Elden Ring, but with Wind Spirit Moon Shadow

Chapter 470 Secret
Ashmi wandered aimlessly through the streets of Stoneville, from south to north, and then from east to west.

Looking at Stoneville, whom he had visited several times, Ashmi frowned and began to wonder if his host had forgotten about him.

She was not given any orders when Bai Shi sent her away, and at this moment she had no idea what to do.

Ashmi has never had any hobbies. If he had to say, it would be 'fighting like his host, so exhilarating!'

Although Ashmi has gradually become very similar to a human, he is still lacking something, and is now in a state of hesitation.

For example, there is still a lack of common sense.

It could wander around the city 24 hours a day without stopping, without even changing its route.

At first, nothing unusual happened during the half-day or day they wandered around the city. People went about their business and didn't notice anything unusual.

However, after two or three days, the passersby who were unaware of what was going on began to notice her unusual behavior and even started to consider whether to call the Silver Knights to deal with it.

In the end, Rodrika, who knew Ashmi's identity and happened to be passing by, pulled her away from the street with suspicion and took her back to her residence.
-
Sitting in the chair, Ashmi propped his head up, looking quite puzzled.

When Bai Shi called her out, he only said he would call her before leaving, so she didn't pay much attention.

Thinking that it was only a matter of time, and that I had done things on my own before, I figured it was nothing new.

Although he didn't know what the host was going to do, Ashmi knew he definitely couldn't disturb him.

However, two or three days have passed, and why hasn't the host sent her back yet?

Surely he couldn't have completely forgotten her? That can't be right.
Based on Ashmi's understanding of Bai Shi, he could not possibly imagine such a possibility.

Just then, Rodrika brought out two cups of fragrant tea and placed one of them in front of Ashmi.

Rodrigo, still wearing her signature little red hat, sat down opposite Ashmi with her cup in hand.

"Although I don't know why you're on the street, there must be a reason."

"If you don't know what to do, you can stay here until you want to leave."

Ashmi looked curiously at the special flower tea in the cup in front of him, watching the flower buds rise and fall in the water, his attention immediately drawn to it.

She felt very happy amidst the fragrance of the flowers, and her whole body relaxed a lot.

Rodrigo looked at Ashmi but didn't ask what was going on.

The fact that Lord Ashmi is here must be related to Lord Bai Shi, so we shouldn't ask too many questions about things we shouldn't know.

Seeing that Ashmi showed interest in the herbal tea, Rodrika smiled and introduced it to her:

"It smells wonderful, doesn't it? It's made with lily of the valley from cemeteries."

"It's still in the experimental stage, but unfortunately, it seems that as a human, one can only smell the aroma, but it has no taste at all..."

Rodrigo picked up her teacup and took a small sip; the unchanging, bland taste of water remained unchanged.

"However, the souls should like it..."

"But... haha, the souls won't get to drink it either."

"Perhaps only someone as special as you can truly appreciate this."

Rodrigo gave a wry smile, then immediately looked at Ashmi expectantly, wondering if it was as she thought.

Ashmi picked up the teacup, took a big gulp without any regard for appearances, and even chewed on the flower inside.

Under Rodrika's expectant gaze, Ashmi rested his chin on his hand and remained silent.

"Um……"

Seeing Ashmi's silence, Rodrika's eyes gradually dimmed.

She had thought that Ashmi, who was both a living being and a soul, could taste the flavor within...

But just then, she suddenly heard an approving voice in her ear:

"It seems a little too sweet for me."

"However, it tastes very good and has a lot of flavor."

Faced with the girl's expression written all over her face, Ashmi simply couldn't bring himself to say that it was actually very hard to drink!

Seeing Rodrik's expression brighten, Ashmi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, Rodrik suddenly took several jars from the cabinet next to her.

"Great, I have many different kinds here."

"Hopefully, there's a flavor you like in it."

"We should have plenty of time."

"Oh, right, there are also tea snacks with similar recipes!"

The thought of having to try countless strange-tasting foods and then write 'delicious' reviews for each one to comfort the young girl's heart...

At this moment, Ashmi felt fear for the first time in his life, and all he wanted was to return to his host's side as soon as possible.

'Host, save me!'
-
Meanwhile, in another part of Stoneville, an unseen battle was still raging in the shadows.

Bai Shi was currently in a secluded dormitory room that no one in the city could approach.

Bai Shi was simultaneously fending off the attacks of Melina and Lani, and now he was finding himself somewhat overwhelmed.

The strength of demigods is not simply a matter of one plus one equals two.

After yet another earth-shattering battle, Bai Shi stared blankly at the ceiling, pondering the mysteries of the universe...

He seemed to hear a familiar voice, like Ashmi?
...Hmm? Ashmi? (Unconcerned).

Bai Shi shook his head, wondering if he was just too tired.

Even if Ashmi was really calling for help, he himself was in trouble, and only at the beginning was he acting voluntarily.

Before Bai Shi could rest for long, two slender arms reached out to him again.

Bai Shi closed his eyes, his face showing a resolute expression of self-sacrifice, as if he were determined to save the world.

I have to stick to the decision I made back then, even if it means gritting my teeth.
-
As he stepped out, supporting his back, even the mighty Bai Shi felt a sense of relief, as if he had survived a catastrophe.

Despite his already incredibly strong physique, he felt it was more difficult than any major battle.

Bai Shi breathed a slight sigh of relief after glancing at the two people resting peacefully in the room.

No matter how difficult the process was, at least the ending was good, wasn't it?

After resting alone for a while on Stoneville's throne, Bai Shi's fatigue was completely relieved.

Bai Shi propped his head up and thought for a while before summoning the black-knife assassin.

Originally, the plan was to resolve the matter of the dead prince as soon as possible, but since we've already been in the city for several days, there's no rush.

No matter what desperate struggles they make, they are nothing more than easy targets for Bai Shi.

Before leaving, let's take the opportunity to understand the current situation in the border area and see if there are any new variables.

Slud, dressed in a black dance dress, slowly appeared in front of Bai Shi, her tall figure respectfully kneeling on one knee.

Slud commands all the Black Blade assassins under Bai Shi's command, and all intelligence, both overt and covert, passes through her hands.

Bai Shi nodded to Slud and then immediately told her to get up.

Looking at Slud, Bai Shi asked calmly:

"Has something happened in the border area recently that I am unaware of?"

Slud stood up, lowered her head and thought for a moment, sorting out the priorities of each matter in her mind.

After a brief moment, Slud pondered and replied:
"Actually... there haven't been any major changes or news."

"If we had, we would have contacted you long ago."

Bai Shi nodded, recalling that he did indeed give such an instruction.

If there is any information that is important enough, it will be sent directly to him immediately.

It seems he resolved everything too quickly, leaving no time for other things to happen simultaneously. After thinking for a moment, Bai Shi asked carefully:

"Is there been any recent progress regarding the return of King Gofulei?"

Bai Shi was quite concerned about the progress of Ge Fulei's return.

Bai Shi was looking forward to a passionate battle with Ge Fulei, which would surely be a satisfying fight.

As the King of Elden, who enjoys the highest reputation in the border region, he is qualified to be taken seriously by Bai Shi.

Slud shook her head and answered truthfully:

"There are only some minor changes."

“During your absence, as before, the Faded Ones continued to return to the border by boat.”

“We have contacted these faders who claim to be the vanguard.”

"However, these advance forces were not large, and the ships were not warships, but could barely be called sturdy."

"And after crossing the sea of ​​fog, less than one-tenth remains."

Slud paused, recalling her previous experiences, and continued:

"As you instructed, we did not impose restrictions on them, but instead provided them with basic assistance."

"After learning about the situation at the border, they sailed back into the fog to relay the information."

"Unfortunately, most of those that could be barely observed disappeared after entering the fog."

Bai Shi nodded, indicating that he understood.

There have been many such advance teams before, but there are just a few more now.

He had given prior instructions that as long as they didn't do anything out of line, there was no need to worry about these returning Faded Ones.

Bai Shi wanted everyone to know about this battle and to win fair and square.

If Gofulei could also know that a new king awaits him on the borderlands, it would undoubtedly intensify the battle.

Bai Shi sighed softly, feeling somewhat disappointed by the news.

In the fog, it was impossible to ascertain Gefulei's progress; there was simply no distance to speak of.

Even those ships that reached this border probably didn't know how far they had traveled or whether they had found their course.

For ships in the foggy sea, there are only two distinctions: 'arrived' and 'not arrived'.

If the main body of the White Consciousness Star Space were to descend and lower its gaze, it would likely be able to pierce through the fog in an instant and locate Gefulei and the fleet.

But that would be too much of a letdown in terms of building anticipation.

Bai Shi wasn't in a hurry; to him, this was just a challenge, a battle he wouldn't lose.

They're the ones who should be worried.

Gefuli's progress across the sea is a bit slow; if he doesn't return soon, we might not even have a chance to fight anymore...

Slud thought for a moment, then realized there was another matter that Bai Shi might be interested in.

"Lord Bai Shi, there are some new leads regarding Sir Bai Zhi, whom you previously asked us to keep an eye on."

"However, we haven't investigated this thoroughly yet. Would you like to wait until we've completely investigated before reporting back, or would you like to understand the situation first?"

Bai Shi was somewhat surprised, nodded, and gestured for Slud to continue.

Bai Shi had always been paying close attention to Bai Zhi, that cunning old fellow.

As for the fact that the investigation is not yet complete, it is not a problem for Bai Shi at all.

His control over information in the border areas is unmatched by anyone else.

Although the Black Knife Assassins haven't yet fully investigated the matter, Bai Shi might be able to connect it to other things and deduce Bai Zhi's idea.

Slud lowered her head and recounted the information she had gathered from her investigation, bit by bit:

"According to the information and intelligence gathered by Sir Hundred's spies, he has been researching a secret from the past during this period of time."

"After gathering enough information, he even went out in person to visit 'Fate-Binding Priest' Milie."

“He was very vigilant. We couldn’t get close without being exposed, so we had no way of knowing what they were talking about.”

"But judging from the tasks he subsequently assigned to his underlings, it seems he was looking for a craftsman..."

Bai Zhi himself is not easy to investigate, but his informants are a glaring weakness for the Black Knife Assassins.

Upon hearing the details of the incident, Bai Shi couldn't help but smile.

Fortunately, I asked a few more questions; otherwise, it would have taken who knows how long for the Black Knife Assassins to finish their investigation.

And more likely than not, it's possible that even Bai Zhi wouldn't be able to find anything, let alone the Black Knife Assassins.

Bai Shi restrained himself and managed not to burst out laughing.

Propping his head up, Bai Shi had a clear understanding of Bai Zhi's purpose.

—Regarding 'Redhead' Rdagan, Milie knows a secret about him.

It is said that there is a famous sculptor in the Golden Tree Royal City who was commissioned by the royal family to create a large statue of Lord Radagan...

And the sculptor thus glimpsed the secret.

That secret was hidden inside that large statue.

Very few people know this secret, and the secret hidden in the statues within the royal city remains unknown to anyone.

And Bai Shi just happened to know this secret.

The information Baizhi found was true; the statue in the royal city did indeed hide an astonishing secret.

By applying the principle of regression in front of that statue, the greatest secret of the entire borderland will be revealed.

— Radagan is Marika.

However, reality is different from games; there are no obvious official proverbs or hints like in games.

To uncover the secret hidden in this statue, Baizhi must first find the sculptor, whose whereabouts and even his/her survival are unknown.

Bai Shi pondered, "Does Bai Zhi's research in this direction indicate that he has become suspicious?"
Bai Zhi has always held a pessimistic and resistant attitude towards the idea of ​​the faded one becoming king.

However, this is indeed what Queen Marika hoped for, otherwise she would not have called back so many of the faded ones.

Previously, Bai Shi had speculated that it might be because Bai Zhi's guidance did not come from Marika, but from Radagan.

Now it seems that such a possibility does exist.

Bai Shi thought for a moment, then took out a high-quality leather scroll from his spatial storage and, using his finger as a pen, inscribed a simple and clear sentence on it.

Bai Shi casually closed the scroll and used gravity magic to apply a restriction to it.

No one except Baizhi can open it or know the words on it.

Bai Zhi is not Bai Shi's complete enemy.

Even though there were some frictions in the past, there was no real conflict between them.

As for benefits, the wisdom of the Hundred Wisdoms is truly substantial.

Reaching out to hand the scroll to Slud, Bai Shi smiled and said:

"Put this on Baizhi's table, and you don't need to do anything else."

"He should react quickly after seeing this information."

Slud respectfully accepted the scroll handed to him by Bai Shi, feeling a surge of surprise.

Judging from Lord Bai Shi's expression, he clearly already knew about that secret...

The more you get to know this person, the more incredible they seem; no wonder they are their king.

(End of this chapter)