The entrance to the Magic Academy was heavily guarded, with fully armed soldiers patrolling back and forth.
A mage continuously urged: "Increase patrol intensity, expand the area. Don't you know? The Shardbearer King might attack here. Work hard, or we'll all die."
At the same time, he didn't forget to command the Albinaurics to equip their weapons, then formed them into squads that trudged foolishly towards the lake.
His name was Eiken. A dignified magic professor, yet he was pushed aside by those guys to do this dirty work. It was utterly humiliating, making him fume with suppressed anger.
"Damn it, this is too much trouble."
Eiken wasn't the only one angry. The garrison captain, Henrys, was cursing: "A bunch of Albinauric idiots, too slow! Can we really expect anything from them? Aside from the first generation Albinaurics who were somewhat commendable, the rest are trash."
"But their strength lies in loyalty, and they can be mass-produced easily. Plenty of cannon fodder."
"If it weren't for you lot gathering dust in the Academy provoking the new demigod, how could we have become their target? The chance we might have had for peaceful coexistence is gone."
"Why blame me? It wasn't my foolishness. It was those mages from the anti-Origin faction who became fanatical. And deep down, they despise a non-human for researching revolutionary magic and, even more, for openly spreading that knowledge. If you ask me, that itself is a kind of blasphemy."
"Boring."
As a warrior, Henrys didn't understand the strange persistence of this bunch. Did they really think their high intelligence and magical talent made them superior?
Well, admittedly, in the Liurnia of the Lakes region, that was somewhat true. Most soldiers dared to be angry but not speak out.
Amidst the sounds of shouting and commanding, the defensive line surrounding the Magic Academy entrance grew stronger, layer upon layer.
Additionally, a squad of mages joined the defense.
Eiken laughed, "You don't need to worry. Don't forget, the Magic Academy withstood the armies of the Golden Order's conquest during its peak! What's a mere demigod from a poor place like Limgrave? Hardly worth mentioning."
"Back then, the Academy had the Queen of the Full Moon presiding and numerous Carian Knights. What about now?" Henrys sneered, dismissive of the mage's self-deception.
"It's you who doesn't understand the Magic Academy's foundation. In a defensive battle, we are certain to win."
"Let's hope so."
"Not hope, it's a certainty. No matter how many troops the south invests, they will be utterly destroyed by the Academy, their corpses thrown into the lake to feed the crayfish."
Speaking of this, the mages even burst into loud laughter, not worried at all about the enemy's attack. History had already proven how impregnable the walls behind them were. As long as they shut the gates, wasn't even someone as strong as Radagon unable to conquer it after a long siege?
Besides, the Liurnia of the Lakes region was very complex, with Cuckoo Knights, Carian royal forces, Royal Capital troops...
Let it be chaotic. They weren't afraid of someone else jumping in to make it even more chaotic.
Even the Great Roundtable Hold, independent of the Lands Between, sensed a shift in the winds. The Tarnished, who had seemingly made Stormveil Castle their second gathering place, quickly brought back news: Frieren might make a move against the Magic Academy.
The Tarnished weren't surprised by this. Everyone was pursuing the Elden Ring, after all. It wasn't hard to understand why Frieren, currently the most powerful force, was actively making moves. It was almost inspiring.
However, Roderika looked worried. Staring at the blacksmith opposite her, she asked, "Master Hewg, the Liurnia of the Lakes region isn't peaceful like Limgrave. It's much more dangerous there. Do you think Lady Frieren will be alright?"
"How should I know? But she'd better not disgrace the weapon I personally strengthened for her."
The blacksmith continued hammering away at the sword before him, sparks reflecting in his eyes, but he couldn't help feeling a flicker of anticipation in his chest.
The storm Frieren was stirring up wasn't fleeting, nor confined to one corner. She had finally made her move.
In the office.
Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing, who had been engrossed in his work, looked up after a long time. His trusted subordinate, Ensha, had brought new intelligence: the southern army's major movements might be a diversion; Frieren was actually acting alone.
"Just as expected, the type who can't sit still... What do the Two Fingers say?"
"They offer their blessing and eagerly anticipate the performance of Her Majesty, the Lord of Cinder. If she successfully obtains the second Great Rune, she will truly be a prospective Lord, just one step away from the Ring."
"Let that divine messenger keep spouting nonsense. The Grace-Given Lord guarding the Royal Capital isn't easy to deal with.
Besides, Frieren isn't someone who can be controlled by any conspiracy. From the very beginning, she decided to travel all over the Lands Between and collect everything. Perhaps she'll uncover truths that rival or even surpass my own."
"Should we provide support to Stormveil Castle?"
"The Roundtable Hold encouraging the Tarnished to go to Limgrave already counts as support. No need for extra actions."
Sir Gideon believed the real test for the southern army was yet to come. What progress could be made by staying in the weakest south? It lacked substance.
Defeating the weakest demigod? Some top-tier heroes could probably manage that.
Moreover, claiming kingship requires a formidable army. Can Limgrave, after some development, muster enough forces for an offensive? Or attract strong allies?
Too many variables.
Perhaps Frieren hadn't thought too much about it, solely focused on adventure. A pure Tarnished, her actions were more like traveling. Thus, it was difficult to use any schemes against her; at worst, she could just go back to being alone.
"Right, keep an eye on the Albinauric Village." Suddenly, Sir Gideon remembered something and gave a reminder.
"After all, Frieren might go there. Conflict wouldn't be good."
Ensha nodded. "So, avoid her?"
"Correct. Don't easily make an enemy of her. Just maintain peaceful coexistence for now."
After giving some more instructions, he returned to his desk work, appearing like an ordinary administrator.
In the Caelid region, Redmane Castle welcomed a support squad from Limgrave. They had traveled far, crossing the flame wall, representing Stormveil Castle's friendship and committed to jointly eliminating the Scarlet Rot.
Learning that their cause had finally received a response, and attention from a new demigod at that, boosted the morale of many Redmane Knights.
Castellan Jerren solemnly welcomed the group. As preparations for the Radahn Festival were underway, the castle was bustling, and accommodating a squad wasn't difficult.
"Please convey my respects to Her Majesty Frieren."
"Of course. We are on the same side," the leading officer nodded sincerely.
"Speaking of which, as far as I know, is Stormveil Castle deploying troops in two directions simultaneously? Even if the Limgrave region is recovering quickly, it must be difficult to supply so much military equipment, right?"
"It's no secret. Our main objective is still to first consolidate the southern region. We're merely scouting Liurnia of the Lakes for now, establishing forward surveillance."
"I hope Lady Frieren can attend the festival."
When Jerren made the direct request, the other party agreed without surprise, apparently having received prior instructions. In other words, the Lord of Cinder had been aiming for Radahn from the start? Perhaps the Magic Academy would be dealt with first, but the conquest of the entire Lakes region could be postponed.
Truly ambitious!
...
Frieren departed later than planned.
On one hand, the large-scale troop movements required her authorization and deployment. On the other, this could serve as cover, preventing her from drawing too much attention.
In reality, staying low-profile was basically impossible. At best, it could divert some attention. As the only currently active demigod on the stage in the Lands Between, and an energetic type who moved around constantly, anyone would pay close attention.
That's why she departed later.
After passing through the passage from Stormveil Castle's throne room, the view ahead opened up dramatically.
"It really is on a cliff edge." The silver-haired girl spread her hands, feeling the breeze on her face as she gazed into the distance. "You really can see all of Liurnia of the Lakes from here."
No wonder this place is called the Lake-Facing Cliffs. Simple and direct.
Unsurprisingly, player messages also included praises like "Gorgeous view ahead," "Love the Academy castle," and "The water city is so beautiful." Grand scenery always delivered the most direct impact.
Frieren took a few steps forward. She didn't find a Spiritspring, but instead, a gust of wind rushed towards her. Losing balance could mean falling off.
Treacherous terrain.
Building Stormveil Castle back then took this into account. Whether attacking from Limgrave or the Lakes, it was difficult to assault the storm-shrouded cliffs. A nail hammered in here, even the Royal Capital would have to think twice. Of course, this also meant difficulties for mobilizing the southern army.
No matter, they weren't meant for real combat anyway, just a marginal training exercise.
At the same time, Melina's figure materialized.
She pointed far off to the left. "Down from here, follow the wide highland straight ahead, and you'll reach the ruins of the Carian Manor."
"Mm, I've also received some intel about activity over there."
"If the Lunar Princess you briefly met is looking for a place to stay, the Carian ruins are the best choice."
"According to Kenneth Haight, many among the nobility still hope for the return of Carian glory. After all, it's a royal family with years of accumulated heritage; there should still be quite a few supporters. In that case, Ranni represents a faction."
Frieren didn't believe Blaidd's claim that their 'team' consisted of only a few people. True, those were the confidants, but there were likely many nobles attempting to gather under the Carian banner externally.
Perfect.
The Carians, having deep ties with the Academy, should have some information.
Being skilled and bold didn't mean charging straight into the Magic Academy guns blazing. After all, head-on assaults weren't her style. Wasn't exploring the map bit by bit also a kind of fun?
Moreover, this time she needed to rely less on non-native magic power and use Glintstone sorcery more.
Because her Astrologer character account level wasn't high enough, it dragged down the power granted by the Great Rune's blessing. The mage account needed to level up quickly to catch up.
She had to farm more Runes to strengthen it, hoping the maps beyond the starting area would be more generous.
The silver-haired girl glanced at the distant Magic Academy, then turned away. Sellen had mentioned before that it was sealed, inaccessible to ordinary people.
Need to find a key...
"Speaking of which, I had a feeling just now... seems like there's someone in that church over there?" She looked westward.
Melina nodded. "Be careful. According to the map, that's the Church of Irith. It's been abandoned for some time; it probably barely offers shelter from the elements."
"I'll have someone repair it later. It looks too unsightly in ruins."
As she spoke, Frieren strode over. From a distance, she saw a bald man in mage robes sitting inside the church. He looked so dejected, she almost mistook him for a corpse.
"Are you alright?" She prepared a healing spell and explained, "My name is Frieren. I'm a Tarnished, heading to the Magic Academy."
Only upon hearing the last sentence did the bald man in mage robes finally lift his head.
"...My name is Thops. Don't mind my sorry state; I used to study Glintstone sorcery at the Academy of Raya Lucaria. If you could spare some Runes as payment, I can teach you some sorceries. Only 10 Runes."
"Then please do."
It was too cheap, almost making her want to give him charity. Frieren wasn't short on Runes these days anyway.
But on second thought, everyone in the Lands Between makes their own choices, and they don't die that easily. No need for charity; learning some sorcery from him would be helping enough.
Unfortunately, the learnable sorceries Thops showed were very basic. She had already mastered them, even enhancing their power further.
Still, to give him some business, Frieren learned them anyway.
For example, a special repelling force field sorcery. Its power was unclear, but she treated it as a collectible.
Another sorcery called Starlight was quite good. It provided illumination and might have other uses... Although she didn't lack means of illumination, the priority remained strengthening the Astrologer's power. Growing stronger within the sorcery system of the Lands Between was key, and stacking accounts later would only make things more exaggerated.
Witnessing the silver-haired girl test the sorceries on the spot, Thops's eyes lit up. There were too many geniuses in the world; she understood after just a few words.
Sorcery wasn't knowledge for ordinary people; it demanded exceptional talent.
Someone mediocre like himself was truly pitiable.
After a moment, he sighed, "Apologies, these are all rather unimpressive sorceries. You're a kind person, willing to share Runes with me, yet you only receive these meager things. You must be disappointed."
"As compensation, let me tell you everything I know about this land."
Thops mentioned information about the Magic Academy, simultaneously revealing his status as a 'dullstone' – someone lacking talent. The key piece of information was the Academy Glintstone Key, needed for unhindered exploration.
Truthfully, for Frieren, that level of magical seal was trivial, but she still promised to give him a key if she found one.
"Thank you very much. You truly are a kind person."
"It was nothing."
"No need to be humble. A glance at your magical presence and aura tells me you must be someone distinguished. This encounter has been quite fortunate; it's an honor."
Anyone not blind could see Frieren's luxurious mage robes and the jewel-encrusted golden circlet on her head. Not just anyone in the Lands Between could dress like that, plus the imposing air she carried coming from Stormveil Castle...
Even if Thops didn't follow the changing tides of the Lands Between, he could guess a few things.
Times had changed, and this variable was now targeting the Magic Academy. What would this bring to those pedantic and arrogant mages?
"By the way, do you know Sellen? She's my teacher. I heard she's quite famous in the Academy."
"Ah!"
Frieren finally saw Thops's shocked expression.
"Then she truly took on an incredible apprentice. A great teacher produces a brilliant student... I don't know much, only that Sellen was a prodigy in the Academy's history. Unfortunately, she was later expelled, accused of murdering numerous human sorcerers, becoming the Graven Witch. However, I believe the truth is more complex."
"Besides, how could I possibly have dealings with such a prominent figure? You'll have to find out the details yourself."
________
Unlock More Bonus Chapters! 🔓 New Patreon Goals:
Help us unlock multiple bonus chapters! We currently have 47 amazing Patreon supporters (Thank you! 🙏).
🎯 Goal: 50 Patreon Members = Get 10 bonus Chapters!
➕ Community Milestones: Every 100 Powerstones OR 5 New Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter Released!
Support Walnutchan on Patreon:
👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan 👻