"...And just like that, because the corrupt creatures of Caelid were wiped out, more and more warriors of the Lands Between heard the news and came to Redmane Castle," the Tarnished said, sitting on a wooden crate. After taking a swig from his Flask of Crimson Tears, he continued, "Though, I have to say, I'm quite surprised at how many have gathered. I remember when I first arrived in Caelid, it was incredibly difficult to even move forward. Walking on the main roads, you could be ambushed by those insect men at any time."
Hearing this, Aoko was a bit stunned. When she previously traveled to the magical town of Sellia, she assumed the mutated creatures had been killed simply because they were blocking the roads. But from what the Tarnished was saying, it seemed that nearly all of Caelid's mutated creatures had been exterminated...
"Besides General Gael's forces, have there been any other organized military units that arrived in Caelid?" Aoko thought for a moment before asking, "Surely, wiping out all the mutated creatures in Caelid couldn't have been accomplished by them alone in such a short time, right?"
"Hmm, there are indeed others," the Tarnished mused before responding. "A group calling themselves the Knights of Miquella has currently stationed themselves in Redmane Castle. They have a significant number of troops, and most of them can use prayers known as Unalloyed Gold, which are extremely effective against creatures corrupted by Scarlet Rot. Most of the monsters in southern Caelid were taken care of by them."
Aoko glanced around and noticed that in the central plaza of Redmane Castle, apart from the various Tarnished warriors in different attire, the most conspicuous figures were a few knights clad in uniform armor. These knights were different from the Redmane Knights—they looked... well, how should she put it? More disciplined?
She stroked her chin as she observed them. Their armor and cloaks bore the emblem of the Haligtree. If they truly were Miquella's knights, then they must have come from the northern Haligtree. However, Aoko had no recollection of knights like these from her memory. Were they some kind of hidden force?
"The one leading them is called Leda," the Tarnished whispered. "She seems like a very upright person, but I can't shake off a bad feeling about her."
"Why?" Aoko asked curiously. "Isn't being righteous a good thing?"
"Being righteous is indeed good," the Tarnished shook his head, "but sometimes, being too righteous can be a little frightening. You get what I mean?"
Aoko pondered for a moment and then nodded. She looked at the knight named Leda. Judging by her figure and name, she appeared to be a female knight, yet she commanded a military force named after Miquella. That suggested she was quite capable.
The plaza was much larger than it appeared in the game, which meant that the number of warriors gathered here for duels and sparring was also significantly greater. Aside from the Tarnished's group, Aoko, and Touko spotted figures such as Warrior Jars, Finger Maidens, the notable Tarnished Great Horn, the Half-Wolf Blaidd, Lionel, the Old Knight, Crucible Knights, a female warrior clad in strange armor wielding a large sword and shield, a Glintstone sorcerer wearing a Carian professor's robe and mask with a large hat, as well as many other warriors that Aoko had no recollection of.
As Aoko furrowed her brow, trying to identify these individuals, a crackling purple lightning bolt streaked across the sky above the plaza—General Gael had arrived.
Using gravity magic, Gael and his mounted Albinauric archers soared over the castle's narrow entrance and landed directly in the plaza, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present.
Many of the Redmane Knights gazed at Gael with a hint of admiration. Aoko speculated that this was either because Gael was the senior disciple of their general or simply because his gravity magic was incomparably powerful.
As Gael entered, more and more warriors began to flood into the plaza from the entrance. Among them were formally organized knightly orders as well as uniquely dressed warriors of various backgrounds.
After landing, Gael nodded toward Aoko and Touko, acknowledging their timely arrival as support, before turning his gaze straight toward the massive battlefield gate, which was temporarily closed. The rest of the Albinauric followed closely behind him, and even their war wolves stood at attention, ready for battle.
The Tarnished was soon pulled aside for a private conversation by a bald warrior with a rather sinister and lecherous appearance, while Melina had vanished at some point—perhaps deeming the crowded plaza too stifling and opting to return to her spirit form within the Tarnished.
Aoko noticed that the Half-Wolf Blaidd kept glancing in her and Touko's direction as if trying to confirm something. She figured it was either because of her previous conversation with Blaidd's boss, Ranni, or perhaps due to the Carian robes she and Touko were wearing.
As the massive plaza grew increasingly crowded, the lord of the castle, Jerren, stepped onto a high platform and began his speech. His voice was passionate and resounding. He first welcomed all the warriors who had gathered for the Festival of Combat, before explaining the reason for its organization—to grant the now-maddened General Radahn an honorable death.
Aoko listened carefully to Jerren's speech from start to finish, confirming that it was largely the same as in the game. She let out a sigh of relief—this version of the Lands Between had already proven to be vastly different from her memory, so hearing familiar lines felt somewhat unsettling.
"The stars have filled the sky, and this fortress has become the stage for our festival!" Jerren's voice grew louder. "This is a festival to mourn the mightiest demigod—a ceremony to determine the rightful heir to the Great Rune!"
"Fight, warriors!" Jerren raised both hands. "Offer up an honorable death for the general's final battle!"
As he finished speaking, the Redmane soldiers on the walls began operating machinery, slowly opening the sealed battlefield gate. Jerren approached the entrance and gestured grandly, inviting all the festival participants onto the battlefield.
"We arrived just in time, it seems," Touko murmured. "If we had been any later, the battle might have already begun."
"When the fighting starts, our main objective is to protect Gael and his troops," Aoko instructed. "The Tarnished has Melina watching over him, but we should be cautious of those Miquella knights. If anything unexpected happens that we can't handle, we should retreat immediately."
"Why?" Touko asked in confusion. "Aren't they our allies in this battle festival?"
"Just look at the Redmane Knights' attitudes toward them," Aoko tilted her chin slightly. "I think the fact that they haven't already started fighting those golden-clad Miquella knights is a sign of remarkable restraint."
"Is it because they, like Malenia's Cleanrot Knights, also hail from the northern Haligtree?" Touko recalled the lore Aoko had previously explained to her. As they followed the crowd forward, she continued, "So are they here to finish the unfinished battle of the Cleanrot Knights?"
"It's probably not that simple," Aoko replied as they stepped through the gate. At that moment, Jerren scrutinized them with a piercing gaze but made no additional moves. "These knights weren't recorded as participating in Malenia and Radahn's war, which means they have another purpose for being here."