Volcano Frontline Outpost.
Days of continuous battle had left even Morgott with a trace of fatigue, especially since he was operating as a projection. Although Margit, the Fell Omen, was powerful, facing off against ever-evolving, disgusting enemies like fire slimes and basilisks was exhausting. He had to guard against their sudden attacks constantly. A demigod was not omnipotent; he had to rely on his army to stabilize the front lines.
Fortunately, things had finally quieted down.
For some reason, the offensive from Volcano Manor had gradually slowed, seeming to have retreated to continue their research. Whatever the case, his side could finally catch its breath and prepare to withdraw the main forces to defend the capital once more.
"Report."
A messenger delivered a letter. A single glance at the seal told Morgott it was from the Caelid frontline, and there was more than one.
"Due to the intensity of the battle, there were intelligence delays. The letters have piled up..."
"It's alright. It's a great effort just to get them here."
At the very least, he knew that a great battle had erupted involving three top-tier demigods—Mohg, Radahn, and Frieren—with a combined force of probably 50,000 elite troops. It was hard to imagine how terrible it must have been. The landscape would be shattered, the sun and moon dimmed. The disastrous aftershocks alone would be enough to cause widespread devastation.
Even during the defense of Leyndell in the past, a scene of three demigods fighting each other at the same time had never occurred.
What would be the outcome?
Morgott read the letters with a sense of unease, his brow furrowing and his breath catching from time to time. He had rarely read such an unorthodox battle report; it was full of twists and turns, a testament to the ferocity of the war.
He then silently passed the letters to his officers for them to read.
"What! It was a battle of four demigods?"
"I haven't even read it closely yet. Was Caelid destroyed? The Wailing Dunes must have sunk."
"Ah?"
"No wonder the Princess of the Moon didn't appear when we almost broke through the Grand Lift. She was in Caelid the whole time."
"Wait, so the God and King, two Great Runes, have they all been gathered?"
A hush fell at these words. The men looked at each other. Strictly speaking, it should be three Great Runes under Frieren's control, but there was no need to correct it. A queen-in-waiting had appeared.
The Tarnished closest to the Elden Ring had emerged, and her achievements were built on a path of battle, genuine and indisputable. She had always acted openly, her movements never hidden, clear and traceable. In just a short decade, she had gone from a newcomer to a prospective monarch. Her prestige, military strength, territory, and character were all first-class, and they were all concentrated in one person.
She was worthy of being queen.
As a challenger, she was the most severe test Leyndell, the Royal Capital, had faced since its founding, perhaps even greater than the ancient dragon siege.
No one doubted Frieren could breach the first city wall.
The great ancient dragon Gransax had done it in the past; the world's strongest sorcerer could too. However, there was no great prince Godwyn the Golden or the Royal Capital army at its peak to stop her now. Times had changed.
Having learned her lesson, she would not charge in alone so easily, while the defending side had been in decline for many years.
This was bad.
The officers' gazes all turned to Morgott, who rose abruptly.
"There's no need to hesitate. Retreat. Forget Volcano Manor. Adjust our strategy, shrink the front lines, and focus our defenses on the outskirts of Leyndell. The third defense of the capital is inevitable."
His unwavering attitude infected everyone, but the weariness on their faces deepened, their eyes clouding over.
Fighting a third time was sheer torture.
Most of the men present had defended the walls of Leyndell twice and knew better than anyone the price they had paid. In the eyes of the common people of the Lands Between, the fortress stood tall against the storm, but only they knew how much of the Golden Dynasty's lifespan had been overdrawn.
After the Shattering, it already had one foot in the grave. Was Frieren going to bury it completely this time?
Thump!
Morgott struck the ground with his staff, the sound making everyone instinctively stand straighter. The Fell Omen's sharp gaze swept across their faces.
"Negativity is not an option. Remember, you are to set an example."
"Also, you should all remember the projection of the First King Godfrey left before the Queen's Bedchamber, correct?" His voice grew even more solemn. "I will... I will request the Grace-Given King to contact His Majesty through that projection. Since the situation is critical, it is time for him to return."
"But returning from beyond the Lands Between will certainly take time, possibly years, so you must hold on. Do you all understand now?"
"Yes, sir!"
As for Queen Marika's banishment, that would be set aside. She was missing anyway, and besides, the Golden Dynasty was in a state of emergency.
The thought of the Highland War King's impending return gave them a sense of reassurance.
Morgott, however, felt uneasy. Who knew if that former husband and wife had other plans? Regardless, the storm Frieren had stirred up was real, and all parties would react.
He hoped he had not made the wrong choice in this defense.
Furthermore, his greatest worry was the condition of his dear brother, Mohg. He didn't know how much damage the loss of his projection had caused. And that Miquella... he was likely no easy foe.
...
Roundtable Hold office.
Sir Gideon Ofnir looked up from the candlelight on his desk. The clamor outside inevitably interrupted his thoughts.
It was a banquet celebrating Frieren's victory in the combat festival. Cheers rang out frequently, and laughter was endless, once again breaking the silence of the Great Bestowal. The person at the center of it all was the same, yet she had achieved a different great deed.
The thought that this colleague was just a step away from kingship made his heart tighten.
"Should I go and ask them to be quiet?" Ensha asked tentatively, only to be met with a look from Gideon as if he were looking at a fool.
"Don't be a spoilsport. Besides, you've already displeased her by showing hostility to Frieren before. That person doesn't have strong emotions, but someone else might get drunk and beat you up."
"That seems to be true."
The impression the Lord of Cinder usually gave was that of a reclusive research fanatic who didn't care about the outside world, like those who were still making a fuss about the characteristics of demi-human hybrids. But that didn't mean her subordinates didn't care. Disrespecting their lord was an insult to them.
"And I quite like this atmosphere. It was this lively in the early days of the Roundtable's founding..."
Ensha stared, slightly stunned, at the melancholic Gideon.
Could this person show genuine emotion?
Little did he know, Gideon had always believed the first generation of the Roundtable group was the best, and it had produced near-monarch level individuals. It was just that Frieren had taken the title of Tarnished to a new height, as if the boundaries of the old era were gradually becoming clear.
"Forget it. It's not right for me, as the leader of the Roundtable, to be sulking in here. I'll go and see her."
Leaning on his staff, he slowly stood up. His posture was slightly stooped, but the magical aura he exuded was extraordinary, capturing everyone's attention as soon as he appeared.
It was very lively.
At the head of the Roundtable was Frieren, sitting with her legs together, her hands on her knees, letting Roderika, who was beside her, place a flower-wreathed version of the little red hood on her head.
"You like flowers, don't you? So I made this gift."
"Thank you. It's a fine addition to my clothing collection."
"Isn't the answer 'I like it'?"
"For a collector, that's probably the highest praise. Your masterpiece is excellent, Miss Roderika."
"It's rare for you to join us, Ofnir. I have something to ask you."
"I will tell you all I know," Sir Gideon declared righteously.
Frieren gave a faint smile, taking his words with a grain of salt. You'd have to be a fool to believe him. However, her original intention was to share information anyway, hoping the Tarnished's intelligence network would have some clues.
"Actually, before Radahn died, he told me that the past of the Golden Dynasty is hidden in the land shrouded by the Scadutree..."
She described the scene at that time.
She didn't forget to mention the information she had gathered so far. Ever since learning the keyword, she had mobilized the libraries of Stormveil and the Magic Academy to search exhaustively, but had found nothing.
"A large portion of history has been erased and covered up, beginning with how Marika became a god and ending on the eve of the twilight of the Age of Plenty."
"What happened during that time? I believe it concerns the most fundamental secret."
Frieren's intelligence plunged the Roundtable Hold into a dead silence. Everyone was savoring it, utterly shocked. So there was a hidden continent in the Lands Between, one that had not been exposed for five thousand years. How many secrets did it hold? And she had mentioned a key point:
Plenty.
That was an age no one didn't miss. Could investigating the Realm of Shadow bring about the return of the Age of Plenty?
"...I don't know much."
Sir Gideon continued, "But there was once a crusade that went to an unknown land. The composition of this army was complex, with many knights of Leyndell and Carian knights, all of whom received a considerable blessing. Who were their enemies? Who was worthy of such a force?"
"However, no one knows the outcome of the crusade. There was no news, and it simply ended with the end of the Age of Plenty."
"There was once a saying in the Lands Between: it was the blasphemous serpent that ended the Age of Plenty. It seems to point to the leader of that crusade."
"I don't know any more detailed information."
He stopped abruptly.
He looked directly at Frieren's slightly questioning gaze, his expression righteous. The information has been given. How you judge it is your duty as a monarch. Figure it out yourself.
Little did he know, the silver-haired girl tilted her head and looked at the empty air.
"This fellow isn't lying. There was indeed such a saying in the Lands Between before. But it was fleeting, and even the rumor disappeared quickly. I became active after the Shattering and only heard snippets of legends, so I don't know any more than he does."
Melina shook her head regretfully. She had lived through those more distant times but had not seen them.
"But one thing is certain: the crusade was formed after Radagon and Rennala's marriage and before the Night of the Black Knives."
Frieren's deduction was affirmed by everyone.
Rogier added, "I believe the army was led by a demigod."
"Why?"
"Lord Ofnir just mentioned the army's composition. The knights of Leyndell they served would have to have at least a bloodline of the Golden lineage or have been officially enfeoffed. So, also a demigod? Furthermore, it was likely one of Marika's children, since she was the one who appointed them."
However, D shook his head. "How could a demigod suddenly appear? And be hidden even deeper than the Realm of Shadow, with not a single clue to this day."
"No, I agree that it was a demigod, and one who might be older than most demigods, perhaps even the firstborn."
This time, it was Gideon's turn to ask doubtfully, "What is your basis?"
"I once saw a great god-king meet a rebellious firstborn son, then hide his deeds."
"Although I am interested in your story, that doesn't count as evidence."
"What about the Lord of Blood? Ranni told me that fellow has a blood connection to Marika. If you look closely, she has one too. Isn't that strange? So this woman has had many children. The Lord of Blood and the Grace-Given King are not recorded, so why not the leader of the crusade? Marika likes to set up hidden pieces like this."
Could he really say that?
Truly the number one rebellious monarch in history.
Even Rykard, whose blasphemy extended to openly rebelling against the Golden Order, could not match the influence of the Lord of Cinder, who had integrated three lands and prepared for war. In terms of scale, she was half a Golden Dynasty.
"Let's go to the underground world to find clues. The history there is older than most of the surface," Gideon suggested.
"I think so too. In any case, I hope everyone can help me keep an eye out for relevant information."
"Understood."
Although she hadn't gained much information, Frieren had heard various deductions from the brainstorming session, which was better than one or two people thinking in silence.
Besides, she noticed that Gideon definitely knew something, but because so much time had passed, his intelligence on the Realm of Shadow was outdated. So he didn't mind someone else investigating for him, which made his attitude a bit more positive.
The two then chatted about Miquella's whereabouts, deducing that Mohg had abducted the demigod during the bloody conspiracy.
In reality, it was mainly Frieren prying for information.
She assumed Gideon knew, as he was well-regarded in player recommendations, with some even calling him the "Know-it-all King of the Lands Between." He really did know.
Since all the Tarnished were brainstorming and deducing, he had to divulge some information. With the additions from Rogier, D, Corhyn, and Fia, who had been investigating all along, they gradually pieced together a more complete puzzle.
However, the overall atmosphere was relaxed; they were just chatting and analyzing.
The main topic of conversation was the "Great Caelid War," and they had Frieren tell the story from beginning to end. It was captivating; there was no perspective more comprehensive than that of the person herself.
They exclaimed in amazement frequently.
Indeed, the hardships of the Caelid war were extraordinary, especially the attack of the Goddess of Rot, which was a nerve-wracking experience.
Fortunately, she had passed through it without any real danger.
Additionally, Frieren demonstrated her magic for purifying Scarlet Rot on the spot, as well as its transformation into a field of flowers. With the blessing of two Great Runes, she could control the Aeonian Flower headpiece at will.
"So I will first travel throughout Caelid to purify the pollution. As for the rot creatures, that will have to be done slowly. You are all welcome to hunt them down. The rewards will be good."
"So you're here to recruit?" Nepheli laughed heartily. "I would have gone even if you hadn't asked."
"Not only Those Who Live in Death, but the rot should also be cleaned up," D praised sincerely.
"Thank you."
Rogier replied, "Don't mention it. This is what we at the Roundtable Hold should do. We are all united in our commitment to saving the disasters after the Shattering. I fully support it."
His idealistic views were no longer common, but seeing Frieren put them into practice made them feel reliable.
In any case, there were still orthodox Tarnished like them working hard. In contrast, Gideon, as a veteran, had long since retired to the background. This scene moved even him; it was truly like the Roundtable of old.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just people who couldn't go back to the past; the world's disaster was irreversible.
Even Frieren had not touched the essence of it...
Suddenly, he noticed the silver-haired girl cast a meaningful glance his way.
"What is it?"
"Ofnir, your Scarlet Rot incantations were a great help to me. If you have any more like them, I would be happy to trade for them."
"Mm, I'll keep an eye out for you."
Gideon sometimes felt that Frieren was a very thoughtful, sage-like type, but as soon as she opened her mouth, the fact that her head was full of magic books was exposed, making her even harder to read.
_____
🔥 PATREON FLASH SALE: 30% OFF! 🔥
Yoo-hoo! ✨ Director Walnut here with a killer deal for you!
For a limited time only, get 30% OFF on Patreon and secure your early access to all content!
What's more, by joining now you'll help us smash our community goal! We're just 14 members away from unlocking 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for everybody!
Be the hero who gets us there! Subscribe with 30% off today!
👻 Join the fun at: patreon.com/Walnutchan