Stormveil Castle became more active than ever, frequently dispatching troops to coordinate with Frieren's movements and exterminate monsters. The Tarnished from Roundtable Hold also joined this operation. Designated rooms within the castle were allocated for these allies, functioning like a guild hall.
"Let's see..." Rogier held a commission report, noting mostly scattered holdouts remained. The major caves had been thoroughly cleared; under the Shardbearer's power, they could no longer cause trouble. Even the labyrinths they inhabited had been plundered clean.
Clearly, Frieren's consistent style was to defeat everything, then take everything—a meticulous map-clearing approach, poised to sweep away every last hidden monster gathering point in Limgrave.
"D, are you interested?"
The man beside him, clad in masked armor, nodded.
"As long as it involves Those Who Live in Death, I will exterminate them."
"You're the expert. It's best to thoroughly cleanse any trace of the Death-Touched. By the way, I heard Summonwater Village has regained vitality. A new settlement is forming, and the monsters won't be returning anytime soon."
"Allow me to pour cold water on that. Unless the contamination at the roots of the Erdtree is removed, Those Who Live in Death will continue to appear endlessly."
"But you have to admit, it spreads through nodes like Stormveil Castle, right? Otherwise, the Ulcerated Tree Spirit wouldn't manifest. And the moment that thing shows signs of revival, the Farron Undead Legion steps in to burn it down. This makes it difficult for large-scale outbreaks of the Death-Touched to occur in Limgrave."
"True. So, our job is just to clean up the remnants."
"You're much more enthusiastic than before." Rogier laughed heartily, clapping his friend on the shoulder as they walked out of the castle together. It wasn't just about suppressing the Tree Spirit; rumor had it Frieren was also researching the root contamination. A genius capable of developing Soul Healing might bring about different results.
As they left the guild hall, many other Tarnished were also mobilizing, figuring they might as well contribute since they'd be operating in the south frequently.
East Limgrave, the Mistwood area.
Having traversed most of the south, Frieren finally confirmed that some monsters still remained here, using the Mistwood's cover to cause trouble. Many bears threatened passing merchants, necessitating a cleanup; hindering troop movements would be problematic.
As it turned out, her investigation revealed hidden human tribes nearby, primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers living off the forest.
The village chief proactively paid respects to the new monarch and declared allegiance.
"We have heard of Your Majesty's renown. We no longer need to wander aimlessly and hope for your protection." Frieren, mounted on Torrent, nodded as the surrounding hunter villagers bowed deeply.
It proved that a cursory look at the map revealed nothing of the true picture; the Lands Between indeed harbored large hidden populations, especially nomadic groups constantly relocating.
"How many of you are there?"
"Actually, we haven't fully gathered yet. Counting everyone in the Mistwood area, there should be over a thousand... Unfortunately, the vast majority show signs of zombification. They'll probably become completely inhuman."
"Don't worry. Then you must have also heard about my healing magic. Gather the afflicted. The more, the better. Rest assured, even those with moderate to severe zombification can now have their deterioration halted and regain some lucidity, enough to function as laborers."
"Long live Your Majesty! Allow me to thank you on their behalf."
Hearing this, the chief hurriedly called people to herd groups of shambling undead, their numbers clearly exceeding what he had stated. He likely concealed the true figure initially, fearing he might scare her off by reporting too many at once.
For Frieren, too few people would be uninteresting. Each zombification cure case was a valuable reference sample; she had to seize the opportunity. Furthermore, having more subjects in her domain was more beneficial than detrimental.
Unlike the prosperous Age of Plenty, the Lands Between were no longer densely populated; every laborer was precious now.
The undead slowly gathered.
Unconsciously, the mist had also dissipated somewhat. The forest's greenery emerged, a gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh grass, and visibility improved significantly.
Some of the mist had been magical pollution, miasma, naturally dispelled by her continuous use of purification. Perhaps, after some time, the so-called Mistwood would become history.
"...Rarely needed, but my purification magic has become more proficient." To cope with the combat environment rife with curses, negative statuses, and pollution, Frieren had prepared numerous purification spells.
Trying them one by one, some were bound to work, and indeed, the results were good. Given time, this mist-shrouded land would become completely traversable.
Witnessing the mist gradually recede, the hunters leaped and cheered incessantly. Although this was their home, it didn't mean they wanted to spend their lives in a land filled with monsters and fog—if only things weren't worse outside.
And now? It was widely known that the Ashen Lord's rule had fully revitalized Limgrave. Her reputation was stellar, her call met with widespread response—a world apart from her predecessor, Godrick.
They initially had reservations, but seeing Frieren in person dispelled their anxiety. She was a benevolent ruler.
Not only did she save those suffering from zombification, but she also cleared the miasma from the forest, effectively offering two choices: continue living in their improved homeland, or accept recruitment in Stormveil City.
Neither option was bad, certainly better than just waiting to die—either through zombification or being killed by monsters, which seemed much the same, offering no guarantee of the soul's proper return upon death.
"By the way, I meant to ask earlier, what's that spire over there?"
"Your Majesty, that's the Siofra River Well elevator. Riding it leads to one of the two great underground rivers of the Lands Between."
"Sounds like there should be plenty of treasure."
"Far more than that. Legends say the ancient civilization of the Eternal City exists down there. They suffered a devastating blow as punishment from the Greater Will long ago but have stubbornly persisted and proliferated. In a way, they are older than any active civilization on the surface. Who knows how they compare to the legendary Crumbling Farum Azula..."
The hunters sighed sincerely. Even in a world where ordinary people lived long and were less sensitive to time's passage, the span across different eras still evoked melancholy. Truly ancient.
Frieren's interest was immediately piqued. She went to examine the area around the elevator. The carvings were ancient, unlike any motifs she had seen before.
Just as expected, whenever she thought she had explored thoroughly, a new hidden map popped up, keeping her curiosity alive.
"Should we go down and take a look? How much do you know?"
Hearing the question, Melina proactively appeared to advise against it: "There's no need. Even if you go down to the Siofra River now, you'll find most of it inaccessible. You'll only find it boring."
"Why?"
"Because the mightiest demigod, Radahn, has sealed the stars. Fate no longer flows. Unless he is defeated, allowing the stars to fall and open a path to the Eternal City, the civilization of the underground world will never be revealed to the surface dwellers. What you see now is incomplete."
"Quite a few twists and turns involved here."
The silver-haired girl gave the Siofra River Well elevator a deep look but ultimately suppressed her curiosity. The immediate priority was treating the zombified hunters.
Exploring the underground civilization would have to wait, especially since she couldn't stay away from Stormveil Castle for too long.
"What a coincidence. Many things I need to do now point either towards the Academy of Raya Lucaria or the Caelid region.
Their influence is significant, especially for us in the south."
"Indeed," Melina nodded.
"Is there some deeper connection between the two?"
"The obvious one is that General Radahn is a descendant of the Carian Royal Family. In fact, his act of sealing the stars' fate deeply affects the mages of the Academy and other members of the royal family, keeping them in an unchangeable state."
"...Teacher Sellen mentioned that too. Many current spells are based on the principle of the unchanging stars."
"From your perspective, aside from researching Scarlet Rot, there's no need to clash with the mightiest demigod. Focus on the Academy first."
Melina offered this partly as advice, partly out of concern. She feared Frieren might get excited by the hunt and want to test herself against the legendary battle mage. In a sense, they shared a similar combat style; wouldn't they feel a mutual respect leading to a deathmatch? Better not.
The maddened Starscourge General would only be harder to deal with than a sane opponent.
Back then, even Malenia, Blade of Miquella's seemingly foolproof blooming tactic failed to bring him down. Who knew the depths of his tenacious life force? Instead, the attacker was left in a sorry state by Scarlet Rot and retreated to the Haligtree to recuperate. Therefore, Melina didn't want another terrible, mutually destructive war where no one gained anything.
"Don't worry, I'm not that reckless. At most, I'll join everyone during the combat festival to probe the Starscourge General's capabilities."
Frieren wasn't dogmatic about combat; group attacks were fine. Back when she was a novice game mage, she had even less 'martial virtue,' luring monsters off cliffs, sneaking for backstabs, skipping fights, exploiting hidden mechanics... using every trick imaginable. Nowadays, not summoning Spirit Ashes in boss fights was purely for self-training.
So, who deserved her full preparation? Radahn. The mightiest demigod undoubtedly required commensurate treatment to be defeated, so she wasn't in any rush. She was known for magic in the Lands Between, but her Astrologer 'account level' wasn't actually that high, and her spells weren't powerful enough yet. She needed to strengthen her weakest link.
"Your Majesty, we have gathered the afflicted. Could you lend us your aid?"
"Mm, I'm coming now."
Upon arrival, Frieren found far more than she expected. Some undead, almost bordering on feral monsters, had been forcibly dragged over.
They looked dazed, moved clumsily, and made incoherent howling sounds. These weren't ordinary undead anymore. You probably rounded up the wandering wild ones from the surroundings to serve as practice material for me. Whatever. Test subjects are always too few, never too many.
The silver-haired girl raised her staff. Amidst a humming sound, ripples of grey-black mana, representing the soul, spread outwards, covering well over a thousand targets—a testament to the caster's bottomless mana pool.
The hunter villagers witnessing this were stunned. They had expected treatment in waves, but she covered everyone in one go?
Woosh!
Frieren's magic swept through like a gale. The initial gentleness instantly transformed into powerful Soul Magic, continuously awakening the will of the undead, growing stronger and stronger. Some targets lost a bit of chaos in their eyes, replaced by a spark of vitality.
Knowing the time was right, she immediately employed another type of magic. Building upon soul restoration, she applied sunlight-based healing. Sure enough, the withered decay on the undead bodies began showing signs of recovery; they were no longer listless, even exhibiting faint muscle definition.
Unfortunately, the magic quickly hit diminishing returns, its effectiveness drastically reduced, forcing her to cease the spell.
The moment she lowered her staff, the multitude of undead fell to their knees, bowing before their great savior. Even in their muddled state, they recognized their benefactor's kindness.
They felt... strangely light? Ever since becoming half-dead beings, their souls had been trapped in decaying bodies, enduring endless torment with no end in sight. Now, at least, the constant pain was gone, and they could even move to some extent.
Overcome with tears of joy, the village chief stood before Frieren and proclaimed: "The greatest miracle since the Age of Plenty has been wrought by Your Majesty's hands! This is the power of compassion—"
"Even amidst the apocalypse following the Shattering War, you are already mending everything! Not as the savior of the Elden Ring, but as the savior of the people!"
"Compared to the Erdtree, whose Grace has long faded, we would rather believe in the King's Blessing!"
"Praise be to you!"
At this moment, the survivors and the healed undead of the Mistwood had made their choice. They would follow in the footsteps of the Ashen Lord to achieve great deeds.
A new era would be forged by Frieren's hands. Although she wasn't without flaws—like the pointed ears marking her as non-human—what did that matter in the face of such power and benevolence?
In contrast to Frieren, who responded with accustomed and practiced nods, Melina fell silent. Have you forgotten the greatness of the Erdtree? What does it mean, "saving the people before saving the Ring"? Don't you know the Tarnished also wields the power of Great Runes? Perhaps they believed this was something only the King of Limgrave could achieve, while the Elden Ring and the Erdtree remained distant concepts.
True, the dew of Grace that once descended from the Golden Order nourished all things, bringing boundless abundance. But it was too brief, said to have ceased following a secret war. In the much longer ages since, it brought a series of hardships.
Melina, whose heart was tied to the Erdtree, couldn't refute this, which made her feel regretful. Had the path she always adhered to lost favor? Was the one now truly acclaimed the Tarnished meant to restore the Ring? Hadn't priorities become reversed? The person meant to repair the Elden Ring and spread its hope had become hope itself...
"The Soul Magic went well. With this, Melina, even if you were somehow harmed, I should be able to restore you," Frieren's words abruptly cut through Melina's negative thoughts.
"Rest assured. There are exceedingly few powers in this world capable of harming me in my spirit form."
"Better safe than sorry."
Then, the silver-haired girl turned to the villagers and instructed: "Half of you stay and continue your livelihood; build a settlement here. The other half, if willing, come with me to the city.
You are needed there. I'll head out first." She summoned Torrent and galloped away. Though reluctant to see her go, they waved farewell. The rumors were true; Her Majesty was truly free-spirited, seemingly always on the road.
Melina asked, "What's your plan next?"
"Time to return to Stormveil Castle. After that, heading to the Liurnia of the Lakes region. We'll meet the Academy forces; let me witness the magic of the Lands Between." Frieren couldn't wait.
Torrent's hooves pounded across the fields, racing along the southern highway under the drifting golden spores of the Erdtree, traveling day and night like lightning.
"Have something to eat. You don't need to run so fast." Frieren offered a handful of Rowa Fruit to Torrent, who gobbled them down eagerly, its steps becoming even lighter, seemingly reveling in the freedom of the run itself. Seated behind, Melina gently stroked the spectral steed's powerful, muscular form.
"Torrent never acted like this when traveling with me. It's very happy. Happy about everything before it, about the southern land gradually regaining its vitality, about the sound of living people now carried on the wind."
"So that's how it is."
"Torrent feels joy, but it also feels fear. Some evil forces frighten it so much it doesn't dare appear, like the Frenzied Flame."
"If even you dislike it, it must be truly awful."
Frieren recalled her annoying battle against the Frenzied Flame-controlled Leonine Misbegotten. That stuff felt even more invasive than Scarlet Rot, seemingly aiming to set the world ablaze and drive everything mad—a definite public enemy. She smiled, petting the spectral steed's head and feeding it more fruit. Speaking of the Frenzied Flame, could the peculiar sense of being watched she felt around Bloody Finger Hunter Yura be related...?
"That being said, you must believe in Torrent's courage. Even if an unexpected, powerful enemy were to appear at the Erdtree one day, it would fight alongside you."
But I might not, Melina thought. Her own goals didn't require accompanying the Tarnished through the entire journey. Even if the Erdtree was no longer the hope for most people in the south, it didn't affect her determination. Frieren glanced back at her companion. Melina sat sideways on the steed, hands resting on her lap, gazing towards the Royal Capital. Nothing else seemed to move her.
Unfortunately, as a Finger Maiden—an ally who always followed the Tarnished, whose footprints were everywhere—there were no specific messages about her, making direct understanding impossible. At best, Frieren could hope to glean information from player messages later, perhaps mentioned in passing fragments.
Lost in their own thoughts, the two entered the main road of West Limgrave. Previously, Night's Cavalry would occasionally appear here at night, but the Lord of Grace had likely withdrawn his forces now. Thus, Torrent, traveling day and night, arrived quickly.
"Your Majesty!"
Entering the area directly administered by Stormveil Castle, dotted with outposts and forts, stationed soldiers quickly saluted and greeted her upon sight. Some were even thrilled, feeling they had met their idol.
"You've worked hard too. Civilians will be following shortly; be sure to count them." The soldiers looked shocked, then delighted.
As expected of Her Majesty! Every trip she took resulted in healing entire villages, after which people, inspired, would volunteer to join her cause, gradually forming large groups.
It wasn't just Frieren's current instructions; they had received countless batches of newcomers joining over the recent period. And these weren't liabilities—severely zombified individuals—but actual laborers, a few even capable of serving as soldiers.
Although the King of Limgrave was often absent from the throne, her wanderings actually yielded high returns, increasing resources and 'growing the pie,' which contributed to the apparent prosperity and vitality of her domain.
A Shardbearer who didn't destroy the environment was already rare. Not to mention Frieren was constantly working towards restoration; wherever she went, healers followed, as if single-handedly recreating the age nourished by the dew of Grace.
It couldn't compare to the Erdtree's power augmented by the Elden Ring, but people acknowledged her benevolent heart. Her actions reshaped the south; this land would be the first to emerge from the shadow of the Shattering War.
After giving a few instructions, the silver-haired girl continued on her way, also noticing something: there were more outposts.
The royal council had followed her departure orders, strengthening garrisons, trying to secure every key node to receive resources transported from various places and prevent any trouble stirred up by the Lord of Grace's forces lingering within Limgrave.
It seemed the King of Leyndell wasn't the type to vent frustration through harassment campaigns; seeing the tide had turned, he had quietly withdrawn his troops. Better to consolidate and gather strength than attack.
Thus, Frieren's journey back was almost entirely unobstructed, right up to the gate front.
"Hey! Passerby! Help me!"
The sudden cry for help made her quickly pull the reins and stop. She looked around, but saw no one. Since the battle of Stormveil Castle, she had reduced the garrison here, as there was no need to guard against Tarnished. So, who had suffered some misfortune during this time? Where was the person? A quick glance revealed nothing.
Only the lingering cry on the wind hinted at danger, but the direction was unclear; her sight, at least, was being deceived. Against this type of situation, one round of wide-area mana perception usually did the trick. Sure enough, she found something!
Shading her eyes, the silver-haired girl peered towards a small tree in the distance. It was indeed a tree, but her mana perception detected fluctuations within it—she knew instantly something was amiss. Just then, it spoke again: "Kind passerby, please help me! I'll reward you handsomely."
Why does that sound just like Kenneth Haight's plea back then? Do all Limgrave residents ask for help like this? Never mind, let's check it out. Most people encountering a cry for help from an unseen source would find it eerie. But Frieren, skilled and bold, wouldn't hesitate. Otherwise, how would she have made so many discoveries exploring so far? Boldness and meticulousness were key.
"Little sapling, how can I help you?"
"My name is Boc! I'm a seamster... I was turned into this by magic... But I don't know how to undo it. Sorry, this is probably quite troublesome, isn't it?"
Poof!
Before he finished speaking, Frieren waved her staff, covering the target with the simplest dispelling spell.
Sure enough, amidst a puff of smoke, a short figure with Demi-Human features, wearing a small black cap, appeared. Astonished, he felt himself all over, finding all parts present and accounted for, almost weeping with joy.
"Rest assured, my magic has no side effects."
Boc took several deep breaths to calm down, then looked the silver-haired girl up and down. She also had long, pointed ears, but her beauty often made people overlook that feature.
The golden crown atop her head and her extraordinary aura proclaimed her identity; no one in Limgrave failed to recognize the Ashen Lord.
"Your Majesty! Thank you so much! I can offer you my skills, but unfortunately, my equipment was stolen. I need to get it back."
"Is it dangerous?" Frieren glanced doubtfully at the small, thin seamster, quite short even for a Demi-Human.
"...Yes. Actually, I'm terrified of those people. Just thinking about the coastal cave makes my legs freeze up.
But I will retrieve what's mine! I just need some time to prepare myself mentally."
"Coastal cave? If you're a seamster... then this might be yours."
Boc then stared in shock at the familiar sewing kit Frieren presented. During her recent long journeys, Frieren had thoroughly combed the Limgrave map, starting far and moving closer, leaving no stone unturned. Apart from Murkwater Cave, she had basically cleared everything.
She had obtained this after defeating a Demi-Human Chief. Unexpectedly, she had stumbled right into his side quest.
_____
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