Elden Lord of Cinders

It was like casting a spell.

The moment Lloyd spoke, the entire world went silent.

Millicent sat there, staring blankly at him—at the hand holding hers, at the ring in his other hand—mind completely empty.

Who was she? Where was she? What was going on?

She stayed frozen in confusion for who knows how long before finally snapping out of it, her thoughts slowly falling back into place.

Then, as she looked again at Lloyd and the ring in his hand, her lips pressed together. Her gaze flickered, and her expression twisted with hesitation.

"I..."

After another long moment of inner turmoil, she nervously raised a finger, lips moving as if to speak.

But right then, as she looked into Lloyd's serious, solemn expression—and her mental clarity fully returned—Millicent suddenly froze.

Wait.

She suddenly realized something.

She'd spent quite a lot of time with Lloyd. Been by his side constantly. Heard plenty about him from others.

And across all of that—her own observations and everything others had told her—there was one thing about him everyone seemed to agree on.

And now, though everything about this looked like a proposal…

When she thought about his usual behavior, his baffling logic, and all the abstract nonsense he constantly pulled—

Millicent went completely silent.

Even the flush on her cheeks faded a bit.

"Um…"

After another pause, she asked quietly,

"What do you mean by 'covenant'?"

"It's a covenant."

Lloyd responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Which only confirmed it—whatever Lloyd was talking about, it definitely wasn't what she thought.

After some back-and-forth, Millicent finally grasped what he meant.

It really was just a covenant. A straightforward vow. Loyalty to a higher power, joining an order, abiding by a cause—or maybe just committing to a goal.

"...Then why this pose?"

"Because Chaos said a covenant needs a ceremony. I don't know what counts as a ceremony, but all the old covenants used this gesture, so I figured it'd make it more ceremonial."

Lloyd answered with total seriousness.

Millicent covered her face.

She wasn't mad at him for the misunderstanding—just deeply embarrassed.

Because honestly, even if the gesture looked a little similar, if you looked closer, it was way too stiff. Lloyd's squatting posture, the way he held his arm—it wasn't romantic at all. It had the rigid formality of a knight making an oath, not a proposal.

Realistically, with that kind of atmosphere—combined with his behavior—it should have been obvious it wasn't a proposal.

Unless… someone had allowed themselves to believe, just a little.

Realizing that made Millicent feel a surge of shame. She kept her face buried in her hands for a while before finally managing to calm down.

When she'd gathered herself enough to speak, her cheeks were still bright red, and her thoughts still a mess, but she managed to say,

"Then… I'm willing to accept the covenant."

"But I have a mission I must fulfill. And that road is filled with danger and hardship…"

"And with the rot in my body… this ugly form… if you don't mind—"

She lowered her head and raised her hand, though she didn't immediately slip on the ring.

"I've never minded, Millicent."

After a moment of silence, Lloyd met her gaze and spoke gently, but with unwavering resolve.

"And I promise—I'll help you see that mission through."

"But in return, you have to stay by my side. Even when it's over, you can't leave. Stay with me, and keep fighting at my side."

Seriously, all this about missions and ugly bodies? That practically screamed death flag.

Knowing how Miyazaki liked to write things, just those few lines were enough to ensure a tragic end for this side quest. Probably even a path where she dies heartbroken.

And to keep her alive, even if she already had the golden needle planted—one blessed by the Bloom of Abundance, giving her free movement—Lloyd couldn't let her go.

Because the last person who told him they'd fulfilled their mission pulled out their sword and ended it all right after defeating Yhorm the Giant.

How could he possibly feel at ease letting Millicent go?

He had to tie her down tight—figuratively, if not literally. Keep her close, always within sight. Maybe give her a new mission, a new reason to stay alive. That might be the only way to save her.

Of course, Millicent had no clue what was running through Lloyd's head. And even if she did, she probably wouldn't care.

No one really knew what was going through her mind. Maybe not even herself.

What was visible, though, was that after Lloyd spoke, she lowered her head even more.

Steam practically started rising from her.

Then, maybe feeling like his previous words hadn't sealed the deal, Lloyd added,

"By the way, I heard that… that Malenia person had a title—Blade of Miquella. Some even say that was her purpose."

"If you don't mind, once your mission is over, I'd like to have a blade of my own. One that can clear the way for me when I need it."

"Would you be willing to take on that role?"

He raised his hand.

The flower before him swayed gently. And then, barely audible, came a soft "I… will."

The gray ring slipped onto her finger.

As it settled in place, crimson patterns began to bloom across its surface—not the crimson of rot, but a deep red that belonged solely to Millicent, a color of resolve and unyielding spirit.

[Acquired Covenant: "Oathbound Blade"]

[Oathbound Blade]

[A covenant formed with Millicent, the swordswoman of flowing water]

[When equipped, slightly increases damage dealt by combo attacks]

[A girl born with rot is destined for misfortune]

[She will ultimately perish in pain]

[But now, she has found a new purpose]

[—I shall become your blade]

[This is the meaning of our vow]

[Acquired Ash of War: "Waterfowl Dance Sword Style"]

[Flowing Water Sword Style]

[A sword art inspired by the movement of water]

[Enter a stance and flow forward like water]

[While advancing, unleash rapid, high-speed slashes]

[Can be chained repeatedly]

It was a very practical covenant. Just a few hits, and the damage started to ramp up—the more hits, the higher the boost.

As for the "Waterfowl Dance Sword Style,," Lloyd tested it and found the technique... somewhat unconventional.

It didn't have the wild lunging distance or massive area-of-effect like the true Waterfowl Dance, but its successive, smaller dashes made it excellent for repositioning.

While its range wasn't a full 360-degree sweep like Waterfowl Dance, it compensated by trading side coverage for longer reach straight ahead.

Put simply:

It was a sword art with small dashes and repeated long-reaching forward slashes.

Good damage, low FP cost—the only downside was its lack of poise on activation.

When paired with a combo-focused setup, and decent execution, the damage output could become devastating.

The problem was...

"This thing only works on katanas."

Lloyd did have a few katanas—but either they didn't feel great to use, or they had fixed Ashes of War like Moonveil, meaning he couldn't equip this one.

So as much as he wanted to try out his new toy, he didn't have a compatible weapon. For now, it went into storage, waiting for the destined katana worthy of it.

After checking the covenant effects, Lloyd turned his gaze back to Millicent.

"So, uh... you alright?"

Did making a covenant hurt the recipient somehow? She hadn't lifted her head since the moment they formed the pact. She didn't look too lively...

"I... I'm fine."

Millicent mumbled, gently rubbing the ring on her finger.

"I just... want to sit quietly for a while."

Lloyd blinked, then walked over and gave her a once-over—physical form and spirit both stable. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

"No need to feel pressured."

"Even if you hadn't accepted the covenant, I still wouldn't have let you leave. So in the end, it wouldn't have made a difference."

Satisfied that Millicent didn't want to talk and just needed some time alone, Lloyd left her in peace.

...

After parting with Millicent, he checked in on Melina.

She didn't want to talk either.

So he headed to Stormveil and had Roderika enhance his Spirit Ashes, fought a few Master Challenges, refilled his ring reserves, then touched a Site of Grace and traveled to the Roundtable Hold.

The All-Knowing's door was still locked. Nothing new from the others either.

After upgrading his weapons at Hewg's forge and exchanging a few words, Lloyd walked toward a room he'd barely entered before.

This time, as he opened the door, he paused.

The room's layout had changed.

Last time, the space was passable but clearly rundown—old and dusty.

But now, the floors had been swept, the cabinets polished. Everything looked fresh.

In the corner stood a full-length mirror. Beside it was a dressing table, scattered with grooming accessories.

Yet all of that paled in comparison to the biggest change—

A girl sitting at the edge of the bed, tying her hair with a ribbon between her teeth.

"Ah, my kin, you're here."

Noticing Lloyd's arrival, Chaos paused what she was doing and looked up.

"You came earlier than I expected. I'm still getting ready—just give me a moment..."

Lloyd's eye twitched as he glanced around.

The bedding was freshly made, and she wore something new—still in that usual dull yellow tone, but not the ragged robe from before. The material was clearly finer, softer, and underneath, he could glimpse a sheer silk nightgown.

This... was going to be trouble.

No, girl, what are you even preparing?

But Chaos didn't intend to explain. After tying up her hair, she adjusted her clothes slightly, checked everything was in place, then turned to Lloyd and gave a small nod.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"I'm ready now. We can continue the defilement ritual."

Lloyd's eye twitched even more at that.

No, this was supposed to be a serious ritual, but somehow, the way she said it just made it sound off...

Still, a promise was a promise, and judging by the circumstances, it was clearly an important side quest. So despite his mixed feelings, Lloyd stepped forward.

Then, just as they had agreed when forming their Covenant, they carried out the defilement ritual.

As for the ritual itself, there wasn't much worth describing.

Since Chaos's essence had already been defiled by him, there was no longer a need to gouge out her eyes and chew them up. All that remained was to regularly replenish the fuel.

The method was much the same as before, only this time, instead of something chewed and spat out, Lloyd used the clump of Abyssal Soul he had obtained from the dungeon.

Everything else followed the usual pattern: pin her down to make the ritual easier and pour the Darkness into her.

But this time, having gone through it once before and knowing Chaos would cooperate, Lloyd didn't restrain her as forcefully.

And when he noticed the pain clearly showing on her face midway through, he consciously slowed the pace of the defilement and held her hand to ease her suffering.

"Mm-hmm... Ah..."

With a long sigh, the ritual finally came to an end.

A system message popped up.

[The bond of the Covenant has grown stronger.]

Lloyd helped Chaos sit up. They exchanged a few words, and after confirming she was fine, he prepared to leave.

But just then, Chaos called out to him and patted her thigh.

"...What are you trying to do?"

Lloyd looked at her warily.

"Come here and find out."

After a moment's hesitation, Lloyd sat down—only for Chaos to pull him directly into her embrace.

Resting on Chaos's lap, looking up at her refined face staring down at him, and breathing in a subtle fragrance he hadn't noticed before, Lloyd blinked and realized something.

"You want to defile me?"

"Is that not allowed?"

Chaos countered, lowering her head to move closer, examining him with a small smile at the corner of her lips.

"Of course, I know. Neither Frenzied Flame nor Despair can touch someone like you."

As she spoke, she reached out, gently stroking his face. Frenzied Flame flickered in her eyes, yet not a single drop spilled out.

"But you know," she said, her voice low as she looked at him intently, "while the essence of Frenzied Flame is despair, on the far side of despair... there are some rather interesting things."

"While you were defiling me, I'll be trying to strike back—using them to defile you."

"And this... is just the beginning."

"My dear kin."

...

[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]

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