Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware, and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.


Chapter 15: Forward

The moonlight shone into a dimly lit hall, illuminated slightly by its glow and the various candles lined the table. A long mahogany table sat at the center, and different foods and silver wine glasses filled with expensive alcohol were spread throughout its carved top. A stone floor sat at the base while an unlit chandelier stood above. Paintings of various figures, Lescatian heroes, and persons of great importance lined the walls. At the hall's end, the Order of the Ice-Flower banners and the Noscrim Family's emblem hung high above.

Beside the table were various men and women, all squabbling and speaking. They all wore expensive clothing, the emblems of their noble house, and the Order was placed at different points. The one who sat at the end of the table wore a simple priest's garb, a hood covering his face as his hands interlocked and were lazily placed on the table. A red jeweled ring sat idly on his ring finger, his pointer tapping his knuckles as he watched the scene unfold.

"This is outrageous! The damned Inquisition had us by our chins!" A man called out, his hand slamming on the table, causing the contents of his silver wine glass to spill.

"This calls for retaliation; we cannot take this insult lying down!" Another beckoned, his form covered by pristine armor. The emblems of the Order of the Ice-Flower covered his form.

"And what do you suppose we do? Send in the Order of The Ice-Flower after them? Don't be foolish; we must plan our next move carefully." Another spoke up, belonging to a man with blonde hair. His hands moved his silver cup around, causing the contents to ripple as the candlelight reflected the glass. This was Lord Galand Amaltia; once a rival to the Noscrim Faction, he was now one of their most Loyal Members.

"And then what? Wait until the opportunity to retaliate has come to pass, Amaltia? All you've ever done is plan and plan, but none of those have ever seen the light of day!" Another called out, belonging to a portly figure with a cane. This was Lord Robert Levesque, a nobleman and the one in charge of trade within Lescatie.

"Unlike you, my strategies require patience… but I suppose that is not something I should expect from you, Lord Levesque. I wonder why it is that of all people, you are the one in charge of the trade in this country. Especially when you don't even understand this basic virtue." The man retorted, causing Lord Levesque to furrow his brows.

"What was the flimsy excuse they used to exterminate House Morrigan? A witch, correct? Rumor has it that they've failed to actually catch the Witch." A woman from the table called out, her eyes scanning the group as she took a sip of her Wine. Mariette Frostiere, Matriarch of the Frostiere Noble House. A distant relative of the Royal Family and a Hero is chosen by the Chief God.

"We can use this, Leak the information out and then use it to drag their name into the mud." Another voice called out, causing one of the nobles to turn to them before he spoke.

"That isn't enough; they took one of our most valued assets, and our retaliation is to drag their already ill-reputed organization down even further? Nonsense, we need something that could damage them tenfold." Another spoke out, belonging to a man with dark blue hair, eyes stern as he looked on at his fellow members. Erithiel Mystiv, head of the Mystiv noble house and father to many notable individuals within the Order of the Ice-Flower.

"I suggest that we take a moment to step back and think. Despite the Inquisition's heinous act, by the orders of the Chief God, they had every right to take Count Harrison's life." Galand Amaltia spoke out, causing the group to begin bickering once more.

Despite their actions, the nobles knew House Morrigan was housing a witch. And while all of them knew of the risks, none spoke out against letting them be for a straightforward reason. And that reason sat idly at the end of the table, hood obscuring his face as he impassively looked at his fellow noblemen squabble and bicker.

"Absurd! This is a declaration of war; we send the Order of the Ice-Flower to Fortress Maxim, teach those Rejulia fools a lesson!"

"Were your ears clogged by your hubris, you fool? We must caution restraint, wait for the perfect opportunity to strike!"

"So these are the leaders of our holy city? Honestly, it's a miracle that our great and holy nation has yet to collapse."

"We have the Heroes on our side; we have the power to force the Inquisition out! We need not play more games; the Inquisition has meddled with us for the last time!"

Tightening his grip on his hands, the hooded figure looked up at the group before he spoke in a low tone.

"Enough," He voiced. With but one word, the entire hall fell silent. The group all turned to the priest, quieting down as they sat idly in their chairs. He placed a hand below his Wine, picking it up before taking a sip. He gently placed the Wine back on the table as he wiped his mouth with an expensive handkerchief.

"I am well aware of what has occurred, and I am well aware of the travesty that this situation has caused us." He began, gazing upon the group before he continued.

"Alas, as Galand Amaltia has said, they had every right to seize and dispose of Count Harrison Morrigan and his family." He continued as he played with his wine glass.

"However, we will not take this insult lying down. Our enemies struck hard, but they made a grave mistake." He continued, causing the room to turn to the priest. He stood up, moving his chair back with a loud creak as he unsheathed his blade and held it vertically on the table. The rest of the noblemen followed suit, standing up as they placed their blades vertically upon the table. The clangs of blades and loud thumps could be heard as each stabbed into the wooden table.

"In their haste to damage us, they had inadvertently allowed me to use all my assets." He uttered, moving a hand to his hood to pull it down from his head.

It revealed a man with long light-blue hair combed back and scars lined his face in a few places. He had pale skin and a stern look on his face.

But the oddest feature of all had been his eyes. They narrowed at the sight of his fellow noblemen, whom he had convinced to join him. They were to be a part of something grander, something beyond themselves. They were the members of Priest Noscrim's inner circle and the true rulers of Lescatie...

Or so they thought.

The priest's eyes were Gold, glowing in the dimly lit room. Yet, none dared question it or even confront him about it. Such was their fear and respect, and such was their selfishness.

"But we need not do anything… for they have set themselves up for their own destruction." He continued, closing his eyes as he thought of something incomprehensible.

"Our victory is assured; the Order will finally come to rule." He finalized.

"For unity and stability, Glory to the Order." He declared,

"Glory to the Order!" The hall sounded off, each shouting with both zeal and determination.

Matthias Noscrim grinned at the sight; his eyes shone a brilliant gold before he nodded.

Glory to the Order.


Elt and Lucas moved through the forest with haste and careful steps. They had checked to see if they were being followed, and luckily it seemed they were in the clear. But to be safe, Lucas had moved them through winding and confusing streets to lose any potential followers.

The forest they arrived in was not too far off from the capital, but they were so deep into the woods that no one would be able to find them unless they knew where to look. He doubted anyone would even be willing to enter this forest this late at night for fear of monsters. So effective was the Order's propaganda that the citizens feared the monsters even deep within the capital's walls.

After a few minutes of moving through streams and clearings, they found themselves at a cave entrance. It was dark and without light, making it difficult to traverse without a torch.

Luckily, they didn't need one.

"Starlight," Lucas muttered, waving his staff as a small blue light source formed above him. It was dim, but it was enough to illuminate the dark cave.

Quickly, the two moved into the cave. Passing through the deep darkness and winding caverns. Anyone traversing this cavern could easily find themselves lost, and that was by design. Another line of defense against any who might try and look for them.

Before long, they reached a clearing within the cave, and the wet dripping sounds of water could be heard. Elt turned to look at the clearing before his eyes widened at a particular spot. Trekking up towards it, he placed his hand on a stone formation that looked unnatural. A tombstone-sized slab of stone with a circular hole in the center, besides it, was a statue of an imp.

"A waygate…" Elt trailed off; looking off at the statue, he placed another hand over it. He inspected it, finding it a familiar piece of architecture, before he turned to Lucas.

"And an Imp statue… I'm assuming you have the-" Elt began before Lucas pulled out a small sword-shaped stone. Elt blinked before he slowly picked it up. He looked down at it, moving it around as he inspected the key.

"...Stonesword Key." He finished before he turned to the Imp Statue.

"Go ahead, my Lord. Open it." Lucas stated, causing Elt to nod before he placed the key within the statue. With a simple twist, the waygate came to life.

Elt took a step back, handing the Stonesword Key back to Lucas before he took a deep breath. It's been a long time since he last used one; he could still vividly remember the feeling of having his body transported to great distances.

Placing a hand just in front of the spiraling mass, Elt looked on and hesitated.

"These things are usually one way, aren't they?" He muttered, causing Lucas to nod before he spoke up once more.

"Indeed, but worry not, My Lord. There are 8 more Waygates inside, one of which leads straight into an alleyway inside Lescatie." Lucas answered, causing Elt to nod slightly before he turned to the waygate.

"Where do the other 7 lead?" Elt asked, causing Lucas to scratch the back of his head before he spoke up again.

"Nowhere, they haven't been set yet, My Lord. We… I can set its next location, but I need to physically be there to set it. As such, only one of the waygates is active and running. The others do not function as they do not have a set location in mind." Lucas stated,

Elt nodded before his brow rose as he processed the information. He said, 'We'... there were more of them, more of Lucas, more dolls sent to aid him. So how come it's only him?

"You said 'We' what happened to the rest of you?" Elt asked, causing Lucas to pause as a complex expression came to his face. He gripped his staff tightly, taking a deep breath before he spoke up.

"...It's better if you see…." Lucas stated, causing Elt to widen his eyes before he nodded.

With nothing left to say, Lucas placed a hand inside the waygate and was sucked into it. His form turned into a cloudy mist as he was transported to an unknown location. Elt followed suit, entering the waygate and readying himself just in case he would be faced with danger. After he went in, the waygate dissipated, and the Stonesword Key crumbled.

Elt opened his eyes with a gasp, his body taking a moment to adjust to his new surroundings. Elt looked around, checking to see if everything was alright. The first thing he saw was the ground; it was made of stone tiles and stretched as far as he could see.

"Breath, My Lord… you haven't traveled this way in a long time." Lucas's voice echoed out.

Taking a deep breath, he got up and dusted himself before looking at the rest of the building.

His eyes widened, jaws slackened; if he was holding on to anything, he most certainly would've dropped it by now. In that instance, he was met with a sight that rang familiar in his mind. Large glistening towers and stone bridges connected them. Ornate and tinted glass windows with a distinct and fantastical design.

The skies were an even stranger look. A mishmash of blue, pink, and bright violet. Covered by stars as far as the eye could see. Largest of these celestial bodies was the moon, a dark blue moon that shone down upon the structure with its unyielding gaze. It was grand, big, and would leave anyone who saw it speechless. But that wasn't the reason why Elt himself was speechless.

The reason as to why he found his mouth agape was the fact that he knew this place, he's been here before. The large stone towers, the moonlight hanging above. He turned to the edge of the path in which they stood, a path that overlooked the rest of the land beneath his feet. If his eyes widened any more than now, his eyes might've popped out of their sockets.

He took a step back, looking around to confirm his thoughts before he took a deep breath.

He was in Raya Lucaria,

"...Is this…" He trailed off, turning his head to the boy next to him.

"...It isn't… though it might appear to be, it's but a mere fragmented replica. Even still, it's still quite large and would be around the size of the Fortress City of Salvarision." Lucas explained, causing Elt to raise his brow.

He could've sworn that Salvarision was far larger than Raya Lucaria, but it was all cleared up with Lucas' next explanation.

"It houses the surrounding villages as well, so it would be more accurate to say that this place is a replica of Liurnia more than it is of Raya Lucaria. And unlike how you saw it during your journey, the surrounding villages and city remain intact… though it's all empty." Lucas continued before he began to walk into the empty Academy.

Elt followed suit, taking in the familiar sights as a sense of nostalgia formed within. The last time he was here, everyone inside wanted him dead, with few exceptions. He had a lot of memories here, he still remembered the Academy's mages just blasting him over and over with miniature stars, He still remembered that one time that bloodhound knight stabbed him in the back and ripped out all of his organs near the gates. He remembered that a giant stone ball crushed his body under immense weight. The Abductor Virgin...

He doesn't even want to think about the Abductor Virgin.

As he continued to walk, Elt had one question on his mind. He already figured that Ranni was the one who sent this here, and he wasn't knowledgeable enough on how magic within the Lands Between worked to understand how. But seeing as how Ranni was essentially a Goddess now, he supposed that it made sense for her to be able to do feats such as this one. But what he wanted to know was why she sent an entire area instead of just a single room or even a building. It seemed counterproductive to do so if she was just to send one person.

He did say 'We,' but he just thought that it meant around 50 to 100 dolls; if that was the case, then just Raya Lucaria would've been enough.

"I don't get it, though. Why send all of this just for me? Because from the looks of it, there's a lot of unused space." He asked, turning to Lucas, who looked on at him with a solemn expression.

Reaching the large wooden doors to the inside, he paused before opening the large doors. He looked down, his expression downcast before he spoke up.

"...That's because it wasn't meant to be unused…." Lucas muttered, causing Elt to raise his brow before Lucas opened the doors. What he saw explained why this much space was given to him. All around him were skeletons and rotting corpses. All of whom were wearing the robes of the Royal House. Large wooden cribs hung from above, unmoving and silent.

"She meant to give you an army, a force that you could effectively wield, but… it was botched; the transport had killed all but myself," Lucas muttered with gritted teeth.

He clutched his dress shirt, holding it to the point where it creased before he looked down.

"I was not supposed to have this childlike body… I was still incubating inside one of those cribs when I was forced out because there was no one left. As such, my body is weak, and my magic could not reach the potential I should be able to originally achieve." He muttered, shame dripping from his voice as he turned to Elt.

"I'm just a product of this failure, a last-ditch effort to save just one. You were meant to have a force of Carian Knights and Capable Mages, instead… you receive but a single botched mage, incapable of reaching his full potential…." He trailed off before he bowed down before Elt.

"E-Even still, I want to be of great service to you! I-I will do everything in my power to make sure that you're satisfied with my services! S-So please, don't throw me away because I- Hmph!" Lucas began before he was suddenly stopped with a hug. Elt, upon hearing his plight, had hugged him.

"...It must've been hard for you when you first came here… Don't worry…." He began, causing Lucas to widen his eyes before Elt continued on.

"You've proven yourself capable; good job." Elt praised, causing Lucas' eyes to shine slightly before he held back any tears from falling down his eyes. He would not make himself look weak in front of his Lord; his childlike body was already a product of that.

"I-T-Thank you, My Lord…." Lucas muttered with a small smile before Elt sighed and let go. Moving a few paces back, he placed his hands on his hips before he looked around.

"Can I ask you to do something for me?" Elt asked, turning to the silent cribs that hung above.

"Why yes, of course!" He eagerly stated.

"Don't call me Lord; I am in no way, shape, or form of Noble Blood." He stated, causing Lucas' mouth to drop before he tilted his head.

"...Are… Are you not betrothed to Lady Ranni? Wouldn't that make you a Lord by Technicality?" He asked, head tilting causing Elt to pause and turn his head to Lucas.

Scratching the back of his head, he didn't really know how to explain it. The whole proposal that he did with her was more out of convenience than anything else. He cherished her as a good friend, and perhaps deep in his heart, he may have even had romantic feelings for her, but they both knew that they'd go their separate ways in the future. He wandered the possibility, perhaps in some other life he decided to stay with Ranni and become her Consort.

Alas, such things were now but mere speculation. He still pondered how Ranni was doing, being a goddess now after all. She sent him all of this for a reason, but he had an idea as to what that reason was.

There was no point in pursuing marriage with someone you'd leave once your quest was complete. Ranni knew this, but he supposed that she cherished him enough to still go through the process. So even if they're technically betrothed, practically, the two were just good friends.

Although it still did make him feel a little terrible. He already had someone else in his heart by the time he met Ranni.

"The uh… Betrothal between us was- well…." He began,

This was a really awkward topic to speak about. But it was best to clear this now so it wouldn't cause him trouble in the future. And so he explained his situation, everything from him meeting her to him leaving The Lands Between.

"-Essentially, we both knew that I wasn't going to stay, but she decided to give me a ring anyways." Elt finalized.

He still didn't understand the reason why. He insisted that doing so would be pointless, but she pushed on regardless. She reassured him that this was merely professional and that it was a necessary step in their goals. Besides, he needed the ring to allow him to enter past the Natural Born Void's Final Gate.

"So… what you're telling me is that you agreed to marry Lady Ranni, despite the fact that you knew that you were going to leave her…." Lucas began slowly as he narrowed his eyes.

"Uh… Yeah…" Elt muttered out, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Not only that, but you agreed to it despite the fact that you already had someone you loved and that she did not force you to marry her…." He continued, his tone becoming more incredulous as he spoke.

"...well… if you put it like that…." Elt muttered softly, realizing the implications of what he had done.

Shit… he didn't even consider Ranni's feelings on the matter. Elt had thought of what he had done back there as just business between two parties. The two parties slowly became friends, but that friendship was built on their shared goal of reaching the Erdtree and defeating the Elden Beast. He wanted to slap himself; back then, he was still a dense idiot, and even now, he remained the same as he'd always been. Not just that, but he didn't even think about how his family and loved ones back home would've reacted to it.

Elt wanted to slap himself, no, actually… he wanted to do more than just that. Ranni deserved an apology; everyone else back home did as well. He was an idiot if he thought what he did in The Lands Between would stay there. Despite everything, Elt was and still is a 17-Year-Old Teenager. He had not aged a day since coming there, since his entire experience within the Lands Between had only taken a single night's sleep when looked on from this land's perspective. He was prone to mistakes, and one of the most common would be those in regard to romance.

"...My Lord… Please understand that even now, I adore and think of you as someone to truly admire…." Lucas began with a sigh before he looked on at him.

"But I think I lost a little bit of respect for you after hearing this," Lucas muttered, his eyes moving around to process the information.

"...I… I know…" He muttered. Even after all of that, the one area he remained a complete amateur in was romance. He still hadn't even realized that around half of everyone he knew had some form of Romantic interest in him for one reason or the other.

"As long as you acknowledge it, then I will forgive you… Lady Ranni is just as guilty, to be honest…." Lucas continued, causing Elt to nod before Lucas turned to Elt.

"But that doesn't mean everyone else would forgive you so easily. How do you think they would feel if they found out that you're already betrothed?" Lucas asked, causing Elt to look at him before he spoke up.

"I'll tell them, explain it to them carefully once it's time for them to know everything there is to know… I might receive a few slaps… a kick in between my legs might also help them forgive me." He muttered sheepishly. He'd deserve it, but he still wanted to at least stay friends with them all.

"I'm not an expert in relationships, My Lord. So forgive me; I'm unable to aid you properly in this endeavor." Lucas muttered, turning his eyes down before he sighed.

"Honestly, my Lord. I know you are young, but to charm so many girls are just foolish." Lucas sighed, causing Elt to scratch the back of his head.

Granted, Lucas only knew of Primera's love. He didn't know about anyone else's love towards his Lord other than that supposed Noscrim Girl, the one Elt himself had feelings for. If he did, he would've learned that he managed to somehow charm one of the princesses and that even his caretaker had underlying feelings for him. That's a total of four different people who at least had feelings for him.

At that point, he might've actually blasted Elt regardless of his loyalty. Such shameless adultery was just unacceptable for someone like Lucas, even if it was never even Elt's intent.

"It wasn't really my intent... and I didn't really realize it until after I got my memories unlocked. I was a dumb and stupid kid back then, and I guess I still am." Elt stated with a sigh. He looked away in shame, much like how an old man would look back at his younger years.

He didn't know what approach to take; should he confront them all about it? No, now wasn't the time for that yet. He'll focus on taking care of the Baphomet first before he gets his relationships in Order.

The two continued on with their journey, passing through the halls before they came across a single room sealed by a large glowing blue seal. Elt widened his eyes as he turned to it, his eyes turning to the contents on the other side. It was his things, most of them at least. The Darkmoon Greatsword, his Armor and Blue Cloak that he wore throughout his time in the Lands Between, His Sacred Seals…

Torrent…

He was here, Torrent was sealed right inside, and he was unable to reach in. He placed his palm over the blue seal, causing it to ripple slightly before it ultimately rejected him.

"The Seal will not let anyone but you to pass, My Lord… however, the way it differentiates you from the rest is your Runes," Lucas explained, causing Elt to turn his blue eyes at the boy.

"From the looks of it, not enough of them have activated for it to let you pass. Lady Ranni requires you to reach a certain level before you can access them." Lucas continued, causing Elt to turn his gaze into the room.

"...Ranni… even now, huh? I owe you an apology then…." He muttered with a sigh before he shook his head and turned back to Lucas. He at least had an idea of where his things were; he just needed to gather the strength to retrieve them.

"My Lord... I know it's nothing like what you've used by the end of your journey, but..." Lucas began, turning to Elt before he held out a small stone-looking item. Elt's eyes widened, his hand moving to take the item before he paused. He picked it up, moving his hand up to look at it.

It was a Sacred Seal, specifically the Finger Seal. The most basic of the Sacred Seals, but it was enough for Elt for the time being. He clenched his hand, nodding at Lucas before the boy replied with his own nod. He moved his left hand, trying to see if he could use any of the incantations he knew. He gestured for Lucas to move a few steps back, and once he did, Elt threw his left hand back before suddenly pushing it forward causing a torrent of flames to fly out of his hand. He pulled his hand back and clasped the sacred seal. That took a bit out of him; he supposed that he should sue these incantations sparingly since he didn't have any Cerulean Tears to replenish.

"In any case, we've wasted enough time. Let's move and think about how you'll explain later. Once we catch this Baphomet, we should have enough time for you to state everything." He added, causing Elt to nod slowly before he and Lucas moved to find Merridith.


A lone girl stood in her dark and dreary room. A singular window was her only source of light, and the room had a modest look to it despite being a part of a noble's mansion. How long had she been here? She already lost count after the 500th day. It's been years, that much she could tell.

She had little to do here but a lot to think about. All of this had been caused by a single choice, a single stupid choice that stupid teenage her had chosen. The devil offered her a path to damnation, and she took it without hesitation.

Now, look at her, stuck in this childlike state. Mind that of an adult yet without the power and body that came with it. She was forever stuck in a single room, forever locked away from the one who she turned herself into a monster for. She was a monster through and through, the same type hated by many. The same type she herself had grown to hate.

Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was night. This meant that Hathaway and the rest of the Morrigan household had probably been asleep, with the exception of a few guards that lined the corridors.

But then things shifted.

The image of the moon through the window became crimson. The dark blue sky had turned purple, and she could feel a cold breeze within her own room.

There was a swirling mass of darkness that formed at the center of her room. She turned around and feared and took a step back, grabbing a book for protection just in case. Not that it would do her any good, but it was better than nothing.

Out of that swirling mass came a creature that Merridith knew all too well. Its features remained the same as it was over a decade ago. Her red eyes were as lecherous as they were malevolent, hair as black as midnight, horns pointy, and skin as pale as they came. Her clothes, if you could even call them that, were nothing more than black sludge that covered her privates.

"Long time no see, Merri-chan! How have you been in the past few years?" The black goat began; her voice was sickly sweet to the point of insincerity.

"Y-You!" She yelled out, moving her book in front of her in case she tried anything.

"That's right, Me! Your friendly neighborhood Kuro-chan is here to see how you've been!" Kuroferuru spoke in a bright tone, moving around as she made a little pose.

"Leave… I don't want to see you." Merridith spoke out, her tone as harsh as it was sorrowful.

"Aw, don't be like that. Your old friend decided to come back here, and you want me to leave?" Kuroferuru stated, her tone sounding hurt as she placed a paw over her chest. Merridith couldn't tell if she was being sincere or not, such was the confusing nature of this specific Baphomet.

"Friends? You'd call yourself my friend after what you did to me?" Merridith spoke up, her fear giving way to rage as she took a step forward and glared at Kuroferuru.

"What I did to you?" Kuroferuru began, placing a paw under her chin as she tilted her head slightly.

"Did you forget that it was you who did this to yourself? If you refused my offer, I would've left you well enough alone." Kuroferuru stated, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Merridith.

"You told me that you had a solution for me to be with him, with the man I love! that you'd give me something that would allow me to bridge the gap, but instead, you just made it wider!" She yelled out, tears threatening to stream out of her eyes as she clutched her chest to the point where she felt the pain of her nails digging into her skin.

"L-Look at me! I'm an abomination! I can't age, I look like a child forever, and I will never get to see him again!" She cried out, causing the Baphomet to pause. She stared at her eyes, and within them lay rage and fear, a combination that a witch should never feel towards another monster, let alone the Baphomet who turned her.

Her eyes narrowed before she placed a paw under her chin. She leaned forward, inspecting the girl who, in response, took a step back.

"You… you're not acting how you should be…." She muttered, her tone serious as she leaned forward.

Without warning, Merridith was then entangled in a mass of dark tentacles. Merridith struggled, but with her magic sealed and Demonic Energy suppressed, there was little she could do. She tried to yell, to call for Hathaway or anyone, but a tentacle prevented her from speaking. Her voice was nothing more than a muffled sound, her eyes wide and pupils shrunk.

"As much as I love to hear the loud moans and screams of my fellow monsters, now is not the time." She muttered, her tone serious as she placed a paw over Merridith's forehead.

With that, she inspected her Mana. She shifted before she suddenly widened her eyes at what she had discovered.

"...Merridith… who did this to you?" She spoke up, her tone serious. She removed the tentacle from her mouth, allowing her a moment to breathe before she stuttered.

"Y-You did; how could you forget what you-" Merridith started before Kuroferuru cut her off.

"Not that… who did the other thing to you?" She asked, causing Merridith to pause slightly.

"I-I'll never tell you!" She yelled out. Causing Kuroferuru to groan before she pulled Merridith in close.

"Merridith, let me explain to you the situation. What happened to you could be an existential threat to all monsterkind. It isn't normal; in fact, I didn't even think it was possible." Kuroferuru stated, her blank stare turning more aggressive as she placed a paw over Merridith's body.

"You can either tell me, or I'll have to sift through your memories myself." Kuroferuru threatened; Merridith paused as she tried to think of her answer. Without answering, she then spat at Kuroferuru, who blocked it with a Tentacle.

"...Normally, I'd crack a small innuendo about that. But for the first time in a long, long time, I'm not in the mood." Kuroferuru stated before she then forced Merridith down. She placed a paw over her forehead once more before she looked on at Merridith.

"You leave me no choice," She muttered before a purple glow formed on Merridith's forehead. Merridith closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst before…

An inhuman grunt sounded through the room for but a moment; Merridith opened her eyes to see what had happened, only for her to widen them at sight. The Baphomet's paws had been burnt to the point where she could actually see blood on some of the charred parts of it. She looked on at her face before she saw an expression that Kuroferuru had never shown in millennia.

In that one instance, Kuroferuru felt unimaginable pain.

It bypassed the magic she cast, the one that allowed her to completely ignore pain, and because of this, she didn't know how to feel. She clutched her paws, watching as they slowly regenerated. She flexed and moved them a bit to test them; seeing nothing wrong, she turned her head back to Merridith. Only from that point on, Kuroferuru was no longer smiling. She looked at her not like a mischievous and dangerous trickster but as a threat.

Kuroferuru summoned her scythe before she pointed it at Merridith. But before anything else could happen, she paused, taking a moment to think before she swung.

Merridith closed her eyes as she prepared herself. She watched the scythe descend before…

SPLASH

"Did you really have to douse her with water?" Merridith heard a voice call out, her eyes felt heavy, but she tried to pry them open. It took a considerable effort on her part to get her eyelids to separate, but for some reason, she felt incredibly tired.

That dream… It was a memory from just before the raid. Quite Literally, hours before, her life had been turned upside down again. To think that she's here again, and seeing as how Elt's an Inquisitor, she could already guess what he wants to ask for.

"It was either that, or I slap her in the face instead. So I chose the option where she would wake without me resorting to violence." A much younger voice called out. When she finally got her senses back, she found herself in a completely different room from before. Stone in make and grand in structure, it looked far more expensive than anything found within the Morrigan Estate. Not an easy feat considering that Harrison Morrigan spared no expense on the decorum.

She found herself bound by a chain of blue light, obviously magic in nature. She lifted her hand up to inspect it, furrowing her brows as she did so before she turned to Elt.

"I thought you said that no harm would come to me?" She muttered, causing Elt to shrug before he turned to Lucas.

"You didn't hurt her, right?" Elt asked, causing Lucas to turn to him before he nodded.

"See, no harm came to you. I technically fulfilled my end of the promise." Elt retorted, causing Merridith to sigh before she turned to her chains.

"Can you at least free me? You already know that I can't do magic; at least give me the ability to move around." Merridith stated, causing Elt to turn to Lucas before he gave him a small tap on the shoulder. With a simple nod, the chains came undone, and she was freed once more.

"Thank you…" She muttered.

"...So… I'm assuming that you're here for the information?" She asked. She owed him at least that much. Even if he did so for a reason that wasn't within her interests, he had still saved her life. In return, she'll give whatever information he desires.

"Yeah, if you don't mind, that is." He replied.

"No, it's fine… from what I know, it's probably about the Baphomet, right?" She asked, causing Elt to widen his eyes slightly before nodding. Looks like she hit him right on the mark. Unfortunately, she herself knew very little about her and so she won't be able to give him anything too concrete. However, the final part of their latest conversation could be of great use to him.

She said something that was so out of the left field and not at all related to their conversation that Merridith had no idea what it meant. Code? Most likely, but she wasn't really able to discern it.

"I don't really know what to tell you that you don't already know…." Merridith began, causing Elt to raise his brow before Merridith continued with her explanation.

"All I could tell you was that she showed up to the Morrigan Estate years ago, and then she turned me into a monster and never came back in years…." Merridith explained, causing Elt to sigh as he placed his hands on his hips.

"So… you don't know anything..." Elt muttered, a slightly defeated tone gripping his voice before he shook it off.

"No, she came back just recently," Merridith admitted, causing Elt to turn to her with widened eyes.

"She never really told me anything useful, she just talked to me about my condition, and then I told her to leave…." She muttered, leaving the part about her forcing her mind to open only to get herself burnt in the process.

"But she did tell me something odd at the end," She told him, causing him to move his eyes towards her.

"What did she tell you?" Elt asked, causing the Witch to place a hand under her chin.

"The Caretaker carries a great sin," She muttered, causing Elt to widen his eyes. He stood there silent as she processed the information, but before long, they narrowed.

It was a sentence that came way out of the left field, with absolutely nothing to do with her conversation with Kuroferuru earlier. At first, she thought that it might've been referring to Hathaway and the House Morrigan, but she quickly dismissed the thought considering one: the caretaker was singular; and two: she already knew that House Morrigan had a lot of dark secrets, her being chief among them.

So when Elt widened his eyes considerably and bit his lips, she understood the meaning of her last sentence. It was a message, not to her but to Elt.

"...Sasha…" He whispered before he turned to Lucas.

"I need to go; I have to check on Sasha," Elt stated, causing Lucas to nod before he spoke out.

"The Waygates that lead outside are in the courtyard. You should know how to get there from here." Lucas stated, causing Elt to nod before he opened his mouth to speak.

"What about you? What will you be doing?" Elt asked, causing Lucas to turn to Merridith.

"I still have questions, important ones. I'll handle things from here, do what you need to do, Lord." He muttered, causing Elt to nod before he said one final thing.

"Strict orders, Don't hurt her in any way, shape, or form." He stated before he turned to leave, causing Lucas to furrow his brows and turn to Merridith.

"That just made my job a little harder… but… alright, Lord's Orders." He stated before he turned to Merridith.

"There's still one more thing I wish to learn from you, and much like the last topic: this one is of grave importance," Lucas stated, leaning forward before he pulled out his staff.

"Why do you have the stench of gold on you?" He said cryptically, causing Merridith to look on at him before she gulped a bit of saliva.


A blonde-haired, green-eyed man looked upon the files gathered upon the files and documents he and his men gathered during the latest raid. His eyes narrowed, scanning the content of each of the documents with furrowed brows. To anyone else, the papers and files were all just normal conversations between noble families. Speaking about party invitations, marriage proposals, and more. However, given the strange use of language and how the sentences were structured, one experienced with noble society would immediately be able to tell that it was all coded.

After all, no one would ever risk exposing their crimes on papers meant to be passed around and potentially intercepted. Lescatie's political state was too volatile for them to directly give their message to other noble families.

Normally, it would've been easy for Albain Rejulia to figure out the coded messages through context clues and by cross-examining them with past letters. He's never going to be 100 percent accurate, but he could get pretty close if he's lucky.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of things going on in his mind right now that prevented him from decoding the hidden meaning behind the documents.

Merridith, the Witch he accepted the mission for, had escaped. She was free somewhere in Lescatie, but he didn't have the resources to look. The Cardinal and his father had already closed the matter, so he wouldn't be able to pull the vast resources he managed to get during the actual raid.

Their goals in the raid have been met, so one Witch that escaped their grasp was none of their concern.

But it was his, and he intended to use all the resources he could gather to find that Witch, no matter what the cost.

Starting with…

The door to his office opened, revealing a girl that resembled Albain and wearing the Inquisition's uniform. She looked around nervously before she turned her eyes to Albain.

"...You called me, Lord Inquisitor?" She asked, causing Albain to nod and gesture to a seat right in front of his desk.

She took a deep breath, hesitating, before she moved to the chair and sat upon it. She stood still, not moving in fear that she'd anger Albain in any way, shape, or form.

"I assume that you're wondering why I called you here," Albain stated. It wasn't a question; he was stating what he already knew and what anyone would be asking should they be in the same situation. Aria sat there, looking at him before she nodded. That caused Albain to furrow his brows slightly before he spoke up.

"Are you mute? Speak up." He commanded, causing Aria to nod before she slapped herself and spoke.

"Y-Yes, Lord Inquisitor." She muttered.

"Honestly, Aria, where is your pride? I will not harm you unless you give me a sufficient reason to. So be at ease; I simply wish to converse." Albain stated; Aria just dumbly nodded before she remembered what he said before and let out a quick: yes, sir.

"In any case, I summoned you here for a simple reason." He muttered, placing the files down on the table before he turned to Aria. He rested his elbows on the table, lifting his hand to place his chin upon it.

"I need you to tell me everything you can about Inquisitor Elt." He stated, causing Aria to widen her eyes.

Elt, the new Junior Inquisitor, was apparently being handled by Akito Shion, the one Inquisitor that he just could not get along with at all. He was an enigma the moment he first saw him. The eyes were said to be the gateway to one's soul, and because of that, Albain trained himself to read people through their eyes. And yet Elt's eyes were completely unreadable, not because he hid his intent well but because what lies beneath it was a confusing mess.

He just couldn't pinpoint who or what exactly he was. At first, he simply assumed him to be another common fool, roped into the Inquisition by another common idiot from the east. But during the raid and his initial meeting, he noticed things that just seemed off. For one, despite acting like a genuine and innocent young man, he moved like a warrior. His steps were calculated as if his mind cautioned him of every possible threat before he even took a step forward.

Then there was that sudden shift when Elt suddenly stopped acting like how he had first pegged him to. He knew that he'd be acting differently after what he forced him to do, but the way he acted after what he had done was not what he had expected. He expected shock, perhaps an empty feeling, numbness after a brutal murder.

But no, he didn't act like that. Rather, he acted as if what he had done was just another grizzly murder that he was accustomed to committing like a veteran in war, laying down another soul for the umpteenth time in his life.

But as strange as those were, that wasn't the real reason why he was interested. No, the real reason why he wanted to learn more about Elt was for one simple reason.

Merridith…

Elt knew where she was; Albain knew that Elt was the one who did it. She got away because of him, and now he sought to find her. He could've ordered Elt's death right then and there; he could've culled his life with the power the two heroes had granted him with their service.

But no, Albain was both patient and pragmatic. He'd bide his time and observe from afar. If Elt died now, then the only real lead he could reach out to would die. Akito could be involved in this as well, but being an Inquisitor around the same rank as he was, getting him to talk would be impossible.

Elt knew where Edith was, and considering his new change in demeanor and the way he managed to get in the way of literal lightning and tank its devastating effects, a direct confrontation would be unwise. As such, all he can really do is wait and observe, send people in from afar to watch over him. And eventually, by extension, he'd be able to find Edith.

In the meantime, he'll get information as much of it as he could possibly grab from every file and document available to the Inquisitor. With him being Heir to the Noble House Rejulia, his reach went far and wide. He'll find out whatever he can from this Red-haired commoner, starting from what his sister knew.

"Uh… I know a bit, but nothing that you wouldn't know… Lord Inquisitor…" She muttered, causing Albain to sigh.

It was to be expected, they had only met for a brief moment, and that was for Elt to find a way to speak with him. Aria would've known little, but…

"Then I suppose that it's time you train your investigative abilities," Albain stated, getting up as he grabbed a piece of paper and began to write on it.

"Inquisitor Aria Rejulia, your first independent assignment as Inquisitor is this: find out as much as you can about Inquisitor Elt without arousing suspicion." He stated, writing down the details and information relevant to her task as he spoke.

"You are to use any tool you deem necessary, including our family's assets, should you need to. But avoid using the latter unless absolutely necessary. Out of everyone, I'd rather not get father involved in this." He stated, his tone becoming dry as he spoke.

"Uh…" Aria muttered, placing her fingertips together as she opened and closed her mouth. Sweat poured from her brows as Albain looked on with his own brows furrowed.

She didn't want to do this; it was as clear as day. But she had no real choice; it was either this or she might get court-martialed. Despite how Elt has treated her, she was still a member of House Rejulia, and she would not disobey a direct order even if her life depended on it.

Eventually, she spoke out again.

"U-Understood…" She muttered, grabbing the piece of paper before she gave a short bow.

"Get on with it then; you and I would have a lot of work to do." He stated, causing her to nod before she left the room to do her new task. This was her first time going on a mission without him, but out of everyone, he was the one who knew of her potential the most. She was a studious and hardworking girl, and she earned her right to stand with him here.

Even if his pride won't admit it, deep down, he knew how great of an Inquisitor she could be. Now, if only she could grow a backbone instead of relying on him to help her with the bullying that goes off here in this organization.

"Now then…" Albain muttered, turning to the documents he found within the Morrigan estate.

He needed to finish decoding these before he could investigate Elt himself. Elt was not the only thing that he found strange during the raid; there were other things about it that he just couldn't put his finger on.

He opened the document, a letter to another unnamed noble house. Perhaps decoding it would tell him which one it was. If he could, and depending on who it is, The Inquisition could and would then use this information to discredit that house.

'Dearest Count Morrigan,

I am pleased to inform you that your delivery of Themysciran Ale has gone smoothly, over 34 liters in the past few days. We would certainly be well fed in the coming party, Pork, Exotic Birds, and now the Wine would do well for us. I hope to see you there, and I wish you a good day.

Glory to the Order and to the Gods,

Signed, A Dear Friend.'

Albain furrowed his brows at what he read. This document was relatively new, only a few weeks old if the date written on it was anything to go by. But he has not heard a single thing about an event, at least not one small enough that required only over 34 liters of Wine. It could've just been for a small gathering, but why the need to specify the amount in that case?

The wording of the letter just seemed odd. Themysciran Wine was a brand named after the old myth of the Amazons. It was a myth that spanned ages ago before the current demon lord ascended into her position. The Wine itself was.. okay…

It wasn't really anything special; it just seemed like your standard Wine, all things considered. Normally, this wouldn't be suspicious, but Harrison Morrigan was known to be quite the drinker. It was even joked about in the upper class that he wouldn't touch anything that wouldn't get him drunk in one shot. While it was only a joke to the upper class, it did have merit.

He himself could vouch for it, as Albain himself saw Count Harrison outright refuse a drink offered to him due to its lack of punch.

"It's code then… but for what?" He muttered to himself, cupping his chin as he leaned forward and read it again.

Themysciran… Amazons… Delivery…

Albain widened his eyes at a certain thought he had. It was mere speculation on his part, and even the thought of it was absurd. He had no basis for this theory other than the letter, and even then, it was flimsy at best and just moronic at worst.

'Could they be smuggling monsters into this city?' He thought to himself. It was absurd, and he had no way to confirm it. Alas, they could do nothing to truly investigate. Harrison Morrigan was one thing, but Priest Noscrim was another. He was the one who oversaw the exchange of goods, and he even had a special unit from the Order of the Ice-Flower to guard it. As powerful as his father was, he was nowhere close enough to even challenge Noscrim. The backing of the Inquisition could only let him do so much against a man like him. They could act as a roadblock, but they didn't have the power to actually interfere with Noscrim directly.

As such, forcefully investigating his cargo would be out of the picture. There was just too much to risk and too little to gain. And it was over a piece of speculation that had no other basis other than Albain's opinion. The Noscrim Faction could simply write this off as another attempt to drag their name down.

'I need to know more… but… Alright, I've decided that I'll shelve this for a while and come back to it in the future. For now, I need to focus on Edith.' He thought to himself as he leaned his back onto his chair.

His gaze turned to the ceiling, and his eyes narrowed as an indescribable thought crossed him.

"I'll see you soon enough, Edith."


'The Caretaker Carries a Great Sin,' Elt thought to himself, moving through the streets of Lescatie as he did. His eyes turned to the church-turned orphanage, his eyes narrowing slightly. He paused, not taking a step further as he watched the orphanage. The old him may have put complete faith in her, to trust her unconditionally. But with his memories restored, there was doubt that festered in his mind.

'...Sasha isn't like that… That Baphomet was just trying to taunt me.' He reassured himself, taking a deep breath before he took a step forward. Alas, with every step, the doubts that festered within his mind began to grow. Before he could even reach the doorway, the door opened, and Elt instinctively moved to the corner to not be seen.

He peered over, his eyes finding his older sister walking out of the door and closing them from behind. She wore her usual clothing with a cloak over her shoulders, presumably to keep her warm. She locked the door before she slipped off into the streets, it was past midnight, and if Elt had to guess the time, it would've been around 1 in the morning. A good 5 hours before any sunlight would cover the earth.

He furrowed his brows; she always left the orphanage this late into the night for her nightly duties as a priest. He didn't know what it was she did, but Merridith's words and the Baphomet's message suddenly rang.

His face froze, eyes looking on at Sasha's form as she pulled her hood up and began her walk. Despite her claims of her going out every night in order to do her duties, telling him and Primera both that she was off feeding the homeless and helping the poor. He's never really seen her do any of that.

He clenched his fists, thinking about his next move carefully before he gritted his teeth. He trusted Sasha with all his heart, and not even the doubts in his mind would ever get in the way of that.

'...Am I really about to do this?' He thought to himself before he clenched his fist together.

'No... No, this is because I trust her, yeah. I'm doing this because I trust her completely….' He thought to himself, reassuring himself about that thought over and over. Then, he silently tailed her from behind. He was going to get to the bottom of that message, to prove the Baphomet wrong and to show her that Sasha had no secrets to hide.

He climbed up one of the houses, reaching through the cracked stone and rotten wood, carefully balancing himself until he reached a high enough elevation to not get spotted. He took a deep breath; he checked himself for his equipment before he began to tail her from above.


Author's Notes:

Remember what I said the last chapter, that this one would come out in a few days? I lied; it came out the day after.

Maybe I should stop posting chapters too closely to one another, but this chapter was done, so I might as well just post it now. The next one might take a while though since I have a few things to do.

I have a few things to talk about here, first and foremost. Firstly, Raya Lucaria, or more accurately Liurnia of the Lakes. Its Status here is similar to that of Crumbling Farrum Azula, in which it's separated from space, but unlike Crumbling Farrum Azula, its time is still linked with that of the world. Here we also see what Lucas is and what his purpose was. I based his origin on those deformed children in Rennala's boss fight. The original ones crude and imperfect attempts to replicate her daughter, but here they're less deformed and more capable... or at least they should be, but as you can see, only Lucas remains.

In any case, that's all I wanted to talk about, so this AN would be pretty short. Anyways, as usual: Critiques, Reviews, Reactions, Comments, etc. can all be placed in the review section. PMs are also open, if you want to use that instead.

Whamo out!