The golden hue of the Altus Plateau was kicked up beneath Torrent's hooves, revealing layer upon layer of golden maple leaves that flew straight into the sky, seemingly adding a touch of brilliance to the air.
Melina, sitting behind the saddle, cupped a handful of leaves and murmured:
"The fertile foundation of the Golden Dynasty still exists here. It is tenacious; not even time could wear it down."
"I hope we can achieve that too," Ranni said.
"You certainly will."
Holding the reins, Frieren turned her head back and spoke seriously:
"Don't say 'you,' it's 'us.' Everyone must reach the Golden Throne together, otherwise, I won't count it as a success."
"Your Majesty, I may have to excuse myself when that time comes," Trina requested with regret. "Please allow me to be buried along with Miquella's ambition."
"I already told you, I will find a way to have the best of both worlds. For example, beating him half to death and then fusing you two with you as the dominant personality."
It turned out she had really thought it through; her plan was watertight.
Facing three skeptical gazes, the silver-haired girl couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Do you think that in my mind, I only care about fighting and lack consideration for everything else? With the Great Rune, preserving the fusion of you and Millicent won't be difficult."
The three of them nodded as expected.
As people of The Lands Between, they naturally believed in the power of the Elden Ring shards.
One could call it superstition, or perhaps faith, but in short, the mighty power of the rules could achieve almost anything.
Remolding the reborn Haligtree Twins should be easy.
Frieren spread her arms and laughed aloud:
"Stop thinking about those troublesome things. We've been busy rushing on the road lately; don't ignore the magnificence of the Altus Plateau. You should pay more attention to..."
Suddenly, her gaze sharpened.
Following the direction of her locked gaze, a shadow was cast from above the clouds, followed immediately by a massive figure landing on the ground as fast as lightning.
It was the Ancient Dragon Priestess Lansseax, but her posture at this moment was like a cat walking on tiptoes. Seeing this, Frieren immediately reined in her horse, blocking the road to Windmill Village. She didn't know the other party's stance—friend or foe?
She tilted her head and asked, "Did I disturb Your Majesty's mood?"
"It doesn't matter. Let's talk business."
"To be honest, I came to express my gratitude. Thank you for granting my brother, Fortissax, his release."
"It wasn't that simple. I only ensured the fall of his soul, but his body might be used as a weapon. After all, the rules of the Deathborn still exist; perhaps a true Deathborn Ancient Dragon will be created."
"Even so, that counts as you successfully sending an Ancient Dragon back to the cycle of reincarnation."
Lansseax gazed nostalgically at the Erdtree. She had thought that possessing eternal life meant she would have no connection to love, hate, or passion, but she hadn't expected to feel sentimental once again today.
Farewell.
Once an eternal Ancient Dragon says farewell, it is forever; they will never meet again.
The squad of four did not interrupt but silently witnessed the Ancient Dragon Priestess's emotional remembrance. This moment was filled with historical significance.
For Ancient Dragons, parting in life or death is rare, and their dull emotions usually almost obliterate sentiment. It was truly rare to see such deep sibling affection, even to the point of one mourning the other.
"Your Majesty, you wish to embark on a path of victory and intend to invade Farum Azula, correct?"
"Of course. Are you going to stop me?"
Frieren's emerald eyes became sharp, poised for action.
"I came so quietly because I was afraid of alerting the Royal Capital army. I am on your side," Lansseax hurriedly clarified. "I personally owe you a favor for freeing Fortissax. How could I be your enemy?"
"However, some Ancient Dragons do not think so. They believe you should not be allowed to wreak havoc in Farum Azula, and they might even use this as a reason to fulfill their ancient covenant with the Golden Dynasty."
"So?"
"—Just give them a beating. Let the Ancient Dragons of Farum Azula properly witness the power of the Soul Cinder King, and they will understand."
The white Ancient Dragon even made a fist-clumping motion, like a gesture of encouragement. It was very human-like.
Her words were filled with deep meaning; it was advice to stop at the right point. If Frieren didn't make her stance clear here and agree to show mercy to Farum Azula, then the Ancient Dragons would truly become enemies.
"Are you sure I can arrive there and defeat Maliketh?"
"To be honest, most people in The Lands Between don't believe in you, but I believe in you, and that is enough."
"Alright, I promise you."
"—But let me say one thing in advance: I will meet with the Dragonlord. My new order requires me to notify him. Do not interfere."
Hearing this, Lansseax's throat tightened, and she felt as if she were about to sweat even through her rock-like skin.
She was serious.
The Soul Cinder King intended to have a fight with Dragonlord Placidusax, defeat him, and establish the victory of one king over another, achieving a complete replacement that even the First Lord failed to accomplish. If Radagon were there, would Frieren beat up Radagon too?
After hesitating for a moment, Lansseax nodded: "May your martial fortune be prosperous, Your Majesty. Let us meet again in Farum Azula."
With that, the white Ancient Dragon flapped her wings and flew away.
Coming and going freely, just for a chat.
Clearly, the Ancient Dragon race had made a judgment, communicated through their old friend, Priestess Lansseax.
However, this had nothing to do with the group currently rushing on their journey. They would go to Farum Azula sooner or later; it wouldn't be too late to think about it then.
They continued to traverse the endless Altus Plateau...
Heading all the way north.
Upon arriving at Windmill Village, a horrifying atmosphere immediately struck them.
Villagers wearing garlands and festive attire danced continuously, ceaselessly, yet they could not hide the stiffness in their movements, looking like humans but not quite human.
The rising and falling laughter and the eerie chatter made Frieren frown.
It was very bizarre.
Even coming here in broad daylight sent a chill down one's spine. However, as long as they didn't attack first, she wouldn't stir up trouble out of boredom; making a big commotion could easily attract the Leyndell Knights.
Behind her, Melina looked at the map and exclaimed in surprise:
"Windmill Village Dominula has actually zombified to this extent!"
Basically, no normal person existed there.
"There is a familiar aura. Millicent must have been here."
Frieren was very clear about the traces left by the Sun Realm Sword (Sacred Blade), having used it many times herself. Besides, such a highly reinforced weapon was rare to begin with. It couldn't be anyone else; she had been here not long ago and had won the battle.
"Malenia's other half, who can also be considered my younger sister... She must have felt the guidance of fate and headed to the Haligtree ahead of us."
Trina felt a fondness for this relative she had never met. After all, according to Her Majesty, Millicent had been fighting against the Scarlet Rot for many years.
She possessed the resilience that Malenia lacked.
Ranni reminded them:
"The soil turned over by the sword qi is very new and smells of earth. She probably hasn't gone far... But her pace is faster than ours, and she is familiar with the Haligtree. We should meet her there."
"Since we can't catch up now, let's look around here. There are traces of a battlefield over there."
Frieren led Torrent by the reins and walked deeper into the village.
The entire way was unobstructed.
The villagers treated this future visiting team as air, ignoring them completely, indifferent to their intentions, simply dancing blindly.
Ranni and Melina were full of caution, but the silver-haired girl was curious. She even found a garland to wear, seeming as if she wanted to blend into the joyous and festive procession.
"After I bless the entire Altus Plateau in the future, they will revert to a real dancing village."
"It is Windmill Village..." Suddenly, Melina remembered something and remarked on the map:
"The King personally renamed it."
"It doesn't need to be that serious."
After walking a few steps, they saw the corpse of a Godskin Apostle. It was obviously killed by Millicent.
His defeat, in a sense, confirmed Millicent's strength; she was a completely different person from her weak self in the past. A Godskin Apostle was not an enemy that could be casually dispatched; to win easily meant she was already at a first-class level.
Frieren immediately took a liking to a slender, curved sword stuck in the ground.
[Godskin Peeler]
[Double-bladed sword with a celadon-green blade, featuring a sickle for cutting and a spiral needle for piercing.]
[A weapon of the Godskin Apostles. An asymmetrical, grotesque twinblade that requires familiarity to use.]
It had no Ash of War, and the handling didn't feel good.
It was similar in nature to another twinblade she had encountered earlier. It was better than nothing, but its attributes weren't particularly outstanding, making it inconspicuous among Frieren's vast collection. However, another Incantation was worth noting:
[Scouring Black Flame]
[One of the Black Flame Incantations of the Godskin Apostles.]
[Sweeps black flame across a wide area forward. Charging increases the range of the sweep.]
[The black flame is the flame that hunts gods. However, when Maliketh sealed Destined Death, the black flame lost its god-hunting power.]
So the Black Blade was partly responsible for the weakness of the Godskin Apostles.
No wonder.
Their actual performance was inferior to the fierce reputation they left behind when fighting alongside the Gloam-Eyed Queen back in the day. It seemed Maliketh not only defeated them but also permanently weakened them; the power of the god-hunting system was currently in a sealed and weakened state.
"Should we reseal Destined Death after seizing it in the future?" Frieren muttered.
"For me, getting to the step of burning the tree is enough," Melina said bluntly.
"You and Ranni need to think carefully about the details of the Order."
"Let's talk about it after we kill Maliketh."
The group searched Windmill Village inside and out but didn't gain anything special.
Aside from the consistently eerie villagers, there were no distinctive features. For a squad pressed for time, there was nothing else to focus on. So Frieren set off again, riding Torrent and continuing north.
...
In the northern part of the Altus Plateau, Goldmask stared motionless at the distant Royal Capital, just as always.
Beside him, Corhyn looked confused. Though nervous, he remained pious.
"Master, we have to leave." Even knowing the other party wouldn't respond, he spoke: "The Royal Capital army is sweeping the area, driving away anyone suspicious. We must hide to be safe."
However, Goldmask remained silent.
It was as if he was certain there was some secret that needed verification and would not relax in the slightest.
This steadfastness made Corhyn anxious. He paced back and forth, indecisive. Was this the moment to test his desire to learn from his master? Should he disregard life and death? What choice should he make? What should he do?
The sound of horse hooves interrupted his thoughts the next moment. It was two Leyndell Knights riding over; they were likely patrolling and eliminating suspects along the way.
"Who goes there? What are you doing here?"
The two raised their great spears, poised for action, faintly forming an encirclement, ready to launch a pincer attack for a one-hit kill at any moment.
"We are just ordinary scholars studying the Golden Order."
Corhyn answered truthfully, but the other party didn't listen. The two Leyndell Knights also locked their eyes on Goldmask. It was hard not to be vigilant; this time, it boded ill.
Crack!
Two Comets were fired in succession, instantly killing the scouts. It was extremely fast, happening in the blink of an eye.
Only then did he see the newcomer clearly. It was Frieren, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. The silver-haired girl rode on horseback, wearing a crown and silver armor, with a violet-like cloak covering her back. She had grown slightly taller than before, and her mana was profound.
It was hard to imagine that the First Lord's greatest rival now was once a newcomer at the Roundtable Hold. How times had changed.
"Corhyn, has there been any progress in your research?"
"Regrettably, no progress. There are too many inexplicable aspects."
"I went to Leyndell, the Royal Capital, not long ago and collected some things. See if they are useful."
Frieren handed the Golden Order Principia, prayer books, and everything else to Corhyn. The latter returned the favor with Incantations like Radagon's Rings of Light and Law of Regression. The transaction was pleasant for both sides, yet it felt like a farewell.
Although she had plenty of ways to collect Incantations with her power, she seemed keen on this method of acquisition.
Moreover, the silver-haired girl had been looking at the ground since just now, as if something was written there.
"I learned a piece of information that should help you," the silver-haired girl said solemnly. "Marika is Radagon."
As soon as these words came out, Corhyn was dumbfounded, and even Goldmask seemed to waver.
"...I can't believe it. Is such a thing really possible? I don't understand; I can't absorb this knowledge."
"Can you interpret Mr. Goldmask's attitude?"
"Judging from the mathematical calculations conveyed by Master's fingers, he also accepts it. I still don't quite understand, but I will carry out the work of a scribe and continue to deduce the Golden Order with Master. Your Majesty, do you think we can do it?"
"Of course you can."
"Even if a Perfect Golden Order can be deduced, will Your Majesty use it when the time comes?"
"It will definitely be useful, Corhyn. Completing the Golden Order will also benefit the implementation of the Age of Stars in the future. I leave it to you."
Frieren's trust came from the messages on the ground:
[Excluding the Age of Stars, which is full of room for interpretation, the most perfect choice is definitely Goldmask's Mending Rune to achieve the Perfect Golden Order ending. It can patch the flaws and allow The Lands Between to prosper eternally.]
[Saying 'eternal' might not be certain, but that's splitting hairs. Who knows? Anyway, it's better than the others.]
[Correct, but I choose the Age of Stars.]
[According to what Miquella and Leda said in the Land of Shadow, terms like 'Lord of the old order' or 'Marika's Lord' imply that we default to choosing the Elden Lord of the Perfect Order.]
[It can be interpreted that way. Actually, I think the Perfect Order is the best.]
[Goldmask is a solid guy. If there's an issue, he really steps up, and he actually produces results.]
[The strongest humanoid computer. It turns out he wasn't silent; he was just speaking in binary code like 010101.]
...That was why Frieren took the initiative to mention key intelligence.
She took a deep look at Goldmask. It was a pity she wouldn't use his Order, but it shouldn't be difficult to study it carefully as a reference when the time came.
"Corhyn, take good care of your master. We will meet again later."
"May you always be victorious, Your Majesty."
He watched the silver-haired girl ride away at full speed. One glance at that direction, and he knew her general plan. It was truly audacious.
____
New Story: FGO: Building a Lostbelt from Scratch, the Winner is Canon
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