Lucian looked at Rennala, whose mental state still seemed deeply troubled, and felt rather helpless.
Psychological trauma was notoriously difficult to heal.
Besides, the Lands Between certainly didn't have anything like psychologists. On the contrary, there were plenty of people who would only make things worse the moment they opened their mouths, especially a certain White Mask someone.
At this moment, Lucian found himself wondering: if he managed to tie Radagon up and drag him here someday, would that solve Rennala's problem?
Radagon surely still had feelings for this whole family of theirs. His departure back then had only been due to Queen Marika's plan.
If that were the case, then after defeating Radagon in the future, he might need to be especially wary of whatever tricks the Elden Beast might attempt.
Once "that peeled egg", the Elden Beast, refined Radagon and turned him into the Sword of the God's body, there would be absolutely no saving him.
Lucian took Melina's hand and led her out of the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria.
Sellen was standing downstairs beneath the library. When she saw Lucian emerge holding Melina's hand, she broke into a smile.
"My dear apprentice, it seems your wish has been fulfilled."
"Make sure you treat her well. Otherwise, your teacher won't be so polite."
Sellen then turned to Melina and added:
"If Lucian ever bullies you, come tell me. I'll make sure to teach him a proper lesson."
Lucian had already told her about Melina and the plan to restore her to life.
To be honest, Sellen had been extremely surprised when she first heard it.
Especially when she remembered how she had once flirted with Lucian, while Melina had apparently been right there watching the whole time.
The embarrassment was unbearable.
She wished she could bury herself underground.
It was simply too mortifying to recall!
Melina smiled shyly when she heard Sellen's words.
Lucian nodded respectfully to his teacher before leading Melina all the way to the broken bridge that lay before the Grand Library.
At this moment, Selinsax had already arrived at the academy at Lucian's request, resting near the end of the shattered bridge.
The enormous body of the Ancient Dragon coiled across the structure, making what was once a broad and imposing bridge seem narrow by comparison.
When Selinsax saw Lucian emerge, she rose to her feet.
Lowering her head, she quietly observed the two approaching figures, curiosity stirring in her heart.
Lucian's relationship with the woman beside him was clearly extraordinary.
Yet she had never seen this woman before, nor had she heard even the slightest rumor about her.
Could she be her master's companion?
Lucian stopped before Selinsax and gave her a nod.
"Thanks for the trouble."
The dragon bowed her head respectfully.
"Master, there is no need for such courtesy. Please, climb aboard."
Lucian and Melina climbed onto Selinsax's back and sat down. Moments later, she spread her massive wings and quickly soared into the sky.
When Selinsax had first arrived, her presence had already caused quite a commotion among the academy's sorcerers, drawing crowds of onlookers.
After all, this was an Ancient Dragon.
Most people would live their entire lives without ever glimpsing one.
But why had a dragon come to Raya Lucaria?
Now they finally realized, Lucian actually had an Ancient Dragon under his command.
That was simply outrageous.
Selinsax turned in the air and faced the direction of Stormveil Castle, accelerating rapidly.
During the flight, however, she deliberately restrained her speed instead of flying at full power.
She did this out of consideration for the woman Lucian had brought along, worried she might not be able to endure such extreme velocity.
But after sensing Melina's condition, Selinsax soon relaxed.
Melina sat steadily upon her back, looking completely at ease.
There was no need to worry.
Melina leaned slightly to one side, gazing down at the scenery below.
Her newly reborn body was indeed incredibly powerful. Even while moving at such high speeds through the air, she felt no discomfort at all, and her vision was exceptionally sharp.
The strong winds tossed her hair into disarray, yet the cold air high above Liurnia of the Lakes only fascinated her.
From the sky, Melina could overlook the entirety of the Lands Between.
Upon the distant Altus Plateau, the Erdtree rose like a pillar holding up the heavens. Beneath its vast canopy, numerous smaller Minor Erdtrees pierced through the clouds, standing across the Lands Between like the towering Divine Towers.
Looking down again, beneath their feet lay the mist-covered blue expanse of Liurnia Lake.
Within its waters, glimmering glintstone crystals sparkled like scattered starlight, dazzling and brilliant.
Seeing it with her own eyes like this, the sight was far more breathtaking and beautiful than she had ever imagined.
Melina then shifted her gaze toward the eastern shore of Liurnia.
There, a vast new battlefield had been carved out.
The blue banners of the Cuckoo Knights clashed fiercely with soldiers bearing the Stormveil Hawk standard, their battle lines steadily pushing northward.
Melina recognized the newly trained troops immediately.
The armor they wore was entirely new and distinctive, unlike any other knightly armor found in the Lands Between.
Those armors had all been forged from designs she had drawn herself, based on Lucian's descriptions.
High above the battlefield, numerous Stormhawks flew back and forth, carrying messages and serving as communication between units.
Behind the soldiers, closer to Stormveil's direction, countless tents filled the landscape.
Watching the battlefield below, Melina felt a little puzzled.
She wondered what exactly had happened during the time she had been asleep.
But whatever Lucian was doing, he surely had his reasons.
Seeing Melina turning her head constantly, curiously observing every corner of the Lands Between, Lucian couldn't help but smile.
—
Even though she had slowed her speed, Selinsax still returned to Stormveil in a remarkably short time.
She circled once above the castle before descending onto the plaza before the throne.
Lucian led Melina down by the hand, while Selinsax transformed back into her human form.
At this moment, many people had already gathered in the square.
There was Selinsax's fellow Crucible Knight, who worked tirelessly every day, as well as Selyra and Roderika, who practically had nothing to do most days. Boc was there too, along with Hettis, whom Lucian had brought back from the academy.
Sif was already sitting nearby, tongue hanging out as he waited eagerly.
Hakkan, who had recently received Lucian's blessing, had also returned to Stormveil through the power of grace.
His injuries had completely healed, though his equipment looked rather battered.
Besides Lucian's followers, Smithing Master Iji and Blaidd had also come as guests and friends.
Blaidd now wore a specially modified mirrorhelmed visor, covering his entire head except for his eyes.
Aside from the two Crucible Knights and Elyssa, who were away opening a new battlefield, as well as Irina and her father who were too far away to arrive in time, and Hildegard, who still remained outside Redmane Castle, nearly everyone else was present.
These were all the important people Lucian and Melina had encountered throughout their journey.
They had been summoned here by Lucian so that they could learn about Melina's identity.
Before, Melina had existed only as a spirit, and nothing could be done about that.
But now that she possessed a physical body, if she were still forced to love him silently without recognition or status, it would be far too unfair to her.
Lucian would never allow Melina to suffer such a grievance again.
She would become a queen admired by countless people, not a nameless ghost.
Throughout the entire journey, Lucian had never let go of Melina's hand.
And even now, he still held it.
Melina looked at the gathered crowd before her and felt slightly nervous.
She could name every person standing there.
She knew their backgrounds, their origins, and their personalities.
Because during her travels with Lucian, she had already come to know each of them.
The only difference was—
They had never known she existed.
Sensing her unease, Lucian squeezed her hand gently and looked toward the curious crowd before speaking.
"I've called all of you here today to introduce someone."
"This is Melina, my beloved."
Hearing this, expressions of surprise appeared on everyone's faces.
They had already suspected something when they saw the two holding hands, but hearing Lucian say it outright still shocked them.
None of them had ever heard anything about Melina before.
Was this… a sudden marriage?
Among the crowd, only Selinsax remained calm. In fact, she even nodded with visible satisfaction.
Now that Lucian had openly acknowledged Melina as his beloved, it seemed he had finally learned how to love.
Boc noticed immediately that the clothes Melina was wearing were the very set he had recently sewn.
He felt incredibly happy.
At last, he had done something meaningful for Lucian, making proper clothes for his mistress.
However, Boc soon realized that the clothing's measurements were slightly off in several places.
He silently memorized those areas, planning to create an even better and more perfect outfit later.
Lucian looked at the shocked expressions of everyone present and smiled before continuing.
"Although this is your first time seeing her, she has actually known you for a long time."
"Since the very beginning of my journey, she has accompanied me in spectral form, witnessing my growth along the way."
"That includes meeting all of you."
The crowd was even more astonished now, though they quickly understood and began offering their congratulations.
Selyra suddenly had a realization.
Back when she had accompanied Lucian through the Four Belfries into that strange cave, she had heard him talking to the air as if speaking to himself.
Now she finally understood.
So it had been the woman beside him all along.
Roderika looked at Melina, then at Lucian, covering her mouth in shock.
As a spirit tuner, she had never noticed Melina's presence at all.
Clearly she still had much more training to do…
That aside, this lady was truly beautiful.
She and Lord Lucian were a perfect match.
Blaidd exchanged a glance with Iji.
No wonder Lucian had recently gone to the academy. It seemed he had used Lady Rennala's rebirth sorcery.
Watching Lucian and Melina standing close together, Iji nodded.
"They will surely be very happy together."
He only hoped that the tragedy that had happened between Radagon and Rennala would never repeat itself.
Blaidd smiled and offered his congratulations to the couple.
But in his heart, he felt a faint trace of regret.
Whether it was Lucian's strength or his character, Blaidd had already come to admire him from the bottom of his heart. Moreover, during their journey, Lucian had helped Ranni tremendously.
As her sworn brother, Blaidd had once wondered whether Lucian might stay by Ranni's side and help her walk that path of darkness to the end.
That road was far too deep and perilous. Even he and Smithing Master Iji did not possess the right to walk upon it.
But now it seemed that such a possibility was unlikely.
Listening to the continuous stream of blessings from the crowd, Melina lowered her head shyly.
At that moment, the moonlight mark upon Lucian's body faintly glowed, though none of the others noticed.
Ranni had been silently watching all along.
Lucian suddenly heard her voice whisper beside his ear.
"I wish thee happiness."
—
Afterward, everyone gradually dispersed, preparing to return to their respective duties.
However, Hakkan was temporarily asked to stay behind by Lucian.
Lucian stepped forward and patted Hakkan on the shoulder.
"Congratulations. You've broken through and grown even stronger."
Hakkan scratched his head with a laugh.
"Haha, it was just luck."
"Not only did I resolve a lingering regret during this trip, but I also gained something in terms of strength."
"It really proves that warriors grow stronger through battles of life and death."
Lucian nodded in agreement.
Hakkan then demonstrated the new power he had obtained within the cave.
Watching the phantom figure Hakkan summoned, a spectral form resembling a Kaiden mercenary, Lucian clicked his tongue in amazement.
Phantom attacks were already considered advanced combat techniques, but Hakkan's ability went even further. It condensed an entire humanoid figure, almost like a stand-in warrior fighting beside him.
Moreover, it wasn't merely an illusion.
Having once traveled to the Spirit World, Lucian could sense it clearly, within that phantom were countless fragmented echoes of souls.
Those souls had likely been cast into the spirit realm by the Deathbirds, yet the lingering fragments of their thoughts had gathered together to form this unique manifestation.
Perhaps it was because Hakkan had never forgotten them.
Because he had refused to let them become nameless corpses, their lingering echoes had responded to him.
At this moment, Hakkan truly seemed to be blessed by those spirits.
However, Lucian's attention was soon drawn to another matter Hakkan mentioned.
During his journey, Hakkan had encountered a strange little creature that called itself a fairy.
The creature's personality and behavior were extremely unpredictable, yet it seemed to possess considerable power.
After hearing Hakkan's description, Lucian paused in thought.
Fairies had indeed once existed in the Lands Between, that much he knew.
After all, there had once been a blue-clad fairy dancer, whose story even appeared in a talisman.
She had taught the Flowing Sword technique to a blind swordsman, and through the power of that flowing blade, he had even managed to seal away a God of Scarlet Rot.
From that alone, it was clear that fairies were far from weak.
But what kind of power they truly possessed remained unclear.
However, according to Hakkan's account, this fairy had already demonstrated her abilities while healing him.
Such powerful healing effects were exceedingly rare in the Lands Between.
The fairy had also mentioned two things Lucian had never heard of before, Dew Nectar and 'Spirits'.
If those two things could assist her abilities, the speed of healing would become terrifying.
Moreover, based on Hakkan's description, the fairy seemed to carry another kind of legacy, though its nature remained unknown.
Unfortunately, there was no way to determine the fairy's origin.
There was no trace of her, not even a name.
It was impossible to know who might one day receive the fairy's blessing and inherit that mysterious power.
After pondering for a while, Lucian nodded.
"Alright. I understand."
"I'll look into information about fairies."
"Next, there's another task for you."
"You're to take the Drakeblood Knights and head to the battlefield against the Cuckoo forces."
The Cuckoo Knights' resistance had exceeded Lucian's expectations.
Although their individual strength was generally mediocre, their numbers were enormous.
During the Shattering, the Cuckoo forces had rarely engaged in direct large-scale battles against other armies. They had avoided most confrontations altogether.
Instead, they spent their time looting and pillaging, which allowed them to grow stronger throughout the war.
As the saying went: when thieves pass through, they comb the land; when soldiers pass through, they scour it.
The Cuckoos had done both at once.
Because of this, although they might not be the strongest army remaining in the Lands Between, they were certainly among the most numerous.
The Cuckoos had no intention of fighting Lucian to the death here.
They had already moved their main forces away, fleeing toward the Altus Plateau.
However, the troops left behind were still considerable in number, and they also possessed many flame chariots and catapults.
Otherwise, with the strength of the two Crucible Knights and Elyssa, they would have already found time to return from the battlefield.
After receiving the order, Hakkan quickly departed to gather his forces.
Lucian planned to ask the Ancient Dragonlord about fairies at some point in the future.
But for now, he intended to take Melina to personally see what Stormveil Castle had become.
The next day, Melina wandered through Stormveil on her own.
Nearby, Selyra followed quietly at a distance, making sure nothing unexpected happened.
Melina felt somewhat troubled.
Having a physical body now was strangely inconvenient.
Back when she was only spectral form, she could simply follow Lucian wherever he went, quietly watching the scenery and occasionally daydreaming.
At night, when Lucian slept, she would sit nearby watching the Erdtree, the stars, the moon… and finally Lucian himself.
But now that she had a physical body, various inconveniences kept arising.
Lucian had responsibilities to attend to. If she simply stayed beside him silently all the time, it felt somewhat strange.
Even though Lucian himself didn't mind—in fact, he quite enjoyed her presence, Melina couldn't help feeling uncomfortable about it.
Sleeping was another issue.
She couldn't exactly sneak into Lucian's room in the middle of the night anymore, could she?
Did that mean they should just start sleeping together immediately?
Wasn't that a bit too fast?
Because of all this, Melina found herself feeling restless.
At the moment, she wasn't sure where she should go.
Yesterday, Lucian had taken her on a proper tour around Stormveil.
The experience had indeed felt new.
But not because the castle itself was unfamiliar, after all, she had already witnessed its growth and changes alongside Lucian during their journey.
Rather, it was the sensation of experiencing everything again with a real body that made it feel new.
Melina sighed softly.
Remembering that her clothes still needed adjustments, she decided to visit Boc.
Following the route she remembered, Melina eventually arrived at Boc's tailor shop.
However, the shop was currently closed. The curtain had been drawn, and no customers were being received.
At first, Melina thought Boc had simply gone out.
But just as she was about to leave, she heard a faint sound of crying from inside.
After thinking for a moment, she lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked inside.
The shop looked somewhat messy.
And there, leaning against the wall with his head buried in his arms, Boc was quietly sobbing.
Seeing this, Melina immediately felt worried that something might have happened.
During her travels with Lucian, she had witnessed Boc's experiences. She knew he was a good-hearted child.
Melina walked in and crouched beside him.
"Boc… what's wrong?"
Boc raised his head. Seeing that it was Melina, he quickly wiped away his tears and stood up.
He hadn't even heard her footsteps just now.
That was strange.
And to fail to notice the lady of the house, it was terribly rude.
Seeing Melina's concerned expression, Boc opened his mouth, unsure how to begin.
Melina didn't rush him. She simply waited quietly.
After a moment, tears began falling from Boc's eyes again as he finally spoke.
"Today… a strange customer came here."
"The clothes he wore were very special. Ordinary sewing needles couldn't be used on them."
"At first, I didn't want to use the Golden Sewing Needle that Lord Lucian gave me. That needle is only meant to be used for Lord Lucian and you…"
"I was ready to give up, but he started mocking my tailoring skills, and even mocked Lord Lucian for taking someone as useless as me as his tailor!"
"Even if my skills really are lacking, I couldn't stand hearing him insult Lord Lucian!"
"So… so I took out the Golden Needle Lord Lucian gave me and finally managed to repair his clothes…"
"But when I came to my senses afterward, the needle had suddenly disappeared."
"I don't know if he took it… or if I accidentally lost it."
"Ah… I'm truly useless."
"I keep saying I want to make clothes for Lord Lucian, but I can hardly help him… and now I've even lost one of the needles he gave me…"
The more Boc spoke, the more emotional he became, until he began crying again.
That needle was something Lucian had given him.
It was proof that Lucian believed in him.
Melina quickly understood what had happened.
Someone had clearly come here deliberately to cause trouble, and likely targeting Lucian's people.
But for now, there was no way to identify who it was.
She would have to ask Selyra to keep an eye out later.
Seeing Boc sink into despair again, Melina didn't immediately comfort him.
Instead, she quietly stood up and left without making a sound.
She made her way to the place where Iji usually stayed.
At the moment, Iji was discussing smithing techniques with Hettis. As usual, Iji did most of the explaining while Hettis listened attentively like a diligent student.
Seeing Melina arrive, both of them looked surprised.
Why had she come to the blacksmiths' area?
Melina first bowed slightly in greeting.
"Good afternoon."
Then she explained her purpose.
"I would like to forge a Golden Sewing Needle. Would that be possible?"
Iji looked troubled.
"A Golden Sewing Needle?"
"I've seen one before, but forging it myself… I'm afraid that would be difficult."
"As you can see, my size alone makes such delicate work challenging."
"And the original needle also contained a special power that we do not possess."
Melina nodded.
Although Iji was a master blacksmith, his enormous body truly wasn't suited for crafting such fine objects.
She then turned to Hettis.
Hettis thought for a moment before replying.
"If you can describe its appearance precisely, it should be possible… I can try."
Melina let out a sigh of relief.
She remembered the needle's appearance clearly, she could describe every detail.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you."
Following Melina's description, Hettis carefully adjusted the needle's design again and again, even replicating the tiniest markings.
After a few minutes, Melina left the forge, holding a golden needle that looked identical to the one in her memory.
As she walked, she thought to herself.
That set of golden tailoring tools possessed special power, that was why Radagon and Rennala had once been able to use them.
If those items truly came from Radagon, then perhaps…
Melina decided to try.
After all, she was Marika's daughter, a golden demigod.
As she slowly infused a thread of golden power into the needle, it began to shimmer faintly.
The power had been successfully granted.
That should solve the problem.
Melina returned to Boc's shop.
Boc was still sitting there with his head buried in his arms, completely lost in his despair. He didn't even notice she had left earlier.
Melina casually placed the golden needle among several pieces of cloth and spoke up.
"Boc, isn't this your needle?"
"Look, it's right there."
Boc forgot his sadness instantly and rushed over.
Like someone who had recovered a priceless treasure, he carefully picked up the golden needle.
After examining it closely, he quickly confirmed—
It was indeed his needle.
Boc's sorrow vanished, replaced by overflowing joy.
"Oh! It really is!"
"That's strange… it definitely wasn't here just now…"
Melina smiled gently.
"You must have overlooked it earlier."
"Is that so? I must have been careless! I might have even misunderstood that customer… though I'll never forget that he spoke badly about Lord Lucian!"
Suddenly remembering something, Boc took out a nearly finished outfit.
"Please wait a moment. I actually started making a new set of clothes yesterday."
"Just give me a few minutes to adjust it, and it'll fit you perfectly."
Seeing Boc's cheerful expression return, Melina felt relieved.
A Golden Needle wasn't truly irreplaceable.
If Boc could regain his happiness simply by finding it again, then why not give it back to him?
But… who could help solve her problem?
When Boc finished sewing the outfit and excitedly brought it to Melina, he noticed the troubled look on her face.
His smile faded as he asked cautiously,
"Lady Melina… is something troubling you as well?"
Melina paused before nodding quietly.
"For some reason, after gaining a physical body, I feel like I've become more distant from Lucian…"
"I can't stay by his side as naturally as I used to."
"And he's always being considerate of my feelings, so he never takes the initiative…"
Boc thought carefully before speaking earnestly.
"Lady Melina, I think you should talk to Lord Lucian honestly and express how you feel."
"Lord Lucian is a very gentle person. He will definitely understand you."
"So whatever it is you wish to do… please go ahead with confidence."
With that, Boc handed the finished clothes to Melina.
Melina considered his words and felt that Boc was absolutely right.
However—
There was clearly a misunderstanding between the two of them regarding how to follow that advice.
And so, that very night…
Miss Melina launched a night raid on Lucian's bedroom.