The Ring DLC got officially announced!!!
Who the hell can wait for DLC without going insane? Damn it—one punch and blow up the Erdtree!
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When they set off together, Veldon asked Mia for the weapons of the other soldiers.
A greatsword, a straight sword, two daggers, and a brass shield.
Mia handed them over generously. It seemed that as long as she wanted, the equipment in her storage space could shift back and forth between her size and a "normal" size.
Veldon slung the greatsword and the brass shield on his back, strapped a straight sword to each side of his waist, hung the two daggers behind him, and on top of that carried the greatshield and spear he already had in hand. The whole man looked like a Christmas tree—one small movement and it was clink-clank all over.
Mia, meanwhile, swapped her short spear for a higher-quality Lordsworn's Spear. Its wooden shaft was coated in red lacquer, accented with brass relief.
(Shame the game won't let you show this off.)
It was almost too beautiful to use in a fight.
On top of that, beneath her Noble's Traveling Garb, Mia put on a chainmail shirt stripped from a soldier.
Chainmail did have weight, but once it was distributed across her body, it didn't hinder her movement.
And since there were soft layers on both the inside and outside of the chainmail, it didn't make noise even when she ran.
As for padded armor… Mia hated how old and filthy the soldiers' gambeson was. A soft armor stitched from layers of cotton and linen wasn't like chainmail—you couldn't just wipe it down and call it clean.
Rather than gross herself out, she gave up the stronger defense.
A chainmail shirt was enough for her at this stage. She saw herself as a caster, not a knight.
The exit of the Cave of Knowledge led back to Mia's original spawn point—the cavern illuminated by the glow of the golden sapling.
There was only one way out.
Follow the carved traces of manmade work, climb a solemn staircase, and push open a towering stone door.
This was the Stranded Graveyard.
She still didn't know why it was called that.
Mia and Veldon emerged from the cave and, after passing through a burial chamber, reached a fork.
Straight ahead was a bright corridor. Candles and torches burned with white spiritflame that would never go out, set along both sides, leading to a room beyond.
To the right was a massive doorway—four pillars, three arches. There was no door panel, only a thick wall of fog.
The fog felt solid. When Mia touched it, it was like touching cold glass. Whatever lay beyond was blurred and indistinct—she could barely make out that it was a wide open space.
That way led deeper into the Stranded Graveyard.
Mia looked at the gargoyle statue beside the fog. Without inserting a Stonesword Key, the fog would never lift.
Unfortunately, Mia didn't have a Stonesword Key.
And even if she did, whatever waited in the deepest part of the Stranded Graveyard wasn't something she could handle right now.
Veldon was looking around, clearly stunned that the exit of the cave that had trapped him opened into a place like this.
"Forward," Mia told him. In her vision, there was a Site of Grace ahead.
Veldon walked straight through the golden light—he couldn't see it.
Mia stepped forward, touched the Grace, and all her fatigue vanished in an instant.
She didn't linger. She lifted her head and quickly caught up to Veldon.
At the end of the corridor was a room holding a tomb lift. The two of them stepped onto the circular stone platform together. Mia pressed the pedal in the center, and after a faint tremor, the lift began to rise.
It didn't take long before it stopped.
They still had to climb a short staircase. At the top, a sealed, heavy metal door stood before Mia.
She planted both hands on it, leaned in, and pushed.
It didn't budge.
…
Ah. Right. You're supposed to lift it.
She shifted into an awkward stance and tried to raise the door.
"I'll do it," Veldon said, stepping forward.
Together they heaved the massive door upward. It rose smoothly—and, conveniently, didn't slam back down the moment they let go.
'Hah…'
The lift can be fully automatic, but the door can't?
Panting, Mia stepped into the golden glow and walked out of the Stranded Graveyard.
'So that's the Erdtree…'
Only by tilting her chin up at a forty-five degree angle could she truly see it.
A colossal golden tree filling the sky.
Beneath the dark heavens, that radiant Erdtree was the sun of the Lands Between.
It looked smaller than it did in the game—maybe.
But the shock, the awe, the wordless weight of it… those feelings remained unchanged.
So sacred.
So vast.
So untouchable.
Mia swallowed.
When she turned back, Veldon had come out as well. He lowered his head and silently prayed to the Erdtree he hadn't seen for so long.
"We're out," Mia said.
She didn't dare keep staring at the Erdtree, afraid she'd lose herself in her own smallness.
Not because the Erdtree was gnawing at her mind or anything—
It was just too huge.
Stare up too long and you'd get dizzy.
"Mm." Veldon kept his gaze on the tree.
Unlike Mia, Veldon was one of the Erdtree's people. As he looked up, his golden eyes were filled with longing.
"Hey!" Mia called.
Only then did Veldon snap back.
"I think… it's been a very, very long time since I last saw the Erdtree," he said.
The soldier re-gripped his greatshield. "Now you can tell me what you want me to do."
"Yeah." Mia nodded. "I want you to take me to Stormveil."
"Stormveil?" Veldon repeated.
His shriveled face couldn't show much expression, but if it could, Mia would've seen a frown.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Veldon replied, "Before I was trapped in that cave, my lord Godrick was gathering Tarnished with strength—like you—for grafting."
"I don't know how long I've been in that cave. I don't know whether the tree-and-lion banner still flies over Stormveil Castle."
"But I think you must think carefully about your goal."
Veldon looked at Mia.
"Mm…" Mia thought for a moment.
If she said outright that she planned to go meet Godrick and beat him senseless, Veldon—being Godrick's soldier—definitely wouldn't be happy about it.
"Stormveil is still under King Godrick's rule. He's still hunting Tarnished. I only need you to escort me to the foot of Stormveil Castle. After that, your favor is repaid."
On the road to Stormveil, they'd run into plenty of Godrick's soldiers.
And as a Tarnished returned from beyond the Lands Between, Mia clearly wouldn't be welcomed by the ones doing the "grafting."
If she traveled with Veldon and disguised herself as a Tarnished being escorted for grafting… maybe she could avoid a lot of fights.
When Veldon didn't answer right away, Mia added, "If you don't want to… then just take me through Stormgate. That's fine too…"
Even if Veldon refused out of loyalty to Godrick, Mia wouldn't feel cheated.
Helping Veldon leave the Cave of Knowledge had been convenient either way—she still would've had to kill that greatsword soldier to get out.
And besides… Veldon had given her a lot of runes.
So if he said no, it would be reasonable.
If he said yes, it would be a bonus.
Mia didn't think the chances were high.
Sure enough, she heard Veldon say, "I'll help you."
"Ah, if you don't want to, I get it… huh? You—"
"I said I'll help you."
"…Oh."
Now it was Mia's turn to be stunned.
"Really?" she asked, not fully believing it.
"Mm." Veldon nodded, lifting his spear and shield. "Let's go. From here to Stormveil, if we walk day and night without stopping, it'll take five days."
"Wait—how many days did you just say?"