Frieren in Elden Ring

Northwind Fortress, noon. The master and apprentice, covered in dust from their journey, arrived at dawn the next day. Even at this early ho

Northwind Fortress, noon.

The master and apprentice, covered in dust from their journey, arrived at dawn the next day. Even at this early hour, a continuous stream of merchant caravans filled the road.

Frieren looked around and noticed that sporadic towns and villages had already expanded around the fortress. The former outskirts had become new residential areas. The population and workshops were increasing, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Given time to rest and recuperate, humanity would grow strong again, and swiftly.

"Master, what do you think? It's only been about a year, and it looks completely different. I participated in the construction work, too. A large part of it was done by the Association's mages."

"No wonder it was so fast. You've done well."

Flamme placed a hand on her hip, looked up at the city wall, and murmured, "But I feel like the defenses have grown lax."

"In the process of a city shifting towards commerce, it will always sacrifice some military strength. It's not a bad thing; it has become prosperous. Everything has two sides. So, the Association's task is to prevent this place from becoming a frontline again."

"Right."

The red-haired girl nodded firmly. She was not the same weak and helpless little girl she once was. If it came down to it, she was ready for another battle.

Besides, everyone knew that an attack on the elf village would definitely stir Frieren into action.

The Magic City, where the Association's headquarters was located, could be bypassed. As long as a basic peace was maintained, the demons and Serie would ignore each other. But if it were the "Slayer" mage, she would definitely intervene.

The memory of the war was far from faded. The effect of pushing back the front line was still vivid in people's minds.

"Greetings, President."

As expected, everyone recognized the silver-haired, twin-tailed elf girl. The stationed officers and members of the passing merchant guilds all bowed, some even striking up a brief conversation.

Of course, Frieren made no attempt to hide her lazy response.

"Good morning to you all. Master has returned this time for matters concerning the dungeon. We appreciate your continued support."

The well-behaved Flamme handled the pleasantries. Although her master had shown her diplomatic prowess when establishing the branch, she was usually too lazy to waste her breath and wouldn't use her true skills. So, she still had to be the one to respond.

Over time, she had even gained some fame in noble circles. In this town, she was known by all.

Frieren, in contrast, was focused on the shops.

After finally dealing with everyone's enthusiasm, Flamme followed her master's gaze. It was, of course, a magic material shop. From her master's perspective, it had been a while since she had last seen it restocked.

"I can feel it. They've got new goods in. Let's go see."

While the master and apprentice were out shopping, two groups successfully met in the Association branch's meeting room.

"Greetings."

Lehman greeted the local commander. The people from the headquarters he led also greeted them politely. After all, the other party was a decorated military noble, powerful and famous, worthy of respect.

Vain nodded in reply. "Thank you for coming all this way. As expected, the matter of the Underground Kingdom's opposition to us could not be hidden."

"I understand your concerns. You're worried about Lady Serie getting angry, aren't you? Master has already been angry, but we managed to persuade her to calm down."

"So, what's the situation?"

"She sent me, an assassin-type mage skilled in stealth, to investigate. In addition, she hopes to invite the Honorary President to join."

"...Unfortunately, I don't know if that person enjoys the tediousness of a dungeon."

In the public's impression, the Mythical-Era Great Mage Frieren was a recluse, a transcendent figure. Coupled with the stereotype that elves were not fond of activity, they thought she disliked exploration.

Not necessarily.

He recalled that she had indeed asked about it before, perhaps for her apprentice's training. It seemed even elves could change, all for their treasured direct disciple. It was truly enviable.

So, the two men present were unsure if she would agree.

"Don't worry, I mentioned it to Flamme. She should be able to persuade President Frieren."

"Let's hope for the best." Suddenly, Vain changed the subject. "If I may be so bold as to ask, is the headquarters in such a hurry to investigate because there's been some change in the upper echelons of the Underground Kingdom? I've also heard some rumors, something about a court jester stirring up trouble."

"There are traces of demons."

Hearing Lehman's words, he paused for a moment, then nodded. Whatever the specific reason, it no longer mattered.

This sentence had another meaning: if necessary, they could use the pretext of dealing with demons to take strong measures. They would absolutely not tolerate any stumbling blocks.

For a primarily academic organization, they're being quite domineering.

This was likely the result of a compromise reached when the great mages were trying to calm Serie down.

"That figure from the Mythical Era's attitude is: no one is allowed to obstruct the magic popularization movement promoted by the Association. Right? Even if it means using force internally. She wasn't this proactive before."

"It's because Master witnessed the great success of President Frieren's teaching methods. She's eager to expand it over a larger area and has regained her passion after a long time."

As her disciple, Lehman shuddered, remembering how Serie's mana surged even more violently after hearing the good news.

Truly terrifying.

The two powerful elves had inexplicably reached a tacit understanding. No wonder the demons were accelerating their frontline deployments. They must have sensed the change as well. As long-lived species, they reacted quickly, unwilling to allow humans to continue strengthening their magical power.

Once the shackles of those old-fashioned ideas were broken, who knew what would happen?

Suddenly, the great door creaked open.

A pile of goods slowly walked in—all sorts of strange bottles, jars, and artifacts. A head popped out from behind them; it was Flamme, smiling.

Following closely behind was Frieren, also laden with bags big and small.

The shopping was done.

Vain hurriedly gestured to his men. "Help the President move these things to her office. Be very careful."

"Actually, they're not that important." The red-haired girl shrugged. "It's just that Master likes these little things with a sense of history. So, rest assured, she's interested in the Ruins of the King's Tomb."

Frieren then gave everyone a reassuring statement, "Let's prepare first. The Association must have a lot of backlogged work, right? I'll take care of it and then we'll set off."

After introducing themselves, the group decided to cooperate.

"I have long heard of your great name, Your Excellency President. Your selflessness is worthy of your power."

In Lehman's eyes, the silver-haired girl, like his own master, suppressed her mana to some extent. But even this small display was terrifyingly intimidating, like a wall advancing towards him. If she were to press forward, he would be crushed in an instant.

The majesty of a Mythical-Era Mage was perfectly embodied in Frieren, and she also concealed a murderous aura born from a sea of corpses.

Terrifying.

When did she engage in such slaughter?

Even Lehman, who had experienced several massacres on the battlefield, felt his heart pound. Even the greater demons he had faced did not possess such an aura.

After a brief greeting, he left. He had to write a letter to his master, as Serie had repeatedly stressed that he report his impression of Frieren.

"Leave the travel arrangements to me," Vain volunteered. "After all, the journey is long, and there are many places that require travel permits, tolls, and border checkpoints. I will smooth the way."

"President and Lady Flamme, please head to the classroom first. Everyone should be very happy to see you."

It had been a while.

Frieren, returning to the classroom after a long absence, was naturally met with a warm welcome.

As for the content, it was still about healing magic, with further explanations and detailed instructions. Although she was eager to use new material, after checking everyone's practice results, she realized it wasn't the right time. It was better to be down-to-earth.

So, she simply continued to lecture on the old knowledge.

But it was essentially new wine in an old bottle. With her deeper understanding of various magic systems, Frieren also had new insights to share:

"The formula for Sunlight Healing can be simplified. For example, corresponding to different degrees of injury..."

It can be done like that!

The ordinary mages found it incredible. They could actually delve into the different detailed applications of the same spell. Was it necessary to be so meticulous? Perhaps it was really possible. It opened up a new way of thinking. As expected of Frieren, she always had new results.

Beside her, Flamme took notes on the board as usual, committing everything to memory.

Master's way of thinking is the right one. It seems I should slow down my training in new magic and focus on mastering the different variations of a single spell. That can also improve efficiency.

Compared to the average student thinking about a simplified version of healing, she was already considering how to apply this principle to other magics.

For example, her specialty, barrier arts.

If her goal was to compete with Frieren, asymmetrical competition was key.

She knew her master's personality very well. She loved to clash with opponents from different magic systems, learning from all of them. This time she was too busy, but later she would definitely pull her apprentice into training battles. Facing the trial of a Mythical-Era Mage was a daunting task, but she couldn't let her master down.

After class.

As promised, Frieren held a special session for the noble apprentices.

Although it was merely an exchange of "you borrow my name as a great mage for guidance" and "I borrow your influence to support the Association," there was also a surprise:

A few unexpectedly talented seeds appeared.

Then she had to be serious.

So, she taught some extra tips to the talented students. Perhaps they would bear fruit in the future.

Frieren shared some insights on soul magic, miracles, and other fields. Since they were young, she might as well inspire them first. If they built a solid foundation, they would likely achieve something in the future.

The young mages, feeling the Mythical-Era Mage's love for talent, were extremely grateful:

"Thank you, President. You are a truly selfless teacher."

"I will definitely carry this knowledge forward. Its breadth and depth should be brought to the whole world."

"May I ask to become your disciple?"

"No. It's enough that you are students in my guidance class. That's what we agreed upon. But as long as you perform well, I'm happy to help with your training."

The apprentice sighed, but at least Frieren had relented. There was no need to worry about her teaching ethics; they were guaranteed to be top-notch.

So envious.

Perhaps only a peerless genius like Flamme, who excelled in both character and learning, was worthy of the title of direct disciple. And Frieren had no intention of opening that door, holding the certification of her disciple very tightly, which in turn increased the value of her sole fruit.

In the circle of mages, an heir to one's teachings was akin to a biological child.

For those traditional old mages, passing on their knowledge was more important than blood ties. It was likely the same for the elven race.

For example, Serie.

Although some said "she remembers all her disciples," her daily performance showed she didn't value any of them. It was more like building a faction to facilitate managing the organization.

One who took in disciples far and wide but never certified the best as her heir.

One who only recognized a single direct disciple but taught the masses.

The two elves, with their highly individual styles, were pushing the development of magic forward. Even though they had not yet met, they cooperated with a tacit understanding, forming a common interest that made the Association's influence grow by the day.

After the small class, Frieren returned to her office.

She had come back of her own volition.

She didn't need to guess to know that a large pile of matters had accumulated that required her attention.

An organization this large always had areas where a manager at the president's level was needed to make decisions. In the past, she thought having "Honorary" as a prefix meant she could be idle, but it seemed headquarters was getting more and more used to pushing documents her way...

Frieren, having been away for a long time, was greatly welcomed. The staff members who had just learned of the President's return all cheered. Indeed, they felt a great sense of relief, because someone was there to help approve the paperwork.

"Why am I still busy with these trivial details even in a different world?"

The silver-haired girl sighed as she signed the documents.

From the moment I decided to step into the limelight, I was destined for a life of toil. If I don't achieve something, I'll feel bad.

It's all the demons' fault. If they hadn't been constantly stirring up trouble, the elf village could have been at peace forever, and Frieren would have had no reason to show her face. Since you caused this mess, you will pay for it sooner or later.

And so, the Northwind Fortress branch of the Magic Association got back on track, reorganizing the backlogged work.

Although it had been established for only a short time, it had developed rapidly. Against the backdrop of war, it received special attention, showing signs of becoming a separate administrative system altogether.

Three days later.

The people who had basically finished their work gathered together.

As the initiator, Lehman explained, "On behalf of the headquarters, I have already assembled a delegation. With Lord Vain's prestige, it's enough to travel through the central and southern regions. Everything is ready."

"A delegation? I'm not interested in negotiations. The point is to conquer the dungeon."

"Yes, of course, we considered Lady Frieren's opinion. So, the focus of the operation is to explore the dungeon. The initial communication will be handled by the delegation, while we will be responsible for investigating the surroundings, because demons may have infiltrated there."

He shared intelligence from the Magic Association, which had captured traces of demons infiltrating their rear.

Once these intelligent monsters infiltrated individually, it was indeed troublesome. They were likely stirring up trouble in the shadows.

They had to hurry.

Their activity was likely a prelude to a new large-scale offensive on the northern front. While the border towns were in turmoil, they absolutely could not let problems arise in the rear, or morale would plummet and they would be defeated without a fight.

The few of them looked serious and agreed.

"In that case, Flamme and I will fly ahead first. We'll conquer the dungeon and then talk," Frieren made no secret of her impatience.

Even if she offended the kingdom for doing so, it didn't matter. Besides, human grudges were too fleeting for an elf. She would probably soon forget about some kingdom's ban.

"President, please allow me and Lord Vain to accompany you."

"Why?"

"We need to take a faster, more dangerous route to check the situation in advance, coordinating with the delegation in a 'light and dark' approach," Lehman said bluntly. "The road is full of uncivilized areas and crawling with monsters. Perhaps Lady Flamme is the one who should stay behind. She's still a child."

Hearing this, the red-haired girl let out a sharp "Ha," her brow furrowed, her gaze sharp.

Beside them, Vain quickly shot Frieren a look, thinking to himself that young people were competitive and a rivalry was brewing.

He was actually inclined to have the precious genius not take too much risk.

"More words are useless. Lehman, Vain, and Flamme will have a match. The criteria for victory are: whoever first receives an injury that requires my healing, loses the ability to resist, or verbally surrenders, loses. The winner decides who goes."

"Prepare immediately and let's begin."

The irrefutable command from Frieren made the three of them pause for a moment, then their fighting spirit ignited.

The students of the two Mythical-Era Mages were the most eager. They wanted to test each other's mettle. Both Flamme and Lehman were known as geniuses, so it was inevitable that they would want to compete.

Although Vain was past his hot-blooded age, with an expedition imminent, it wouldn't hurt to practice. Just how well could he still fight?

They were already prepared for the trip, fully armed. It was perfect.

"Ready anytime."

The three of them answered in unison and looked towards the training ground.

Frieren looked left and right, then suddenly smiled, "Since you've decided, let's go over immediately."

Boom!

She stomped her foot, and a circular piece of rock cracked from the ground. Then, guided by gravity, it soared into the air. The wind pressure brushed past everyone's cheeks as they watched their own foothold draw a parabola and land steadily on the empty training ground, crossing a thousand meters in an instant.

What incredible control.

No one would doubt that Frieren was capable of this level of output, but the key was her effortless and complete control. One could imagine how meticulous her magical operations had become.

"Begin."

With that, she flew to the edge of the training ground and casually constructed a barrier to prevent the ensuing aftershocks.

The mages who were active nearby were suddenly dumbfounded. Why did the President and a few other big shots suddenly fly over for a spar? They looked full of fighting spirit, brimming with martial virtue. They must be deciding something based on the result.

No matter what, they were about to witness something amazing. This trip was not in vain.

Everyone called their friends and gathered, their eyes fervent. There were even some cheers, as if they were afraid the fight wouldn't be fierce enough.

With Frieren nearby, they could just enjoy the show. The sense of security brought by the Mythical-Era Mage was overwhelming.

They were more focused on the situation on the battlefield itself.

"Let's open a betting pool," someone immediately suggested. "The opponent is the rising star, the new First-Class Mage, who once assassinated a demon general on the battlefield. And there's the veteran Sir Vain, who's as sharp as ever. If they team up, we can only bet on how long Flamme can last."

"If we're going to play, let's play big. I bet Flamme can win. That's what makes it exciting."

"Let's bet on the duration."

"There's no suspense. In terms of matchups, she's at a clear disadvantage against conventional mages. Vain and Lehman are enough to kill a greater demon. We should consider if they'll hold back."

"Let's just bet on who gets injured first. That's a good indicator of the trend..."

The various betting topics from the crowd were something Frieren had not expected. She had to admire the imagination of gamblers when it came to opening a pool.

Someone even asked her, the teacher, for her opinion, as if they could dig up some inside information. To this, the silver-haired girl only replied to just watch. In reality, she didn't have up-to-date information on how strong Flamme was now.

Besides, she had just undergone a round of blessing. It was likely that even the person herself hadn't figured out how much had changed.

"You don't mind?"

Vain pointed to himself and his teammate. A warrior plus an assassin-type mage was a disadvantage for Flamme, not to mention the numerical superiority.

The red-haired girl shook her head. "This is just a test from my master. She told me that the battlefield is not fair, and I must always be prepared to fight against the odds. I don't mind the quantity, nor do I mind the quality. Let's begin."

"So, in your eyes, this is a test, not us."

Since becoming Serie's student, Lehman had never been provoked like this. He wasn't angry, but a strong fighting spirit surged within him.

Seeing this, Vain drew the two-handed longsword from his waist. A chilling aura emanated from it, its edge sharp.

The next moment, he dashed forward like an arrow, aiming the flat of his blade at Flamme's waist. A blunt strike would disrupt her balance to the greatest extent while minimizing damage, ensuring a safe and efficient takedown—

Clang!

In a crisp collision, she met his attack head-on and repelled it.

The timing of her Carian Retaliation was brilliant. In the instant the blue light flashed, one hand parried, the other thrust with a Glinstone sword.

Vain deflected the blade.

In the brief exchange, neither side gained an advantage. They went back and forth, accompanied by the flash of Ashes of War. The ground cracked, and mana whipped through the air like a fierce wind. To the onlookers, it was like a hurricane, filled with the sound of clashing.

It's this intense? And a mage's apprentice is keeping up with a warrior's movements?

Suddenly, dozens of arrows shot out from the shadow at Flamme's feet, aiming for her vitals, their sharp points making her skin feel cold.

Hmph!

With a sharp wave of her hands, she interrupted the attack, cutting it off at the source. However, Lehman's assault wouldn't end with a single move. The shadow had already fixed itself to her left foot.

At the same time, Vain's longsword swept out in a shining arc.

He was no longer holding back. It would be a waste not to push such a talent to her limits. He used an Ash of War he hadn't used in a long time. The training ground cracked open from this single sweep.

No, the feeling is wrong.

A fine, dense barrier was floating an inch above Flamme's skin.

Thanks to the defensive barrier conjured at the last possible second, she withstood the blow. Otherwise, she would definitely have been injured.

"Such exquisite control." Even Lehman's mouth twitched. "Is your lineage's specialty precision?"

"It was originally called Scholar's Shield and Thops's Barrier, and it can be paired with barrier arts. But as everyone knows, a static barrier sacrifices mobility and creates a weakness to short-range bursts. So I tried to improve it—"

The red-haired girl spread her hands, and her entire body was covered in a fine layer of hexagonal, mirror-like barriers. They looked like a honeycomb, but flowed over the surface of her body like water, providing all-around coverage.

"I call it the Fish Scale Barrier."

Easier said than done. What kind of insane fine control does that require!

Boom!

A sweeping ice storm symbolized the beginning of Flamme's counterattack. Seizing the momentum, she created distance and finally used her ranged magic. This one cast was no small matter; in an instant, flames filled the sky, raining down meteors of smoke and fire.

In an extreme change of state, the ice turned to water, washing over the area, and with a loud roar, it slammed against the edge of the barrier.

"Watch out!" Lehman warned, but it was too late. At that moment, a lightning spear plunged into the sea.

The lightning traveled through the waves, spreading across the barrier. The current conducted through Vain's body, instantly paralyzing him, his body emitting smoke from the high heat.

He held his sword, half-kneeling on the ground, but he did not fall.

"Tough enough."

Flamme intended to use the same trick again, but found that the shadow on the ground had swallowed the great flood of water and disappeared. The most convenient conductor for the lightning was gone, and her opponents would surely be wary of this move for a while.

Lehman, who had briefly taken to the air, had dodged the attack, but he still looked at the red-haired girl with lingering fear. Next, he would have to use more mana to seize control of the field.

Suddenly, Vain, beside him, was enveloped in a golden light that dispelled the electric arcs, and he stood tall once more.

"Don't worry," he said. "These old bones can still be of use. Young First-Class Mage, if you have a plan, use it."

"Fighting you two was indeed the right choice."

Hearing this, Flamme also smiled back. It had been a long time since she had experienced the thrill of countering moves. It was completely different from the atmosphere of sparring with her master, where the rhythm was completely controlled. This was how it should be—a high-frequency exchange of offense and defense to find an opening.

She could be even faster.

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