Chapter 228 The Blind Girl

Chen Nuo gripped his butcher's knife, hacking his way from Limgrave through the eastern shore all the way to the Bridge of Sacrifice, without so much as blinking along the way.

As for whether his eyes were dry, don't ask; it's not important.

Most of those who fell to his butcher's knife were soldiers under the command of Godrick.

These followers of the golden order, even if they hadn't lost their sanity, would proactively attack the Tarnished, intending to kill those who sought to transgress against the golden order.

After all, everyone knew why the Tarnished had returned to The Lands Between; sooner or later, they would have to face the Demigod Lords.

As the Lord of Stormveil Castle and self-proclaimed scion of the Golden Lineage, Godrick had long ago established various defenses specifically to guard against these returning Tarnished.

However, the strength and equipment of these soldiers were quite mediocre.

Aside from them, there were also mercenaries from Kaiden.

These northern knights were somewhat more elite.

But to Chen Nuo, it made no difference; in the end, he granted them all a merciful release.

In The Lands Between today, death is the greatest blessing.

Originally, Chen Nuo had wanted to deal with the flying dragon nesting on the small island in Agheel Lake and whip up a dish of stir-fried dragon heart.

But his luck was poor this time; he didn't encounter the dragon when he went there.

So he had to make do and stir-fry a dish of Runebear kidneys instead.

The Runebear is a massive and powerful beast; ordinary human elite units are no match for it, and no one wants to hear its howl in the night.

Its massive size also brought Chen Nuo a considerable harvest.

Its resilient vitality was indeed the longest-burning "firewood" Chen Nuo had encountered so far, and the kidneys were so large that they almost didn't fit in the pot.

By the campfire at night, Chen Nuo enjoyed his dinner while Melina appeared and sat beside him, quietly watching the crackling sparks. She didn't say much, as silent as a log.

Whether it was due to her lost memories, her natural personality, or some other reason, Melina did not like to show much emotion.

In fact, if Chen Nuo hadn't taken the initiative to call her out, Melina wouldn't have wanted to appear at all.

"Do you want some?"

Chen Nuo asked, pointing at the kidneys in the pot.

People have to talk about something when they meet; it was just a casual remark, like asking if someone had eaten dinner.

"...I cannot eat."

Melina suspected Chen Nuo was asking despite already knowing the answer, but with no proof, she could only reply softly.

"That's truly a shame. If you can't eat, half the joy and meaning of life is gone."

Chen Nuo sighed.

Hearing this, Melina shot Chen Nuo a subtle sidelong glance.

He made it sound as if she didn't want to be human.

After Chen Nuo was full, he leaned comfortably against a rock and said to Melina.

"Could you help me wash my pot? I need to use it as a shield tomorrow, and if it smells like kidneys, it'll affect my combat effectiveness."

"..."

Melina rose silently and picked up the pot.

Not far away, there was a quietly flowing stream.

Although she was a spirit, she could manifest in physical form.

In the quiet night, a faint, dissatisfied huff could be heard.

Since Chen Nuo didn't need to use Runes to empower himself, Melina, as a Maiden, naturally lost her greatest value. She also wanted to find things within her power to help her Tarnished.

But it shouldn't be something like washing pots and dishes.

Melina was a bit unhappy, scrubbing the iron pot with a stone so it made a loud scraping sound, intending to express her dissatisfaction.

Chen Nuo acted as if he heard nothing.

Having finished washing the pot, Melina returned to the campfire, waiting for the light of the Erdtree to illuminate the sky once more.

As a spirit, Melina didn't need sleep and had other means of recovery, so she took it upon herself to keep watch for Chen Nuo, doing what she could.

However, the night was not always peaceful and serene.

From the shadows came the sounds of a struggle and beast-like roars.

Hearing the commotion, Melina whispered a warning into Chen Nuo's ear.

The sounds of danger quickly approached.

The dark of night could not obscure Chen Nuo's vision; he could clearly see a few soldiers not far ahead guarding a blind girl, fending off a pack of Omens.

Omens refers to humans who have "reverted to their ancestors" and bear non-human characteristics.

During the era of the Crucible of Life before the Erdtree, life was undifferentiated, with various traits blended together.

Even in The Lands Between under the golden order, the primal power of the Crucible still manifests in life, specifically as the "Aspects of the Crucible," often referred to as omens.

Consequently, these Omens, bearing the Aspects of the Crucible, became marginalized outcasts, living miserable lives as slaves.

Now, the war and chaos sparked by The Shattering of the Elden Ring have given these Omens an opportunity; once they manage to rise up, they repay their former masters with extreme cruelty.

"You ahead! We are soldiers of Castle Morne! We need your help! These damned Omens have revolted!!"

A soldier noticed the firelight and shouted urgently.

Although Chen Nuo could understand the Omens's actions, these long-oppressed creatures were difficult to communicate with; their minds were filled with murderous intent toward ordinary humans.

Their bloodthirsty bestiality had replaced human reason.

The best way to save them was to send them back to the furnace to be remade.

Sure enough, upon seeing another human, a Winged Misbegotten flapped its wings and flew over, brandishing a cleaver.

*Splat.*

Chen Nuo backhanded it into the ground.

It looked like a swatted mosquito.

This brutal death instantly incited the hostility of the other Omens; one by one, they abandoned their original targets and charged at Chen Nuo.

Then, they were all swatted to death on the ground—not a peaceful death, but not a painful one either.

"A Tarnished?!"

The rescued soldiers guessed Chen Nuo's identity.

It wasn't difficult; after all, the Tarnished returned from the Badlands, and their behavior and aura differed from those of the people in The Lands Between.

The soldiers immediately became wary, shielding the blind girl behind them.

The reputation of the Tarnished in The Lands Between was none too good.

These descendants of warriors were mostly quite powerful, but their styles of action varied wildly; some were even more crazed and dangerous than the Omens.

Murder, robbery, and breaking and entering—they were capable of it all.

Moreover, Castle Morne was a subordinate power of Stormveil Castle, a supporter of the Golden Dynasty that followed Godrick.

Chen Nuo ignored the wary soldiers. His gaze fell upon the Omens; he smelled a faint, barely perceptible, and loathsome scent on them.

Despair, ruin, madness... the antithesis of everything good.

In The Lands Between, only the frenzied flame fit those labels.

It was only natural for a sunny young man like Chen Nuo to detest the frenzied flame, especially since he wielded the Sunfire.

It seemed this Omens rebellion was not as simple as it appeared.

"Forgive me, traveler from afar, for involving you in this danger. I am Irena, daughter of Edgar, the Warden of Castle Morne."

The blind girl's voice was soft as she pushed past the soldiers' protection and stepped forward slowly to express her apologies.

There was only one road at the Bridge of Sacrifice; they hadn't intentionally led the Omens there, but that was the practical result.

It was only because Chen Nuo was powerful; had it been anyone else, an innocent person would have been truly dragged into this.

Thinking of this, Irena couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved.

"Don't worry about it. If I were truly angry, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me."

Chen Nuo shifted his attention to the blind girl before him.

The soldiers were a bit indignant, but after glancing at the Omens corpses, they sensibly chose to remain silent.

"Thank you for your magnanimity."

Irena looked visibly relieved.

Though her eyes could not see, her pure heart could reflect the good or evil in others.

"Sit down and rest for a moment, Miss Irena. I see you are very exhausted."

Chen Nuo said softly, stepping forward to support Irena's arm and leading her to a patch of soft grass, completely ignoring the resentful soldiers.

"Thank you. I don't know your name yet."

Irena sat down and looked up to ask.

"Call me Nuo, Miss Irena. What exactly happened at Castle Morne?"

Chen Nuo followed the flow of the plot.

Even if he didn't ask, Irena wouldn't have been able to keep herself from speaking.

"The servants took the opportunity to stage a revolt. Castle Morne is about to fall, and my father told me to flee the castle for safety."

At this, Irena's voice carried a hint of a sob; she was worried about her father, whose fate was unknown.

As for the "servants" she mentioned, they were naturally the Omens.

After years of The Shattering, the major powers of the Erdtree had suffered heavy losses, and now they were unable to even suppress their former slaves and servants.

Irena did not continue; she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from asking Chen Nuo for help.

"In that case, let Castle Morne be the starting point for my unification of The Lands Between."

Chen Nuo's next sentence left Irena a bit dazed.

Wait, wasn't this transition a bit abrupt and sudden?

Looking at the dazed girl, Chen Nuo explained with a smile.

"I am a Tarnished, after all—a candidate for Lord called by the greater will. Isn't conquering The Lands Between my mission? From what you say, your father must love you very much."

"...Yes, Father loves me most of all."

Irena was a bit lightheaded from Chen Nuo's bold words and answered subconsciously.

"Then congratulations, Miss Irena. You have been captured by me."

As he spoke, Chen Nuo scooped Irena up by the waist. The girl's form was soft and slender, as light as a kitten.

Even as the Warden's daughter, Irena's life hadn't been particularly luxurious.

"Put Miss Irena down!!"

The soldiers were shocked by this sudden turn of events and reacted immediately.

But before they could surround him, a spectral steed carried Chen Nuo charging away.

Watching the figure rapidly recede, the soldiers were filled with regret and tried to give chase. But how could two legs outrun four? Already exhausted, they soon lost sight of Chen Nuo.

...

Castle Morne is located on the Weeping Peninsula, at the edge of The Lands Between.

Precisely because it was remote and lacked strategic value, it had managed to survive The Shattering.

But Castle Morne was not the only power on this peninsula.

The peninsula is not safe at night; Night's Cavalry may appear on the roads, and even Deathbirds might linger.

However, Chen Nuo's luck was a bit poor; he didn't encounter these nocturnal roamers tonight and failed to add new fuel to his Sunfire.

"I forgot to burn those Omens!"

Chen Nuo remembered this and felt a bit annoyed. Even a mosquito's leg is meat; how could he be so wasteful?

"Mr. Nuo... could you please slow down a bit?"

Irena said, feeling a bit unwell.

Torrent was no ordinary horse; his pace was more than an average person could bear.

Having already fled through the night, the jolting on horseback pushed the girl to her physical limit.

Simply put, she wanted to throw up.

But she didn't want to lose her composure too much in front of Chen Nuo.

"Honestly, Torrent, you don't know how to slow down."

Chen Nuo reproachfully patted the horse's head.

"..."

Torrent tossed his hooves; he knew Chen Nuo was just taking advantage of the fact that horses can't talk.

Chen Nuo slowed down a bit, took some berries he had picked along the way from his bag, and handed them over.

"You look like you've been hungry for a long time. Have something to eat."

Irena whispered a thank you and began to eat bite by bite. Her movements were refined, but she was truly hungry.

After eating something, Irena's condition improved significantly, and she asked.

"Mr. Nuo, do you really intend to unify The Lands Between?"

"I have no desire to compete for the throne, yet I know the suffering of the common people."

Chen Nuo said in a compassionate voice.

Torrent snorted. Being ridden by Chen Nuo all day, how could he not know what kind of person he was?

Those words might fool a little girl, but they couldn't fool a clever steed like him.

"Mr. Nuo..."

Irena was clearly that fooled little girl. She gripped her clothes tightly, as if having made a great resolution.

"If you can save Castle Morne, I will try to persuade my father."

Everyone knew the greater will had grown disappointed with the Golden Lineage; otherwise, it wouldn't have recalled the Tarnished.

Just as Chen Nuo had said, every Tarnished actually had the qualification to become Lord.

"No need. I will win your father over myself."

Chen Nuo glanced confidently at the iron pot Melina had washed. If he slammed that down, he believed it would be very persuasive indeed.

Irena's lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to speak, so she could only hide her worry and anxiety in her heart.

Whether Castle Morne would change its allegiance was a matter for later; whether it could even survive the Omens revolt was currently the question.

Irena could only hope now that Chen Nuo would be the kind of hero spoken of in stories and rumors.

If he truly could save Castle Morne single-handedly, such valor might indeed make him worthy of her father's following.

If not, then dying together with her father might not be such a bad thing after all.

As a blind girl, if she lost her father's protection, how could she survive in these Lands Between?