Ranni's Rise.
In the attic, the blue-haired doll-like girl sat on a chair, listening to Blaidd's detailed report.
The topic was the combat festival. According to his observations, there weren't many formidable contenders this year; the hope of defeating General Radahn was slim.
It wasn't that they expected them to actually kill the strongest demigod – currently, in all the Lands Between, perhaps only Frieren possessed that ability. However, the other teammates couldn't even qualify as cannon fodder. One more person helping meant a greater chance of success.
After all, allowing an ally to suffer permanent injury was not in their best interest.
"...In conclusion, this year's combat festival won't be enough to defeat Radahn."
Blaidd shook his head regretfully but then quickly added,
"Mainly because the south was previously engaged in the War of the Shards. The chaos caused many to not arrive on schedule. I hear that next time, experts like Great Horned Tragoth and Iron Fist Alexander might participate."
He believed that as the south began to recover under Frieren's rule, even more formidable experts would emerge in the future, thus increasing their chances of victory in the next combat festival.
Ranni nodded.
Her witch's hat, pulled low, concealed her pretty face, making her expression unreadable. Only her deep voice could be heard:
"My brother's release will still take time. I'm not even sure if doing this is right; I can only wait and see... There is good news from Liurnia, though. You should know it has stabilized."
"Yes, I didn't expect Her Majesty the Queen to lose to Frieren."
As they were talking, a projection appeared in the room. It was none other than War Counselor Iji. Due to his large size, he could only report in this manner for now:
"Your Highness, Blaidd, the latest news is that the Raya Lucaria Academy held a full assembly. The nobles and sorcerers have clearly pledged their full support to the Lady of Soul Cinders. Moreover, their policy is to first occupy the Royal Capital, then gradually recover all territories, and only then consider the Elden Ring."
Clever!
A clear-headed successor queen would surely guess that Leyndell held numerous traps. Rather than rushing in recklessly, the key was to control the Lands Between.
The great power of soul sorcery was known to all; it could also slowly mend things.
Everyone had suffered from the disaster of the Shattering for many years anyway, so there was no rush.
Ranni murmured,
"Spreading the news so quickly must be intentional, right? She's sending a signal to the whole world, telling those lurking in the shadows not to be too arrogant, not to think she's unaware of their existence."
Blaidd concurred,
"The Two Fingers' assassins have been quiet lately. They must be wary of the new monarch's power."
Although Frieren hadn't made an enemy of them, and even as a Tarnished had a natural connection to the Roundtable and the Two Fingers, the Empyrean and the Two Fingers had to be cautious.
Offending her would not be easy to handle.
"In such a short time, she has brought me so many surprises, even subduing the Liurnian nobles. In the eyes of Moongrum and the others, I have probably already thoroughly allied with the Lady of Soul Cinders. The Carian Royal Family's resurgence can finally be brought to the table for a wager."
"Haven't the two Majesties already formed an alliance?"
Hearing this, Blaidd and Iji looked at each other. With such synchronized understanding between them, no one would believe they weren't planning to rule the world together as a new god-and-king duo.
At this point, Ranni could only acknowledge it first, because a specific clarification would only seem more foolish.
"In that case, cooperate with Frieren's plans. Let my homeland, this beautiful land of lakes, flourish."
After speaking, she fell back into her slumber. Her two subordinates bowed and departed.
Previously, when trading with Dark Moon sorcery, Ranni had obtained the secrets of soul sorcery, and even experience with the related system. If she could master it further during her meditative slumber, she wouldn't need to hibernate so often and could wield even more power.
Meanwhile, at the Converted Tower.
This structure was located midway on the path from the Academy to the Albinauric Village. Since it wasn't far, Frieren decided to take a detour and explore it, easily undoing the seal.
Similar ruins dotted the Lands Between; careful searching always yielded rewards. Like now:
"It's a treasure chest!"
The sharp-eyed, silver-haired girl immediately walked over, enjoying the process of prying it open. A treasure sealed for many years could finally be revealed. It was a wisp of magical record: [Cannon of Haima].
[One of the Glintstone sorceries of the Academy of Raya Lucaria]
[Can fire a magic cannonball that flies in a parabola. Power can be increased by charging.]
[Sorcery taught in the Haima classroom, which serves as the Academy's arbiter of good and evil.]
[A sorcery that exists to quell conflict.]
The description suited Frieren's style: a Glintstone sorcery that unleashed a large burst of energy, capable of even piercing cover.
Unfortunately, when she actually tried it, she found the effect to be mediocre. It lacked any special mechanics, and in terms of raw power, she was stronger. Besides, she had already mastered such ordinary variations of sorcery.
She decided to keep it as a collectible.
Melina comforted her,
"At your level, it's already difficult for any magic in the Lands Between to satisfy you. However, you've mainly encountered Carian and Glintstone sorceries so far. Perhaps things from other systems will offer you something new. Except for the Frenzied Flame."
At the end, she didn't forget to add a reminder in her usual style, as Tarnished were like overgrown children, always rummaging through chests and cupboards – don't touch anything unclean.
"Rest assured, I know my limits. The magic I can encounter in the southern Lands Between should be nearing its peak. The rest should mainly be in the central Altus Plateau. We'll know when we get there."
"Your unyielding and consistent perseverance is truly rare."
"Haven't you waited thousands of years for a Tarnished? In this, we are very much alike."
"Indeed, we are."
"Before I arrived, were there no other Tarnished who sought an audience with the Elden Ring? Or at least entered the Royal Capital?"
"The standards were different. Previously, 'Tarnished of royal Grace' was more like a title, with no strict requirements. After certain events, the Two Fingers sealed the gates of Leyndell and proclaimed to the world that at least two Great Runes were needed to unseal them. This became the standard for Tarnished in the new era. For example, you, Frieren, count as one now."
With that, a reminiscent look appeared on Melina's face.
She wasn't sure if she should give an example, as it would inevitably lead to some associations, but with her partner's current power, she would find out the information sooner or later.
"If I had to say, during this period, a Tarnished named Vyke came closest to the Elden Ring. But later, he was tainted by the Frenzied Flame and went mad, then disappeared without a trace. It's been many years..."
Riding Torrent, they journeyed towards the Albinauric Village, reminiscing about the past.
Sitting behind, Melina couldn't see Frieren's expression, but she wasn't foolish and eventually asked:
"When Vyke went mad, was his Finger Maiden still alive?"
"I thought you would ask why he was granted the Frenzied Flame."
"Such a powerful Tarnished must have had reasons for his actions. Even if he went mad, for him, it might not have been the worst outcome in his calculations."
"Unfortunately, no one knows what exactly happened to Vyke's Finger Maiden at that time... It was probably some kind of conspiracy."
"There's the scent of blood!"
Suddenly, Frieren turned her head and made a hushing gesture, her gaze firmly locked ahead. The water around the Albinauric Village had changed color.
Anyone not blind could see that something had happened to the Albinauric Village. Combined with the earlier intelligence about assassin activity, the situation was likely dire.
Frieren recalled her spectral steed.
She made no move to startle the enemy, instead observing her surroundings first.
The village, nestled in a large depression in the mountainside, was well hidden. Houses were built on rock cliffs, connected by numerous vine and wooden plank bridges; even internal transportation was difficult. Moreover, the lighting was dim, giving it an impoverished look. How could it have been targeted?
"There must be a very important reason."
The silver-haired girl cautiously headed towards a hazy stone bridge not far away. After a few steps, she discovered numerous wooden stakes erected on the ground, with the corpses of Albinaurics hanging from them.
A considerable number of them looked no different from normal humans, yet they had suffered torments like disembowelment.
This was an atrocity.
Even in the Lands Between, where morality wasn't strong, it was condemnable. Everyone at least knew that doing so was wrong. It probably stemmed from the deliberate indulgence of the mastermind to destroy the village.
"The scent of blood is fresh, and the corpses aren't heavily decomposed."
She bent down to examine the bloodstains on the ground.
"It hasn't even had time to seep into the soil."
"The massacre happened during the Second Liurnian War."
The planner had specifically chosen a good time; otherwise, Frieren, having consolidated her power over the lake region, would likely have been a hindrance. There must have also been an urgent reason. With news of the victory at the Church of Vows spreading, the spies had no time for a thorough investigation.
So, they transformed into assassins on the spot to silence them, their methods ruthless, casting a bloody shadow over the lake region.
What a pity.
One more living person meant one more laborer.
Moreover, the people of Albinauric Village showed only slight signs of turning into Living Dead, having survived the calamity of the Shattering for so many years, yet they ultimately suffered heavy losses.
Frieren stood up and continued to inspect the surroundings, hoping for survivors. Although she knew the perpetrators were highly professional, they might have made mistakes in their haste, as the traces indicated their hurry.
If they had had enough time, they wouldn't have made such a low-level mistake as letting the scent of blood spread.
It was more like they received some news and evacuated in a hurry... You did the right thing. Causing such a mess in my territory, if I had seen you, you would have definitely met a terrible end.
Melina voluntarily appeared and said,
"Rumor has it that the Albinauric Village once held a secret treasure, one that could lead to the distant frozen shores beyond the Lands Between. Whether it's true or not, it might attract covetous eyes."
"Assuming the spies were ordered by Sir Gideon Ofnir, he should have been to all parts of the Lands Between, and even met the Demigod of Rot..."
"No, it's possible someone brought the sorcery to him. According to that fellow's words, wasn't it possible he had connections with a certain Lord of Cinder? Frieren, you brought change."
"And it might not be a Lord of Cinder; there could be other monsters. For example, creatures of the Abyss that have already shown their power. With a little research, they might even be controllable. In terms of methods, this Roundtable veteran shouldn't be lacking. No wonder he could obtain the Scarlet Aeonia sorcery."
Even so, he still wanted to grasp the method to reach the legendary land, plotting in the shadows.
The reason Frieren became increasingly certain was that fragmented information from player advice corroborated her suspicions. Anyway, Sir Gideon Ofnir couldn't absolve himself of responsibility; he was indeed up to no good behind the scenes.
Someone was there!
Her constantly maintained mana perception detected a familiar face.
She strode forward and found Nepheli Loux crouching on the ground, dejected. Nepheli also noticed the unexpected visitor.
Their eyes met, and everything was understood without words.
Clearly, this righteous Tarnished was not the murderer, but she definitely knew something. And she had probably guessed that Frieren was patrolling her territory; based on Frieren's deeds, it wasn't hard to guess her course of action.
"...What do you think of this tragic scene?"
"It's a great pity. They lived in seclusion for so long, hoping to welcome a better Liurnia, yet they fell before the dawn. There is no greater tragedy than this."
"I saw the same scene when I was a child. The weak being ravaged, plundered, killed... It was a living hell. I am no longer the young child I was then. Let's take revenge. Let those people know they will pay the price."
Nepheli pointed to a brazier altar not far away, where an evil aura lingered.
There were still culprits.
Since Frieren had already discovered them, they couldn't escape. She was more curious about something else:
"Do you know who's behind this? Forgive my bluntness, but it's highly likely Sir Gideon Ofnir."
"I have my suspicions, but I can't be sure. My adoptive father always told me he was dedicated to rebuilding the Lands Between, not destroying it."
"It's enough that you have your own thoughts. The rest is your private matter."
"Right, let's not worry about that for now..."
With that, Nepheli stood up and tightened her grip on her battle-axe, though her movements were somewhat stiff, and her eyes flickered. She was lost now, unsure how to face her adoptive father. He actually had another side?
She knew the traces of spies all too well. Who was this person who had adopted her and constantly spoke of caring for the common people?
"Fighting in this state?"
Frieren glanced at the Omenkiller in the distance.
"He'll catch your weakness, even if I help."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't feel sorry, Nepheli. Don't let your thoughts affect your strength. You are an excellent warrior. You survived the demigod battlefield and participated in the Limgrave War with me. Prove that you can continue to be competent. Can you?"
Nepheli nodded resolutely, her gaze like a torch.
Although she wished she could question her adoptive father right now, the battle at hand was more important.
Past trials had armed her. After being brought to the demigod stage by Frieren, she had become stronger. A warrior should first possess spirit and must be free from distractions.
"Let's start with a greeting."
A comet shot towards the Omenkiller.
He reacted immediately, rolling away in a sorry state, yet still saw the Glintstone explode with a roar. Unexpectedly, it dealt no damage, only covering him in dust. Who would launch such an insulting sneak attack?
This level of power was enough to severely injure him, yet it was deliberately restrained, as if the fight was being specifically reserved for someone else...
What came into view was a long-eared girl with silver twin-tails, wearing a crown and a Flower of Aeonia, dressed in a sorcerer's robe. A red cape was draped over her left shoulder, and in her right hand, an unadorned Demi-Human Queen's Staff glowed with a purple magical light.
The female warrior with the battle-axe beside her was not worth mentioning; the girl herself was terrifying enough. Why would a mighty Shardbearing Lord come to the Albinauric Village!
Gravity Well!
The next moment, the Omenkiller saw a purple sphere of light released from the tip of the staff, forcibly pulling him into the air. He fell uncontrollably towards the enemy, given no chance to escape.
With a thud, he landed in the blood-soaked mud, then quickly rolled over and stood up, his two large hammers ready.
"Even if you are a demigod, don't push your luck!"
However, the silver-haired girl, looking uninterested, withdrew her magic and handed the fight over to the eager warrior beside her.
_______
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