Frieren in Elden Ring

Regarding the victory, after a brief respite, they inquired about the next step. In her eyes, this was merely the simplest test; it wasn't t

Regarding the victory, after a brief respite, they inquired about the next step. In her eyes, this was merely the simplest test; it wasn't time to relax yet.

Everyone looked at each other, and someone in the team brought out the map they had drawn so far for measurements and calculations.

"Everyone, judging from the current situation, the way back is blocked. It's almost impossible for us to clear it, and there will definitely be copies intercepting us along the way. Even if we manage to do so, there's a risk of a chain reaction and being buried alive. It's best to wait until the outside has been re-excavated and the entrance has been reopened." My suggestion is to continue exploring.

"Because the most intricate mechanisms and the most complex terrain are in the outer perimeter, which has been cleared. Only the relatively clean main body of the tomb remains." Waiting for the Mirror Demon to continue creating copies is tantamount to waiting for death.

"What do you think?"

The expert was responsible for analyzing the situation and providing professional opinions. The specific decision still depended on everyone's opinions. Anyway, there were only twenty of them, so they could fully exchange opinions and vote collectively.

Then he shared some more specific information, including the demon records investigated in the tomb's inscriptions, trying to lay out all the intelligence as much as possible.

At this point, they either had to stand their ground or advance.

Flamme took a deep breath and looked around. The huge temple-like building shone faintly, completely hidden in the huge pile of ruins, never seeing the light of day for years, but now it emitted a glimmer of light, adding to the dangerous atmosphere, as if welcoming their visit.

Before, she had mentioned in passing in her chat with her master about her past adventures in The Dreg Heap. It was said that the place was so dark that you couldn't see anything at all.

She had this experience herself now, and Flamme was actually quite looking forward to it.

"I agree."

Then the red-haired girl looked at Vain, whose eyes flickered as he considered something else:

On the surface, standing their ground was the safest option, but the copies were changing. Or, to put it another way, when people have nothing to do, they will start to be afraid, uneasy, and waver, thus undermining morale.

If it were a well-trained army, he could make everyone more resilient to pressure, but the adventurers from various factions couldn't.

Staying meant being trapped.

Vain answered solemnly: "Based on the information just now, the Mirror Demon's copies have dual limitations in time and space. Within the limited time frame, there are very few strong individuals it can copy, and we have already defeated the most threatening shadow mage."

"Advance, go to the deeper chambers of the tomb. I think no one will refuse the treasures there."

Analyzing the pros and cons, boosting morale, and adding a little temptation.

Sure enough, everyone agreed.

They were all shrewd people and naturally understood the danger of standing their ground. It was just as dangerous as the other option. Of course, they had to deliberately ignore one fact: the Mirror Demon's copies might contain that strongest individual.

The group, fully prepared, continued their journey. Anyway, there wasn't much left of the road to the main body of the tomb.

"Dig faster, faster, I need all available manpower!"

Fenton was directing the work in a sweat, even tearing up his sleeves to help move stones. With him setting the example, everyone worked hard to clear the collapsed rocks from the passageway.

The reserve adventurers were eager to get started.

The person in charge was very nervous now. If the Noble Vain and Flamme, the heir of the Mythical Era mage, were to fall, it would cause a huge earthquake in the political arena and the magical world. The most dangerous thing would be Frieren's wrath. This famed mage was known for protecting her disciple, going so far as to beat up a demon army and even capturing their commander for her disciple to practice on.

"…and hoping the Royal Capital is safe."

He looked toward the distant horizon at the towering city walls and castles, vaguely hearing the long-ringing bell in the wind, symbolizing praise and welcome.

At this moment, in the Royal Capital's central garden, a long red carpet was laid out, with flower petals fluttering on either side.

"The Chancellor will personally welcome the guests from the Association."

At the same time, the tall Knights standing on either side stood tall, holding up their flags. With this action, the friction of their armor made a crisp sound; they were imposing and upright.

The Nobles all gave a salute. Frieren, at the head, wore a sleeveless dress with a laced bodice and a long, flounced skirt, mainly white. It matched her up-done white hair, and the two splashes of scarlet flowers served as a finishing touch, giving off a cool aura.

This magic!

She didn't deliberately suppress her aura but used a hint of shocking intent, even ordinary people could see the distorted vision; it was as if there was heat rising from the ground.

Even the battle-hardened Royal Guards were tense, not daring to meet Frieren's gaze as she scanned the surroundings.

The Honorary President's reputation was well-deserved.

In comparison, Lernen who followed was much more low-key, in a black tailcoat and white gloves. His slightly thin figure made him look even taller. His handsome, slightly melancholic face attracted the admiring glances of many Noble women.

After exchanging a glance, they greeted the Chancellor.

"By the way, why did the envoy and your group separate? Why didn't you arrive at the same time?"

"Yes, unfortunately, we were ambushed by demons in the canyon."

This kind of attack was within Lernen's expectation. One sentence was enough to block it; otherwise, it would imply that the Kingdom's defense was weak and had harmed the Association's VIPs.

"Let's go."

The question of whether to take responsibility was meaningless. As the Chancellor, he only needed to fully implement His Majesty's opinions. Since the Royal Family's current attitude was leaning towards opposing magic, he just had to execute it.

If the visitors successfully persuaded the King, he could also change his attitude.

They passed through the courtyard and corridor.

The Chancellor, who was of a lower magical level, didn't know that the two behind him were continuously sensing and investigating, not letting go of any details. They aimed to find the demonic forces hidden in the Labyrinth Kingdom's upper echelons. Regardless of the political impact it would cause, they would find the flaw first.

Lernen reported through voice transmission: "There are traces of demonic magic; it was left within the last two days."

"It was active before, for several months."

Frieren, whose perception was even stronger, saw more details. The unique aura of demons was obvious to her. It was amazing how these monsters actively concealed their presence.

No, wait.

"A better method would be to simply replace some court mages with demons, which would avoid the difficulty of concealment." She boldly made a guess.

"That's too exaggerated," Lernen's voice transmission showed a hint of hesitation. "It's only a medium-sized kingdom. It shouldn't be infiltrated so thoroughly unless the planner could foresee all sorts of situations and eliminate variables."

"Unfortunately, the demons have a seer. Do you think I'm worth his meticulous calculations?"

As the two were exchanging information, a creak came from the end of the corridor.

The corridor leading to the throne room opened. Under the Chancellor's guidance, they entered the grand, brilliantly decorated hall, guarded by imposing soldiers.

Following the red carpet and flags, they saw a man wearing a crown on the throne at the end of the nine-level staircase.

"I've been waiting for you."

"Your Majesty Ander, please allow me to represent the Association headquarters and Professor Serie in extending our sincere greetings…"

As Lernen spoke the polite words and bowed, his gaze shifted to Frieren, who returned his gaze, her pupils full of killing intent, almost too lazy to hide it, as if she was about to attack the throne at any moment.

No way? The worst-case scenario actually happened.

No.

He did his best to convey this will to his companions. Fortunately, the silver-haired girl remained calm.

At the same time, Lernen raised his head and carefully observed King Ander, immediately discovering the slight incongruity between the King's forced smile and the demonic magic emanating from his body. It was fleeting.

What clever disguise!

If it hadn't been for Frieren's reminder, causing him to look for flaws first, he would never have been able to see through it at this distance. This was just a human skin, and once the distance shortened, it would be tantamount to suicide for a demon of the Sage level.

"I am delighted that you have come to see me, especially after hearing about your resolution of the attack on the Ruins of the Fallen King."

"It's what we should do. The Association is willing to handle such incidents…"

Lernen answered calmly, pretending to speak to the non-demonic human ministers. For now, they would stabilize the situation and see if they could lure out the enemy.

As for Frieren, she was too low-key to speak.

She had nothing to talk about with demons, or with forces that had dealings with them. Regardless of whether the rest knew or not, the intertwined interests meant that there were no bystanders; they needed to rebuild.

"Indeed, this deserves a reward. Unfortunately, only the two of you came. I heard that Vain and Flamme were also very active."

"They had to stay behind."

"That's too bad. Let's hold a grand ceremony after your team is complete."

Suddenly, the false King changed his tone: "But this is on the condition that your teammates return safely, because the Ruins of the Fallen King is very dangerous. If anything unexpected happens, it would be too disappointing, wouldn't you agree, President Frieren?"

Upon hearing this, Lernen's heart tightened, fearing that his teammates would be provoked, but the silver-haired girl answered neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"They will be safe. We understand each other's abilities, and we wouldn't divide our forces without a proper assessment. Flamme will be in the throne room later."

"Well, let's discuss the main matter first."

Idle chatter wasn't something demons were good at; they would proceed as planned.

Following Seer Schlacht's instructions would do. Before the real battle arrived, the ever-changing Sage was too lazy to think too much. What was even more worthy of concern was the possibility of another corrupt Sage coming to steal the credit.

Good.

The most nervous was Lernen. If a battle broke out on the spot, wouldn't it harm the innocent? Even if Frieren was strong enough to protect ordinary people while fighting, damage couldn't be avoided; it was better to get through this first, and then make plans later.

Besides, he still had a task: "Your Excellencies, please allow me to restate the Association's principles and cooperation matters." Public statements were indispensable.

What needed to be clarified should be clarified. They couldn't refuse communication because of some prejudice. So Lernen generously explained the Association's development and answered some questions and misunderstandings on the spot.

So what if the King and some of the Guards were demons?

He spoke to the middle class, to the public, to the world. This kind of bearing was something the skin-changing monster couldn't understand.

Although the disguised person on the stage had a bored expression, many Nobles were interested. Under Lernen's eloquent persuasion, they gradually showed signs of agreement.

The false King's indifference gave Lernen room to play, even chatting about the Association:

"As long as Your Majesty agrees to establish a branch, we can help with matters such as tomb excavation."

The demon Sage, whose mind wasn't on the matter, nodded casually. In fact, he had been closely watching Frieren's movements, unsure if she had seen through him, but as a demon, how could he doubt magic, which guaranteed survival? Hesitation wouldn't make one a strong person.

So he hardly listened to the Nobles' discussion below:

"Do you think sharing magic is real?"

"Strange, even if it's a negotiation condition, it's too generous. Logically, the Association shouldn't have many conservative mages, should they?"

"Yes, so I, on behalf of Professor Serie, can agree to share some magic scrolls. The results of President Frieren's popularization have proven that allowing the spread of magic is the least important threshold; it still requires talent."

"I don't care about those long-term matters. Strengthening the military and suppressing demons is enough."

"Regarding the situation on the Northern Front, I have a suggestion…"

Lernen, who had entered the state, wasn't afraid of the danger of being in politics, but seized the opportunity to promote the Association; he couldn't miss this opening.

He didn't forget to observe his surroundings.

The demonic infiltrators mostly focused on Frieren, maintaining a tense balance that could be broken at any moment, but they didn't break it.

Politically, the Honorary President was low-key; the Nobles just paid their respects. But in terms of combat power, she was too heavyweight, making the demons nervous and creating a very delicate atmosphere.

Those hidden in the dark were naturally paying close attention to Frieren's scrutiny, but she appeared more and more relaxed, her calm face betraying nothing of her thoughts.

The concise process ended.

A court official led the two into their quarters, and then gave instructions on a lot of details, such as schedules and etiquette. The complexity was truly eye-opening for Frieren, more meticulous than the Lands Between.

After confirming that there was no one around, she spoke: "There are no eyes here. I've also set up a barrier; feel free to talk."

Lernen let out a sigh of relief, heavily sinking into his chair and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I didn't expect to have walked through such a dragon's den; it was really dangerous."

"A significant portion of important personnel have been replaced by demons. The Kingdom is no longer a normally functioning organization. Let it go; prepare for war."

It must be admitted that Frieren's firm attitude at the crucial moment was inspiring. Her aura easily became the main support, gathering people's hearts; her calm demeanor soothed their minds.

Lernen calmed down and thought carefully.

"Let's act tonight. I can use shadow magic to disperse irrelevant people under the cover of night."

"If the demons hadn't replaced the powerful mages, I would have been more hesitant. Now, we just need to control the movement of ordinary people."

"But this brings a problem: I need maximum protection."

He looked directly at Frieren, who nodded.

This decision was tantamount to letting the other party actively jump into the trap, but the bold Mythical Era mage didn't refuse; rather, she welcomed the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Some people in the palace felt a sudden tremor, and then drowsily left for the outskirts, as if driven by the shadows on the ground.

There were countless examples of people stupidly leaving the Royal Capital walls.

After a moment, they acted like ordinary people again, chatting and laughing as they left, only with an extra thought in their minds: they had to leave the Palace.

Lernen watched the irrelevant people leave under the guidance of shadow magic, using the moonlight and the brightly lit lanterns.

He was panting from the high-intensity use of his magic; even with the cover of night, it was difficult to manipulate tens of thousands of people.

"Those demons aren't fools. They will probably realize something is wrong soon. You need to attract their attention, President. There must be a trap in the throne room."

Frieren nodded solemnly.

"Too slow, I'll transfer some magic to you."

After saying that, she lightly touched Lernen's shoulder, and in an instant, a huge amount of magic poured in, making him, who had been exhausted, regain his spirit. The efficiency of his shadow magic increased greatly, instantly covering a small half of the Royal Capital.

How exaggerated! Just one amplification produced a qualitative change?

So strong!

He himself would probably never experience this height in his lifetime. His senses under the magic seemed to be above the clouds, looking down at the city walls and seeing everything.

No wonder Frieren could perceive the disguises so sharply. This level didn't need any extra detection; a large amount of information was gathered at a glance… Unfortunately, Lernen didn't have time to savor this, the main matter was urgent; he seized this chance to go all out.

Shadow magic was output to the maximum extent under the cover of night, guiding tens of thousands of people to leave one after another.

The game was up.

It felt wrong to the powerful mages; the dispersion of the crowd was a precursor to the start of the war.

"Sorry, President, I may need a little more time. If I let the demons notice, it will be a major mistake."

"It's alright, you did your best, you did well." Frieren turned her head and looked at the palace spires behind her, saying, "I'll attract their attention; the main target is me. As long as I take the bait, they have no reason to waste their precious strength on others. The evidence is also collected. As soon as we win, the Kingdom will belong to the Association."

Lernen wanted to persuade her to wait a little longer, but stopped himself, changing his words to a blessing. For the Mythical Era mage who had gone through countless trials and tribulations, this was probably enough.

After waving his hand, Frieren strode out of the palace toward the nearly empty main palace.

Her magical aura had already spread, even stronger than before.

The demonic squad on the high tower was on high alert, wondering how they had suddenly been exposed. Had they been seen through from the very beginning? And waited until now to act? Just to disperse them?

They didn't understand human behavior.

"Should we bomb those people now?"

"Idiot, haven't you seen that magical power? In front of her, no one has the spare energy to turn their attention elsewhere."

The false King frowned and suddenly noticed something beside him—the aura of the Corrupt Sage, carrying a strong bloody killing intent.

"Lord Schlacht asked me to support you to prevent the siege from going wrong."

"I have a backup plan."

Before the words fell, white shadows flickered on the high tower. They were waiting troops of copies.

The demons had invested a lot of resources and could not afford to fail. They had to wipe out Frieren in one fell swoop, otherwise, letting her develop would bring a huge impact to the human camp. They even had to kill Flamme, to eliminate the entire lineage.

In the depths of the Ruins of the Fallen King, long-burning lamps illuminated the passage.

The faint lights lined up in a row, as if guarding the exploration team. The ancient buildings, sealed for hundreds of years, had no air movement at all; even the lights didn't flicker.

At the front of the team was Vain holding a shield, with several arrows stuck in it from the mechanisms.

At the rear was Flamme, bearing the responsibility of the strongest member and able to observe all the members to the greatest extent. Around her, a Rune Sword Array was shimmering; she had already killed several copies of the Mirror Demon.

"Stop, rest here."

Vain suddenly gestured, and another mage beside him released a light ball, illuminating a radius of a hundred meters as bright as day.

Only after looking up did they finally see a tall door.

It was unknown how many years it had stood guarding this place; it was imposing and solemn. On the other side of the door, there was a strange energy that tempted them to open it—what was hidden?

"The inscriptions and maps end here. No one knows what's on the other side, but it's almost the end."

"Why?"

"The building's specifications don't match the logic; the labyrinth has reached its limit."

Everyone looked at each other in agreement.

There was only one question: whether to continue deeper. If they went in, they might have to face the mysterious Mirror Demon directly. If not, they would be worn down by the copies.

Thinking carefully, they had already encountered repeated copies; in other words, there would be continuous replenishment over time. There must be corresponding limitations inside, but how much would it cost to find out the mechanism?

So even if they tried to run back, it would be too late because copies would certainly ambush them along the way.

The further they went, the more variables there would be. The shortest distance was the final chamber.

Flamme said firmly: "If we delay any longer, it will create other monsters. From the beginning, we have had no choice but to advance; we must completely eliminate the Mirror Demon."

She looked around; a hint of courage appeared on everyone's face.

Let's do it.

Staying put meant being slaughtered. They couldn't afford to waste time; they couldn't rely on excavation.

The reason the passageway had been cleared quickly before was because of the help of a large number of mages. Now, the main strong ones were in the team, and the outside engineering team would take much longer, perhaps even being unable to complete the task.

In the meantime, a large number of copies of the Mirror Demon would appear, not giving them any time for mistakes.

"Let's go." Vain also decided.

After resting, the group took a deep breath and pushed hard against the door. With a huge bang, a gap opened; dust and smoke rose, and a powerful aura, like an abyss, came toward them.

A white figure standing in the dust wore travel clothes, with twin pigtails decorated with red flowers and long pointed ears. Her figure was petite. Without a doubt, it was a familiar face.

The copy looked at the group indifferently, its pupils without any life, only pure killing intent.

"The copy that hadn't appeared until now was waiting here."

Flamme sighed: "The worst-case scenario has happened. Everyone, do your best to survive."

At this moment, they were filled with despair.

Their opponent was only one person.

One person was enough.

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