『Hahaha!』
A loud, cheerful laughter echoed from the awakening horn—the Gjallarhorn—I had pulled out. It rang like a colossal bell, boisterous and exhilarating, lifting the spirits of everyone around.
It seemed everyone could hear it too.
Mia-san’s jerked as she glanced around, startled.
Lu, sitting on the bed, widened her eyes and whispered,
“O–Oniichan…?”
Slowly, Lu’s eyelids droop, and she’s about to collapse back onto the bed. Solana supported her, gently draping a blanket over her.
Light continued to pour from the horn clutched in my hand.
I called out.
“Wake up!”
I called the god forth from the horn. Light shot into the air, and from it emerged a man. The first thing I noticed was his reddish-black hair. It was thick like a mane, and flowed back. I absentmindedly thought it reminded me of the sky just before dawn. He wore armor primarily in shades of red. At his waist hung a sword, the golden embellishments on its hilt gleaming as they caught the light.
“Good morning.”
The god Heimdall greeted us with a wide, cheerful grin.
At first glance, he reminded me a little of Thor—both tall, sturdy, exuding the presence of a war deity. But Heimdall’s smile carried more brightness than solemnity. His cool, clear eyes brought back a faint memory of my father.
And—well, the room, already cramped, felt even smaller with his immense frame filling it completely.
“…Whoa. Yeah, this room really is too small.”
With a thud, the god collapsed into the cramped space.
I scratched my cheek, glancing at Solana. Four gods had poured out of the coin—and on top of that, there were humans too. Mia-san, Felix-san, Pauline-san, and even my mother were all packed into the room. The dwarf, Safi, had been shoved into a corner, only her discontented eyes visible.
Pauline-san let out a soft sigh.
“…It really is far too cramped. Luisia seems to have fallen asleep as well. Let’s move everyone to the chapel.”
◆◆◆
At the base of the Raven Warriors, a grand chapel had been set up. A statue of Odis-sama stood solemnly, its stern gaze fixed on the heavens. The gods gathered at the very back of the chapel.
Loki floated lightly into the air, his eyes scanning the statue of Odis.
“Doesn’t really look like him… a bit more handsome than the real thing, I’d say.”
Heimdall strode to the base of the statue.
“I’ve heard Freyja’s account.”
Everyone who wasn’t a god—including me—sat in the front rows of the chapel.
Back when we lived in the Royal Capital, I had experienced something similar: morning gatherings where the faithful assembled in the chapel to hear the priests expound on the teachings of the gods. Only this time, it was the gods themselves speaking directly.
Pauline-san and the others sat on the long benches in the same way. Safi perched at the edge, her legs crossed daintily.
A strange feeling settled over me.
Gods, dwarves… things I could never have imagined just a little while ago. The white walls and high ceilings reminded me of the Royal Capital’s cathedral, making it all the more striking how far removed this moment was from my life before. The thing that had changed the most, perhaps, was my feelings toward Odis-sama.
I looked up at the statue and murmured to myself.
“Chief God…”
I realized we could never look at the statue of Odis the same way again. Perhaps many others felt the same.
The gods defeated the monsters—that was what the myths said. But here we were, with the World Serpent Jörmungandr and the primordial titan Ymir rampaging through the city.
Even on the way back to the Royal Capital, I had heard countless rumors.
—Odis-sama is loosening the seals on monsters to punish the nobles for their arrogance.
—No, no. He’s simply testing the strength of adventurers, giving them a chance to become heroes.
Debates like these were happening in villages everywhere. The green light shooting toward the capital was visible from far and wide so it was only natural that people would be worried.
Heimdall spoke, breaking the murmurs.
“Now then, listen up.”
The god who owned the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, gestured toward his own face with his thumb.
“I am Heimdall, the God of Awakening. I want to talk about what we’ll do from here.”
Heimdall relaxed his expression and looked up at Solana.
“That said… we didn’t get a proper chance to speak during the journey. Daughter of the Sun, will you introduce me?”
“Of course.”
Solana lowered her altitude, floating closer to Heimdall.
Though their faces were now at the same height, her feet barely reached his knees. The golden-haired goddess extended one arm toward Heimdall.
“This god is one who fought alongside us. Using the Awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, he can amplify the powers of other gods. He is a god of war, but also brilliant in strategy—what you would call a ‘tactician.’ Thor, by contrast, is more of a commander on the battlefield.”
Thor, who had been squeezing himself into the corner, rubbed the tip of his nose.
“Well… I’m not exactly cut out to be a tactician.”
Even at a moment like this, having a god so laid-back made things feel a little lighter. I couldn’t help but smile.
Thor shot a glance at Heimdall.
“But there’s no doubt about our strength. When it comes to battle, Heimdall and I are the top two.”
I recalled the relationships among the gods.
Even among gods, there was a kind of hierarchy.
The Thunder God Thor possessed the greatest amount of magic and raw strength among the six awakened gods. Slightly lower in strength and magic were Loki and the hunting god Uru. The fertility gods, Freyr and Freyja, fell somewhere between Thor and Loki.
The medicine god Sigris had the lowest magical power. But the Valkyries, also the god of medicine, existed in numbers and worked closely with humans. Through cooperation, they could make up for the difference in power.
Solana’s true power was roughly on par with Uru and Loki. But she is gradually growing stronger. The other gods said it was because she is the “youngest god.” Normally, gods don’t level up like humans, so it was considered unusual—even remarkable.
And Heimdall—he was a god on the same level as Thor.
Basking in the sunlight, standing tall and proud, his presence radiated both solemnity and reassurance.
Heimdall continued.
“The enemy is formidable. Then we… must increase our allies. Isn’t that right, Princess?”
The question was directed at Pauline-san, who lowered her chin respectfully.
“Yes. Preparations are underway to lend strength from the royal family, the nobles, and temples across the land. But… if Odin becomes our enemy…”
The princess looked down.
The god who had awakened smiled, flashing his white teeth with a brightness that seemed to fill the chapel.
“On that point, I’d like to talk about possibilities. You see, I’m a bit more hopeful about Odin’s intentions.”Heimdall raised a single finger, as if signaling that an important discussion was about to begin.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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