Aozaki Aoko Case File [257]

After the war, the dragon gods fell into deep contemplation. From the post-war words and actions of the Mother of Fingers, they sensed something unusual and deduced that she might have lost her ability to communicate with the Greater Will. As a result, they secretly separated the Elden Ring from their bodies and left the Lands Between alone, embarking on a journey through the vast cosmos in search of the Greater Will.

The departure of the Dragon God had immense consequences. First and foremost, Bayle the Frenzied Dragon, leader of the flying dragon clan, refused to submit to Placidusax's rule and led a rebellion against him. This marked the beginning of a civil war that plunged the once-mighty dragon race into chaos.

As a result of the civil war, Placidusax lost two more heads, and Farum Azula, the dragon capital, was brought to the brink of collapse. The Dragon King was forced to retreat into the rift between time and space, barely surviving as he awaited the return of the Dragon God.

The first Elden Dynasty came to an end, but with the Mother of Fingers unable to contact the Greater Will, she became indifferent to everything else. Overwhelmed by anxiety and pain, she withdrew into herself, leaving her offspring, the Two Fingers, to act freely. Even when the Two Fingers sought her guidance, the half-mad mother provided only incoherent and chaotic answers.

No wonder Ymir once said that the Mother of Fingers was the true source of chaos and decay in the Lands Between—this revelation was astonishing!

At this point, Aoko had read enough of the Mother of Fingers' memories to grasp the overall cause and effect. However, since the Mother of Fingers had already descended into madness, the later memories became too fragmented and incomprehensible to make sense of. Thus, Aoko decided to stop reading and seal away the memories for the time being.

Despite this, she successfully uncovered the method the Mother of Fingers used to manipulate microcosms. This ability was originally unique to the Mother of Fingers, but thanks to Ymir's teachings, Aoko understood how Ymir had learned Finger Magic in the first place. As a result, Aoko managed to comprehend a new Finger Magic spell—Summon Fingers—from the memories.

Opening her eyes again, Aoko dismissed the summoning of a small house and, together with Touko, moved to the lower part of the microcosm. She then took out her Caria Glintstone Staff.

Following a specific trajectory, she swung the Glintstone Staff while chanting an ancient, eerie incantation. Moments later, two fingers emerged from the water's surface.

These weren't grotesque Finger Creepers but rather fingers resembling those found in Finger Ruins—their surfaces were marked with golden fingerprints, and their texture was akin to cold, gray stone.

Like trees, the two fingers intertwined and grew under Aoko's magical guidance, eventually reaching the floating microcosm above.

Through her perception, Aoko could sense the microcosm linking with the summoned fingers, their forces gradually merging.

With a resonant "boop" sound, the microcosm was firmly fixed between the two fingers, slowly shrinking in size.

Carefully controlling the process with an immense flow of magic, Aoko finally condensed the entwined fingers and the microcosm into a size that fits in her hand.

With a sharp "crack," the Caria Glintstone Staff in her hand shattered into dust—unable to withstand the immense magical strain. However, the entwined fingers and the microcosm had now fused into a new weapon—a casting catalyst that Aoko had confirmed through the Mother of Fingers' memories.

"I'll call it the Scarlet Staff." Aoko admired the staff, holding it carefully in her hands. Without a doubt, this was the most powerful mystic artifact she had obtained since stepping into the realm of sorcery.

The Scarlet Staff far surpassed the World Tree Staff that Arcueid had crafted for her. Even Touko, upon seeing it, was filled with envy and immediately requested to try it out.

Generously, Aoko handed the Scarlet Staff to Touko, who casually swung it to the side. In an instant, a massive glintstone torrent, far thicker than a typical Comet Azur, blasted forth, leaving Touko herself stunned.

She also attempted to cast Rune Sorceries through this staff. Although the specific effects remained unchanged, the power of certain rune spells—such as Ignition and Illumination, which had variable potency—was significantly amplified, though not to the same extent as Glintstone Sorceries.

The Scarlet Staff still held many secrets. After retrieving it from Touko, Aoko activated Teleportation Magic, and the two of them returned to the Inner Hall of the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. However, the cathedral was now abandoned—Professor Ymir, Jolan, and Anna were nowhere to be found.

This meant that their plan to consult Ymir about the Mother of Fingers and the secrets of the Lands Between had fallen through. Nonetheless, they didn't leave immediately. Since Ymir had left behind his collection of books in the cathedral, the two sisters decided to stay for a few days to study them carefully.

During this time, Aoko occasionally noticed Finger Creepers approaching the cathedral. However, they didn't seem hostile. Instead, they merely observed the Scarlet Staff in her hands from afar, hesitating before eventually leaving. This strange behavior puzzled her.

Since the Finger Creepers weren't causing any trouble, Aoko saw no need to deal with them. Instead, she and Touko focused most of their energy on the microcosm within the Scarlet Staff. Combining the Mother of Fingers' memories with Ymir's research materials, Aoko eventually figured out how to use the microcosm's special properties to locate the spatiotemporal coordinates of the Lands Between.

This was an immense breakthrough. With this knowledge, the pair decided to take Ymir's books back to Ensis Castle and inform Rellana of their discovery. By doing so, they could gain official authorization to operate legally within the Lands Between.

Although the Lands Between remained a chaotic place filled with all manner of beings, sometimes it was best to minimize unnecessary trouble. Leveraging political legitimacy was a necessary strategy.

...

After hearing Aoko and Touko's report, Rellana fell into a long silence. To those who had grown up in the Lands Between, this revelation was utterly world-shattering. The fact that Rellana didn't immediately expel them for spreading heretical ideas already spoke volumes about her attitude.

"…These matters are far too significant," Rellana said gravely to the Aozaki Sisters. "I advise you not to disclose them to anyone else for now."

"During your absence, I traveled to Shadowkeep."

"Prince Messmer wishes to see you."