Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

The fire in Windmill Village burned all night long.

In the morning, after a brief inspection, I returned to the temporary camp at the bridgehead where the golden mask was. When I came back, I saw Pollyanna wolfing down a bowl of mutton soup that she had been forced to cook overnight.

Everyone else had woken up, but Tragus and Roger were still listless, holding a bowl of meat soup in their hands but with no appetite.

Millicent heard my footsteps, turned around, stood up with a smile, and greeted: "Zero, where have you been?"

“I went back to the Windmill Village…”

"Why go there? Hasn't everything been resolved?" Pollyanna said quickly.

I sighed, "Listen to me. It has indeed been reduced to ruins, but there are still some remnants of the enchanting flower... It seems that a fire alone cannot burn it all away."

After walking around, my stomach was growling with hunger.

I went to open the lid of the pot, and the inside was so clean that it looked like it had been washed. "Ah! Pollyanna, you, leave some for me!"

"Huh?! Everyone ate it, why are you picking on me?" Pollyanna immediately yelled in dissatisfaction, "You are prejudiced, apologize!"

······It seems that I was indeed wrong.

But I still insisted: "There are still vegetable leaves on the corners of your mouth, you must have eaten the most! When it was just cooked last night, you were sleeping like a dead pig and couldn't be woken up even if I called you."

"You are the dead pig! Besides, you already ate last night, so of course you have to share it with us today." Pollyanna did not show any weakness.

Our noisy bickering attracted the dissatisfaction of Colin who was nearby. He immediately reminded us loudly: "Master Zero! Master Pollyanna! Please keep your voice down and don't disturb the teacher's thinking!"

——But, Mr. Kelin, your voice was the loudest just now.

"Blindfolded man, you were the loudest just now!" Pollyanna seemed to have read my mind. She retorted unconvincedly and glared at me.

······I'd better just shut up.

Millicent looked apologetic, "I'm sorry, Zero. I thought you had eaten before leaving to do something, so I forgot to leave some for you."

When Tragus saw this, he handed over the uneaten bowl in his hand.

I quickly waved my hands and said, "No, it's okay, Big Horned Brother, you should eat it. You and Roger are both seriously injured and need to replenish your energy."

After all, not to mention Big Horned Brother, Roger also looked sick.

——Even though they had received the triple healing of the Holy Grail Dew Drops, the Restoration Prayer, and the Blessing of Grace, it seemed that, like Miss Jus, once they were infected with something, even the Eternal Blessing could do nothing about it.

All I can say is that fortunately the poison these two people were infected with should be relatively mild, and there is still a possibility of full recovery.

"Zero, where is Miss Jiusi?" Roger suddenly asked.

“······She’s gone.” I sighed and told the truth. After all, there was nothing to hide.

Pollyanna immediately asked, "Huh? Gone? Where did he go? I haven't settled accounts with that woman yet!"

"Miss Jiusi, she went into the forest below alone. As for where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do, I don't know." I was about to end the topic indifferently.

After all, it was me who sent Miss Jiusi away personally.

She lay here all night, during which time she had one or two attacks of her flower addiction, and began to seduce me in a delirious state. After being rejected, she felt as if her whole body was burning, and she rolled on the ground, scratching her neck and face until she was out of strength.

When she was conscious, Miss Juice confessed that she had deceived not only her companions, but also other people passing by here, just as she had deceived us. Naturally, she also thought about dragging Millicent and Pollyanna into the same situation.

She has become completely dependent on the flower poison. If she does not take the flower powder, she will often find it difficult to control herself.

No wonder Roger and I were poisoned by the Gu Mei poison after drinking the flower wine. But for Miss Jiusi, the dose was too weak. It could only quench her thirst temporarily and allow her to slightly suppress the addiction that had already penetrated deep into her bones, so that she could become like a normal person.

"... I am beyond help, Lord Zero. If possible, please grant me death." Misjus sobbed and pleaded numbly.

But I didn't agree: "Since I saved you, I will not kill you again. There is no judge in this world, so only you can judge your sins."

Therefore, I finally gave Misjus a straight sword.

After expressing her gratitude, she walked into the forest alone.

Looking at Miss Jiusi's departing back, I vaguely realized why there were so many maggot-faced people in the forest near Windmill Village.

The reason they are able to use the power of the curse is probably because the maggot-faced man is constantly devouring the bodies of the dead.

...Some may be skinned men; some may be abandoned alien children; and some may be people who are bent on death like Miss Jiusi.

After hearing my answer, everyone obviously understood the implication and remained silent for a while.

I changed the subject: "By the way, Millicent, Pollyanna, you said before that you wanted to go to the city sandwiched in the mountains, right? I roughly know the way. You wait here for a few days and help me to completely remove those poisonous flowers in Windmill Village. When I come back, I will go with you, how about that?"

"Huh? If you want to see the King of Blessing, don't you have to pass through the entire royal city of Rodel? How can that be possible in just a few days?" Pollyanna rejected me with reason.

"I didn't say I wanted to see him in person. If it's just the incarnation of a demon, it's easy to find..." Looking at Pollyanna and Millicent's clear and puzzled eyes, I sighed, "Anyway, it's like finding a trusted younger brother of the Blessed King to act as a messenger. I heard that he's near the outer city of Rodel, so it shouldn't take much time."

"Well, we are also worried about having no direction, so let's meet up here later." Millicent agreed.

Pollyanna murmured angrily, "We don't necessarily need this guy."

But she didn't continue to shut me out.

I nodded, and then said to Roger and Tragus, "Brother Jie, Brother Dajiao, the poison in your bodies may have infected your spirits, and it is difficult to remove it with just blessings... However, Kalia's calming magic seems to be quite effective against it, so I personally hope that you can go to the Rhea Lukalia College temporarily to recuperate a little."

——After all, in that illusion, it was Melina who used the magic left by Lani to wake me up.

"Hmm." Big Horned Brother nodded in agreement.

Roger also sighed: "It seems that this is the only way... Sorry, Zero, I can't help you at all."

"Don't say that. After all, I still need you, Brother Jie, to help me find the clues about the dead prince." I smiled and comforted him, "I'll wait for you in the royal city."

Millicent suddenly asked, "But, Zero, what are your own plans? It sounds like you're helping us with things, so don't delay anything."

"As for me, since Sunshade City is right on the way to where I want to go, it's not a big deal to take you there." I smiled and told the truth. "Right now, compared to entering the Royal City of Rodel, the things happening at the Volcano Residence are what I'm more concerned about."

——After all, I have already agreed with Laya that I will go find her, right?