Bai Shi picked up the other Ritual Straight Sword from the ground and examined it closely.
The fierce thrust against the shield had caused some damage to the tip of the blade, but thankfully, it wasn't too severe.
Putting the sword away, Bai Shi blew the whistle, calling Torrent back.
Torrent had already run off to a nearby slope to eat some berries.
Bai Shi found a tent and dismantled it, then began to collect the weapons and shields scattered on the ground.
He hadn't looted the bodies of the few soldiers he'd killed earlier simply because he couldn't carry everything. But now, with Torrent as a literal beast of burden, it was a different story.
Bai Shi took stock: a total of four standard-issue Lordsworn's Greatshields, two Brass Shields, four Lordsworn's Straight Swords, and two Warpicks.
There were a few torches, all well-used. Bai Shi tossed them aside.
There had also been three or four spears, but since they posed a greater threat during mounted combat, Bai Shi had broken all of them.
Bai Shi picked up the Godrick Knight's spear and shield.
Their names appeared before his eyes: Partisan and Gilded Greatshield.
The Partisan was a spear with a wide blade, not only capable of thrusting but also delivering powerful swings.
The Gilded Greatshield was a greatshield used by the knights who served Godrick. It was extremely heavy, and most of the mottled gold coating on its surface had already peeled off.
Bai Shi certainly couldn't use all this equipment himself. He might keep a few pieces, but he planned to sell the rest to Kalé.
Selling all this equipment should earn him a good amount of Runes.
Actually, the armor on their bodies was also worth a lot of money, but Bai Shi had his limits. At the very least, he'd let his enemies keep some dignity.
Next, Bai Shi walked up to the massive vehicles parked at the Gatefront.
The tall carriages were painted a deep black, with white candles of the same type found in catacombs burning on top.
Bai Shi knew that these oversized, carriage-like vehicles were actually mobile coffins.
The wandering nobles, not yet dead but soon to be, traveled throughout the Lands Between in these coffins, seeking a way to die and find release.
The coffins seemed to be empty. Perhaps the nobles had already set out to find their deaths, leaving their vehicles in this "parking lot."
Bai Shi went to the rear of one of the carriages, where there was a hidden compartment for burial offerings.
Since these nobles weren't actually dead yet, Bai Shi felt no guilt taking their burial goods.
Inside was a greatsword, a Lordsworn's Greatsword.
It was another standard-issue weapon, longer and heavier than the Lordsworn's Straight Sword. His movements were rather awkward when wielding it one-handed; it required two hands to be used properly.
Moving to another mobile coffin, Bai Shi repeated the process and acquired another weapon: a Flail.
A wooden handle was attached to a chain, which was connected to a spiked iron ball. It looked like it would be great at breaking through armor.
Bai Shi gave it a swing, but his Dexterity seemed to be too low, and he nearly hit himself in the face.
'It's annoying that I have to try out a weapon every time just to see if I meet the stat requirements, and even then, I'm not sure which stat I'm lacking.'
'I wonder if I can have a blacksmith check the required stats for equipment when I meet one later.'
Lost in thought, Bai Shi found the last item location at the Gatefront.
It was a cellar beneath some ruins. He opened the heavy iron door, and a chest lay quietly in the center of the room, a faint light emanating from its seams.
Bai Shi opened the chest, and a sudden gust of wind surged through the small cellar.
Inside was a small pouch of gray, translucent crystals, and a Whetstone Knife engraved with a secret crest.
It was the Ash of War: Storm Stomp and the Whetstone Knife.
Ashes of War could be applied to normal weapons using the Whetstone Knife to change their skills. Additionally, the Whetstone Knife could alter a weapon's affinity.
Bai Shi looked at the Ash of War in his hand, deep in thought.
He knew this common skill wasn't anything special; many in Stormveil Castle could use it. It couldn't possibly be the source of the gale.
Recalling the sudden storm at the Chapel of Anticipation, Bai Shi took out the Stormhawk King's ashes from his bag. "Was that you? Are you trying to tell me something?"
Storm Stomp was a skill from the same faction as the King, so it wasn't surprising that his ashes would react to it.
But Bai Shi didn't know if it was simply a case of reminiscing about past glories or if there was another meaning behind it.
But the King did not respond again.
Bai Shi shook his head. It seemed he would have to wait until he obtained the Spirit Calling Bell to find out more.
Bai Shi returned to the surface and searched the area one more time, making sure he had looted the Gatefront completely.
He then bundled up all the equipment. The weight was staggering.
Just as Bai Shi was trying to load everything onto Torrent's back, Melina couldn't help but appear.
"Wait, you're not actually planning to make Torrent carry all that, are you?"
"There's no way Torrent can carry so much."
Having packed the equipment himself, Bai Shi was well aware of how heavy it was.
"I have no choice. It'd be such a waste to leave all this equipment behind."
Bai Shi blinked innocently.
Melina sighed.
"I forgot to tell you yesterday. You can store things at a Site of Grace."
"Oh? It's that convenient?"
Bai Shi thought about it for a moment, and something seemed off.
"Wait. Although not many people can see the Sites of Grace anymore, there are still some. What if they take my things from the Site of Grace?"
"That won't happen."
Melina organized her thoughts before explaining.
"The space within a Site of Grace is also completely separate."
"When you are at a Site of Grace, you vanish from the outside world. Even if someone else is resting at the very same Site of Grace, neither of you will be aware of the other."
"Furthermore, the guidance each person sees is different. For example, there is a group of Tarnished I know who are envoys of the church."
"They are a church that serves the Two Fingers. The guidance they received upon returning to the Lands Between was to carry out the Two Fingers' tasks, not to become the Elden Lord."
Bai Shi nodded. Since the Sites of Grace didn't interfere with each other, he could rest easy.
"By the way, do the Sites of Grace have any other uses?"
Bai Shi was very concerned about whether he could fast travel in this world.
After all, the map was huge. Without fast travel, he would run his legs off just riding back and forth.
Melina hesitated. She hadn't wanted to tell Bai Shi about this so soon, as he had not yet passed her assessment.
Although Bai Shi had performed well in the recent battle, his opponent was, after all, only a single knight.
Melina knew what kind of terrifying enemies Bai Shi would face if he sought to become Lord.
Therefore, he needed to have a heart that followed the guidance of grace and sought to become the Elden Lord. That was what mattered most.
As long as he possessed that determination, Melina was confident his power would eventually grow.
But whether he had such a heart couldn't be determined from one or two battles.
However, since Bai Shi had already asked, Melina didn't hide it.
"The Sites of Grace have another important function. You can travel between any Sites of Grace you have previously touched."
"If you wish to use this feature, call for me at a Site of Grace, and I will take you."