In the lord's lounge of Ensis Castle, the Aozaki sisters and the younger sister of the Full Moon Queen, Knight Rellana, engaged in a constructive and honest conversation. Both sides exchanged their views fully and maintained as much respect as possible.
...Such phrasing and expressions were not just diplomatic jargon—Aoko genuinely introduced the situation on her side and selectively shared some of the information she knew about the Lands Between with Rellana.
"That's about it," Aoko said. "Our main purpose for coming to this world is to find a seed of the Erdtree, so we can sustain the Great Source of our world and prevent its continued depletion."
"I understand what you mean," Rellana replied. "The Lands Between have never lacked outsiders. I have encountered a few myself... but unfortunately, the place you came to is not the Lands Between. Or rather, it is no longer the Lands Between."
Aoko and Touko exchanged glances. "What do you mean? I saw Grace here. And what about that giant tree to the north?"
"That is a shadow of the Erdtree—an Umbra Tree," Rellana explained. "After Queen Marika returned to the Lands Between, she separated and concealed this land from it, leaving behind a shadow of the Erdtree to maintain the operation of the Golden Order here.
"This is the reason you can still see Grace."
"Why?" Aoko questioned in confusion. "Was something happening in this land?"
"Perhaps to cover up some secret," Rellana sighed. "I followed Prince Messmer, the eldest son of Queen Marika, as part of the expeditionary force that came to this land."
"But just as the war was about to be completed, just as we were about to annihilate all our enemies, Queen Marika created the shadow of the Erdtree, hiding this land in the Shadow Realm. Whether looking out from this land or looking in from the Lands Between, neither side can see the other anymore."
"Your expedition... was it against the Horned Ones?"
"When we first arrived at the Graveyard Plains, those Horned Ones didn't seem very friendly."
"Hmph, the fact that we didn't exterminate those creatures entirely was already the greatest mercy," Rellana scoffed, her tone revealing her displeasure. "Yes, Prince Messmer and I came to the Shadow Lands to completely eradicate the Horned Ones—a sinful race."
"You might hear some bad things about the Golden Ones from the remnants of the Horned Ones," Rellana said seriously. "But I advise you outsiders to investigate the full story before making any judgments."
"I'm all ears." Aoko extended her hand in a 'please continue' gesture. "I'm quite curious about the reason."
"Don't assume that just because they seem pitiful now, they are innocent," Rellana stated. "They simply happened to be the losing side. In the past, they persecuted and slaughtered all races that did not have horns and looked different from them—including Queen Marika's people."
"Ah, I see," Aoko nodded. "Religious fundamentalism with extreme exclusivity. Would they happen to believe they are the chosen race, with all others being subhuman?"
"You've heard of them before?" Rellana raised an eyebrow.
"Our world has similar ethnic groups. Their common trait is an inexplicable confidence," Aoko shrugged. "People like that usually don't meet a good end."
"Well, that's roughly the story," Rellana said, taking a somewhat dejected sip of her drink. "No matter what your goal is in reaching the Lands Between, you've failed. This is not the Lands Between, and there is no way back. We're all trapped here."
"We have our methods," Aoko said. "Since we were able to come in from the outside, I believe we can also find a way to get from here to the Lands Between. It's only a temporary problem."
Rellana pursed her lips indifferently and said nothing. It seemed she had been here for many years already.
"It seems like you're not particularly surprised by our mentions of the breaking of the Elden Ring and the Shattering War?" Touko suddenly asked.
"Even though the Shadow Lands have been cut off from the Lands Between," Rellana paused for a moment before continuing, "the Umbral Tree is still the shadow of the Erdtree. The breaking of the Elden Ring has still affected the people of this world."
"If you observe closely, you'll find many senseless, wandering soldiers from the expeditionary force scattered across this land," Rellana said wistfully. "That is the result of the Elden Ring's fragmentation. Both Prince Messmer and I have vaguely suspected this."
"The passage of time in the Shadow Lands is ambiguous," Rellana continued. "Sometimes when we try to recall how long we've been here, it feels like just yesterday, yet also like an eternity."
"Some of the war machines are still operating as if new, while others have inexplicably decayed into useless wreckage due to extreme aging."
"Interesting..." Aoko stroked her chin, thinking. "Well then, if we find a way to the Lands Between, would you like to come with us? My magic can transport a maximum of six people between worlds."
"...I don't know," Rellana hesitated. "But I will try to report this to Prince Messmer. If he wishes to return, then I will follow him back to the Lands Between."
"Hmm, you really like Prince Messmer, don't you?" Aoko remarked. "Falling for the child of your sister's husband's second marriage—does that not feel a bit problematic?"
"...What did you just say?" Rellana stiffened, sensing something ominous in Aoko's words, and immediately questioned her.
"Ah, as far as I know, Queen Marika's new consort is a hero named Radagon," Aoko feigned innocence. "That red-haired man left the Full Moon Queen and married Queen Marika. Both of them had children from before, so this counts as some kind of blended family, right?"
The temperature in the room dropped sharply, and frost began to form on the ground. An immense surge of magical energy emanated from Rellana, making even the candle flames in the room flicker unsteadily. It was clear that she was deeply shaken.
"I knew it..." Rellana muttered in a slightly trembling voice (from anger). "I knew that red-haired bastard had no good intentions... How dare he abandon my sister...!"
"So, Radagon is technically Prince Messmer's stepfather. Is that okay with you?" Aoko asked playfully. The knight's reaction was just too amusing!
"These are two separate matters!" Rellana immediately switched her demeanor, speaking with righteous indignation. "Radagon's betrayal has nothing to do with Prince Messmer's integrity and honor!"