Author: Yume Neiji

Our next destination was the city of abundance, Flocia.

On our previous journey we had relied on carriages, but this time was different. Flocia lay to the south of the Royal Capital, along the lower reaches of the great river that ran from the kingdom’s northwest to its southeast.

This time, we would travel by boat.

Two vessels prepared by the Warrior Corps drifted side by side downstream. The river is astonishingly wide—nearly a hundred meters across—so broad that the opposite bank wavered faintly in the distance.

The current is gentle, and the spring breeze felt wonderful. Unlike traveling by carriage, here we could bask freely in the sunlight. I found myself dozing off more than once, though I reminded myself I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. An important duty awaited me in Flocia after all.

“Hey, don’t keep yourself wound up too tight.”

Mia-san beamed at me.

The Raven Warriors had split evenly between the two boats, seven on each. Felix-san is on the other vessel, along with Safi, the gnome blacksmith who is traveling with us.

“First time on a river voyage, huh?”

I couldn’t help but follow the sails of another boat as it passed us by. Leaning casually against the railing, Mia-san gave me a knowing smile.

“Etch it into your memory. From the capital to Flocia, we’ll be keeping watch for you.”

The scenery slid past, carried away by the river’s flow.

Before I knew it, two days had gone by. Already the fields along the banks had grown noticeably greener. We began to see cattle grazing, and donkeys laden with goods hanging from either side. This must be the gateway to the fertile southern lands—the realm of abundance.

It felt like sketching in new lines on the map inside my head. It’s exciting. Maybe it really is the blood of my adventurer father stirring within me.

The river journey was expected to take four days. The following days drifted by just as peacefully. Even the gods who had been bouncing around with excitement at first gradually calmed down.

…Though honestly, seeing Thor more restless than me was a little hard to swallow…

“Are we… camping here for tonight?”

On the third day, the place where we drew the boats ashore caught me by surprise. It is a village, if it could be called that. I think it’s ten houses clustered together, surrounded by fields.

“There’s no walls…”

A rough wooden fence circled the area, but it looked more like it was meant to keep out animals than repel any real threat.

“Most frontier villages are like this.”

Mia-san explained as she deftly unloaded supplies from the boat.

 “Remember the outer market we passed in Kalmar? It’s the same idea.”

“…So they’re not worried about monsters?”

“At least, they trust Odis-sama on that point. And in truth, there’s no dungeon anywhere nearby. No reason for monsters to be wandering around.”

I made a mental note as I helped unload the cargo.

The bank here was small, but it seemed to be a common campsite. Another group had arrived and moored their boats farther downstream from us.

“Well, monsters aren’t the only danger out here…”

Mia-san’s words carried a hint of warning.

I sifted through what I knew, matching it with the current situation.

“You mean…river bandits?”

Mia-san nodded.

“Looks like you’ve been paying attention.”

A warm climate. A rich lake. Bustling trade.

The “City of Abundance”—Flocia—was painted in such bright colors. But it wasn’t just lively markets and cheerful crowds.

Money and people flocked there in numbers to rival or even surpass the Royal Capital. And where there’s wealth, there are thieves. Bandits preying on merchants, and a shadowy underworld ruled not by nobles but by the city’s wealthy traders.

The warrior corps’s sources suggested that some of those crooked merchants were in league with the bandit crews who haunted the lake. Several expeditions had been organized to wipe them out, but each time, the raiders slipped away, as if they’d been tipped off.

“Lately, there have been attacks on villages upstream of Flocia, haven’t there?”

“Yeah. By raiders on boats, no less.”

That was information we’d picked up along the river.

If it was true, then the bandit crews must be operating out of Flocia’s great lake.

“Villages like this one must be even more vulnerable—ah!”

I’d let myself get too caught up in the conversation. Still carrying a bundle of supplies, I bumped into someone.

It was Felix-san. As usual, he peered down at me through narrowed eyes.

“I’ve heard the same reports.”

Felix-san said. And then, after a pause, he added,

“Details have begun to surface. The raid happened three days ago. The village that was attacked—aside from a few elderly—was left nearly empty. Even the children were gone.”

“.…Empty?”

A chill ran down my spine. Not just taking goods or money, but abductions. And there were only so many reasons for that.

“.….To turn them into slaves?”

Mia-san twisted her mouth.

“If that’s the case, it’s awfully bold and reckless. The Temple of Odis can’t just look the other way.”

“Of course not.”

A faint crease appeared between Felix-san’s narrowed brows. He adjusted the small coronet on his black hair as though smoothing it.

“But it’s indeed puzzling. The slavers we’ve tracked until now never gathered captives in such a heavy-handed way. The kingdom bans slavery outright after all. To flaunt that so openly would only draw attention and make their future operations impossible.”

Then the gold coin at my belt gave a sharp vibration. The first voice, like distant thunder, belonged to Thor.

『If they’re making it harder to keep working, maybe that’s because they don’t intend to keep working. Maybe there isn’t a “future” for them to worry about.』

Solana’s calm yet serious voice followed.

『Perhaps they’re desperate. There may be reasons for taking slaves beyond their hunt for the power of Creation.』

And then, Loki’s sly tone cut in,

『Hmm…. Well, you’ve heard about that power to steal skills, haven’t you? To Ymir, maybe it’s like feeding. Not just “Awakening” or “Creation”. Even rare skills might give him more strength, or fuel him greater reserves of magic.』

The night settled heavy around us, leaving those unsettling words to linger. We knew about the attacks, but they’d all been farther downstream. I kept my guard up, telling myself not to relax too much.

“Rion!”

The shout yanked me out of sleep. It was Mia-san’s voice.

And then,

—BWOOOOO!

A horn blared through the darkness. I snapped my eyes open. Thanks to the Blessing of the God of Hunting, I could see clearly, even in the pitch black night. From downstream, torchlight burned atop approaching boats. And above the river, screams tore through the sky.

“For real? No way…. talk about tempting fate…”

Mia-san gasped.

A dragon with its mouth open was carved into the boat’s prow, threatening us with its jaws wide open.

Solana’s voice rang in my head.

『Let’s go, Rion!』

“Yes!”

I was about to run when a sound from the river stopped me. I used『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting』, Wild Heart —instantly sharpening my hearing.

Oars are striking the water surface. The bow cleaving black water. Tonight the sky was overcast, so the torchlight never reached the river. The water surface was a pocket of absolute night.

“I can hear them.” I murmured.

No doubt about it. New attackers are coming toward us through the dark river.

“Another boat—no, two more—are heading this way!” 

Felix-san stroked his chin with a sharp look in his eyes.

“So…. the boats downstream are just diversions.”

A cold shiver ran through me. Their plan was cruelly effective.

“We were the real target. While they draw attention downstream, the main force would land here. If we had run downstream to help, we would have been attacked from behind.”

Monsters are frightening, but humans can be just as terrible.

To abduct people using a trick like this…..

I clenched the gold coin pouch in my pocket.

“Mia-san, Felix-san…. please head downstream to provide support.” 

With my detection, I saw the two boats showed no movement. They are probably waiting for the diversionary force to cause more chaos.

Mia-san raised an eyebrow and stretched like a cat.

“Alright. Then….what are you going to do?”

I drew my short sword and pointed it toward the river.

“I’ll take the two boats on the water.”

Here I could use the gods’ power without reservation. Fighting on the water kept the risk of collateral damage low and kept prying eyes away.

Felix-san nodded.

“Understood.”

The warriors moved like lightning. At Felix’san’s signal, dark figures slipped off toward the downstream chaos.

“Rion!” he called once more as he walked with his staff.

“Let me tell you, Flocia’s dungeon is known as a water dungeon. You’d do well to get used to naval and underwater combat here.”

I raised my short sword and activated the Divine Protection of the Sun, and used the ability, Golden Flame. Warm fire wrapped around me like armor.

“Let’s go, Gods!”

I jumped into the water. I kicked off the shore and approached the enemy’s boat, which appeared as a black shadow.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Through the dim corridor crept Ratbone Rata.

Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, and the sparse glow of mana-lamps only faintly lit his way. This place was once a noble’s castle, but since its abandonment, the underground halls resembled a cavern more than any human dwelling.

Outside, the sky was bright with spring, yet here the air clung cold and stale, as though winter itself had been left behind.

His leather shoes crunched on fragments of plaster, and Rata grimaced. His fine attire, his chestnut hair swept neatly backwards—such appearances would grant him entry even to the great merchant houses. But this was hardly the sort of place one would wish to visit dressed like that.

At the far end of the corridor, Rata halted.

“…It is me, Ratbone Rata. Begging your pardon for the intrusion.”

When the door swung open, the first thing he saw was the back of a massive man. Tangled strands of blond hair tumbled in curls down broad shoulders.

All around lay scattered burlap sacks and wooden crates.

With one hand the massive man hefted a barrel nearly the size of a child and poured its contents down his throat.

“What is it?”

The now-empty barrel clattered to the floor as the man asked, still without turning.

“…Ymir-sama, I’ve come with my report, and to see to the state of your supplies.”

Bowing, Rata cast a quick glance at the barrels and sacks strewn about. His downturned face twisted faintly—for all of it had been arranged by his own hand.

Ratbone Rata was the one who ran the slave trader’s business. Though he was a monster, he was a clever one, and could even disguise himself as a noble-born merchant such as this.

“…Has the food run out already?”

“There’s a little left.”

With a hand like a bear’s paw, Ymir gestured toward the boxes and sacks stacked in the corner.

A sigh slipped from Rata.

It was he who had arranged the transports that carried provisions into this ruined castle. A waterway from a nearby city ran beneath the place, making it convenient despite its desolation.

Until now, Ymir’s lairs had always been provided through noble patrons. But with the Raven Warriors beginning to reassert its power, he had chosen to move preemptively and go deeper into hiding.

——You glutton.

Rata carefully suppressed the clicking of his tongue. Like other monsters, Rata and the others could survive by feeding on magical power. However, as physical beings, they could also maintain their strength by eating.

He had offered Ymir food, thinking it would be cheaper than expensive magic stones, but perhaps he was mistaken. Ymir eat too much. He is more gluttonous than the World Serpent.

His master threw the second barrel aside, shattering it against the wall, then spoke with his back on him.

“What’s wrong with Jor?”

“She’s still healing her wounds.”

Ymir suddenly stopped eating. The air became chilly, like frost had fallen.

Rata gulped.

“I’m hungry.”

A chill ran straight through him.

“…Jor may still be of some use.”

“I see.”

Rata’s voice had slipped into a tone that sounded almost like a defense.

“W-we also brought you Surtr’s magic stone. Was it not enough?”

After the fierce battle in the mining town of Alvis, Flamebone Surtr had been slain. Its massive magic stone had shattered across the battlefield in crystalline shards. Disguised as a small creature, Rata had gathered several of them and brought them back to Ymir.

“Hm.”

Ymir gave a single sweep of his enormous hand.

The broken barrel staves and burlap sacks strewn before the sofa burst into flames.

“…That power should now be yours as well—like Surtr’s. The power to revive monsters, just as you did when you devoured a Skill.”

In truth, this had been Rata and his companions’ aim all along in the mining city of Alvis.

“Surtr was already at his limit. Consumed by rage, bereft of reason… even had he escaped his seal, with that massive body, there was no way he could ever cooperate with us. We could carve pieces from him, yes—but so long as he lived, he would regenerate. Keeping him alive as long as possible was the most prudent course. Still… once we were sniffed out, it was time to cut our losses.”

Rata’s long-winded explanation barely reached Ymir’s ears.

Ymir rose to his feet. Over two meters tall, his head nearly brushed the ceiling. His face, chiseled like stone from a cliffside, showed no expression at all. He picked up a charred barrel, and with one hand, he crushed it to splinters. And then—those splinters dissolved into motes of light. Into raw magic.

“…W-wha-?”

Rata stared, dumbstruck.

“C-converting matter into magical energy…?”

The shattered barrel turned into more particles of light and was sucked into Ymir’s mouth. Into the creator’s body.

“Some of my strength has returned.”

Ymir spoke while greedily savoring the light of raw magic.

Only now, too late, did Rata tremble at the truth—this was the primeval titan, the very first being of the world, slowly regaining his power.

“But still… it is nowhere near enough. I remain far from sated.”

Ymir lifted a weary hand and gestured toward the wall on his right.

Among the empty barrels and burlap sacks, a human arm jutted out. Every so often it twitched faintly, but there was no will left within it.

It was a slave, no doubt about it. One whose skill had been devoured, leaving nothing but a hollow body. The blessings of a Skill were bound so deeply to the mind that to have it consumed was as if a piece of the soul itself had been torn away.

“Rata.”

“…Y-yes, my lord.”

“I know the truth. You did not fight alongside Jor nor Surtr.”

“T-that…!”

Rata stumbled backwards—only to have his chest seized in Ymir’s massive grip.

“The network of slave traders you built… it is impressive. For that reason, I find you almost too valuable to waste. You would hate to see the fine organization you’ve so carefully nurtured for my sake… reduced to ruin, would you not?”

Rata had seen monsters over ten meters tall, yet none of them ever felt as immense as Ymir did.

“I understand. I can sympathize. You are my creation, after all.”

“.…..!”

“Your defiance…. amuses me.”

Ymir then released him.

Rata crashed to the ground, realizing only then that he had been lifted nearly to the ceiling. Until now, he hadn’t been able to tear his gaze away from that huge, unblinking eye.

Ymir turned his back on him and returned to the sofa, his tangled golden hair swaying down his shoulders.

“Bring me slaves. As many as you can.”

“S-slaves…?”

“The power of creation, the power of awakening—it will come. Until then…. I will feast. Gather them all. Bring them here.”

His audience with Ymir ended there. The heavy doors shut behind him.

Rata stumbled through the abandoned halls, trembling—yet slowly, the tremor twisted into a smile.

“Very well. None can oppose you. Then I shall entertain you as best I can, Ymir-sama.”

A low chuckle slipped from Rata’s lips. His mind already leapt to the gathering grounds of the slaves, linked to this place by the waterways.

“Soon… a great transaction is coming! From that city, I will offer you a flood of slaves to glut yourself upon, Kukuku….!”

The target was a fertile city blessed with water transportation and a lake.

The city called Flocia.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A cold light illuminated the entire room.

My and Lu’s breath drifted into the air as white mist. In the center of the room was a giant orb surrounded by a fence. It must have been at least two meters in diameter. The orb was floating in a dug-out depression, somehow held by a mysterious force.

A cold air is emanating from the sacred object. It remained in the basement, making it much colder than the spring outside. I’m glad I brought my coat.

A thick layer of frost had fallen around the depression where the orb was floating. Lu and I were unable to speak for a long time. The orb hidden in the basement of the Raven Warriors’ base is truly mysterious.

“They call it the Frost Orb.”

Pauline-san said. Even the princess was wrapped in a thick cloak, her skin bathed in the pallid, bluish light.

“…Skill, Seal”

Pauline-san raised her hand.

The orb flared brighter. Ice crystals burst outward with a rush of frigid wind, forcing Lu and me to shield our faces. The name she spoke was the skill said to be only given to the royal line.

“Rion-san, Luisia-san, and, our esteemed Gods—this is the secret of the warrior order, the device that governs the dungeon.”

With her breath turning white in the cold, Lu asked,

“This is…?”

“Only one who bears the skill Seal can command this orb. Its power can strengthen the dungeon’s bindings—or weaken them.”

Pauline-san explained.

I could only stare, speechless, at the orb’s cold, gleaming light.

The source of power that bound monsters within the dungeon. In every unexplored region, ice had always been present. Perhaps this orb was the very source, radiating the “frost” that maintained it…

“The orb’s iciness is tied directly to the strength of the surrounding dungeons’ seals.  Increasing the coldness strengthens the seal and weakens the monsters. However, it also weakens the power that can be drawn from the dungeon, such as magic stones and items.”

My throat bobbed as I swallowed.

This was the kingdom’s method of sealing the dungeon. And Pauline-san is now entrusting us with knowledge of the crucial device at its core.

Pauline-san went on.

“By adjusting its strength, we’ve been able to manage the dungeon. To allow more adventurers to challenge it. Though the orb can alter the seal’s intensity, it cannot break the seal entirely. It was made only for governance in times of peace.”

Pauline-san turned back to face us, brother and sister.

My throat burned, and still no words came. It was Lu who finally spoke up.

“Uhm…..does this mean this orb controls the seal of every dungeon? Then… isn’t that an unbelievably important artifact?”

The princess narrowed her eyes.

“No, you may rest easy. This is not the only one. Smaller orbs like this exist in temples throughout the land. You would surely find them in Alvis and Flocia as well, each guarding their own dungeon seal.”

Almost as an afterthought, she added,

“But the one here in the royal capital is the largest, and by far the most powerful. From here, its sealing force can be channeled to the other orbs across the realm.”

Then….. that means the capital serves as the very heart of the seal….

“Since the sounding of the horn, this orb’s power has steadily grown stronger. I suspect some new effect may soon reveal itself.”

“…New effect?”

“I have my predictions. But let us wait until I can speak with certainty.”

The conversation ended there and it became quiet. Like phantom footsteps pacing across the frozen floor, the sharp, cracking sounds of ice echoed through the chamber.

The pale blue orb was larger than any magic stone, and I could sense its power. It had surely stood here for a thousand years, guarding the dungeon’s seal all that time. A divine relic, testifying both to the kingdom’s history and to that of the Raven Warrior’s Order.

Pauline-san then spoke, her voice touched with solemnity, bathed in the orb’s cold light.

“From now on, more of these secrets will be revealed to the people. The age when such truths could be hidden is gone. I believe it is the will of the High God itself—that the existence of such monstrous powers should no longer be concealed…”

Then after a pause, she eventually asked,

“Shall we leave?”

Her face looked a little pale—or maybe it was just the lighting?

◆◆◆

Stepping out of the great tower, the spring night air felt warm against my skin.

Above us stretched a sky full of stars. The moon cast its gentle light, outlining the temple in a faint silver glow. Torches, lit by the warrior order, burned steadily along the walls, their flames swaying in the breeze.

My body felt strangely light—perhaps because the weight pressing down on my shoulders had finally lifted.

“…Oniichan”

Lu spoke, but nothing more followed.

Even so, I understood.

We had brushed against a secret far too immense, and for a moment it left her feeling small, fragile—these words had simply came to my mind.

Before I realized it, we had stopped walking.

“We really are caught up in something vast, something important, aren’t we?”

The temple’s great tower stood against the backdrop of the moon.

I still didn’t fully grasp things like a thousand years of history, or the stories of the gods. But what I did know was this: the truth that the kingdom had hidden, the things once taken for granted, were beginning to change.

—I believe in you.

That was what Pauline-san said before she revealed the orb.

To show someone what had been hidden all this time. To reveal a secret.

When I thought about it… for a princess to do such a thing must have taken extraordinary courage. It meant she had decided to unveil something the kingdom had kept buried for a thousand years.

The truth of a myth where the gods had lost. The reality that powerful monsters lay sealed within the dungeons. By revealing such things, she was surely prepared to face criticism—and to shoulder the responsibility.

After all, the worldwide message had already foretold the rise of a colossal monster.

No one could go on believing forever in the old tale—that the gods had triumphed, and that the dungeons were simply benevolent gifts of magic stones and rare materials.

“…Oniichan, are you alright?”

Lu looked up at me.

Startled, I forced a smile onto my face.

“I’m fine—”

“Liar. You were lost in thought.”

She stood on tiptoe, as if trying to bring her eye level with mine.

“I know. I’m worried too and… a little scared.”

I had no answer to give.

So, without another word, the two of us simply started walking again.

“I kind of understand that my power is something amazing. That’s why I want to get used to it quickly, and I want to be useful to you, Oniichan. But…”

Lu’s gaze drifted past the city walls—toward the royal capital.

“What scares me… is the thought of you going somewhere far away and never coming back. And… I’m also scared that I can’t leave this place.”

It must have been her true feelings.

The world seemed on the verge of changing, and her own skill was tangled up in it. All those fears were probably wound together like threads of lint, lodged in my little sister’s heart.

“Lu…”

“Ah! I’m sorry, for always whining.”

I shook my head and smiled at her.

“It’s alright. Just believe in me too, Lu.”

Odin had called me a hero in that worldwide message. Others might call me that as well. But more than the thousand-year histories or myths, what I wanted right now was simply to ease my sister’s worries.

“Everyone… can you hear me?”

With my right hand, I pulled the coin case from my pocket.

I whispered my wish to the gods.

The gold coin grew hot, scattering dazzling light.

“Wah!”

Lu let out a cry of surprise.

Bursting forth around us were the five gods.

Thor, with his red hair streaming like fire. Loki, cloaked in black robes. Sigris, clad in azure armor, her hair the same shade of blue flowing like the night sky. The god of hunting, Uru, hovering silently in the air, and finally, Solana, wrapped in golden radiance, who clasped both my hand and Lu’s.

“Let’s go.”

“Eh—?”

Lu blinked, startled, just as Loki snapped his fingers.

A shimmer of divine brilliance engulfed us, and in an instant our bodies lifted high into the air. The ground fell away beneath us. The goddess’s gentle light cradled us, and she set us down atop the great tower.

The height of five stories above the ground. The night sky stretched close overhead, while the royal capital spread out below, its lights gleaming. Bathed in moonlight, the river winding through the land glimmered like polished silver.

“Wow…!”

Lu’s voice was filled with awe.

“I still can’t take you inside the capital.” Solana said softly. “But from here, you can see it all.”

The capital’s nightscape twinkled with countless lights, lively as though new stars had fallen from the heavens. Perhaps it was the influx of adventurers that made the city glow with such energy.

“…It’s beautiful.”

Lu whispered.

“Yeah. Our house is still there, too. It hasn’t disappeared. We’ll go back someday.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears. But she shook her head, wiped them away, and broke into a bright smile.

“…Mm!”

Even being called a “hero” out of nowhere, I didn’t yet know what that truly meant.

But step by step, we’d keep moving forward.

Beneath this star-filled sky, I remembered the vow I had once made to the goddess.

“You will be.” Solana said, turning to us as she floated in the air. “A hero—yet not just any hero. Only you can become this hero. The world grows more turbulent by the day… but this is where your path begins.”

Holding Lu close, I gazed southward. There lay our next destination—the bountiful city of Flocia.

“Let’s go, gods.”

The gods nodded one after another.

We would depart at dawn.

“Come back safe, Oniichan.”

Lu said softly.

I squeezed her hand, warm and firm in mine.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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