Roundtable Hold, Site of Grace.
A group of Tarnished appeared: Rogier, D, and Nepheli Loux. The latter, however, left with a stiff expression, as there was a rare greeter today.
"Congratulations, it's rare for you all to return safely from such a dangerous underground world."
The All-Knowing, staff in hand, approached, offering congratulations.
On the surface, one might still mistake him for an old man leaning on a cane with a bad back, but in reality, the Roundtable's current master was brimming with active magic today.
With that, he quickly departed.
Rogier took the initiative to speak: "With your intelligence capabilities, you should already know that a dramatic change has occurred in the underground world. In fact, we witnessed Frieren's battle with Astel in the Starsfall Lands underground. It was incredibly grand, like the myths recounted by bards. Let's move on, and bid farewell to Caria Manor's seal."
"...a myth from the bards' tales, practically the end of the world..."
He vividly described the general process.
Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, the far-reaching aftershocks and brilliant light were undeniable.
As a sorcerer, he could even better comprehend the terrifying power involved.
Both the Darkborn and the Soul Cinder King transcended conventional limits, as if different orders of life were grappling, which is why the spectacle was so immense.
"Gravity Magic is indeed the most destructive type in The Lands Between, especially in Astel's hands. I thought we would also be affected, but Frieren firmly contained the battlefield, leaving that monster no excess power to spread calamity."
"In any case, we've narrowly escaped with our lives, and were fortunate enough to witness a clash between top-tier powerhouses."
"I feel my magic can advance further."
Rogier's tone was excited.
At his level, observing the power of top-tier sorcerers was more inspiring, and ideas flowed like a spring.
"The Cursemark of Death you've been investigating, has it yielded results?" The All-Knowing asked, "It should be in Frieren's hands now; she has formally allied with Ranni, and is the current wielder of the Dark Moon Greatsword."
The blue-haired witch waved her hand, and the Glintstone Barrier dissolved into countless scattered specks of starlight, flying into the sky and vanishing, like a galaxy.
In the distance, the celebration teams marvelled, picking up their pace.
"I thought you would maintain it a bit longer."
"Out with the old, in with the new. I think it's good to let Caria Manor open up now; it should radiate a different kind of splendor. This barrier was simply too dilapidated. Don't you dislike decay? Frieren, we can create new barriers together."
"Alright."
"These are books about Carian Barrier Arts; you should like them."
Frieren, upon receiving the magic books, immediately began reading, oblivious to her surroundings. Interacting with pure-minded individuals was convenient once their mode of interaction was understood.
With the barrier no longer a hindrance, the workers' speed increased.
They began employing numerous magical methods to boost efficiency; magic in architectural aspects was particularly advanced in The Lands Between, otherwise, so many magnificent structures wouldn't exist. Additionally, large numbers of Trolls and Misbegotten participated.
It took on a brand new look.
"So fast!"
Moreover, Ranni already understood this area, and under her command, efficiency doubled, yielding immediate results.
"At that time, you were still underground after all, so you couldn't see clearly."
"On the way back to the Roundtable, I got a general idea. After all, Master Haight was particularly excited, saying that for his vassals to go to Caria Manor was like a bonding ceremony..."
In contrast, Frieren kept poring over the barrier books, gaining much inspiration. It also aligned with her own magic system, perhaps even allowing it to be used for defense in her real-world Elf Village.
"Good idea, I'll try it when I get back."
The two exchanged glances, somewhat amused.
They had strayed far from the topic. Given Frieren's personality, she wasn't someone to ponder "bonding" or "not bonding." Caria Manor and the Church of Vows were diametrically opposed, so this celebration was actually a high-level meeting for the Southern faction, merely a formality. After all, they were now the second most powerful faction after the Royal Capital.
They knew well that the Quasi-King Tarnished was too lazy for grand fanfare; she must have taken advice from someone of sufficient stature.
"Coincidentally," the All-Knowing pulled out an invitation, saying, "My spies received it."
"So your spies have been watched by the Southern Army all along."
"After all, they have to simultaneously contend with the Royal Capital's informants, Bloody Fingers, and apostates. Before that, there were also the Two Fingers' assassins, so I suppose they've been well-trained."
"You had best not try to test Frieren again."
"Of course."
The All-Knowing nodded to Rogier, then handed him the invitation to distribute. As a Tarnished who was rarely so well-liked and could speak with everyone, Rogier was more suitable than himself. The immediate priority was to consolidate intelligence.
The aftershocks brought about by the death of the Two Fingers, the fall of Astel, and the opening of the underground world were enough to make one's head spin.
Compared to other factions, which were stirring with tension, the South was abuzz.
Fort Haight.
A procession carrying various treasure chests slowly set off.
Haight, commanding nearby, kept waving, repeating only one phrase: "More, more, the more treasure chests the better..."
"My Lord," "why must the gifts be spread out into different treasure chests? Wouldn't giving them to Her Majesty make her think us stingy? Only one type of gift in each box?"
"Fool," he said with a laugh to his vassal, "What do you know? Her Majesty loves opening treasure chests."
"Oh?"
"Everyone in The Lands Between knows that the Soul Cinder King is a collector, but few realize that she actually values the experience of opening treasure chests more than the treasures inside. After all, at Her Majesty's standing, she's long past lacking strange and exotic collectibles."
Everyone nodded, deeply convinced.
Truly worthy of being the veteran who first conquered the four corners with Frieren; he understood her perfectly.
Just as Haight was feeling pleased, he spotted an old acquaintance: Edgar, returning from the direction of Weeping Peninsula, bringing Irina.
"How rare, to see you travel so far with your daughter."
"My Lord, greetings."
The bandaged-eyed maiden curtsied and politely greeted her father's colleague.
After all, the development of real-world barriers was not yet sufficient, especially dependent on talent; a genius like Flamme, unparalleled in generations, was even rarer. When her students taught her, their teacher, she still didn't quite understand, so she decided to try other systems, since they all belonged to the Glintstone lineage.
She mused over the principles described, perhaps other things could be used:
Gravity?
Thanks to Astel demonstrating various advanced techniques, she had plenty to practice and could attempt to deduce higher forms of Gravity Magic.
"Her Majesty specifically mentioned it, saying the incident in the Frenzied Flame Village gave her inspiration: those who targeted Irina were Frenzied Flame zealots, and her eye condition was closely related to that power."
"This is serious; those guys are pure madmen."
Even the usually relaxed Haight frowned deeply.
"I told her the same, but Her Majesty said not to worry, that she would suppress the Frenzied Flame. She told me to take Irina along; perhaps we can use the insights from Frenzied Flame power to heal her. I thought about it, and it's better than her remaining disabled."
"Yes, I also wish to see the world gradually restored by Lady Frieren, as my father speaks of."
"That's good. I estimate that in Her Majesty's eyes, the Frenzied Flame is just a power; the Three Fingers aren't powerful enough to control everyone who possesses it, otherwise chaos would have already ensued."
"So, even that kind of thing, I believe, can be contained."
Edgar's expression was serious.
Knowing the hidden manipulator, he was infuriated, but since Frieren had the ability to heal, then it was fine.
No one would doubt the professional skill of The Lands Between's foremost healing magic user.
"It's on the way, let's go together."
The group rode quickly towards Liurnia, a procession gathering nobles from Limgrave to Weeping Peninsula; anyone who could spare the time made sure to attend.
Farther away, the Caelid region also dispatched representatives, making their way under Jerren's leadership.
Although a considerable portion of forces had voluntarily diverted to Liurnia, those lurking in the shadows focused on building strength rather than seizing the opportunity for a sneak attack.
They underestimated that Frieren could teleport via Sites of Grace.
Don't act rashly.
If they were to act impulsively, the Soul Cinder King, still eager for more after defeating Astel, might personally intervene. That individual would be delighted to use a cannon to swat a fly and wouldn't mind any opportunity to clear out enemies. It's safer to stay put for now.
Although the main battles of this event focused on Ranni against the Two Fingers, and Frieren against Astel, their scale was sufficient to be called a war.
The actions of a Demigod signify war.
Awed by the results of the Third Liurnian Great War, all was silent. The gaze of all informants turned towards Caria Manor.
The next morning.
Artisans were busily repairing the ruins.
After several days of urgent repairs, an area suitable for a meeting venue had finally been erected.
Light piercing through the sky illuminated the massive Glintstone vein, reflecting a faint blue glow, and even intensifying the magical aura.
Frieren merely touched it, and energy from the Glintstone surged skyward. Any barriers it touched automatically dissolved and receded slightly. The defensive enchantments that had protected it for years could finally rest, temporarily deactivated.
Caria Manor's defensive barrier was a massive undertaking, and deactivating it was quite troublesome.
Nearby, Ranni, acting as the main controller, allowed more enchantments to subside.
"Thank goodness for your help; otherwise, it would have taken me a very long time alone. I estimate things wouldn't have been ready even by the time everyone arrived."
...as if responding to that surging emotion, it was truly rare, indeed stirred by the major events.
"Just as well, I'll study the barriers."
"You truly don't miss any opportunity to research. If you weren't a monarch, you'd probably be better suited as a magic professor at Raya Lucaria."
Royal power and dominion were never her pursuit; most of the time, her demeanor was that of a leisurely scholar.
That's fine too.
In Ranni's view, this was pure, unlike her father Radagon's mysterious and elusive royal path, or her mother Rennala's sorrow from being hurt by love... Compared to them, Frieren was much more stable.
She didn't arrive at this point because of some king's mission.
Her initial ideal was very simple: she couldn't stand the desolation of The Lands Between.
Even when she first arrived, she was already researching how to heal the living corpses, and the more she restored, the more people gathered around her, until today.
Snap!
Suddenly, the sound of the barrier breaking interrupted Ranni's thoughts. Following the sound, she saw some enchantments completely extinguish.
"Strange, weren't we deactivating them systematically?"
Frieren cast a questioning gaze.
"...I think I understand now," it was already in disrepair and barely holding on. Now, with its deactivation, it simply couldn't endure.
As Frieren pondered, she felt a powerful pressure.
It was already dead, yet its magic was still so overwhelming.
Moongrum quickly walked over, pointing to the massive Astel's corpse tied with ropes onto a huge cart, and reported: "Your Majesty, the preliminary specimen preparation is complete. However, the original plan to use Flying Dragons to transport it to Stormveil Castle won't work; they are too afraid of Astel's power."
"Flying Dragons are a bunch of useless creatures! Leave it to us, we'll certainly get Your Majesty's matter handled."
The speaker was the dust-covered Earth Dragon unit that had just arrived. Among them were large Earth Dragons of various sizes, some even exceeding 10 meters in length, easily large enough to pull away the corpse.
Most importantly, they showed no fear of the pressure.
Leading them was Fenrir, the captain of the Earth Dragons. Seeing this, Frieren seriously asked:
"Are you sure?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Our souls have received your Grace; we are not comparable to those cowardly Flying Dragons. Can a dead Astel still scare the living?"
"Now it seems perhaps placing the remains in Stormveil Castle, which has the most Sites of Grace, is the most suitable choice."
Frieren said as she continued reading her book.
The Soul Cinder King, who held the will of the heavens, gave the command, and the inevitably showy and flamboyant transport mission was handed over to the Limgrave frontal army.
The triumphant Fenrir gave Moongrum a subtle glance.
The Knight Commander replied: "However, the Two Fingers must remain at the Magic Academy. Her Majesty had previously instructed that the remains of divine proxies must be carefully preserved for study."
"That's exactly what should be done!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice, but with an unfamiliar tone, echoed:
"Every region conquered by Mother should have a specimen of a formidable enemy's corpse. In the future, the Royal Capital will have Godfrey, so Caelid still needs one. Who would be a good choice? I never thought of that, so it seems you are the most dilapidated..."
The appearance of the Mimic Tear shocked everyone. She was pointing at the newly arrived Jerren, Haight, and Edgar, among others.
Her words were no longer important; the key was, what was this outsider? She looked exactly like Her Majesty, seemingly some kind of Tear lifeform.
So strong!
Compared to the usually reserved Frieren, this one was utterly overflowing with wild power. Immeasurable magic surged forth, distorting the surrounding landscape. That aura of Night, distinct from the Soul Cinder King, was a different kind of immense power.
How could such a master have been completely undetectable just moments ago?
Her gaze swept over everyone, finally lingering only on the Farron Undead Legion.
The seasoned warriors, forged through countless trials, responded to the new ally's pressure with fierce defiance. As expected, following the Ashen One meant no shortage of various formidable enemies to test their mettle, and now there was another good opponent.
So, who are you?
Everyone's gaze fell upon Frieren, desperately needing an answer:
"One reason I gathered you all here is to introduce her—a special Mimic Tear from the Eternal City's King-making project."
"But they only succeeded halfway; it was my power that completed the Mimic Tear, so her calling me Mother is not an exaggeration."
"In my eyes, she is like my other self."
Frieren's words were undeniably monumental news, directly announcing a new Demigod.
Furthermore, her origins were pure and trustworthy. Acknowledging her as her other self was, understandably, an endorsement of power and status, granting her the authority to act as the current most powerful entity in The Lands Between.
The Golden Order's decrees did not extend beyond the city walls; the Soul Cinder King reigned over the Southern Three Lands.
She could be considered an heir apparent, not to be underestimated.
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Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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I'm counting on your support <3 the director was very sad and scared by what happened...
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