I reforged the glory of the magic ring in Middle-earth

Chapter 45 Bernal

When the "Broken House of the Warrior" appeared in the courtyard where the golden tree was as the golden light dissipated, Tanes immediately noticed that the name that had turned gray like Bernal began to light up.

Tanes checked again the blessings that the golden tree had stored in recent days, which were more than enough to summon Bernal.

He originally intended to use these blessings to summon some more homeless knights and exiled soldiers from Stonewell City.

However, because the food that the farmland can provide has just reached its upper limit, Tanes can only suspend summoning before opening up new fields.

Because the hybrids stationed far away in Takiedale also need food. The land they are in is too far away and the golden tree cannot reach there. Therefore, before the hybrids can be self-sufficient, they still need material support from Moren City.

Of course, if Longdale is rebuilt by the hybrids and this once great port starts operating again, the wealth brought in from the sea will be enormous.

And if Shabad, located north of Longdedale, can also be restarted, the entire Greywater River waterway will regain its former prosperity.

"Come on, Bernard."

Tanes refocused his attention on the name that came to his mind and finally confirmed the summons.

A slight wave broke the silence in the courtyard, and a vague figure gradually took shape in front of Tanes.

This was a middle-aged man wearing a silver beast-gathering heavy armor that did not look gorgeous. He had his gray hair tied into a short braid, his chin and lips were covered with stubble, and his old hair hung down on his temples.

The branches and leaves of the golden tree swayed, casting golden light and shadows, illuminating the man's deep face.

This is Bernal, who possesses the strength of a [quasi-king] and once carried the destiny of becoming a king.

His appearance did not cause any huge changes, it was just an ordinary appearance.

Bernal slowly opened his eyes, revealing silver-gray pupils. His gaze met Tanes's. A large number of memories suddenly flooded Bernal's brain, but his face was as calm as water.

He just stood there, like a mountain standing in front of Tanes.

Time has carved furrows on Bernard's face, and the wind blows through the empty courtyard, rolling up the golden leaves.

The two stood facing each other without speaking.

Nepheli Lu appeared at the gate of the courtyard. She walked into the courtyard silently with vigorous steps.

Her calloused hands gently stroked the axe handle at her waist. She stood beside Tanes, raised her head fearlessly, and cast a sharp look at Bernal.

"Ah."

When Bernard saw Neferi Lu's actions, he couldn't help but laugh, as if recalling his past in the Round Table Hall, when he also had some like-minded friends who stood by him no matter what they faced.

However, as time passed, they went their separate ways to pursue their own goals, and when they met again they were even enemies.

Then he slowly looked around, trying to find a place he was familiar with.

But apart from discovering that he was in the city of Stonewell, Bernal also found that the sky above his head and the golden tree behind Tanes were different from his memory.

He said in a complicated tone: "This is no longer a border area, right, Tanes?"

Tanes nodded slightly: "Yeah."

Bernard said, "Indeed, because the golden tree behind you is too small."

"But it will grow into a towering tree," Tanes replied.

Bernard suddenly asked, "Where's your witch? Where's the girl who always hides her face under her hood and follows you?"

Tanes suddenly felt a huge sense of suffocation enveloping him unexpectedly, and the sound of his own heartbeat rang clearly in his ears. It seemed that the next moment he would hear Melina calling his name in a gentle and calm voice.

Bernard's silver-gray eyes turned dangerous. "You wouldn't let her burn the tree too, would you?"

He emphasized the word "also" and a trace of pain flashed in his eyes.

Tanes did not answer Bernal's words. He realized that the other party was trying to take the initiative in the conversation and disturb his heart.

So he asked, "Bernard, if there was even a slight possibility of reviving your witch, what would you do?"

Now it was Bernal's turn to be speechless.

He stood there, motionless, as if time had frozen around him.

Bernal's eyes were like torches ignited by anger, burning fiercely and breaking the silence around them.

"Of course, I'll resurrect her..." Bernard's voice was low and unquestionable. "Even if it means embarking on a bloody path, with the blood of innocents stained on my hands and their curses surrounding me, I will not hesitate. My soul was already stained with the deepest darkness the moment I lost her."

Anger and sadness danced in Bernal's pupils. His suppressed words echoed in the empty courtyard. Every word was like hammered iron, hard and cold.

Tanes pointed at himself, nodded to Bernard, and said, "I am that possibility for you, Bernard. When the Elden Ring came to this world with me, it also brought everything from the borderland with it. You must have memories of fighting me and being killed by me in your mind, but now you appear before me alive. You should know what this means."

Bernard looked at Tanes with sharp eyes, his voice tinged with sarcasm, each word squeezed out from between his teeth: "But this does not mean that I will become a lackey of the Golden Rule! The Golden Rule, huh! I will never forget that it was because of this damn Golden Rule that my witch voluntarily sacrificed her life, but the result was so ridiculous and laughable!"

He raised his hand, pointed it at Tanes, and asked loudly: "Taneis, I remember that you and I became judges together! Are you willing to be a lackey of the Golden Law now? Tell me, you who have obtained the Elden Ring and become the King of Elden, what is your law now!" You can't let D hear these words of yours, otherwise he will definitely fight you at the risk of his life.

However, Tanes also understood what Bernal really hated. He hated the golden rule that brought him pain in the border area.

From Bernal's perspective, it was the Golden Rule that betrayed him first, so he betrayed the Golden Rule.

Facing Bernal's question, Tanes answered without hesitation: "My law? Of course, it is no longer the flawed Golden Rule. I met a virtuous veteran in the Shadow Land, and he talked to me about this before his death. I swear on my soul that both my law and the reason I became king are for the people of the borderland, not those gods!"

Then he looked at Bernard and extended his hand, inviting him: "I summoned you here because I am rebuilding the border area. I need your strength. Join me, Bernard."

Bernard slowly chewed over what Tanes had just said: "Not for those gods, but for the people of the borderland?"

Tanes nodded: "If you don't believe it, you can walk out of Stonewell City now and take a look outside."

Bernard's chest rose and fell, and his silver-gray eyes looked at Tanes again, but this time, instead of the doubt in his eyes, they were filled with fighting spirit. "But this alone is not enough. If you want me to join... you know the rules of the borderland."

Oh, I know, strength is the reason to become a king.

Tanes stretched out his hands, and he didn't know when two identical knight swords appeared in his left and right hands at the same time.

He handed one of the knight's broadswords to Bernard and said jokingly, "I've defeated you eight times. Do you still want to do this?"

Bernard took the knight's broadsword, swung it a few times as if it were nothing, and snorted coldly, "You're not trying to defeat me in swordsmanship. Tell me, what spell or prayer are you going to use this time?"

Tanes blinked. "I dare you to believe it?"

Bernard grinned and asked with a forced smile, "What do you think?"

Tanes shrugged and glanced at the courtyard. "Why don't we go somewhere else? I'm worried that the aftermath of our fight will destroy such a beautiful courtyard."

Bernard nodded nonchalantly. "You can choose whatever you want. Even if you want to choose a place as hostile as the Volcano Residence, I have no objection."

Tanes curled his lips and said, "I wouldn't choose that kind of terrain. Only people like you like to take a lava bath."

Then Tanes looked at Neferi Lu and said to her, "Neferi, call Fili and Kili for me. Tell them that I want to fight with their future combat instructor. Tell them to come to the open space outside the main gate of Stonewell City."

Neferi Lu was a little surprised. She said, "But considering their personalities, I'm afraid the dwarves will come over to watch you two fight."

"That would be better, letting our dwarf friends see how powerful Bernard is. It would also save me from having to explain Bernard's power to Thorin's expedition team later. It would be better to let those elf friends come and watch as well." Tanes said.

It would be better to say that he had this idea in mind. After all, Bernal's reputation and strength were only known to some people in the border areas, and the people in Middle-earth were not aware of it.

Bernard was completely confused. He frowned and said, "You two, explain to me what 'future combat instructors' are? And who are Fili and Kili?"

Tanes gestured for Neferi Lu to go and call for help, then said to Bernard, "It's hard to explain in a few words. Come with me first, and I'll explain it to you as we walk along the way."

Nepheli Lu quickly wrote a few letters and asked the Storm Eagles under her command in Stonewell City to fly to Moren City and Hyde Fortress respectively, and then find Fili and Qili who were temporarily staying in Stonewell City.

Soon, everyone in the entire Golden Tree Territory knew that their leader wanted to compete with others.

On the way, Tanes explained to Bernard the story of what happened after he came to this world, as well as the affairs of the dwarves and elves.

"So you summoned me here just to let me serve as the combat skills instructor for the two dwarves?" Bernard asked with a strange look on his face.

Tanes nodded and then shook his head. "Not entirely. Later, you, two others, and I will join a dwarf king on an expedition to reclaim his homeland. That dwarf king is also a new friend I made in this world. He generously provided me with a lot of supplies when I needed help the most when I first arrived here. That's why we have the city of Stonewell you see now."

Bernard sighed, not sure whether to laugh or remain silent. He shook his head and said, "It's a matter of reciprocity and loyalty. I don't mind helping your friends. But when you first summoned me, your expression was so serious, as if you were about to swing your sword at me. I thought you were going to do something to me. But I didn't expect you to just ask me to teach me combat skills. Why didn't you just ask me directly?"

I think it's because you were just summoned and were still emotional, and you asked me a very uncomfortable question, so you looked so bitter and resentful before.

However, Tanes did not say this, and his mood became more relaxed.

Because he was sure that Bernal was not really hostile to him, Tanes, who didn't want to break up with Bernal in the first place, was happy from the bottom of his heart.

Bernard watched Tanes's footsteps quicken and said, "Don't let me take you lightly and let you be defeated just because I have no hostility towards you. Although we call it a sparring match, I will not show mercy."

Upon hearing this, Tanes looked at Bernal with burning eyes: "How could I underestimate you? I am just excited about the upcoming battle with you."

"You, a battle fanatic, haven't changed at all," Bernard said.
He was silent for a while, and finally asked with a trembling voice, "But what you said to me just now in the courtyard of the Golden Tree, that there was a slight possibility that you could resurrect my witch, were you serious about it? Or were you just lying to calm me down?"

Bernard was really afraid that Tanes would say that he was lying, but based on his understanding of Tanes, although Tanes was very cunning in combat, he had never lied to anyone about important things, not even the enemy.

Under Bernard's hopeful gaze, Tanes replied, "Everything from the borderlands is within the Elden Circle, and it's very likely that your witch's soul is among them. Even if not, you don't have to give up hope. Although you and I have both been to the ancient dragon city - Fam Yazra, there is one thing you don't know, and I haven't told you."

The ancient sky city surrounded by a storm appeared before Bernard's eyes, and he subconsciously asked, "What is it?"

"The ancient dragon king Platon Shanks is still alive. He is at the center of the storm in Fam Azra, which is also a rift in time and space. Perhaps we can use this rift to find the time when your witch soul had not yet dissipated."

　Bernal's perspective: This Faded One who defeated me eight times is silent and must be planning how to kill me. I have to torture him with words first.

　　Fader's perspective: He tortured me with Melina. Was he angry because he failed to invade me eight times? No, I have to torture him in return.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)