Inside the sanctuary, the gods stood in a single line.
At the center stood Heimdall. He looked over all of us and smiled. Every movement he made seemed to say, “There’s no need to panic.” As if carried by that calm presence, the anxiety I felt about Ymir and Odin gradually eased and melted away.
“Let’s organize the flow of events.”
Heimdall started. He raised a finger and lightly waved it, then continued as he addressed those of us seated on the long bench.
“To confirm the situation accurately. As you know, I myself was wounded during the battle and was sealed inside a horn—much like how Solana was protected within a gold coin.”
Floating lightly in the air, Solana tilted her chin in a small nod.
“Indeed. A seal that lasts a thousand years is a burden even for a god. Even for a powerful deity, if they’re left deeply wounded and trapped within the ice of seal, it would risk complete disappearance.”
I absentmindedly ran my fingers along the horn. The awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, had once contained this very god. And the reason was the same as Solana’s.
Without hiding inside their own divine artifact, they wouldn’t have survived the long seal.
Mia-san brushed back her red hair and muttered,
“…So it’s kinda like a bear crawling into its den to hibernate for the winter?”
Felix-san, sitting beside her, looked startled by her sudden comparison. Solana wore a slightly exasperated expression as well.
Uh… the Gods wouldn’t get angry about that, right?
Heimdall burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! That’s a good way to put it! Yeah, it’s something like that. A seal is far too cold for beings like us. But if we dwell within a familiar divine artifact, it’s like hiding in a burrow, making things a little easier to endure!”
After saying that much, Heimdall narrowed his eyes.
He seemed like a broad-minded, easygoing god, but there was always a sharp, intellectual light in his cool gaze. It was like the stars in the night sky—cold, distant, and as if they could see through everything.
“…But in my case, there was another spell placed on me as well. Isn’t that right?”
Looking up at Heimdall, I nodded quietly.
“You mean the Seiðr magic.”
It was the kind of magic that the sibling gods Freyja and Freyr excelled at. Because it was a magic that manipulated the mind, it must have affected Heimdall powerfully—after all, his very consciousness had been housed inside the horn.
Now, the awakening horn Gjallarhorn in my hands felt more tangible than before. The gemstones embedded along its surface shone proudly.
And then I voiced out,
“Heimdall. To awaken you, we had to break the Seiðr magic placed upon you.”
After all, the reason we went to the Flocia in the first place was to undo that very Seiðr spell.
Heimdall smiled, as if praising a student who had done well.
“That brings me to a question. Why was I sealed so thoroughly in the first place?”
I tilted my head. Come to think of it… he was right.
“I can guess who did it. Either Freyja or Odin. Those two are the only gods capable of magic strong enough to seal me. But… well, most likely Odin.”
By now, Heimdall’s presence seemed to fill the entire temple.
The large god’s voice echoed through the high ceiling.
“I am the god of awakening. If nothing had been done, I would have eventually escaped the ice of the seal on my own. After all, I was protected within a divine artifact.”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
“Mm. After all, you’re the god of awakening.”
“Exactly. Originally, the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, is a divine artifact that drives the gods into battle. When it sounds, it strengthens their power, and even minor wounds are fully healed. If the gods are sleeping within the ice, then its call becomes their revival—their awakening.”
“Well then, let’s assume all of you were Odin. If a god like that existed on the surface—and you didn’t know when he might awaken on his own—what would you think?”
We all looked at one another.
If he could awaken allied gods, that would be an incredible power. Normally, he’d be a powerful ally.
But from Odin’s perspective…
Heimdall’s eyes met mine. Encouraged by his gentle smile, I ended up answering on behalf of everyone.
“…A nuisance, maybe.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Heimdall nodded approvingly.
“That’s right. In the first place, Odin’s plan to redo creation exposes a weakness in the authority of the chief god. Even now, many gods would likely side with Odin…”
I was so surprised my voice rose involuntarily.
“Really!?”
Beside Heimdall, Loki gave a wry smile, while Thor lowered his eyes. Solana spoke with a look of regret.
“There were gods who saw humans as nothing more than pieces on a board. And even for those who did not… if asked which survival should be prioritized—the gods’ or humanity’s—”
Pauline-san let out a sigh and shook her head.
“You mean there are actually few gods who care enough about humans to wage a decisive battle against monsters solely to protect them—to stake their own existence on it?”
“…If they were to learn of Odin’s scheme, I believe there would be gods who would turn to his side.”
A heavy silence settled over the sanctuary.
Mother stared at the statues of the gods enshrined in the hall as if clinging to them for reassurance. The gods that the Kingdom of Asgard had worshipped for so long… to think some of them might have harbored such thoughts.
For Mother, it must have been a terrible shock all over again.
I was surprised too—and saddened by it.
Solana’s golden eyes suddenly gleamed.
“Of course, I’m not one of them.”
Thor, Uru, Loki, and Sigris all nodded in agreement.
Heimdall folded his arms as well.
“Neither am I. And that’s exactly why Odin feared the possibility of my awakening. If he intends to redo creation, I’d be a problem. For instance, if I gathered new followers and raised a rebellion against him… that’s probably the scenario he wanted to avoid most.”
It was the same conclusion I had reached—though I hadn’t thought it through as clearly as Heimdall had. Odin didn’t want his plans interfered with. And Heimdall, who could awaken the gods one after another, would be a major obstacle to him.
Heimdall clapped his hands once.
“The mood’s gotten a bit heavy. So next—just as I promised—let’s talk about something more hopeful.”
Heimdall spoke smoothly, his words flowing as naturally as water from a spring.
Now I understood why he had once been called a master strategist.
“Rion, in this era—where was the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn?”
I answered.
“My father found it. In the ruins of a dungeon hidden in the western wastelands.”
“I see. Odin probably couldn’t move the horn himself. Nearby, Ymir—whom I had been fighting—must have still been there. And the horn itself should originally have been sealed within thick ice.”
If that ice had melted… then it might have been because of the titan’s ashes.
Creatures like the ratbone monster, Rata—beings that could survive even with very little magical power, in other words relatively weak monsters—seemed to have become active before Ymir did. Rata must have built the slave trader network and then used the titan’s ashes to revive its companions and its master.
If we could ask the person himself, we might learn the details more clearly.
A thousand years had passed since the sealing.
Because of the titan’s ashes and the monsters’ own power, the enemy could no longer be completely contained. And if only the gods remained sealed, then the delay Odin had forced upon the final confrontation was finally reaching its limit.
Heimdall then asked,
“Odin should have been wary of the horn and of me. So why didn’t he take action even after humans obtained the horn?”
“Uh… well…”
Heimdall loved speaking in riddles.
He would give hints and try to make me think things through myself. In that sense, he really did feel a bit like a teacher.
I pressed a finger to my chin and tilted my head in thought.
“…Because he needed gods to awaken in order to oppose Ymir?”
“That’s part of it. Buying time was necessary. But Odin’s true objective is the redoing of creation. The moment you awakened Luisia and she gained the power of Creation, Odin should already have been able to act.”
The realization hit me.
Nearly two months ago, I had awakened Lu’s skill. That was when my little sister gained the ability to use Creation.
“Odin’s scheme is to capture the power of Creation this time in a way that ensures it cannot escape. That’s why he granted Luisia the skill, Miko. Freyja is already a part of her now and thus, she cannot escape. And Luisia’s skill has already awakened.”
Heimdall’s words were pressing a question upon us.
Then… why were we still safe?
At any moment, Odin could have come to reclaim Lu’s power. There was nothing stopping him.
“And that, is where the answer lies.”
He spoke with certainty.
“I believe it was outside Odin’s calculations that humans would recover the horn. To him, both me and the Gjallarhorn, were powerful pieces—but pieces he could not afford to use. In other words, expendable ones. Yet humans were the ones who discovered it.”
Heimdall narrowed his eyes, almost as if the thought dazzled him.
“Through their own spirit of adventure.”
I thought of my father.
He used to smile in that same way.
“The horn your father discovered was passed down to his son through one of his companions. Odin never devised such a plan. It wasn’t necessary for his true objective. And yet humans… through their own sense of adventure, obtained the key that could stand against both gods and the titan.”
I lowered my gaze to the horn in my hands.
Two months ago, in the capital, it had been given to me with such burning intent.
“Odin seems to respect the fact that you discovered it on your own. And perhaps… he hopes that you will accomplish what he abandoned, the defeat of Ymir.”
A shiver ran down the back of my neck.
Expecting victory… yet never abandoning his own original strategy.
Perhaps that explains the occasional messages, the hints, and even the action of giving Solana her gold coin. I glanced at the statue of Odis. Its stern gaze pointed toward the sky.
—Now, it’s up to you to try.
Perhaps that was what we were being told from the heavens above.
Then Thor let out a bellow.
“Quite the charitable way of thinking, Heimdall.”
His massive eyes fixed in a glare toward Heimdall.
Even the air seemed to crackle, as if thunderclouds had gathered behind Thor. The floor and walls trembled under the intensity of the two gods’ standoff.
Heimdall’s eyes sparkled, the faintest glimmer of amusement in their depths.
“That’s right. It’s more than hope.”
He looked directly at me, as if weighing my understanding.
“If Odin’s goal was simply to create a girl capable of wielding the power of Creation, then that goal has already been fulfilled. Yet, Odin has not made his move. Perhaps… he’s allowing himself to believe, just a little, that we can repel the monsters.”
I considered the possibility.
It was, admittedly, an optimistic view. Information about Odin’s plans was always scarce. Yet, he had not yet acted. No attempt had been made to seize Lu.
I raised my gaze to the statue of Odis in the chapel, the severe eyes unyielding as ever.
“…He still trusts us… a little?”
I whispered.
“That… and more.”
Heimdall’s voice carried a quiet certainty, stronger than any faith or hope I had ever felt.
“The adventurer seized the opportunity with their own hands. By discovering my horn on their journey. That is something even the gods themselves had almost forgotten, humans proved their resolve.”
The god stepped closer, the sunlight glinting off the sword etched upon their form.
“Do you have the will to fight?”
“Yes!”
I shouted, springing to my feet in haste.
The god raised a hand toward me, and I felt the same warmth and gentle reassurance as the first time I ever blew the horn.
“Good answer. A boy with a true heart.”
| Skill『Alarm』 has been activated. Achievement unlocked. A new power has been granted. |
I raised the horn, aglow with a radiant light, to eye level.
“This…”
Magic flowed from the god’s hand, wrapping around my body like a warm embrace. A voice echoed in my mind.
| 【 Master of the Horn】 ……Draws out the full power of the alarm horn, Gjallarhorn. |
“The more magic you pour into it, the farther the horn’s call will reach. If you can muster an extraordinary amount of magic… you could awaken the gods from every dungeon.”
Heimdall made a knowing smile.
“In other words, the trump card to rally allies… it’s far from exhausted.”
Pauline-san, still seated, let her rod rest on the ground.
“…I agree. It may be optimistic thinking. But if we act on the belief that Odin expects us to triumph over Ymir, then… I think it’s far from a bad proposal.”
Pauline-san tilted her head to the ceiling.
“We need to keep watch over Luisia from the Heavens, where the Chief God resides. That said… our first priority is to repel Ymir when he strikes.”
I nodded. Even if it was an optimistic outlook, the work ahead didn’t change. If hope existed, all the better. First, we deal with Ymir.
“Ymir said in Flosia, ‘From now on, it’s competition.’ Soon enough, he’ll make a move.”
Pauline-san smiled, as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders.
“In that case, our focus must be defense. We reveal the truth of the old myths, and enlist the royals and nobles as our allies.”
For a thousand years, these secrets had been protected… now we would overturn them. It was frightening, yes, but to protect Lu… there was no choice. I squared my jaw in resolve.
“And we’ll also need information on how Ymir, who escaped from Flosia, plans to strike next…”
To defend properly, we had to anticipate her next move. Perhaps we’d have to commission the Adventurers’ Guild for reconnaissance.
Heimdall raised two fingers.
“Then the next steps are twofold: increase our allies… and gather more intelligence.”
At that moment, warriors burst into the room.
“Pauline-sama!”
“What is it?”
“Apologies for interrupting… about that mouse—”
Mia-san and I exchanged a glance, and simultaneously said, “Ah.”
Pauline-san tilted her head in confusion.
“…Huh? A… mouse?”
Her jade-green eyes went wide, blinking in disbelief.
From a corner, Safi puffed up proudly, index finger raised like a trophy.
“I caught it! And it’s not just any mouse… it’s a monster! One of Ymir’s lieutenants called Ratbone!”
Pauline-san stared blankly in shock, her tall hat tilting askew.
I scratched my head and spoke up.
“I’ll guide you! We captured one of Ymir’s top lieutenants, an executive in Flocia who knows him well.”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 