Elden Ring, building a legion of ashes

Chapter 140 The old king departs, the new king is born

Stoneville Grand Ballroom.

On the wall in the center of the hall hangs a huge and well-preserved oil painting.

The person in the painting is Govre, the first king of Elden.

He was clad in armor, wielding a giant axe, and carrying the beastly prime minister Serosius on his back. He looked imposing and had a disdainful gaze.

Just by looking at this portrait, one can almost feel the purest power and glory of the Golden Clan.

However, directly beneath this solemn and sacred portrait, instead of flowers and offerings, lies a massive slaughterhouse.

Or rather, the once magnificent banquet hall has been transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.

The ground was littered with severed limbs, entrails, and skinned corpses, as well as mutilated bodies hanging on meat hooks like livestock.

At this moment, in this old banquet hall, dozens of former Stoneville nobles, dressed in gorgeous velvet robes and wearing masks, were gathered together, trembling with fear.

From afar, they saw that the arrogant head of King Grek of Stoneville had been brutally severed by Xia Tong.

These men were Grek's courtiers, the most fervent supporters of the "limb-splitting" secret art, and the masterminds behind the cruel limb-splitting ritual.

"Bang!"

A loud bang.

The heavy oak door was violently forced open.

Carrying the bloodstained Lion Greatsword, Xia Tong exuded a chilling killing intent as she stepped into the old banquet hall.

Seeing Xia Tong, who looked like a god of death, and the menacing Faded Ones and Lost Knights behind her, the nobles were terrified.

"You—you can't kill us—"

An elderly nobleman stood up, trembling.

He wore a gold mask that concealed his face and held a silver knife in his hand, seemingly for defense, though the gesture appeared utterly ridiculous.

"We are courtiers of the Golden Family—nobility flows in our veins—"

"ah!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Neferi's eagle-patterned battle axe slashed directly at his neck.

Blood splattered.

This female warrior, who hated evil as if it were her enemy, despised the nobles who aided and abetted the tyrannical ruler.

Xia Tong remained expressionless, grabbed another nobleman with limbs who was trying to escape, and lifted him up.

"I am now asking you seriously, do you think limb extension is noble?"

The latter looked at his companion lying on the ground, turned pale with fright, and shook his hand tremblingly.

"No—no no no! Amputations are not noble—it—it—"

He hadn't even finished speaking.

Xia Tong's eyes turned cold, and without the slightest hesitation, the Lion Greatsword in her hand pierced through his chest and abdomen.

"Dishonest! They don't even dare to speak the truth; they have no reason to exist!"

Seeing that Xia Tong had killed another of his companions, the nobles behind him fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

Xia Tong casually flicked the blood off his sword and then grabbed a nobleman who appeared to be of high status.

"Now, I'll ask you this seriously one more time: do you think limb reattachment is noble?!"

"Noble!! Of course it's noble!!"

Seeing his companion's fate, the nobleman seemed to have instantly found the right answer to survival, and excitedly shouted, "Leg extension is a great art! It's the pride of the Golden Clan!!"

"Tsk—"

Xia Tong frowned, looking disgusted.

"You know perfectly well that I hate limb extensions, yet you still say these disgusting things to my face. You clearly look down on me."

"Pfft!"

The Lion's Greatsword pierced his chest immediately.

The remaining nobles who had been given amputations looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. It was a dead end, whether they said they were going to die or not.

One of the nobles, whose mental defenses had crumbled, pointed at Xia Tong and cursed, "Despicable faded one!! If you want to kill us, just kill us!! Why torture and humiliate us like this?!"

"Kill them all."

Xia Tong coldly gave the order, then added, "Oh, right, we can't kill them directly."

"Cut off their hands and feet one by one, let them experience the pain of being a 'pupa' too."

"It's a case of giving them a taste of their own medicine!"

Kenneth Hyde, who was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow upon hearing Xia Tong's words.

I never expected that Xia Tong, who always seemed so upright and kind, could be so ruthless.

However—this is indeed a good way to deal with these perverted nobles who worship limb extensions.

Xia Tong shrugged, didn't bother with any more words, and turned to leave.

Then, a series of chilling screams echoed through the banquet hall.

Five days later.

The chaos in the city has gradually subsided.

This was thanks to Kenneth Hyde's unique leadership and charisma as a legitimate nobleman.

He quickly incorporated the former Gryphon soldiers and exiles from Stoneville and restored order.

As for the prisoners and soldiers who were originally treated as expendable resources, they were all pardoned by Kenneth Hyde.

They were all promoted to regular soldiers, freed from their original prisoner status, and not only gained freedom but also received the respect and supplies they deserved.

The original Knights of Lost Home and Stormhawks of Stoneville were still commanded by two Forge Knights, Cambri and Perm.

They are currently the strongest fighting force in the entire city of Stoneville, and the most solid force in this fortress.

In this great battle, Xia Tong's prestige naturally reached its peak.

It was he and Neferi who truly stood on the front lines, withstanding the vast majority of the pressure from the demigod Grek.

Moreover, it was Xia Tong herself who severed the head of the "severed limb" Greke, ending this nightmare.

As for Grek's treasure vault and armory, there weren't many truly valuable items.

With Kenneth Hyde's advice and help, Xia Tong distributed the low-grade forging stones and some golden runes to the faded ones who participated in the battle to silence their gossip.

After all, these people also participated in the battle of Stoneville. Although they did not contribute much, if they were not given any spoils of war, they would inevitably have objections and cause unnecessary trouble.

.

Many of the faded figures were still wearing tattered wandering knight outfits, looking incredibly shabby.

Xia Tong then took out some Greck Knight sets from the armory and distributed them to the Faded Ones.

As for the elite faded ones who already had decent equipment, Xia Tong gave them even more runes as compensation.

Kenneth Hyde was in charge of handling all these trivial matters.

Xia Tong didn't want to deal with these complicated internal affairs and allocations; just thinking about them gave her a headache.

After dealing with all the mess in the city, Kenneth Hyde and the two Forge Knights realized that there was a huge problem in the current city of Stoneville.

Stoneville, audience hall.

At this moment, gathered in the hall were Neferi Lou, Kenneth Hyde, Gotock, and the two Forge Knights, Perm and Cambri.

Besides them, there was Edgar, the city lord of Moen City, who had just arrived yesterday, and the tall mountain troll leader.

"Lord Xia Tong."

Kenneth Hyde cleared his throat and broke the silence.

-

"Stoneville is currently at a critical juncture in rebuilding order and urgently needs a person of sufficient prestige to take charge."

"Although you do not have the legitimate status of the Golden Dynasty, in the current chaotic situation, it is clear that only by becoming the king of Stoneville can you win the hearts and minds of the people."

Lord Edgar of Moen City chimed in, "Lord Xia Tong, if you were the lord of Stoneville City, I, Edgar, would have no objection."

"The soldiers of Moen City will not object, and we will restore the tradition of paying tribute to Stoneville City every year."

Although the towering mountain demon leader wasn't very fluent in the common language of the border region, he pounded his chest with his enormous hand, pointed at Xia Tong, and uttered a single word in a muffled voice: "King!"

As for Cambri, he remained as carefree as ever.

"Hey kid."

"Although you are a little weaker than me, you still managed to cut off Grek's head, that's an indisputable fact."

"No one is more suitable for this position than you right now."

Neferi did not speak.

She stood on one side of the steps, arms crossed, leaning against a broken stone pillar, watching the scene before her where everyone was united in their hearts. Her face did not show any fanaticism, but rather a hint of scrutiny and calmness.

"I don't understand those convoluted titles like 'King' or anything like that."

"My axe only obeys my godfather's orders."

"But Xia Tong, it was you who cut off Grek's head. A warrior only recognizes fists and heart."

"As things stand, you are much cleaner and more qualified than that old dog that can only set limbs."

"Stop, stop!"

Xia Tong was immediately at a loss and waved her hands repeatedly.

He had no desire to be some kind of King Stoneville, confined to this dilapidated castle to handle state affairs.

However, it seems difficult to refuse their hospitality. If we don't agree, these people probably won't give up, and Stoneville will fall into chaos again.

After a moment's thought, Xia Tong slowly said, "How about this, I will only serve as the nominal city lord of Stoneville City, which is just an empty title."

"But I won't get involved; you'll be responsible for the specific internal affairs."

He looked at Kenneth Hyde and said solemnly, "Especially you, Lord Kenneth Hyde, you are the expert in governing the territory."

Upon hearing this, Kenneth Hyde's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness: "Of course, of course!"

A quiet little square near the Stoneville Armory.

Necarus sat alone on a pile of discarded wooden crates, silently wiping the massive King's Army shield with a rag. His face was covered by a thief's mask, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

The slender, noble dagger was stuck in the soil at his feet.

Five days have passed since the great battle.

Most of the faded ones have already left Stoneville.

But a few faded ones remained in the city, Necarus being one of them.

"A decent shield."

Xia Tong stepped forward, her voice steady.

Necarus suddenly looked up.

Seeing that the person who came was Xia Tong, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and quickly put down the rag in his hand and stood up.

This is the man who personally beheaded a demigod and is now the nominal Queen of Stoneville.

Before he could speak, Xia Tong took out a talisman that emitted a faint bronze glow from her bosom.

The amulet features a relief of a blind swordsman with a mysterious face, whose head is tightly wrapped in layers of tattered cloth, completely obscuring his eyes.

A gracefully curved sword swept diagonally across the swordsman's figure, exuding a flowing beauty.

This is a curved sword talisman that can enhance the power of counterattacks.

This is also one of the treasures that Getok gave to Xia Tong. It is said to be a relic left behind by the blind swordsman.

"Take it."

Xia Tong handed over the talisman.

"It will make your rapier counterattacks more lethal, and it should be a good fit for your shield tactics."

Hearing Xia Tong's words, Necaros hesitated for a moment.

He then extended his gloved hand and carefully accepted the amulet.

"I hope it will be helpful to you."

Xia Tong said with a smile.

Necaros was about to thank her when he realized that Xia Tong had already turned and left.

Necaros gripped the amulet tightly in his hand and bowed slightly in the direction Xia Tong had left.

On a cliff in Stoneville.

Xia Tong and Neferi Lou stood side by side.

As the city of storms, the winds blowing from the cliffs were exceptionally fierce, causing Neferi's wild black hair to dance wildly.

The latter took a deep breath in the air, as if to expel all the bloody stench of the past few days.

Then, she opened her bright, amber-like eyes and murmured softly:

-

"The wind—the wind here has changed."

"The nauseating smell of blood and the wails of wronged souls have disappeared."

"Although the wind here is still very strong, at least—the wind is clean now."

"That's good, isn't it?"

Xia Tong smiled and asked in return, standing beside her.

"Yes, that's good."

Then, Neferi turned to look at Xia Tong, her eyes becoming exceptionally serious.

"Thank you."

"You ended this atrocity, you ended Greck's evil reign."

"Without you, I might not have been able to achieve my goal."

"Now I can return to the Round Table Hall without any guilt and report back to my godfather."

"You're welcome, Neferior."

Xia Tong shook her head.

"I just did what I was supposed to do, and it was for myself too."

Neferi nodded, revealing a bright and sincere smile.

"I have something to give you."

Xia Tong stepped forward and took a short sword with a slender and straight blade from her waist.

Its overall shape is a hard, four-sided cone, which gleams with a cold metallic luster in the setting sun.

Xia Tong then tossed the short sword to Neferi.

Neferi took the heavy short sword and gently ran her fingers along its hard, angular facets.

"This is more like a nail used to drill through things."

Xia Tong nodded and explained, looking at the sharp tip, "It's called the Compassionate Short Sword."

"These are weapons that were once used by battlefield medics."

"It has no blade, so it's not suitable for chopping."

"Your double axes are powerful and heavy, suitable for head-on combat. But this merciful short sword can pierce through the gaps in heavy armor and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy."

"Sometimes, a single, precise thrust is all it takes to end a fight."

"By the way, do you know why it's called the Compassionate Dagger?"

"Um----"

Neferi murmured softly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I think—it's called the Merciful Dagger because it can strike a vital point with one blow, causing the enemy to die faster without suffering prolonged pain?"

That's one reason.

Xia Tong nodded, then gazed intently at the distant sea of ​​clouds.

"But there is another, deeper reason."

"What is that?"

Neferi asked curiously.

"As battlefield medics, they often face comrades who are seriously wounded and beyond saving."

"At that time, in order to prevent our comrades from continuing to writhe and struggle in pain—"

"The Merciful Short Sword can grant them final relief and end the suffering of our soldiers."

"This is also a kind of compassion."

These words left Neferi silent for a long time.

After a long pause, she looked up at Xia Tong with a complicated expression and said, "I didn't expect you to be such a thoughtful person."

"It's quite rare to find someone like this among the Faded Ones who only know how to kill and seize runes."

Then, she turned around, with her back to the cliff and the distant sea of ​​clouds, and reached out her hand to Xia Tong.

"Then, let's part ways here."

"My godfather is waiting for me."

"I hope we'll have the chance to meet again, Xia Tong."

Xia Tong reached out and firmly grasped the female soldier's rough yet strong hand.

He knew perfectly well what was going on in his heart.

The upright and pure female warrior before us will inevitably face the collapse of her faith and the betrayal of her godfather in the future.

But now, Xia Tong certainly couldn't directly tell her what kind of person Sir Bai Zhi was or tell her to be careful.

If you say that, Neferi might turn on you immediately, or even chop you down with an axe.

Because at this moment, in Neferi's heart, her adoptive father was sacred and inviolable.

After all, Sir Hundred Wisdom took Neferi in when she was lost and most confused, giving her a home and direction.

Watching Neferi's departing figure, Xia Tong couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

"I hope that when we meet again—you can still maintain this purity."

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