Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

On one side was Melina, who had been with me till now, and on the other side was Lani, who treated me with all her heart. I was caught in the middle, as if I was holding a huge bomb, and both fuses were sizzling with sparks and burning towards me.

"Lord Ling, you also think that since you are the king, you must lead everyone forward in order to change the border area!"

"Everyone should have independent thoughts. The so-called 'king' is just a bondage. Zero, you should be able to understand me."

“······Two.”

"Lord Zero!"

"zero!"

——Ah, so difficult!

It feels like when I was a kid and was forced to ask myself whether I liked my mother more or would rather follow my father. I just feel so overwhelmed.

"You two!" He had to raise his voice to interrupt their quarrel. "Whether it's Lani or Melina, calm down first, okay?"

My two young ladies finally stopped talking, glanced at each other, and turned their faces away tacitly.

I couldn't help but sigh, and I said to Lani first: "Lani, I'm sorry. Melina and I came here this time to obtain the death curse on your original body. It's not just to explore the truth of that night of conspiracy, but also for other reasons... Are you willing to listen to my idea of ​​the law?"

“······Okay, if it’s an idea of ​​zero independence, I’m willing to listen to it.” Lani deliberately emphasized the word “independent”.

Melina naturally heard the other party's implicit meaning and frowned slightly in dissatisfaction.

I subconsciously held her hand, but then felt something was wrong, so I let go, gently patted the back of Melina's hand, and smiled at her.

"First, let me tell you about my feelings while traveling in the border area." As always, I said what I thought was the most core problem of the border area at present. "The death here is too chaotic. Of course, there were already signs of this before you, Lani, launched the Black Blade Conspiracy Night. People who are granted 'eternity' cannot die easily. Even if they really die, I heard that they can be reincarnated through the golden tree, that is, change their bodies and continue to live... After the Conspiracy Night, the appearance of the Prince of Death attracted the guys born from death, making the originally chaotic order even more irreversible."

Lani's pair of blue eyes looked at me calmly. She listened quietly without expressing any objection.

"So, I think Queen Marica must have realized this when she smashed the ring. But the strange thing is, since she can create 'eternity', and Melina also said that the queen has mastered the power of [Death] of the Goddess of the Night Eyes, so I have been wondering why she had to smash the ring? Can't she modify the Golden Law herself? After all, the law is under her control and she created it."

"······That's true." Even Melina agreed with me.

I then said, "So, I have a conclusion. Even if Queen Marica wants to change the law, someone disagrees, and this person's power is even higher than hers... Just like you, Lani, who is the son of God, are still imprisoned by the finger, and the queen is the same. Of course, with her ability, she is enough to fight against the finger. Then, the person behind her must be a higher level than them."

——The answer, of course, is the Beast of Elden!

Of course, only a time traveler like me knows this.

In this world, no one should know the existence of Elden Beast. Even Lani may not know her own father. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the body outside of Elden Beast.

"It's those beings who stubbornly refuse to believe that there's anything wrong with the Golden Law, and stubbornly push the borderland into the abyss step by step. Queen Marica is powerless, so she can only break the ring to show her protest." I paused for a moment, leaving room for Lani and Melina to think, and then continued, "Therefore, on this point, I agree with your approach, Lani - as long as all the messy things are driven out of the borderland, thinking is returned to everyone, and they can grasp the future themselves... This is actually similar to what Queen Marica did, so she called back us Faded Ones, let us think, let us feel the current borderland, and finally make a choice."

"Really? As expected, Zero, do you think so too?" Lani nodded slightly with satisfaction, "Then..."

"But I won't leave the border." I interrupted her and looked at her firmly.

But the next second, in the other person's slightly surprised and confused eyes, I scratched my head a little timidly: "Ah~ But, to be honest, if you ask me to guide a country, an entire land, I can't do it well. After all, I was just an otaku."

“…Ah, a stay-at-home?”

"Ah, please, don't mind this. It just means that my abilities are not strong enough and there are still many things I need to learn. I am not yet qualified to be entrusted with the important task of governing the world and guiding the people." I quickly changed my words to explain.

——That was a close call. Damn it. I almost exposed myself completely by complaining so casually.

Fortunately, Lani didn't seem to be suspicious anymore, so I could continue to talk: "After all, it's not enough to govern a piece of land with strength alone. Of course, these are all things to come... My only thought now is to try my best to solve the big problems in this border area, such as correcting the order of death, releasing the will that imprisoned Queen Marika, and returning thinking to everyone... If there is a future, I also want to continue to help everyone solve some trivial problems in this land. After all, you can't eat fat in one bite. Who knows if there will be other problems after the new law is implemented."

"So, your choice is still to be with her... with them?" Lani asked softly.

"No!" I answered firmly, "I want to be with you, Lani, and with everyone... You explore the endless possibilities in the starry sky, and I will always keep your homeland for you to return to, so that your journey will no longer be lonely, okay?"

As I said this, I smiled and extended my hand to the petite Lani.

"······" Lani just looked at me without responding for a long time. Finally, her eyes fell on the Dark Moon Ring on my finger.

“No one is allowed to take this thing... At the other side of the night, all the loneliness belongs only to me.” Lani chanted softly.

——If I remember correctly, this should be the warning engraved on the Darkmoon Ring.

She raised her head, looking helpless, yet smiling with a hint of relief: "You are so cunning, Zero."

"Hmm?" I couldn't help but tilt my head.

——Why do you suddenly say I'm cunning? It's really confusing.

At this moment, a noise suddenly came from the corner of the wall, which scared Melina so much that she immediately retreated away, and the petite Lani sat down on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Hmm? Is it dark?" Latan stretched and stood up. "Oh, good morning, brother Zero! You really defeated that noble and climbed up this divine tower. Well done."

·······

——General!!!