"Did I fall asleep?"
The ashen one sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes filled with doubt.
As an ashen one, he shouldn't be able to find rest anywhere other than near a bonfire, but now…
"Knock, knock, knock~!"
Three knocks on the door interrupted the ashen one's thoughts.
Opening the door, Archbishop Anthony's figure appeared before him.
"Good morning, Your Grace, the Chosen One."
Archbishop Anthony made a clockwise motion over his chest four times and smiled, "Would you like some breakfast?"
The ashen one nodded, then added, "You can call me…"
He paused, remembering he was the ashen one, but realizing he had forgotten his real name.
After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "Ashen One."
"Very well, Mr. Ashen."
Archbishop Anthony nodded slightly, noting that the ashen one did not want to be called by the title of Chosen One.
Just as the ashen one had not shown the Night Emblem.
"Please follow me, Mr. Ashen."
Archbishop Anthony made a gesture of invitation, leading the ashen one downstairs to the dining hall at the back of the church.
On the dining table, a sumptuous breakfast for two was already prepared.
Archbishop Anthony smiled and invited the ashen one to sit, "I prepared this according to Loen's dietary habits. I hope you enjoy it. If there's anything specific you'd like, please let me know."
The ashen one nodded slightly and sat at the table without any suspicion.
Then, Archbishop Anthony watched as the ashen one removed his helmet, revealing a handsome yet somewhat lifeless face.
The ashen one didn't mind the Archbishop's gaze, simply grabbing the white bread on the table and taking a bite.
Although he didn't need to eat as an ashen one, his memories told him that he needed to maintain the habit of eating.
If possible, it was best to have three regular meals a day.
This would make him seem more human.
"Thank you for the meal."
The ashen one quickly finished his breakfast and thanked Anthony, putting his helmet back on.
At the same time, an ice-blue longsword emitting cold air appeared in his hand.
Then, he silently made his way back to the church hall.
Now, he needed to find the Black Emperor.
"Clang! Clang!"
The sound of armor clanking echoed with his heavy footsteps as the fully armored knight appeared in the hall.
He then stopped.
The reason he stopped was that the hall, which was empty last night, was now filled with people.
Morning sunlight pierced through the stained glass windows of the church, illuminating the neat rows of seats on either side of the red carpet.
Men and women of various appearances filled the seats, bowing their heads in prayer to the Goddess.
Even the ashen one's arrival didn't interrupt their prayers.
"Mr. Ashen."
Archbishop Anthony had somehow appeared beside the ashen one, speaking softly, "The Goddess has asked me to tell you that the world is now vastly different from before. You may need some time to adapt to all these changes."
"..."
The ashen one didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the praying people.
He then nodded silently.
Turning, he walked back to the dining hall.
"Mr. Ashen."
Archbishop Anthony began to speak, but was soon interrupted by the ashen one.
"Ashen One."
"Very well, Ashen One."
Archbishop Anthony didn't mind, smiling and nodding, "To help you adapt better to this world, I've prepared an identity for you. One of them is a Nighthawks of the Church of the Night."
"You can report to the headquarters of the Nighthawks in Backlund. It's located at the Backlund Detective Agency behind the church. Look for a man named Al Harsen. After reporting, you don't need to rush back to the church; you can explore a bit."
"By the way, your current identity is Ash Black."
After a pause, Archbishop Anthony added, "You can use this identity to gather information about the Black Emperor. Also, here are your operation funds, a total of one hundred gold pounds."
With that, Anthony handed the ashen one ten notes, each worth ten pounds.
"Gold pounds?"
The ashen one suddenly asked, "Currency? Can't I use souls?"
"All transactions in Backlund are conducted with gold pounds."
Anthony shook his head, clearly indicating—
He had no idea what souls were.
"Lastly."
Anthony looked at the ashen one's armor and advised, "If possible, it would be best to change your clothes. Something like what the followers in the hall are wearing."
The ashen one thought for a moment and decided to follow Anthony's advice.
In an instant, his knight armor vanished.
It was replaced by a black and brown Undead Legion outfit.
Although still leather armor, the ashen one felt it was at least more low-key.
"You can take off the helmet."
Anthony's eyes showed some surprise; he hadn't noticed how the ashen one managed to change his outfit.
But being a demigod, he quickly composed himself, glanced at the pointed triangular iron helmet on the ashen one's head, and suggested again.
"Like this?"
The ashen one removed his face covering, revealing his handsome face, and asked.
"Yes."
Anthony smiled and nodded, "You can move freely. If you have any questions, feel free to consult me."
The ashen one nodded slightly, silently turning and walking back to the hall.
By now, the followers in the hall had finished their prayers.
Their eyes fell on the oddly dressed ashen one, but they didn't pay much attention, assuming he was a nobleman trying to stand out.
They then lined up and walked to the altar, placing gold pounds into the donation box beside it.
The ashen one turned away and walked out the church door.
As soon as he stepped outside, the bright and warm sunlight bathed him.
The ashen one instinctively looked up at the sun overhead.
"It's really completely different."
He murmured as he looked at the bustling street.
In the world of Dark Souls, there were no such crowds of living people, nor was there such a bright sun.
In fact, this made the ashen one question.
Was there really any need to kindle the flame in this world?
The ashen one didn't know, but he decided to complete his task first—
To find the "Backlund Detective Agency."
"Behind the church?"
The ashen one looked back at St. Samuel's Church, then oriented himself.
He walked to the right along with the crowd.
Before long, he found a small path that turned right and walked through it without any obstacles.
Three minutes later.
Standing in front of the Backlund Detective Agency, the ashen one's expression was full of doubt.
As if he had encountered something that defied his understanding—
"No need for detours, no shortcuts? What's happened to this world?"
(End of Chapter)