The current situation was indeed more complex than what previous Tarnished had faced. Melina, listening intently to the entire throne room conversation, couldn't help but nod.
The soul magic had effectively diluted the disaster brought by the Shattering; the transformation into Living Corpses was the most severe consequence.
As for Scarlet Rot, the Frenzied Flame, Those Who Live in Death, and the like, they were certainly troublesome, but didn't the Lands Between have these before? They were suppressed all the same.
What truly dealt a heavy blow was the collapse of the Erdtree return system, which consequently led to the prevalence of the Living Corpse transformation, turning a large portion of the population into monsters. Otherwise, the Golden Lineage would have remained in a dominant, unshakeable position.
Now that Frieren could heal the Living Corpses, it was like removing one major side effect. And Melina's stance only required a Lord to reshape the world.
She wouldn't interfere with the specific laws implemented, as long as they weren't evil. Therefore, becoming Lord couldn't be delayed, but mending the Elden Ring wasn't urgent.
Kenneth Haight slapped his thigh in agreement. "Yes! Her Majesty is right! Since there's a way to resolve the Living Corpse transformation, the greatest catastrophe after the Shattering, then repairing the Elden Ring isn't that urgent."
He quickly added, "However, we still wish to see Lady Frieren become Elden Lord sooner rather than later. She doesn't need to exert her full power immediately, but she must occupy Leyndell and secure its resources."
The nobles' stance aligned with the Queen's. Even if Frieren wanted to back down now, it wouldn't work; their interests were bound together, and they had no choice but to push her onto the throne. Of course, everyone knew Frieren wasn't the type to shy away. Her track record, spirit, and strength were all at their peak. Considering her current state alone, it was hard to imagine any other demigod being more suitable to become the third monarch of the Erdtree era. The entire southern nobility had only one thought: It has to be you.
They weren't particularly concerned about the fate of the world. Since they were no longer at risk of becoming Living Corpses and were under her protection, repairing the Elden Ring wasn't urgent for them either. It didn't matter. So, to curry favor with the Queen, they immediately expressed their support.
Then Kenneth Haight noticed Edgar, opposite him, shoot him a glare. Edgar then bowed slightly to the silver-haired girl on the throne and offered his counsel: "Your Majesty, traveling the Lands Between to collect things that might help repair the Great Runes is a sound approach.
But the disasters of the Shattering aren't limited to the Living Corpse transformation. For example, Those Who Live in Death and Scarlet Rot also need to be dealt with to prevent further spread..."
Frieren nodded. "Incidentally, I have some research findings regarding Scarlet Rot." She casually plucked the Aeonian Flower from her forehead, laid it on her palm, where it slowly bloomed.
This sight made eyelids twitch uncontrollably; some were even tempted to turn and flee. Are you serious?! We can talk this through! A demonstration is fine too, but don't suddenly make it bloom in the throne room! Everyone knows once it starts blooming, it doesn't stop! Wait?
They watched as Frieren demonstrated the Aeonian Flower blooming and closing three consecutive times right there. She had actually mastered the rot?
"It's useless against living organisms," Frieren explained, "but it can slightly purify the soil. So, curbing the spread of rot in Caelid shouldn't be difficult. Even eradication is just a matter of time."
One surprise after another. What was supposed to be a report from her subordinates to the Queen had turned into a one-sided presentation of research results – and they were demonstrably practical. Everyone instinctively looked towards Sellen, their eyes full of inquiry.
Truthfully, Frieren wasn't a great teacher. Her lecturing skills weren't good; she often skipped large chunks of explanation. Perhaps the other expert could provide an accurate judgment.
"My apprentice," Sellen declared, "based on your current achievements, you're probably the foremost research-type sorcerer in the Lands Between. Each of these results is extraordinary. Theoretically, it should be feasible. At the very least, suppressing the spread shouldn't be a problem. I suggest you experiment on the Kindred of Rot; you might make new discoveries."
Sellen paused, then added, "In that case, don't we have yet another method to deal with a disaster from the Shattering? Then delaying the repair of the Elden Ring cautiously is indeed viable."
Hearing Sellen's approval, everyone felt relieved. Leave the professional matters to the professionals.
Although Sellen bore the title of Witch, interacting with her revealed she was earnest, meticulous, and approachable, and particularly skilled in sorcery. That's good.
"The remaining issue of Those Who Live in Death can only be resolved by going to the source," Frieren concluded. Her statement received nods of agreement from the attendees.
Thinking it over, the established direction of becoming Lord remained unchanged, but how to repair the Elden Ring truly warranted careful consideration – best left for Her Majesty, the one directly involved, to contemplate.
She decided this because she had always been wary of the Elden Ring. It concerned power on a creation level. She already had the Primal Flame, which was troublesome enough; adding another was daunting.
The Mohgwyn Dynasty served as a warning bell: rashly using a Mending Rune and adopting laws without fully understanding the Lands Between was too careless. She wasn't idealistic enough to believe she should benefit all living beings, but she couldn't act without understanding first.
Otherwise, what if mending the Ring happened to align with some enemy's interests and strengthen them? Besides, her goal here was full collection; mending the Ring or not was secondary.
"Though the Elden Ring is shattered, I ask that you become Elden Lord." The maiden she had never met before had guided her thus at the very beginning. And Frieren had already made up her mind.
Sellen suggested, "Then you should at least understand the laws. Seek out the Empyreans. Besides, don't you have connections with the Lunar Princess?"
"Yes." Master and apprentice had a tacit understanding. Both simultaneously thought of the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Investigating towards Liurnia of the Lakes next was definitely the right move. But with many eyes and ears in the throne room, there was no need to elaborate.
Actually, Frieren already had a suspicion. Based on information revealed by Blaidd earlier, Ranni, who had been in hiding, should be in Caria Manor. Exploring there first would suffice.
Afterwards, the meeting moved onto standard procedures, such as the recruitment and training of sorcery apprentices. They might become legion sorcerers in the future; she would need to personally review these recruits and provide some instruction later.
The nobles of the Lands Between were more perceptive than those in reality. In reality, there was a disconnect between those with power and those with noble status, at least among humans.
As for the Lands Between, the two were basically interconnected, and nobles generally fulfilled their roles as agents and dared not overstep.
In reality, the powerful tended towards political maneuvering; if someone used extraordinary power to simply steamroll opposition, they would face condemnation and further ostracization. But in the Lands Between? If Frieren felt a manor lord was incompetent or uncooperative and killed him, she would merely be judged with "Power is precisely the reason for lordship."
People would think she was fulfilling her duty, upholding the timeless legal tradition of the Erdtree and indeed the entire world. That's why the local magnates of Limgrave could seamlessly switch allegiance to the Queen of Soul Cinder, rather than some Grafted King.
The amount of resources and people one could rally highlighted the caliber of different rulers. Undoubtedly, Frieren was top-tier.
Because Kenneth Haight introduced a batch of new faces: "This is the protector of the western Weeping Peninsula, these are descendants of refugees from the Village of the Albinaurics..." During Godrick's era, they had wisely kept a low profile, mostly avoiding worldly affairs. Now, drawn by her reputation, they came to pledge allegiance.
Kenneth Haight stood before the throne, introducing the nobles from various regions. His level of familiarity suggested he had either done his homework thoroughly or had maintained contact from the beginning.
They, in turn, frankly laid out their considerations: "Actually, we kept our distance from Stormveil Castle before simply because we felt Limgrave wasn't changing much. What good would joining do? Better to conserve strength and avoid trouble.
Otherwise, we'd just be following Godrick's orders daily, hunting Tarnished for grafting. But you are different, Your Majesty Frieren. Your endeavors benefit the south and will surely benefit the entire Lands Between. Therefore, we wish to contribute our humble efforts and march to Leyndell together."
The assembled nobles bowed low. The silver-haired girl nodded solemnly. Then she stood up and accepted their pledges of allegiance one by one. It seemed like a reenactment of when she first took Stormveil Castle, but there was a fundamental difference. The first time, it was submission born from absolute military might. This time, it was nobles drawn by her reputation, willing to unite under the new demigod's banner.
With Frieren's years of composure, she wouldn't believe the righteous platitudes coming from their mouths. It could be summed up in one sentence: Following Godrick offered no future, so it was better to conserve strength back then.
Didn't their gamble pay off? Now they were bringing the resources accumulated during Godrick's time to pledge allegiance to Frieren.
No wonder. She had wondered how Stormveil Castle had changed so drastically; the former master's savings weren't enough. It turned out her series of governance measures had awakened the hidden resources of the Limgrave region.
Funneling them all into the capital naturally caused this phenomenon of rapid advancement. So, Stormveil Castle's previous rule over its surroundings was truly weak.
Kenneth Haight said with a beaming smile, "If Your Majesty hadn't taken the initiative to clear out the monster lairs and truly establish stable order, those in remote areas would have found it difficult to even come for an audience. You are the true queen who takes responsibility."
Everyone knew, of course, that Frieren did these things simply because she enjoyed wandering around like an adventurer, but that didn't diminish their gratitude. It was simply mutual benefit.
"Rest assured," Frieren offered, "If you desire stronger soul healing, I can provide that as well."
"Does Your Majesty mean you have even stronger magic up your sleeve?" a noble asked excitedly.
"Yes. I can use a portion of the Great Rune's power to further heal the Living Corpses, even slightly reverse the condition. But you must make correspondingly significant contributions."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of everyone in the throne room burned with fervor. They immediately thought of friends and relatives who might need this safety net. This method of Frieren's was actually inspired by strengthening Flamme previously, sharing a part of her soul to grant protection, which is why she had to limit the numbers. However, if she could obtain the Great Rune of the Full Moon Queen, that would be another matter entirely – a treasure related to the mysteries of life itself.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! We will definitely offer you our greatest support!" the nobles chorused.
After this back-and-forth exchange, relations became much more harmonious. Ultimately, they shared common interests throughout the south. With a baseline established, things became much easier to handle. Besides, Frieren had a stable personality, making her easy to negotiate with, and she wasn't arrogant about her achievements, making communication highly efficient.
Comparing her to others made the difference clear; in reality, a superior like her, who only made key decisions and didn't bother with wasteful pomp, was rare and valuable. Everyone felt more relaxed.
The discussion then moved into finer details. Frieren received key decisions that hadn't been addressed before:
Militarily, various territories were undergoing full-scale expansion. The most elite troops were selected and sent to Stormveil Castle. Matters like equipment allocation and training required the Queen's review. At the very least, the soldiers needed to become familiar with her, so several dates on her schedule involved visiting the training grounds.
Among them were quite a few Dragon Communion adherents who needed Frieren's treatment to slow their draconic transformation. While these special units were powerful, they required regular maintenance to sustain their combat effectiveness.
Edgar reported, "Currently, our available forces have increased by 10,000, stronger than during the siege."
"Is it enough to attack Leyndell?" Frieren inquired.
"Your Majesty, you overestimate the south's resources," Edgar replied gravely. "We might have an advantage in population, but truly strong soldiers are scarce. The gap in specific enhanced weaponry is even wider. We probably couldn't even defeat the army guarding the Grand Lift."
"I'm not rushing you," Frieren clarified. "I just want a concrete estimate of the power comparison."
"It's very difficult," Edgar explained. "Across the entire Lands Between, Leyndell can still muster the strength it had during the last defensive war, plus they have home advantage. Conversely, other regions can no longer assemble a coalition of lords, let alone unite."
"......From what I understand, Volcano Manor is certainly nowhere near its strength during the Shattering," Frieren mused. "I understand the situation. Just maintain training."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Frieren wasn't insisting on a massive siege. At worst, fighting her way in alone might even be easier; having to look after a large army would be troublesome. Or, she could find ways to unite forces from other regions, try to cobble together something.
Even if it couldn't compare to the grandeur of the past lord coalition, it could at least be stronger than their current force.
Next, Kenneth Haight reported on resources from various areas. Basically, mining where there were ores, logging where there was timber, concentrating the south's resources here.
After all, the army's consumption was increasing daily; in the short term, their supply efforts had to revolve around building the army.
They were weak only compared to the Royal Capital; in reality, dealing with some wandering wild beasts was easy for them and could even increase their strength. More importantly, wherever the army went, order followed. This strengthened control over the territory, allowing for better mobilization of manpower.
Kenneth Haight continued, "Your Majesty, some Kindred of Rot have strayed from the direction of the fire wall in Caelid and are causing trouble. Should we dispatch troops to clear them out? It would require at least one legion, and needs your approval."
"I approve," Frieren replied. "Right now, the primary focus is the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Just take a defensive stance against them (Kindred of Rot)."
"It would be good if we could also make contact with some people from the Redmane Knights," Kenneth added. "Even if no official knights join, there are many powerful mercenary squads there."
"You can try," Frieren nodded.
In truth, she was more concerned with improving her own strength. Army building was mainly aimed at strengthening her control over the territory.
After witnessing the power of Margit's Night's Cavalry, Frieren understood the strength disparity between the Royal Capital and the south was like heaven and earth.
Catching up in terms of high-level combat power would already be good; it would be very difficult for their basic troop strength to match the foundation of the world's foremost city.
She should prepare to face them single-handedly. But such an action had a precedent of failure: the great ancient dragon Gransax had failed. Perhaps she should try to integrate the regions beneath the Altus Plateau... Frieren's thoughts drifted.
She handled the work handover almost interactively with the nobles, back and forth, at most occasionally asking Melina for her input, as the latter had been listening attentively the whole time.
With the maiden's help, she felt more assured, which quickly turned Frieren's thoughts back to sorcery research. And so, the meeting gradually drew to a close. Stormveil Castle's long-overdue high-level council meeting concluded.
Is it over? In fact, Frieren's proper schedule as Queen was just beginning.
Her first stop was the sorcery workshop within the castle. This place was usually managed by Sellen and gathered most of the talented sorcerers from the south. Here, they studied soul sorcery and other related combat magic. What greeted her eyes was a large classroom.
When the silver-haired girl stepped onto the podium, the sorcerer apprentices greeted her in unison. They even respectfully addressed her as Professor; given her achievements in establishing a new school of thought, she definitely deserved the title.
As for the Academy of Raya Lucaria having opinions? They'll quiet down after I deal with them.
Sellen smiled and explained, "How is it? I restored the classroom according to the Academy's standards. The students were also carefully selected. Given time, they will surely become crucial support on your path to lordship. You could form a corps of battlemages."
"... Teacher, you've considered so much?" Frieren asked, surprised.
"Well, you helped me immensely, so I wanted to do a little more for my apprentice. Besides, I was researching sorcery anyway."
"Indeed."
"Don't neglect the students," Sellen urged. "Why don't you give a lecture on combat sorcery? After all, I'm not skilled in that area, and they will eventually have to face the Royal Capital someday."
Frieren began explaining sorcery under the hopeful gazes of the students below. Fortunately, her knowledge base was vast, and theories came easily to her, so she carefully selected magical logic suited to the Lands Between.
It was greatly inspiring for these apprentices, and combining it with battlefield context made it even more effective.
Additionally, she included her repeatedly tested techniques for conserving magic power to enhance manipulation, saving consumption while increasing precision – her unique skills.
These points weren't actually advanced knowledge, but they were enough to enlighten the apprentices, allowing them to rapidly improve and form combat power.
Even Sellen, listening in, gained some inspiration; her apprentice truly was exceptionally gifted.
More importantly, it was combined with practical experience. It was clear Frieren must have experienced an unimaginable number of battles, encompassing all sorts of situations.
She was already powerful before becoming a Shardbearer, before becoming Tarnished, which is why she could swiftly defeat several strong enemies and establish her footing. Besides, while one's strength might change rapidly due to grace, their bearing and capacity would not.
Possessing the heart of a strong person commensurate with their power made one complete. In contrast, the Bloody Finger assassin at Lake Agheel, even if blessed, was meaningless.
Two hours later.
Frieren pointed to the key points on the blackboard and said, "That's all I can teach you for the first time. Rest assured, I'll come by often when I have time. You can all become stronger."
"Thank you, Professor!" The apprentices were deeply grateful; after all, few in the Lands Between taught everything they knew so openly.
After the silver-haired girl waved dismissively, everyone gradually left the classroom. Although the time was short, the knowledge was enough to digest for a while. With their talent, they could indeed become outstanding among the basic forces. If the south lacked elite troops, what was wrong with cultivating their own? The army of the Golden Lineage wasn't built in a day or two either.
"I wonder how fast they can grow?" Frieren mused aloud.
"Apprentice, why don't you try seeing if they can receive the blessing of a Great Rune?" Sellen suggested.
"How?"
"Through the soul protection method you mentioned to me," Sellen elaborated, "combined with the power of the shard, try to strengthen the target.
Just like the goddess's blessing upon the Golden Lineage's army in the past. Although it would be a weakened version, it's worth trying in principle, especially since it aligns with your characteristics." Sellen felt inspiration surge; new ideas came to her every minute, as if she had returned to her own apprenticeship days.
Frieren materialized Godrick's Great Rune and observed it carefully for a moment. "That's a good suggestion.
Teacher is right. But the power of the Elden Ring shard likely requires activating the Great Rune's effect. In a few days, I'll make a trip to the Divine Tower and activate it."
Unlike her blessing for Flamme, which was mainly based on the soul magic system, here in the Lands Between, using the Ring fragment as a medium required adhering to its corresponding rules. Actually, she had considered this plan before, but had reservations: "Not everyone can accept a blessing. In your opinion, who could withstand it?"
"Simple," Sellen replied. "Train more soldiers, select the elites, and then further enhance them. Additionally, the sorcerer apprentices from earlier, and your Dragon Communion troops, can also receive it. Over time, perhaps you could build a force comparable to Leyndell's regular army."
"Only comparable to the regular army?" Frieren queried.
"That's already very good!" Sellen stressed. "If it were the capital's elite army, they could probably carve out heroic reputations across the Lands Between. Don't underestimate the core essence of the Golden Dynasty."
Frieren committed the well-informed Sellen's advice to heart. It should be possible to slightly enhance her soldiers.
Sellen then decided to stay in the classroom and continue her research. Master and apprentice had very similar personalities: once inspiration struck, they would immediately immerse themselves in research, neglecting food and sleep.
Unless her apprentice planned to directly attack the Academy of Raya Lucaria, Sellen likely wouldn't be interested in the outside world's commotions for a while.
Actually, staying in Stormveil Castle wasn't bad at all – good environment, sufficient resources, plus a student who surpassed the master – wasn't it wonderful?
However, Frieren still had to keep busy. After inspecting the mage corps reserves, she hurried to the training grounds outside Stormveil Castle.
The high ground on the hill, previously a place where Godrick's soldiers set up heavily guarded outposts, was now completely transformed. With the defensive pressure gone, it had been converted into a training ground for activities.
Edgar, who had been waiting for a long time, bowed. "Your Majesty, as it happens, we are currently drilling siege warfare."
Following the direction he pointed, Frieren saw a force of over a thousand soldiers advancing in unison, shields raised, slowly closing in, with even Trolls and Warhawks mixed in. At the very front was the Dragon Communion squad, attacking as the vanguard.
Opposing them was a similarly configured army resisting from within a sturdy fortress. According to procedure, the two sides would continuously switch roles to familiarize everyone with defensive and offensive tactics. Although it was a drill, the scale was by no means small.
Rumble rumble. They even employed catapults for realism.
Besides these, she also spotted unexpected figures: the Farron Undead Legion. The legion members actively charged out of the fortress, sweeping aside large swathes of enemies with single moves. The Farron members, individually comparable to heroes, basically steamrolled their way through...
"Isn't that a bit overkill?" Frieren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty, the powerful troop types within the Royal Capital of Leyndell will only be more numerous," Edgar replied gravely. "Our simulation likely doesn't even reach one-tenth of the difficulty." As one of the future commanders, Edgar had to be vigilant.
Frieren observed the situation carefully. Sure enough, as soon as the Farron Undead Legion entered the battlefield, the tide turned. The attacking side retreated steadily; they had almost no troop units capable of countering them. No wonder Edgar's brow was furrowed with worry.
Suddenly, an idea struck her: "If the Spirit Ash legion I control is large enough, and combined with the currently stronger soul-boosting magic, would that count as a legion?"
"We'd have to see it in action to know," Edgar responded practically.
"Right now, then," Frieren decided.
_____
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