Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

“...Now, King Greg, who has always covered the entire Nimgfor like a haze, has been defeated! We will regain our freedom and glory!” On the stage in the central square of Stonewell, Edson was in high spirits and talked eloquently, not looking like an old man at all.

Below the stage, those who supported him responded and applauded continuously, while those who were hostile to him last night mostly looked indifferent.

But, Roger, you are laughing too much! I have been listening to you laughing for a quarter of an hour!

If it weren't for you, a bastard, how could I be like a pig being roasted on the fire, with my face red!

"...But a group of dragons cannot be without a leader, and Stonewell cannot be without a master for a day, otherwise, we will repeat the road to destruction!" Edson finally got to the point, and then waved his hand at me, "Therefore, please allow me to recommend that Lord Zero, the Faded One who defeated the evil king Greg and led us to save Stonewell, become the new king of our Stonewell!"

"Oh--"

"Great!"

······

Suddenly, there was a cheer from the audience, especially the guys who fought together last night, they were dancing with joy.

What should I do?

I am just a weak and helpless A'tai. If you want me to really become a king, I may not be reliable.

But Roger was still pushing me from behind: "Go ahead, Zero. Go and say a few words to your comrades who support you. From now on, you will be the King of Storms."

······The fist became a little hard.

"Zero." Hurtok suddenly said to me, "Escape will not solve the problem. No matter what you think in your heart, tell those who support you directly! As a warrior, the most important thing is to stick to your beliefs!"

"······Hertok, thank you." I took a deep breath and walked towards Edson.

He also respectfully saluted me as a knight and then stepped back from his seat in front of the stage.

I raised my hand, motioning for everyone to be quiet, and then said at the top of my voice: "No, no matter what..."

——It hurts! Damn, I bit my tongue!

——This is one of the most feared scenes for people with social anxiety: making a fool of oneself in public!

——My life is over!

However, the entire central square was extremely quiet, without a single laugh. Almost everyone was still looking at me solemnly, waiting for their king to continue leading them towards a path of hope.

I couldn't help but correct my attitude and said again: "Friends living in Stonewell, whether you are my comrades who fought with me last night, or my opponents who fought against us under Greg's rule, first of all, thank you for coming here to participate in the coronation ceremony. Just as Mr. Edson Hyde said, Greg has fallen now, and you will be free again!"

During the brief moment I paused, the crowd in the audience burst into applause.

——So, this is what it’s like to be a leader and give a speech. It’s really nice to be respected and noticed by everyone.

I continued, "But now, the entire border is still full of unfreedom! After the ring was broken, more people suffered the ruthless manipulation of fate. Take Gaileed in neighboring Nimgefor as an example. Everyone should have heard that the Knights of the Red Lion are still fighting corruption day and night until today, just so that their general can recover one day, or end up with dignity as a warrior."

"Besides, although I was lucky enough to defeat Greg, I was able to succeed with the help of Nefeli, Roger, Hurtok, and you. Personally, I still have many shortcomings." I took a deep breath again, and then made my final decision. "Therefore, as a Faded One, I still want to continue traveling, learning, and fighting. If possible, I will do my best to help those who are still not free and escape their fate. So, please allow me to decline the honor of 'Storm King'."

When I finished speaking, the square was completely silent.

Almost everyone's eyes were focused on me, with expressions of confusion, disbelief, appreciation and recognition, but mostly hesitation and uneasiness.

After all, what Edson said was not wrong - although Stonewell was temporarily free, if there was no new king for a long time and no clear direction forward, it would only be caught in the vortex of chaos again in the troubled times.

It's even possible that someone with ulterior motives would take advantage of the empty city and break into it, just like Greg did, and manipulate everyone's fate again.

So, I have another suggestion!

"Everyone, please listen to me!" After pondering for a moment, I spoke again, "Those who have lived in Stonewell for a long time should still remember that the Hyde clan once governed the entire Nimgfu, and old man Edson has also served as the king's steward for a long time. Therefore, I suggest that before finding a new king, we should first recall Kenneth Hyde from Hyde Fortress, and use their Hyde clan as the core to lead us to deal with the many problems left by Greg... Kenneth Hyde is also one of my friends. I believe he has enough foresight to guide us... As for the issue of the combat power to protect Stonewell, I recommend another person - the Crucible Knight, Hertok!"

Hertok was slightly stunned, and his pupils dilated slightly.

Obviously he didn't expect his name to suddenly appear here.

I didn't give him a chance to refuse, and quickly continued, "I believe that everyone, whether fighting with him or against him, has already experienced Hurtok's ability last night! I will try my best to help you keep this powerful warrior!"

After hearing this, the people in the audience immediately started talking again.

But at least it sounded like no one was dissatisfied with the proposal. After all, in terms of presence last night, no one could compare to Hertok.

"How is it? Hertok, do you need to say something?" I turned around and asked him with a smile.

Hurtok thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "If Ling, you can fulfill your promise to me, I will consider your proposal then."

"That's it!" I said confidently, then turned around and asked everyone, "Do you have any questions now?"

The guys in the audience looked at each other, but no one raised any objections.

"zero!"

No one knew who shouted first, but then, as if setting off a wave, the shouts from twos and threes soon turned into the only shout in the square: "Zero! Zero! Zero! Zero!"

······

——Okay, okay, I know you are willing to support my decision and don’t intend to force me to be the “Storm King”.

——But there is no need to be like Mung, the president of the "Blood Dynasty". He would be mistaken for Nantong's... Although, the president seems to be one of them.

I waved my hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said, "Then, before Kenneth Hyde is recalled, we have to complete one thing first - send all the people in this city who were killed by Greg to the door for burial, so that they can return to the tree in peace, and return peace to Stonewell."

Everyone immediately responded to my call and scattered to move the remains piled up in the dining hall, warehouse, and courtyard out of Stoneville.

Roger came over and said with a smile, "You are amazing, Zero. Not only did you get out of this situation, you also pulled Hertog into the water."

"Don't say such harsh words, I am telling the truth, and Hertok is willing to do this." I said with a smile, "Then from now on, I will fulfill my promises to you one by one."

"Zero, Master Zero." Edson suddenly interrupted, "From your sincere words just now, I can understand that your ambition is not only to stay in Stonewell, but also to a greater realm... But, but can you please also agree to one of my requests."

"As long as I'm not made the Storm King, I'm fine with it." I complained in a good mood, "Let me hear you first."

Edson said seriously: "Master Zero, have you ever heard of the Blackthorn Death Curse?"

"Oh!" Roger's eyes suddenly lit up, and he took a step forward and pushed me aside. "Old man, I'd like to hear more about it!"