"Live an ordinary life. Not everyone needs a sacred mission."
Melina froze, her lips parting—but Throne had already turned away, launching into tales of Mt. Gelmir's scorching heat and Elphael's bustling streets. He spoke as if he'd wandered every corner of the Lands Between over the years.
A breeze stirred the courtyard, rustling leaves and swaying the coarse linen clothes hung out to dry. Time slipped by unnoticed.
The men were focused, and the girl beside her kept sneaking snacks Melina's way. Her gaze softened, a faint smile ghosting her lips. Yes, this was... nice.
Throne caught that smile. His own expression eased.
These things he did—they weren't just idle gestures. As a friend, he wanted to push back against the goddess's arrogance, to defy the cruelty of fate.
See more. Hear more. Feel more. Only then could she decide if she truly had no lingering attachments, if she really wished to be nothing more than a tool for some grand mission—a machine divorced from the concept of living.
This was Throne's plan for Melina.
She was too ethereal, as though she existed in another realm. His task was simple: bring her back to this brutal yet tender Lands Between. So that when she stood before the great cauldron, she could choose for herself. No one was anyone else's savior. To force your will on another—who did you think you were?
Throne hoped that when they reached the end, she would be a woman named Melina, not merely Kindling or a cog in some world-saving—or world-ending—plan. The power of choice was the greatest gift. To be human was to think independently, to feel deeply.
If Melina chose to march forward without looking back, Throne would bid her farewell with peace. If she wished to stay, then she should stay.
The dishes arrived, one after another. Captain Karin's style was unmistakable: thick slabs of smoked meat, roasted ribs heaped high, served in flat porcelain bowls that evoked the feasts of martial legends.
Pale green fruit wine filled the bowls, its aroma soon perfuming the air. Karin swatted her daughter's hand as the girl tried to sneak a sip, then raised her bowl.
"We gather often enough. Let Throne give the toast."
No one objected. Throne looked at them, his mind drifting back.
"Captain, back on the shores of Liurnia of the Lakes—what was it you said?"
"Hmm. 'See you at the Erdtree,' wasn't it?"
That place had been a death sentence. Her words had held true; only three of them remained to drink together now. Even the comrades who'd fought beside them at the manor—nearly half had vanished into the dust of history.
"Then this time..." Throne paused, recalling the journey, and raised his bowl. "To being alive."
Here, Throne needed no masks, no defenses. He ate with gusto, drank deeply, laughed without restraint. Only one thing required caution: his strength. A careless pat on the shoulder could end in tragedy now.
Melina watched from the sidelines at first, sipping her wine delicately. But Karin caught her, dragging her into conversation while refilling her bowl relentlessly. The questions grew too pointed; Melina hid behind her wine bowl, her cheeks flushing as she drank more and more.
Normally, Throne would certainly conduct a serious discussion on the topic of 'Can spirit bodies get drunk?', but he was also hazy now, feeling that the Caria fruit wine was much sweeter than anywhere else.
"Hahaha, this Thops is so weak, he's already out of it so quickly." Throne pointed at the bald, muscular man slumped on the wine table and laughed wildly, feeling his own tongue gradually getting heavier.
"Listen to you, you think you're so tough."
"It really has been many, and I've attended many elegant banquets, but I've never felt as comfortable as I do today."
"Haha, sounds like we're quite honored then. Another cup!"
"Cheers."
Gulp gulp.
The slightly tart fruit wine all went into his stomach. Even being an honored guest of the Valkyrie hadn't been this carefree; this had nothing to do with status, as certain 'ugly states' could only be shown in front of familiar people.
Glancing at Melina, whose face was flushed and whose head was swaying, Throne thought to himself that this Kindling girl was also quite weak, so he stood up unsteadily.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
"Hurry back."
Throne staggered outside, too lazy to be formal, intending to take care of business in the ditch outside the courtyard.
The bright moon hung high, and there were no streetlights in The Lands Between. The hazy moonlight made everything look blurry.
Throne stood by the ditch, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I actually drank from afternoon until night in one go?"
It had been a long time since he had been so unrestrained. Even in Mistwood, he had kept his wits about him, deducing information from every word.
He looked up at the full moon. It wouldn't be bad to live like this, but unfortunately, his experience in Ashina told him that in a world of blood and fire, this was nothing more than a brief respite.
After shaking himself off, Throne prepared to head back, but he froze just as he turned around.
Ranni was sitting on the courtyard wall, the cold moonlight spilling over her shoulders, staring at him expressionlessly.
"Princess, you've snuck out again." Throne came back to his senses and smiled slightly.
Ranni raised her slender eyebrows and corrected him: "We are still within the Royal Manor. I go where I please."
But you always come and go like a ghost. Throne shrugged gently, seeing no need to argue with Ranni.
Just as he was about to speak, the princess gestured toward the small courtyard with her chin.
"Is it necessary to go to such lengths?"
"To whom are you referring, Princess?"
"Don't play dumb. What are you planning?"
Through secret observation, Ranni had already caught on. This Melina was being step-by-step transformed by Throne into this, like a blank sheet of paper being stained with the scent of the mundane world. But she couldn't understand it; it would be enough to just use this blade well, there was no need to meddle so much.
"You joke. For Melina, I have no need to plan anything; I only hope she faces her mission as a person."
Throne leaned against the stone block in front of the door and slightly raised his head. "Things should be done because one wants to do them, not because they are assigned by others. Even if this benefits me, you know that I have never liked to view friends as mere blades."
Ranni nodded gently; she certainly knew this. Just like the Battle of Aeonia, if this man agreed with something, he would do it without regret, even if the result was disadvantageous to him.
"Sometimes I can't tell if you're a genius or a madman."
"Is there a difference?"
Ranni paused, then replied: "A rational madman... indeed, there is no issue. That is why you bring me so much convenience and trouble."
Her words were somewhat contradictory, yet having spent so much time together, they were at least mentally in sync. The convenience was that Throne had pushed Caria to its current level; the trouble was that Ranni originally didn't want to shoulder so much, and now this prosperous manor-fortress weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Throne certainly knew what she was saying.
On Ranni's original path, a lonely fortress and a few people by her side would have been enough.
"I think it's a good thing. Trouble is also power."
"Are you talking about the question of what we fight for?" Ranni's eyes held a hint of a smile. "Do people like us still need an answer?"
Throne met her gaze. The strong all fight for themselves, thus their will is like steel.
"But I don't dislike finding more reasons; it makes me more decisive when I cut people down. For instance, when I think about how a friend's daughter might catch the dementia, I want to go to Leyndell right now to end everything!"
The strong have the luxury of being leisurely, but leisure can also lead to slackness.
If he were to be selfish, he could completely follow the example of the Roundtable Hold and wait until everyone in The Lands Between is dead. But he couldn't.
Ranni nodded, acknowledging this statement, and sighed again: "The result of this is also more troublesome."
"Yes, it will indeed cause some trouble, but the harvest is also immense." Throne straightened his back and clenched his fist hard.
"This can be seen as an early investment, providing a ladder to reach higher places. Even when heading toward the starry sky, there will be something to rely on."
Ranni recalled Iji's words: a prosperous and stable Lands Between also had its benefits. As an intelligent person, her ideals were divided into several scenarios.
The worst-case scenario was, of course, to kill the Two Fingers to break the shackles and leave alone, betraying everyone; a better one was to choose someone to go with, but that person had to ascend the throne; the best-case scenario was what Iji said, turning The Lands Between into her own power, capable of both offense and defense.
However, on second thought, this path had long ago been stained with a bit of Throne's idealism, and choosing the first option felt somewhat unsatisfying.
Pah, this is what I wanted to do; he just helped out. The Princess quickly hypnotized herself and looked at Throne, tilting her chin up proudly:
"Granted, my knight. You must put in the effort to make it all come true."
Throne chuckled inwardly and gave a knightly salute: "I will certainly do my utmost."
"That's more like it. By the way, the information has been scouted, and I have some words I want to ask you." Ranni raised her hand, stopping Throne's open mouth. "Come to my Mage Tower tomorrow. Remember, just you alone!"
"As you command."
What else could Throne say? The boss wanted an evaluation; better go prepare the PPT tonight.
"Oh, and two more things."
"Go ahead."
Ranni lowered her head, her wide hat brim concealing her expression: "First, from now on when we are alone together, do not call me Princess. Do not ask why, that is an order!"
Throne blinked and asked in confusion: "Then what should I call you?"
"My name. Do you understand?"
"As you command, Lady Ranni Golden Caria."
What kind of nonsense is that? You're doing this on purpose to annoy me, aren't you? Ranni gritted her teeth, wanting to kick this bastard all the way to Leyndell again, only barely managing to suppress her anger.
"Suit yourself. Second, are you still looking for that Primeval Sorcerer?"
This question was very pointed.
Throne didn't answer immediately, stopped his joking, and answered seriously: "Ranni, if the one missing were you, I would come as well, no matter who blocked me, no matter who the enemy was."
The serious swordsman called out the Lunar Princess's name face-to-face for the first time, making Ranni lower her head again, glancing slightly at the girl in the courtyard.
She had no burdens and no rank; she was simply infected by someone.
"Who wants you to come?" The voice was extremely quiet.
Throne's ears twitched; he had clearly heard it, but when he looked up, the Lunar Princess had already vanished into particles, as if she had never been there.
Melina stepped from the courtyard, her cheeks faintly flushed as she glanced left and right. "Did that princess come?"
"Yeah. She just left."
"If she came, why didn't she come in? Could it be—" She winced, clutching her head. "Ouch! Why'd you hit me?"
Throne withdrew his flicking finger and strode inside. "She's not like you. Sometimes I think she envies your... ditziness."
"What gives you the right to insult me?"
"I just hit you too."
Their voices faded into a distance. A gust of wind rattled the roof tiles, but the sound was soon swallowed by laughter and calls for more drinks. In the courtyard, a few bright red fruits fell from a tree, landing precisely in Throne's bowl.
He stared at the fruits, propping his head on one hand. The moon hung bright, the wind crisp—enough to make a man drunk.
His head throbbed. Throne lifted himself from the lounge chair, pressing a hand to his forehead as he exhaled. He hadn't been this unrestrained since arriving in The Lands Between. Without realizing it, he'd knocked everyone out. A Pyrrhic victory.
He felt wretched, but seeing Melina squirming nearby, he couldn't help but grin. This wooden block now gave him leverage. Let's see if she could keep up her 'emotionless' act after this.
Melina must be regretting it now, but once was enough to break the seal. Things would be easier from here.
He wasn't worried about going too far. Entertainment was scarce in The Lands Between; he wouldn't let her turn into some lazy slacker.
"If you're awake, get up."
The girl sat up, struggling to maintain her icy demeanor. "Don't take me to those kinds of occasions again."
Throne shrugged into his coat. "Weren't you happy? I saw you and Karin getting along just fine yesterday."
Getting along? That woman had spent the whole time bragging about her daughter and asking when Melina would have one of her own. Embarrassing, yes, but that ease between them—that had been real.