Grand Library of Raya Lucarian Academy. Many Knights surrounded the long table beneath the crystal chandelier. Frieren sat at the head, noteGrand Library of Raya Lucarian Academy. Many Knights surrounded the long table beneath the crystal chandelier. Frieren sat at the head, note
Grand Library of Raya Lucarian Academy.
Many Knights surrounded the long table beneath the crystal chandelier. Frieren sat at the head, notes in hand, evidently having just returned from the laboratory. For Her Majesty, listening to reports was likely a secondary task.
The other attendees were naturally the leaders of v
arious fiefdoms and their primary administrators, with high-ranking figures gathered together.
Everyone looked dust-stained and weary, having only just arrived.
Some were even still breathless.
It was too far. Now, the lands under the Soul Cinder King's rule primarily consisted of three super-territories, plus the Weeping Peninsula, almost reaching half the size of The Lands Between. Spanning north to south was no easy feat. In a sense, it was currently the strongest unified power to date.
Its birth directly indicated that the Golden Order had weakened to a critical point, losing its ability to strike against rebels,
and was forced to hold the Altus Plateau.
Of course, no one would underestimate its foundation; after all, Leyndell, Royal Capital, possessed the most concentrated power.
While locked in a stalemate with them, the South was rapidly recovering.
Frieren surveyed the room before speaking: "It's been a while since we've all operated separately; it's time to exchange information and prepare for the next step. If any region needs it, I will bestow further Blessings."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, there isn't any severe pollution at present; things are progressing smoothly."
Everyone briefly communicated, confirming that all regions were peaceful. Although there were occasional rampant Rotten creatures and Those Who Live in Death, they were usually suppressed quickly and kept firmly in check. There used to be Bloody Finger activity, but they hadn't been seen for a long time, most likely having retreated into the underground world to prepare for war.
The Southern Army wasn't afraid of them sharpening their blades; they were just worried they wouldn't come to battle. Either way, the grudges accumulated from previous encounters had to be settled.
Simultaneously, they each submitted their reports.
"What progress has been made in Liurnia, Moongrum?"
Frieren wasn't one to enjoy reading official documents. As she flipped through the records, she asked about the specific situations, for a person's demeanor while answering couldn't be captured by text alone.
"The general progress is all written in the document. What's worth mentioning is that we discovered a hidden faction of Frenzied Flame followers.
"In the ruins at the end of Bellum Road, in northern Liurnia, this group of villains had taken root and even built a rather showy Frenzied Flame Lighthouse. That's why I led the army to suppress them and gained some spoils."
The Chief Carian Knight respectfully handed over a scroll.
"New intel?" Seeing this, Frieren immediately perked up, while Melina beside her observed with heightened vigilance.
[Incantation: Shabriri's Howl]
[An Incantation originating from the Three Fingers of the Frenzied Flame. It emits a mad roar, accumulating the madness gauge of surrounding characters. For 40 seconds,
increases damage by 229%, and increases vulnerability by 30%.]
[The caster also accumulates madness, and becomes more susceptible to enemy attacks.]
[It is said that Shabriri is the pathogen of Madness.]
[He is the most hated man in history.]
From the description, it originated from the infamous Three Fingers of the Frenzied Flame, a god-loathing faction that has rampaged across The Lands Between for years, despised by everyone.
No matter which army, all had fought them and suffered heavy losses, yet they always returned like weeds.
She had heard a little about the evangelist named Shabriri, a typical instigator of chaos who had always acted as the avatar of the charging flame.
...destroying one of his strongholds counts as an interaction now, so she'd have to be mindful in the future.
Troublesome.
However, overall, Frieren believed the threat was not as severe as that posed by Rotten creatures or Those Who Live in Death. After all, the Frenzied Flame faction lacked long-term
bases and powerful combat strength, making their activities clandestine.
Now, she was more concerned with the players' comments on the new Incantation:
[An indispensable link for increasing damage, everyone who uses it praises it. Now I'm going to go mad, ahhh!]
[Found it unexpectedly at the Frenzied Flame Lighthouse. Didn't expect it to make me roar with my head held high the moment I used it; it scared me silly. But
in practice, the performance is good. It's an exclusive buff, adding another step to the routine.]
[Frenzied Flame Incantations are excellent, but face too much competition from other magic. In the end, Shabriri's Howl is still more useful.
[Where can I find it? I need to thank you!]
[You'll know if you go to the Mountaintops of the Giants; this questline is quite hidden.]
[BOSS: What the hell is that screaming outside?]
[Increased vulnerability makes you too fragile; mages get grazed once and they're gone. Definitely don't forget to bring protection to offset this cost, otherwise, if you spend several minutes stacking buffs only to die the moment you enter, that's just too pathetic!]
[Act fast; it's either you or me. It's all about quick-draw duels!]
[Why do several Frenzied Flame Incantations say "Effective only against Tarnished"? So, you're specifically designed to counter them, huh?
No wonder I see so many in the arena.]
[Forget about using it against monsters; the margin for error will be too low.]
[Who said it's not useful? I love the spirit of the Frenzied Flame; it's authentic. This land isn't worth saving; this world is already
doomed!]
[It's the Lord of Frenzied Flame! Everyone, retreat!]
...After reviewing the comments, Frieren generally confirmed it was a usable buff Incantation, and quite suitable for her. Generally, her own status effects wouldn't easily conflict, and the increased vulnerability wasn't an issue.
She was tough.
So she wasn't afraid of the cost. Not to mention, as a mage, she also possessed numerous recovery methods and could even engage in close combat.
She was interested in Shabriri's Howl, but needed to consider her partner's opinion.
"Don't get infected with that, especially as a Tarnished," Melina sternly exhorted. "I forbid you from using
that dangerous thing. You have plenty of choices, Frieren. Do not associate with the Three Fingers of the Frenzied Flame. If you meet Shabriri, kill him."
"Is it really that bad to just use one howl? I think it's quite good."
"Absolutely not."
Frieren rarely sensed such urgent emotion from the usually somber witch, as if Melina was terribly afraid of her being corrupted. Why
did the Frenzied Flame possess such unique properties? What was the deeper meaning?
"Alright then, it's not like I need it right now anyway."
Only then did Melina nod, and seeing the somewhat tense atmosphere around their position, the others didn't press further.
Everyone was quite interested. At this meeting, Her Majesty openly acknowledged the existence of the true second-in-command, and everyone was used to it by now.
They hadn't expected her to be so influential as to make the magic-collecting maniac, the Soul Cinder King, stop her impulse to try it out on the spot.
Normally, she would have certainly embraced the terrifying wails and foolish roars immediately.
That she could change Frieren's mind showed just how much influence Melina had. Only when communicating with her did the silver-haired girl seem less laid-back.
"Your Majesty, we have collected some intelligence on the Frenzied Flame."
Moongrum cautiously said: "There were already rumors in The Lands Between, and now it's largely confirmed: Vyke, one of the Roundtable Knight Elders, an Ancient Dragon Cultist and a 'Pre-Lord', 'Dragon Spear' Vyke, became tainted by the Frenzied Flame and vanished without a trace, but his witch left traces at the Church of Inhibition."
The topic ended there. Liurnia, overall, was peaceful; the remaining matters were merely minor details concerning troop deployment.
Frieren authorized the deployment of the Abyss Watchers to the area around the Ruin-Strewn Precipice. According to investigations, volcano monsters had indeed overflowed from the higher elevations, making things quite lively for those creatures.
"Is this your doing, Aldrich?"
Although the Volcano Manor was secretly controlling and aiding monsters in their mischief, the ruins area was still under control. Besides, the former was rampaging through the Altus Plateau. Their common enemy was the Capital.
Neither Frieren nor Rykard had any reason to open a new front. The two knew of Aldrich's hatred, yet chose to ignore it. Therefore, she instructed Moongrum to simply guard the great cave passage. As for the Volcano, which was easy to defend and hard to attack, they would find a way to deal with it later; it wasn't suitable for troop movements.
The silver-haired girl's gaze fell upon Kenneth Haight, who immediately sat up straight and adjusted his clothes, a look of triumph on his face the moment he noticed.
"Some even say that the Night Cavalry counts as new Hero Warriors, but how can they be compared? They merely rely on Leyndell's armaments." Kenneth Haight declared boldly: "Our Great Magma Wyrm units represent the new era!"
"Only three of them can hardly be called a legion, can they even catch up?"
"Calm down, Moongrum. You must look at it with a developmental perspective. Don't forget that Her Majesty's Blessing can accelerate Dragon Communion cultivation."
"Reporting, Your Noble Majesty, the specialized troops cultivated at Stormveil Castle have tripled in number compared to before, enough to form their own independent legions!"
"That fast? Is it because of the Church of Dragon Communion?"
"Yes, with the input of Caelid's resources and the stability of your Soul Magic, we've created new, stronger Grafted Scions and Magma Wyrms, and even produced special individuals: Great Magma Wyrms. Even regular Heroes struggle to hold their own against them,
They are even stronger in legion-scale battles."
While reporting, Kenneth Haight also took out a picture album and gave everyone a Thops-style demonstration.
Unlike the rampaging Great Magma Wyrm in the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, the Stormveil Castle version, developed with new techniques, was more controllable and could even utilize tactics suited to them.
A swing of their Magma Greatblade was invincible.
They were resolute individuals who willingly gave up their human bodies to completely transform into giant dragons. As the South currently had no... they had successfully forged three Great Magma Wyrm prototypes, an epoch-making step, as their combat power was comparable to Heroes.
A historic achievement! After many years of being poor and weak, the South had genuinely cultivated Hero unit types on their own. For Kenneth Haight and the others, this finally removed the stigma of "poor troop quality."
Broadly speaking, this marked the systematic reappearance of new Hero-tier unit types after The Shattering.
He looked towards the pensive silver-haired girl.
At this moment, Frieren understood that Kenneth Haight's essence was actually to request funding. After all, the rituals were very Rune-intensive, and many projects were waiting for funds to get started.
"Good,"
"Since you've achieved results, you'll gain support. Besides the necessary resources, I will bestow more Blessings. At least 20 Great Magma Wyrms would be a significant achievement."
"By your command, Your Majesty, please rest assured, we will train them with all our might!"
"More Runes again, folks!"
Kenneth Haight naturally represented the interests of the local gentry in Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula. Especially when facing competition from the old Noble families of Liurnia, he had to secure Frieren's further support as much as possible.
Even if one day everyone were to enter Leyndell and become citizens of the Golden Order, the South would continue to prosper.
The birthplace of the Golden Order's 3rd Elden Lord – that was a prestigious title.
Meanwhile, Frieren flipped through the detailed information about Dragon Communion, murmuring, "If only ordinary Dragon Hearts are used as materials, it seems Dragon Communion practitioners have hit their limit, reaching a bottleneck. Is that why they're trying to advance towards Great Magma Wyrms?"
"Indeed."
At least in her eyes, Dragon Communion was a relatively good way for ordinary people in The Lands Between to become stronger, especially with her own soul power providing a fundamental stabilization.
Other paths, such as dedicating oneself to the Frenzied Flame, cursed blood, or Scarlet Rot, were not good things. Meanwhile, schools like Glintstone and Gravity had high thresholds.
In reality, people's choices were quite limited.
She neither encouraged nor opposed it. What was eating Dragon Hearts? Perhaps one day she too would need Dragon Incantations.
Moreover, Frieren had once met the Nameless King, who practiced the Ancient Dragon Cult.
Kenneth Haight continued: "We will cultivate Great Ancient Dragon units while ensuring stability, just as Your Majesty said. We will aim for 20 first. Although there's still a gap compared to the Capital, it has certainly narrowed."
"Continue."
The silver-haired girl shot a glance at Jerren.
The Castellan very subtly poked his neighbor: "Let General Edgar speak."
"Your Majesty, the purification efficiency has been remarkably fast, exceeding expectations. Dragonbarrow has been largely cleared. The most severely afflicted flower field wetlands,
are now receiving normal rainfall, and it has truly become Melina Lake. The sacrifices from the Battle of Aeonia have finally found their resting place amidst blooming flowers."
The crowd couldn't help but sigh with emotion; a piece of history had vanished.
Given time, people would gradually forget the war between the Cleanrot Knights and the Redmane Army. Instead, it would be replaced by the myth of the Soul Cinder King Frieren and the Outer God of the Scarlet Rot fighting a devastating war that tore heaven and earth apart. The ruins would stand for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.
Among them, those who had participated still had lingering fears, but now hearing that the purified land they had created was flourishing, they naturally beamed with joy.
Good news.
Caelid was no longer holding them back, but it was still a little short of becoming a truly reliable rear base.
"What about the Rotten Kin?" Frieren asked. "Before Millicent resumed her journey, I told her to give you Gowry's message. Have you captured him?"
Edgar shook his head and replied, "I apologize, Your Majesty. Your subordinate was incompetent and found no clues."
However, he still submitted the data from the investigation period, including the activities of the Rotten Kin. They seemed to be actively retreating
or hiding. Caelid was no longer a paradise for monsters.
If they couldn't contend, they fled.
Gowry and his group pragmatically chose to play it safe.
"It's fine; they won't amount to much anyway. The key is, where did they go? Such a vast Caelid, could they have left no trace at all?"
"Your Majesty, this is strange to say. According to their direction, the Rotten Kin retreated north. Did they pass through Limgrave? The route doesn't seem right. It's more as if they were guided by an Outer God to disappear into thin air somewhere..."
"So that's it. They didn't disappear; they probably went to the Land of Shadow."
"What?"
Frieren explained to everyone the intelligence she received from Radahn. She could only briefly recount it, as even she didn't know much.
Hearing this, everyone in the meeting looked at each other in dismay, seeing the shock reflected in each other's expressions. Their worldview itself was about to be completely reshaped. A continent larger than the South actually existed?
And it had been hidden by Queen Marika all this time.
As everyone knew, this deity had been incredibly active in conquering the South, slaughtering Giants, allying with Raya Lucarian Academy, and suppressing Omens.
Even they, high-ranking as they were, had only just discovered this. When it came to The Lands Between, they were still students.
The Land of Shadow was very crucial.
No wonder Her Majesty said she needed to investigate everything thoroughly before seeking to become Elden Lord; the Capital's waters ran too deep.
However, Frieren regretfully added, "Unfortunately, there are currently no clues. How do we reach the Land of Shadow? We still don't know."
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