After tucking the necklace away, Gawain casually crushed a Hero's Rune in his palm and handed the essence to the Prawn Bro. Having not seen such a staggering amount of currency since his "prison break," the man couldn't help but gulp, his hands trembling as he accepted the small fortune.
Standing nearby, Patches' eyes nearly popped out of his head. That was a full 15,000 Runes! He'd handed it over just for a necklace and some prawns? Just how wealthy was this guy to throw money around like that?
"You actually gave that many Runes to a thug who robs little girls? Say, why don't you consider me instead? Patches Emporium offers catering services too, you know! Forget prawns—I'll boil those wandering spirits in a pot for you if that's what it takes."
The Prawn Bro took offense at that. He had been annoyed by the bald man for a long time, and now it seemed the guy was just some low-life interloper.
"Who are you calling a thug? I was the king of the Capital Gaol! Before I broke out, the other inmates called me the 'Big Cheese.' A bottom-feeder like you dares talk to me like that? I'll slaughter you!"
The words had barely left his mouth before the Prawn Bro struck first. Taking advantage of Patches' distraction, he floored him with a sharp elbow. His iron-clad fists rained down on the bald head, instantly raising several large welts.
Seeing his sneak attack succeed, the Prawn Bro felt the victory was decided. He prepared to deliver a heavy flying kick to finish Patches off, only to be intercepted mid-air by Patches' boot. He was kicked right out of the sky and crashed into the ground.
The two of them began brawling on the surface of the lake, using the most primitive, low-level fighting methods. For a time, they were perfectly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Gawain rubbed his forehead in exasperation. For him, the Runes required for a single level-up had long since exceeded 30,000, so this amount didn't mean much to him.
According to the prices in the game, the amount Rya had eaten in one sitting was probably worth about that much anyway, even if the prawns and crabs here didn't provide any stat buffs.
"You two keep playing. I'm going to return the necklace first."
Ignoring their childish scuffle, Gawain mounted Torrent and rode back toward the gazebo where Rya was waiting.
At that moment, Rya was sitting on the edge of the pavilion. Her shoes were set aside to dry, and her small, slightly water-wrinkled feet were dangling over the Warmth flame. The heat from the fire was indeed more comfortable than she had imagined.
She desperately wanted to transform into her serpent body and curl up on the ground to rest, but she couldn't afford to relax for even a second while out in the world. If Master Gawain saw her as a snake, he probably wouldn't be so friendly. Instead, he would likely look at her with disgust.
Recalling the cold mockery she had faced in the past, as well as the inexplicable hostility from both humans and her own kind, she didn't understand why she was so different. Rya could only carefully hide her other form away.
She was still young and had always been well cared for at Volcano Manor. At the very least, Lady Tanith and the usually silent Crucible Knight were very kind to her.
As a result, she didn't fully understand what Volcano Manor truly represented in the Lands Between. This was why she had volunteered to travel, hoping to recruit more heroes to fulfill the wishes of her gentle mother and the father she had never spoken to.
She didn't quite understand why "heroes" had to turn their blades against their own kin—Uncle Bernahl never answered her questions about that. But as a recruiter, she simply followed her instructions to find heroes.
Though she hadn't found a single suitable candidate until now—occasionally meeting people who looked promising only to have them flee in terror at the sight of her clothing—Master Gawain was different. He gave off a warm feeling, much like the fire at her feet, and he clearly looked strong.
She wondered how he compared to her father's friend, Lord Bernahl, who had been at Volcano Manor for as long as she could remember. Since Lord Bernahl was undoubtedly a hero of Volcano Manor, then Gawain surely could become one as well.
Snapping out of her complicated thoughts, Rya spotted the familiar figure appearing in the distance. she scrambled to her feet, jumping onto the ground and waving before she even remembered to put on her shoes.
"Master Gawain! What was the result?"
Gawain dismounted and approached Rya, pulling out the necklace carved with Tanith's relief and placing it securely in her hands.
"I got it back. This is the one, right? This is what the thug gave me, anyway."
Rya cradled the precious, recovered item, clutching it tightly to her chest. A pure, innocent smile broke across her face.
"Yes! This is the necklace! Thank you so very much. I truly thought I would never see it again."
Gawain waved it off, saying it was nothing. To be accurate, the Prawn Bro never intended to run away; he had been waiting in the shack for someone to come by and settle the bill.
"I used the most direct method to break through that thug's mental defenses. That's why he handed it over so obediently."
"Is that so? You truly are a powerful warrior."
Hearing that the bandit who had tricked her had been "severely disciplined," Rya's eyes began to sparkle with admiration.
Gawain looked at her star-struck expression, wondering what kind of epic battle she was imagining in her head.
"Ahem. Anyway, he doesn't dare resist anymore. He's even promised to boil some prawns for us as an apology. Shall we forgive him this once?"
"Boiled prawns! Really?"
Although Rya found the dishonest thug loathsome, she had to admit his prawns were delicious. If that was the case, she could find it in her heart to forgive him just this once.
"Very well. Since you put it that way, I won't hold a grudge. This is the 'magnanimity of a hero' that my lady mother often speaks of."
"Good. Put your shoes on and follow me."
Rya looked down at her bare feet. Having spent so much time soaking in lava, she often forgot she needed to wear shoes. She hurriedly pulled on her wrinkled footwear and followed him out of the pavilion.
By the time Gawain led Torrent back to the shack, the duel between Patches and the Prawn Bro had ended. Both were more or less bruised and looked a bit disheveled, but they were now sitting side-by-side in front of the giant pot, waiting for the prawns to finish cooking.
Seeing his acquaintances return, Patches simply waved a hand.
"You're back? The prawns are just about done. If you'd taken any longer, I would've finished them all myself."
"Ho? You two finished fighting? That was a quick reconciliation."
"Well," Patches said with a grin, "I've discovered this thug isn't such a bad fellow. For the sake of the prawns, I've decided to forgive him."
The Prawn Bro pulled a bright red crayfish from the pot to test the taste. It was ready.
"Hmph. No one who likes prawns can be a bad person. This bald brat is annoying, but I'm not a petty man. I'll let his previous rudeness slide."
Raising his head, he noticed the young girl riding behind the horse looked familiar. Wasn't this the one he had tricked... er, no, the one whose necklace he had taken as collateral? She was looking at him with clear hostility, though her eyes couldn't help but dart toward the pot every now and then.
"Go on, move over. You two, scrunched together and don't block the way."
After shoving the two of them to one side to make room, Gawain helped Rya down from Torrent's back.
"Alright, eat as much as you like. This thug won't be tricking you out of your necklace again. Right?"
What could the Prawn Bro say? If he had known he could get that many Runes, he would have boiled Patches in the pot just to satisfy the girl's appetite.
Glancing at the amount currently boiling, he went back into the shack to prep more ingredients, intending to start a second pot immediately. Fortunately, there were pieces of those giant crayfish scattered everywhere outside; meat was easy to find.
Gawain pointed at Patches sitting opposite them. Knowing the man would likely end up at Volcano Manor anyway, he decided to make the introductions.
"This bald man sitting in front of you is named Patches. You've probably seen the bruises on his head; those are likely from his fight with the thug."
Rya glanced at the bald man, whose smile made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Patches seemed to have been waiting for this moment and immediately began to boast.
"Little girl, that thug stole your necklace, right? Well, you have your Uncle Patches to thank! I fought him bravely and snatched it back for you! See the swelling on his face? That's right, I did that!"
Hearing Patches' words, Rya was actually fooled for a moment. This bald man was also a Tarnished, and he was willing to strike down one of his own. Wasn't that exactly the kind of person Volcano Manor needed?
"Oh... then thank you, Master Patches."
Rya grabbed a prawn from the boiling pot and ate it in one bite. Having made up her mind, she extended an invitation to the two men.
"Brave heroes, I am a servant of Volcano Manor. My mistress, Lady Tanith, the head of Volcano Manor, is currently recruiting Tarnished who possess the qualities of a hero. We need not only those with great strength for battle, but those with resilient hearts—those with the courage to turn their blades against their own kind. These traits are exactly what we desire. Would you please accept these invitations?"
Rya pulled two exquisite envelopes from her pocket. She was thrilled to have found two suitable candidates at once, yet she was also worried they might react like previous travelers—turning pale and fleeing the moment they heard the name "Volcano Manor."
Gawain and Patches both accepted the invitations.
The paper was high-quality and hadn't been wilted by the damp air of Liurnia. It was decorated with patterns of a great serpent coiling around itself. In the center, the wax seal featured the image of a man face-to-face with a serpent, as if being devoured. It was likely a depiction of Rykard, though the color of the wax made it a bit blurry.
Gawain had no need to join such a bizarre organization. If he actually met the Great Serpent, he'd probably just give it the "Yhorm treatment."
As for Patches, he carefully tucked the invitation away and looked at Rya.
"Ahem. Before that, can I ask... who is the woman carved onto your necklace?"
Rya felt the question was a bit strange, wondering why Patches was suddenly asking something so seemingly irrelevant. However, she didn't hide the truth.
"That is the mistress I serve, Lady Tanith."
Given her mission, Rya didn't explicitly say the woman was her mother. Lady Tanith had taught her that while recruiting, she represented the Manor as an agent and must use formal titles.
Patches heard the name he wanted to hear. Tanith. It sounded even more beautiful than the carving.
"Good, good! The 'hero' you speak of—isn't that exactly me?! Since you've asked so sincerely, I have no reason to refuse. Who better for the position than I?"
Patches grinned as he sang his own praises. Gawain, standing to the side, felt only concern for the man's fate. In the game, Patches was completely captivated by Tanith. If he really went there based on a "love at first sight" obsession with a necklace, his end might be similar to the trolls hanging at the manor's gate.
After all, Tanith was no simple woman. To rule over a manor of Recusants and stir up trouble throughout the Lands Between required much more than just being Rykard's consort.
Volcano Manor was a den for Recusants who hunted their own to gain power. When Rykard was still present, there were still those among them who truly rebelled against the Erdtree out of conviction—warriors on a path of heretical heroism who still held onto a sense of knightly honor.
But the current Volcano Manor was little more than a gathering place for the shameless. Juno Hoslow, a true hero of his house, had openly mocked the Recusants who tried to recruit him.
To put it bluntly, even Bernahl looked down on the current state of things. They were only recruiting because they lacked manpower; they needed more fodder besides the Man-Serpents. There were no "heroes" there—only a group of villains satisfying their own urges under the banner of rebellion.
Since Tanith could rule such a pack of wolves, she was clearly no mere dancer. Gawain couldn't say much, though; he could only hope Patches didn't die on the way there.
"So, Master Gawain, what do you say?"
Gawain simply tucked the invitation away.
"I'm quite busy at the moment and can't spare the time. In the future, I will visit Volcano Manor personally, but not just yet."
Rya nodded happily. Compared to the noisy Patches, she naturally preferred a warrior who seemed as formidable as Gawain to join the Manor. Even if he hadn't agreed immediately, the promise of a future visit was enough. Her mother would surely be pleased to hear the news.
"Brave masters, please continue toward the Altus Plateau, where the Erdtree resides. Only the common and the weak linger at the fringes of the Lands Between, gazing at the tree from afar. I believe you are not such men. Once your strength is proven, Volcano Manor will officially welcome you—to become heroes who fight alongside us, and to become family."
Rya finished her scripted lines, her duty as a recruiter complete. Turning her gaze back to the prawns in the pot, she licked her lips and began to feast.
The Prawn Bro emerged from the shack with fresh ingredients, only to find the cauldron already empty. Had she finished it all in the time it took him to walk inside?
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (189 chapter - Ongoing)
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