Frieren and Sellen, regretting not having met sooner, chatted for several more hours.
"Listening to you has been more enlightening than ten years of study." Thanks to the instruction from a teacher formally trained in the Academy, the magical system of the Lands Between was no longer mysterious; the fog had cleared.
Unfortunately, good times are always fleeting.
The journey to Castle Morne was crucial for securing the rear base safety during the future Stormveil siege. Controlling the Weeping Peninsula, especially the local noble estates, was essential. Speed is paramount in war; they couldn't delay too long.
After a while, she took the initiative, "Teacher, we should depart now. We'll meet again later."
"Mm, I know you must be embarking on some great undertaking, right? With your strength, you're surely qualified. Bring me good news when it's done."
"Definitely."
"The path Tarnished must walk is fraught with hardship. If you ever wish to delve into sorcery with me instead, that's also an option. Should the day come when you need it, don't forget this offer."
"I'll keep it firmly in mind. Then, let's part ways here."
Frieren nodded solemnly, then ascended the steps, her back disappearing through the doorway. After a few exchanged words, a tremor ran through the ground as at least one well-equipped contingent departed, most importantly containing powerful presences.
Though few in number, in Sellen's eyes, their combat power was that of a legion. Their direction was likely aimed towards Castle Morne.
The Limgrave region, after a long peace, was finally about to change. Her disciple from a chance encounter was the one stirring the storm – truly fate at work.
It inevitably brought worry: would they be able to meet again safely?
Forget it. Frieren's strength meant Sellen didn't need to worry. Comparatively, she should probably use magic to contact her other bodies elsewhere and check on their situations. When the beacons of conflict in Limgrave reached Liurnia of the Lakes, the changes Sellen anticipated would also arrive.
Elsewhere.
The contingent rode swiftly, arriving at the area connecting to the Weeping Peninsula. Simultaneously, she listened to the report from the guide soldier:
"Ahead lies the inevitable route, the Bridge of Sacrifice, guarded by Godrick's soldiers. On that high mountain over there is an Evergaol, said to imprison a Bloodhound Knight..."
"Could it be Darriwil?"
Upon learning this, Frieren immediately began contacting Blaidd. She guessed it was a side quest, not to be missed. As for the Bridge of Sacrifice garrison, there was no need for her to handle it personally; she might as well let the Farron Undead Legion make their debut.
Sending just two or three of them was sufficient to neutralize the troops stationed at the Bridge of Sacrifice.
Her group watched from the high ground near the Evergaol, witnessing the battle from their vantage point. It was completely one-sided; Godrick's soldiers crumbled utterly.
Even not in their Lord of Cinder form, they were still top-tier warriors; clearing out grunts was effortless.
It didn't take long to complete the suppression of the bridge.
Because of its crucial strategic position, arguably the only area suitable for large-scale army movement connecting to the Weeping Peninsula, they couldn't just leave after winning; it had to be controlled.
Redeploy.
First, send word back to the Haight nobles to dispatch regular soldiers to follow up, reinforcing fortifications and manpower, holding the chokepoint and firmly occupying the strongpoint. They also needed to rest briefly; after crossing the bridge, a forced march would be necessary.
Noble soldiers' faces were among those struck down in this attack on Godrick's forces; they had thoroughly thrown their lot in, so they had to see it through to the end.
While waiting, Frieren saw Blaidd rushing over. The shadow-bound beast, already active in the area, arrived quickly from the direction of Mistwood, looking well.
"You actually managed it!"
His eyes widened, looking at her contingent of soldiers, naturally understanding the implication.
The nobles of eastern Limgrave had placed their bets on the newcomer Tarnished, going all-in with everything they had. Does she truly possess some special charisma? No wonder Lady Ranni values her; she really is beyond imagination.
How many days has it been? He never thought the small group from before would expand to this extent; it was simply astonishing.
"Thank you for informing me. I can now confirm it's the person I'm looking for. I didn't expect Darriwil would end up as a phantom in an Evergaol."
"Then let's go."
Frieren stepped forward into the blue-purple barrier. Simultaneously, Blaidd was summoned alongside her, the two forming a pincer formation, sealing Darriwil's escape routes. The man held a curved greatsword, body low, already poised to strike.
She chose to seize the initiative, launching Glintstone Stars.
The sorcery learned from Teacher Sellen resonated with the power system of the Lands Between, so there was none of the usual restrictive discomfort. Her casting speed was faster, sending streaks of light flying forward.
The Bloodhound Knight used a low-stance footwork to barely dodge several stars, but as Frieren grew accustomed to his patterns, her shots began hitting home one by one. His armor quickly became tattered and torn.
A single thought echoed in what remained of his hazy reason:
"You despicable sorcerer, I'll chop you to pieces right now—"
Before he could attack again, Blaidd's blade slashed down vertically, the powerful and fierce blow forcing him to retreat.
Just a few exchanges infuriated the Bloodhound Knight. His old nemesis aside, the silver-haired girl was clearly toying with him.
Are you here to test out your magic?
The way she cast a few spells then assessed her staff like someone happy with a new toy was unmistakable.
Furious and flustered, Darriwil endured the pain and began to maneuver around the two, repeatedly escaping their pincer attacks with his elusive footwork. Unexpectedly, Frieren's brow furrowed, her patience wearing thin. A new spell was instantly cast.
Glintstone Arc!
Three consecutive fan-shaped spreads of sharp energy blades launched out, locking onto him from low to high, leaving no time to dodge. The sharp energy easily tore through armor and flesh as if cutting tofu.
"...What is this highly concentrated magic!"
The proud footwork the Bloodhound Knight relied on was completely countered; the moment his opponent got slightly serious, he was severely wounded.
He dragged his broken body across the ground, still clutching his greatsword, but Frieren had already lowered her staff. The final blow was left to Blaidd to clean up their ranks, as they had agreed.
"Hmph, the ruined Carian Royal Family is doomed to fail! The schemer Ranni you serve is destined to die by the hand of the Two Fingers, or perhaps you—"
Crack!
As the blade severed the head, Blaidd spoke coldly, "I have nothing to say to a traitor."
He then looked at the silver-haired girl. She was gazing up at the sky, pretending not to know anything, but it was merely to avoid awkwardness. She had heard everything she needed to, at least clarifying the connection to the Lunar Princess. How will she judge this?
Since she chose to evade the topic, he wouldn't press further. The specific details could wait for Lady Ranni to make the final judgment later.
"I'll go out and rest first. The spoils are yours."
With that, Blaidd's figure departed the Evergaol. The implication, besides the head, was that the Bloodhound Knight's possessions were also part of the reward.
Acquired [Bloodhound's Fang] weapon.
[A large curved sword with a slightly undulating wavy blade. Inflicts blood loss, also performs well during jumping attacks.]
[Exclusive Ash of War: Bloodhound's Finesse. While swinging the weapon upwards in a large arc, spin to create distance from the enemy. Takes a low stance during the attack, allows rapid pursuit with Bloodhound Step follow-up.]
Frieren tried it out; it felt quite useful, especially the outstanding Ash of War.
But the real evaluation would depend on the players; she always consulted various sources whenever acquiring new equipment.
____
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