Had the silver-haired girl used the Flowing Sword Style, the Cleanrot Knights wouldn't have been so surprised. After all, it was a prominent school of swordsmanship in the Lands Between, with many practitioners.
But Waterfowl Dance was different. It was a supreme technique created by Malenia, the Valkyrie, a skill none could match.
Yet today, it was being used by an intruder. Alright, this person might be a new Demigod, and it was her own fault for being out of touch after staying in the Shaded Castle for so long, but things hadn't reached a point where this move was being spread around casually.
"So you're saying this comes from Malenia?"
Frieren, who had been about to press her advantage, paused with a look of doubt.
Wasn't this Millicent's technique?
Although she had heard some rumors about the Valkyrie—information on the strong figures of the Lands Between was not lacking—she had never thought the two Flowing Sword styles were one and the same.
They should be different. Now, the Cleanrot Knights' answer negated her previous assumption. It was truly strange.
However, they had no intention of explaining further, only adding, "There are details we are unaware of, but it is of no consequence. Our duty is only to guard this place and carry out our orders to the death. Don't be distracted. Let us fight."
The two paid no mind to their bleeding wounds. No, to be precise, the wounds were covered by Scarlet Rot.
These knights all bore traces of the Flower of Aeonia, possessing the power of life's cycle to mend their injuries and provide them with more vitality. It was no wonder they were a top-tier special force across the entire Lands Between.
She had only encountered the maddened ones in the Swamp of Aeonia before; today, she finally witnessed the true skill of a proper Cleanrot Knight.
"It is said you can utilize the properties of Scarlet Rot. Impressive."
Take this!
Frieren flicked the blood from her Moonveil, her presence becoming even sharper than before, brimming with killing intent.
The narrow and fragile castle wall was inconvenient for using sorcery. What if it collapsed into a complete mess?
It was better to use the more convenient and controllable Moonveil katana to finish the enemies as quickly as possible. She had to be cautious when facing the power of Scarlet Rot.
Thus, her aura became even more imposing than before.
The two Cleanrot Knights' hearts tightened. This was not good. Was a Demigod finally getting serious?
The twin spears struck out once more—
Only this time, Frieren didn't dodge or weave at all, instead meeting them head-on, choosing to use a short weapon for a direct confrontation.
It was a reckless move, yet in the next moment, the Cleanrot Knights were stunned. The scene of a single blade engaging spears played out before them: the thin edge precisely parried the heavy, powerful spearheads, striking once from the left and once from the right to make them lose their balance.
Such exquisite positioning. The shock transmitted to the web of their thumbs almost made them lose their grip.
It wasn't over.
Frieren had already closed in, like a carp swimming smoothly downstream, the sharp edge in her hand blooming in unison. All that remained in their vision was a blue arc of light.
Shadow!
A deep blue slashing sword aura swept across the necks of the two Cleanrot Knights, carving a horizontal trench into the building behind them, leaving a permanent mark.
No armor could block that strike.
In the next moment, Frieren sheathed her blade, not even flushed or out of breath, watching impassively as her enemies fell.
Once the hosts lost their life force, the Scarlet Rot surprisingly began to spread, seeping across the flagstones as if trying to escape.
With a flick of her finger, she used Chaos Flame to purify it completely, leaving no trace behind.
This kind of leftover energy was useless to collect, not worth using the Flower of Aeonia headdress. It was better to eradicate it completely.
It must be that these two didn't have perfect control; otherwise, it wouldn't have leaked out so easily even in death.
The Cleanrot Knights of the Haligtree she would face in the future would only be stronger.
"I've detected activity in the inner castle. It should be the forces left behind by Castellan Maleigh. They have been guarding the fief all this time."
"The one in charge is called Elemer of the Briar. He's skilled with a greatsword, a true master."
Melina had traveled far and wide and was very knowledgeable, quickly recognizing the basic situation of the Shaded Castle. To think that after so many years, they still maintained close ties with the Haligtree was a testament to their loyalty and devotion.
"As long as they don't get in the way, it's fine."
"That's impossible."
"Never mind," Frieren said. "We'll deal with them later. Let's confirm our spoils of war first."
Frieren strode over to the treasure chest. After glancing around to confirm it was generally safe, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The more heavily guarded something was, the more likely there was another trap waiting.
She opened it gently. Inside lay an exquisitely crafted arm, which at first glance looked like a part of a statue.
But when she picked it up, it was quite heavy, and made the sound of mechanical metal scraping.
[Valkyrie's Prosthesis]
[A golden prosthesis said to have been used by the one-armed Valkyrie. It is of extremely fine construction, and with practice, a gifted user should be able to wield it freely. Maleigh, the "Castellan of the Shaded Castle," cherished this object, using it to feel a connection to his goddess.]
Frieren then made a few gestures with it, but unfortunately, she couldn't use it. After all, she wasn't disabled and couldn't verify it.
Or perhaps she could cut off one of her hands and test it, then just use Regen?
That wouldn't work either. The arm was too slender and wouldn't match.
"Were you planning to come to the Shaded Castle to find a prosthesis for Millicent from the very beginning?"
The decisive answer made Melina nod in agreement, marveling at how thoughtful her companion was.
But a hint of complexity entered her eyes. To be so considerate, when they had only met twice.
Perhaps there was some common language between swordmasters...
Wait, she suddenly came to her senses. She had been dwelling on such strange details that she'd overlooked the most basic information.
"If Millicent can use this prosthesis, doesn't that mean she has a deep connection to the Valkyrie? And Sage Gowry and the Cleanrot Knights just now also confirmed it. What exactly is the relationship between them?"
"Even she herself probably doesn't know, but we can treat it as a clue related to the Valkyrie."
"I'll trust you on this. You're always sharp about these things."
Frieren was all too familiar with the omens of a side quest; she could always find the thread. In any case, as long as she paid attention, she wouldn't miss it.
Besides, the player advice had already provided plenty of information, enough for her to piece together more than half of it:
[This is it. Go find Millicent and give it to her.]
[The craftsmanship is amazing. It's not even a weapon? I think it would've been cool for players to use. A prosthetic blade or something would be awesome.]
[It'll happen.]
[Can they release a figure of this? Even if you can't wear it, you could display it.]
[If we meet her again, handing over the quest item should advance the side quest, right? If Millicent reaches the Haligtree in the future, doesn't that make her the character who accompanies the Tarnished the furthest on their journey?]
[I missed the summon for the Magma Wyrm assistance. I wonder if that will cause problems.]
[I remember now, it's you, the twinking invader B1.]
[I knew you were connected to Malenia, the Valkyrie. The experience of being crippled by Scarlet Rot is too similar. Could they actually be sisters?]
[No, she's probably her biological daughter.]
The bizarre line of thought made Frieren raise an eyebrow, making her hesitant to jump to conclusions. The situation was too complex.
Until the truth is finally revealed, player speculation is generally more for entertainment than accuracy and shouldn't be taken as a reliable reference.
But it can't be ignored either, which only made her more curious about the whole story.
Why did the obscure Millicent have so many connections to Malenia?
Ask Gowry?
Setting aside the fact that he's already in hiding, even if he did speak, it would be a string of riddles and nonsense. He couldn't be trusted.
She'd have to think for herself.
Frieren believed there must be some hidden mechanism concerning Demigods that she hadn't yet figured out. Without uncovering that, digging for the truth would be impossible. But it was surely well-hidden, so there was no point in racking her brain now.
After stowing the Valkyrie's Prosthesis, she stretched her back. At the same time, a restless aura emanated from within the castle. A few living corpses howled, all looking towards the location of the treasure chest.
Perhaps they were once Maleigh's house retainers, still abiding by the command to protect the castle.
"That is the apple of Maleigh's eye. He would never allow anyone to take it."
Melina sighed. She really couldn't understand what was so endearing about it.
Malenia clearly had no interest in the Shaded Castle, probably just passed through once. Yet it made the lord so devoted, as if he had been charmed. But Miquella shouldn't have been present at the time.
Frieren, on the other hand, didn't think too much about it. She limbered up and continued on her way, heading deeper into the Shaded Castle.
"I thought you would leave after getting the prosthesis."
"Since I'm already here, and they look like they'd hunt me down anyway... rather than have them make a long trip, it's better to sort everything out right now."
The Moonveil katana was swapped for Lusat's staff. The enemies here weren't strong enough for her to need to dual-wield weapons; one staff was sufficient.
Rock Sling!
A single meteorite silenced the malicious screams. In its place was a collapsing tower, rubble flying everywhere. The ricocheting stone fragments splashed into the poison pool, stirring up ripples and a strange odor that began to spread.
Frieren continued to bombard the area as she walked, like the siege engine fire of an entire army, continuously shelling the central fortress.
Amidst the rumbling, living corpses and Perfumers had already returned to the Erdtree. They had originally planned to lie in ambush and give the intruder a taste of their home-field advantage.
Little did they know that under her ultra-wide-range precision senses, they had nowhere to hide. Every meteorite could accurately blast a large area, yielding a bountiful harvest.
Gravity Magic is perfect for sieges.
"You didn't used to fight so flamboyantly, especially in siege situations," Melina surmised. "Are you preparing for the battle against Leyndell?"
"I have to assume the target is the walls of Leyndell. It will be at least 10 times more difficult to deal with."
"I'm afraid it's more than that, but Gravity Magic should be the optimal choice."
"And I think the Royal Capital's army will build temporary fortresses on the outskirts to block our advance. If we don't take them out, we'll have to face the castle walls' firepower simultaneously. We must find a quick solution—"
Nebula!
Frieren then switched tactics. The chaotic gravity field caused the charging living corpses to plummet to their deaths one after another.
Staying at a high vantage point was not a safe option. She and Melina beside her were practically unstoppable under the barrage of magical firepower.
The defenses of the long-decayed Shaded Castle were no match at all; the remaining walls were as flimsy as paper and broke apart easily. She didn't even need to find a way around to look for an entrance, she could just go straight through.
Deep within a tower room, Elemer of the Briar only felt the ground shake constantly, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Seeing the situation was dire, he had already prepared for battle. He had to defend the Shaded Castle no matter what, and that, of course, included the treasure his master cared about most.
However, when Elemer of the Briar looked down from his high position, he saw no one.
The constant bombardment had just ended, but it was far from a time to relax. First, he would conserve his strength. With that thought, he ordered his few remaining forces to focus on defense; the ground beneath their feet was the last line.
Meanwhile, Frieren was carrying out stealth assassinations.
Combining Unseen Form, Miriam's Vanishing, and silent steps, she blended magic and technique to easily break through the lower levels guarded by numerous sentinels, delivering one-hit kills without ever failing.
As for Melina, she just had to follow from a distance; there was no need for her to act at all.
The constant gathering of Runes signified a great number of deaths. From this distance, they should be able to return to the Erdtree smoothly.
She glanced at the Erdtree.
After so many years, the power of the south had once again set foot on the Altus Plateau. It was no wonder the Shaded Castle was caught off guard and unaware.
In their eyes, only the forces of the plateau itself were worth guarding against.
"Are you also preparing for this?"
"After all, we might also have to consider infiltration. For instance, letting the army handle the frontal assault while we sneak in to break them from the inside, coordinating an attack from both sides." Frieren already had a rough plan and was greatly looking forward to the grand spectacle.
"That depends on whether we can smoothly enter the Erdtree. Otherwise, the situation will be very complicated..."
In the worst-case scenario, the thorns of refusal would still block the path to an audience. At that point, Melina would have to lead the Tarnished to quickly initiate the tree-burning procedure and release Destined Death.
It was very dangerous. Once they entered the Royal Capital, many things could no longer be delayed. Events could easily spiral out of control like a runaway horse, forcing them to fight for every second.
But the optimistic Frieren probably felt no pressure. By now, she had already used her special treasure-hunting ability to collect trifles like Perfumes and Stonesword Keys, leaving no stone unturned.
This was the confidence of an adventurer; her skillset was perfectly suited for 100% completion, always consistent, never wavering.
Just seeing the ever-steadfast and optimistic silver-haired one put Melina's heart at ease.
Back when she was alone, she would have been anxious, wouldn't she?
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the silver-haired girl, now visible, used the Starscourge Greatsword to brutally carve out a path. The way forward was clear, albeit adorned with quite a few living corpses. The moment she set foot on the upper stairs, she felt a greatsword sweeping towards her with the force of a gale.
As she warned, Frieren proactively swung her Moonveil. Sparks flew as the blades clashed, and the attacker faltered for a moment, hastily leaping back to maintain distance. His sure-kill strike had been blocked.
Moreover, Elemer of the Briar clearly felt a sharp pain in his palm. It was terrifying. Despite having the high ground and a weapon advantage, he had been firmly stopped. Unbelievable.
At this moment, the intruder had already walked up the stairs and into the room. She completely ignored the fully-armed guardian, instead curiously scanning her surroundings, not missing a single detail. She didn't hide her thieving side at all; one look at her eyes and you knew she wanted to loot the place clean.
However, in the Lands Between, a powerful person having a few quirks just made them seem more human; it wasn't considered a flaw.
Besides, her background was extraordinary.
The silver-haired girl wore a jeweled crown and a red-shouldered robe. Her custom-made lightweight silver armor looked priceless at a glance, and each piece of equipment was clearly upgraded to a high level... It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was walking around wearing the entire wealth of a fiefdom.
"Could you be that renowned new Quasi-King?"
_____
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