For a time, some lords and nobles attempted to expand their fiefdoms, but Melina promptly intervened and suppressed them. It was not yet time; this excellent incentive must be reserved for wartime.
It was like using an Uplifting Aromatic at a critical moment, not just casually spraying it, and furthermore, the context had to be considered.
When the great war that would decide the fate of The Lands Between arrived, they would of course need to concentrate the power of all territories, unify command, and grasp the core of their strength. Only by maximizing their organization would they have a sliver of a chance at victory. But now was different.
The current priority was to develop new resources and ensure those cured of their Undead state became an effective population providing labor. Therefore, expanding across various regions was the higher priority; consolidation could wait.
Melina glanced around and said, "What Your Majesty needs is to fully reactivate all the originally abandoned castles, posts, and roads throughout the land. Expand where expansion is needed, even if it means some waste. The key is to return to the advanced transportation of the Age of Dewdrops. Right, Frieren?"
"Huh? Right."
The silver-haired girl made no effort to hide her transition from being lost in thought to suddenly waking up. Her expression became a little more serious, but only a little. There was nothing more.
In the real world, this would be seen as a king-and-jester dynamic, but in The Lands Between, it didn't matter.
The most important thing for an Elden Lord was martial strength. As long as she could fight, that was enough, and in this respect, Frieren had long since exceeded all expectations. As for her 'external brain' behavior, it was completely irrelevant.
Didn't the First King Godfrey also have his Lion Regent, Serosh, to assist him with all his might?
In fact, a king who spent all day pondering political maneuvering would be contemptible. For instance, many voices were dissatisfied with Radagon's series of micromanaging actions after he came to power.
Rather than scheming over the three Carian children and the Golden Lineage, he should have just beaten them all into submission. Even if the overall situation was settled and there were no wars to be fought, he could have used force. In short, he should have demonstrated the power of a king.
But he did not.
That is why he was always called the 'Royal Consort' and failed to win the hearts of the people. In comparison, Frieren not only had martial strength but also achievements. Curing the Undead, expelling Those Who Live in Death, and restoring Caelid—would these not be recorded in the annals of history? Asking less about governance and fighting more wars was considered doing proper work.
Therefore, everyone also approved of Melina giving orders.
"...Let's leave it at that for now." The yawning silver-haired girl waved her hand. "Is there anything else we haven't discussed?"
After hearing Melina's reply, Frieren immediately declared the meeting adjourned. Of course, only she and the maiden left; the remaining lords and officers still had to break down the execution of the plans.
The now vast and powerful South was not something that could be mobilized casually as it was in the past; it required meticulous precision.
The Lands Between may seem martial, but there is subtlety within the coarseness. This is because war is the ultimate test of a society's organizational capacity, forging a system most adept at mobilization. It is not sluggish at all; counterintuitively, it is highly efficient.
The reason Frieren hadn't noticed this before was that everything was in a state of ruin, and she was faced with a land in decay.
Now, the restored Lands Between showed its professional side.
The entirety of Stormveil and Morne Castle became active. With it as the center, the storm of command spread rapidly, encompassing Fort Haight, the southern Weeping Peninsula, and Caelid to the east.
They would further expand existing settlements, fortifying them into cities, and focus on repairing the originally abandoned posts and defensive facilities.
In truth, sporadic repairs had already been made during this period, but with the previous focus on war, it wasn't a high priority. Now, with Frieren's order, they immediately took action.
The relevant quarry miners, sorcerers, as well as trolls, dragons, and Demi-Humans were all mobilized.
The occupied territories had to be thoroughly activated to ensure resources were coordinated and utilization was maximized. Otherwise, there could be no talk of war. This could be considered an early rehearsal; otherwise, they could forget about defeating the armies of Leyndell.
Liurnia of the Lakes.
Compared to the fervent activity of their allies, they were relatively idle. This was because the damage they suffered in the Shattering was not severe to begin with, and with the Carian Royal Family's wealth and heritage, they had long since completed their restoration.
Now, they were mainly re-fortifying areas like the Academy and Caria Manor. In Frieren's plan, their primary role was the training of sorcerers, and they also served an academic function, so it was relatively quiet on a daily basis, as if they were a world apart.
But today was not peaceful either.
The Soul Cinder King, after her longest slumber, had returned, heading straight for the Raya Lucarian Academy.
The nobles, of course, prepared a grand welcome, with lanterns and colorful decorations, while also celebrating the successful exploration of the Land of Shadow. After all, they hadn't had the chance last time, only hearing that Her Majesty had to enter a deep sleep as soon as she returned, which was truly worrying.
So, the moment Frieren arrived, she was met with the clamor of gongs and drums. It had been a long time since they had seen her. As long as they knew the Quasi-King was safe and sound, it was enough. Moreover, she was considered one of the heirs to the Carian Royal Family.
"My apprentice, your journey this time was truly far, all the way to the Land of Shadow."
"Yes, Teacher Sellen. I found many ancient sorceries. They underwent a long period of independent development, so they hold great research value and are quite profound."
Even through her mask, the witch exuded an air of pleasant surprise. "You are too kind. This is wonderful!"
"How is the Primeval Sorcery coming along?"
"That path is likely a dead end. Even excluding the path of the graven mass, it seems impossible. If I could find the other master, perhaps it would provide some inspiration..."
"I will dispatch people to investigate. Teacher Sellen, you only need to wait patiently."
Since her dear master would no longer inexplicably turn into a graven mass, she could certainly push forward with the search. Otherwise, she wouldn't mind killing that master of the Primeval Current, but she had no idea where he was now.
Her other teacher, Thops, had been focusing on enchanting Ashes of War, creating a large number of shields with retaliatory capabilities.
Only then did Frieren learn that they had been put into mass production.
She asked in surprise, "So Teacher Thops has been working on this all along? How is the effect?"
"Thanks to the new sorcery scrolls you kept sending, I found my inspiration and was able to expand the force field's area of effect. For example, now—"
Clang!
A small squad of knights raised their shields, surprisingly forming a coordinated barrier.
It even bore traces of defensive magic from the real world. He had truly integrated everything. He had a talent for any ability related to retaliatory magic.
At the same time, another squad of sorcerers gave a demonstration, accompanied by a series of rumbling explosions.
General elemental attacks like fire and ice crystals couldn't shake it. Only attacks with clear mass, like gravity stones, had some effect. But even that was greatly diminished. When deployed on a large scale in actual combat, it would be absolutely terrifying.
Seeing this, Frieren's eyes lit up. Imagine it: on a battlefield where magic was being unleashed wildly, one side brings out a magic shield wall to reflect it back... Even one successful round could blow up a huge area. Most importantly, it would be a deterrent, making the enemy not dare to attack recklessly.
"Teacher Thops, I will double your resources. The more of these, the better. Deploy them at once."
"I knew you would say that."
The two looked at each other and smiled, both seeing the potential.
The conclusions reached at the previous meeting in Stormveil Castle were likely no longer accurate. The gap between them and the capital's army was not so vast after all; at the very least, it could be bridged.
During this time, Frieren, who had been invited to inspect various aspects of the Academy, could finally rest a bit. She couldn't refuse their hospitality. Not only Sellen and Thops, but she also had to meet with the Carian Knight Order led by Moongrum.
Through continuous expansion, integration, and blessings, they had been reborn, forging a new legion. Further strengthening the foundation of the Carian Knights, and with the Academy's resources, they had actually managed to field a top-tier force. Their chances of victory had increased yet again.
It proved that Liurnia of the Lakes, with its years of accumulated resources, was indeed better at management than Limgrave. Once it recovered its vitality, it could quickly begin to arm itself, even faster than the capital.
The quality was a bit lacking, but Frieren was short on noble officers. No wonder Radagon sought a marriage alliance back then.
Besides the Golden Lineage, the Carian line controlled vast territories, manpower, and magic. More importantly, they possessed intangible soft power like inherited experience and a reserve of talent.
As Leyndell's situation grew increasingly bleak, they, on the contrary, rose to prominence and integrated swiftly.
"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's protection." Moongrum said sincerely, "Just a short while ago, we completely eradicated the Cuckoo Knights."
"What's their story?"
"Those fellows actually have some connection to the capital. It's just that after the Night of the Black Knives, they stopped receiving orders, and things became chaotic. But the Cuckoo Knights indeed stayed behind, causing destruction in Liurnia of the Lakes, and for a time, they even supported the Academy faction."
"Could it be they were a contingency measure, planted from the beginning?"
Frieren might not care about such things, but being lazy didn't mean she was stupid. As her knowledge and practical experience grew, she had also developed a political sense and immediately felt something was amiss.
Moongrum replied, "Most likely. So, the Golden Lineage truly harbored ill intentions."
"Mm, we must draw a clear line between us and them."
"Speaking of which, regarding the situation with the Carian army under Rellana... as the head knight, what are your thoughts?"
"Your Majesty has likely asked my colleague Miriel a similar question, correct? I suspect her answer was to uphold the will of the Twin Moons. Similarly, I too will uphold your will, even if it means facing the branch of our house from the past as an enemy."
His words were very serious, with the unspoken meaning that he was psychologically prepared. This conversation would certainly serve as a reference for Her Majesty's decision-making, so he could not be indecisive.
When necessary, they would have to fight the branch family that had thrown in their lot with the Golden Order.
Alright, then it's time to see the Queen and the Princess, to have a proper talk about the Land of Shadow.
The knight's answer was not unexpected, as Moongrum was a typical traditional knight, loyal and resolute.
In some people's eyes, Rellana following Messmer on his campaign was essentially giving herself to him, as if she were married off, and she wasn't shouldering the responsibilities of an heir. Unlike her sister Rennala, who even after marrying Radagon, never left the Academy and always managed Liurnia of the Lakes.
Even though she later fell ill with heartbreak, her prestige was incomparable to that of her sister who had been away for generations.
So, the Carian army was resolved to fight if it came to that. Of course, it would be best to shake hands and absorb them peacefully, but considering the worst-case scenario, the advice given to the king should be a firm one.
While pondering this, Frieren boarded the lift and arrived at the high tower.
The Grand Library was much tidier than before, as if it had been redecorated. The bookshelves were neatly arranged, and all the books were properly stored. The apprentices moving among them, organizing and recording, greeted the visitor with great warmth.
They were all created from the Great Rune's amber, and it was Frieren who had cured their defects, so of course they were grateful to their benefactor.
"Long time no see."
The silver-haired girl waved back with a smile on her face.
She herself was very fond of this kind of atmosphere. A grand library always made one want to immerse themselves in it. She wondered if there was a greater treasury of knowledge than this one in The Lands Between. If there was, she had to get her hands on it.
In the center of the library, meditating in a deep sleep, was none other than the Queen of the Full Moon, clutching her amber egg. She only awoke upon witnessing Frieren's arrival, and greeted her politely: "Good day."
"You should know why I have come."
As she answered, she looked at the spectral form that gradually rose before her and took the shape of a blue-haired maiden. It was none other than Ranni. It had been a long time, and her demeanor had become more composed, even a bit brighter. She was no longer so gloomy, as if constantly plotting something. She finally looked like a normal Empyrean.
However, this expression did not escape Ranni. The face of the soul-specter shot her a lively glare, its tone laced with amusement:
"Don't think such rude things. I've simply been studying magic since taking my revenge."
"Yes, people become much more normal with less work and worry."
Just as Frieren said, during this time she had been in quiet meditation at Caria Manor, recovering her strength.
Ever since Ranni learned of even a fraction of Miquella's scheme, she had not rested. She had to stop him, no matter what. She could not let it develop, or she would have a new set of competitors out of thin air.
She was unwilling to let her consort do everything. The last time Frieren fell under the charm and had to enter a deep sleep was too frightening. It was truly heart-wrenching.
During that time, she had gone to Stormveil Castle once but could do nothing. The feeling of being able to do nothing but wait for the outcome was terrible.
"Let me share the burden concerning the Land of Shadow. If you're struggling with the matter of my aunt Rellana, I can go and persuade her."
"Although we have been apart for a long time, we still have common ground. Mother can also write a letter."
"Of course. I have many things to say to my long-lost sister... In fact, I once thought she was dead, after all, there was no news of the crusading army."
Thinking of the fear and worry of that time, Rennala sighed.
But it was alright.
That she was alive was a blessing in itself. As for how to undo the seal on the Land of Shadow, that wasn't an issue at all. If they could get in, they could undo it. This room contained three of the world's top sorcerers; pooling their wisdom was enough to overcome any difficulty.
"However, for now, only those who have been to the Land of Shadow with me can be teleported. It's as if they've been certified by the barrier. No other way will work."
"It's no matter. I will prepare a special doll for you to carry through the barrier. Then I can use it as a temporary body to move about. What's important is the power of the soul; for me, it doesn't matter which doll I inhabit."
"Perfect. I plan to go to the Altus Plateau first. You can take your time making the doll."
"Ranni, I can help."
Hearing her consort and her mother successively offer their support, she felt a bit more at ease.
In fact, she could try to create a body herself, but with the Golden Order being unstable, she shouldn't take the risk. What if someone killed by Destined Death came back to life, creating some kind of loophole... that would be terrible.
She would not do something so irresponsible. She would at least wait until Frieren became the Elden Lord before considering it.
"There's no rush on this side. Mother and I will win over Aunt Rellana. What's important is you. A Quasi-King is finally about to ascend the Altus Plateau?"
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