Mohgwyn Dynasty Begins Deployment

It went smoother than expected.

After the first contingent of the Southern Army's main force left the flower sea area, they indeed came upon Gael Tunnel. Along the way, many corpses that hadn't been dealt with in time were left behind, all invariably killed by a single magical blow, with no superfluous damage – clean and decisive.

It was clearly Frieren's handiwork; she had most likely pushed straight through the tunnel area.

"General, a battle with a Magma Wyrm once occurred here," a scout reported. "Her Majesty and another warrior killed it together."

"Are you sure it was her?"

"In the Lands Between, only Lady Frieren would search every nook and cranny, not even leaving a single Rune behind."

Edgar couldn't help but laugh, "That's certainly true."

It was well known that the new Lord of Souls seemed to possess two great magics: locating treasures and automatically picking up small surrounding items. She maintained a constant state of 'hellish flattening,' leaving no blade of grass unturned wherever she passed, generally missing nothing.

Heaven knows what kind of environment fostered such a personality; she clearly wasn't a malevolent spirit.

Regardless, they confirmed that Her Majesty had personally flattened the tunnel. The motley crew inside was, of course, no match for her, collapsing in minutes, hardly worth mentioning.

The other temporary teammate was most likely Iron Fist Alexander; the signs of the Warrior Jar were obvious.

Participants for the combat festival were gathering.

On their way, they had also seen many experts wishing to witness history, as well as some mercenaries and Tarnished just looking for excitement. They wouldn't necessarily participate or contribute, but they were unwilling to miss the current biggest event in the Lands Between. What if Radahn truly made the stars flow again?

It concerned everyone's fate, so it was normal for a crowd to gather, and it also meant Caelid was now a chaotic mix of characters, the situation very unclear.

"Continue the march," Edgar ordered with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, sir."

They didn't investigate further; the outcome was already clear, no need to waste effort.

Despite being a shardbearer, she rummaged around like any Tarnished. She was also a renowned collector, sparing no treasure, and certainly no enemy.

Thus, the main army continued its deep advance.

As they truly entered the Caelid region, people couldn't help but feel a trace of nervousness. The rumors were true; it was indeed filled with various forms of Scarlet Rot ecosystems. They cleared out several monsters along the way.

Their abnormal, twisted, and ugly appearances caused physiological discomfort.

This aversion stemmed from biological instinct, a judgment against something starkly different, merely aberrant.

The more one saw of the Scarlet Rot, the firmer their resolve to crusade against it became. Leaving them be would only bring disaster.

A Stormhawk shrieked!

The piercing sound immediately caught everyone's attention. Though their vision couldn't match the hawk's, just hearing its cry made them feel incredibly excited. It had most likely spotted its master.

Although they cooperated with the army, their ultimate allegiance was to the one who surpassed the Storm Lord: Frieren.

Over the high slope, a fortress came into view.

For countless years, Fort Gael, guardian of Caelid, still stood. Countless monster corpses were strewn around it, rivers of blood flowed, the earth was cracked, and the air was thick with a foul stench.

Even in death, their twisted and disgusting appearances were unsettling; truly evil.

A battle had clearly taken place. How was Her Majesty?

"We're almost there."

Edgar shaded his eyes with his hand, gazing at the silver-haired girl sitting on the castle battlements, dangling her legs. She seemed to be chatting and laughing with the air, as usual.

It was no longer strange for Her Majesty to behave this way. Either she was a little eccentric, or she truly had spirit companions. If the latter, then her partner along the way could truly be called the new Lord of Souls' right and left hand, and everyone else could only strive to be the third most important person in the team.

What was special was that the patrols in Fort Gael were, without exception, Spirit Ash warriors, looking proper and orderly.

So strong!

Even from a distance, they could feel the oppressive aura of battle-hardened veterans.

As a general, if he had such an army, he would be invincible. So, Frieren's Spirit Ash legion had already developed to this extent. No wonder she dared to venture so boldly into Caelid; she alone was an army.

Moreover, their division of labor was clear: magic archers for observation, greatshield soldiers guarding the front, and other spirit ashes coming and going on the walls… No, there were also temporarily summoned ones.

Some rot creatures were turned into temporary summoned spirit ashes on the spot to replenish their numbers, just like with the Death Rite Crows back then.

They had become pawns; a brilliant tactic.

As Edgar was pondering, he saw the silver-haired girl on the wall nod and float down.

"Was the journey smooth?"

"Your Majesty, you took care of all the enemies. We only cleaned up a few scattered rot creatures."

"Rest assured, next, we'll be busy clearing the area up to Dragonbarrow. A large number of Putrid Wyrms are gathered there, and we need to eliminate them as soon as possible."

"Yes, I've also heard that the Mother of Dragons has fallen to rot."

In a sense, those creatures were amplifiers of Caelid's blight, spreading scarlet energy far and wide through flight.

Their mobility was too strong, making them impossible to defend against. Merely surviving as monsters, they spread contamination. They absolutely could not be spared and had to be thoroughly eradicated.

Both Edgar and Frieren agreed, but the immediate priority was to garrison the fortress.

Clank!

The iron portcullis slowly rose, revealing the spacious interior of the ramparts, large enough to serve as a small training ground. The air was thick with the smell of blood, and corpses lay strewn about.

The most conspicuous was the lion creature.

The other corpses had likely died from its bites, while it had been bisected by a single, clean slash, killed instantly.

A corner of the castle wall beyond the corpses had also collapsed, bearing a sword mark. It was evident that Frieren had been testing new abilities again, randomly picking a lucky monster and giving it a rough time. She should have gained quite a bit.

"Your Majesty, should we clean up and repair this entire place?" Edgar asked.

"Of course, but we need to be quick. I'll help too."

Frieren, experienced in construction, was very familiar with it. After all, she often repaired houses with the people of the elf village and was skilled in building.

With her cooperation, the simple task of moving materials was trivial.

The remaining sappers immediately rushed to make repairs. With the efficiency of twenty thousand people, they stacked the castle walls at a virtually visible speed, even having the surplus capacity to set up an outer trench line to strengthen the defense in depth.

Edgar was responsible for overall coordination, uniformly reinforcing and consolidating the original Fort Gael.

This was to be their main base of operations, so no mistakes could be afforded.

The banner of the Southern Army was planted on the watchtower, fluttering in the wind, proclaiming the arrival of the new Lord of Souls in Caelid.

We have arrived.

The fervent construction work further demonstrated their determination. They would not sit idly by and watch the outbreak of rot creatures; they were here to fight these polluting monsters, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace.

Such large-scale movements naturally couldn't escape the notice of various factions.

As Limgrave's elite army arrived in Caelid and established a foothold, intelligence quickly spread, stirring people's hearts. No one would ignore this move; a storm was brewing.

While Frieren was active in Fort Gael, the other shardbearers also had their own deployments.

...

The Blood Dynasty.

"A bunch of fools! You mean to say you lost Fort Gael? And you still have the face to return!"

Mohg's roar made the Blood Nobles kneeling at the foot of the steps tremble in silence, not daring to utter a sound, terrified of being made an example of.

Who knew the new Lord of Souls would act personally?

Thus, their defeat was a landslide, and even their counterattacks were futile. The forces originally deployed at Fort Gael were now stuck. What to do? The series of troop redeployments stemming from this was a headache.

After a brief fit of anger, Mohg began to think carefully, his expression grim.

"Where is Anhesen?"

"Your Majesty, the First Knight is responsible for compiling intelligence from the Bloody Fingers in various locations. He is currently not in the Blood Dynasty either."

It seemed he should avoid dividing his forces; maintaining the activity of the Bloody Fingers was less important than the current struggle for Caelid. But he wouldn't say such negative things, as it would shake the army's morale.

"Tell him not to worry about things here. Maintain contact with Morgott's subordinates and see if we can find a breakthrough in Liurnia."

"As you command."

"I will create a projection to go to the surface."

Upon hearing this, his subordinate Blood Nobles and knights were all greatly invigorated. Since His Majesty was willing to go personally, victory was assured.

An additional demigod-level combatant was enough to bury the Limgrave forces that had advanced deep and isolated.

They could definitely use some methods to incite General Radahn's rampage.

At that point, the chaotic battle Caelid would welcome wouldn't be on the level of a conflict between one or two demigods.

"Projections also vary in strength. It will take some time to create one powerful enough to influence the situation, so you must hold out."

"Understood."

"One more thing, the main army of the Blood Dynasty is beginning to assemble. I will prepare the power of the Formless Mother to help you conceal your movements."

After a series of strategic arrangements, Mohg felt more at ease. Although there had been some unexpected developments so far, overall, they could be completely rectified. It was all still in the early stages of the plan anyway.

He was not lacking in patience; he just needed to proceed step by step.

The brief engagement made him understand that Frieren's power was growing daily, and she needed to be suppressed as soon as possible.

If he missed this chance in Caelid, there wouldn't be another. As long as he won, he could obtain two Great Runes, putting him just one step away from becoming the Elden Lord.

No, it could even be considered a success already.

He glanced at the giant cocoon behind him, the sleeping place of the Empyrean Miquella.

Enough to replace that goddess, that detestable child's mother, Marika. With Great Runes and a god on his side, wouldn't it be a direct path? However, Mohg knew that the closer he got, the more he needed to remain calm and not be careless. He had to strike hard.

"Let Caelid get a little livelier. Mobilize those rot creatures and our assassins, the more the better."

...

Redmane Castle.

The primary fortress, deeply rooted in the local area for many years, keenly sensed the undercurrents that had been stirring ever since the combat festival was announced.

The few remaining commanders of the army gathered on the castle walls.

They could see the figures of Putrid Wyrms occasionally streaking across the sky. Monsters that were usually inactive or even dormant were now unusually active, as if drawn by some special aura.

Jerren sighed, "Plagued by disasters, the torment of our land is not yet over."

"Report, scouts have observed signs of a large number of rot creatures rampaging in the direction of the Town of Sellia. A certain sorcerer there is instigating it. We are currently investigating."

"Mm, keep an eye on it."

"Lord Castellan, more and more combat festival participants are arriving. Some hope to start it sooner."

"The original plan remains unchanged. There's no rush for this matter; timing is crucial."

Some officers agreed. They couldn't just rush into action. Truth be told, the timing they were waiting for was the arrival of the new Lord of Souls. Did those participants think they could kill General Radahn by themselves?

Years had proven it impossible.

This time, with the ascendant new Lord of Souls joining, there was more hope than ever before, so they had to wait.

Moreover, the situation in Caelid was currently very complex, not allowing for rash military deployment. It was better to stay in Redmane Castle and prepare to coordinate with the Southern Army...

"Look over there!"

Suddenly, someone pointed towards the skyline. A Stormhawk was soaring high.

Several sharp-eyed sappers were already on the battlements. Everyone's expression immediately turned serious. These powerful beasts were now called "Messengers of the New Lord of Souls," so they likely had important information to convey.

Jerren unfolded the letter and read it carefully. A moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Southern Army has occupied Fort Gael and established a foothold." Then, his tone shifted, "But General Edgar also informed us about the situation with the army and the Bloody Fingers."

He relayed the intelligence.

Although they had heard some inklings before, they hadn't expected the border region to be in such utter chaos.

It had actually escalated to open warfare between both sides, so the situation was severe. So, the Blood Dynasty's infiltration had reached such an extent.

"The development of the situation is no longer in our hands. Immediately begin strengthening Redmane Castle's defenses and consolidate our forces. If I'm not mistaken, a large-scale war is likely to be fought in Caelid."

With Jerren's order, the entire army sprang into action.

...

The Academy of Raya Lucaria.

Moongrum had also received news from the front lines. It was conceivable that Caelid would be the main battlefield for some time to come.

As a Carian Knight of distinguished merit, he noted another point:

"Strange, why has the ever-dormant Blood Dynasty suddenly become so active?" He cautioned his colleagues, "Compared to those under direct threat, they seem to be more actively cooperating with some kind of strategy."

Sellen said coldly, "As far as I know, the blood blood faction is full of schemers. They are probably planning to tie down the Southern Army to allow the Liurnia region to affect the Altus Plateau."

Everyone simultaneously looked towards the high ground.

The Royal Capital was the highest point in the Lands Between, excluding the snowfields, possessing a powerful strategic advantage, especially for advancing south.

Ostensibly, the Grace-Given King's army was blocked at the Grand Lift. Perhaps it was the opposite; once they made a move to attack, it would compel Frieren's forces to return in aid. Strategic tug-of-war is relative; the key is who is more flexible. Currently, most of their forces were in the south.

They began to discuss strategies animatedly:

"Yes, we must prepare to repel the Royal Capital."

"Again?"

"Perhaps the Blood Dynasty and the Royal Capital have reached some undisclosed secret agreement. Don't forget they once worked together to dismantle the alliance of lords."

"Such a thing happened! Then we must be vigilant, lest these scoundrels stir up trouble."

The meeting proceeded in an orderly manner under Moongrum's direction. As for fighting the Royal Capital, it wasn't as if they hadn't done it before. Who were they fighting? The armies of the Golden Lineage. Even Radagon couldn't conquer them.

Who are you, Grace-Given King, leading now? Can you manage? Times have long changed. We are not afraid of a direct confrontation with you.

The nobles of Liurnia proactively sent reinforcements to the Grand Lift.

_____

Greetings! ✨ Walnut here!

🔥 AN INCREDIBLE OFFER IS ON THE TABLE! 🔥

We're only 13 members away from our 65-member goal! 🎯

The second we hit it, 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for ALL STORIES will be released to everyone. No exceptions!

🪦 Your membership is the key. Let's make it happen!

100 powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone! 5 reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!

Secure your early access before it's too late!

👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan