Castle Morne meeting room.
Kenneth arrived, travel-worn. Under Frieren's watchful eye, he greeted Edgar with a broad smile; the two seemed to get along amiably.
"Lord Castellan, hearing of the rebellion here, I dispatched troops immediately. Thanks also to the Tarnished's help, the dawn of peace has finally broken over the Weeping Peninsula."
"Thank you for thinking of us. I hear reconstruction can begin at Summonwater Village..."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, completing the requisite noble formalities.
They then discussed specific deployments. After all, exploring the various cave dungeons required support from Limgrave; crushing enemies with superior forces was the safest approach.
Edgar actually felt quite conflicted. He hadn't even decided to pledge allegiance yet, so how was he getting increasingly tied to her war chariot?
There was no turning back now.
While his subordinates had much to consider, their boss only needed to read magic books. At this moment, the silver-haired girl sat in the main seat, flipping through a thick stack of scrolls, including a Royal House Scroll.
It was said Kenneth found it near Lake Agheel and came specifically to present it as treasure.
This man seemed somewhat flamboyant and eager to show off, but he was actually reliable, remembering his tasks. Thanks to this scroll, she could learn more magic from Sellen. What awaited? The anticipation grew.
"Lady Frieren."
A cautious request interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, meeting Kenneth's questioning gaze.
"To be honest, to supplement our combat strength, I've gathered a group of Dragon Communion warriors. They follow the methods from the Storm Lord era, consuming dragon flesh and blood to grow stronger. The side effect is gradual draconic transformation over time. Could you possibly heal the mildly afflicted?"
Edgar nodded, "I have some here as well. There are signs of their souls transforming towards dragons. If this can be suppressed, they will become a powerful asset."
"I am very interested in soul-related subjects."
Led by the two men, Frieren arrived at Castle Morne's training ground. Before her eyes were several flying dragons, a glimmer of humanity flashing within their eyes, sadly fading.
In its most severe form, the Dragon Communion ritual caused species transformation – many flying dragons originated this way. Fortunately, some remained usable by humans, hence this unique troop type characteristic of the Limgrave region.
They served excellently as aerial units or transport teams, greatly beneficial.
If they could tame more flying dragons, the army's strength could increase significantly, proving very useful against towering city walls.
But the immediate priority was treating and suppressing the mildly afflicted.
"What you call 'mildly afflicted' is anything but light." Frieren observed the individuals distorted by draconic features. "Power always comes at a price. Healing does too. It will be very painful."
"We are prepared."
The Dragon Communion warrior's voice was extremely hoarse, nearly devoid of sanity. They truly had no other choice; they had to take a gamble.
Miracle spell: Sunlight Heal, soul-improved version. Light showered upon the targets. The soldiers instantly clutched their heads, roaring in agony, but promisingly, the draconic features did indeed recede somewhat.
Soul research techniques from two worlds blossomed here; even the side effects of Dragon Communion were suppressed.
The sunlight emanating from Frieren gave a warm, comforting feeling, an assurance originating from the soul itself. Many Dragon Communion practitioners couldn't help but kneel and salute.
"Long live!"
With this power, they could at least alleviate their pain and reduce their worries.
Consuming dragon flesh would continue as needed – for survival, for battle, for protection. The Lands Between offered equal opportunities to grow stronger, but don't expect it to be easy. Avoiding torment was already a grace.
They seemed to feel a resonance of souls, a fiercely burning fire radiating light, sheltering everyone. This was a Lord of Cinder.
Frieren, at this moment, had a new discovery:
The draconic transformation indeed affected the soul. Healing reversed the process. According to the principle of magical reversibility, doesn't this mean one could potentially transform someone into a flying dragon and back again? Eventually researching dragon transformation sorcery?
No, flying dragons are actually incomplete, with too many flaws, easily misleading the research direction. The Ancient Dragons, representing the pinnacle of the Lands Between's biological hierarchy, offer more reference value.
Just as she pondered, the surrounding soldiers exclaimed:
"It's soul sorcery never before seen in the Lands Between! A completely new school of research!"
"Your greatness is like that of the sorcerers who pioneered new paths!"
"Benevolent Lord of Soul and Cinder!"
Such praise made Frieren's lips curve upwards. Being recognized was one thing; the results of her magic were what mattered. She needed to delve deeper into knowledge.
After a moment, she dispersed the healing energy. The dragon-transformed individuals, who had been barely human and on the verge of death, showed significantly fewer signs of mutation. They were lively and active, capable of fighting several more high-intensity battles.
Naturally, they expressed immense gratitude; without this life extension, they would surely have been forced to join the ranks of the flying dragons entirely.
Kenneth suggested, "Then perhaps we should promote the Dragon Communion ritual slightly. Also, I advise Your Ladyship, after gaining control of Limgrave, to visit the Church of Dragon Communion. You might find something unexpected."
"What?"
"It's a ritual spread by the Ancient Dragons long ago, widely practiced under the Storm Lord's rule. Rebuilding that place might attract the attention of the Ancient Dragons."
"I'll remember that. After dealing with Stormveil."
"Although few Ancient Dragons remain, interacting with them is worthwhile."
Melina's voice reached Frieren's ears, "To most, the Ancient Dragons have withered to less than a handful, but it's not that severe. Some Ancient Dragons still associate with even older civilizations and haven't made an appearance. A group of active ones also lives in the sky city."
"The Lands Between is truly vast. I will eventually visit the place where the Ancient Dragons live. Who wouldn't want to glimpse such magnificent life?"
This served as both a reply to the Maiden and conveyed lofty aspirations to the soldiers.
That means burning the tree.
For Melina, the Tarnished reaching the sky city symbolized an eternal farewell, one she likely wouldn't witness. But Frieren's imposing spirit could surely win over even the Ancient Dragons. Let the blessing remain buried deep in my heart.
"The meeting concludes here. After assembling, it's time to depart."
Edgar issued the order to march. According to the previous deployment, he and Kenneth would protect Castle Morne, while the Farron Undead Legion and the Black Knife Assassin would each lead a contingent of peninsula soldiers to break through the cave labyrinths.
They would take the south-central route, the main task being to clear out monster spawning locations to prevent constant harassment of roads and disruption of civilian life.
The north-central route, requiring passage through the Demi-Human Forest Ruins and the Evergaol, demanded the highest strength and was thus assigned to the strongest individual.
Frieren set off alone, single spear and horse.
After all, neither the Demi-Human chieftain nor the Ancient Hero of Zamor were easy opponents. Having her suppress them ensured both speed and results.
After a round of deploying forces, the main army marched out from Castle Morne, even including special units like flying dragons and Dragon Communion practitioners. Not only that, but in reality, the Weeping Peninsula and eastern Limgrave were undergoing deep mobilization.
The nobles also possessed resources like Trolls, wolf packs, and Hollow soldiers, but assembling these forces took time, inevitably causing unrest and potentially attracting the attention of the Lord of Grace.
A race against time.
They had to complete preparations before Godrick noticed and made any major moves.
The first shot in the southernmost Lands Between was about to be fired.
____
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