The originally aloof and cold knight, Rellana, underwent a drastic change in personality when it came to matters of her own feelings and family issues—or rather, she revealed her true personality.
"When my sister Rennala got married, I already knew that red-haired guy was unreliable!" Rellana stood up from her chair and paced back and forth in the room, her armored boots clanking against the floor with a crisp clank-clank sound.
"Does my sister have children with that red-haired man?" Rellana suddenly asked Aoko.
"From what I know, there should be three demigods born from the Full Moon Queen and the red-haired hero," Aoko recalled. "The Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, Starscourge Radahn, and the youngest daughter who remained in Caria, Ranni the Witch."
"So this naming pattern… It seems my dear sister did value that man," Rellana huffed angrily. Her demeanor was completely different from before, even making Aoko find her slightly adorable.
But seriously, why are all the women of Caria so obsessed with red-haired men? Whether it's Messmer or Radagon, aren't they completely wrapped around their fingers?
Oh, wait—I'm red-haired too. Never mind then.
Aoko exchanged a glance with Touko, both suspecting that their unexpected audience with Rellana, the ruler of Ensis Castle, might have something to do with their hair color.
"By the way, I have another question," Aoko pondered before speaking again. "The Prince Messmer you mentioned—we've never heard of him through any magical rituals. Who is his father?"
"Who else could it be?" Rellana looked at Aoko strangely. "Of course, it's the Elden Lord, His Majesty Godfrey."
"You might not know," Rellana continued, "but the soldiers in the coalition army come from His Majesty Godfrey's homeland, the warriors of the northern wastelands. They are fierce fighters, masters of warcries, and deeply connected to the earth itself."
"Messmer's crest is right there," Rellana pointed at the wall. "The outermost ring represents the Great Rune of the Erdtree, controlled by the Golden Lineage."
No wonder it looked so familiar…
Aoko crossed her arms in thought. She had always felt like she had seen that strange crest somewhere before. Wasn't this the same design as the Great Rune held by Morgott?!
"By the way, if that man remarried Queen Marika, what happened to His Majesty Godfrey?" Rellana suddenly asked.
"They say he was stripped of his grace by Queen Marika," Aoko shrugged. "He and his warriors were then exiled from the Lands Between. They're now known as the Tarnished. Who knows if they've returned now that the Elden Ring is shattered?"
Rellana didn't respond immediately. She paced back and forth, furrowing her brows as she tried to decipher Queen Marika's motives for exiling Godfrey and destroying the Elden Ring. As a high-ranking general allied with the Golden Order, she undoubtedly knew a great deal of insider information—but none of it explained Marika's actions.
"Sigh, there's no point in me thinking about this," Rellana said dejectedly. "Either way, I can't return to Prince Messmer's side…"
Aoko had no idea who this Messmer was, but from Rellana's words, it sounded like Marika and Godfrey's eldest son was a red-haired workaholic who obeyed his mother's every command—and who probably didn't care much about Rellana's feelings.
The Land of Shadows… Did I end up in an Elden Ring DLC that hasn't even been released yet?
Aoko's memories from her previous life contained no information about a DLC. However, based on speculation from some Ring scholars, a future DLC might explore either the story of the young prince Miquella or the ill-fated Godwyn. Could those two also be in the Land of Shadows?
"By the way, Lady Rellana," Aoko asked after some thought, "do you know Miquella and Godwyn?"
"Of course, I know Godwyn," Reina replied. "Who doesn't know Godwyn the Golden? He was widely recognized as the next Elden Lord. But who is Miquella?"
"Queen Marika and Radagon's 'son,'" Aoko said succinctly. "Have you seen them in the Land of Shadows?"
"No," Reina shook her head. "Godwyn didn't join the expedition. After all, this was dirty work, and as the heir, he shouldn't be involved in such matters publicly."
"As for this Miquella, I have even less of a reason to know him," Rellana answered firmly. "I don't know where you got that information, but in the territories under my and Prince Messmer's control, I've never seen them."
"Alright," Aoko decided to stop digging for now. "Then, may we borrow the Glintstone magic books of Ensis Castle? Touko and I are very interested in the magic system of the Lands Between."
"Sure," Reina agreed readily. "But I should warn you—I'm decent at Glintstone magic, but I'm not very good at teaching others."
"No problem," Aoko smiled. "Don't be fooled by our appearance. Back in our homeland, Touko and I were considered geniuses among geniuses!"
"That's good," Rellana thought for a moment before saying, "Even though I'm not great at teaching, I know someone who is. He's an excellent Glintstone sorcerer and a skilled teacher."
"He was my magic instructor and followed me from Liurnia to the Land of Shadows," Rellana continued. "His name is Ymir. He's not currently in Ensis Castle, but I can give you a map. If you want his guidance, you can find him yourselves. I'll write you a letter of introduction."
"Much appreciated," Aoko gave Rellana a sorcerer's salute. "Then, we'll be in your care. Touko and I will stay in Ensis Castle for a while."
"I'll arrange rooms for you near the library," Rellana said cheerfully. "It may be difficult, but I sincerely hope you find a way back to the Lands Between."
Thus, the Aozaki sisters temporarily settled in Ensis Castle.
Despite the brutal battles raging outside, Ensis Castle—being a medieval fantasy fortress—was actually quite well-equipped internally. Rellana, a noble of the Carian royal family, and her subordinate sorcerers had created many semi-automated facilities using Glintstone magic, including a self-incinerating Glintstone toilet!
However, Aoko and Touko were ultimate beauties who didn't even need to use the restroom. They simply placed their modern furniture in the rooms Rellana assigned them and lived comfortably.
As uninvited guests, they occasionally helped Ensis Castle's soldiers deal with lone assassins from the Horned Clan and other grotesque monsters lurking nearby. Over time, the castle's troops gradually accepted the presence of the Red-Haired Sorceres Sisters.
Rellana even had a tailor craft Carian-style robes for Aoko and Touko, embedded with ice-blue Glintstones that enhanced spellcasting. Additionally, they each received a standard Carian Glintstone Staff, proof of the Glintstone magic they had learned.
Amidst their routine of reading books, studying Glintstone magic, and chatting with Rellana and other sorcerers, Aoko and Touko ended up spending half a month in Ensis Castle without realizing it.
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