Chapter 205: [Bonus chapter] Love, Past and Present 2

Chapter 205: [Bonus chapter] Love, Past and Present 2

Aldrich watched Valera take a moment to collect herself. Her lips twisted into a

faint frown, baring a sliver of her sharp fangs. She clutched at her arm, her

black ngernails pressing in dangerously hard, just shy of breaking the skin.

Valera did not like remembering her past.

This, Aldrich knew.

In Elden World, there was a surprisingly extensive amount of interaction with

NPCs that allowed one to develop strong relationships with them.

How strong one's relationship was with a NPC allowed not only for more u

things like romance paths to open up, but practical things like access to specic

NPC questlines that usually had unique locations, items, bosses, and the like.

When Aldrich played, he had maxed out his relationship meter with Valera,

though no paths actually led to a direct romance because of how much eort it

took her to open up.

Valera was a cold, stoic, and prickly character when rst summoned that just

did her job to protect her summoner. She replied with one word answers to

most questions and did not like being questioned about her past.

Actually getting her to open up and form a bond with her took most of the

entire game because of how troubled her past was.

This left too little time to get into a proper romance with her, but before

battling the Howling Dark - the nal boss - she did promise to stay with the

player character forever. That was essentially a declaration of love.

The idea was that after the game, there was an implied happily ever after where

the player reunited with Valera.

This was why Valera was so attached to Aldrich upon being summoned. She had

the highest level of relationship built with Aldrich - the player - already.

But that was just the game. It was a whole dierent thing to deal with it in real

life. It felt almost wrong. She had all these genuine memories with him, but to

him, it had all just been nothing more than a game.

This was the biggest reason why Aldrich could not give her a good answer. Her

feelings for him were genuine, but how would she react when she realized that

to him, it had never truly been 'real?"

That, and Aldrich already had no idea what to do in situations like this. He

hovered his arm over Valera's back, wondering if this would comfort her.

Valera noticed Aldrich's awkward eort. She looked at his hand with a quizzical

expression.

"If you're uncomfortable-," began Aldrich as he withdrew his hand.

"No." Valera grabbed Aldrich's hand tightly and held it like a precious jewel.

She smiled at him.

Her hand felt strangely warm in spite of how cold she should have been as an

undead. He felt prickles of warmth owing through his body: the warmth of

emotion that he had long forgotten and then buried further under his undead

transformation.

The warmth of being loved.

"This helps. Holding your hand like this - it truly does. More than anything,"

said Valera. She closed her eyes again, remembering more. "When I completed

my training in the Midnight Order, I was to be the sworn shield of a lady.

Nalia. A daughter of a matriarch in one of the Nokol clans."

Aldrich nodded. The Nokol were a race of demihumans that had bat-like traits.

Because they were nocturnal, they were part of the Midnight Alliance of most

night faring races including vampires.

"She was spoiled. Dicult to work with. She complained about this and that

little thing, and there were many times when I wanted to smack some sense

into her." Valera shook her head and then smiled sadly. "But she was a kind

girl, she was.

When her mother was assassinated by rivals, she was cast out, forced to run as

an exile. Everybody abandoned her aside from myself, perhaps because I saw

some of myself in her. Another princess exiled due to a world that rejected

them, how could I not pity her?

And also because I wanted to keep my vow to protect my chosen.

Always, I have wanted to protect someone worthy to me. Ever since my father's

death, when I could not protect him - that was my dream. So I stuck with her.

The years after were long and dicult. She had to learn how to survive without

the pampering touch of attendants that would dress her in warm neries and

make sure food was upon her plate every day.

But I taught her, and together, we survived. She grew so very attached to me. I

was her mentor. Her shield to support herself on when times were tough. Her

shoulder to lean on when she needed to cry.

And in spite of myself, I found myself appreciating her. She was like a dear little

sister to me. And for her happiness, I would have given everything.

But that night, that awful, awful night-," Valera trembled in anger, her

expression twisting darkly.

"We can stop here, if you want," said Aldrich. He knew this part of her past, and

he knew it would be painful for her. "I just wanted to hear why you have these

feelings for me, but if it involves moving through your past-"

"Not at all." Valera shook her head and took in a deep breath. "This is

important. This cursed past of mine. To show you why my feelings burn so

bright for you." She nodded to herself, calming down. "One night, when I was

away from camp to nd a cure for a sickness she had contracted on the road,

she was slaughtered by rival clans that still sought her out, wanting to

eliminate any trace of her royal blood to make sure she never laid claim to the

throne.

Slaughter is too light a word. She had been tortured to within an inch of her life,

healed, then tortured again. Nails torn back, wings ripped apart, eyes gouged

out, body deled, skin ayed - over and over again.

I cannot imagine the amount of pain she must have felt. How much she must

have yearned for me, for my shield, for my strength.

And that-seeing her corpse-that made me understand: I was a failure. My

shield had never once protected anyone it was vowed to.

The world around me had cast me out because I was an abomination. A

monster.

My entire life, I had dedicated myself to protecting, for deep down, I did not

wish to be called a monster.

But if it was a monster they wanted, it was a monster that I would give them.

I killed every single being responsible for my lady's death. I started with the

assassins they hired and any aliated with them.

Humans, elves, dwarves, young or old, it did not matter. I killed them.

Then I attacked the Nokol royal clans. I killed countless of their winged

soldiers. I snapped the necks of dozens of their royalty. I was feared. I was

reviled. I became known as the 'Exile', the disgraced princess turned wandering

monster of vengeance.

To gain the power to destroy the royal clans, I sacriced my soul to the Nether.

In exchange for this power, upon my death, I would enter into the Nether for all

eternity. I would no longer enter the cycle of reincarnation. Instead, my soul

would be chained to serve summoners of the dark for all eternity.

The path of vengeance was sweet. I reveled in it, in the bloody carnage that I

wrought with my own sts. But that is the thing with vengeance. It must always

end.

Either you reach the end of that path with no more left to kill, or you are killed

while walking its brutal roads.

For me, it was the latter. Despite the power and levels I received from the

Nether, it was not enough.

Eventually, the entire Midnight Alliance, not just the Nokols, saw me as a force

of nature - a monster for adventurers to put down. I did kill any that got in my

way, after all, and that included vampires as well.

The Alliance enlisted the aid of a mighty hero, and he slew me.

Since then, my soul rested in the Nether.

Whenever a dark summoner wished for my shield, I had to serve them. That

went on for centuries.

I did not care. It was my just punishment for failing to protect everyone I

wanted to protect - that was what I thought.

I gave up on ever protecting someone close to me. To serve someone worthy.

Because I was a failure."

Valera squeezed Aldrich's hand gently. "Then you came along. You called me to

your service. At rst, I felt nothing. Just another mage of the dark arts desiring

a shield to protect his frail body until the corrupting inuence of the dark arts

eventually rotted your brain and rendered you insane. Just another victim to the

Nether.

But you overcame the Nether. You stayed with me.

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Gifts

You believed in me. You tried to understand me. You accepted who I was. You

accepted what I had become.

I was not a monster to you, I was a valued companion. I was truly your shield.

I...I liked that so much. It was the rst time I had felt warmth in my heart for

centuries. It was not just that you believed in me, but I could also believe in you

with all my heart.

You had grand visions. You wanted to save the world. Deep down, in your heart,

you were one I could admire and devote myself to.

I felt like nally, I had found someone worthy.

And that was when I made a promise to myself: I would never, ever, ever let you

go. I would never fail in my duties as a Guardian Knight ever again. I would

wield my shield proudly for you til the end of time - til beyond the ends of

time."

Valera nodded to Aldrich. The hints of tears welled up in the sides of her eyes

from remembering and voicing her feelings. "And that-that is why I have these

feelings for you.

That...is why I love you."

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