Frilian at Elden Ring

"...Speaking of which, Melina, having traveled the borderlands for so long, do you even know where the Blood Dynasty is?"

"I don't know, but I have a guess: since there are no traces on the surface and it's difficult to contact the Blood Fingers from the sky, it can only be somewhere underground. In the present moment when the fate of the stars has not changed, it's a good place to hide."

"underground?"

“I advise you not to explore that place too early, especially since the Blood Dynasty is very active, unlike the Eternal Dynasty which is barely surviving. Although that monarch may continue his intrigues, we should take a defensive stance for now.”

"To be honest, it's troublesome to have a demigod-level enemy deliberately causing trouble, after all, the Farron Undead Legion tends to be defensive, and I often travel abroad."

The worst thing is having a thief eyeing you, but you can't guard against thieves every day.

Therefore, Frilian is confident in her own safety, but Nymgouf might not be so sure.

Her territory is out in the open, but she lacks the power to spread her influence outwards. In contrast, the Blood Dynasty is still missing and has Bloodfinger assassins all over the border areas.

Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it. Anyway, we'll eventually have to travel all over the border area, and we can find you no matter where you're hiding.

Melina sighed and said, "I wish I could help you. After all, staying in a soul state all the time is quite inconvenient. Otherwise, I could at least keep an eye on the situation in Stoneville. I wonder if your soul magic is capable of that?"

"Not now. I need more magical knowledge, and it has to be related to life."

"Not urgent."

When she came to her senses, she realized why she had started to care. She wanted to truly stand by Frilian's side and achieve great things together, placing it on an equal footing with her mission.

Anyway, I don't want to think about this moment. It is clearly a conversation between the Faded One and the Witch, but it looks very strange to the soldiers in the distance. Is there something wrong with the King who keeps talking to thin air?

"Could Marika have any undisclosed children?"

Suddenly, a seemingly random remark from the silver-haired girl startled Melina.

"Why do you guess so?"

"I don't have any particular basis, I just feel it's strange. For example, the Blessed King and the Blood King probably have great runes and are recognized by the Two Fingers. The former, in particular, definitely has the legitimacy of bloodline in addition to the fragment of the magic ring, unlike me who is an exception. So they may be descendants of the goddess."

"During the War of the Fragments, the monarch alliance had a similar speculation, believing that the defenders were brothers or sisters who appeared out of nowhere and thwarted their plans to seize the throne."

The implication is that similar topics have been mentioned before, but the truth has never been fully understood.

Even Melina was unclear about the specifics of her connection to her so-called mother, because the seal in her eyes held power and memories...

She guessed that if the mission was successfully completed, the seal would never have been opened, and the truth would have remained hidden.

Conversely, if unexpected situations arise, unleashing power to deal with them will also reveal the truth, something Frilian desperately needs. So, is it possible to break the seal early to retrieve her memories and power without affecting her ability to continue fulfilling her mission?

OK?

She felt a little scared at the thought.

The silver-haired girl turned away, forgetting these troubling topics, and continued, "What I just mentioned were all long-term plans, whether it's creating a body for you or investigating the entire border region... we can't rush it."

"The key now is to take over the Mengliu Cave. If we go there, we'll be attacked by Blood Finger. There might be some connection between the two."

96

Chapter 96 This Patch really pleases me.

Frillie immediately began preparations, donning her armor and checking the potion, looking ready to go again.

If the Mengliu Caves are related to the Blood Finger, there may be another fierce battle.

His imposing manner left the surrounding soldiers looking at each other in bewilderment. Hadn't His Majesty just fought a battle? Was he not satisfied at all, so he wanted to find another opponent? Sure, that's very much a battle maniac.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just checking for danger. We can't allow monsters like the caves to continue to ravage Ningmgford. Be prepared for martial law."

"As ordered."

"Let's retract the rally signal. In the future, when we encounter battles that we can't intervene in, we should prioritize our own safety. I can handle it."

This advice deeply moved everyone.

Most superiors are considered good if they don't treat their subordinates as cannon fodder, but how many are like Frilian who warns people to leave? No wonder she possesses the magic to heal souls; she herself is driven by a desire for redemption, and thus possesses great power.

They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, picking up the animals that had died from the aftershocks, lest they be targeted by the cursed blood and turned into some strange creatures.

The special forces at the border are numerous, and cleaning up the battlefield is also a way to prevent its spread.

The troop deployment at Storm Hill finally slowed down a bit, and the tension subsided.

After all, the battle at Lake Agil was truly astonishing; the sky and earth seemed to change color, and magical energy surged like a tidal wave. But once they learned that the participant was Frilian, they were relieved. She was sure to be fine, and sure enough, she won the battle.

Who is the opponent? Curiosity is one thing, but it's best not to pry into some secrets. Curiosity killed the cat, so they should keep to their work until the person reacts.

the other side.

Patch, who was leading his men huddled in the Mongliu Cave, scratched his bald head.

Dust kept falling from the cave ceiling, accompanied by increasingly intense vibrations, which gradually subsided after a while.

Some thieves were nearly scared out of their wits.

He held these cowards in utter contempt. A bunch of bandits who had been randomly gathered together were hardly of any use. They could only run errands and collect intelligence for him, and they were not even as good as the intelligence network of the Volcano Mansion.

Moreover, conditions in Nymgfu were constantly improving, and some of the outlaws had reformed, because the benevolent king had decided to forgive and forget their past transgressions.

However, wanted criminals with conclusive evidence of wrongdoing must be dealt with. Of course, there are also some thugs who have fallen in love with robbery who are still active. It is conceivable what kind of scum they are who do not reform and just hang around together to plunder.

At that moment, a trembling thief ran into the cave.

"Hey, I told you to go find out what's going on. Any news? Who's behind this mess?"

"Boss, it's, it's that guy. The terrifying Burial Mage, the one you all know..."

"Trace the tongue carefully."

"I overheard the soldiers talking and they said that the Fragment Queen Frilian was attacked while touring Lake Agil. Her opponent used some kind of method that seemed to be blessed by an Outer God, which caused that commotion. However, she has been defeated, but she seems to intend to continue her activities in this area."

"Wait a minute, could it be that after experiencing that level of conflict, there's still magic left? Shouldn't a normal person rest for a bit?"

Upon hearing this, Patch didn't quite believe the exaggerated rumor.

The thieves didn't know how to respond.

"Our leader is knowledgeable and insightful. Even a demigod needs to catch their breath after such a major operation. Besides, a monarch who has been assassinated should be worried and won't continue to be active. She will return to Stoneville City."

"That's not necessarily true. Don't forget that Soul King has a record of consecutively defeating the Night Cavalry, the Ominous Demon, and the Limb-Splitting Garric."

"In my opinion, Frilian is inherently fond of honing herself through combat."

"..."

The discussion boils down to one question: to escape or not to escape? If Frilian and her soldiers patrol frequently, it's only a matter of time before they are exposed, and the worst outcome would be being hanged.

Should we run away now? Forget it, leaving the cave would easily expose us, and it wouldn't be worth it.

If anyone tries to escape, they'll likely be surrounded and attacked by their own people immediately, because how would I know if you're trying to tip off others in order to reduce your punishment?

They stared intently at each other, subtly threatening one another.

The campfire illuminated the stern faces of the thieves. When faced with a formidable enemy, their first thought was to prevent the enemy from escaping; whether or not they would unite to fight the army was another matter entirely.

Silence fell.

Ultimately, wishful thinking prevailed over reason, and Patch offered words of comfort:

"Don't worry, they won't find this hidden cave. How can you be a thief if you're always looking around? Since you've already decided on this path of burning, killing, and looting, be prepared and don't be trembling with fear."

"Why do you talk like you're such a respectable person?"

"Yes, I have my boss. Coming to Ningmgefu is just part of my job. Do you have a problem with hiring you to do more work?"

As they were talking, Patch glared fiercely at the oddballs around him, and they all looked away.

They were just a bunch of worthless scoundrels. He never took these scraps from the border areas seriously, but appropriate incentives were necessary, and a combination of kindness and severity was needed.

"Stop daydreaming, let's divide the spoils."

Patch, as the leader, shrugged, indicating that everyone should share the spoils and that he had no interest in it. Of course, he also conveniently distanced himself from any involvement. But the thieves hadn't considered this, and immediately swarmed forward, ransacking the wooden crate, leaving nothing out that might be valuable.

This gang didn't actually commit any major crimes. As the security situation in Nymgfu improved, they no longer had room to act lawlessly. At most, they would rob wagons of supplies along the way.

The most harmonious time is when money is being divided, but it's also when fighting and causing trouble are most likely to happen.

That's why Patch needs to act as an arbitrator and manager; otherwise, there would be no point in fighting to the death. He needs these guys to do his work so he can live a more comfortable life.

"painting?"

Suddenly, a thief found a long scroll, which was quite valuable and worth a lot of money, just by looking at the edges.

"This must be a gift from a nobleman. Let's open it and take a look."

The scroll unfurled to reveal a vertical half-length portrait of a woman with long white ponytail. Her long, pointed ears were minimized, highlighting the large earrings that complemented her perfectly. She wore a silver breastplate, and a sword rested at her waist, giving her a sharp and imposing presence. Her most striking feature was her staff, which shone with dazzling brilliance…

Patch rested his chin on his hand and commented with great interest: "The artist's technique is not bad, as it conceals the demi-human hybridity and the low-grade Queen's Staff."

"I haven't met the person in person, but the painting is beautiful."

"Idiot, His Majesty would call it ugly. The strong should not be blinded by physical defects—no, reaching that level is called a characteristic. How can one be confused by characteristics? Otherwise, one will not possess that spirit and will fall into inferiority. This treasure, if we offer it up, will offend people. The nobles who were robbed should thank us."

"Guessed it right."

At some point, a person who looked exactly like the one in the painting stood at the entrance of the cave.

"It's me, it's me!"

Although no one has actually seen the famous new fragment king in real life, this characteristic is absolutely genuine.

Twin silver ponytails, long pointed ears, a mage's long armor, and an undeniably powerful magical aura—everything about him spoke of ill intent. The thieves, as if facing a formidable enemy, immediately took up positions.

What happened to the gatekeeper? There's no need to ask that.

Frilian casually glanced around, her gaze landing on Patch. She felt a strange sense of familiarity; he was a familiar face who was always there, a true kinsman.

"Are you the boss?"

"No, I didn't. It's all their fault for pushing me around and robbing me. I didn't do anything heinous."

He waved his hand at Patch while revealing a sly smile.

"Do you think I'm so easily trusting? Thieves should be punished."

"Why waste words with her? Hurry up and run. If you can't escape, then fight."

Now that things have come to this, the thieves no longer harbor any illusions. With a demigod blocking the door, what chance do they have?

The worst outcome would be death and returning to the Golden Tree, but it's common knowledge that this system is unreliable nowadays. Furthermore, the other party is a master at manipulating souls, and there are even rumors that they can capture souls and torture them repeatedly. Since there's no escape, the only option is to fight back and buy time.