a living being.
In a sense, it wasn't much different from a heroic spirit manifesting into the world.
Melina appeared before Lucian.
It felt as though she had been deliberately avoiding him, she hadn't shown herself in front of him for quite some time.
Now, looking at Lucian, she puffed out her cheeks slightly and said,
"You know… I've been watching the whole time."
"So when I finally have a body, everything you've done with them—you'll have to do again. With me."
"No… even more than that. Much more… more..."
"Hmph."
"And if you don't… I won't forgive you so easily."
The moment she finished speaking, even Melina herself couldn't hold it together, her face flushed red.
Even so, she stared at Lucian with determination, waiting for his answer.
Lucian smiled at her.
"Not just once," he said gently.
"We can do it as many times as you want."
"The memories I create with you will run deeper than with anyone else."
Melina let out a long breath.
When she lifted her head again, her eyes were filled with tenderness.
She spoke softly,
"Lucian… thank you."
"Soon... very soon, I'll finally be able to truly touch you."
Lucian nodded solemnly.
Ranni watched the two of them gaze at each other for quite some time, then blinked and said,
"Hast thou done, then?"
"Ye shall see one another anon."
At Ranni's words, Melina's face flushed red once more.
Saying such things in front of someone else was embarrassing.
She shyly turned her face aside.
Ranni drifted over to Melina and extended her hand.
"Come hither," she said.
"I shall guide thee into the amber egg."
"Rest thyself, and suffer rebirth."
" 'Twill feel as though thou dost fall into slumber, naught shall trouble thee."
"When thou awakest, thou shalt tread the Lands Between with a true body."
Although Melina existed as a soul, her long-term, stable soul form was highly unusual.
Ordinary spirits could not maintain such coherence.
That was why she needed Ranni's help to enter the amber egg.
Melina nodded and took Ranni's outstretched hand.
She cast one last look at Lucian—
Then, guided by Ranni, she slowly stepped into the amber egg.
The moment Melina made contact with it, she felt something strange.
It was as though she had sunk into deep water—
An invisible pressure surrounded her, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.
Ranni's voice reached her.
"Fret not. This is thy soul, being anchored unto the Silver Tear."
"This… is the burden of a body."
"Take thy time, and feel it... 'tis a sensation thou hast not known for many a long year."
Melina nodded.
Then she moved forward again, sinking fully into the amber egg.
Once her entire being had entered, her soul began to merge with the Silver Larval Tear within.
A gentle fatigue washed over her.
She felt herself on the verge of falling asleep.
At the same time, a deep sense of peace blossomed in her heart.
It was like returning to infancy—Like resting safely within a mother's womb.
The Queen of the Full Moon...
She was someone who could truly become Melina's mother.
And so, Melina's soul slowly, completely, sank into slumber.