What a huge change.
The moment Frieren entered the gates of Castle Morne, she sensed the palpable killing intent; the thick scent of blood from pacifying the caves still lingered in the air.
Good. Looks like things went quite smoothly.
Glancing around, she saw everyone's spirits were high, eager and full of anticipation.
They knew exactly what they were doing meant. There was no turning back now; they had to propel Frieren onto the throne of a Shardbearer to gain legitimacy. Only then could they share in the glory; otherwise, they'd all be branded rebels.
Let victory write the narrative – that had always been the underlying logic of the Lands Between. Since they were challenging a demigod of the Golden Lineage, resolve was paramount.
Honestly, Frieren herself felt less fervent about it all. Let nature take its course.
The Castle Morne garrison, however, was stunned: How did Lady Frieren go out for a trip and come back having recruited the Ancient Hero of Zamor?
A genuine powerhouse!
She had already made a name for herself in the War against the Giants. Even while imprisoned in the Weeping Peninsula's Evergaol, legends about her occasionally surfaced. And now, that living legend stood right before them. It was incredible.
What kind of charisma could conquer such a formidable figure? Regardless, it added a degree of certainty to the coming war.
After all, no matter how the various noble houses scraped together their forces, they couldn't produce hero-level combat power. Yet such an expert was now part of Frieren's core team – a perfect complement, strength joining strength.
Zamor, in turn, sized up her new allies.
Her gaze lingered on Edgar for a moment before moving on. The Banished Knight was skilled, certainly, but far from enough to change the course of a major battle. Suitable as a commander, a role he could likely fill well.
She knew the reputation of the Black Knife Assassins, and seeing them in person confirmed their skill.
The Farron Undead Legion, on the other hand, was completely unfamiliar. There seemed to be a resonance between them, hinting at a potential fusion, and they emanated the oppressive aura of divine beings.
Very good.
Her new leader's claim of contending for a Great Rune wasn't just empty talk; she clearly had the foundation for it.
Commander Edgar came forward to greet Frieren. He strode purposefully forward, then suddenly knelt beside her Spirit Steed, extending a hand.
When decisiveness was needed, hesitation was poison. The ever-steadfast Banished Knight had decided to throw his lot in with his new master. Besides, the forces previously loyal to the Stormhawk power structure weren't exactly strangers to rebellion. Let the war begin.
"Lady Frieren, please accept my fealty."
The silver-haired girl took his hand, met his eyes directly, and gave a solemn nod.
"We shall achieve great things together."
The next moment, thunderous cheers erupted throughout Castle Morne. Kenneth Haight applauded the loudest – after all, the most influential noble of the Weeping Peninsula had just pledged his loyalty.
Without Edgar's forces, quickly taking control of the peninsula would have been difficult. Now, that concern was gone. On the contrary, their mobilization capacity would be even stronger.
The monster encampments obstructing resource allocation had been dealt with; all that remained was to unify the various human settlements.
"Long live Frieren!"
The cheers weren't just for Frieren, but also for the sense of destiny hanging in the air. Something was finally about to break. They were injecting a thunderous roar into a world long dormant, and they were part of it.
The immediate task was to carefully sort through the spoils of war.
Frieren retrieved the large pile of equipment she had accumulated in her Grace-linked inventory to supplement their supplies.
The two raiding parties had, of course, brought back countless weapons. Combined with Castle Morne's own artisans, these could be maintained and distributed to the regular soldiers, at least ensuring their gear wasn't drastically inferior to Godrick's soldiers.
More valuable items were given directly to Frieren, such as the peculiar Rusted Anchor dropped by the Scaly Misbegotten boss in Morne Tunnel.
Straight into the collection it went.
She had never been interested in such bizarre curios, nor did they fit the appearance of the popular overpowered builds players favored.
Fortunately, they had picked up plenty of Smithing Stones from Morne Tunnel as a consolation.
The loot from Earthbore Cave yielded a pleasant surprise: the Spelldrake Talisman.
Frieren accepted Edgar's offering. The talisman in her hand emitted a faint blue glow, and she could distinctly feel a protective ward settling over her, specifically against magic damage. Indeed, quite suitable for her.
[Talisman depicting a blue ancient dragon.]
[Boosts magic damage negation.]
[In the prehistoric era before the Erdtree,]
[The ancient dragons were said to rule the roost,]
[Acting as an iron bulwark for their lord.]
[Thus, the dragon image is seen as symbolic of all manner of protections.]
Prehistoric era?
As expected of the age when Ancient Dragons thrived. These species, whose lifespans supposedly rivaled eternity, left many traces. Talismans symbolizing their power possessed special effects. She truly wished she could witness their magnificent forms.
Studying their ancient, traditional system of magic would surely elevate her own theoretical understanding significantly, perhaps even leading to the development of magic to "change oneself by changing the form of the soul."
After briefly checking the player descriptions, Frieren put the thought aside for now. In any case, it was a useful talisman for the early stages.
Frieren secured the talisman, then smiled. "Coincidentally, I have rewards for you all as well."
Soul Healing!
Brilliant golden energy showered down upon the Black Knife Assassins and the Farron Undead Legion. They instantly felt a surge of warmth, fatigue vanishing, even the erosion accumulated over long ages reversing.
"My lady, what magic is this?" Auroria, usually taciturn, sounded utterly shocked.
"I've improved soul magic. It can lessen the burden of the Erdtree's cycle for specific individuals, at most costing you some FP."
The assembled warriors looked at each other, stunned speechless. They hadn't expected Frieren to not only return from her journey but also to have advanced her self-created school of magic another step. Such divine technique, such undoubtedly top-tier talent – perhaps her path truly was viable.
They didn't expect to change the immense power of the Elden Ring itself, but merely counteracting some burdens of the damaged system of rebirth was already a measure of salvation.
Moreover, it held strategic value: Unleash your full power without worrying about the threat of hollowing.
This was tremendous news!
Kenneth, unable to hide his excitement, asked, "My lady, could you use this magic on a large scale to revert soldiers showing signs of hollowing? Our forces could increase several times over!"
"That is precisely my intention. Soul Healing can soothe the mind. We can also try it on the Misbegotten."
Because the rebellion at Castle Morne had been quelled relatively quickly, it hadn't escalated into a full-scale revolt of all Misbegotten servants. A considerable number remained under human control. Adding some demi-humans, dragon communion worshipers, trolls, dragons, and even fully hollowed beings as auxiliary troops would provide more than enough support.
Combined, their numbers would definitely be substantial, large enough to shake the Altus Plateau.
"That would be wonderful! It would be worth spending an extra month."
"No. We have half a month at most to concentrate our forces," Edgar stated calmly. "Large-scale troop movements cannot be hidden."
"Commander, wouldn't it be better to let Lady Frieren cast more magic to increase our numbers?"
"Scouts report that Godrick's soldiers are gradually becoming aware of the changes in the Weeping Peninsula. There might be a large-scale mobilization from western Limgrave."
"Ah!"
"Rest assured, Kenneth. Your lands won't easily be drawn into the fighting. Stormveil Castle is highly defensible. Their best option is likely to hold the chokepoints and wait."
"—We depart in two weeks."
After a moment's thought, Frieren made the final decision, settling the matter.
____
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