Elden Lord of Cinders

"Roderika, are you free?"

After a while, Lloyd found Roderika busy around Stormveil.

She greeted him first, then nodded after hearing his question.

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"Could you help me clear a dungeon?"

"...?"

Clear a dungeon? What was that supposed to mean?

Lloyd had come to Roderika to run the new instance—Path of the Novice.

Due to the rules, even though he could use Spirit Ashes for the Master Challenge, he wasn't allowed to participate in the dungeon called Path of the Novice.

Not because the Warrior Jar was giving him trouble, but because the dungeon environment itself was complicated. Some parts were a bit more durable, others much more fragile.

In the sturdier areas, Lloyd could hold back, avoid entering directly, and just let the Spirit Ashes fight—it could handle that.

But with Path of the Novice, even if Lloyd restrained his power and promised not to use any high-grade Ashes, his very presence was too destructive. Just stepping in would be enough to break the whole thing.

There was nothing he could do.

After thinking it through, Roderika was the only one on his side who could properly wield Spirit Ashes and had the right talent for it.

So after confirming with the Warrior Jar that he could bring someone along, Lloyd came to ask her.

After hearing the full explanation, Roderika—though not skilled in combat—immediately nodded and agreed, almost without hesitation.

It's just that...

Roderika had always wanted to help Lloyd.

But the problem was, even her specialty—spirit tuning—could only do so much for him.

Unlike the original version, Lloyd was fighting monsters that were far beyond normal. The standard Spirit Ashes were useful, but against these kinds of enemies, they just didn't cut it.

Even with powerful ones like the Leonine Misbegotten or Crucible Knight Ashes, which could help push through maps and even solo some minor bosses...

The issue was, whatever they could kill, Lloyd could kill faster. Just summoning them took longer than it took for him to take out the target himself.

And against real threats—like that overhauled Super Radahn—even the strongest Ashes could only manage the strength of a single warrior. They'd end up as glorified bystanders, barely helping at all.

So, the Spirit Ash system had become a bit of a joke for Lloyd.

Sure, it wasn't entirely useless. He could bring them out for fun or use their low damage output to bait more moves when he was too strong himself.

But if you asked how useful they really were, that was pretty much it—maybe also for small talk, since they had consciousness.

Neither here nor there. Just... stuck.

And because the system was so lackluster, Roderika's role as a Spirit Ash Enhancer felt just as awkward.

She could enhance the Ashes, sure—but how much did that really help?

Roderika was well aware of this.

But her desire to help Lloyd wasn't out of fear of being cast aside.

After spending so much time with him, even though she still didn't fully understand Lloyd's thoughts or actions, she had come to trust him—at least on a basic level.

She wanted to help, not because of obligation or pressure, but because it was her own choice.

And as for why she felt that way...

The crimson hood—Roderika had been wearing it when she first met Lloyd. It was the reason behind her nickname, "Little Red."

The hood was finely made, soft and smooth to the touch, with golden embroidery along the edges and a gemstone wrapped in gold at its center.

Paired with her golden hair, delicate features, fair skin, and hands that clearly hadn't done any hard labor, it was obvious she came from nobility.

Even without any background knowledge, just seeing her was enough to tell she wasn't ordinary.

But noble birth didn't guarantee a noble life.

That crimson hood wasn't just for show—it was also a symbol. It marked her as a royal, one who had been cast out.

Yes, Roderika was once a member of the royal family.

Or rather, she had been.

Ever since the day she received that crimson hood, nothing had changed in name. But for someone who grew up there, Roderika knew exactly what it meant.

It symbolized the royal family's severance from her.

For exiled royals like her, there were usually two kinds of hoods: one was the crimson hood she had once worn, the other a navy hood she never received.

The distinction between them was simple.

Those who could see the Guidance of Grace were given the navy hood. Those who couldn't were given the crimson one.

But behind this seemingly simple difference lay a stark contrast in meaning.

Those granted the navy hood—those who could see the Guidance—were sent away despite their family's reluctance, because they had a mission to fulfill.

As the saying went:

"This is a gift for one embarking on a journey of destiny. Once you set out for distant lands, there is no return."

It couldn't be helped—seeing the Guidance meant you had to follow it.

But the crimson hood...

You couldn't see the Guidance. You had no mission. And you were cast out of your home.

They claimed, "This is a gift for one embarking on a journey with no burden of destiny."

But everyone knew that was just for show.

Its true meaning was the royal family cutting ties.

Still, Roderika didn't take it too hard. She wasn't the only one the royal family cast aside.

After leaving, she wasn't completely alone. She still had companions.

Life was harder, sure, but they supported each other and managed to get by.

Then they arrived in Limgrave.

Just in time for Godrick's Grafting.

And just like Roderika had once said, because of her cowardice, she became the only one who wasn't grafted—also the only one who survived.

Banished from the royal family, blind to the Grace, and left without a single companion...

Unlike Millicent, who was born with nothing, Roderika had once had everything—and watched it all disappear, piece by piece.

Then, in that small cabin, lost and directionless, she met Lloyd.

She also met Chaos.

To be honest, Roderika admits that their first meeting wasn't exactly pleasant.

But looking back, it really was just an accident. He truly meant to help—he just had no idea she had the gift of sensing spirits.

Not even she knew it at the time.

And after that...

Maybe to Lloyd, it was just like picking up an NPC off the roadside and bringing them back to live in an unused dorm.

But for Roderika, who had lost everything, it was the only warmth she could feel.

At the time, she was still scared, and even briefly suspicious of Lloyd.

But it turned out the hand he extended—its kindness and warmth—was genuine and untainted.

Maybe a little too untainted.

Right after they met, he had Chaos keep watch over her. It didn't go smoothly, but afterward he stopped everything and spent the whole night comforting her.

Once she'd calmed down, he brought her to Roundtable Hold, gave her a place to stay, food to eat—without restrictions or demands.

After discovering her talent for Spirit Tuning, he asked Master Hewg to teach her and checked if she was willing.

During her training, Chaos stayed by her side, cared for her, and even brought back the belongings of her fallen companions...

Roderika didn't know how to describe what that meant to her.

She knew she wasn't special—after all, she was aware of Irina and Latenna.

And as time passed and they spent more time together, she gradually came to understand more about Lloyd.

Not just the gentle side—but also the fierce, and even the eccentric.

Yet instead of breaking her illusions, it made the flame she saw in him feel more real.

And with that, something began to take root in her heart.

Not romantic feelings.

But something deeper—an instinctive yearning.

At first, Roderika didn't understand it. It even troubled her a little.

Until the day Lloyd returned Aurelia to her.

That's when she understood.

She wanted to help him.

The difference between the crimson and navy hoods came down to one thing—whether or not you had a mission.

All those days in the past, Roderika had lost count of how many times she wished she could see the Guidance of Grace... and have a mission of her own.

Could she wear that navy hood too, holding onto hope in her heart, instead of just being someone discarded and cut off?

Now, even though Roderika couldn't see the Guidance of Grace, she had found guidance within herself. And that guidance pointed straight toward the flames ahead.

Flames always drew in the lonely and the cold. The cold dark moon. The tormented souls. And now, this girl standing alone.

In the endless night, she caught a glimpse of that flickering light and stopped, drawn to it. Its warmth pushed back the chill and solitude clinging to her. And in doing so, it gave her a reason to exist.

But...

Even if she told herself all that, even if she said it aloud, Roderika still had a sense of her own limits. She was working hard to learn spirit tuning, doing her best to grow and support Lloyd—But nothing ever really went the way she hoped.

Right as she was fretting over this, Lloyd approached her on his own. She didn't know what "grinding" was supposed to be, but she still nodded and agreed to his request without hesitation.

Yet after hearing the full explanation, her expression shifted slightly.

Combat...

It wasn't that she wanted to back out. She was just worried—what if she couldn't deliver on what he'd asked of her?

She'd been through a lot and had learned spirit tuning, but when it came to actual fighting, she couldn't say she knew anything. In fact, she knew absolutely nothing. And now, Lloyd wanted her to participate in the Great Jar duel. She wouldn't be fighting herself, of course, just sending in her Spirit Ashes... but even so—

"It's okay. I believe in you."

Roderika voiced her concerns, hesitant and unsure. Lloyd answered like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You might not think so yourself, but I can tell—your soul is far tougher than you give it credit for. You always say you're thankful I helped you, but even without me, you'd have made it through eventually. It just would've taken longer."

"And with your tuning skills—despite the pressure from Chaos, you still showed up to the lessons, took them seriously. Now, you've even learned to keep a respectful distance from her and get along."

"It's normal to be afraid. Everyone fears something. But the difference with you is, you keep facing those fears, again and again—And you even manage to turn them into your strength."

"That's not something a weak soul could ever do."

As he spoke, Lloyd reached out and gently squeezed the little red apple in front of him.

"You're brave, Roderika. It's okay to have a little more faith in yourself."

He meant every word.

Roderika might look timid on the surface, and for some reason she always sounded a bit insecure—But her growth was obvious. Everyone could see it... except her.

What she lacked wasn't faster progress. What she needed now was something to strengthen her spirit.

She was already doing so well. She just hadn't realized it yet.

Part of why Lloyd asked her to help clear the dungeon was because of the level restriction—But another reason was that he wanted to take the chance to build her confidence.

As for whether she could actually win?

Sure, her soul wasn't strong enough to summon something like a Crucible Knight. But if Lloyd really wanted to, he could feed the Demi-Human Ashes until they turned into a mini Avengers and hand them over to Roderika without much trouble.

But he didn't plan to do that—not now.

Because he truly believed that even without his help, Roderika could beat that thing.

The only issue was... something else might get crushed before the dungeon did.

Still, after some back-and-forth, Roderika accepted the task of helping Lloyd clear the dungeon.

Lloyd left the fragment with her, knowing full well that it would take time to get through the place. Thanks to its natural properties, the fragment was both stable and mild—it wouldn't harm the surroundings. That made it convenient for Roderika to handle, and also allowed Lloyd to teleport over whenever needed.

...

With things settled on Roderika's end, Lloyd returned once again to the Divine Tower of Caelid. Alice was still there at the top, standing before the Two Fingers, her hands raised, weaving golden threads into something.

Another piece of the fragment.

...

[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]

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