Elden Lord of Cinders

After walking out of Morgott's office with a numb look on his face, Lloyd followed his advice and returned to the Roundtable Hold to meet the so-called "Two Fingers," and then...

"Well damn, it really is just two fingers."

Lloyd had assumed "Two Fingers" was a nickname—maybe for a big guy missing a few digits.

But when he pushed open the door, what met his eyes was exactly what the name implied: a giant hand with just two fingers, and a hunched old woman seated beside it.

"A new Tarnished, huh?"

The old woman looked at him as he entered, her voice hoarse.

"You've had a rough journey. I am Enia, the Finger Reader. The Fingers are messengers of the Greater Will, and I am the crone who speaks its words."

"Look closely—the Fingers tremble. That means they welcome you, bearer of a Great Rune."

She paused, eyes still on the Fingers as if watching for subtle movements.

After a moment of observation, she turned back to Lloyd.

"Now, listen well to what the Fingers say."

"The mighty Elden Ring is the Golden Order itself—it brings law to the world, and grants life its blessings and grace. But now the Elden Ring is shattered. Breaking the Order is a grievous sin, and its consequences cannot be escaped..."

"The world and all life are now in ruins. Curses and misfortune spread everywhere."

"But even so, the Greater Will has not forsaken the world or life. That's why you Tarnished have been blessed with the guidance of Grace—you've been given a mission."

"Tarnished one, the Great Rune you carry is but one shard of the Elden Ring. Seek out another. Become Elden Lord. Restore the Golden Order."

Oh, it's just a translation gig.

After hearing Enia relay the message, Lloyd mulled it over for a moment.

"So... what exactly is the Greater Will?"

Enia: "...?"

Lloyd shrugged. "I have amnesia."

"Oh, amnesia? Well, that explains a lot..."

Enia nodded and gave him a general rundown of what she understood the Greater Will to be.

The creator of all things, the embodiment of Order, a supreme and absolute being—the one the Fingers serve and obey.

After hearing her explanation, Lloyd nodded. He had a decent idea now.

Sounded like the kind of thing you'd end up fighting at the end.

...

After wrapping up with the Finger Crone, Lloyd returned to his room.

Roderika had mostly calmed down after some time to rest and had even become friends with Irina.

"How are you holding up? Feeling better?" Lloyd pulled up a chair and sat across from the two.

"Thanks to you... a lot better."

Roderika was genuinely grateful to Lloyd.

Sure, he was the one who'd dumped that creepy woman on her, but it was clear he'd meant well.

And once he noticed something was wrong, he'd stayed up comforting her all night. Then he brought her to the Roundtable Hold—giving her a place that was both safe and comfortable.

Of course, she'd briefly wondered if he had some hidden agenda. But that thought passed almost immediately.

Given her condition back then and the strength he'd shown, if he had really wanted something from her, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths. And he definitely wouldn't have brought her here.

If she still clung to suspicions in a situation like that, it wouldn't be caution—it would just be plain foolishness.

"Um, is there anything I can do for you?"

Having received a lot of help from the other party, Roderika wanted to try offering assistance, even if she felt there wasn't much she could do.

"I'm not good at fighting, but I do know a few other things..."

"Can you tune spirits?"

"...Tune spirits?"

Judging by her expression, Lloyd could tell right away—she had no idea how to do it.

Still, it didn't matter. When he last brought Roderika over, the old blacksmith had already noticed her potential. During a casual chat afterward, he'd mentioned that if Lloyd gave his permission, he could teach the girl some basics about spirit tuning.

Although Master Hewg was willing to teach and Roderika was eager to learn, there was a small issue.

Namely, the room behind Hewg's forge was occupied by a woman named Chaos.

Which made things a bit... complicated.

In the end, it was decided that Lloyd would stay by Roderika's side to keep her calm during her lessons. After each session, she'd return to her room to rest.

Fortunately, the theoretical part of spirit tuning wasn't extensive. Once the initial explanations were over, most of the process depended on one's natural talent and intuition.

After settling everything regarding spirit tuning, Lloyd suddenly remembered an important item he'd picked up at Stormveil and handed it to Roderika.

[Chrysalids' Memento]

"Ah... these are... everyone's remains?"

Roderika's voice trembled slightly as she looked down at the relics in her hands.

"I can't believe this actually happened..."

Lloyd said nothing. He simply gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.

After a long silence, Roderika looked up, as if she had made a firm decision.

"Mr. Lloyd, if I really can become a Spirit Tuner, please allow me to stay by your side and support you."

"Of course."

And that was that.

After handling Roderika's matters, Lloyd had a conversation with Irina.

Before heading to the Roundtable Hold, he'd used the Site of Grace to check in on Castle Morne. The place was still a mess, but it had improved somewhat compared to before.

He'd also taken the time to visit the castle's lord—Irina's father, Edgar—to ask if he wanted Irina to return. But after thinking for a while, Edgar shook his head.

"Sigh... As you can see, Castle Morne has turned into a 'city of Misbegotten.' Given what I've become, I'm in no position to say anything—but Irina's still human. It wouldn't be right for her to come back."

Lloyd thought for a moment. "Then, should I take you to the Roundtable Hold to see her?"

Edgar hesitated, then shook his head again. "No need. Just deliver a message for me. I don't want her to know that her father has become a Misbegotten."

So once again, Lloyd acted as the messenger. He passed along Edgar's greetings and relayed that now wasn't the right time for her to return.

Upon receiving her father's message, Irina expressed her understanding.

Though she didn't know exactly what had happened in Castle Morne, from what Lloyd said, she could tell her father was clearly under pressure—but he was still alive. And that was enough for her.

Besides her father's situation, Irina actually had something of her own she wanted to discuss with Lloyd.

"Lord Lloyd, the 'Miracles' in this Braille Holy Book you gave me seem to have a lot in common with 'Incantations.'"

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Irina didn't answer right away. She simply raised her hand, revealing a sacred seal used in prayer. A moment later, a faint golden light shimmered from it.

It was dim, delicate—but it was something this world had never seen before.

A "Miracle" from another world.

"This Braille Holy Book you gave me seems to have some kind of power. I don't actually understand the meaning of the engravings, but after handling it a lot, I started to grasp what they contain. It feels like..."

Irina paused, struggling to describe it.

Lloyd finished the thought for her.

"Like a resonance on the soul's level."

Irina blinked, then reacted with surprise. "Wait—so you...?"

"Yeah, I've learned quite a few miracles myself."

Since she found the Braille script helpful, Lloyd thought for a moment, then handed her another copy. Naturally, it was from the school of light—after Sellen's warning, he wouldn't dare give her anything dark-aligned. Who knew what trouble that might bring.

"Then study as much as you can. This stuff's pretty useful."

"Alright. I will."

Irina nodded and tucked the Braille Holy Book away.

...

After chatting with the two of them, Lloyd left the room and wandered around the Roundtable Hold for a bit. At a corridor corner, he ran into his old friend Rogier.

"Hey, Rogier. Long time no see."

Lloyd's sudden greeting startled Rogier, and for some reason, the man trembled slightly.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd immediately noticed something was off.

"...It's nothing."

Rogier's expression was uneasy.

"Just... a bad dream."

Lloyd sat beside him. "What kind of dream? Want to talk about it?"

"Well..."

Rogier hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest.

"Remember I told you I was looking for something? After I found it, I think I got tainted by something... my mind started to get hazy."

"Then I dreamt something strange and black was growing on me. While I was still trying to figure out what was happening, you suddenly charged at me with a blade..."

"But don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming you—if anything, I'm thankful to the 'you' in the dream. If that version of you hadn't knocked me awake, I might've really been swallowed by that 'corruption'..."

Lloyd fell silent after hearing all that.

It didn't sound like just a coincidence.

They talked a little more, and once he confirmed Rogier was otherwise fine, Lloyd continued wandering around the Hold.

He'd originally wanted to find D to talk about Those Who Live in Death, especially after the Stormveil dungeon incident—maybe even pick up some countermeasures.

But after searching all over, there was no sign of D. Instead, he ran into Nepheli again and learned something unexpected—her "foster father" was none other than the All-Knowing, the wise man of the Roundtable Hold.

And speaking of the All-Knowing...

"So you've heeded the counsel of the Two Fingers? Then, as promised—welcome. You are now a true member of the Roundtable Hold."

When Lloyd saw the All-Knowing again, the man's attitude was completely different. Gone was the earlier arrogance—now he spoke with respect.

"I am Gideon Ofnir. As a Tarnished, I seek the Elden Ring and strive to become Elden Lord. I thirst for knowledge, driven by a desire to know all."

"There are few allies like you. I hope we can work well together."

Wait, what? Did this guy hit his head?

Noticing Lloyd's skeptical look, Gideon shook his head and said calmly,

"My respect is reserved only for those who've earned it."

"It's as simple as that."