Bai Shi was at a loss for the moment. There was too little information to go on. The only thing that was clear was that both the Two Fingers and the Three Fingers had a hand in this peninsula.
He suspected they were after more than just Irena.
At the very least, the Two Fingers weren't just after Irena.
They’d had plenty of opportunities to eliminate her, either by assassinating her in the city or by launching a full-on assault during the rebellion.
Yet, they had let her escape, only to send a very weak envoy to deal with her later.
There had to be a more important task in Castle Morne that kept the rest of them inside.
The remaining Lionine Misbegotten and the other two individuals would be tough to handle, especially if they coordinated their attacks.
As for the Three Fingers, though he didn't know their intentions, he'd best prepare himself for the possibility of Frenzied Flame cultists lying in ambush within the city walls.
"Alright, let's head out now."
"By the way, thanks for the information. It was a huge help."
Arnogo waved his hand.
"There's nothing to thank me for. Be careful on the road. Those people are likely very strong." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
Bai Shi stood up and blew his whistle, summoning Torrent to his side.
He helped Irena to her feet. She was like a newborn fawn, her legs unsteady.
He mounted Torrent, and Irena wrapped her arms around him from behind as usual. Through his armor, Bai Shi could feel her body trembling.
Bai Shi didn't know what to say to comfort her, so he simply spurred Torrent into a full gallop.
Soon, the towering form of Castle Morne appeared on the horizon, built atop an isolated mountain.
The terrain was peculiar, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs. It was hard to imagine anyone could have invaded by scaling the outer walls.
A giant Golem stood guard below the castle.
"Irena, as long as we have the token, the Golem won't attack us, right?"
"That's right. I have it with me. You can just charge past it."
Torrent galloped down the main road. Along the way, they passed a stone monument, the same kind as the one at the Gatefront.
Bai Shi didn't stop to search for a map, but he couldn't ignore the phantom of a small Erdtree shimmering on a nearby slope. He had to check it out.
If he could find a Golden Seed, he could increase the charges of his sacred flasks, which was crucial.
Bai Shi guided Torrent up the slope to the base of the small Erdtree and found a Golden Seed on the ground. It was quite large.
After picking up the seed, he continued toward Castle Morne. But then, something unexpected happened.
A giant arrow flew toward them.
Bai Shi quickly had Torrent leap down the slope. The giant arrow streaked overhead and slammed into the spot they had just occupied, sending shards of rock flying everywhere.
Looking back, Bai Shi saw the massive arrow was deeply embedded in the rock, having blasted the small Erdtree to smithereens.
"W-what was that just now?"
Irena was startled by the massive sound.
"An arrow from the Golem. It seems the token doesn't work anymore."
"Hold on tight. We're going to charge through."
Bai Shi knew the Golem had an extremely long range. Turning back now wouldn't get them out of its reach, and it would be even harder to dodge without a clear view of its movements.
Ahead lay a vast, open plain, which should have been nearly impossible to cross under fire. Fortunately, it was littered with massive fragments of ruins.
Bai Shi would have to use them as cover to charge through in one go and take the Golem down. Timing the Golem's shots, Bai Shi wove between the fragments of the ruins.
However, the final stretch of the approach was completely exposed.
After the Golem loosed its next arrow, Bai Shi spurred Torrent out from behind a ruin. The Golem's movements were sluggish as it drew its bow, but the distance was still considerable.
When Bai Shi was more than halfway across, the Golem fired its next arrow.
Torrent put on another burst of speed. The giant arrow landed harmlessly behind them, a close call.
Before it could fire again, Bai Shi finally reached the Golem's feet.
Bai Shi swung his halberd, furiously hacking at the Golem's legs.
This Golem was clearly in disrepair. The outer plating on its legs was shattered, and through the cracks, a magma-like fluid was visible.
The Golem belatedly registered the attacks on its legs. It lowered its half-drawn bow and tried to strike Bai Shi with its hands and feet.
But Torrent was too nimble, weaving between the Golem's legs. The sluggish behemoth couldn't do a thing.
With one of Bai Shi’s thrusts sinking into a crack, the Golem's leg finally gave out. The casing shattered, and the magma-like liquid erupted.
The Golem lost power in one leg. Unable to support its own weight, it collapsed forward.
Bai Shi seized the opportunity and ran to the Golem's chest, where a massive furnace served as its power source.
Finding a gap in the furnace, Bai Shi rammed his halberd in and wrenched it outward, successfully destroying the core. Fiery liquid gushed out.
The Golem struggled to rise, but as the fluid drained away, it slowly lost power and slumped to the ground, motionless.
Bai Shi breathed a sigh of relief. He'd dealt with it, and it had been a close shave. Just then, he noticed several crystal darts embedded in the Golem’s waist.
It seemed someone had used crystal darts to disrupt the Golem's functions, causing it to go haywire and fail to recognize the token.
The magic within him was suddenly drawn forth, automatically unleashing a storm.
Bai Shi snapped his head around. A silent, pitch-black crossbow bolt, intercepted by the storm, was now tumbling to the ground.
Following the bolt's trajectory with his eyes, Bai Shi spotted a black-robed figure on the castle walls turning to depart.
Bai Shi’s heart pounded in his chest. The bolt had been loosed the very moment he’d let his guard down, and it had been completely silent.
If the Stormhawk King hadn't drawn on his magic to block it with a storm, neither he nor Irena would have survived, regardless of who the target was.
Melina’s voice echoed in his ear:
“That crossbow bolt… it looks like one of an envoy's. They’re nearly silent, pitch-black, and their barbs are coated with different poisons.”
"The terrain inside the city is too narrow. Riding Torrent will be a disadvantage in a fight."
"Let Torrent stay outside the walls with Irena. He’s quick-witted. As long as he's on alert, he won't be easily hit by arrows or bolts."
Bai Shi considered it. This was indeed the most prudent plan. Inside the city, there wouldn’t be enough space to ride freely, and Torrent and Irena could be hit by stray attacks.
And outside, if their enemies came after Irena, they wouldn't be able to catch her with Torrent as her mount.
Bai Shi explained the plan to Irena, telling Torrent to flee at the first sign of trouble.
Watching them move to a safe distance, Bai Shi turned and walked up the steps toward the main gate of Castle Morne.
Giant ballistae were positioned on the central platform, and flamethrowers were aimed outward.
With these defenses, it would be extremely difficult to attack the castle from the outside. Unfortunately, it had fallen to a rebellion from within.
Stepping over the bodies of the soldiers at the entrance, Bai Shi walked through the main gate.