Chapter 405 - 308: Recusant Bernahl

Lucian stepped out of the room, planted his hands on his hips, and lowered his head in thought as he considered what to do next.

He wasn't an unreasonable person. The other party had shown genuine feelings, and that was something worth acknowledging.

Besides, even if Rykard had been devoured by the immortal serpent, he was still Ranni's second elder brother. That technically made him Lucian's brother-in-law.

Unfortunately, there was no room for negotiation when it came to the Great Rune.

Perhaps he could ask Rykard about it before their fight. If Rykard was still capable of understanding human speech and willingly handed it over, Lucian wouldn't be opposed to sparing his life.

It seemed he would have to find his own way to Rykard after all. Fortunately, it probably wouldn't take too long.

Shaking his head, Lucian put the matter aside for now.

However, looking at Tanith's current state, he had a feeling that Patches wouldn't be able to get what he wanted after all.

Lucian walked down the stairs, intending to find Bernahl.

He didn't have any particular reason. He was simply at Volcano Manor already, and wanted to meet someone he knew.

After all, Bernahl was one of the few people in the Lands Between whom he knew and had fought alongside.

As soon as Lucian reached the bottom of the stairs, he spotted Rya with her ear pressed against the wall, listening intently to something.

"Rya? What are you doing?"

Startled by Lucian's voice, Rya hurriedly turned around.

"Ah! N-nothing."

Her fingers fumbled nervously with the hem of her clothes. Then she approached him and changed the subject.

"Sir Lucian, you've met with Lady Tanith."

"How did it go? Were you able to join Volcano Manor?"

Lucian smiled at Rya before answering.

"Well... There were a few complications. Our conversation didn't go particularly smoothly."

"And for certain reasons, I probably won't be joining Volcano Manor after all."

"However, Lady Tanith doesn't mind me staying here for a visit."

"So I'll probably be your guest for a little while longer."

Rya looked a little disappointed. Sir Lucian hadn't stayed at Volcano Manor after all.

She had really hoped he would remain. There weren't many people like him who would treat her with genuine kindness.

"Ah... How did that happen?"

"Lady Tanith has always longed for powerful heroes..."

"Perhaps I could talk to her again on your behalf?"

Lucian laughed and reached out to pat Rya on the head.

"Haha, no. There's no need for that."

Tanith was practically hoping he would leave as soon as possible, afraid that he might flatten the entire Volcano Manor.

If Rya went and told Tanith that she wanted him to stay, who knew whether it might give the woman a heart attack?

Lucian continued ruffling Rya's hair until it was left somewhat disheveled.

As though changing the subject, he said:

"By the way, take me to see Bernahl."

Hearing what Lucian wanted, Rya quickly put her disappointment aside and returned to her usual duties.

"All right. I'll continue showing you the way, then."

"Please, follow me."

Rya lowered her head and slipped out from beneath Lucian's mischievous hand.

She cheerfully walked ahead, leaving Lucian with a view of her back.

Watching Rya dutifully lead the way, Lucian rubbed his chin.

Rya's situation was something that would require a little attention.

If Tanith told Rya the truth herself, it might actually be better than letting her discover that she had been deceived.

Then again, it was hard to say. Her true origins would probably be difficult for Rya to accept.

And judging by what had just happened, Rya had clearly already discovered a few things. She had probably begun investigating the secrets hidden deep within Volcano Manor.

If Tanith acted too late, Rya might end up just as devastated and desperate as she had been in the game.

Lucian wouldn't be staying at Volcano Manor for long. He hoped to resolve this peacefully while he was still here.

—

Bernahl sat alone in the dimly lit reception hall, clad in his complete Beast Champion armor set.

He rested the heavy Devourer's Scepter upside down beside him, seemingly lost in thought.

Only when Rya pushed open the door did a little light enter the reception hall.

"Sir Lucian, please come in."

After Lucian entered, the door closed once more, and the room returned to darkness.

Seeing Lucian walk into the hall, Bernahl wasn't surprised in the slightest. He greeted him first.

"So it really is you. It's been a long time."

"When I felt that overwhelming pressure just now, I had a pretty good idea."

"...You've grown stronger. Much, much stronger."

Lucian smiled and casually took a seat in one of the chairs near Bernahl.

"It really has been a long time."

"Quite a while has passed since the festival."

"I did say back then that I would visit Volcano Manor, but I didn't expect it would take me this long to find the time."

Bernahl looked Lucian up and down.

The last time they had met was at the festival of combat in Caelid.

Back then, Bernahl and Lucian had fought side by side, so he had a fairly good idea of Lucian's strength.

Even at that time, Lucian had already been incredibly powerful.

In fact, at the very end, he had practically turned the entire festival into a one-on-one duel between himself and Radahn.

However, to Bernahl, although Lucian had been strong back then, he hadn't yet reached a level that made him completely impossible to contend with.

After all, Bernahl hadn't been all that far behind Radahn himself. He was capable of killing him a few times, at least.

But now, although Bernahl had greeted him by saying it had been a long time and that quite some time had passed, Lucian's growth was far beyond what could reasonably be expected over such a short period.

Lucian wasn't even armed, nor was he wearing any armor, yet the pressure he exerted on Bernahl was terrifying.

The overwhelming pressure from earlier had been especially frightening. Even though Bernahl had only been caught in its vicinity, he had found himself unable to sit still.

By now, he understood clearly that the two of them no longer occupied the same level of power as they once had.

Along with his astonishment, Bernahl couldn't help feeling a little relieved.

The Tarnished of this later age had far surpassed anything he and Vyke had once imagined.

Anyone who wished to become Elden Lord ought to possess such strength and presence.

They shouldn't be like the two of them, who had never quite managed to reach the heights they had once sought...

Lucian had no idea what Bernahl was thinking. After all, his helmet concealed his expression completely.

He simply asked in a casual tone:

"You should know why I've come, right?"

Bernahl nodded and answered calmly.

"The Great Rune. There can only be one reason."

"You've already met Tanith, haven't you...? Judging by the circumstances, I imagine the conversation didn't go particularly well."

"Knowing her, she certainly wouldn't have given in."

Lucian leaned forward against the table, interlaced his fingers, and rested them in front of his lips.

"Then what do you think?"

Bernahl didn't meet Lucian's gaze. Instead, he lowered his head slightly and looked toward the Devourer's Scepter.

Or perhaps he was actually looking at something else, something that existed only in his memories.

After pondering for a while, Bernahl finally spoke.

"I believe... Rykard truly needs a dignified end."

"I'll help you. I'll take you to find Rykard."

"Give me three days. When the time comes, I'll lead you to where Rykard is."

Lucian looked at Bernahl, somewhat surprised.

He had considered the possibility of finding Rykard through Bernahl, but he hadn't expected Bernahl to bring it up himself.

"Will that be all right?"

"You're still a member of Volcano Manor, aren't you? You're going to bypass Tanith and take me to Rykard?"

Bernahl's gaze seemed to pass right through Lucian, as though he could see the phantom image of the manor, its flames flickering in the distance.

"Volcano Manor collapsed long ago."

"Tanith is simply still clinging to that unrealistic dream of hers. That's why I decided to continue looking after her on Rykard's behalf."

"Now that you've arrived, Rykard's death is all but certain. Volcano Manor is destined to meet its end as well."

"I have nothing more to say about it. The strong prey upon the weak. That's the rule we live by."

"The moment Rykard devoted himself to blasphemy, he should have been prepared for the possibility of an ill-fated end."

"As for the oath we once swore to rebel against the Erdtree, I'll be the one to bear it."

"As for those Recusants... There's no need to concern ourselves with them. They never came here for the sake of that ideal in the first place."

Bernahl's voice held no emotion. Clearly, he had little regard for the Recusants.

"Stealing the strength of others and making it their own. That is the purpose behind the Recusants hunting their fellow Tarnished."

"Originally, the Recusants rose up in rebellion to resist the cruel decree that forced us to slaughter one another."

"But in the end, they became nothing more than the most shallow of predators."

"...How laughable."

"Those who take part in blasphemy will only meet an ill-fated end."

After saying this, Bernahl gave a self-mocking laugh.

"Although, I suppose I'm hardly qualified to say that."

"After all, I knew what fate awaited me, yet I still chose to walk the path of blasphemy..."

Lucian silently watched Bernahl before suddenly asking.

"Then, as a former would-be lord, and one of my predecessors..."

"Why did you choose to walk that path of blasphemy?"

Hearing that long-distant title, Bernahl seemed momentarily dazed, as though he had returned to the days when he first set out on his journey.

A would-be lord...

A title he had once yearned for and taken immense pride in.

But now, it was no longer something he needed...

Now, all he needed was a single cheap flower and a cup of the worst-quality wine, something he could use to mourn everything that had passed.

After remaining silent for a while, Bernahl sighed.

Since Lucian was curious, there was no harm in telling him the story.

After all, in the Lands Between as they were now, Bernahl had no one left whom he could call a friend.

"In the distant past, I received guidance and set out on the path toward becoming Elden Lord."

"I made a vow: I would neither hear nor see, and I would never lose my way. I would only continue along the path I had resolved to follow."

"Back then, the goal of becoming a lord was everything to me. It was as though I had been born for that very purpose."

"I believed I could give up everything for it..."

Bernahl fell silent. Only after a long while did he speak again.

"But I was wrong. When my Finger Maiden burned meaninglessly in the flames..."

"That was when I truly realized that I was a weak person."

"I couldn't sever my ties to my feelings, yet I didn't possess enough strength to protect what I cared about."

"That single flame burned away every last trace of my ambition."

"The things that had once filled me with such excitement first lost their color, no longer reflecting even the slightest glimmer of light."

"Then they became nothing more than thin, hollow outlines."

"When I tried to speak of them, I found my throat hoarse, with nothing meaningful left to say."

"I became a Tarnished in the truest sense of the word."

"I had not only lost the Grace, just like the others. I had also lost everything I had once fought for."

"I abandoned my ideal of becoming Elden Lord. All that remained for the rest of my life was revenge."

"After that, I came to Volcano Manor and embarked upon the path of blasphemy, so that I might raise my sword against the Erdtree."

Contrary to the tragic nature of his story, Bernahl's voice was utterly calm, as though he were recounting something that had happened to someone completely unrelated to him.

But Lucian knew that Bernahl had never truly let go of his past.

Otherwise, he wouldn't still be accumulating strength even now.

When Rykard first raised the banner of rebellion, it had only been to justify the legitimacy of his own actions.

At his core, he didn't care about the slogan, nor did he care about the demigods slaughtering one another.

Bernahl, however, was the only one who had taken it seriously.

In fact, Bernahl knew perfectly well that even Rykard was merely using that cause as a pretext.

But so what? It didn't change what needed to be done.

His fate really had been toyed with by the Erdtree. He had been made to drink the poison known as dreams.

He had received guidance and continued moving forward, only for everything to end up meaningless.

He couldn't become Elden Lord, and his Finger Maiden had been burned.

The same was true of Vyke's fate.

The Erdtree offered guidance, only to reject everything in the end.

The two men who had once been honored as would-be lords were nothing more than failures who shared the same misfortune.

After slowly recounting the dramatic rise and fall of his life, Bernahl stood up.

He stared intently into Lucian's eyes, as though trying to find an answer within them.

"What kind of world is it that you desire?"

"Do you intend to continue the Golden Order? Or do you intend to destroy it and replace it?"

Faced with Bernahl's question, Lucian answered with complete seriousness.

"There is no need to continue the radiance of gold, because the brilliance of the sun shines far brighter."

"I am destined to burn the Erdtree and reforge all the laws of the past."

"When that time comes, the Lands Between will enter a truly glorious age of life."

"I cannot promise anything beyond that. But it will certainly be a peaceful world, one where everyone can smile from the bottom of their hearts."

Bernahl gazed into Lucian's eyes. Then, to Lucian's surprise, he slowly lowered himself onto one knee.

"I believe your strength is certainly enough to accomplish that."

"I took the path of blasphemy so that I could raise my sword against the Erdtree and bring it down."

"It wasn't because I attributed every misfortune I had suffered to the Erdtree."

"It was because I had despaired of a world controlled by gods."

"I believe you can accomplish that great undertaking. Therefore, I am willing to become your strength."

"To me, reputation and methods no longer matter. All I want is to witness an age better than the one ruled by the Erdtree..."

Looking at Bernahl, Lucian couldn't help recalling Tanith's assessment of the Recusants of Volcano Manor:

Heroes who walk the path of filth and impurity are always so dazzling.

Lucian didn't know how anyone could arrive at such a strange conclusion.

In his opinion, it wasn't the filthy and impure path that made someone a hero...

Rather, it was their ideals. Even if the path ahead was filthy and impure, they would still step onto it without hesitation for the sake of what they believed in.

They had already been heroes before ever setting foot on that road.

And so, even after walking such a disgraceful path, a hero remained a hero.

Lucian stood up and addressed Bernahl solemnly.

"I like flawless saints, but I like warriors who acknowledge their own brokenness even more."

"Because I'm only human, too."

"The sun does not reject any shadow that yearns for the light, even if that shadow was once soaked in blood."

"May you bathe in its sunlight and find your way back to the path of knighthood."

Bernahl lowered his head. In this one matter, at least, he could say without the slightest hesitation that his conscience was clear.

Even when he had accumulated strength by devouring his fellow Tarnished, he had only ever targeted the Recusants.

"The way of the knight has always lived on in my heart. I have never dared to forget it, not even for a moment..."

Lucian drew the Sword of Night and Flame and gently rested it upon Bernahl's shoulder, accepting his allegiance.

Since Bernahl firmly believed that Lucian could usher in a new age, Lucian would not let him down.

Just then, Rya's startled cry came from outside the room.

Lucian nodded to Bernahl and left him with a few brief words.

"Then I'll come find you in three days."

"By then, Volcano Manor will have reached its final end."

"Until that time, you still have enough time to say farewell to the life you once had."

With that, Lucian quickly left the room to check on Rya.

Bernahl raised his head and watched Lucian's figure disappear.

What kind of scene would the future hold?

—

Some time after Lucian had left, Bernahl slowly rose and walked out of the room, heading deeper into the corridor.

In the pitch-black passageway, where not a single ray of light could be seen, a lonely spirit knelt before a portrait of Rykard.

This was the last Gelmir Knight.

Bernahl stopped in front of him and glanced at the portrait of Rykard.

After letting out a quiet sigh, Bernahl turned toward the knight's spirit and spoke.

"You can finally rest."

"I've found someone who can give Rykard an honorable death."

"Although Rykard was a lord unrecognized by the Erdtree, he was still a Shardbearer, no matter what."

"Only by dying at the hands of a true lord can he fulfill the fate that was meant for him."

"If he were to be abandoned by everyone and killed by one of his own knights, he'd become a laughingstock."

Bernahl raised his cup. The wine within slowly poured onto the ground before the knight's spirit.

The intense heat of Volcano Manor caused the liquid to evaporate rapidly. The glory of bygone days seemed to gradually emerge within the rising vapor.

But after a brief moment of hazy recollection, it dispersed once more with the drifting mist.

Beside the last Gelmir Knight, numerous other spirits gradually appeared, as though summoned. Their forms were already so indistinct that they could barely hold themselves together.

Within the mist of their spirits, their lingering obsessions and wishes intertwined, granting them a little more time.

"Is that so..."

"Then that is wonderful news."

"Please, allow us to witness and take part in our king's final battle."

"In other words... the end of the undying war."

—

[T/N: Gelmir Knights]

The Gelmir Knights were once a distinguished order of elite warriors who proudly served Praetor Rykard at Mt. Gelmir. They initially swore sacred oaths to Rykard because they believed in his ambitious, rebellious crusade against the tyranny of the Golden Order. However, their unwavering loyalty shattered when Rykard chose a horrific path to power, allowing himself to be willingly devoured by the God-Devouring Serpent. Disgusted by their lord's descent into monstrous, gluttonous depravity, the heartbroken order completely disbanded, instigating a bloody and doomed civil war within Volcano Manor against their mutated master. Today, the emblem emblazoned on their tarnished brass armor stands for a forgotten faction that no longer officially exists.

Fun Facts & Hidden Details:

The Serpent-Hunter Mystery: The ghost of the Gelmir Knight you meet in Volcano Manor leaves behind the Serpent-Hunter spear. Lore implies the knights specially forged this weapon long ago specifically to kill Rykard if he ever lost his mind.

Fire Magic: Though you never fight a living Gelmir Knight, game data and lore items show they heavily utilized fire and lava-based skills, mirroring Mt. Gelmir's volcanic nature.

The Bloodhound Connection: The dead knight holding the armor set in the Gelmir Hero's Grave is being fiercely guarded by a Bloodhound Knight. It is highly likely this Bloodhound Knight was an assassin sent by Volcano Manor to wipe out the remaining deserters.