Firelink Shrine.
In the blacksmith shop where sparks flew, Blacksmith Andre looked at the massive, chilling weapon before him with a look of utter astonishment.
"Um... I'll leave it to you. I hope this weapon can be made a bit smaller, just enough to fit my size. If possible, it would be best if the weapon's skill could be preserved as well."
Xia Yu spoke with a hint of embarrassment as he saw Andre's stunned expression. He knew he was asking for something difficult, but... sometimes one needs a challenge, right?
How could one's smithing skills improve by forging ordinary weapons all day? He was making this request for the sake of Andre's progress. Yes, he was doing this for the blacksmith's own good!
The more he thought about it, the more Xia Yu believed it himself. The trace of embarrassment in his heart vanished instantly, and he even straightened his back.
"What? Is it too difficult? Alright then, I guess I really was asking too much. It seems your smithing skills can't help me for now."
"No!"
Andre suddenly reached out to stop Xia Yu from taking back the weapon, his voice trembling slightly.
"As long as I am a blacksmith, if you ask, I will forge. So, do not forget—you are fighting for the fire and for the people... and so am I. Though I carry a smithing mission that is no different from a curse, it is precisely because of that that there is hope to speak of, is there not?"
Andre grinned, giving him a reassuring smile, then raised his smithing hammer to experimentally tap the massive Vordt's Great Hammer.
After finishing his assessment, Andre set down his hammer and nodded to Xia Yu.
"Don't mention it, leave it to me. A weapon is a comrade-in-arms; if forged well, it will never betray you."
With that, Andre sat aside and began to ponder how to shrink the weapon's size while retaining its properties.
Seeing this, Xia Yu did not disturb him. Leaving behind a large amount of souls, he turned and left the blacksmith shop.
Souls are the currency of the Soul World. As the world wanes, the gold and silver coins of the past no longer have value; only the souls that everyone possesses have become the hard currency.
Although the world is now full of Hollows everywhere, there are always a few normal people left. The currency circulating among them is the souls of the departed.
After leaving the blacksmith shop, Xia Yu followed the stairs on the left to the lower level of the Shrine. He needed to restock some consumable items.
Beside the stairs on the lower level, a small figure wearing a pointed hood greeted Xia Yu happily upon seeing him.
"Heh... you're safe, that's good. Now it's my turn to fulfill my duty. If there's anything you want, just say so. Don't be a stranger."
"Um... but don't ask where the goods came from."
Xia Yu walked over with a smile. The other party was one of the few friendly NPCs in the Dark Souls III World, named Greirat. He was a thief, and of course, Xia Yu could take whatever he stole as he pleased.
This was because of an agreement between him and Greirat: he would help Greirat with a task, and Greirat would help him with stolen goods.
"I'm just here to restock some items, I don't need much."
As Xia Yu spoke, he crouched down in front of Greirat's stall of loot. After picking up a few Firebombs and Throwing Knives, he also conveniently left some souls.
"You don't need to give me souls," Greirat said, hastily declining as he looked at the souls Xia Yu had put down. "This is my way of helping you; you don't have to do this."
"It's fine, this amount of souls isn't much to me. Just take them."
While putting away the items, Xia Yu smilingly refused Greirat's decline. Seeing this, Greirat paused, didn't speak again, and simply nodded silently.
Just as Xia Yu was about to get up and leave, Greirat suddenly spoke: "Don't forget what we agreed on. Remember to deliver the ring to an old woman named Loretta in the town below the High Wall."
"It's a poor request, I know... it's just that I can't quite sleep soundly..."
Xia Yu paused his movement to stand up and replied softly, "I understand. I'm off then."
"Yeah, goodbye. Stay safe out there."
After bidding farewell to Greirat, Xia Yu sighed as he turned away. He was hesitant, not knowing whether he should tell Greirat the truth.
He hadn't reached the Undead Settlement yet, but he had played the game and knew that the old woman named Loretta was already dead.
Greirat's hopes would only be dashed, leading even to despair. In the later stages of the game, Greirat even developed suicidal thoughts and acted on them, eventually dying in Lothric Castle.
But if he didn't tell Greirat, the man certainly wouldn't let it go. He might even head to the Undead Settlement himself to find Loretta and then learn the truth.
"Sigh, how distressing."
Xia Yu stroked the Blue Tearstone Ring on his finger. This was the ring Greirat wanted him to give to Loretta, a precious large gemstone ring named after tearstones.
"What is the matter, Ashen One?"
The Fire Keeper's question brought Xia Yu back from his melancholy. He had unknowingly returned to the center of the Shrine.
Looking at the Fire Keeper who was concerned about him, Xia Yu suddenly took her hand: "Come for a walk with me."
With that, Xia Yu pulled the Fire Keeper toward the stairs. Although she was a bit surprised, she didn't resist and followed Xia Yu out of the Shrine submissively.
Outside the Shrine, it was still a scene of ruin. Resurrected Hollows wandered around, occasionally letting out inexplicable growls.
After kicking all the Hollows near the cliff down into the abyss, Xia Yu finally found a relatively open spot and sat on the edge of the cliff.
Even though there was a bottomless abyss beneath his feet, he wasn't very afraid. After all, he was an immortal Ashen One; even if his body was smashed to pieces, he could be resurrected at the bonfire.
Looking at the endless sky and feeling the Fire Keeper standing behind him, Xia Yu suddenly spoke.
"If someone very important to your friend has died, should you tell your friend this cruel truth?"
"Is the friend the Ashen One speaks of Greirat?"
"Hmm?" Xia Yu turned his head in surprise, looking at the Fire Keeper's serene face in confusion. "How did you know?"
"Sigh, the Ashen One is indeed quite dense." The Fire Keeper shook her head gently. "When a stranger suddenly arrived at the Shrine, I went to inquire, and then Greirat told me about his agreement with the Ashen One."
"Ah, I see..."
"So, that lady named Loretta has already..."
"Yeah." Xia Yu suddenly leaned back and lay flat on the ground. "That woman has already met with misfortune, but Greirat doesn't know. Do you think I should tell him?"
The Fire Keeper knelt beside Xia Yu and said, "Parting in life and death is the norm in this world. The Ashen One only needs to follow his own heart."
"That answer of yours..." Xia Yu laughed and closed his eyes. "Is the same as saying nothing at all."
"My apologies, Ashen One."
"It's fine, I'm not blaming you. I'm just being sentimental. What right do I have to hide the truth, even if it's an extremely cruel one?"
"Ashen One, whatever you decide, I will support you. After all, I am your Fire Keeper."
"Yeah."
After the quiet conversation, the surroundings fell silent once more, with only the faint, intermittent sound of the wind remaining.