With the Water Mirror of the World Tree Yggdrasil’s guidance, our destination was decided. We then returned to the Temple of Odis.
Before beginning the journey’s preparations, there is someone I had to properly report to —Pauline-san, the commander of the Raven Warrior Corps. She is always busy, and the only chance to meet her would be at night.
Mia-san said, “Just leave it to the warrior corps,” but I wanted to give my report in person. After all, she is the one protecting my family.
“The City of Abundance—Flocia, is it?”
The great tower of the Odis Temple housed the commander’s office. Even at night, the room was bright with magic-stone lamps. Her pen moved swiftly between words, scratching across the page. At an hour when most homes had long since finished supper and settled into rest, Pauline-san’s work still carried on.
“Thank you for waiting.”
She had just finished her letter, sealing it with melted wax and a stamped crest.
Then she lifted her face, and with a calm smile, she said,
“You’ve done well. I’m truly glad to hear such good news.”
Pauline tilted her head slightly, and the tall white hat she wore tilted along with her movement.
I steadied my breath, trying not to be overwhelmed.
Perhaps it was because she sat behind that enormous desk while I stood alone before her, but the tension tightened around me. When I finally spoke, my voice sounded higher than usual.
“They said a pair of powerful sibling gods are sleeping there. And… they might know the special magic needed to break the seal on the Awakening Horn, Gjallarhorn.”
I carefully chose my words, mindful not to sound rude. Pauline-san carried royal blood—she was a princess as well as commander.
I recalled exactly what the gods had told me, and continued.
“It’s not the same as rune magic. The gods called it Seiðr.”
“I see… In the old tongue, that means ‘that which has no shape.’”
Pauline-san tapped her pale cheek with a fingertip.
“Runic magic is magic given form —etched into letters. In contrast, magic without writing, magic without form….could that be what Seiðr means?”
I stared at her in surprise. Her explanation was almost word-for-word what the gods themselves had told me.
Pauline let out a soft laugh.
“Fufu. That was only a guess. But judging from your expression, I’d say I was right.”
“It seems that even in the Age of the Gods, there were differences in magic.”
I admitted.
“You mean differences in systems? Like sword schools huh.”
She nodded, urging me to continue, her wide eyes glinting with curiosity.
“Yes. Rune magic and Seiðr magic are both magic at their core. But….Seiðr was the one that excelled at binding hearts into vessels, at shaping things that had no shape.”
“And the ones who wielded that art were—”
“The twin deities of fertility. Freyr and Freyja, who now sleep in Flocia.”
When I finished my explanation, a dark weight lingered in my chest, like a knot I couldn’t unravel. I hurried on, covering it with words.
“If we can awaken them both, I believe I will finally be able to release the sealed god in the horn as well.”
Another power to protect Lu. If, on top of the dwarves, we could gain the aid of new gods as well, it would be a tremendous reassurance. Perhaps I might even receive a new blessing myself.
Pauline-san rested her chin against her hand.
“Hm. Yet compared to Thor-sama, Uru-sama, Sigris-sama, Solana-sama—and even Loki-sama—the power of these two seems… somewhat different.”
Her eyes met mine. I lowered my chin in a small nod. I’d been thinking the very same thing.
“Rion-san. This is only speculation, but Seiðr magic may do more than bind hearts into vessels. It might also bend the will, ensnare, seduce. When I hear ‘shapeless,’ what comes to mind first is the spirit itself.”
“That seems to be the case. Memories, feelings… those too could be manipulated by it….”
If we wanted to draw out the horn’s true power, then those gods were indispensable. And yet—magic that could tamper with the mind was frightening to contemplate.
What if an ally suddenly turned into an enemy? What if even my own memories were rewritten without my knowing?
Even in the mining town of Alvis, a magic engineer named Ganis had been enslaved by mind-control. There were countless ways such an art could be twisted to evil ends.
The coin trembled in my hand, and Solana’s voice rang out through the chamber.
『Frey and Freyja have somewhat of a unique origin. They lived away from the center of the gods and humans, sandwiched between the land of titans and the land of the gods. As a result, their powers were unique. Perhaps it’s better to say that they are closer to nature itself.』
Solana paused for a breath before continuing.
『Like wind or water. There’s no fixed form like letters carved in stone, but an unseen presence, elusive to grasp. That is why their technique affect the mind. But—they are without question our comrades.』
Her words carried with them a warmth, a reassurance that washed away my unease.
『Remember, abundance—the ripening of crops—is a force that draws countless faithful together. It is what makes a god’s power so strong. And Freyr has a gentle soul, a kind-hearted brother who deeply cares for his sister.』
That’s true. Bountiful harvest is no small thing. In a town where heavy snows fall year after year, the truth of that weighed even more heavily on my heart.
『Eventually, they were welcomed as the main deities, and migrated south with their believers. That place is now called Flocia. Some of the gods even willingly joined the siblings.』
At that moment, the gold coin began to vibrate.
I sensed the slight presence of the Medicine God, Sigris. But it seemed she had given way to Solana, and no one called out.
“I see. Thank you, Sun Goddess, Solana-sama.”
Thanks to the goddess, much of my worry had lifted. Even Pauline-san’s expression looked brighter.
“It seems we’ll gain another powerful ally this time as well.”
I straightened my back proudly.
“Yes!”
Hope and unease still churned inside me. But as long as we had a goal, I would press straight toward it. To gain the strength to protect something, there could never be such a thing as zero risk.
The princess gave a soft, amused smile.
My cheeks flushed hot.
“Uh… was that strange of me?”
“Not at all. Far from it. It’s just… I believe you’ve grown stronger.”
Being praised so directly left me flustered, though I managed a laugh to cover it. At the very least, I’d gained the nerve not to look away. Pauline-san lowered her gaze for a moment, then stood up.
“I’m glad you came. There are some things I must tell you as well.”
Her footsteps tapped softly against the floor as she crossed to the wall. There hung a great map of the kingdom—stretching from the frozen tundra of the north, where eternal frost never melted, down to the green of the south. It was, in essence, a miniature of the World Tree Yggdrasil’s water mirror.
Red pins were stuck in several places.
“For the past two years we have sought the bases of the slave traders, but in recent weeks the flow of information has increased.”
Because of this, Pauline went on,
“The battles at Alvis, the defenses of the capital… these actions of the Warrior Corps have moved once-silent nobles and guilds to share what they know.”
“Then… these red marks—”
“They are the towns from which reports have come.”
Tracing the map with my eyes, I saw clusters of pins piercing the southern city.
“Flocia? That’s… the place we’re headed to.”
“It is laced with canals, most of them linked to the great lake. In other words, it is a hub of waterborne trade.”
I couldn’t help but murmur aloud, and Pauline-san gave a small nod.
“We believe the slave traders use the town either to pass their captives along… or to conceal them.”
My throat bobbed as I swallowed. Pauline-san’s green eyes narrowed, her expression both cold and tinged with concern.
“We have not yet pinpointed exactly where their base lies within the city. However, you may take it as certain that you will cross paths with them on this journey to awaken the gods.”
That meant the battle ahead would carry a double weight of importance.
To rouse Frey and Freyja, and gain their aid. And at the same time—
『Rion, now it’s getting interesting.』
『I’m ready to scout anytime.』
『No trick of magic will escape me.』
『Even as a Valkyrie, Freyja is someone I’m connected to.』
The voices of the gods overlapped, and Solana gathered them into a single thought.
『So—it is the beginning of our counterattack.』
Right.
Awakening Freyr and Freyja. Uncovering the slave traders’ hidden stronghold. Both would lead back to the same goal—keeping Lu safe.
“…Yes!”
Just as a knock sounded at the door, I answered with all my resolve.
The one who stepped in was—
“Lu?”
“I took the liberty of calling her.”
Pauline-san explained, already sweeping a cloak over her shoulders.
“Before you depart, there is something I must show you—one of the warrior order’s secrets. As you have trusted us, we too wish to place our trust in you.”
With those words, the commander led us out of her office. In her hand gleamed a large, weighty key. One that seemed meant for no ordinary lock.
Our destination——the basement, something of a hidden chamber on it.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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