The previous chapters have been revised and slightly streamlined. Readers who've already read them won't be affected.
—
"Hah… I can't run anymore!" Mia's little face was flushed bright red. She braced herself against a pillar by the roadside, her entire body bent forward at a ninety-degree angle.
After tricking the Tree Sentinel, afraid that he might notice something off and give chase again, Mia and Veldon had sprinted forward at full speed.
They ran for over half an hour.
"He shouldn't… be catching up, right?"
Her flat chest rose and fell rapidly, hot breath spilling from her mouth. The damp air glossed her lips into the shine of a waxed red apple. Sweat stuck strands of hair to her ears and soaked her neck. She looked disheveled—but that disarray lent her a trace of maturity that didn't quite belong to her petite frame.
"If he really saw through something, we wouldn't have escaped in the first place," Veldon replied.
The contrast between them couldn't have been sharper.
While Mia had sprinted for her life, the soldier had followed closely behind the entire time.
And when Mia felt like she might actually die from running, Veldon was still trailing her calmly.
"You don't… hah… hah… get tired?" Mia turned and glared at him through gritted teeth.
Veldon was still fully armed—greatsword and brass shield on his back, two straight swords at his waist, a massive tower shield in his left hand, a lacquered spear in his right.
"I do get tired," Veldon said.
Not convincing at all.
He wasn't even breathing hard.
"But there isn't much else to do."
That undead face probably explained everything.
"I'm resting for a bit…"
"Graaah—"
A spine-chilling cry suddenly echoed overhead, like something struggling at death's door.
"Eek—" Startled out of her exhaustion, Mia jerked upright and looked up along the pillar she was leaning against.
An undead corpse—almost weathered down to half a skeleton—was hanging from a tall Y-shaped gallows.
"…!" Mia immediately let go of the post.
"What the hell is that…" She took a few steps back, staring at the hanging undead. Its limbs were nearly bone. Who knew how long it had been strung up like this? Only its tattered, barely recognizable head emitted those meaningless sounds in some incomprehensible way.
"If someone loses themselves to endless life, they're hung up there until both body and soul weather away," Veldon explained.
"…Let's keep moving."
There was nothing remotely pleasant about the undead strung on the Y-frame.
Against the green landscape lining the road, it felt like a stain.
Better to walk a little farther and rest somewhere more suitable.
She had just formed that thought when the muscle cramps from the intense sprint earlier hit her full force, making her gag.
She bent over dry heaving, but only a string of mucus came up—her stomach was empty.
"Ah…" she groaned weakly, wiping her mouth. The strip of cloth over her eyes was nearly damp from tears she couldn't control.
She wobbled upright. Veldon stepped forward and supported her.
"What's wrong?"
"Just… not feeling great…"
Mia muttered. To ease the nausea, she pressed her lips together and tried breathing slowly through her nose.
It hadn't felt that bad just moments ago. Now even her calves were trembling.
She'd run that fast for that long.
Had it been ten kilometers?
Veldon rested a hand on her shoulder—he didn't even need to lift it, given the height difference—and looked into the distance.
"There's a structure ahead," he said.
"What?"
Mia forced her head up. This wasn't a dense forest, but all she could see was a massive ruin blocking her view.
"I'm taller. I can see farther. Let's rest there."
"…Now's not the time to argue about height."
She was low on strength, her mouth still sour with bile. If only she had some water to rinse—
Ah. Right.
The girl suddenly produced her Flask of Crimson Tears.
She took a sip.
A very small sip—barely enough to wet her lips.
And that tiny mouthful alone dispelled most of the soreness and fatigue in her body.
"I feel much better." Mia let out a long breath and stepped out of Veldon's support. "Where's that building you saw?"
Given how close it was to the Stranded Graveyard, there was only one likely answer.
The Church of Elleh.
"I can only see the spire. Let's head that way."
He found a barely passable dirt path weaving through trees and brush, branching off from the main road to the left.
The path had once been fairly wide. Now it was overgrown with vegetation.
Following Veldon, Mia soon caught sight of the Church of Elleh.
The stone structure was long ruined. The remaining walls were so weathered the bricks could barely form straight lines. The roof was completely gone. None of the walls were intact. Only the bell tower still stood tall, despite its broken form.
Veldon must have seen the bell tower from afar.
A surge of relief welled up in Mia.
"Let's stay here for the night," she suggested before they even stepped inside.
"…?" Veldon glanced up at the bright sky. "We could cover more distance before night falls."
"No rush, no rush. Who knows where we'd find shelter if we pass this up?"
"There's no need to stop. If we keep walking, day and night, we'll reach Stormveil in five days."
"But I can't!" Mia protested.
Five days. From morning to night. No proper rest?
She'd die pitifully, tongue hanging out!
"…?" Veldon seemed genuinely unable to understand.
"Tarnished really are fragile."
"That's… probably not about being fragile or not…" Mia very much wanted to snap back, What would an undead know about it?! But her emotional intelligence told her that would be inappropriate.
Before even entering the church, Mia saw the golden Site of Grace floating in the roofless hall.
And—
In the corner, someone incredibly familiar to Elden Ring players.
Santa Claus.
Well. Not really.
A man in red, the Nomadic Merchant Kale. Because of his red clothing and pointed cap, he was often jokingly called Santa.
A small campfire. A fiddle. A donkey. Piles of baggage at his side. Kale had carved out a cozy little corner for himself inside this ruined church.
When Mia and Veldon stepped in, Kale held his instrument—but was merely staring into the fire.
Then he saw Veldon walking in front.
In an instant, he jumped up and bolted toward his donkey.
'Why is this happening again like with White Mask?!'
Mia felt her scalp tingle.
She immediately darted out from behind Veldon and shouted—
"Wait!"