Elden Ring, my witch is a talkative beautiful girl

"Oh... unexpected." Melina showed a slightly surprised look. "I thought the partner's highest attribute would be strength or agility, but it's actually intelligence. Were you a magic swordsman before?"

"I don't know. My memory seems to have been lost after crossing the fog. Apart from the sword, shield and armor, it seems that this is the only item I carry with me." A Tui took out a black metal box. The surface of the unknown material was shining with a dim luster. It was not cold to the touch, but instead made people feel a hint of invisible warmth.

Melina examined the box from head to toe. There were no cracks on either side, and it didn't look like it could be opened. "It's something I've never seen before, and it doesn't look like something like a stone sword or key that can open a mechanism. From my perspective, this beautiful girl must be a souvenir from your hometown."

Since she is well-informed and has said so, the identification result must be correct.

"Maybe. It might come in handy in the future." Ah Tui shrugged. "How's Rune's transformation going?"

Melina had been holding his hand for a while, a faint glow emanating from her, but why didn't she feel any stronger? Could it be that all her points had gone into Faith and Intelligence?

"About this..." Melina's eyes wandered, "Buddy, I just remembered that I have another question."

"what is the problem?"

"I've used up all my runes on shopping, so I can't help you strengthen it for now."

"?!"

Volume 1: The Journey Begins: Chapter 3: The Witch of the Dark Moon

The golden blessing radiates a faint warmth, driving away the cold of the night. The wandering merchant plays his musical instrument, playing a nostalgic song of homesickness.

After a busy day, Melina, unable to resist the sleepiness, had fallen asleep, a faint smile on her peaceful face. "Mother, I finally found my partner. I will definitely complete my mission, I will definitely... I can."

A-Tu pulled the blanket tightly around Melina, then looked at Torrett, who was resting beside him, and patted his head. "Please take care of me from now on."

Torret shook his head, looking quite pleased. The girl also handed the whistle for summoning the spirit horse to A'tai, a gesture of both trust and responsibility. Starting tomorrow, the two of them and their horse would embark on a journey to collect the Great Runes and reach the Golden Tree. It would undoubtedly be a long and arduous journey.

A cold wind blew, and a thin blue mist came with the wind and covered the Airey Church. At some point, the melodious erhu sound was suddenly interrupted, and the owner of the instrument had fallen asleep.

Sensing that the atmosphere was strange, Ah Tui instinctively drew his sword and turned around, fully alert, only to see a strange and mysterious woman looking at him with a smile.

The woman wore a pointed white hat, the symbol of a magician, and a fur cloak draped over her shoulders. Her long dress was simple and pure, and the slightly loose cape beneath the peak added a touch of cuteness to her. Her arms, unsleeved, folded across her knees. Her skin, smooth as jade, shone with a faint blue sheen. Two faces, one real and one imaginary, were filled with laughter. The girl seemed like the most exquisite doll made by a puppeteer, brought to life, or like the incarnation of the dark moon under the night sky.

"Faded One, my name is Reina, the Snow Witch Reina." Reina introduced herself, "I mean no harm. This mist contains pollen from the Torina water lily, which only brings sweet dreams. This is a rare opportunity. I wonder if you'd be interested in chatting with me for a while?"

Reina was quite satisfied with her appearance. It was worth it that she collected special pollen to prepare for the special effects, spent a long time creating the hazy blue mist, and finally waited for the best time for the moon to reach its zenith while blowing in the cold wind outside the church for two hours.

The only flaw is that the brick wall below is a bit uncomfortable to sit on. This piece of broken wall is really too dilapidated. There is not even a good vantage point to find, so we can only make do with it temporarily.

According to Reina's plan, A-Tai would come to her with a look of shock, and after a brief exchange, he would be able to come and go with the wind, leaving an indelible impression on the mind of the Faded One chosen by Torret. If A-Tai later displayed extraordinary abilities, he would also be able to recruit him to his side and use him for his own cause.

Reina's plan was brilliant, but...

"Sorry, I refuse." A'ti said shockingly.

"Huh? Why would you refuse?!" Lena never expected that the other party would act completely out of the ordinary. Her perfect plan was on the verge of bankruptcy.

"As you can see, I already have my own miko." Ah Tui responded seriously, "I don't intend to accept any new offers or break the contract I made with Ah Mei."

A-Tai is Melina's sword and shield, and he will do his utmost to protect the girl who showed him kindness and opened her heart to him when they first set foot on the border. Unless one day Melina wants to leave on her own initiative, no one can make A-Tai break the oath they made.

"I think there might be some small misunderstanding between us." Reina crossed her fingers, "I'm not a finger-witch, but that doesn't mean I don't have the ability. I came to you because of the spirit horse named Torret. You have its recognition and the ability to summon it, right?"

It seems that gossip spreads at an alarming speed in the border area. Just as A-Tai escaped a ticket for speeding on his Toret in the afternoon, the news spread throughout Ningefoum in the evening.

Hearing this yes or no question, Ah Tui's first reaction was not to nod or shake his head. He turned sideways and shook Torrett, who was sleeping soundly and completely unconscious: "Torrett, someone is looking for you, wake up quickly."

"Stop! I told you to stop shaking, don't you understand what I'm saying?" Lena was completely shocked. Who are these faded people?

Ah Tui stopped what he was doing and said, "You were the one who said you wanted to find Torret's owner. I think in this situation, we should let him confirm it in person."

"You've already obtained the Spirit Horse Whistle, haven't you? What else is there to confirm?"

"Oh?" A glimmer flashed across Ah Tu's eyes. "Since you already knew it, why are you still asking me questions?"

"Oh no!" Reina was shocked. "I was actually tricked into revealing something by a Faded Person I just met for the first time. This is really out of control."

The Snow Witch never expected that the honest and fawning Ah Ti, who was dressed in armor, would actually act crazy and stupid to trick her. It was really despicable.

She pulled the brim of her hat down with both hands, hiding the embarrassment on her face, and tried to save her dignity. "Just to be safe, I need to double-check. I have a few things left behind by the previous owner of Torret that I want to pass on to you, and I need to ensure that I'm not entrusting them to the wrong person."

A Tui lowered his hand from the hilt of the sword: "Then my answer is yes, I can summon Torret."

"Wouldn't it have been better to do it this way from the beginning? You made such a simple thing so complicated. You should have just answered my questions." Lena pouted, a little angry.

She was angry, but business still needed to be done. With one hand each, she pulled out a small bell and a small box, handed them over, and introduced them, "This bell is called the 'Soul Summoning Bell.' It can summon souls from the ashes that have not returned to the Golden Tree to fight for you. This ashes is called the 'Stray Wolf.' They are weak ashes found everywhere in the border area. They consume very little concentration. Even with your current strength, if you try a few more times, you should be able to... Hmm?"

"Dang Cang——"

A Tui shook the soul-summoning bell, and a crisp bell sound rang out. Three transparent wild wolves appeared at his feet accompanied by mist. They were the souls summoned from the urn.

"You succeeded on the first try. Wait..." Reina narrowed her eyes, examining the Faded One. "Looking closely, even though you're wearing armor, your highest attribute is actually Intelligence? Even your concentration is comparable to that of an average magician. How dare you wear armor and act like a warrior?"

Ah Tui's outfit, with a brass shield in his left hand, a straight sword in his right hand, and wearing canned armor, doesn't look like a wizard at all. It's more like he's going to a cave to hunt a group of goblins.

"Is this surprising? Your reaction is exactly the same as Ah Mei's." Ah Tui rang the bell again, calling back the three wolves. "Does a person wearing armor necessarily have low intelligence? Can a wizard not hit people with a hammer? You are just being prejudiced."

"Damn it... What's going on with this Fader? He didn't even say thank you, but instead started lecturing me with some weird and twisted logic." Veins popped out at the corners of Reina's eyebrows, and she felt like her lungs were about to explode. If she continued to stay here and chat with A-Tu, she would definitely do something unbecoming of a royal.

She took a deep breath. "Use these two items as you see fit. I don't think we'll have any further encounters. I'm curious, how long will you faders obey Two Fingers?"

After saying this, Reina turned away, and her blue and white figure disappeared into the mist before dawn.

"I think I said something a bit too much and made her angry. I'll apologize to her when I have a chance." Ah Tui put away the bell and urn, and planned to talk to Melina about what happened tonight after she woke up. "But what is 'Two Fingers'? Is it a person with only two fingers?"

"Oh, I left in a hurry just now, and there's one thing I forgot to mention." The dissipated mist condensed into Reina's figure again. She put her hands on her hips and pointed at A'Fa's nose. "Fader, remember what happened tonight. You brought shame upon Witch Reina. We'll settle this account next time we meet."

Ah Tui's eyes narrowed as he stared at the air after Reina disappeared again: "You just said that we wouldn't have any more interactions..."

Volume 1: The Beginning of the Journey: Chapter 4: Bald Patchy

When Atui told Melina everything that happened to Lena that night and showed her the summoning bell and the urn, the girl's reaction was unexpected.

"A soul-summoning bell. This ornament and bell both look very old." Melina held a magnifying glass to the bell, examining it from left to right. "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the first limited edition released in the Royal City many years ago. It's an antique among antiques, and it can be used to summon all types of ashes. This is going to be a huge hit."

"Amei, someone came to me without telling you, aren't you angry?" Atai thought the girl would be furious and drag Torret to duel with the witch Lena. That's what she did yesterday, and he was ready to stop her.

"Because I trust you, my partner." Melina had a smug look on her face, as she had anticipated. "With such a brilliant partner, there will definitely be many people trying to steal my hand. When a gift is presented to our doorstep, we accept it. We take the sugar coating and throw the bullet back. Hahaha, this beautiful girl is truly the smartest genius in the borderland."

Now, now, now, with an engagement, oh no... a contract, the situation is of course very different. A-Tai is not someone who would betray her. Melina is very confident in her and Torret's judgment of people, otherwise she wouldn't have wandered for so long without finding a suitable partner.

After breakfast, the two accepted the commission from the wandering merchant Kale and prepared to go to the nearby Mengliu Cave to defeat the bandit group that occupied the mountain.

It's a well-known fact that traveling merchants fear being robbed, and the reward offered by Kale is quite generous: a set of leather tool bags for crafting various props. When out and about in nature, collecting wild materials and crafting what you need is essential for survival.

Bear Grylls entering the tropical rainforest and a corporate slave entering the tropical rainforest are two different things. The former is going to eat, and the latter is going to be eaten.

After a satisfying meal, Torret shook himself, then climbed onto the horse and took Melina's hand, letting the girl sit behind him. Torret's back was spacious enough for two people, and even three more people wouldn't be a problem.

"So light." A'ti had this feeling when he was riding yesterday. Melina's body was unusually light, as if it was floating like weightless cotton.

"Girls are so light and airy." Melina smiled and said vaguely, but she never stopped talking once she started.

"Buddy, you know what? I heard that General Latarn, the Starbreaker, is as big as a mountain, and the pony he rides is so skinny and tiny. Just thinking about that combination is hilarious."

"Also, I heard that a treasure chest in another world will eat people when opened. There was also an elf who knew this and actually put his head in it, and ended up getting an afro. That person was really stupid."

"Also, there's an ad in the Royal City's newspaper for the new issue of 'The Heroic Legend of the Onion Knight.' I wonder if the honest and kind-hearted Onion Knight can finally fulfill his promise to his friend. When I get to the Royal City, I'm going to buy the complete set of comics to read the ending."

It seemed Melina hadn't properly communicated with anyone in a long, long time, which had accumulated an excessive desire for communication. Although she could communicate with Torret, talking to a horse was different from communicating with a human. No matter what the spirit horse said, it would only repeat the same two words.

Seventy percent of A'tai's attention was focused on controlling the spirit horse, and the remaining thirty percent was on listening to Melina's words, nodding from time to time and replying with a sentence or two, expressing his thoughts.

He had to be careful not to bump into anything strange while riding. The reason for this "accident" was, of course, because the creatures in the borderland were all incredibly large. Wolves and dogs were relatively common, but the dragonflies flitting through the grass were half a meter long, and there was the occasional giant goat curled up and rolling around. If a group of wild animals united, it would probably be possible to defeat a demigod.

The journey from Ailei Church to Mengliu Cave did not take too much time. When the two dismounted, Melina still felt a little reluctant to leave. It seemed that she could continue talking for a whole day on the return journey.

A'tu dismissed Torret, telling him to blow the whistle again when needed. Glancing back, he saw the mark on the girl's right eye, and a thought suddenly struck him: "Oh, I remember Reina also had a mark on one eye, and only one eye was open. Is this the latest fashion in the Borderlands?"

While he was thinking, the excited Melina had already stepped into the cave. "Mate, what are you doing standing there? Come here quickly!"

"I'll be there right away." After hearing her shout, A'tu forgot about the thing he was thinking about halfway, and followed his own witch in two steps.

The Mengliu Cave is unusually dark, and upon entering, one can faintly hear the sound of dripping water from the depths, hence the name Mengliu. However, this place has now become the base of a band of impoverished bandits who rob passing merchants and passersby, seizing their wealth for themselves.

Greg, the demigod king who rules the Nimgerfu region, is obsessed with the art of limb grafting all day long. He certainly has no intention of caring about trivial matters such as the emergence of a few roaming bandit gangs in the corners of his territory.

The firelight flickered as Melina led the way, torch in hand. "I heard from Kale that this band of bandits was formed by a vicious, cunning, and treacherous Faded One who gathered the stragglers who escaped from Greg. That guy is truly a scum of the Faded Ones."

"Swish——" A silver light flashed behind the girl.

"Although they are just a bunch of insignificant remnants of defeated soldiers, they are still outnumbered and powerful, and I'm not good at fighting."

"Ping pong pong--" the clash of metal and iron.

"When facing an enemy, we must be careful not to be surrounded. We are attacked from both sides. If things become impossible, we can temporarily retreat and regroup."

"Ugh!" "Ah!" Continuous screams and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground.

Melina, concentrating on her work, finally noticed the unusual noise behind her and turned to look. "Buddy, why haven't you replied since just now..." She then realized that there was a person lying on the ground between them. "What... is going on?"

A closer look revealed that they were all wearing somewhat worn armor, their weapons and shields lacking proper care. The battered soldiers lying on the ground looked like the bandits she'd mentioned.

"While you were talking, a secret passage opened up in the nearby stone wall." Ah Dai gestured at the wall behind them. "Then they emerged from it one after another, probably planning to attack us from behind. However, their skills weren't up to par, and their heavy armor gave them away, so I took advantage of the situation and took care of them all."

Melina couldn't believe it and asked again, "You were alone, and in such a short time?"

"The weapons they used were all clubs. It looked like they had no intention of killing anyone, only of robbing them. Furthermore, they attacked from behind, suggesting they were underestimating the enemy." Ah Tui wiped the blood off his sword and stepped over the dead bandits lying on the ground. "So I gave them a break. By the way, I was so focused on the battle that I didn't hear you clearly. Could you please say it again?"

Although Ah Tui said it lightly, in actual combat, being able to fight many enemies alone and show mercy was something only a seasoned warrior could do. A newcomer would probably be so frightened that he wouldn't even be able to launch a decent counterattack, and would be dead on the spot after two or three blows.

“…There’s no need to repeat those words.”

Originally, Melina wanted to take this opportunity to observe whether A'tai's fighting ability was reliable. Now it seems that he is ridiculously strong. At least ordinary soldiers can hardly pose a threat to him.

They continued along the passageway, completing the entire Mengliu Cave in less than half an hour. Aside from an initial ambush and counter-ambush, they also didn't encounter the bandit leader Melina had mentioned. On the empty plain, only two or three scattered campfires emitted wisps of smoke.

Ah Tui picked up a stick and leaned over to poke at the extinguished fire, figuring it must have gone out around the time they arrived. "But we searched the entire cave and didn't see the leader of the bandit group. Did he abandon his men and escape on his own?"

Melina rubbed her hands, looking around. "Don't even think about it. My partner, you took down the entire bandit group in no time. That Faded scum must have gotten away with his tail between his legs."

"Amei, what are you looking for?"

"Don't they say it in storybooks? When a hero defeats a villain, he'll reap treasures. A mere thief can't compare to a dragon who loves to hoard wealth, but he should have at least some belongings, right?" Melina's eyes suddenly lit up. "I found it!"

Behind the rocks near the campfire, there was a brown wooden treasure chest.

"This chest must be the treasure the thieves didn't manage to take with them during their hasty escape. How many runes and useful items will it contain? I'm so excited, so excited~"

"Didn't you say that the treasure chest might eat people? Isn't it okay to just open it like this?" By putting such a treasure chest here, the instigator seemed to be actively inviting them to take it. A'ti couldn't help but feel that something was fishy.

Melina's eyes lit up. "That's just kidding. Let's see what goodies are hidden in the treasure chest I got with my partner for the first time."

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. After seeing that the box contained only cheap cloth blouses and trousers, her bright face dimmed visibly. "What the hell... Such a big box actually contains cloth scraps that can't even be sold for 100 runes. Why do I feel like the box is more valuable? Are these bandits poor moonlighters? Or is Nimgerfu's economy so bad that even merchants can't make ends meet?"

"Rather than being so poor that they can't even afford to eat, I think this box looks more likely to be a..." Ah Tui drew his sword, bent his body, and protected Melina behind him, "a trap."

As if to confirm his guess, the moment he uttered the word "trap", a bald man with a startling appearance descended from the hillside above him and said, "You despicable thief, leave behind everything you have!"

"Amei, judging by the appearance of this guy, he's most likely the leader of the thieves' gang."

"Ah... Is this what they call the thief crying thief? He looks so shifty and sneaky."

The Fader and his witch didn't know how to write the word "fear" and criticized other people's images in front of the thief leader.

"Stop blabbering!" The bald man held a large shield in his left hand and a spear in his right. His barren head illuminated an area half a meter in the dim cave. "Leave everything you have with me, Uncle Pachi. Also, the medical expenses, nursing fees, and compensation for the mental damages of my subordinates outside. If you can't pay, I'll charge you 10% interest every ten days. You'll just keep working like slaves for me. Work yourself to death, hahahaha!"

After that, Patch raised his gun and attacked: "Stand still, let Uncle Patch poke a few holes in you."

Melina, behind Ah Tui, tapped her feet a few times and skipped out of the battlefield. "Buddy, don't worry about me. I have some experience in self-preservation. Just focus on beating up this wretched bald guy."

"Okay." With a brief reply, Ah Tui rolled to the side, letting the silver spear brush past his shoulder, and then he drew out the straight sword from his waist.

As the leader of the thieves' gang, Patch is certainly quite capable. His speed and strength are incomparable to those of his soldiers. On the defensive side, he also has a large bronze shield that can block half of his body. He has a clear strategy for attack and defense, and it is difficult to find any flaws in him.

"Boy, you're pretty good, aren't you?" Patch stabbed his shield in his hand. "I own the world!" His spear was an inch longer, an inch stronger. He fired a barrage of shots, dominating the situation. "Among the Faded I've encountered, you're quite capable. Do you want to surrender and work for me? I can lower the interest I mentioned earlier to 10% for every 20 days. If you lose, you won't get such generous terms."

Ah Dai's expression remained unchanged, and he complained in his heart: "Are you kidding me? Even loan sharks are not as black-hearted as you..."

"Stop your nonsense, you baldy!" Before the man could reply, Melina, who was watching the fight, cheered him on. "My partner is a thousand times more powerful than you. He can beat you to your knees and beg for mercy in just a few hits. Partner, come on, fight!"

"You heard it." Ah Tui once again blocked the spear, "Amei is urging me to end the battle. Are you mentally prepared?"

Patch shouted, "You're kidding! Facing my invincible shield thrust, how could you possibly stand a chance of winning with your tattered straight sword?"

"Then I will..." Ah Tui's footsteps sank, and he switched from defense to offense, "I'll prove it to you."

He rolled three times in a row, each time accurately avoiding the spear tips that were stabbing out like a rain of fire, and in the blink of an eye he reached the blind spot behind him.

This is the secret technique of the faders - continuous rolling!

"What?!" Patch was unable to turn around in time and was stabbed in the back by A-Tu in shock.

The battle situation reversed and the outcome was decided.

Seeing the situation was not good, Patch threw away his weapon, crouched down with his head in his hands, and knelt down to beg for mercy: "I'm sorry, I surrender, I surrender! Don't fight me anymore!"