"Master Gwyn, you're awake?"
As soon as Mohg stepped out of his room, he heard a woman's voice. He couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion; he had lived at the Carian Manor before, and such hospitality had never been part of the arrangement.
"And you are?"
"Oh, Princess Rellana assigned me to wait here. She told me to inform you to find her as soon as you woke up."
"I see. Is Her Highness in her quarters?"
"Yes. Princess Rellana should still be in her chambers, discussing matters with Queen Rennala and Master Iro."
Mohg looked outside at the darkening sky and the bright moon hanging above. This was likely the very reason the Carian Royal Family had chosen this specific location to build their manor...
When he had returned, it had still been daylight. Had Rellana and the others truly been deliberating for this long?
"Go on then, attend to your duties. I'll head to the Princess now."
"Understood."
The maid bowed to Mohg and disappeared down the other end of the corridor. Mohg wasted no time heading toward Rellana's quarters.
Before long, he arrived at the door, where he found Serena standing guard alongside another Carian Knight. The latter wore the standard-issue Carian Knight armor, seemingly without any personal modifications.
Seeing Mohg approach, Serena nodded to him and turned to knock on the door. The other knight, meanwhile, scanned Mohg from head to toe, as if measuring his worth.
The voices inside the room abruptly ceased at the sound of the knock.
"What is it?"
"Princess Rellana, Gwyn has arrived."
"Let him in."
"Yes."
Serena stepped aside, gesturing for Mohg to enter.
Mohg gave Serena a quick nod of acknowledgment and stepped inside. He was immediately met by several familiar faces.
Rellana and Rennala were a given, but several other prominent figures were also present.
There was Bonata, the Royal Sorcerer responsible for the palace's defense, and a blonde woman clad in ornate silver armor sitting quietly at a corner of the round table.
Truth be told, the woman's appearance gave him a momentary sense of deja vu. In this specific setting, with a round table that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, he almost thought he was looking at "My King."
In reality, he knew her identity well: Loretta, the Royal Knight and current Deputy Commander of the Guards. The title of Commander was currently held by "Twin Moon" herself.
Wait... he thought. The rumors about her being an Albinauric might have already started circulating by now.
Because of her exceptional kindness toward the Albinaurics and her shield, which bore their stylistic motifs, many whispered that she was one of them.
However, she was undoubtedly human. Blood did not lie. As a veteran of the "Bleed" playstyle, Mohg knew that the blood she shed was a vibrant red, not the silver fluid of the Albinaurics.
"Gwyn, now that you're here, take a seat. Loretta and the others wish to hear more about the Altus Plateau."
Mohg nodded. Looking around, he understood the nature of this meeting. By rights, someone of his current status shouldn't have been allowed in. However, since he was the one who had brought back the critical intelligence, Rellana had invited him to participate.
The room was filled with the elite: several Sorcery Professors serving the royalty, the Chief of the Carian Knights, the commanders and champions of the Royal Guard, the strongest of the Gaol Knights, and another Silver Moon Knight besides Serena.
Judging by the seating, this other Silver Moon Knight was likely higher in status and strength than Serena—after all, Serena was currently relegated to door duty.
"Gwyn, we meet again. You have performed a great service this time," Rennala said suddenly.
Mohg quickly stood and bowed to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I only did what is expected of a member of Caria."
"Hmm. Your reward is being prepared, so I won't say much more on that. For now, please tell us about the situation on the Altus Plateau."
"Yes."
Mohg complied, recounting intelligence about the Royal Capital under the collective gaze of the council. He shared some details regarding the Golden Order's troops, though he was careful not to reveal too much. He hadn't been in Altus that long, after all. Knowing too much would be suspicious.
As Mohg spoke, the expressions of those present grew increasingly grim.
They knew there was a gap between themselves and the Golden Order, but they hadn't realized just how vast that chasm truly was.
When Mohg finished his report, silence fell over the room.
Rennala observed everyone carefully. She was heartened to see that while many were weighed down by the gravity of the news, none showed signs of wavering. This proved that her subordinates were, at the very least, of one mind with her. And as long as they were united, there was still hope for the coming struggle.
"There is no need for such pessimism," Rennala said, her hand gently tapping the round table. A ripple of soft, teal-blue magic radiated outward, signaling for the room's attention. "The power of the Golden Order is formidable, yes, but Caria has never been weak. Furthermore, they are still embroiled in the expedition to the snowy mountains; their most powerful assets will not appear in this conflict."
"Our goal has never been a mutual destruction with the Golden Order," she continued. "We have no irreconcilable grievances with them. Moreover..."
Rennala trailed off, but those in the inner circle seemed to understand what she left unsaid. Mohg, being an "outsider" to these secrets, looked appropriately confused.
"Enough! I will not say more on that matter. I believe you all understand that the prerequisite for achieving our goal is to earn the right to speak as equals at the negotiation table. To do that, we must show them the strength of our fists!"
"Our greatest advantages over the Golden Order are our familiarity with the geography of the lake district and, most importantly, our mastery of Glintstone technology—a field the Golden Order has never touched," Iro, the advisor sitting next to Rellana, added. The others nodded in agreement.
"We can set magical traps along their march and have Commander Loretta provide long-range suppression. Oh... and we can construct large-scale sorcerous arrays to rain down magic glintstone bolts," several generals suggested, chiming in with their tactical ideas.
Mohg listened silently. He planned to integrate his own arrangements within Caria's strategy to avoid any unnecessary friction.
"Gwyn, do you have any thoughts?"
"Eh?"
Mohg was caught off guard by Rellana's sudden question. If he could use emojis, a "Confused Nick Young" face would be floating above his head. He was neither a high-ranking general nor a top-tier powerhouse for Caria. Asking for his opinion... was that really appropriate?
"Uh, well..."
"Feel free to speak your mind," Rellana encouraged. "Among us, only you were born on the Altus Plateau. Your familiarity with the Capital exceeds our own."
"I understand."
Mohg nodded hesitantly and began to share his perspective.
"The Tree Sentinels within the Golden Order are a force to be reckoned with. They wield powerful Golden Incantations and possess masterful combat skills. I once had the 'honor' of witnessing a Tree Sentinel execute an intruder."
"During the fight, he used an ability: a shield made of golden energy with intricate patterns that absorbed the opponent's skills and incantations entirely, before retaliating in kind..."
The Carian officials exchanged glances. This description sounded remarkably similar to their own technique, "Carian Retaliation," though the mechanics Mohg described seemed distinct.
"That is indeed a crucial piece of intelligence..."
Rennala's eyes narrowed. She seemed to have a faint, blurry memory of such an ability. Mohg bringing this up now was vital. If the Tree Sentinels appeared on the battlefield in force to block their sorceries, it would mean the soldiers and clerics behind them could advance and attack with total impunity.
To counter them, they would have to either eliminate the Tree Sentinels first, attack from above, or use overwhelming magical force to break through by sheer power.
"Furthermore... I don't believe First Prince Godwyn will lead the expedition personally."
"Hmm? Why?"
Before anyone else could speak, Loretta voiced her doubt.
"Because the Golden Order needs someone of sufficient power to hold the rear," a Carian General replied before Mohg could answer. "And not just power of arms, but power of prestige."
Mohg looked at the general with curiosity. The man, whose name was Jemons, gave Mohg a friendly nod.
"Furthermore, the key to the alliance between the Golden Order and the Ancient Dragons lies in the bond between Prince Godwyn and that Dragon. From any perspective, the strongest warrior currently on the Altus Plateau cannot leave. He is bound to the capital."
"I see..." Loretta nodded, then looked back at Mohg. "You raised a very useful hypothesis. However, I will still arrange our guard deployments assuming Godwyn might appear."
"Understandable," Mohg agreed. After all, if they prepared for his elder brother, they would be more than ready for any other Golden Order commander.
"So, who do you all believe will lead this campaign?" Rennala asked. Although she didn't say it explicitly, it was clear she also believed Godwyn would not be the commander.
Truth be told, if Godwyn actually appeared, she would have no choice but to find a Golden Order noble to negotiate with while preparing for a head-on clash—a risk that was astronomically high.
Ideally, she would have loved to have Godwyn as a marriage prospect. After all, he was arguably the most perfect man in the Lands Between. But that was impossible. As the First Prince of the Golden Order, he could not marry into another family, and as the Queen of the Carian Royalty, she could not marry into the Golden Order.
A union between Gold and Moon required Caria to maintain its independence.
Regarding Rennala's question, Mohg was actually the most qualified to answer. But... he couldn't say it.
How could he explain it? If he said "Radagon" would lead the campaign, the Carians would just ask, "Who is Radagon?"
At this point, Radagon's fame was limited to the inner circles of the Royal Capital. Not even the Altus Plateau at large knew much about him. If Mohg claimed a mysterious, low-ranking young man was the supreme commander, no one would believe him.
So, Mohg stayed quiet as the council members threw out names of famous Capital generals and heroes. He even heard some familiar names belonging to the high nobility of Leyndell—families whose crests and surnames he had seen on the tables of those judging him on the day of his sentencing.
After a long while, the preliminary discussion regarding the Golden Order concluded. Having made their decisions, the council members began to depart to carry out their arrangements.
Mohg, seeing that his part was done, prepared to leave as well, but Rellana called him back.
"Gwyn."
"Yes, Princess Rellana?"
"In a few days, your guerrilla unit will be responsible for monitoring the area near the Grand Lift. Before that, I intend to personally oversee your special training."
"This... Princess Rellana, surely you have more pressing matters to attend to? There is no need to waste your time on me."
"If that is your concern, do not worry. My responsibilities are few. In fact, I only have one primary duty: to appear on the battlefield on the day of the clash to alleviate the pressure on my sister."
Mohg's lip twitched slightly. It seemed there was no escaping this. However, it wasn't all bad. Having a top-tier powerhouse willing to spar and train him was something most people would kill for.
He could only describe the feeling as "painfully joyful."
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (512 Chapters – Full)
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