Elden Ring: Atai vows to have a perfect ending

Chapter 393 Melina's Mission

——Tell her, tell her, since you have already promised her. Besides, Melina has already tolerated your willfulness several times, hasn't she?

——But what if Melina knows her mission and insists on doing it?

——Oh, what are you afraid of? Didn't I say that we should use the crazy firewood as firewood? Meimei is not a fool. There is no reason for her to force herself to burn the tree.

——······But, it was as if I had deliberately deprived her of her mission. Even if her body was burned, her soul would continue her destiny.

In my mind, the two little men in black and white were arguing frantically, and even started to pinch each other's shoulders and wrestle with each other, creating a storm.

"Lord Zero?" Melina called softly, her sparkling eyes still waiting for my answer.

"Ahem! Sorry, sorry." I quickly shook my head and threw away the two little people in my mind.

After taking a deep breath, I decided, "Melina, to be honest, your predetermined fate... how should I put it? It's not good, but I have the ability to help you change it, and I'm changing it... So, even so, do you still want to know? That fate."

Melina nodded firmly: "Please tell me, Master Zero."

"Okay then." I sighed. "Do you remember what I discussed with Teacher Mungert before? In order to burn the thorns on the golden tree, we need someone who can see the phantom of fire. He can make the extinguished giant flames on the snowy mountain climb up to the branches of the golden tree, and then spread to the thorns and burn them... At that time, the method I mentioned was to capture the crazy fire man and let him go to start the fire."

Listening to my gentle words, Melina couldn't help rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb.

"But in fact, there is another person who can see the phantom of fire... and that person is you, Melina." After saying that, I quickly continued to make amends, "But, but now, you see, isn't there a new plan? So, so, Melina, you don't have to light the fire and burn the tree. I will find a way to solve it."

“…Sure enough, it is like this.”

"Ok?"

——As expected?!

——Could it be that Melina had already remembered her fate?

——She asked me, just wanting to get a more definite answer from me.

My thoughts were interrupted by Melina's whispers. In the dim room, it seemed as if a tiny flash of light slipped from the corner of the girl's eyes: "Melina?!"

She raised her head, with traces of tears still on her face.

But Melina still forced a smile: "Thank you, thank you, Master Ling, for being willing to tell me the fate, but... I'm sorry, please allow me to leave for a while."

After she finished speaking, she turned around, and her entire figure once again turned into fragments of faint blue light and drifted away with the wind.

"Melina!" I looked around the room hurriedly.

——Sure enough, shouldn’t I tell her the truth? It made her cry.

But to be honest, I don’t quite understand why Melina was crying.

Could it be that Melina hasn't made up her mind to fulfill her mission, and after I made it clear to her, in a way, I was pushing her into the fire... No, no, no, only a timid guy like me would have such thoughts. Melina would not cry for this at all.

What's more, since she might have guessed her fate before I said it, but still asked me for confirmation, it means that Melina had already made up her mind to bring disaster upon herself!

——But why?

——Tsk, now is not the time to think about these things, we have to find Melina first.

"Dilansis!" I rushed out of the Queen's boudoir and found Black Knife who was guarding the door. "Sister, Melina just disappeared. Can you look for her outside? She shouldn't have gone too far. She might be near the Golden Tree Cathedral."

Heidao nodded and set off.

On the open-air corridor, the fallen leaves of the golden tree fluttered down like golden snow.

——Wait, the direction where that ray of light dissipated was...

I quickly turned around, crossed the boudoir, and ran towards the throne of King Elden.

"Zero." Mungert was standing at the door.

And I asked anxiously: "Teacher, is she in there?"

Mungute nodded.

really.

I was about to continue rushing deeper into the golden tree, but Mungert stopped me again: "Zero... Although, to this day, I still cannot fully understand all of my mother's thoughts, but... please tell that girl that everything my mother did must have profound reasons, and please don't blame her."

"······I see."

I passed the throne of King Elden and ran into the depths of the golden tree. Sure enough, here I found Melina.

She was standing right in front of those thorns, with her head raised, as if she wasn't aware of me at all.

And seeing her reaching out to touch the spikes, I couldn't help but call out, "Melina!"

Melina didn't turn around.

I continued, "It's okay. Didn't I tell you? The fire-crazed can also see the phantom of fire. As long as you use them, you don't have to burn the trees, so..."

"Master Zero," she said softly, "it's all right now."

"Huh? Really?"

"Ah."

"But..." I remembered Mr. Mongget's reminder, swallowed my saliva, and changed the subject. "Although I don't know if you remembered anything else when you knew your true fate, Mr. Mongget just asked me to tell you that Queen Marika had her reasons for everything she did, so please don't blame her."

"······I won't blame her. After all, if it can save the border area, it's just a matter of serving the fire. What's there to be afraid of? But..." Melina said while touching the thorns.

"No, you'll still be scared, I'm really scared." I walked forward and grabbed Melina's hand that was still touching the thorns. The burn wrinkles on the back of her hand were even more shocking. "Besides, you've already experienced the horror of being swallowed by fire once. Even if you become a spirit, it must be difficult for you to adapt."

"The flames are indeed terrifying. But..." Melina gently released her hand from the thorns and slowly retracted it, "I just remembered my mother's cry outside the burning flames."

——“······Melina, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my child·····”

--"sorry······"

——"For the sake of the borderland, in order to free all living beings from the fate of being played with, my child, I actually want you to bear such a heavy fate... I'm sorry."

"...Maybe she was just being angry. What mother would push her child into a burning fire for some inexplicable reason?!" Melina said with a bitter smile, "But traveling with Master Ling, no matter which land we were in, we could hear wars, crying, cursing, wailing... So, I can more or less understand why my mother did this."

She looked towards the door of the golden tree again, as if she heard Marika calling her daughter again, and tears gradually seeped out and slid down from the corners of her eyes.

But those golden eyes were no longer as confused and shaken as before. They were shining brightly as if they were about to burn away the thorns that were in the way.

—Don't burn it, Melina.

——By the way, Melina’s tears were not shed for herself, but for Marika’s attempt to shoulder the fate of the Borderland alone, but ended up failing?

“Let’s make a new agreement, Melina.” An idea suddenly popped into my mind, and my mouth started moving on its own.

After the other party came to see me, I smiled and said, "Please accompany me to witness it! Create new laws and start a new Elden Dynasty... I will definitely achieve this goal and restore the border to its prosperity... This way, when you see her again, you will be able to comfort the queen with a smile."

“······That’s a very good idea, Lord Zero.” Melina wiped away her tears.

She raised the corners of her mouth slightly, as if trying to retain the spring breeze and create a garden in people's hearts: "Then it's a deal."

——Okay, it’s settled.

—This is your destiny, Melina.