The other exchange prize was the [Staring Finger]. A club-shaped item that looks literally like a finger.
How strange.
Frieren disliked it at first glance, but she still read the description:
[An item that is the head of "Metyr, Mother of Fingers," used directly as a weapon.]
[At the fingertip, in the center of the fingerprint, there is a small, wart-like eye, gazing into the distance with a hollow look.]
This description is also very ugly.
Frieren glanced at the remaining weapon skill and ignored it.
She tolerated it on account of the Mother of Fingers' impressive background, treating it as a collector's item, but it was impossible to expect her to ever use it. It had no power, no aesthetic appeal—what good was it?
As expected, the reward it dropped was as ugly as the person herself, a far cry from the God-King's rewards.
The silver-haired girl's undisguised look of disappointment amused Ranni and Melina. This was truly Her Majesty's style.
She had recovered.
Although Frieren's brow still showed the fatigue from the burden of the Soul of Cinder Incarnation, she was at least stronger than when she first appeared so weak, which reassured the two of them. It seemed that collectibles were what invigorated her the most.
So, after a while, she received another unexpected new treasure:
Messmer's incantation and Gaius's sorcery.
They handed over their signature skills to Frieren. After all, having one more person who could use them would add to their strength. It was better to give them to Her Majesty than to let them be buried.
It would be useless for anyone else without the talent to learn them, but there was no problem for the number one magical genius in the Lands Between.
[Messmer's Fireball]
[An incantation of "Messmer the Impaler." Forms a massive fireball of condensed Messmer's Flame in the air, which flies rapidly toward the enemy, pinning them to the ground before instantly detonating.]
[Charging enhances its power.]
[Messmer loathed his own flame—he had tried many times to extinguish it, to douse it.]
An incantation from an ally was indeed powerful, much better than the often-humorous rewards found in the Land of Shadow. Frieren had seen this move before and understood its might.
The destruction of the serpent's fire was not to be underestimated, and this time, it did not burn for hatred.
He had already cured the hidden danger of the serpent's defiling curse and had found his family, Melina. His presence was much more stable than before.
[Rock Blade]
[A sorcery of Veteran Gaius that controls gravity. Forms a blade of rock from the earth. Charging enhances its power.]
[It is said that in his youth, Gaius studied and learned this technique alongside Radahn.]
It was a bit plain, but it perfectly suited the style of gravity magic.
Now that the King of Promise was history, the title of the strongest gravity magic user had returned to Frieren. In Gaius's view, there was no one better to carry on these skills. Powerful magic deserves a monarch, and so he taught her everything he knew.
...Additionally, there were the relics of the followers, found in the ruins of the Spiral Tower.
They had already been injured in the battle against Ansbach, Thiollier, and the others, and were then caught in the crossfire of the battle between Frieren and the King of Promise. Their end was no surprise. This farce of grievances ended here.
Frieren also confirmed and collected the remaining Hornsent weapons and incantations.
She refused no one.
However, after checking everything, the most useful items were still the Remembrances of the King of Promise and the god. Dropping these items meant Miquella had lost completely, bankrupted, his millennia of scheming destroyed in an instant.
The player messages also gave it a good evaluation.
[I love Miquella's orbital cannon the most. Paired with the Crown of Light, he's simply the true Elden Lord.]
[Start with a light cannon to show friendliness. Who cares about the hit rate? As long as it's cool, that's all that matters.]
[The wind-up is a bit long, but the range makes up for it.]
[Why has everyone in PVP been spamming light cannons lately? They don't care if they hit or not, they just repeat it. Anyone watching would think I've eaten shit.]
[The Holy attribute isn't versatile enough. The damage will be reduced once we're back in the Lands Between.]
[Then just stack equipment buffs. I'm going to beat the game by spamming the light cannon.]
[Not for any other reason, just for the special effects.]
[This is the kind of reward a god should drop. Power is secondary; the key is that it looks stylish at a glance.]
Frieren also recognized the high quality of Miquella's Light. In comparison, the King of Promise's sword wasn't as eye-catching, though it was certainly powerful and commendable. However, while there are many powerful weapon builds, few stand out from the crowd at a glance.
She had now basically confirmed most of her collectibles, with only minor details remaining. After finishing her chanting, the girl took a much-needed rest...
Two days later.
Messmer led the Black Knights, bringing chests full of collectibles, among which were many treasures. However, Frieren didn't have a chance to look, as he clearly had something important to ask her.
"Your Majesty, all the spoils from the Spiral Tower are here."
"What are your plans next?"
"We've all grown tired of the Land of Shadow and definitely want to be stationed in the Lands Between. I hope you will permit it."
"No problem, that's what I was thinking too." Frieren turned to give instructions: "Edgar, you will bring a portion of the second-line troops to the Land of Shadow for rotational guard duty, and to train under the influence of the ancient power."
"I will temper those new recruits well."
"The contamination in Caelid has been mostly cleared, and the land is now very empty. Messmer, let the Crusade Army operate there for now."
"As you command."
"Lady Rellana, you should be returning to the Academy. You can be stationed in Liurnia."
"It just so happens I wanted to catch up with my sister."
"Please convey to Mother that I will be staying at Stormveil Castle for a while, as Her Majesty will be entering her slumber again."
Ranni gave Frieren a deep look; she should be more concerned about the King's condition.
"I understand." The Twin Moon Knight smiled, then left with Messmer.
The two needed to chat before their brief parting, and the subsequent relocation of the grand army would be no easy task.
What's more, they needed to visit their maternal home, the Carian Royal Family.
It had been too long since they had seen Ranni. They would not only catch up but also consider everyone's future, as the Lands Between was irreversibly turning towards a new era.
An era started by Frieren.
But no one could stop it. The torrent would reshape everything, and every step forward was equally important.
It wasn't just the Crusade Army and the Carian Army that were about to move. Necessary baggage, spoils of war, and resources accumulated over many years also had to be brought back. One could imagine the amount of luggage, which would also test their organizational skills.
However, everyone wore smiles, their eyes bright like torches, their faces flushed.
Tomorrow was full of hope.
After so many years, what they saw when they looked up was finally not the Scadutree, but the brilliant Erdtree illuminating the Lands Between. Everything was full of life.
Having personally experienced the Soul of Cinder King's campaign, the entire army believed even more in this monarch's character. One who could bear that flame was surely a person who cared for the world and made sacrifices, and could also save the Lands Between.
"Everyone, prepare to withdraw." Frieren ordered.
"Melina, Ranni, come with me to see Trina."
The Purple Velvet Garden Cavern.
The place of confinement welcomed three guests. When they stepped onto the velvet-like flowers and muddy earth, a wisp of ghostflame rose.
A white figure even bubbled up from it, head bowed, observing them. The moment it saw Frieren in the lead, it hastily retracted, as if seeing something terribly frightening.
"You scared it. It seems to have some lingering memories of you," Melina said with interest.
"As expected, it revived from the ooze. How fascinating."
Life in the Lands Between could still cycle, maintaining a healthy state. It was just that some contamination was at play, not yet spreading like the curse of the Undead.
There was much more hope than in the world of Dark Souls.
Ranni, here for the first time, looked around and murmured, "I never thought there was such a large area beneath the Cerulean Coast. I wonder which ancient civilization left it behind. It's a pity to use it as a prison."
"I can sense the attribute of hypnosis magic. It's different from Miquella's pure magic. Is he a two-sided god?"
Her two companions nodded.
"If Miquella can switch forms, are there other gods who can do the same?"
Suddenly, Melina stopped, her brows furrowed as she said:
"Back when I was still ignorant, I did sense a different magical reaction within Mother Marika's body. It wasn't a different attribute, but a change in nature, as if she had become a different person. I thought it was my imagination. But after going to Witchbane Ruins, I became more certain that there was definitely something wrong back then."
"I was just mentioning it casually. It's a pity that after losing my physical body, my perception of our bloodline has weakened. Otherwise, I could verify it with you."
"Asking Trina should provide some clues," Frieren suggested.
The group continued deeper.
As expected, they found a set of fresh footprints and the magical aura of Thiollier, but he had already left.
He had indeed come in a hurry to report the situation, but he hadn't stayed for any length of time.
Frieren guessed that the lesson from the Mimic Tear had made Thiollier realize he was too weak. Even after experiencing the God-King war, it wasn't enough. He had decided to train himself and work hard.
What this man lacked most was precisely a strong heart.
Thiollier's performance in the war had impressed Frieren. He was dependable at critical moments. They would surely meet again in the future.
She put away her thoughts and entered the hidden cave.
A cluster of deep purple flowers swayed slightly in the wind. The girl with long, wavy hair lying on top was still asleep. When she sensed the visitors, her long purple eyelashes trembled slightly, and she opened a pair of sleepy eyes.
A closer look revealed her gaze was firm, yet she gave off a sense of lazy weariness.
Anyone who saw her would feel a wave of drowsiness, as she naturally carried a strong hypnotic magic. If not for Frieren, Melina, and Ranni each having their own resistances, they would probably be sound asleep by now.
"Welcome, the god and king who will soon ascend the throne of the new era, and the preceptor of the witch."
The three politely returned the greeting.
Frieren spoke first: "How are you feeling now? Are you any better? How are your injuries?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty, I am no longer under pressure from Miquella's side. He is also very weak, so I don't have to sleep as often. We have finally met in reality."
"That's good. What are your thoughts on his whereabouts?"
"In terms of defensible terrain alone, the Haligtree might even surpass Leyndell, the Golden Capital. It's enough to protect Miquella while he recuperates for a while. But since he has ascended to godhood, his power of purity will advance further, and he might even be able to further heal Malenia. At that time, you might face the Valkyrie in her complete form, the invincible, true Blade of Miquella."
"That's the good news. What's the bad news?"
"Then there is no bad news. A monarch like you would rather look forward to a contest, wouldn't you?"
An ordinary person would be wary of the Valkyrie who had suppressed the Scarlet Rot, another existence who could be called the strongest Demigod. But for the Soul Cinder King, it was irrelevant. With the victory over the God-King, her strength has likely improved.
Trina didn't understand combat well, but she could feel a more profound and restrained aura of Runes than last time.
The Runes gained from killing the King of Promise must have been considerable.
"What are your plans next?"
Frieren had already lost count of how many times she had said similar words these past few days. With the matter of the Land of Shadow concluded, everyone was going their separate ways.
"Unfortunately, this body of mine is not convenient to move. Miquella separated me quite crudely back then, so my injuries haven't fully healed yet. I'll probably need to recuperate for a long time…"
"Hm?"
The silver-haired girl took out a Crown of Light. Not only that, but it was entwined with a large amount of Miquella's physical magic power, which was needed by the incomplete other half.
"I used this catalyst to collect Miquella's sigils and absorb his magic power."
"It's enough to heal your wounds. Besides, Melina and Ranni are here. They are experts in this field."
"Yes, come on. Coordinate with my magical guidance, a little slower."
Frieren slowly knelt before the flower, using the Crown of Light as a catalyst to drive magic into Trina's body. The aura of life indeed began to burgeon at a visible rate, gradually recovering.
A miracle was happening before their eyes.
Logically, such a wound from being torn in half should be impossible to repair, not even to alleviate. But now, everything was improving.
Trina's originally abnormal posture gradually corrected, and her body structure normalized.
The long-lost feeling of health was astonishing. She even touched her hands in disbelief and looked around shyly. The three guests offered friendly smiles. That's right, the treatment was a success.
"Trina, we were just discussing a question. Can gods actively split themselves…?"
The group shared their deduction in passing.
"Indeed, I have never seen Mother Marika and Lord Radagon appear at the same time. It's the same for you, isn't it, Ranni? Our impressions should be similar."
The blue-haired puppet girl nodded. "There is definitely a problem here."
"We should find clues when we investigate the Altus Plateau. It won't be too late to think about it when we get there."
Frieren had little interest in topics of truth and deduction; it would all come to light eventually. Having finished her main business, she felt drowsy again. She needed to return to reality to rest as soon as possible; things here had to be expedited.
Melina suggested, "Let me treat Miss Trina as we walk. The army is waiting on the Cerulean Coast anyway."
"Although I can't walk, I've recovered. Let's set off."
The four of them left the massive cavern together.
For Trina, her life as a prisoner was over. Supported by gravity magic, she was able to look down upon the cave.
"Your Majesty won the God-King war, which is enough to decide the fate of the Lands Between, yet you still put me as the first priority after regrouping? It's clearly a small matter."
"I do big things precisely for the sake of these small things."
On the surface.
Frieren's arrival with a new companion amazed everyone. Although they had heard about her, they didn't expect her temperament to be completely different from Miquella's.
The name of Saint Trina was widely known in the Lands Between, and now they had met her in person.
"From now on, she will be stationed at Stormveil Castle, in charge of healing."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
No one questioned the monarch's decisive ruling. Moreover, this renowned lady was very skilled, and having another talent was always a good thing. As for the grievances with Miquella? It didn't matter; he would be dealt with sooner or later.
In fact, the act of taking in the abandoned half, if it were to spread, would better demonstrate the Soul Cinder King's gentleness and tolerance.
The one who abandoned failed; the one who didn't give up succeeded.
This was the best example for the Lands Between.
Frieren summoned Torrent and mounted him, gazing into the distance. The ruins of the collapsed Spiral Tower shimmered with dust in the sunlight.
It wouldn't be repaired for a very long time, just like the other ruins in the Lands Between. However, history had remembered it forever. Sooner or later, this land would be revitalized.
It was just that the focus of work was now in the south, not the Land of Shadow.
Just like the new towns constantly being built in Manchester, Limgrave, and Liurnia, some places decline, some revive—the world cycles on.
The Crusade Army would also bring new life to Caelid.
She slowly turned the reins on horseback, looking around at the seventy thousand-strong army, fully prepared.
How majestic.
The oppressive feeling was even greater than when they arrived. They attacked like thunder and stood firm like mountains. A single God-King war had brought them a transformation, thoroughly turning them into a top-tier army.
"Depart! Our target is the southern continent! Triumphant return—!"
Cheers responded to Frieren's declaration. Singing songs of victory, they strode towards a renewed land.
A portion of the army temporarily remained behind to be stationed. However, the area was not far from the south, so the Liurnian forces could provide support at any time. Later, second-line troops would be sent in as reinforcements.
The Crusade Army's withdrawal was the most thorough.
They were the most emotional, having basically packed everything up. But Castle Ensis and the Shadow Keep, which they had built with their own hands, were left completely intact. Was it nostalgia or hatred?
Their thousands of years of military life in the Land of Shadow had ended. A new life was about to begin.
Frieren gave them a choice: they could disband or continue to fight, even go back and join the Royal Capital's army. It didn't matter. And no matter what they chose, she promised a substantial "resettlement fee."
Yes, even those who remained to fight would receive compensation. It sounded strange, but it had a deep meaning:
Say goodbye to Marika and Godfrey.
Now you are the people of the Soul Cinder King and the God of the Stars, and you fight for them.
Very few made other choices, so the Crusade Army at this moment was not at full strength, and even further from its complete formation of thousands of years ago. Time passes.
The vast majority continued to follow Messmer.
Since they had followed their commander this far, they might as well follow his new superior to create a new Lands Between.
As for the Carian Army, they always had a home. Learning that after many twists and turns, the Carian Royal Family was still developing under Frieren's protection, they were both emotional and relieved. Having missed the crucial period of the Academy's usurpation, they could not miss the revival this time.
Nor could they miss the future, life-defining battle for the Royal Capital.
Farewell.
After silently bidding farewell to the Land of Shadow in their hearts, the entire Crusade Army marched forward with great strides, embarking on a path of triumph that had been delayed for thousands of years.
Some were happy, some were sad. The Haligtree army, returning to their city in disarray, began a full lockdown.
The travel-worn Valkyrie Malenia, who had even unleashed her ultimate Scarlet Rot technique, unsurprisingly had to meditate and recuperate. The remaining Miquella also had to recover from his injuries and could not move for the time being.
The piercing wound from Frieren's final move was not easy to deal with. Fortunately, the King of Promise had acted as a shield, otherwise that blow would have been enough to take the god with him.
She probably held back at the critical moment.
In a room deep within the Haligtree, after settling the two siblings, Loretta further confirmed their injuries.
"Lord Miquella, you are truly fortunate. I never thought the Soul Cinder King's favored soul-killing property would be... alright."
"No, it was probably on account of Trina. The victor can exercise the absolute right of life and death. Frieren has already killed the King of Promise; the rest are merely her spoils of war."
"You and Lady Malenia should rest first. The sturdiness of the Haligtree will hold."
"In any case, I'll be relying on you during this time."
Then, Miquella, while recuperating, gave a portion of his pure power to Malenia. The only gain was perhaps the ability to further dispel the Scarlet Rot.
Seeing this, Loretta took her leave and immediately began to deploy a full defense.
In reality, the entire Haligtree army knew that not even an army of 200,000 could hope to conquer the natural fortress of Elphael.
But what about one person?
If the Soul Cinder King Frieren were to campaign alone, the Haligtree probably couldn't stop her. But that wasn't for Loretta to speculate. She had to carry out her orders and be prepared. The war in the Land of Shadow was over, but the war of the God-Kings had not yet truly ended.
Now was a time of victory, and no one would fuss over minor details. But the Army of Cinder would not forget; they would surely come to tie up loose ends.
The Golden Capital welcomed a new group of guests.
A small portion of Black Knights and Flame Knights who chose to return to the Royal Capital finally arrived. Times had changed. Witnessing the dim light of Grace, they were left with only regret. Although they had long expected it, it was a bit too dilapidated.
They would just witness the final moments of the dynasty, and see her off.
However, when they arrived at the Queen's Bedchamber, they discovered an avatar. A tall, golden shade appeared; it was a figure they were all too familiar with.
"Your Majesty, have you returned?"
"Not yet. It's just that as the distance to the Lands Between shortens, I can now fully connect with this avatar."
What they saw was the robust figure of the First Lord, with white hair and a white beard, a crown on his head, and a resolute face as if carved by a knife. Fully armed, his cape fluttered. He was still the man they knew.
Life outside the Lands Between had not hindered Godfrey's power in the slightest; on the contrary, he had become more stable.
He had an added touch of calm, concealing even more power.
The Crusade Army soldiers looked around and even saw Crucible Knights with them. It was a dreamlike scene.
"The First Lord will surely be victorious."
"You may go and rest. Now is not the time for an announcement. When I set foot on the Lands Between, I will naturally proclaim it to everyone. Then, let the long turmoil end."
"As you command."
After the Crusade Army left, Godfrey turned his head, only to see Morgott wrapped tightly in his long robe, pretending not to exist.
"As the Grace-Given King, don't you plan to speak with them?"
"We know all the intelligence we need to. Besides, after just leaving the filthy presence of the Flame of Frenzy, to see a fellow with Omen Horns... is a bit too cruel. It's better not to meet."
"So awkward. How are you to be king like this?"
"Thankfully, you are about to return."
____
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