Seriel ultimately swore a Covenant with Lloyd.
But it wasn't entirely because of Trina's words.
Though their time together was shorter than with the others, and she had gone offline after the Flower of Abundance bloomed, never returning until now, the truth was clear. Thinking back to the final battle in Caelid, the way they fought side by side could already be seen as a kind of "God and King."
So when she awakened and faced Lloyd's invitation, she didn't refuse. She smoothly climbed onto his back without hesitation—a gesture that said more than words.
On top of that, Seriel was a little sister who always listened to her older siblings.
Because she carried the essence of rot, Malenia had been tormented by its pain from birth. And since the rot was contagious, few were willing to deal with her, making even something as simple as teaching her extremely difficult.
Especially when she was born—at that time, for certain reasons, the mother's condition was already frail, barely able to care for herself, let alone reach out to her eldest son in the far-off Land of Shadow. Caring for a newborn who was both incomplete and tainted by rot was impossible.
So although Malenia's parents were Marika and Radagon in name, in truth, it was her brother and sister who raised her. Burdened by their own flaws, in some ways even heavier than hers, they still gave everything to help her survive and sought tirelessly—no matter the cost—to ease her suffering.
Living in reliance on one another, supporting each other—that summed up their bond. And that was why Malenia obeyed Miquella and Trina so completely, willingly becoming their blade.
—Except when it came to orientation.
As for Seriel, though she wasn't Malenia herself, she was still a part of her. Her attitude was much the same.
She had no feelings for Lloyd. But as long as she wasn't strongly opposed, if Trina gave the word, she would form a Covenant.
And besides, she already had some inclination toward it. So when Trina spoke, she only hesitated for a moment before reaching out, slipping her ring finger through the gray ring.
[Acquired Covenant: 'Flower of Abundance']
[Flower of Abundance]
[A covenant forged with the soul of abundance]
[When equipped, gradually restores HP over time]
[Golden abundance symbolizes blessing and grace, the emblem of the Erdtree's zenith]
[But now, after that gentleness has faded]
[Abundance itself is no more]
[Acquired Item: 'Trina and Seriel']
[Two blossoms, side by side, leaning on each other for support]
[When used, summons the spirits of both Trina and Seriel to assist you]
[Two lonely flowers, unwilling to part, entangled together]
[Seeking to preserve, in this way, the last trace of warmth]
One was a Covenant that slowly restored health. The other upgraded the inventory version of Trina, allowing both her and Seriel to be summoned together.
Now, in addition to Trina's original sleep magic, Seriel brought blessings of abundance like those used in the battle against Starscourge. A very practical Covenant and item.
After confirming his gains, Lloyd turned his gaze toward Trina.
Though she had only just woken up, as soon as Seriel completed the Covenant, her eyelids began to droop and her head nodded.
But this wasn't simply because of her inner power. In fact, now that she had a Covenant with Lloyd, with his support she could easily remain awake for long periods if she wanted—she just didn't want to.
For one thing, she still had to return to help the Fire Keeper. For another, she didn't actually dislike sleep. Quite the opposite—she liked it. Unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn't bother waking at all.
Now that her goal was achieved and there was no need to stay awake, of course she just wanted to sleep again.
But before drifting off...
"Lloyd... have you forgotten about me lately...?"
Trina's voice carried a touch of hurt.
Lloyd froze, then his face showed a flicker of embarrassment.
When he had obtained the Dream Nail, he had awakened Trina once. She hadn't said it outright, but she had clearly hinted—if not outright asked—for more "rewards."
During that talk, she had even emphasized that he didn't need to wake her. If he simply rewarded her body, she would feel it, and she loved that sensation.
But since she spent nearly all her time asleep in his inventory, little different from a mere item, and because he had been busy running around lately, he hadn't really taken her out to spoil her.
And now...
"Sorry, it's my fault."
Lloyd embraced his little flower, gently brushing over her delicate petals.
"What kind of reward do you want?"
"Just like before..."
Trina murmured drowsily, resting her head against his chest.
"But please... wait until I've fallen asleep. That way, it feels better..."
"Mm, alright."
When Lloyd agreed, Trina rubbed her cheek against his chest, then mumbled a few more words—asking him to look after Seriel, and reminding Seriel to obey Lloyd.
After that, she slowly closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.
Once he confirmed Trina was completely asleep, unresponsive to anything, Lloyd began the "reward" as they had agreed.
A gentle pat on the head, a kiss on the cheek, holding her close and rubbing against her...
On the surface, they were simple, ordinary gestures. But in practice, they weren't so easy.
Once asleep, Trina lost control of her body entirely. Whatever Lloyd wanted to do, she couldn't cooperate; he had to guide and adjust her movements himself.
Even something as simple as patting her head required holding her head steady. Before kissing her cheek, he had to wipe away drool. When cuddling her in his arms, he had to manually shift her posture and angle—otherwise, she could easily feel uncomfortable, or even get hurt.
But Lloyd didn't find it troublesome. In fact, he thought it was rather fun.
Though Trina's "rewards" seemed to require many steps, the process wasn't just for her enjoyment—he liked it too.
Or, to put it more directly:
A life-sized figurine.
As everyone knows, men often have a fondness for models and figurines. From massive war beasts to tiny plastic figures, there's always a market.
And the Trina in Lloyd's arms—while technically alive—could easily be regarded as a kind of figurine, thanks to her unique nature.
Not just any figurine, either, but the highest tier.
Exquisite features, soft body, life-sized, every detail beautiful. Her structure was so realistic she could even mimic the responses and traits of an ordinary person.
And most importantly, this "figurine" didn't mind—in fact, she seemed happy to be treated this way.
So of course Lloyd didn't hold back.
After many such "rewards," and confirming Trina not only accepted but enjoyed them, he went further during later sessions.
Alongside the usual pats and kisses, Lloyd began to reward himself with her body as well.
Sometimes arranging her in different poses, sometimes changing her accessories, and sometimes simply playing tricks—like prying open her little mouth, slipping in a finger, pinching her small tongue, then watching her reaction afterward.
It was quite entertaining.
Today was the same. After rewarding Trina for a while and relaxing her body, Lloyd went on to indulge himself too.
Nibbling at her petals, arranging her in odd positions, teasing her just to see her response...
But halfway through, Lloyd suddenly realized something.
Wait—wasn't there someone else here beside him?
Since this wasn't his first time doing this sort of thing, and those around him were already familiar with his habits, Lloyd slipped into it smoothly.
But while the others had long since grown accustomed, today there was a new presence among them...
After a brief silence, Lloyd turned his head toward Seriel.
As expected, she averted her gaze, her expression awkward and her cheeks flushed.
"Um... don't mind me, I was just—"
"Want to join in?"
Lloyd asked bluntly.
Seriel fell quiet.
After a moment, she cast a sidelong glance at her sister's peaceful, delicate sleeping face. Though she felt it was inappropriate, she couldn't resist Lloyd's coaxing. In the end, she gave a small nod and joined in with Trina.
And before long, she too became Lloyd's "new toy."
To summarize, because of the corruption within her, she had hardly ever touched her sister, nor had she much experience with others at all.
So even when drawn in by Lloyd, she was clumsy and unsure, terrified of accidentally hurting her sister.
After watching her hesitate for a while, Lloyd placed his hand on her, intending to teach her through direct experience.
And then... there was nothing more to say.
After a while of "playing," Seriel slumped into Lloyd's arms, his new toy at last.
Afterward, Lloyd glanced to the other side, where Little Red Flower had been standing in embarrassed silence. He called her over, pulled her into his embrace, and took the chance to administer a treatment he had been meaning to do for some time but had postponed.
To put it plainly—treatment for her chest.
Because the area was sensitive, even though the corruption there was worse than elsewhere, Lloyd had always avoided touching it, focusing instead on her waist and abdomen.
Now, with those places mostly treated—and going further would mean areas harder to describe—he turned his attention back to her chest. Feeling that today's atmosphere was right, he suggested the treatment.
Millicent agreed.
Though she said yes and prepared herself mentally, once the treatment began—especially when she felt that warmth—her body tensed up despite herself.
Realizing that wasn't helping, Lloyd leaned close to her ear, whispering softly, "Good girl, relax," before gently biting her ear.
The result was immediate.
Rather than merely relaxing, Little Red Flower melted completely in his arms. From that point on, no matter how he treated her, she didn't resist at all.
"Alright, that should be enough."
When the treatment ended, Lloyd withdrew his hand.
Instead of fragrance, it carried the foul stench of rot.
Noticing this, Millicent—already mortified—bowed her head even lower.
Lloyd drew her back into his arms.
"It's fine. I don't mind."
"Compared to how much I care for you, this is nothing. You really don't need to worry."
"Besides, didn't I say before? I've already prepared the materials. Once you've completed your mission, I can make you a new body..."
"But the treatment still has to continue. Since the corruption lies within your very soul, if we don't treat it, even a new body would have the same problem..."
"So, for my sake, could you endure it a little longer?"
After a short silence, Little Red Flower nodded, giving a soft "Mm."
They rested together for a time. Once everyone had recovered and settled themselves, Lloyd prepared to continue exploring.
Leaving the Haligtree's secret passage, he emerged into another snowfield swallowed by blizzard.
But unlike the previous one, this place—perhaps due to its terrain—was swept by far fiercer winds and snow, and within the storm countless monsters lurked.
The wind howled, freezing to the bone.
In that deadly wasteland, monsters lying on the ground or hiding in caves lifted their heads at the unfamiliar scent. They sharpened fangs and claws, preparing to punish the intruder—and fill their empty stomachs.
Then...
"Looks like I killed them all?"
After deliberately lingering in the blizzard, afraid of missing anything, Lloyd surveyed the field of corpses. Only after another careful check did he finally confirm this area had been fully "explored."
Alright then. Time to move on.
After clearing the storm-torn snowfield, Lloyd pressed forward. Soon he stepped out of the blizzard. Moving on, he spotted a Great Bear sharpening its claws on a tree in the distance. Just as he was about to check what might be over there, the system prompt appeared.
[Invaded by 'Sanguine Noble']
...
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