Frieren in Elden Ring

Northwind Fortress, a branch of the Continental Magic Association.

In front of the massive sliding blackboard of the fan-shaped classroom, a red-haired girl sat on a high stool, writing down the final formula. She then clapped the chalk dust from her hands.

"That's all for today's notes on Sunlight Healing. Everyone, you're dismissed."

"Thank you for clarifying our doubts, Teaching Assistant Flamme."

The mages below the stage bid their polite farewells and left one by one. Every single one of them was older than their lecturer, but they all knew that Flamme's knowledge was superior, making her a senior to them all in the field of magic.

This was especially true while the Mythical-Era Mage Frieren herself was in seclusion for research, making it impossible to ask her about the more difficult problems.

Although she had generously published many of her spells, there was still one issue: they were too difficult.

Most people only had a partial understanding, having learned just the basics. Even if they managed to cast Sunlight Healing, their version was far inferior.

Unfortunately, ever since her last period of activity, Frieren had paid no mind to the outside world. No one dared to guess how long an elf's whim to rest might last. So, everyone had to turn to Flamme, her direct disciple, and they discovered that she truly understood the material and, moreover, had a greater talent for teaching.

Thus, the young girl had become a full-fledged teacher at the Northwind Fortress branch of the Magic Association, primarily responsible for further explaining and teaching the magic left behind by Frieren.

Thanks to the extensive notes she left, most people were not cut off from this kind of magic.

Thump!

Flamme leaped down from the high stool, landing steadily on her feet.

She then took out a lunchbox from her bag and began to eat while looking at the writing on the blackboard, still not satisfied with the current state, hoping to find room for improvement…

"Are you busy, milady?"

The man in magnificent formal attire who walked into the classroom was the city's lord, Vain. He greeted her with a smile, his tone respectful.

"Not at all. Is there something you need?"

[cite_start]"There's been a new development in the excavation of the Ruins of the King's Tomb[cite: 579]. More exploration teams have appeared, and the survey of the outer areas is proceeding in an orderly fashion. But a new problem has arisen. The kingdom that controls that territory is considering closing it off."

"Is it to protect cultural artifacts?" Flamme tilted her head and asked. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it."

"Child, you think too highly of them. The news has already spread throughout the noble circles. After closing it off, they will impose heavy taxes for entry, along with a series of prohibitions. The kingdom wants to monopolize it."

"What?"

"They already hold the title of the Underground Kingdom and possess a great deal of resources. It will be very troublesome if they decide to make things difficult. And I hear they will set up specific prohibitions for members of the Magic Association, such as restricting exploration or demanding exorbitant fees."

"What is all this about? Lord Vain, please explain it in more detail."

Vain took the opportunity to give her a rundown, and also to inform the young woman about the situation among the kingdom's upper echelons so she wouldn't be in the dark.

Fortunately, Flamme was not lacking in comprehension and quickly understood.

"They're clearly just trying to make money, and they're especially targeting our Association. Are they taking extra precautions against us for some reason?"

"You've got it. After all, an organization that controls vast resources of mages has expanded and grown so rapidly in just a few years. It's inevitable that some members of the royal family would worry. That king of theirs is both deeply suspicious and greedy. It's bound to happen."

"Don't they know that the focus should be on the demon frontline? I heard the demon prophets are plotting a new campaign. Is the Underground Kingdom still fussing over small gains at a time like this?"

"If you're not on the border, you don't feel the urgency."

Having interacted with countless people and matters during this time, Flamme was also aware that in the eyes of many nobles, magic was not civilized enough.

The weak magic of humans in the past had left them with the impression of it being nothing more than clever tricks and stage magic. Research was even banned at one point. To this day, the prejudice remains difficult to erase.

After all, it had only been a few years since the elf of the Mythical Era, Serie, began promoting the development of magic.

Banning Master from exploring a dungeon would be more agonizing for her than death.

Flamme could already imagine the silver-haired elf tossing and turning day and night after hearing about the excavation of the Ruins of the King's Tomb, constantly wondering what treasures were hidden in the chests. Given her master's personality, she definitely wouldn't be able to resist, nor would she even try. She does what she wants, with no taboos.

A ban?

When elves were stirring up storms on the earth, humans were still hunting and gathering. You people are the newcomers.

It was already a step forward that Frieren's perception had updated to "humans are starting to talk about rules." She had absolutely no comprehension of what a "ban" was.

It couldn't stop her.

Vain rubbed his temples and murmured, "My worry is that a conflict will arise. That's why I'm asking you to pass on the message. As for me, I will continue to lobby His Majesty, Ander V."

At the same time, he urged her to keep the conflict contained within the branch and not let the headquarters find out.

Serie, who was stationed in the Magic City, was even more assertive.

If that battle-loving, martial-arts-minded president discovered she was being targeted, it would be hard for her not to react. In comparison, the gentle and lazy Frieren was easier to get along with. The Honorary President understood people better.

Hearing this, Flamme nodded solemnly. She agreed for the time being, but her heart was pounding.

Master wasn't awake.

The official story was that she was in seclusion for research, but in reality, Frieren had been in a deep slumber for a long time. She hadn't returned once during this period—a long time, at least for a human.

An emergency must have occurred in her dream.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure when Master will be free. Once she gets into her research, she ignores everyone else."

"I understand. You should eat first."

After speaking, Vain waved goodbye politely and left. For him, as long as no trouble broke out, it was fine. He especially needed to keep a lid on an over-the-top powerhouse like Frieren or Serie. Although the elf was quite well-behaved, it was best not to provoke her lightly.

He felt at ease leaving the message with Flamme. The child was young, but she was well-read, reasonable, and highly perceptive. She understood things immediately, making her easy to interact with. It was no wonder she had been chosen by the Mythical-Era Mage.

Left alone in the classroom, the red-haired girl devoured her meal like a whirlwind, wiping the lunchbox clean.

Full.

She then stood up and stretched, her curves graceful. Her proportions already showed the foundation of a tall build; she would be very athletic in the future.

After walking out of the classroom, Flamme's eyes lit up.

She hadn't expected to see her elf neighbor reading a book in the Association. It was rare for her to be willing to go out. After asking around, she found out that she had been entrusted by the even more reclusive Milliardeil to buy wine, and had decided to visit the Association on the way.

"And the village chief asked me to purchase some goods. We can't always rely on traveling merchants for these things in the future. We might as well buy them ourselves and bring them back."

"That may be so, but won't it be dangerous?"

"Where isn't it dangerous in this world? As Frieren once said, the more we isolate ourselves in vigilance, the more we stand out to others and are easily ostracized. It's better to be active and create some influence. I didn't understand it before, but now I realize she's an elf of great wisdom."

"Then I'll go with you."

Hearing this, the elf neighbor readily agreed. It was always better to have a guide who knew the way.

Although she had some magical skills to protect herself, when it came to the city of Northwind Fortress, she still needed a guide.

So, Flamme enthusiastically dragged her guest along for a shopping trip.

Half a day later.

It was evening when the human and the elf finally finished their shopping. It went smoother than expected, thanks to the increasingly developed commerce of Northwind Fortress, which offered a dazzling array of goods.

Once a frontline fortress, it had struggled to develop, but now it was seizing the period of peace to prosper rapidly.

Finally, the two parted ways in front of Frieren's bronze statue. The elf girl was going to head to the inn at dusk for a good sleep. As expected of a relaxed race, they never let fatigue build up; today's activities had been more than enough.

Flamme glanced at the bronze statue.

A fountain had been built around its edge, and there were more flowers placed there than before. Even though the person herself was absent, her legend grew with each passing day.

She leisurely returned to the Association to pack her bags.

The main hall gradually grew quiet, as it was time for people to get off work and rest.

On normal days, it was quite lively, even serving as a commission center. Coupled with some tavern and inn functions, it attracted people from all over. But at night, people had to go to dedicated entertainment venues, which made this place deserted in contrast.

This was perfect for Flamme to prepare for her trip. For her, she could get back quickly on her own two feet.

"It's been a while since I've been to the elf village. I should go back and check on things, and bring some wine for big sister Adeil. I wonder when Master will wake up..."

"Who's there?"

Suddenly, she looked towards a corner of the main hall.

Seeing no reaction from the other party, the red-haired girl condensed a bolt of lightning in her hand and said coldly:

"Sir, you don't think I'm just bluffing, do you?"

Before her voice had even faded, a young man emerged from the shadows. It was only on account of his Association mage's insignia that Flamme dissipated her magic. Otherwise, she would have struck at the first moment—a preemptive strike, as her master had taught her.

"Truly living up to your reputation. I wanted to test the Concealing Shadow Magic I chose from Master Serie, but I was discovered."

"The user is what's important. Your training in mana suppression has been neglected, which is what gave you away."

"Thank you for the guidance."

Lernen bowed politely, a hint of admiration on his face.

Just discovering him was impressive enough, but to point out the flaw in a single sentence was something else. He had to admit it was his own negligence. He hadn't expected the most talented mage of this generation to already possess such power.

It made one look forward to her future.

"My name is Lernen. I'm a new First-Class Mage from the headquarters. The relevant files should have been shared with the branch."

"...Right, I remember now. You did come to the Association before to deliver a letter to President Serie." Flamme nodded. "So, is this news from the President?"

"She heard about the kingdom cracking down on the Association."

The two fell silent, exchanging a sigh. In the end, that person found out. This was going to be difficult.

If it were a normal matter, Serie wouldn't bother with it, closing her ears to the outside world as usual. But when it came to hindering the development of magic, she couldn't sit still.

In her eyes, the war with the demons was driving technological innovation, Frieren's master-disciple pair was dedicated to popularizing magic, and she herself was presiding over the Association to cultivate many great mages. With progress being made on all fronts—background, grassroots, and high-level—everything was on the rise. Who would dare to be a stumbling block?

Damned fools.

Those who issued the ban without knowing their own limits were now Serie's enemies.

Although the aged elf wouldn't resort to direct combat, she would definitely respond. And so, she had sent her new disciple, the shadow mage Lernen, to investigate.

"I've confirmed it. The situation is real. Some of the conservative kingdoms in the central lands are very hostile towards the Association."

Flamme hadn't expected the matter of a single dungeon to escalate this much.

The demon frontline was not yet stable. Humans were clearly gearing up for a military buildup, and yet these people were dragging their feet? If Master Frieren found out, she would likely have more than a few words to say, and might even get angry.

"So, what do we do?"

"Master's plan is to just 'teach them a lesson,' but that lesson is likely to be on a Mythical-Era scale..."

"We tried our best to hold Lady Serie back, saying we would leave it to her disciples to mediate. But she feels our strength isn't enough of a deterrent. She hopes that Lady Frieren can go with us to negotiate, just in case."

"As everyone knows, that one lives in deep seclusion, so I came to find you, her direct disciple."

Speaking of this, Lernen looked utterly exhausted, his head in his hands.

Running back and forth was the most tiring part, especially being caught in the middle. On one side was the repulsive, suspicious King Ander V; on the other, the domineering Mythical-Era Mage. Neither was easy to deal with.

At this point, Flamme could only nod.

She'd agree for now.

But when her master would wake up, she didn't know. Or should she take the initiative to wake her? It wasn't exactly a life-or-death emergency, was it? It wasn't a demon invasion. But by Frieren's standards, perhaps being forbidden from exploring a dungeon was just as serious as demons breaking down the door. Sigh, the elf powerhouses were so full of personality; even she couldn't claim to truly understand her master.

"I happen to be going to the elf village. I'll pass the message along, but I can't guarantee if she'll be willing to go out."

"I'm counting on you, Lady Flamme."

"We really do have masters who are both reliable and troublesome, don't we?"

The two, sharing a common plight, gave a wry smile. In any case, they both had to get busy, even if it meant traveling through the night and gathering intelligence.

Flamme didn't have a real sense of the power plays between the great figures. After all, her own master was already at the top tier. The core issue was the Ruins of the King's Tomb acting as a trigger. She'd leave it for Frieren to think about.

Apart from meditating to rest midway, she traveled through the starry night, arriving just at dawn.

Sure enough, an elf girl was sitting at the village entrance, reeking of alcohol. No need to guess; she had gotten drunk again last night. Right now, she was fast asleep, a snot bubble expanding and contracting with her breath.

"Big sister Adeil, you should wake up."

"There's a problem with the barrier!"

Catching the keyword, the short-haired magic user's eyes shot open. She held her staff and managed to lift her head, seeing a familiar face in the sunlight.

Her gaze shifted to Flamme's large bag, and a smile immediately spread across her face.

"You have no idea! The village has developed a magic to brew its own wine, thanks to my help. Everyone is producing different kinds of wine every day. In the future, we might become a super-rich village of famous liquors, getting drunk every day."

The red-haired girl quickly made a cross sign in front of her chest to stop her. She hadn't been gone for long, and they'd already come up with something like this. The village was becoming more and more actively engaged with the world.

The scene Frieren had always hoped for was happening. Even elves had to integrate into the larger human society.

"How is Master?"

"Same as always. Since I can't enter the barrier around her room, it means she hasn't woken up. You don't need to be anxious. She's experienced such long slumbers before and has always been fine. It's okay."

"It's just that there are some things waiting for her help." Suddenly, an idea struck Flamme. "How about using a calming spell or some other gentle magic to try and wake Master up?"

"No. Because you can't wake someone who isn't asleep."

"What do you mean?"

"A long time ago, she lost the ability to sleep. She either meditates, or she uses a spell that induces slumber to comprehend magic in her dreams."

"According to Frieren, if she were to truly fall asleep, something terrible would happen."

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