Frilian at Elden Ring

"You need their support to achieve real control over Lienia, but you have to be careful not to be completely controlled."

Melina, in her unseen spirit form, offered a suggestion: "There's a way to counteract the influence of the local nobles. Clear out habitable areas, then redistribute them. Using this variable to balance the power of your subordinates can also serve as a reward."

"So the next issue will revolve around the distribution of benefits based on the number of troops deployed. Since you like taking risks, then don't back down and keep the place with the most monsters for yourself."

"understood."

People assumed Frillie's reply meant she wanted to continue, and as usual, they began their reports...

As the team becomes increasingly elite and professional, it's inevitable that senior nobles and high-ranking mages will use a lot of fancy words.

Little did she know that Melina saw through her boss's little scheme and explained everything to Frillie, who was even lazier, only offering a few pointers as if she had fulfilled her duty.

She was always whispering beside the king's throne; she was practically a court jester.

There's nothing we can do about it; the minds of the faded ones are all focused on combat, and while they're not completely ignorant of politics, they're certainly only superficially knowledgeable.

But Melina didn't mind. Even the first king, Gothry, had the Lion Prime Minister to assist him, so she could certainly help her partner solve problems before carrying out her mission and share some of the burden.

Thanks to the knowledgeable translator and advice of the acting witch, the meeting went very smoothly.

His Majesty has changed!

Those familiar with Frillie have noticed that she's finally willing to put her talent into management; using her brain is the first step, which is gratifying.

Such a genius must be able to apply his knowledge to other areas.

However, no one knew that she relied entirely on her external brain, Melina, to think throughout the entire process.

Seeing how professional their new lord was, the Lienian nobles, who had initially planned to test him, abandoned their ulterior motives. It wasn't a matter of whether they harbored ill intentions; they were simply adjusting their work based on their leader's capabilities.

They were actually quite willing to communicate with a wise ruler. After all, everyone was going to work together to conquer the world, and there was no need to scheme and fight over the affairs of a small lake.

"Your Majesty, this is a map of monster distribution collected by Knights Kalia over the years."

Mugram handed over the parchment scroll.

"How do you plan to deploy your troops?"

Frillie's slow, deliberate tone suggested she was waiting for a confrontation.

As expected, everyone started scrambling to join the sweep and cleanup missions, since the more you dropped, the more you got, making it an easy way to expand your influence. But unexpectedly, the silver-haired girl made a stroke of her pen and re-circled different areas on the map.

“I’ll handle it. You just need to focus on improving the existing governance.”

"..."

"Moreover, it will take time to digest the equipment captured from the royal army. We might miss the opportunity if we wait for ordinary soldiers to develop new combat capabilities."

"Your Majesty is wise. Indeed, there is no better opportunity than now, when the number of living corpses has been reduced on a large scale."

The nobles originally planned to argue for increased investment to better divide the territory in the future, but Frilian suddenly brought up the matter of spoils and equipment, implying that she had already given them benefits and they shouldn't go too far.

Incurring repercussions would be a greater loss than a gain.

The spoils are currently stored in the Magic Academy's treasury, with the distribution rights firmly in the hands of the Queen. She was the one who set up the magic that sealed the gate. It would be even better if they could obtain some of the royal city's equipment.

In reality, this is equivalent to a trade-off, exchanging the opportunity to expand territory for military reinforcements, which will eventually be used on the royal army, so it's not a loss.

To put it bluntly, if you're given something good, you should be the first to charge forward; weakening the nobility in the future will be a seamless process.

Everyone understands the principle; the only question is whether they are willing to accept it.

Melina concluded, "For you, it avoids interference from other forces during the granting of fiefdoms, demonstrates your authority over resource allocation, and leaves room for maneuvering the nobles. For them, although they will have to bear the cost of future losses, the temptation of strengthening their military is irresistible, so they will agree."

"As ordered."

After a moment's thought, the nobles seconded the motion. In reality, Frilian could have easily passed it by force without any exchange of benefits, but the weighing of options was a more popular approach.

"Your Majesty, I propose that during your exploration, headquarters select elite troops for training, with the target being the mine passages at the bottom of the Lienia Valley."

Edgar suggested, "There might be a secret path there."

"Yes, I've met some of the people who supervised the construction of the mine back then. It can lead to the Yatan Plateau, but it's not convenient for large-scale troop transport."

Mugram immediately added further explanation.

"According to Stormhawk's reconnaissance, an earth dragon monster may be lurking there."

"The general is right. The ancient ruins and cliffs have long been occupied by numerous monsters, attracting the Faded Ones to hunt them down."

"My suggestion is to train troops on the outskirts, but we need to observe the timing before actually occupying the mine. After all, any major action against the mine could be interpreted as a move towards the Yatan Plateau."

Ultimately, Frilian agreed to select elite troops and begin training them.

She knew very well how sensitive her opponent, Markitt, was. He would think that her presence in the mine was a sign of an impending siege. If a full-scale war with Rodel were to be costly, she might as well let the ragtag troops from the Volcano Mansion wear her down first.

hold on.

Time is on Frilian's side; her controlled territories will rapidly recover and create resources under the power of soul magic.

"Also, can Teacher Seren's soul magic temporarily heal a small number of people?"

"Don't worry, I can take care of some of the work while you're exploring."

As expected of one of the geniuses in the history of the academy, he has been deeply involved in the Origin School for a long time and can seamlessly integrate with the Soul School. Now he can suppress the deterioration of some severely zombified targets.

With Serenity's help and Frilian's occasional teleportation through the Blessing Point, they have enough to handle the treatment of the undead.

What remains are nothing more than some complicated and roundabout matters.

Basically, her subordinates would consult her, and she would make decisions based on Melina's suggestions. She would then resolve key steps such as expanding the academy village, recruiting soldiers, and training mages. It wasn't until the end of the meeting that everyone finally had time to chat.

Edgar asked curiously, "In that case, where does Your Majesty primarily intend to explore?"

"Platinum Village".

"I heard that assassins used to be active there. I don't know if they were targeting Platinum Village, but they were probably being watched by a group of mysterious guys. I don't know why."

"Perhaps the assassin is after something else, after all, these guys whose backgrounds are unknown are always on the move."

Some nobles disagreed.

Since that was the case, Edgar stopped reminding her and left it to Frilian to decide.

"I've heard that Sir Hundred, the leader of the Round Table Hall, actually has a large number of spies under his command, who also act as assassins, and are active in various parts of the borderlands working for him, but I don't know their specific targets."

It was actually mentioned in a player's suggestion.

She never trusted Sir Hundred Wisdom from the beginning; she's definitely a schemer, so it's best to be careful.

It's not surprising that there are traces of spies in Lienia; the key is to ensure it doesn't affect the plan, as they're hoping the Platinum Child's technology can provide some inspiration for the mysteries of life.

"Your Majesty, you actually know such a secret!"

There are indeed many speculations about the origins of the spies, with some clues pointing to the Round Table Hall, but no one dares to be certain. Frilian, however, is so convinced, clearly knowing the answer to the mystery; as a Faded One, she understands her leader well.

No.

Now that she possesses royal dignity, she can be considered an equal to the elders of the Round Table, and those orders imposed on ordinary, faded individuals have no effect on her.

"Does His Majesty mean we should be wary of the power of the Round Table?"

"It's alright, let's continue to cooperate. Report any developments to me, but I'll keep an eye on Sir Baizhi's side. We're in a period of peace for now."

Upon hearing this, everyone moved on to the next topic.

In reality, no one in Baijin Village truly cares about its safety; it's simply a small, secluded settlement.

Melina didn't think her partner could handle someone like Sir Elgin, who would probably forget to be wary after trading a few spellbooks. Of course, she was confident that Fleurine would win in a direct confrontation, so there was no need to worry.

The aura of a king is far beyond the reach of schemers. In borderlands, aura is sometimes a form of strength, and the strong are more likely to break through their limits.

Experience and a strong will can help a person reach the top.

She then offered Frillie a few suggestions, and the latter became increasingly adept at handling these meetings, growing at a visible pace. She was capable of learning as long as she was willing to learn.

Unfortunately, I'm lazy.

The man was a genius, but he didn't put his mind to management. Soon, the silver-haired girl waved her hand, indicating that she would let them talk as they pleased and just watch.

Melina, who hated that she didn't have a body, longed to see Frilian's head.

Can't we be more positive? Forget it, expecting to change the faded person's personality is pointless; she's too old to change. She needs someone she absolutely trusts and who is exceptionally capable to help her. Theoretically, a proxy witch would be suitable, but the two will eventually part ways.

Melina used to worry that a sudden, selfless sacrifice would make her partner act without restraint, even if that thought was wishful thinking.

Now she understood another point:

Even though Frilian is so heartless that she doesn't care about the passing of the witches she's accompanied on her journey, she's not the type to govern, and she can't even cooperate with the gods.

She had already determined that no matter which deity she chose, the faded ones, having learned from the mistakes of the two kings, would find it difficult to trust the gods.

Have you not seen the cases of Gofulai being exiled and Radagan disappearing?

Therefore, it is best to have a mediating figure under the rule of the third King of Elden. This role is not as simple as the Lion King's vizier as the first king; it must possess strength, wisdom, and crucial bonds…

Forget it.

Let's take it one step at a time. Perhaps their relationship will improve when Frilian and Lani truly begin cooperating on the Two Fingers matter. Emotional bonds are hard to rely on; let's just hope they're less wary of each other and shorten the distance between them.

The meeting drew to a close as she pondered her thoughts.

"That concludes my summary report."

Edgrang announced loudly: "The Lienia recovery plan will be launched. Please remember the key points—"

"For stubborn monster strongholds, roaming monster groups, and small underground labyrinths, the army should handle them and deal with them as quickly as possible. If you encounter common contamination types such as the Deadborn, you must report to His Majesty."

He looked at Frilian, who nodded; she was quite skilled at purifying Deadroot.

"The action plan is to expand the purification zone with the Magic Academy as the center, and first complete the route connection with Stoneville City."

"Actually, we've done this quite well. The key is to be careful of the lobsters that are active in the lakes at night and to eradicate them carefully."

"There are two points to the long-term plan:"

"First, we will repave and repair the end of Lienia Avenue, all the way to the garrison elevator. This time it's our turn to occupy it, and we must be wary of the Royal City Army making a comeback."

"Second, gradually conduct reconnaissance of the area surrounding the ancient ruins' cliff."

"Our goal is to consolidate control of the zone, create a clean zone, establish elevators, and conduct reconnaissance at the front. Stabilize these four points, and we can bring prosperity to the entire southern part of Lienia and the Weeping Peninsula within ten years!"

Edgar said excitedly.

All eyes turned to the silver-haired girl, who solemnly rose from her throne.

"We will prove that even in an era of broken legal order, civilization can still develop tenaciously. This is the greatest legitimacy. Let's take action."