Elden Ring, but with Wind Spirit Moon Shadow

Chapter 503 'Ominous King' Mongot
Beneath the dazzling exterior of the royal city of Rodel, a hidden shadow begins to surface for the first time.

Those residents and nobles who were proud of their identity as citizens of the Golden Tree were plunged into incredibly complex emotions when they learned that the 'Blessed King' they revered was actually the Son of the Ominous.

It was the 'Blessed King' who repelled the royal coalition, rescued Rodel, and even launched a counterattack on the volcano mansion.

That mysterious king almost single-handedly continued the light of the Golden Tree during the Shattered War, and therefore all his people respected and loved him.

Although the Blessed King did not pay homage to the Elden Ring and did not become the true King of Elden, he was undoubtedly the rightful king of Rodel.

Even though he never appeared before the world, the people of the Golden Tree had long regarded this unusual behavior as the king's arrogance.

However, when Montgomery revealed himself in his true form as an ominous sign, all the children of the Golden Tree felt a sense of 'betrayal'.

How they longed for a king like Govre to emerge and lead them in the end times when the Golden Tree was in decline.

They thought that such a king had appeared, but instead, standing before them was a son of evil.

—A son of misfortune, a symbol of calamity and misfortune, and a target of discrimination by all the people of gold.

There are so many people of the Golden People, and each of them has a different idea.

Some people, upon witnessing the ominous sign, remained silent for a long time, and then felt relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.

With the capital city of Rodel, where the golden tree is about to fall to the sun's glory, what's the point of still worrying about whether the Blessed King is the son of an ominous sign?
Moreover, for them, Montgomery truly saved the royal city and preserved the last vestige of dignity for the Golden Tree during the siege by the royal coalition.

If he hadn't stepped forward, the Golden Tree wouldn't even be able to survive its current precarious existence...

But in the eyes of others, the identity of the Child of Omens is already an unforgivable original sin for Montgomery.

After all, the ominous symbolism of those horns was personally determined by their Queen Marika!
Most of the nobles of the Golden Tree could not accept this fact, and while preparing to mobilize men to open the city gates, they did not forget to vent their despair with roars:
"The son of an ominous sign is fit to be king?!"

"Queen Marika above...why has it come to this!"

"King Gefulei! Quickly execute this evil omen that defiles the Golden Tree and usurps the throne!"
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Amidst the confused, hesitant, or angry gazes of the Golden Tree's inhabitants, Montgomery stood firm and unmoved.

He always knew what the body of the son of the ominous sign meant to the Golden Tree, but he was already aware of it.

It's more accurate to say that at this very moment, some of his people have chosen to stand by his side, which has completely exceeded Montgomery's expectations.

Montgomery watched Bai Shi and Holly Lou in the distance, waiting for them to cooperate with his performance.

Gazing into Montgert's eyes from afar, Bai Shi understood Montgert's thoughts and guessed what he wanted to do.

Bai Shi couldn't help but marvel at how far Menggete had gone for the Golden Tree.

Even though he never truly enjoyed the glory of the Golden Tree, and was instead burdened with a mountain of messy debts, he remained resolute in his decision.

Bai Shi couldn't understand Menggete's initial motivation for wanting to protect the Golden Tree, but he knew it must have been very important to him.

Perhaps it was emerging from the sewers, seeing the golden tree's radiance and the outside world for the first time...

Or perhaps it was his status as the son of the War King that subconsciously drove him to take over the leaderless royal city...

Perhaps there wasn't even a special reason; initially, he himself hadn't even thought of the answer to this question...

Montgomery's original intention to protect the Golden Tree is unknown, and it may not have been as firm as it is now at the beginning.

But over the long years he guarded the Golden Tree as the 'King of Blessings,' this belief must have become even stronger.

In this border region, regardless of the reason, all those with faith will go through fire and water for it.

He is now a truly respectable king, and for Bai Shi, knowing this fact is enough.

Holly Lou stood outside the city, looking at the resolute-looking Montgomery, her surprised face gradually turning into a solemn expression.

How could he not know what Montgomery wanted to do?
He attributed all the mistakes caused by the Golden Tree to him, thus ultimately protecting the Golden Tree...

Montgomery has now become a king capable of standing alone, possessing a compassionate heart that protects.

But Griffith would not allow him to sacrifice himself for the withered golden tree.

Because there's no longer a need for Montgomery to do that.

The future king of the borderlands possesses the power to change all tragedies.

Holly glanced at Bai Shi and pleaded earnestly.

Bai Shi looked at Holly Lu, whose full head of white beard and hair made him look incredibly old, reminding people that while he was a War King, he was also a father.

Knowing that Holly Lou had something to say to Montgomery, Bai Shi nodded gently to him, giving him the time.

Having received the signal, Holly Lou took a deep breath and then strode out of the army and approached the royal city.

Under everyone's gaze, Holly Lou shouted loudly:
“...It’s been a long time, Montgomery.”

"You have done a great job protecting the golden tree until now."

"I'm sorry to see you under these circumstances—my child."

When Holly Lou revealed Montgomery's identity, everyone who was unaware of his true identity was utterly shocked.

The nobles stared at Montgomery with horrified, disbelieving gazes shifting back and forth between the father and son.

For the Golden Tree, the atavism caused by the furnace was an ominous sign, a fact personally determined by Queen Marika.

But at this moment, the First King of the Golden Tree claimed that the Child of the Ominous was his child!
In other words, their king and god had a son who was seen as an ominous sign by the golden tree!

What a blasphemy, what a defilement!

It was like stabbing a sharp blade into their hearts, telling them that the golden tree they had followed in the past had a crooked foundation!
This event deeply saddened all the people of the Golden Tree, leaving them feeling utterly lost and helpless, as if the sky had fallen.

Regardless of the Golden Tree People's reaction, Holly Lou continued speaking:
“Mongt…every injustice you have suffered is a wound you have borne for me.”

“Marika denies the furnace, but our original strength came from it.”

Holly Lou's Adam's apple bobbed, her once-rough voice, which had roared and howled, now mingled with a softness she had never shown before.

The sunlight cast long shadows of the two men, like the paths they had each walked.

Amidst the falling leaves of the golden tree, Holly Lou suddenly kneels on one knee, apologizing to the child she has never been able to acknowledge.

"In order to preserve our fragile era, Marika and I have stripped you of your title as the son of a king..."

"But your choice at this moment has given it true glory."

"Now, it's finally my turn to witness your growth as your father."

For Holly Lou, the decline of the Golden Tree completely put his worries to rest.

Marika viewed the hybrid horns of the horned people as an ominous sign, a fact established when the Holy War in the Shadowlands began.

However, perhaps it was the curse of the horned people, no one expected that the Queen of the Golden Tree would give birth to two ominous children.

After the birth of Mongert and Monger, the ominous children of the royal family, Holly Lou was never able to announce their existence to the world.

Because that would undermine the validity of the Golden Tree and destroy their ideals.

For the sake of stability during the Golden Tree era, even the king, Holly Lou, could only secretly visit them in the sewers until he embarked on his faded journey.

Now, he no longer has to worry about those trivial matters and can openly and honestly recognize his special child.

Because in that bright future, even omens will no longer be discriminated against. Montgomery lowered his eyelids, looking at Holly Lou with a complicated expression.

He assumed his father would understand, but he never expected his father to publicly acknowledge him as his father…

If we now place all the blame on him, then things will end there, burying him and the era of the Golden Tree together.

No one will know about their relationship, nor will they know the role he played.

The son of the ominous sign who deceived everyone, seized the throne of the Golden Tree, and defiled the Golden Tree died, and the light of the sun shone upon everyone.

But now his father disregarded all of that and instead acknowledged him as his father, leaving him speechless.

Montgomery was deeply moved and even felt a lump in his throat.

Receiving recognition from his father was the most precious affirmation he had ever received since birth.

Montgomery and Holly Lou looked at each other and then Montgomery responded:

"Father, I eagerly await your return..."

"To me, you are the most trustworthy and respected person."

"But no matter what, I will protect the Golden Tree, even if you have already given up on its glory..."

"Father, will you blame me for choosing to stand against you?"

Holly Lou stood up and solemnly replied to Montgomery:

"No, you did something that makes me proud."

"For the sake of your beliefs and ideals, always move forward with unwavering determination."

"When you stand here, defending the royal city as an ominous figure, you understand the meaning of 'responsibility' better than anyone who calls himself a king."

“But I must tell you, Montgomery…”

"The glory of the golden tree has long been distorted, and the 'eternal era' that Marika and I pursued is nothing but another bubble."

"What you are desperately trying to repair is the cage that needs to be broken, the shackles that God has placed on all living beings in the borderlands."

"If this ideal of protecting the Golden Tree is your determination, then fight to the very end as the King of Omens."

"But remember, you never need to prove to anyone that you deserve the throne!"

"—Because you have long been my pride."

Montgomery raised his head and gazed at the sky, then suddenly leaped down from the towering city wall and stood alone before the golden tree.

He raised his staff and held it in front of him, his disguise crumbling away inch by inch, revealing a cursed sword that had changed color and become crooked due to the influence of the cursed blood.

Looking at Bai Shi amidst the vast army, Menggete spoke firmly:

"Sun King, let me be your opponent..."

The contrast between the Sun King, who is admired by all and shines with boundless glory, and the ugly son of the omen, who can only dwell in the shadows, is so stark.

Despite being outnumbered, Montgomery showed no fear, for the golden tree was right behind him.

Bai Shi nodded slightly and stepped forward, the sunlight in the sky becoming even more dazzling.

However, when Bai Shi reached Montgert, he hesitated to make a move or utter a word.

Even Montgomery began to wonder why he had done such a thing.

Why not take action?

"The final battle under the sun's radiance, your opponent is right before your eyes."

"Or am I not even qualified to challenge you?"

Bai Shi shook his head and replied:

"No... I'm waiting for your army."

"How can a king fight alone?"

Montgomery was taken aback, thinking the other party was humiliating him, when a loud bugle call came from behind him.

Lopez put down the horn in his hand, sighed slightly, and then suddenly jumped down, standing next to Montgomery.

Meanwhile, the heavy gates of the royal city of Rodel were opened from the inside, and the Night Cavalry emerged first, lining up around Montgert.

They were originally following evil spirits and demons, so how could they possibly desert their king at this time?

The guardians of the great tree and the army of the golden tree followed closely behind. Protecting the golden tree was their duty, especially since they were following the king who had protected Rodel in the past.

Those nobles who had once cried out that "the son of an ominous sign is unworthy to be king" had now stepped out of the city gates, swords in hand, and stood beside Montgomery.

Anger spread through their hearts, but not towards Montgomery, but towards the Golden Tree itself.

When their blood ties were made public, the long-held belief that 'ominous signs are bad omens' was completely shaken at that moment.

Now that they have learned from Govery's words that this viewpoint is wrong, and that the Golden Tree is wrong...

Even if they can't change their minds instantly, it's enough to let them know that Montgomery has never made a single mistake.

The golden tree may have made a mistake, but the king has never changed.

Finally, the sons of ominous signs, dragging their strange bodies and discriminated against by the people of the Golden Tree, arrived late.

Night cavalry, tree guardians, awakened nobles, sons of ominous signs, and even ordinary residents of the royal city all took up arms.

They stood behind King Rodel, before the royal city of the Golden Tree.

They showed Montgomery through their actions that he was not a king alone.

A true king is not respected for the bonds of blood, but for what he brings to his people.

Only then did Bai Shi smile, opening his arms to Montgert and saying:

Even knowing your identity, they still choose to follow you, not because of your status, but because you are worthy of the title of king!

"Even as an ominous sign, you are still the last king of this golden tree!"

“Let go of that empty title of the Blessed King; there’s no need to use it as a disguise any longer.”

"Do this as an omen, and live proudly as your true self—'Omen King' Montgomery!"

Montgomery slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had no regrets, only the purest fighting spirit remained.

"Thank you so much... but I will never give up."

"I will do everything in my power to protect the Golden Tree!"

Bai Shi raised his head; this was the kind of spirit he wanted. A stray dog ​​had no right to stand in front of him.

"Then let me bring the Golden Tree to its final bow with the grandest war!"

Despite the small number of Golden Tree warriors, the massive army did not underestimate them. Behind Bai Shi, they unleashed a battle roar that made the Golden Tree tremble.

(End of this chapter)