Night in Stormveil Castle was far livelier than most places in the Lands Between.
There were many living people here, people who could actually talk and interact with one another. Because of that, the city had developed a fairly bustling nightlife, mostly concentrated along the streets that catered to Tarnished travelers.
For Lucian, however, none of this was particularly appealing.
Before he was transported to this world, he would play games until midnight, then lie in bed scrolling through his phone until who-knew-what hour. Compared to the entertainment of his previous life, the amusements of the Lands Between simply couldn't compete.
So Lucian usually went to bed early, letting sleep wash away the fatigue in his mind.
Join the glorious Church of Sleep!
But tonight, Lucian probably wouldn't be enjoying a peaceful night's rest like usual.
Melina quietly pushed open the door to Lucian's room and slipped inside through the narrow gap.
Her movements were extremely light, so light that her footsteps made no sound at all.
Even though she had barely used such techniques in the memories she had recovered, the skills belonging to the same tradition as the Black Knife Assassins came naturally to her.
This sort of unseen movement suited someone like a ghost perfectly.
Perhaps because she had been hidden during her life, and had spent so long existing as a specter afterward, Melina's presence even now remained strangely faint.
She walked to Lucian's bedside and looked down at his sleeping face, just as she had countless times before.
It felt nostalgic.
It seemed like it had been a long time since she had quietly watched him like this.
Melina stood there for a while, still hesitating.
After some time passed, she finally made up her mind.
She had already come this far. Running away now would be far too embarrassing.
Slowly, she leaned down, brushing aside the strands of hair falling before her face as she moved closer to Lucian.
She reached out and gently placed a hand against his cheek.
The moment Melina touched him, Lucian woke up immediately.
'Oh… it's just Melina…'
Lucian had assumed something unexpected had happened. When he realized it was Melina, he relaxed almost instantly.
After traveling together for so long, this wasn't the first time she had woken him up…
'Wait.'
'Melina?!'
Lucian opened his eyes and looked at the figure in front of him. He snapped fully awake.
Something wasn't right.
Melina had regained her physical body now. She wasn't sleeping in the same room as him anymore.
If this wasn't a dream… then why had she suddenly appeared in his room?
And her face…
…was really close.
Before Lucian could even process the situation, Melina's lips pressed against his. The hand resting on his cheek slid beneath his head, cradling it.
Lucian's mind went completely blank.
He didn't even know what he was supposed to do anymore.
Now he finally understood what was happening—
He had been ambushed in the night by Melina.
Unfortunately, neither of them had any real experience. Everything felt awkward and clumsy.
Their teeth knocked together.
They accidentally bit each other's lips.
Neither of their tongues moved.
They nearly forgot to breathe.
Yet the soft warmth of her lips was enough to leave Lucian completely unable to think.
His heart was pounding at an absurd rate. No battle he had ever fought could compare to what he was feeling right now.
But after only a short while, Lucian was forced to start thinking again.
Because as he woke up, Asimi, who resided within his body, also stirred and drowsily asked:
"Mm… my lord, what's going on?"
At that moment, Lucian had absolutely no time to answer her.
No, if he responded to Asimi right now…
Seeing that Lucian wasn't replying at all, Asimi quickly realized something was wrong. Her "gaze" sharpened.
That wasn't like her lord at all.
Could it be that he had encountered a situation so dangerous he couldn't spare even a moment of attention?
No.
Asimi immediately decided to extend her consciousness outside Lucian's body and check the surroundings.
If her lord was facing a powerful enemy, she could definitely easily help him!
But when Asimi extended her awareness and grasped the current situation…
She fell into confusion.
What was this?
What were they doing?
Why were her Lord and Miss Melina pressing their mouths together?
After a brief moment of mental shutdown, Asimi began rummaging through her memories, trying to understand the situation.
Right.
Yesterday her lord had said that Miss Melina was his lover.
She seemed to recall that when she was in the Eternal City, someone had once explained that term to her…
Asimi quickly found the relevant fragment of memory.
At the time, it had been a Night Maiden responsible for taking care of her, teaching her various things about humans.
Humans were drawn to one another, forming bonds, eventually falling in love and becoming partners.
And there were certain things that humans would only do with the person they loved…
The rest of that lesson had turned into a sort of biological education about how life was continued.
After piecing together those scattered memories, Asimi finally understood that this wasn't a life-or-death crisis at all.
This was something worth celebrating!
A crucial ritual between lovers for continuing their species!
Feeling rather proud of herself, Asimi excitedly shared the knowledge she had just rediscovered:
"Ah! My lord, I know this!"
"This is mating, right?! Seggs!"
Hearing Asimi shouting excitedly inside his body, Lucian felt absolute despair.
No, wait—who the hell taught you that?!
And putting that aside, it was already bad enough that Asimi was still inside his body at a moment like this. If she kept yelling like this inside his head, he was going to lose his mind.
At that moment, Melina suddenly lifted her head, and their lips parted briefly.
Lucian barely had time to catch his breath before Melina climbed onto the bed.
Lucian looked at her.
Tonight she was wearing a perfectly fitted white dress.
The design wasn't particularly special, it was just ordinary clothing.
But the bare shoulders and collarbone revealed by the dress… the pale neck and arms that were usually hidden beneath her cloak…
These were sights Lucian had almost never seen before.
Melina knelt on the bed, but her skirt caught beneath her knees as she awkwardly shifted forward.
She pinned one of Lucian's legs between hers and moved closer.
The hem of her dress brushed across his body, and he immediately felt as though electricity had run through him.
The room was dim, lit only by a few candles. Even so, Lucian could clearly see that Melina's face was completely red, and her golden eyes were filled with emotions that were difficult to describe.
When she noticed Lucian staring at her, she shyly turned her head away and covered his eyes with her hand.
"Don't look…"
She had barely gathered the courage to do this. If Lucian kept watching her, she might not be able to continue.
Hearing her soft voice, Lucian felt his remaining rationality beginning to crumble.
But…
Asimi was still inside his body!
Lucian hadn't even told Melina about Asimi yet. His original plan had been to let Melina discover her later and give her a little surprise.
But now, thanks to Melina's sudden nighttime ambush, that plan had turned into a ticking time bomb.
Melina leaned down again and kissed him, but her hand still covered his eyes.
So Lucian could only focus on the sensations between their lips, including the sharp sting when his tongue was accidentally bitten and began to bleed.
Inside his body, Asimi stared at their movements in shock.
Although she didn't quite understand why they were exchanging saliva, it must have been an important step between lovers.
And…
It looked really interesting!
Wow! Even if she didn't understand it, she still wanted to keep watching!
If she had a body right now, she might already be rolling around excitedly on the bed.
Suddenly, Asimi remembered something.
There had been additional etiquette lessons related to this topic.
"Ah! My lord, I just remembered something about etiquette…"
"If this is a ritual between lovers, then me being here probably isn't appropriate!"
"My lord, I should leave right away!"
Lucian's heart nearly burst out of his chest.
'No! Don't do that, Asimi—wait a moment!'
'If you come out right now… it'll be a disaster!'
If she appeared at a moment like this, it would absolutely traumatize Melina!
But Asimi, who didn't fully understand human emotions, insisted.
"Sorry, my lord. If I stay here, you two probably won't be able to continue."
"Besides, you shouldn't hide things from your lover."
Without giving Lucian any chance to react, Asimi floated straight out of his body.
Lucian closed his eyes in despair, unwilling to face what would happen next.
Human emotions were still far too complicated for you, Asimi…
You really hadn't become human yet.
"Eeeh!?"
Melina jumped when Asimi suddenly condensed into form beside the bed, completely freezing.
She quickly scrambled off Lucian and stared blankly as Asimi materialized beside the bed.
Looking at the beautiful face that resembled Lucian by nearly seventy percent, Melina couldn't understand it, but she was deeply shocked.
Lucian looked toward Melina, but suddenly noticed something alarming.
Her left eye had opened, revealing a gloam-colored eye glowing faintly in the darkness.
Lucian sucked in a sharp breath.
It's over.
Everything is over.
If the Gloam Eye is open… is the next step going to be the Destined Death phase?
Lucian suddenly had a terrifying thought.
Was Melina about to say she wanted to try some kind of S&M and then beat him half to death?
Asimi fully manifested her body and bowed deeply to Melina.
"I sincerely apologize for interrupting you and the lord!"
"But I believe it is necessary for me to leave before things progress any further!"
"Please rest assured, although my core remains within the lord, once my consciousness leaves, it truly leaves!"
"Please don't mind me. Continue mating!"
With that, Asimi jumped out the window and disappeared.
Melina's intentions had just been stated aloud in the most blunt way possible.
Her face flushed bright red.
She covered her face and collapsed backward onto the bed, her mind clearly shutting down.
Lucian swallowed.
His mouth tasted sweet.
"She… she's a special Mimic Tear that resides in my body…"
"Uh… she's basically my little sister."
"She doesn't have much common sense, so the way she speaks—"
Before he could finish, Melina interrupted him.
"You… you even take her with you when you sleep?"
"And why would you put her inside your body?! That's basically parasitism!"
Melina's Gloam Eye was open, allowing her to immediately recognize that Asimi's origin was exactly as Lucian described.
Under normal circumstances, Melina might have happily greeted Asimi and made a new friend.
But in the current situation…
Someone had seen everything.
Right now, Melina's only thought was how to silence Asimi permanently.
Cold sweat formed on Lucian's forehead.
He hadn't expected something like this either!
"Well… it's a long story…"
Melina wasn't actually planning to interrogate him right now. That discussion could wait.
Lucian and Melina stared at each other awkwardly.
Melina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Just as she was preparing to pretend nothing had happened and continue—
Lucian asked:
"…Shall we continue?"
The fragile thread of Melina's composure finally snapped.
"Idiot! Don't ask me that!"
"You should've just kept quiet!"
"Go die! Go die, go die!"
Blushing furiously, Melina clenched her teeth and began pounding Lucian's chest with her fists.
Meanwhile, Asimi, who had left Lucian's body, wandered alone through the streets of Stormveil.
It wasn't particularly late yet, midnight hadn't arrived.
The streets where Tarnished gathered were still lively.
Most other creatures in the Lands Between, however, had already gone to sleep after sunset.
Except for some demihumans, who occasionally grew energetic at night and joined the revelry.
Lost in thought about what had just happened, Asimi slowly drifted into one of the busier streets.
She didn't even know why she had come here.
But clearly, compared to empty alleys, this place was a bit more interesting.
Asimi's appearance immediately drew the attention of the Tarnished nearby.
At an open-air tavern, several Tarnished sat drinking together.
One of them spotted Asimi and tapped his companion excitedly.
"Hey, hey, look at that woman over there…"
"She looks a lot like Lord Lucian, and that armor looks almost identical too!"
His companion had just downed a cup of extremely crude liquor. Hearing this, he wiped his mouth and turned to look.
"Ha, what nonsense are you talking ab—"
"Holy shit! She really does look like him!"
Once the first comment was made, the news spread through the crowd like a wave.
Soon, a large number of Tarnished began sneaking glances in her direction.
When they got a clear look at Asimi's face, the entire crowd stirred with surprise.
"Damn! That armor set is almost identical to Lord Lucian's! Custom-made like that must've cost a fortune. I'm so jealous!"
"Is she trying to imitate Lord Lucian? You know what, she actually pulls it off."
"Where did she get that armor made? I want one too!"
"No, something's off, this is seriously off. The texture of that armor isn't some cheaply made imitation. I've seen Lord Lucian before, and that armor is definitely crafted by the same master who made his."
"Huh? What's going on then?"
"Hey! Look closely at her face. Doesn't she look way too similar to Lord Lucian?"
"Yeah… now that you mention it. Her hair color and some of her facial features look extremely similar once you compare them to Lord Lucian."
"Wait, don't tell me Lord Lucian actually has a sister?"
"You know… that might not be impossible. We don't really know much about Lord Lucian's past anyway."
As more and more people voiced similar opinions, the crowd quickly accepted the theory that this woman must be Lucian's younger sister.
After a moment, however, someone in the crowd voiced a rather unusual thought.
"Holy crap… if someone managed to marry this lady, wouldn't that basically mean reaching the peak of life instantly?"
The moment those words were spoken, the speaker was immediately met with criticism and disdain from the others.
But deep down, it wasn't as though none of them had entertained the same thought.
After all, relying on someone else's power was generally looked down upon. Even Radagon, who had essentially "married upward" twice, was still mocked after becoming the second Elden Lord, which showed how the Lands Between viewed such matters.
But…
That was the attitude of people who didn't have the opportunity.
If someone really had the chance to live comfortably by relying on someone powerful, very few people would truly refuse.
A small number of the more clear-headed Tarnished simply shook their heads.
If someone approached Lord Lucian with that kind of mindset, he would probably see through them instantly and then beat them senseless.
Besides, this lady didn't look weak at all. And if she really was Lucian's sister, her standards would surely be extremely high.
The Tarnished were chatting noisily among themselves, but Asimi paid absolutely no attention to them.
Her thoughts were still lingering on Lucian and Melina as she wandered aimlessly down the street.
At that moment, Mohg also noticed the situation nearby.
Listening to the discussions among the Tarnished, Mohg initially didn't believe a word of it.
Just resembling someone meant nothing.
If someone deliberately tried to imitate another person's appearance, that could easily be done.
Even so, Mohg still fixed his gaze on the young woman walking alone in the distance and began observing her carefully.
Gradually, a smile crept onto his lips.
After carefully probing her just now, he had unexpectedly gained some useful information.
Without a doubt, this person had a deep connection to Lucian.
In that case, the idea that they were siblings might actually be true.
Perfect.
This was a very good target.
Mohg had been searching throughout Stormveil Castle for someone suitable to strike at.
Unfortunately, most people were heavily guarded and impossible to approach casually.
Even attempting a simple test would likely cost him this avatar.
Mohg intended to remain in Stormveil for quite some time, so there was no need to act so hastily.
Earlier, he had already visited Boc.
Boc was the easiest person to approach and also Lucian's personal tailor.
But Mohg had been disappointed.
A demihuman.
Even if Boc was close to Lucian, killing him wouldn't have much of an impact.
What Mohg needed was someone important, someone whose death would deal Lucian a devastating blow.
A demihuman clearly didn't qualify.
To be honest, Mohg had previously thought that Lancelot was the only suitable target. Killing him would disrupt Stormveil's operations.
But now…
He had changed his mind.
After all, outsiders could never compare to the bond between siblings.
Yesterday, Mohg had deliberately paid attention to Melina as well.
He had never heard of her before, but since she was Lucian's lover, killing her would certainly cause Lucian immense pain.
However, Mohg didn't dare test Lucian's perception with this avatar, so he hadn't personally observed them yesterday.
As a result, he didn't know Melina's appearance or movements.
But now that this so-called sister of Lucian had appeared, targeting her would work just as well.
Mohg removed the Gold Sewing Needle he had been holding between his teeth like a toothpick. After picking at his fangs with it, he flicked it upward and pinned it into the ceiling with his fingernail.
Then he licked his lips, lifted the elegant wine glass in front of him, and drained the finest drink in the tavern in a single gulp.
After finishing, he stood up and walked straight toward Asimi.
The surrounding crowd was stunned.
Most of them had only been joking.
They never expected someone to actually go through with it.
Recently, Mohg, who spent lavishly and behaved nothing like ordinary Tarnished, had already become a somewhat famous figure in Stormveil.
After all, even Tarnished from noble families couldn't afford to spend so extravagantly.
Most noble families had vast holdings overseas, and they rarely sent their most important members to the Lands Between.
Those who came here were usually minor branches of their families.
So even among the noble-born Tarnished in the city, none of them could match Mohg's level of wealth.
Nearby, two lackeys Mohg had recruited for entertainment, one playing the straight man and the other the hype man, clenched their fists and shouted enthusiastically:
"As expected of Lord Gammon! He easily did what we would never dare to do!"
"That's exactly why we admire him!"
Gammon was the alias Mohg used in Stormveil, a name that concealed certain thoughts lurking in his heart.
Mohg walked up to Asimi and blocked her path.
Asimi was still lost in thought. She assumed she had simply failed to watch where she was going and tried to walk around him.
But Mohg shifted his position again, blocking her once more.
Only then did Asimi raise her head and look at him.
She didn't know what he wanted, but it was clear now that he had approached her intentionally.
Mohg smiled.
"Miss, you're quite beautiful. May I have the honor of getting to know you?"
All the Tarnished who had been watching held their breath, waiting for Asimi's response.
They hadn't expected anyone to actually dare approach her like this.
Asimi felt puzzled.
Getting to know her?
Did that mean he wanted to be friends?
Her mind quickly processed the situation, and suddenly a hint of pity appeared in her eyes.
So he was someone who had no friends, wandering around late at night trying to find someone to talk to.
How pitiful.
She decided to humor him.
"Get to know me…? My name is Asimi. Now we know each other."
Mohg raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused.
Was her way of thinking… different from a normal human's?
Did she not understand his meaning?
Well… that worked too.
He decided to be more direct.
"I see… pleased to meet you. My name is Gammon."
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Could you come with me for a moment?"
"There are too many people here."
Asimi thought about it for a moment, then agreed and followed him.
When the Tarnished saw Mohg lead Asimi into a deserted alley, they were so shocked they couldn't even speak.
Was he insane?!
Did he really dare to do this?
Wasn't he afraid Lord Lucian would skin him alive?
Once they reached the empty alley, Mohg stopped walking.
Asimi looked confused.
"What is it? If you have something to say, say it clearly."
Mohg turned around with a sinister smile.
"Hehehe… you're really easy to trick."
"You probably have no idea what's about to happen, right? HAHAHAHA!"
In a moment, Mohg intended to kill Asimi in the most brutal way possible, and then implant the curse of accursed blood into her corpse.
If Lucian dared to touch the body, he would immediately be infected by the cursed blood.
Asimi looked at him, not quite understanding what he meant.
But the clever Asimi quickly figured it out.
Suddenly enlightened, she clapped her hands and exclaimed loudly:
"Oh! I get it now! You want to mate with me, right?"
Mohg froze as if struck by lightning.
He stood there completely stunned.
Just moments ago she had seemed completely clueless, so why was she suddenly blurting out something like that?!
Even Mohg himself panicked for a moment.
He quickly looked around to make sure no one was nearby.
Still, he had no idea whether Asimi's shout might have woken someone up.
It felt as though his reputation was about to be ruined by her.
Furious, Mohg snapped:
"Of course not! What nonsense are you shouting about?! You're too loud!"
Asimi became equally annoyed.
"What do you mean 'nonsense'? What exactly do you want? Didn't I tell you to explain clearly?"
"Besides, even if you did want that, I would never do it with you anyway."
"That's something you only do with the one you love."
"I believe in pure love!"
Now Mohg was truly enraged.
All he wanted was to lure her here and kill her!
"Idiot! Who would want to do something like that with someone wearing that face?!"
Seeing a face that resembled Lucian by seventy percent made him want to tear her apart, not anything else.
Mohg strode forward angrily and grabbed Asimi's shoulder.
In the next moment, he squeezed hard, intending to crush her shoulder and subdue her immediately.
But once again…
Nothing happened.
Mohg frowned in confusion.
This was the second time his attempt to crush someone's shoulder had failed.
The first time it had been his older brother.
And now, what the hell was this?!
Seeing Mohg's increasingly unstable behavior, Asimi found him completely baffling.
She assumed he had become angry out of embarrassment.
So she casually slapped him.
Mohg's attack had already failed, and now he was struck by a slap that sent him flying onto the ground.
Lying there, Mohg stared blankly at the sky.
What the hell?!
Why does this woman have such ridiculous strength?!
Lucian was one thing, but even his sister was this strong?!
Did their entire family inherit power like demigods from birth or something?!
That made no sense!
Where was the justice in this world?!
Where were the laws?!
Mohg quickly descended into rage.
Damn it!
I will never forgive you today!
Not even his own brother had ever slapped him like that!
He was the Lord of Blood, yet he had just been knocked flat onto the ground by a girl, his clothes stained with dirt.
Fine.
He admitted he had been careless earlier.
But now things would be different.
Mohg rose to his feet.
A blade formed from blood appeared in his hand.
Without another word, he swung it toward Asimi.
"nihil! nihil! nihil! "
Another blood blade formed in his other hand as he attacked wildly with both.
"Come on! Come on!"
"You filthy creature! Die beneath my accursed blood blades!"
Asimi's expression shifted from casual indifference to seriousness.
What?
Because she refused to cooperate, he wanted to force it?
That wasn't acceptable!
She had already said it, mating was something only done with someone you loved!
The champion of pure love, Asimi, was now angry!
A weapon formed in her hand as well, her most familiar one.
The Sword of Night and Flame.
She raised the blade and met Mohg's blood weapon head-on.
Although she felt somewhat offended, Asimi still decided to spare him, intending only to punish him lightly.
So she deliberately held back her strength.
However, this avatar Mohg had created was much stronger than the one he had previously used against Lucian.
For a brief moment, Asimi and Mohg's full-force attack actually clashed evenly.
Ashmi was surprised.
Even if she wasn't using her full strength, she still possessed seventy percent of her lord's power.
Mohg, on the other hand, was utterly stunned.
This avatar couldn't use the power granted by the Formless Mother, nor could it wield his true weapon. It relied solely on his physical attributes and personal abilities.
Previously, even an avatar with half his strength had been able to easily overwhelm the inexperienced Lucian, though Lucian had eventually defeated him with some mysterious method.
So this time Mohg had created an avatar with far greater power.
This one possessed eighty percent of his strength, approaching the level of a demigod.
And yet…
It was being suppressed head-on.
And not by Lucian—
but by Lucian's sister.
Impossible!
This made no sense!
Mohg felt as if his mind was collapsing.
Of course, he had no idea what kind of monstrous attributes Asimi actually possessed.
Mohg himself wasn't known for physical strength. Much of his power came from the Formless Mother and his weapon.
In raw physical attributes, Lucian had already surpassed him long ago.
So against Asimi, this avatar had no real advantage.
Mohg's gaze toward Asimi turned sharp.
Someone capable of displaying this level of strength could not possibly be ordinary.
The power she was currently showing already placed her among the top-tier heroes of the Lands Between.
"Who exactly… are you?"
—
[T/N: I chose to use the name "Gammon" for Mohg since as a given name, it is of English-American origin and means "one who enjoys playing games". Whilst in Australian Aboriginal English, "Gammon" refers to something fake, cheap, or broken and is associated with playful deception or "put-ons". I hope it doesn't sound too bad for you guys.]