Flame-Suppressing Thimble

Frieren couldn't quite grasp the specific situation of the woman with the severed arm before her, but the players certainly understood.

[Came to save Millicent as soon as the new game plus started!]

[Tears welling up.]

[If you think about it carefully, Millicent's questline spans from the southernmost tip of the Lands Between to the far north, traversing the entire world. It's probably the questline with the largest geographical span, a journey of ten thousand li, the most magnificent and turbulent.]

[The number of times she can be summoned for assistance is also in a league of its own. Just love group battles!]

[What kind of ending befits such a life of displacement? Of course, it's a tragedy, hahaha! This world has gone mad!]

[It's over, another one's gone mad.]

[So, what to do? Used a ton of healing spells, but nothing worked. Looks like I need to check a guide.]

[Don't just stand there watching! The Unalloyed Gold Needle can suppress the rot. Go find the old general and make him drop his gear!]

[Such a pity, the old veteran is also unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness. If he knew of Millicent's existence, he would surely take good care of her. But removing the Unalloyed Gold Needle means certain death for him; he can't escape his fate one way or another.]

[No, you skipped a step! Go to Gowry's Shack first. He'll tell you where to find the Unalloyed Gold Needle to suppress the rot. Remember this, it's very important, you'll need it later.]

[In short, the Unalloyed Gold Needle is about suppression, and its target isn't just Scarlet Rot.]

[Also known as the 'Suppression Thimble.' Everyone who's used it says it's good.]

[No spoilers!]

[Just follow the order, one by one.]

[Caelid has so much stuff! I can't wait to get the Meteorite Staff and Rock Sling, and the Old General's set...]

Some player phantoms left behind even pointed vaguely towards a dilapidated shack at the base of the cliff.

Following the direction they indicated, Frieren extended her senses and indeed, it was the same shack from before. Correct, there was definitely a crucial clue connecting the two. And Millicent was the "budding flower" the Finger Reader had spoken of? Confirmed without a doubt.

This complicated things. Since the players mentioned a quest spanning the entire Lands Between, it surely connected countless secrets, worthy of careful investigation.

She enjoyed long journeys, both in terms of time and space; only those satisfied her.

She had come to the right place.

Dismissing these thoughts, the silver-haired girl continued to apply Soul Heal. Unfortunately, its effects gradually diminished. Millicent, her expression relaxed, had fallen into a deep, unconscious sleep.

Questioning her was useless now.

"As you said, she is indeed very strong. An ordinary person would have gone mad long ago," Melina remarked. "Moreover, she should be a master swordswoman, her skills are formidable. Could she be here for the combat festival?"

"Not necessarily. Otherwise, the Finger Reader wouldn't have specifically mentioned her. She doesn't have that unfamiliar aura; she's most likely a native born and raised here."

"Could it be that some of Caelid's Redmanes were unwilling to leave?"

"Just a hunch. We'll know once she recovers and we ask her."

Frieren stood up, took out a felt blanket, and covered Millicent, also roughly bandaging the wound on her severed arm.

During the treatment, she made another discovery: the woman's physical constitution was very strong; otherwise, she would have died from excessive blood loss long ago.

It would likely be very difficult to cure her. The Scarlet Rot within her body had reached a critical point. If her will slackened even slightly, she would transform into a rot creature, and a highly skilled sword-wielding one at that.

"So, we find someone who knows what they're doing."

"Who?"

Frieren pointed towards the nearby cliff. Following the path led straight to a small shack, from which emanated a solitary life aura, showing no immediate threat on the surface.

Melina was long accustomed to her partner's uncanny guidance based on trust. She possessed a keen intuition unique to the Tarnished, often noticing unusual details and finding individuals related to events to unravel clues... This time was no exception.

With one hundred percent trust, she followed the silver-haired girl towards the cliff.

Her intuition told Melina that the person living in seclusion below was no simple character; there was an evil aura about them, inevitably arousing suspicion.

Meanwhile, inside the shack.

Gowry, who had been sitting on a chair with his eyes closed in meditation, slowly opened them and murmured, "Have they arrived?"

As a Kindred of Rot and a devout believer in the Goddess of Rot, his relationship with the purifier Frieren was like fire and water. Her series of actions was practically trampling on his faith, making the situation utterly disastrous.

Fight?

Don't be ridiculous. With the Lord of Cinder's strength, she could kill him in a single blow.

Against an ordinary enemy, he would prepare substitutes and other tricks, but against a sorcerer who toyed with souls, such methods were useless. It was better to disguise himself carefully.

Gowry's mission was to nurture Millicent and her sisters, thereby creating a vessel capable of housing the Goddess of Rot. For this, he would spare no cost; he had to witness that day with his own eyes.

"To think someone would adopt a Rotten Stray."

Thump!

With a heavy sound like a stake being driven, an oppressive force akin to a gale made the rot creature cringe.

It possessed more rationality than an ordinary stray and could more keenly feel the terror of Frieren descending from the heavens. The resentment of the rot creatures clinging to her body was almost tangible; she was, in name and reality, an enemy of Scarlet Rot.

And that wasn't all. She didn't even regard the Outer Gods as significant, not as true enemies. Scarlet Rot felt it had encountered its natural predator...

"This creature is hideous," Melina rarely showed such disgust.

"Shall we kill it?"

Just as the two were discussing, an old man in long robes came running over, trembling.

He waved his hand and gave the Rotten Stray a look. The latter, as if granted amnesty, scurried far away, disappearing from their sight.

"Hello, my name is Frieren. Sorry to bother you."

Despite her words, the silver-haired girl's up-and-down gaze was not friendly, carrying a hint of suspicion. She always felt this fellow before her was hiding something, like Seluvis, and there was a dense aura of rot...

"I have long admired your name, great Lord of Cinder. I was once called a sage; my name is Gowry."

"Earlier, I saw a red-haired swordswoman infected with Scarlet Rot. How much do you know about her situation?"

"Oh! Coincidentally, I also wish to save her. Her name is Millicent. She suffers from the rot, an incurable disease. Even during the most glorious period of the Erdtree, the demigods were helpless against it."

Gowry spoke while observing Frieren's expression.

However, the latter remained unmoved, an expression of disbelief on her face. It should rather be said that this shardbearer had not faced true despair on her journey.

So be it. Making her give up was impossible; might as well push forward:

"Although it cannot be cured, there is a way to suppress the rot: the Unalloyed Gold Needle. It is in the Swamp of Aeonia, on the person of a certain Haligtree Knight. With Your Majesty's strength, you can surely pass through the great swamp safely."

These words made Melina deeply worried. She whispered, "This fellow clearly has issues."

"It's alright. I was heading that way anyway."

Frieren answered both of them simultaneously.

"Also, let me ask you something, Gowry. Do you think the Lake of Rot can be restored? For example, by absorbing the Scarlet Rot within it."

"Impossible. That is proof of the mighty power left by the Goddess of Rot, unshakable. It represents a future where the entire world is destined to be eroded. No matter how many ages pass, it will always lead to this end."

After giving this alarmist answer, Gowry saw Frieren offer a faint smile.

"Then it's challenging."

"It seems Your Majesty is confident in managing the Lake of Rot. That is good; I am also very grateful," Gowry said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But this is a multiple-choice question."

"Why?"

"Your Majesty must be here for the combat festival. It is best to face General Starscourge in peak condition. Conversely, even if you defeat Radahn, you may not have the spare strength to deal with the Lake of Rot, and certain potential enemies might exploit its power to launch a sneak attack."

As long as there was the slightest chance to incite the power of rot, this purifier, Frieren, had to be killed.

For the Lord of Cinder, it was a choice. How would she decide the order?

No matter how she chose, angering the God of Scarlet Rot would definitely result in retribution.

"I will consider it carefully."

—Unfortunately, I will absolutely not allow you to consider it carefully.

Gowry was determined to use the opportunity in the Swamp of Aeonia to deal a heavy blow to the invading Limgrave forces. For example, by praying to the Goddess of Rot; the equally enraged god would most likely respond.

Little did he know, Frieren's gaze upon him grew even colder. She was all too familiar with the ill-intentioned atmosphere of someone accustomed to hostility and killing intent.

"Will you be taking the army with you to the Swamp of Aeonia?"

"It's a necessary path, one that must be taken eventually, but not now. Let's obtain the Golden Needle first."

"May your journey be smooth."

The silver-haired girl turned, summoned her spirit steed, and advanced towards the Lake of Rot below. Every second counted. Since she had accepted this important side quest, it had to be completed as soon as possible.

What was the beginning of the longest side quest in the Lands Between, as spoken of by the players?

Would there be a battle in the lake?

Compared to Frieren's eager anticipation, Melina, sitting behind her, frowned deeply. Strange, why was that feeling of being watched growing stronger? Being highly sensitive to the aura of deities, it was hard for her to ignore.

"Frieren, your actions in Caelid should have attracted the attention of the Goddess of Rot. Be careful, she might make a move."

"Normal. I've purified so much contamination; we've long been enemies."

"Are you prepared?"

"Yes. And I estimate the best place for retaliation is the Swamp of Aeonia."

"Then you're still going!" This time, Melina's voice carried a hint of reproach. How could Frieren always put her life on the line so recklessly?

"Because I'm not the type to back down just because I'm aware of danger. Besides, isn't this a good opportunity to sever ties?"

"Are you not going to miss Radahn's Great Rune? Gowry was right about at least one thing: if the Lake of Rot causes you trouble, then you won't be able to deal with General Starscourge."

"My claim to sovereignty doesn't rely on Great Runes."

Melina had to agree with this. How else could a Tarnished, who initially had nothing, gain the allegiance of nobles? Everyone valued a sovereign who possessed compassion for suffering.

Other shardbearers were path-dependent, always feeling they absolutely needed Great Runes. In contrast, Frieren was revered as a sovereign even before defeating a demigod. People were willing to gamble their lives on the possibility of redemption. So, she had no sacred perception of the Elden Ring fragments; they were merely tools.

Having them or not didn't affect her popular support. Besides, Radahn's Great Rune was right there; it wasn't going anywhere.

So be it.

It was reassuring to witness someone consistently follow their chosen path.

As she pondered, the spirit steed had already reached the edge of the Lake of Rot. It stretched as far as the eye can see, almost making one think it was an inland sea, vast and expansive.

Unfortunately, a peculiar smell permeated the air, and the lake water bubbled as if boiling. The Swamp of Aeonia hadn't been this active before; it was as if it were welcoming a guest from afar.

Meanwhile, rot creatures roamed around the lake, which had clearly become their habitat—a chaotic dance of demons, howls of ghosts and wolves, a veritable picture of hell.

She could annihilate most of them, but many would slip through the net.

An organized army was still needed for an encirclement battle.

Frieren whistled.

A Stormhawk dived down and caught the letter she had casually written: "Go to the Town of Sellia. Tell the main army to come to the lake area. There are signs of a large-scale outbreak of rot creatures here. Go quickly and return quickly."

With a cry, it soared and climbed into the sky.

As the now-famous messenger of the Lord of Cinder in the Lands Between, this distance was nothing; it would soon bring the army.

"Look carefully under the water. Use your perception to search." Melina reminded her, full of apprehension. "The bottom of the lake is full of corpses, yet they are not completely dead. The cycle of rot."

"...The truly rotten things in the Lake of Rot are the corpses."

"After all, the Haligtree and Redmane armies fought a brutal battle here back then, both suffering heavy losses."

"Indeed, tragic."

It was rare for Frieren to see a lake so filled with corpses. Perhaps the giants' graveyard in the Souls world counted as one? The dead there were truly dead, but the things in this lake before her were hard to say.

They were no match for her; they had long since become breeding grounds for Scarlet Rot, continuously festering and polluting.

The entire Swamp of Aeonia was a super petri dish for plagues. No wonder one area could throw an entire nation into turmoil.

The silver-haired girl couldn't help but touch the Flower of Aeonia headdress.

She had to wait.

Having continuously absorbed a large amount of Scarlet Rot from Dragonbarrow and the Town of Sellia, it had indeed reached its limit. For a while, she couldn't use absorption purification.

This also meant that if Frieren suffered a direct hit from Scarlet Rot, she wouldn't have the headdress as an intermediary for aid; she would have to rely on her physical strength to endure. So, she carefully spread out her perception, not missing any enemy.

"There are traces left by Malenia, Blade of Miquella, when she bloomed here. Perhaps the flower still remains. Maybe you can take it and use it," Melina suggested.

Her train of thought had already followed.

"Good idea. However, I also heard she was rescued by the Haligtree soldiers, taking a giant scarlet flower with her."

"There are too many rumors in the Lands Between. No one knows exactly what happened back then."

"Then they must know. Unfortunately, they lack reason."

Following the direction Frieren pointed, Melina was startled to find a Cleanrot Knight.

Although years had passed, the Golden Order and Scarlet Rot had preserved their strength; their imposing presence was still palpable. Slender, form-fitting armor covered every inch of their skin, tall and martial, gripping their weapons tightly, pointing towards the enemy.

An enemy attack?

Who could have predicted that survivors from that era still remained in the Swamp of Aeonia, and Cleanrot Knights at that, who were considered formidable even among the Haligtree soldiers.

"Be careful! During the Shattering, this group of warriors was invincible, following the Valkyrie and accepting the power of rot. They are top-tier knights, both frenzied and powerful—"

Before her words faded, a golden halo flew towards them.

Frieren recalled her spirit steed and dodged the attack in one smooth motion. The sharpness that grazed past her ear sent a chill down her spine.

But her attention wasn't on the Cleanrot Knight, because although she had chosen the shore as her footing, the lake water beside her was gradually rising and spreading towards her, as if alive, actively trying to devour.

Simultaneously, an immense and shore-like will swept over them.

_____

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