Thud!
The headless corpse of the Baleful Shadow fell, its last shred of vitality burning to ashes in the Chaos Flame.
Faced with such strange and inscrutable enemies, Frieren always dealt with them cleanly, leaving no trace. The tranquil river now swiftly filled the ground's depression, restoring the area to its centuries-old peace.
Its death signified the failure of the Two Fingers' assassination plan.
Not far away, the Mimic Tear walked over to join them, not even glancing at the defeated foe. To its 'Mama,' an enemy of this caliber was merely an appetizer, not worth mentioning.
Ranni's puppet's aura gradually dispersed.
"The battle was spectacular. You went to great trouble, thank you, Frieren. Now, I can finally meet him."
"It's time to say goodbye. If I don't return, tell Iji, Blaidd, and Mother that I love them. They are all my family."
Frieren nodded solemnly, no longer needing to speak to persuade her to stay.
"You might find this Royal Key useful."
With that, the spiritual consciousness attached to the puppet vanished. It was as if it hastily withdrew, or perhaps something urgent had happened with the main body, so much so that it didn't even have time to explain what this item was meant to open.
Fortunately, with a glance at the player's advice, she understood. Otherwise, in The Lands Between, where everyone spoke in riddles and unfinished sentences, she would have been completely lost.
The silver-haired girl weighed the key, muttering, "That's enough. Let's go back and take a look."
"Taking a rest isn't a bad idea," Melina agreed. "My intuition tells me there's something extremely dangerous further ahead, something dark and familiar, dwelling within The Abyss."
The Mimic Tear pierced the veil with a single sentence; as a life born from the Eternal City, it naturally knew that power. The atmosphere among the three instantly grew heavy.
Although they had decided from the start to kill Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, the infamous civilization-destroyer was certainly not simple. Perhaps there were also variables at play, orchestrated by the Two Fingers from behind the scenes, leaving no room for carelessness. Either they would eliminate one of the persistent troubles of the underground world, or they would once again face a judgment of destruction.
Suddenly, Frieren noticed the Mimic Tear clasping its arms and trembling slightly.
"Scared?"
"Yes, all the magic throughout my body is reminding me of fear. This sentiment is carved into every brick and tile of the Eternal City. But I'm also excited. I'm finally going to confront that fellow and get revenge for the remnants of the Nox Civilization. Please help me."
"Since you've asked, it now has one more reason to die. That's all."
"Before that, though, we need to go back and open a treasure chest."
No matter the caliber of the powerful enemy ahead, it wouldn't hinder Frieren's exploration. After heading to the Lake of Rot and activating the Site of Grace, she returned.
At the same time, the Carian Knight squad, traveling north along the Ainsel River, arrived at the Uhl Palace Ruins and immediately saw the corpse of a giant clear dawn monster lying before them.
"It's Her Majesty's magic signature!"
The knights who had followed her in campaigns certainly wouldn't forget their liege's style, especially that shocking destructive power.
Moongrum looked around, and the scouts signaled back that there was no threat.
"Excellent. It seems this is a rare safe zone, with buildings serving as cover, more solid than temporary outposts. My orders: rest here and maintain vigilance."
The soldiers dispersed orderly to search, and sure enough, they discovered several more corpses, as well as overturned coffins.
It was well known that the Tarnished King never left empty-handed. Even in completely unfamiliar and dangerous underground areas, she wouldn't forget to scavenge before leaving.
But it was a bit sloppy.
It was clear she had left in a bit of a hurry, otherwise she wouldn't have easily missed these scattered items.
Moongrum ordered another thorough sweep, considering it as helping Frieren collect items. Many times, her subordinates had to take over this kind of work, which was quite unique in The Lands Between. Her Majesty didn't have many hobbies, just hoping to discover treasures.
The group continued searching as they ventured deeper, finally arriving at Nokstella.
As far as the eye could see, the ground was covered with the corpses of Mimic Tears and giant ants, with no survivors. It was thanks to Frieren clearing the way ahead; otherwise, navigating this terrain would have been quite a chore.
After confirming no serious threats in the surroundings, they could finally observe the magnificent city.
"The other Eternal City truly exists."
"So tall, it's as if it's pierced into the starry sky. And its upper parts correspond to the location of our Raya Lucarian Academy, don't they?"
"We came to the right place."
Serie, who had subsequently arrived with reinforcements, gasped in amazement at this magnificent spectacle. Indeed, the ancient civilization and the Astrologer Tradition had deep roots, and she could feel the accumulated magic of ages.
She felt that this place was a veritable treasure trove for magic research. Reviewing the old to learn the new, sorting through past history could also inspire modern magic.
ROAR!
Suddenly, a long groan echoed, accompanied by violent trembling of the ground, and surrounding towers collapsing under the strain. Dust billowed everywhere, and the solid ground became like a trampoline, tossing them up and down, making it impossible to stand steadily, and they dared not easily grab onto any structures. "Everyone, stay down!" Moongrum's command maintained order.
The battle-hardened knights immediately reacted. Fortunately, their organization was tight and their quality exceptional; otherwise, losses would have been highly probable.
Its roar quickly faded.
It seemed to have merely been startled and let out a few casual roars, but the collapse had not yet ceased. Many dilapidated buildings collapsed, and the pendulous formations at the cliff edge plummeted into a bottomless pit.
Only when all was silent did they cautiously stand up.
"It's Astel, Naturalborn of the Void," Moongrum said coldly, "I'm afraid it has gradually awakened."
"My apprentice, you've really done something incredible... If I'm not mistaken, the aura of a 'Quasi-King' has startled the extraterrestrial beast."
"The Carian Royal Family has some records concerning it, even stating that Astel's reawakening will become yet another signal of destruction. I don't know if such terrifying prophecies are credible, but it's becoming increasingly active."
Serie said nonchalantly, "Trust Frieren. She'll always stir things up anyway. War is inevitable."
"The King's domain will not tolerate such abominable monsters, whether above ground or below."
"So, are you prepared for the subjugation?"
"To say we're not afraid would be a lie, but how can we not stand with the King in the face of a challenge of this magnitude? That would be a grave dereliction of duty, tainting the honor of a knight."
"Advance!"
At Moongrum's command, their spirits were roused, and they set off with resolute strides, following the trail of magic.
Even before setting off, they had a vague intuition that this battle was unavoidable.
Serie, concerned for Frieren's safety, also followed. The party was still complete, but now carried an added sense of resolution, a willingness to stake everything.
Becoming enemies with the culprit who destroyed the Nox Civilization? Unheard of in the world. A groundbreaking first. They couldn't even guarantee their legs wouldn't tremble when the time came, but retreating was simply not an option.
Since they had resolved to guard the Elden Lord and conquer The Lands Between, this level of challenge was nothing.
Full Moon Queen's Grand Library.
Frieren, with her powerful presence, was hard to ignore when she suddenly appeared.
After greeting her, she immediately pointed to a treasure chest next to a bookshelf and then showed the key.
"Ranni gave this to me. Can I open it?"
She noticed the Full Moon Queen's already subtle gaze grow even more so, which is why she asked. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have bothered.
"Mmm..."
After a faint reply, Rennala stopped paying attention. A flicker of conflicted emotion crossed her face; she was probably wondering how exactly to react. Was it something exceptionally important?
Whatever it was, since the key was in her hands, there was no reason not to open that treasure chest.
Frieren confidently opened the ornate treasure chest, and points of light shimmered.
[[Dark Moon Ring]]
[[A large ring crafted in the image of the dark full moon.]]
[[Originally, a cold covenant ring bestowed upon a consort by Lunar Princess Ranni.]]
[[If Ranni is an Empyrean, then her so-called consort is also a King.]]
[[The ring bears an inscription and a warning: No person shall take this item. All the solitude beyond the night belongs only to me.]]
Exquisite silver engravings framed a sapphire like a dark moon. The color palette was indeed in the Carian Royal Style. It felt cold to the touch, as if it had been sealed away for a long time, yet it was well-preserved with no traces of age.
Its significance was greater than imagined.
With a slight perception, Frieren discovered there were no special enchantments; it was purely an artifact. However, the legal and symbolic meaning behind it was immeasurable, directly representing the Divine-King System.
No wonder both mother and daughter didn't know how to react, deeply moved by this fated connection.
It was extremely valuable.
It signified the Lunar Princess's entrustment and the strong support of the Carian Royal Family. Although Frieren had already obtained both of these things, possessing the Dark Moon Ring herself was another matter entirely, and even more crucial.
Rennala softly asked, "Since she told you the location of the chest, that means she permits you to wear it. Of course, you are also free to dispose of it as you wish."
"Perhaps it's more suitable for Ranni. I'll make sure to bring it to her."
"Are you still not planning to solidify your status as God and King?"
"Mother," Mimic Tear's voice in Frieren's mind began, "You're still as awkward as ever. But I estimate the Carian Royal Family still has other tokens; ask them if they have anything more useful."
The Mimic Tear's voice in her mind was interrupted by Frieren.
"Everything must wait until the Two Fingers are dealt with. Otherwise, nothing can even begin. We can figure out the details later."
The Full Moon Queen saw the silver-haired girl's hesitation. A hint of joy appeared between her brows, indicating that at least both of them took its significance seriously and were thinking carefully about it. Unlike herself, who had rushed things with Radagon...
Never mind. Now was not the time for nostalgia. As long as her daughter was safe, that was all that mattered.
As a mother, she had already lost two children: one had been dead for a long time and was only just buried, and the other had been swallowed and was as good as dead.
Ranni was the only one remaining.
Now, Frieren's personality, talent, power, and demeanor were all beyond reproach. She was truly a flawless King, and entrusting Ranni to her was reassuring enough.
"Thank you, Rennala. I must depart now."
CRASH!
Suddenly, a violent tremor came from underground. The entire Raya Lucarian Academy trembled and swayed. The crystal lamps on the arched dome clattered, as if they would fall at any moment. Cracks like spiderwebs climbed across the window panes, and looking further down, one could see the ground collapsing and surging lake water pouring in.
Just an aftershock caused heaven and earth to collapse? Everyone's hearts trembled with dread, unsure of what was happening.
In the Grand Library, Frieren and Rennala exchanged glances, seeing the answer on each other's faces: it was Astel's power.
The rumbling collapse was like a declaration of war.
Fortunately, the earthquake vanished after a moment, allowing the panic to subside in time.
Those who didn't understand the truth were relieved, but the two people who knew the situation best and felt the tremors most intensely had icy expressions, and the atmosphere in the room was incredibly heavy.
The Full Moon Queen spoke first: "Actually, the Raya Lucarian Academy has some ties to the underground world, inheriting a portion of its resources, and also understands the terror of Astel. It has probably been waiting to deal with anyone who challenges the Two Fingers."
"If you don't kill someone, you can't proceed, right?" Frieren said, having seen it many times.
"If you can settle this matter, it means the greatest combat force the Two Fingers can mobilize will be eliminated. In the future, the coming Leyndell Expedition will lose its significant presence, allowing us to focus more on the Royal Capital Battlefield."
"Exactly, I think so too. By no means can Astel be allowed to continue existing."
"The Academy has me. Ranni is entrusted to your protection."
"I'll let them know."
As she spoke, Frieren's figure left the room, simultaneously unleashing her signature Site of Grace Blessing, swift and decisive, rushing towards the battlefields across The Lands Between, where people feared and armor dreaded.
The Full Moon Queen, remaining in the Grand Library, dedicated herself to creating embryos. Now, every additional combat force meant more assurance.
Dazzling light obscured everyone's vision, and suddenly, the silver-haired girl was seen floating in the air.
"Your Majesty!"
Seeing her, who had always been elusive, they immediately felt a sense of backbone.
"I've healed everyone who was injured just now. Now listen carefully: immediately evacuate, moving as much as possible to areas with open views and solid foundations, specifically along the Liurnia Highway. Recall the army to guard the evacuees, and simultaneously secure the entrance to the Ainsel River."
"Many of you are curious about the earthquake, right? I'll be blunt: Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, has awakened, and it's coming for me."
At these words, a deathly silence fell, and many were too terrified to speak, staring blankly. "Her Majesty actually provoked a civilization-destroyer?"
A cacophony of whispers erupted, faces wavered, and some eyes were filled with fear. First, they were shocked that the legend was true, then they realized how serious the situation was.
Frieren, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped, as Melina whispered a reminder into her ear.
Immediately, she turned back and declared:
"I'm not the type to boast before victory, but someone just told me that a King should boost morale. So I'll tell you my honest thoughts: Astel provoked me, and its corpse will be stuffed and displayed in Stormveil Castle."
"To date, all of the Two Fingers' spies and assassins have been executed. Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, will be next."
"No matter who you are, lurking in the shadows, your strongest minion's death has arrived."
"Either come out and ambush me at the best possible moment, or wait for me to knock on your door and expose your wolf-fox's dead body to the public."
As she finished speaking, a Black Sun Fire Ring symbol erupted from Frieren's chest.
First Flame!
Even the release of a single wisp of its power stained the horizon, vying for brilliance with the Golden Order, and its surging pressure permeated the surface, instantly silencing the restless roars from below.
"Long live Her Majesty!"
To everyone's surprise, a mountain-shaking roar and a tidal wave of cheers and widespread expectant gazes followed the silver-haired girl as she departed.
-
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