Having spoken, the silver-haired girl descended from the breach in the dark chamber, vanishing from the soldiers' view.
"I told you early on that Messmer was no match for her."
The Mimic Tear made a funny face before disappearing into the night mist, likely heading to the dark chamber as well; there was no need to intercept it anymore. Frieren's declaration of a truce just now was not a proposal, but an order.
At this very moment, her will is unstoppable; one should not be ungrateful or foolish enough to resist.
The entire field fell silent.
The Crusaders looked at each other in dismay, ultimately having no choice but to rest and regroup. Let them discuss amongst themselves to figure things out first; there was no need to interfere.
"Report. The garrison from Castle Ensis requests the gates be opened."
Better to arrive at the right time than early. Upon hearing the messenger's news, the officers immediately understood that this had been pre-arranged. Once the Soul Cinder King's battle reached a conclusion, the Carian Army would be responsible for implementing the takeover, or at least ensuring a military presence.
Although ruling a vast territory comprising the three southern lands—nearly half of the Lands Between—her available military force in the Land of Shadow was scant.
"Open the gates. Let them all in."
"No, simply relax martial law towards the south and focus defenses against the Hornsent direction. As things stand, we no longer need to defend; it is time to attack."
"Letting the Carian people come is fine; Lady Ranni can persuade the Commander."
A major reason for this battle lay in Messmer's stubbornness.
Had he been willing to talk, or even communicate properly with Frieren midway, Melina would certainly have acted as a bridge for communication. Yet, this loyal scion of the Golden Order insisted on a real fight with real weapons.
Forget it.
Although he suffered some superficial wounds, it wasn't a bad thing to let him thoroughly experience how the times have changed.
Many Crusader soldiers already had the answer in their hearts: they had been abandoned by Marika's schemes. Out of respect for the Grace granted in the past and a sense of justice, they would continue their mission to eliminate the Hornsent, but what then? They needed a place to belong.
Their hearts had already turned toward the Soul Cinder King. Just as they once upheld the new order of the Golden Dynasty, they would fight for a new order today.
Outside the city gates.
Seeing the gates of the Shadow Keep thrown open, the first wave of Carian troops immediately issued orders:
"Report to Lady Ranni immediately; ask her to put aside the deployment in the Gravesite Plain for now and come to the Shadow Keep as soon as possible to stabilize the situation together with Lady Ranni."
One cannot be too trusting; we must ensure the occupation is secure.
Frieren's squad, unskilled in military affairs, could only ensure the suppression of the Crusaders in the broad sense. Specific details had to be confirmed by professionals; after all, one could not assert that they would all submit.
Regardless, the Carian Army breathed a sigh of relief, happy for their allied forces based on years of shared experience.
To hell with Marika.
There is no need to cherish someone who betrayed everyone; the best revenge is a change of dynasty.
Now that Ranni holds the Order of the Stars and is seen as the future god, and her consort, King Frieren, is invincible—coupled with the support of various other factions—the prototype of a new order is complete. The core team is assembled.
No joking, we Carians have truly become a dynasty.
The advance squad entered swiftly. What met their eyes was the Shadow Keep, with sand and masonry constantly tumbling from the heights; it appeared to be heavily damaged.
The air was permeated with a burnt smell, and electric sparks flickered from time to time.
The power of the Ancient Dragons!
The intelligence was correct. After the last battle at Jagged Peak, the Soul Cinder King, having gained Florisaxx's allegiance, mastered the power of the Ancient Dragons. Combined with the abilities of the Dread Dragon's heart, she had likely become the perfect Ancient Dragon Knight, hence creating these traces.
The Carian squad almost thought they had entered a volcanic crater; the temperature was incredibly high, with waves of heat rushing toward them.
Looking around, flames still lingered atop the towers, like torches. If it were night, they would be enough to illuminate Scadu Altus. Truly the result of an all-out duel between two top-tier Demigods.
"Her Majesty must have won decisively."
"I felt it too. It is mostly the magic she left behind. Although she restrained the destructive power, the sheer volume is overwhelming."
"However, I see the Crusaders haven't completely lowered their guard."
"They are used to being vigilant, after all. And since Messmer hasn't given the order yet, they can't ignore their Commander's will. His specific choice depends on the persuasion of Her Majesty and the Witch."
"The carrot and the stick, huh."
In reality, both the Carian Army and the Crusaders knew that the outcome was already decided.
According to the traditional standards of the Lands Between, the Soul Cinder King had now conquered the entire Shadow Keep, so Messmer's choice was not that important. It was just that Her Majesty and the Witch preferred to win his true allegiance.
It would likely take some talking...
"Long time no see. You guys look good." A familiar comrade greeted them proactively.
"Of course, it is because of Her Majesty's Grace. Even the available troops within Castle Ensis have increased; many of the living dead have regained their condition."
"Truly living up to the reputation."
"What about you? Did Her Majesty fight her way in or sneak in?"
"She sneaked in. We were run ragged; we never expected she would use that move."
"Oh? Do tell in detail."
Reunited after a long time, the two sides chatted about major events in the Land of Shadow during this period, and of course, some intelligence from the Lands Between. Thanks to Ranni actively coordinating a vast amount of information, everyone's news awareness had finally caught up with the Lands Between.
It was just that many in the Shadow Keep were still unaware, listening in stunned silence, full of shock. There was too much to talk about...
Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
Ranni gazed in the direction of the pitch-black castle. Even from this distance, she could feel the tides of magic; one could imagine how fierce the great battle had been.
She turned back to look at the members of the follower squad, all of whom had arrived after the assembly order.
Thus, they could be regarded as comrades who had chosen to follow to the very end.
"...I see. So Thiollier, Ansbach, and Frieren still chose other paths." The Needle Knight gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "To disregard the gentle world promised by Lord Miquella."
There was both regret and a trace of resentment.
We could have been a team witnessing the ascension of a God and a Lord.
It was one thing for Frieren, who was already a Lord, to withdraw, but to lose two more members? It certainly wasn't that Lord Miquella lacked charisma, but that she herself lacked the ability, dragging things down.
Freyja said, "I spoke with Ansbach and Frieren. They do not approve of Lord Miquella's path, and even feel that he, having done such things, is dangerous."
"Dullards naturally do not understand what sacrifices a God must make."
"If the Lands Between can be saved, we will support Lord Miquella. He and the General are the closest to success."
"Let the duel between Lord and Lord determine the fate of the Lands Between. Let us head to the Spiral Tower first."
Everyone nodded and continued their forced march.
Not all of them were dead set on this, but they believed the future Miquella painted was reasonable. Especially since the Pure Empyrean and the Promised Consort were already incredibly close to the throne, they might as well witness it to the final moment, even with the resolve to die for it.
The squad of followers officially entered the Ancient Ruins sector.
Inside the dark chamber.
The Crusaders' medical personnel set up a large makeshift bed, which finally accommodated Messmer's towering frame.
At this moment, he slept peacefully. Apart from bandages on some heavily wounded areas, the radiance of the Minor Erdtree beside him never ceased. Of course, this included Sunlight Healing as well; with both approaches working together, the cure was effective.
"The Commander's injuries are already improving; he is just unconscious from exhaustion."
A Perfumer gave the diagnosis.
"I used some calming aromatics to let him sleep deeply for a while. After being tired for so long, he deserves to recharge."
"Thank you." Melina finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"No need to thank me. It is thanks to the treatment from you and Her Majesty that Lord Messmer could recover so quickly. He will wake up before long. We will take our leave now; please rest well, everyone. We have prepared rooms and are ready to host you at any time."
"You should repair the Specimen Storehouse first." Frieren was most concerned that this good place shouldn't collapse.
"Understood."
The personal guards left one by one, leaving the space to the family.
Ultimately, this was an internal matter they could handle; it didn't need to be a fight to the death. After all, the Soul Cinder King had shown mercy even in the face of Messmer's all-out assault, so clearly, she would not harm the Commander.
Moreover, it was common knowledge that Melina's connection was extremely important. With her present, things wouldn't get too ugly, so the Crusaders boldly went to clean up the battlefield.
The Mimic Tear, the least treated as an outsider, simply found a lounge chair and lay back leisurely, looking relaxed and comfortable.
People are in high spirits when good events occur.
"Mother, now more than half of the Land of Shadow is under your control."
"I suppose so, but the hardest parts are all after the Church District. We must be prepared and cannot let our guard down."
Frieren dared not be negligent. Miquella, who had prepared for thousands of years, was certainly stronger than other competitors who started halfway. The Promised Consort would be her strongest enemy in the Lands Between, worth giving her all.
And the possibility of Miquella fighting alongside him could not be ruled out.
As Trina said, those who try to stop them must face an unprecedented God-Lord duo; the disparity in configuration is too vast.
"How about letting Ranni fight alongside you?" Melina suggested.
"She has to handle the Mother of Fingers. That fellow also hid in the Spiral Tower and joined forces with Miquella."
"I will take care of It."
The Witch gestured with her dagger imbued with Destined Death.
"That's good." The Mimic Tear was full of praise. "We should use the cursed Rune of Death to kill those disgusting Finger creatures. It should feel even better than using the Fingerslayer Blade. Let the main culprit experience it properly."
"We can change the deployment, but we have to wait until everyone arrives to discuss it. Don't worry, I have plenty of trump cards to deal with the Promised Consort and Miquella."
Since Frieren had guaranteed it, the two naturally believed her.
She never fought unprepared battles, and her endless stream of methods gave people confidence; she was unfathomable. Battles that could severely injure Frieren were rare, and no one knew where her limits lay.
Although the enemy was strong, unprecedentedly so, the Soul Cinder King was the same.
Who was stronger and who was weaker?
No one knew before the actual battle. The Lands Between never lacked such suspenseful battles, and being in the midst of one made one's blood boil even more.
They wouldn't advise using other schemes to weaken or divide them. If Frieren could win fair and square, defeating a God and a Lord would surely bring her fame comparable to the First Elden Lord; it was the most ideal path to kingship.
Miquella likely had the same idea.
If he defeated the Soul Cinder King, known as the one closest to being Elden Lord, he would surely become famous everywhere, enough to overshadow the trivial matter of using the Hornsent army.
Both sides needed each other.
But it was the need to kill the other; between Lord and Lord, only one could survive.
Just as they were discussing, Messmer coughed a few times. Even though the Perfumer had prepared medicine, he insisted on waking up, regaining his spirit almost as soon as his injuries improved.
He sat up immediately, looking at the three with a conflicted expression, his gaze finally landing on Melina:
"So you knew about the Kindling Maiden's mission all along?"
"Yes."
"Frieren, what is your choice?"
"I will absolutely not sacrifice Melina, but I will also open the Erdtree's seal and obtain the Elden Ring to repair the Lands Between."
"Truly whimsical. But the strong always have more choices. Perhaps it will work; I also pray it will, because Melina should not sacrifice herself for that mission."
"Elder Brother..."
The attitude Messmer displayed had already given the answer. In fact, this was both what he cared about most and a clever negotiation; regardless, the two at least had a consensus on Melina's matter.
With a good beginning and foundation, any subsequent disagreements wouldn't be too sharp.
The situation was stronger than the man. The dignified Commander of the Crusaders wasn't stubborn enough to deny defeat. The only question now was the fate of the Crusaders. Compared to the fate of his comrades, even his own destiny could take a back seat...
Suddenly, he subconsciously touched his eye socket; it was intact.
"My eye?"
"Marika's sealing technique regarding the Blasphemous Flame is indeed profound, but I can handle it, especially after repairing your physical defects, it became easier."
"How is that possible? How can you understand Mother's abilities? This is a seal given to me by a true God."
"Just try it first and see if it works well."
Hearing this, Messmer carefully sensed his new eye. It was indeed regenerated through healing. It was simply unbelievable; even the restless Blasphemous Flame within his body was suppressed, curling up obediently.
It became well-behaved, as if intimidated by some power. truly strange.
He guessed it was that special energy of the Soul Cinder King at work. Regardless, the facts were before his eyes:
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"As long as you find it comfortable. It was my first time trying it too."
Frieren spoke lightly, but in reality, it required extremely high attainment in Sealing Magic. Furthermore, it retained the power of the Elden Ring, so the caster had to possess multiple Great Runes to catch up on the magical level.
Secondly, the Blasphemous Flame was indeed difficult to handle and gave her a headache for a time. Finally, on a whim, she let the First Flame burn it once, and it became honest and submissive.
Finally came the repair of the perennial facial burns and disability, which turned out to be the simplest part.
Messmer also understood the difficulties involved, but voicing a thousand thanks was not his style; instead, he silently committed it to heart. He had to admit, he had been tied to their pirate ship as well.
In fact, he had been prepared to die from the lifting of the seal.
Yet he had unexpectedly snatched his life back.
He extended his hand and condensed a ball of fire. It lacked a trace of black aura and was more stable. Moreover, his physique had strengthened slightly; it was a long-lost power:
"Did you... grant me Grace?"
"Correct."
"Even though you are Tarnished, you do not use the Great Runes for battle, but instead generously grant Grace to others. You are truly strange. Is this what Melina likes about you?"
____
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