It wasn't entirely surprising for a Tarnished from beyond the Lands Between to possess some unusual abilities. Although the nature of the flame within Frieren was peculiar, Melina wasn't overly concerned. As long as it wasn't the Frenzied Flame – that alone was a taboo forbidden even during the all-encompassing Age of Plenty – it was acceptable.
Since Melina herself could perceive it, there was no reason the Lunar Princess wouldn't have noticed the signs as well. No wonder she extended an offer of recruitment; the declining power of the Carian Royal Family certainly needed strong allies. Melina wondered what exactly they were plotting.
"Lady Frieren," Melina began, steering the conversation back, "let's continue our topic regarding Ranni."
"So, she's quite famous?"
"More than famous," Melina confirmed. "In the legends of the Lands Between, she is known as the mastermind behind the Night of the Black Knives, the event that indirectly led to the shattering of the Elden Ring..."
Melina disliked speaking ill of others behind their backs, but it was debatable whether these statements even counted as such. Rumor had it that Ranni herself admitted her role as the instigator. Melina was merely relaying common knowledge about the Lands Between to a newcomer. As a Tarnished newly arrived via summons, Frieren wouldn't know the intricate plots and histories; it wouldn't do for her to be deceived by schemers.
"Furthermore," Melina continued, "the Shattering war, arguably caused by Ranni's actions, still affects the Lands Between to this day. And by rejecting her destiny as an Empyrean, she inevitably faces pursuit by the Two Fingers."
After listening to the lengthy explanation, Frieren fell into deep thought. She immediately recognized the arrival of crucial information, details pertaining to major events in the Lands Between that she, being caught in the middle, couldn't simply ignore. Besides, investigating the truth was inherently interesting, filled with countless details worth examining – such as Ranni's motive for her actions.
"The Carian faction didn't really have much choice, did they?" Frieren reasoned aloud. "Based on what you said, Leyndell's influence was already encroaching upon Liurnia of the Lakes, and there's a natural antagonism between Empyreans vying for power."
"If Prince Godwyn was set to be the next ruler, the next god would most likely emerge from Marika, Miquella, or Malenia. The Carian royal line wouldn't have gained anything favorable from that arrangement. Instead, they'd likely face continued marginalization, perhaps even another 'Golden Conquest,' making war unavoidable."
"Initiating the Night of the Black Knives seems like a better alternative under those circumstances."
"Although many details remain unclear, Ranni certainly seems to have had a motive. The conflicts had been building for a long time."
"From an outsider's perspective," Frieren concluded, "I think the Lunar Princess is quite clever, a true strategist."
In her own reality, Frieren had heard countless tales of feudal lords and succession disputes. Matters of inheritance frequently led to bloody conflicts. Given the sheer scale of the Golden Order dynasty, it wasn't surprising that internal strife could reach world-ending intensity. Leyndell, the Royal Capital, represented a great power; precisely because of its greatness, it could unleash terrifying force even when mortally wounded. And it was still alive, albeit diminished.
"Your assessment is very objective," Melina conceded. As a resident of the Lands Between, Melina might have grounds to blame Ranni for causing the civil war, but from the perspective of a Tarnished, such blame was irrelevant.
Indeed, if the Shardbearers hadn't been warring amongst themselves, when would a mere Tarnished have had the chance to even reach for the Elden Ring? Chaos breeds heroes; the unstable situation provided a stage for them to shine.
"Moreover," Frieren added, "I believe the Golden Order's system itself contained inherent flaws."
"What do you mean?"
"Those untouched by the Golden Grace naturally became adversaries. For a dynasty, suppressing them day after day, year after year, throughout their life cycles is sustainable... until it isn't. Eventually, you fall because of it. If the Elden Ring were truly perfect, it shouldn't have malfunctioned simply due to the deaths of Godwyn and Ranni. Besides, Queen Marika's actions are also filled with strangeness; many inconsistencies don't stand up to scrutiny."
Although Frieren didn't dare jump to conclusions, listing the suspicious points was easy. Who could be blamed when the system itself wasn't clean? The Night of the Black Knives reeked of conspiracy, everyone harboring their own ulterior motives, combined with pre-existing tensions erupting all at once, ultimately causing the realm to collapse.
Even so, it had survived – no small feat for a dynasty spanning thousands of years. Such longevity deserved respect.
"...You're right," Melina admitted after a moment. "I've thought about these things a lot over the years myself. There are many aspects of the Night of the Black Knives that don't add up, as if a hidden hand was influencing everything." Beyond her mission, Melina was deeply curious about what truly happened to that great, prosperous dynasty to reduce it to its current state. It shouldn't have ended up like this. Was it solely Ranni's plotting, Marika shattering the Ring, or the Shardbearers' wars? Perhaps there was a greater mastermind behind it all, someone more deserving of retribution.
"Don't worry," Frieren reassured her. "I'm just as curious. We can keep an eye out and investigate together as we go. History may bury the truth, but the truth is always there."
"Don't trouble yourself with it now, Lady Frieren. You should rest quickly."
"Goodnight."
Having finished examining the spirit ash mechanics, the silver-haired girl let out a yawn. Most elves enjoyed sleeping; closing one's eyes and reopening them marked the passing of a day – a simple, efficient, and satisfying way to pass the time. Although theoretically, sufficient physical prowess negated the need for rest, sleeping was a cultural habit.
"Goodnight to you too. I will keep watch," Melina replied, dissolving her manifest form. Maintaining her spirit state consumed very little energy, allowing her to remain vigilant of any disturbances in the surroundings.
Finally finding a moment of quiet, Frieren dozed off for a short while.
However, perhaps it was the lack of security in this unfamiliar environment, but she woke up not long after, unable to rest soundly, feeling distinctly uneasy. If anything was to blame, it was the excessive realism of her 'game magic' when it came to mundane aspects, preventing her from simply fast-forwarding through daily downtime.
She sat up and looked around. The ruined Church of Elleh glowed with faint points of light – the drifting dance of fireflies mixed with the golden radiance spilling down from the distant Erdtree.
It was beautiful.
In her own world, there was a legend of a meteor shower that occurred only once every half-century. She wondered how it compared to the sights of the Lands Between.
Looking back towards the direction of the Chapel of Anticipation, she saw it had already vanished below the horizon. Despite her careful, slow progress, she had clearly covered a significant distance, highlighting the vastness of this land. It had only been a single day, yet it felt incredibly full, so much so that even the sense of listlessness accumulated from her usually lazy life had dissipated.
The greatest fear of an elf was boredom. In truth, her long 'magical gaming' experience could easily lead to weariness. Fortunately, she had methods to amuse herself.
By concentrating her vision, Frieren could see messages scattered everywhere, visible only to her. One read: Ahead: Blue-skinned, four-armed figure drops Spirit Calling Bell.
She almost chuckled. It was a rather fitting description of Ranni. Furthermore, based on hints from others she'd 'interacted' with, attacking the Lunar Princess likely severed her questline. It truly paid to be cautious and explore thoroughly.
Other messages littered the area: "I am Ranni's blade," "Affection ahead," "Remember to complete the sidequest for the heirloom Moonlight Greatsword," "This NPC cannot be attacked." Most were rather nonsensical, generally unhinged trolling, but occasionally they contained elements that couldn't be ignored.
For instance, regarding the "unattackable NPC" messages, Frieren recalled discussing this with 'online players' before. They described such targets as essentially intangible and unresponsive. Yet, she was quite certain she could attack them. In all her long experience 'playing games,' she had never encountered a target that was truly unattackable; everything could be killed.
Strange.
Why did everyone seem to have such different experiences within what was ostensibly the same game world?
She often found herself pondering similar questions. But tiring one's mind with unanswerable questions wasn't the elven way. So, Frieren settled back down to sleep again. She needed to wake up early tomorrow to head towards the Gatefront.
She should be able to wake up early, right?
...
________
✨ Hello, dear readers of Wancheng Funeral Parlor! 💖 This is the newest release from our beloved Funeral Parlor, a translation we were soooo excited to launch! We're counting on your Reviews and Power Stones to help us on this journey! Yahoooooo! ✨
We'll release an extra chapter 🎁 for every 5 reviews!
Orrrrr for every 100 Power Stones! Come on, come on, come on! The Director has gone crazyyyy! 🤪🔥
Let's go, let's go! 🎉 Want 40 advanced chapters and stories before they hit the web novel? ✨
✨ SUPPORT US HERE! ✨
👇👇👇
💖✨ patreon.com/Walnutchan ✨💖 <- 40 advanced chapters!