Category: Hazure Skill “Alarm”, jitsuwa fūin kaijo no nōryoku deshita. Ochikobore no shōnen wa, nemuri kara sameta megami-tachi to yasashī saikyō o mezasu

Five days had passed since the gods took to the skies above the royal capital and the truth of the myths began to unravel before the world.

That morning, a mountain of rolled-up letters lay piled upon the desk of Pauline, Commander of the Raven Warriors.

Princess Pauline sorted through them one by one, dividing them into those she would answer personally, those to be handled by scribes, and those to be set aside for later—her thoughts drifting back over the past few days.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. Revealing the truth behind a thousand years of myth had proven, as expected, to be an immense undertaking. In ancient times, the gods had not achieved an absolute victory. Powerful monsters still remained. And the leader of the resurrected beasts—the primordial titan, Ymir—would one day march upon the royal capital.

These were the truths now revealed to the people: the past, and the future yet to come.

From the very next day after the battle, both in the capital and in the distant frontiers, the temples of Odis had begun preaching the true history of the myths.

Pauline paused her sorting, her hand coming to a stop.

“…This is…”

Protests had already begun to arrive from certain nobles.

The truth, once revealed, had struck too deeply and such reactions were only natural. If anything, Pauline found the situation to be proceeding rather smoothly.

It had been a stroke of fortune that the gods themselves had fought in the royal capital. The sight of ancient deities clashing with monsters stood as undeniable proof—that the battles of myth were not yet over. The same held true in the frontier lands. There, too, awakened gods had driven back the monsters emerging from the dungeon.

Though the gods seemed to have returned once more to their icy slumber after defending each region, the fact that they had saved the people would remain etched in countless memories.

As if cutting away hesitation, Pauline sorted the protest letters into the “No Reply Needed” box.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Luisia, clad in her priestess robes, stepped inside.

“Your Highness!”

The door had opened so abruptly that a gust of wind swept into the room. The stack of letters Luisia carried was caught by it, scattering into the air.

“Ah—! I-I’m so sorry!”

Flustered, Luisia dropped to her knees, hurriedly gathering the papers. Pauline joined her. One sheet slipped free again, blown straight into Luisia’s face, sticking there.

When Pauline peeled it off, it revealed a perfectly apologetic expression, her brows drooping in dismay.

“…There’s no need to worry about it.”

“But…”

Luisia had been training relentlessly to adapt to the new power she had awakened. And in the brief moments between, she still came to help Pauline like this. In other words, things were so busy that their current manpower simply wasn’t enough.

“I want to be of help too…”

Pauline let out a small, wry smile at the sight of the overzealous twelve-year-old.

“Truly, there is no need to worry. Your help has already been more than enough. …Oh?”

Her gaze fell to the letter she had just peeled from Luisia’s face.

It was from the Adventurers’ Guild.

They had already received notices from several branches that adventurers were being dispatched to the royal capital. Among them were cities Rion and the others had passed through—Flocia, Alvis, and more.

This letter was a follow-up report.

“…I see.”

To be honest, it was a relief. Because there was no doubt—the decisive battle would take place in the royal capital.

Before she realized it, Pauline had lowered herself slightly, meeting Luisia at eye level.

“Luisia.”

“Yes!”

“…Are you afraid?”

Those sky-blue eyes wavered, just a little.

Several days had passed since the battle. While she might not open up the way she would to her older brother, perhaps she would share her thoughts with someone closer to her age—another girl.

“There is the option of sheltering you deeper within the capital… for instance, within the castle, where the defenses are strongest. Are you truly certain you wish to remain here, in this temple?”

Placing a hand over her chest, the girl nodded.

“I…I am a little scared to be honest. But… I’ll be okay.”

A soft smile formed on Luisia’s lips.

“We also have the great Frost Orb here. If that’s the case, then I’ll stay too. It’s better if the things we need to protect are gathered in one place.”

Her words came without hesitation. She must have thought this through many times. The princess felt that her resolve was firm.

“And I’ll be fine with the work too! My big brother is doing his best… so I have to do something as well!”

Luisia stood, quickly organizing the scattered documents.

Her energy brought a small smile to Pauline’s lips.

“Fufu. Indeed, he’s been training in the dungeon for quite some time now.”

The boy with the horn, Rion, was honing his strength through rigorous training in the dungeon. His party members, Mia and Felix, were surely there alongside him.

Luisia added softly, almost to herself,

“…I wish he could progress further with Solana like this too…”

Pauline almost froze at the remark, but chose to let it pass.

“My apologies. That… was an unusual thing to say.”

“No, no!”

Luisia bowed politely, her chestnut-colored braids swaying like tails as she withdrew. Once the door closed quietly behind her, the princess took a breather.

In the final battle, the Raven warriors will have many roles to fulfill. Both the Frost Orb and Luisia herself were stationed at this stronghold. There was no doubt that Ymir and the others would focus their assault here.

The Raven Warriors were tasked with coordinating adventurers, soldiers, and countless others—an immense responsibility. However—Luisia’s power of creation remained hidden, it was not revealed to the populace or even to the king. Its potential danger was such that even humans might become a threat if they learned of it.

Pauline stepped closer to the window. When she opened it, a spring breeze swept in, rustling her silver hair.

“The end times…”

The Raven Warriors’ headquarters lay outside the walls of the royal capital, but its defenses were formidable. Rolling hills stretched endlessly under the sun, each rise and fall repeating in perfect rhythm.

Luisia’s encouragement resonated in Pauline’s heart.

“Yes… we’ll be fine. If it’s us…!”

A sudden boom froze her once more.

—Lord Thor! Please go easy in training!

The thunder god Thor was, as always, pushing both the Raven Warriors and the city’s adventurers—sometimes a little too hard—in rigorous drills.

And just as silence returned, a sharp, high-pitched voice cut through.

—Hey, Loki! Don’t touch that magical device!

Squinting down from the window, Pauline saw the God of Hunting, Uru, perched on the city wall, conversing with a flock of birds. From a tower room, thin tendrils of purple smoke occasionally curled into the sky—perhaps the Medicine Goddess, Sigris, was brewing some sort of elixir.

…I-it’s okay, right?

Right?

With a decisive slam, Pauline closed the window. At the very least, it seemed the gods would keep the city lively right up until the end. She returned to her desk and picked up her quill. “Now, as for the hero of the horn…” she thought, her mind drifting to the boy training deep within the dungeon.

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

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The horn I drew—the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn—glowed faintly, as if some remnant of power still lingered within it. After exchanging a glance with Solana and Heimdall, I raised the horn to my lips and blew.

Skill『Alarm』has been activated. 【Master of the Horn】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Fully unlocks the power of the horn.

The sound spread, carrying itself across the entire world.

Skill『Alarm』has been activated. 【Seal Release】initiated.

“…Beautiful.”

The word slipped from my lips without thinking. I could feel the flow of magic reaching every corner of the world.

I had blown the horn once before, in the royal castle—but this time, it soared higher, farther. Its power extend beyond anything from before. And the message, “Seal Release”, I hadn’t heard it then.

As I stood there, staring blankly up at the sky, distant scenes began to drift through my mind.

“…What… is this?”

There was Flocia, wrapped in lush greenery. There was the mining city of Alvis. And even the farthest reaches of the tundra—places I had never once set foot in.

Then my vision went dark. When I came to, I was floating in the sky, looking down over an unfamiliar city.

Heimdall’s voice echoed in my ears.

『Stay calm. Rion, your body is still firmly in the royal capital. Your consciousness has merely ridden the horn’s magic and traveled afar. It’s only for a moment.』

Below me—

The underground dungeon where Odin had sealed away the monsters was finally reaching the end of its purpose. Screams rang out as people fled in terror. From the depths of the dungeon’s shadows, creatures began to crawl forth—goblins, orcs, skeletons, werewolves, Garm, even twisted, horned dragonkin.

Then, the scene shifted again.

In other cities, even more powerful monsters had begun to appear. A massive wolf with blue fur burst forth from a dungeon. It stood over five meters tall, and from nose to tail, it easily exceeded ten meters in length. The beast climbed to the top of a hill and let out a long, piercing howl. Even from here, it made my skin crawl. With a swift turn, the wolf dashed off toward some distant direction. Its streaming tail looked like a blade cutting through the wind.

Another city.

From its dungeon emerged a towering man. His torn, gaping mouth reminded me of Sköll the wolfbone that I had encountered in the Eastern Dungeon. He wore a thick robe and carried a staff adorned with a wolf motif. That monster, too, turned on his heel—and vanished into the distance.

No matter which city my consciousness drifted to, the sight before me was always the same—the devastation wrought by the monsters Ymir had unleashed.

“No…!”

The scene shifted again.

The horn’s echo resounded across the entire world, reaching every corner. And then, an impossible thought crossed my mind—

Was I riding the sound itself, witnessing the world through its melody?

At last, the horn’s call reached deep within a dungeon. It passed through the entrance, descended the stairs, and slipped beyond a sealed wall that had never once been opened—into an unexplored domain.

There, I saw it.

A massive block of ice. Within it, a human silhouette could be seen. A god, perhaps, imprisoned inside the frozen seal.

—Wake up!

Golden light enveloped the ice where the god slumbered. The radiance spread, threading its way throughout the dungeon. As I followed its glow, I watched as every monster it touched was either reduced instantly to black ash—or sealed once more within ice.

The brilliance grew too intense, and I raised a hand to shield my eyes. When I looked again, the scene had shifted. From high above, I gazed down at the dungeon’s exit. A god burst forth alongside the light, weapon in hand, cutting down monsters one after another.

People stood frozen in shock, staring at the sight before them.

My consciousness leapt from city to city again and again—but everywhere, it was the same. The horn had turned the tide of the monster invasion.

“Rion.”

A gentle voice called out—it was the goddess.

Blinking repeatedly, I found myself back in the royal capital’s plaza. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground.

Solana reached out her hand to me.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah…”

Heimdall spoke, his voice steady.

“What you saw was reality. Ymir has unleashed the monsters, and the awakened gods are moving to suppress them.”

If only I could have shown it to Lu. How relieved she would be.…

The thought slipped into my mind.

Solana opened her mouth to speak.

“I felt it too. The awakened gods will surely fight alongside humanity to defeat the monsters. And when the time comes for them to return to the ice, I believe they will lend their power to reinforce the seals. If that happens—”

“The seals… will become even stronger?”

Finishing her thought, I looked at her. Solana nodded, a smile bright as the sun spreading across her face.

“Exactly. We still cannot maintain the release of so many gods indefinitely. But the fact that they have awakened cannot be undone. Even if Ymir tries to weaken the dungeon seals… the gods within will resist.”

I let those words sink in.

Did that mean the danger of monsters flooding out of the dungeon is no more?

The awakened gods would now stand against Ymir’s power from within. Above us, the aurora still shimmered across the sky.

A quiet breath escaped my lips.

“…Thank goodness.”

Yes—thank goodness.

By drawing out the horn’s full power, we had awakened the gods across the world. They would help defeat the monsters, and at the same time, lend their strength back to the seals. In the end, it had become a counterattack—a turning point against Ymir’s initial assault.

Heimdall raised a finger.

“They will come to our aid each time the horn is sounded—the same gods. Even in the final battle that is yet to come.”

In other words, the gods had truly become our allies.

Is today’s goal of gaining more comrades a resounding success?

“…Hm.”

Solana looked up at the sky.

“It seems Odin, too, is satisfied.”

Then, a message from the gods descended upon all of us.

To all adventurers.

Compared to the gods around me, the tone of this message felt almost mechanical. And yet, it was this very voice that we adventurers had always relied on as we fought.

The battle of the end has begun. Terrible monsters are awakening from the dungeon. However, heroes and gods have already appeared upon the surface.

The message continued.

This battle is but a prelude. I issue this warning.

The word warning echoed over and over in my mind.

The true end—the war that will engulf the world in flames—is fast approaching. Three weeks from now. It will be your final, and greatest, chance to prove yourselves as heroes.

The message ended as decisively as it began, and the sky fell silent once more.

“…Three weeks?”

Heimdall frowned, while Solana crossed her arms.

“We do not yet know the details. But it seems Odin still holds some hope that humanity can resist the end. And the timing he speaks of—”

I nodded.

“Three weeks from now… So it’s a prophecy.”

Saying it aloud, it felt right.

An unavoidable battle was coming—a foretold future.

I wondered if the gods of ancient times had once received prophecies like this as well.

A wave of murmurs and cheers swept through the royal capital. In every direction—east, west, south, and north—light shone from where the dungeon lay. Mia-san, Felix-san, and the other gods would surely defend the cities and return to us.

A knight rode past us at full speed from the royal castle, heading toward the city walls. I recognized some of the faces from the council chamber. One of them noticed me and gave a small raise of his hand.

We can fight.

Lu… everyone… we can protect them.

The voices of victory rising beneath the aurora-lit sky sounded like a fervent hymn sung by adventurers.

◆◆◆

Deep—deep within a dark cavern.

At the farthest reaches of ancient ruins that had once been a dungeon, the primordial titan, Ymir, sat with his back against the wall. He reached into a basket at his side and bit into a magic stone. Light burst from it, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting instant.

The rust-red floor and walls bore the marks of what this place once was—a dungeon carved into a barren wasteland.

“…Jor.”

At his call, a woman in a black robe knelt within the shadows.

“The monsters that have been revived will gather in the northern lands.”

Jor lowered her chin in silent acknowledgment. The sound of dripping water echoed again and again through the stillness.

“Take some of them and station them here to guard this place. I leave the selection to you.”

“As for me…” Ymir trailed off.

“…I will wait until their sun weakens. For now, I shall feed and store my strength elsewhere.”

The primordial titan rose to his feet and bit into empty air.

Crack.

The instant his teeth snapped shut, the space around him fractured. Reality split sideways, tearing open into a widening void.

An icy wind howled through the rupture, scattering frost into the air.

Beyond the rift, nothing could be seen—

Only a pitch-black abyss, gaping open like a maw.

“I must practice too… how to devour a world.”

Ymir stepped into the darkness. With Jor bowing deeply behind him, he left the ruins behind.

Three weeks remained—until the end of the world.

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

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The place where I landed was called the Royal Castle Plaza.

It was at the very heart of the capital, no more than ten minutes’ walk from the castle gates. Markets were set up there several times a month, and I had come countless times in my former life as a messenger.

And now—a monster had appeared there.

“Buuoooooo!!”

At first glance, it resembled an enormous bear. Rising to its full height, it must have been at least eight meters tall. Its eyes were bloodshot. Its drooling mouth was grotesquely split along the right side like a wolf’s, revealing enormous fangs. Its tail—somehow—was a snake. From its arms, thick as bound logs, sprouted legs of other beasts like branches. The combination was horrifying.

A high-pitched, cackling laugh rang out.

I stood facing it, scanning for any other enemies. There were none. The laugh—undeniably—came from the monster itself. The monster’s body had a mouth where a human would have a flank. And from that mouth, a grating raucous laughter spilled out.

“What… is this…?”

The people in the plaza screamed and scattered. I could see mothers clutching their children who had collapsed in terror. I had no choice but to stand my ground.

By late morning, the plaza had already become a stage for the monster’s devastation.

Solana descended beside me and spoke.

“Do you remember the zombie wolf? The ones in the Eastern Dungeon—”

“Y-yeah…”

“This creature is similar to that. Those were monsters corrupted by darkness, but this one… it’s from ordinary animals transformed into monsters by Ymir.”

I steadied my trembling legs by lowering my stance, trying to hide my fear.

Soldiers from the castle began streaming into the plaza.

“F-First, evacuate the civilians!”

I shouted. Coming to the castle had not been in vain. Soldiers and knights were already moving to rescue people.

I drew a deep breath. The fight to gather allies was over. The next battle—the one to protect the city—was about to begin.

Heimdall crossed his arms, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the chaos.

“This monster appeared suddenly in the plaza. It might be a new ability of Ymir.”

The bear groaned in pain, its serpentine tail writhing violently in tandem.

I fixed my gaze on this manufactured abomination.

“I’ll take it down. Watch me, Gods.”

The bear swung its massive arms. I leapt sideways to avoid them just as the cobblestones beneath me shattered into fragments.

In my mind, I called out my Status.

Status: Rion (14 years old, Male) Level: 32 Skill『Alarm』: ➥ 【Wake Up】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Wakes up a sleeping person refreshed. ➥ 【Unseal】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Cancel any type of sleep.    [+] Can also analize seals. ➥ 【Master of the Horn】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Fully unlocks the power of the horn. Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』 ➥ 【White Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Recovery. The blessing of the sun also exorcises curses. ➥ 【Golden Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Improves physical ability. Further effect for a limited time. ➥ 【Sword of the Daughter of the Sun】…… Imbues the Daughter of the Sun in a weapon. ➥ 【Light of the Sun Awakening】…… Imbues the Daughter of the Sun in a weapon. Skill 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』 ➥ 【Hammer of the God of Thunder】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Shoots a powerful lightning attack. ➥ 【Will of the War God】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅When facing an enemy stronger than oneself, it increases the power one’s blow. ➥ 【Mjolnir】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Borrows the legendary war hammer from the God of Thunder. Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting 』 ➥ 【Wild Heart】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Detection. With magical power consumption, effects can be further increased. ➥ 【Hunter’s Steps】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Moves silently without being detected. Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』 ➥ 【Valkyria’s Spoon】…… Recovery. Consumes magical power to expand the range. ➥ 【Sigris’ Spear】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅a ranged support. The magical effect is channeled into the spear, delivering it to the target. Skill 『God of Mischief’s Divine Protection』 ➥ 【Duplicity】…… It can be used in combination with the two divine protection. ➥ 【Friend of Spirits】…… Draws upon the power of spirits. ➥ 【God of Mischief’s Deception】……Creates illusions using magical power.

This was the full hand I had at my disposal. Every skill, every blessing, a tool to protect the city. I had to think fast and act faster.

First, I invoked the Golden Flame.

Skill『Sun’s Divine Protection』activated. 【Golden Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Improves physical ability. Further effect for a limited time.

Suddenly, my speed surged. The bear seemed startled, struggling to keep up. Its massive arms rained down in chaotic swings, but I dodged with precision, parrying and redirecting blows with my dagger.

The smaller, randomly sprouted arms made things worse. The wolf-like front limbs bore sharp claws, and as I rolled aside, one of them grazed my cheek.

“H-hey, are you okay…!? We—!”

A goddess hovered, ready to intervene, but I shouted.

“I’m fine!”

As long as the bear was focused on me, the others would remain safe. Its frantic rampage in the presence of a divine being, mindless and violent as it was, actually minimized collateral damage.

“Raaah…!”

The massive bear groaned, bleeding from its eyes like crimson tears. It twisted its body, bringing the serpent tail toward me in a sweeping strike. I leaned low, dodging the impossible weight just in time.

And yet, the snake’s head was already turning toward me again, relentless.

“Shaaaaa!”

A gush of violet fluid shot from its fanged maw.

“Wake up!”

The wind spirit Sylph leapt forward, deflecting the venom. The droplets sizzled as they hit the cobblestones, scorching the ground.

For a tense moment, it was just me, the massive bear, and its writhing serpent tail, locked in a silent standoff. Then the bear rose to its full height and let out a thunderous roar.

――BuoOOOooOOO!

High above, Heimdall tilted his head, his gaze sharp.

“This bear… perhaps it was once a creature of some renown.”

His eyes flicked to me, cool and calculating.

“Rion… it seems it has acknowledged you as its final opponent in life.”

I nodded. Drawing its attention fully, I shouted with everything I had.

“Come at me!”

Suddenly, the bear charged. The ground trembled beneath its weight. Market tents collapsed under the shock.

If I dodged—it would probably crash into the nearby buildings. Using Skill 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting 』, “Wild Heart”,  to sense the surroundings, I could still feel human presence in the structures behind me.

“Rion!”

“Believe, Sun God. Your follower—he’s no longer just protected by the gods!”

I braced myself. I met the bear’s charging shoulder with my short sword.

Skill 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』activated. 【Will of the War God】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅When facing an enemy stronger than oneself, it increases the power one’s blow.

I pushed back with all my strength. My feet sank into the cobblestones and slid as the bear barreled forward. The wall behind me was closing in.

It would crush me!

【Golden Flame】 and 【Will of the God of War】 amplified my strength against this monstrous foe. Probably, Loki’s【Duplicity】 had enhanced the already formidable 【Golden Flame】, fusing it with 【Will of the God of War】 to heighten my resistance.

――Oooh!

The giant bear groaned. The shattering of cobblestones beneath its paws came to a halt.

God’s protection… just a little longer, please!

“I… will… push you back!”

I swung my short sword through the air. The blade seemed to be blocked by the monstrous fur, but I still pushed the massive body back.

“Guooooo!”

A serpentine tail lunged at me. I awakened the fire spirit Salamander and met it with a blazing fireball. The giant bear staggered, losing its balance, and toppled over.

Using “Wild Heart” to sense its body, I noticed a red glow in its chest. My magical detection pinpointed the place where the monster’s power concentrated the most.

Skill 『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』activated. 【Hammer of the God of Thunder】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Shoots a powerful lightning attack.

I leapt into the air, imagining Thor’s golden hammer in the short sword I raised. The lightning-wreathed blade struck the bear’s chest. Electricity coursed through its massive body, and the red glow in its chest vanished. The monster crumbled, turning to black ash that drifted away on the wind.

The square fell silent.

The soldiers who had been protecting the people stared at us in stunned disbelief.

I wiped the sweat and blood from my forehead.

“We… won…”

The goddess descended from the sky.

“…You’ve grown stronger, Rion.”

“It’s thanks to your blessing, Goddess.”

“The one who faced it… was your strength.”

She gripped my hand tightly.

A roar of cheers and whispers rippled through the square, filling it with awe and relief.

――D-did we… really defeat it!?

――That child…?

――Or wait, could he be the “Awakener” after all!?

Heimdall approached, clearing his throat.

“…Well then, the obstacles are gone, right? Or… am I the one in the way?”

Solana and I hurriedly let go of each other’s hands. My cheeks burned. My chest fluttered. Something felt… strange. Somehow, the cheers around us felt warmer, more heartfelt.

Heimdall smiled at me.

“Boy. Blow the horn once more.”

I blinked and tilted my head.

“O-once more?”

“Yes. The horn sounds at the start of battle, but it is also sounded at victory. Above all…”

Heimdall pointed to the sky. The aurora still shimmered, painting the heavens in radiant light.

“Your sister’s magic still lingers in the horn. If we channel the excitement of the gods across the world through this victory… the tide will turn in every dungeon on the planet.”

I froze.

Ymir was loosening the seals on monsters in every dungeon. Just as the royal capital’s dungeon was in danger, monsters were surely about to spill into other cities as well.

But in the same places, the gods were sealed too.

“…So that means we’re going to wake the gods sleeping in distant dungeon.”

I drew out the horn.

They called me the “Horn Boy,” and during the previous battle, even a hero. I was ready to endure and push forward.

In the royal capital’s square, watched by gods and countless onlookers, I blew the horn.

Wake up!

This is a counterattack against the monsters using the Gjallarhorn, the alarm horn.

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

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The horn’s sound rang out, resounding high and clear across the city.

Pauline dashed onto the chamber’s terrace, looking down over the Royal Capital. From more than fifteen stories above the ground, the view stretched far and wide—from the streets below to the hills beyond the city walls.

Above her, the aurora shimmered. Bands of light fluttered like divine banners, as if the entire blue sky itself had been transformed into a war standard.

Pauline let her gaze drift downward.

“…Rion-san”

The gods and our group descended toward the capital, heading west.

Adventurers and members of the Raven Corps were already deployed within the dungeon, so preparations had been made. Still, if any danger were to arise, the Western Dungeon was the most likely source. It was the most formidable location in the capital—after all, it had been the prison of the most powerful monsters.

A rustle of wings drew her attention to the right. Ravens rested their black feathers along the beams above.

From the chamber, a voice called out.

“…Pauline!”

When she turned, the voice came from the king himself. Only a handful of the Raven Warrior corps and a few nobles remained in the chamber. Most of the other nobles had either reached the limits of their patience and fled, or had followed Rion and the others to help defend the city. The more of the latter, the easier the “real battle” to come would be.

As Pauline returned to the chamber, King Asgard tapped his chair with a sharp, satisfying rhythm.

“You’ve grown bold in your words. You were still a child when you openly despised slavery, spoke against it, and were driven to the frontier.”

Pauline’s grip tightened around her rod, and she lowered her eyes.

“…That was a long time ago.”

Slavery had been the reason the nobles came to dominate the kingdom. The fact that humans could be born with predetermined skills made them perfectly suited to the slave trade. Once, the kingdom had failed to prevent nobles from amassing wealth through slaves.

As a result, the nobles grew in power, while the kingdom—the enforcer—grew comparatively weaker. In the end, the monsters themselves became the “slave traders,” siphoning off all the benefits.

Seven years ago, ten-year-old Pauline had pleaded directly for the nobles to stop slavery. Her words needlessly provoked the delicate balance between the royal family and the nobility. She had been sent to a remote temple. Had her sealing skill not manifested, she might have remained there until her death. Joining the Raven Warriors and eventually becoming its commander seemed almost a cruel twist of fate.

Who could have imagined that she would one day face off against the very slave traders she had opposed as a child?

“You have denied the myths. Soon, you will spread this throughout the kingdom, won’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“And from here, what will you do? How do you intend to lead the kingdom?”

Pauline shook her head.

“I cannot say for sure yet. Because, first, we must defeat Ymir, the pinnacle of the monsters plaguing the country. Otherwise, everything will remain mere fantasy.

At the mention of Ymir, the remaining nobles furrowed their brows. They did not yet know the full extent. The king had been briefed in advance through correspondence, but the nobles and the people still needed to learn about Ymir, the “ashes of the titans” and much more.

“But, with adventurers standing at the forefront of this battle, I can feel the strength of this country.”

Pauline admitted, her true feelings spilling into her words. Perhaps the horn had lent her courage.

“The safe myths of the past no longer exist. We must carve our own path through danger.”

She paused, letting the weight of her next words settle.

“And it is in braving such perils—that we call adventure.”

If this is truly the continuation of the myths, then adventurers are surely the ones meant to bear it.

Pauline walked onto the terrace. Glancing at the beam to her right, she saw that the ravens that had perched there earlier had already flown away. A pleasant breeze stirred around her as she murmured,

“Gods soaring over the capital, defeating monsters… perfect for introducing the divine…”

As if in response to her words—

“If I am called upon—”

A young man in a black robe landed gracefully on the terrace.

Pauline’s eyes went wide.

“L-Loki-sama…!?”

Loki lowered his drooping eyes further, holding up two fingers in greeting. A mischievous grin spread across his face. The trickster god looked genuinely delighted.

“Weren’t you supposed to be out fighting?”

“I couldn’t possibly miss a task this important and fun, as a trickster star.”

Loki replied. He faced the capital from the terrace, arms outstretched.

“Sound forth!”

The trickster god gave a grand, theatrical bow as though to yield the stage. Pauline swallowed and stepped forward.

“Now, Your Highness, your words please—”

◆◆◆

The gods’ magic wrapped around us, lifting us effortlessly into the sky.

Mia-san, Felix-san, the Raven Warriors, and Solana with the others—together with the gods, we soared. Once out of the castle, we headed west. To reach the monsters quickly, there was no faster way than to be carried by divine power.

But—

“Well… we’re kind of standing out, huh…”

I muttered, glancing down.

Crowds of people were staring up at us. Some had stopped in the middle of the main streets, others leaned out of windows, and a few even watched from boats on the canals.

Anyone would be stunned—light bursting forth from the royal castle, and people were inside it.

—What… what is that!?

—Humans!?

—G-Gods…!

Some gasped in shock, some screamed, some fell to their knees in prayer.

—Ooooooooh!

And from beyond the city walls, the monsters roared in response.

Mia-san’s face went pale.

“This is bad! That sound… it’s not just goblins—there are orcs and golems out there too!”

The monsters’ cries weren’t coming only from the west. As we soared through the sky, growls and roars began to rise from the north and south as well.

Solana furrowed her brow and took to the air above us.

“…It’s not just the Western Dungeon! East, north, south—monsters are pouring out of every dungeon! Ymir’s presence… it’s still strong…!”

The capital must be in utter chaos.

Above us, mysterious lights shimmered. From the dungeon beyond the walls, monstrous voices roared. Black smoke had already begun rising from the west.

“What do we do…?”

We could defeat the monsters, but if this continued, panic would grip the people. At worst, after the battle, a crowd might storm the Odis Temple.

Then, the wind carried a voice from the castle.

—Citizens of the royal capital.

It was Pauline-san. I turned toward the sound in surprise. A god in a black robe waved both hands from the castle.

“…L-Loki?”

I whispered, and Solana answered.

“She’s using sound magic. Loki intends to broadcast the princess’s words across the entire city.”

The aurora still lingered in the sky, glowing alongside the magic released by the awakening horn, Gjalhorn.

The princess’s voice carried through the city, solemn and majestic, like a divine proclamation.

—I am the commander of the Raven Warriors.

—As already conveyed in the gods’ message, monsters from the age of myths are returning to our world.

They were the perfect allies to calm the chaos sweeping through the capital.

I took the moment to observe the city walls. If monsters were emerging from four different dungeon, we would need to divide our efforts carefully.

—The final battle is about to begin.

—But in the sky above… the gods have returned for the sake of humanity!

Surely, the entire royal capital is watching us.

—The myth that the gods once defeated all monsters can no longer be called truth.

—Powerful monsters are now awakening before our eyes.

—But.

Pauline paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

—There is no need to lose hope.

—If the monsters awaken, so too shall the gods.

Thor and Heimdall responded in unison. The thunder god Thor raised his hammer, Mjolnir, and Heimdall lifted his sword. Both divine weapons gleamed in the sunlight, illuminating the capital for a brief, radiant moment.

“Yes!”

The voices of the two war gods thundered across the city.

From below, it must have seemed as though Thor, Heimdall, Sigris, Uru, and Solana—the five gods—had appeared in person to save humanity.

Solana, too, shouted toward the city, her voice ringing with divine authority.

“People of the city! Protect the streets from the dungeon now!”

The earlier voices of confusion had vanished completely.

—The gods of the great sealing era, wielders of immense power, are all on our side!

From the city walls came cheers of relief and excitement. Adventurers were already fighting.

The gods and we exchanged determined nods.

“Everyone, spread out! Western Dungeon—Thor and Mia! Northern Dungeon—Uru! Southern Dungeon—Sigris! The Raven Warriors, with Felix, take the Eastern Dungeon!”

In midair, our group split off toward their assigned directions.

Solana floated down lightly beside me.

“Rion!”

Heimdall approached as well, moving close.

“What should we do?”

“Un…!”

Then, a shiver like being pierced by an icicle ran down my spine.

My gaze followed downward.

A grinding, ear-piercing sound echoed from below, resonating with a terrifying intensity.

“What… is this?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

It was a crack. Like the fractures that run across a shattered vase or bowl, a jagged fissure had appeared in the empty air itself. As if some colossal object were breaking, the crack continued to widen. Above the central plaza of the royal capital, the rift had already stretched seven or eight meters across.

Solana furrowed her brow.

“…It’s the frost of the titan.”

I shivered, drawing my short sword.

Chunks of air seemed to peel away with a soft crackle, one piece after another. Before I knew it, a dark, gaping hole had formed in the sky.

A biting cold wind rushed in. Even tens of meters away, I felt it chill me to the bone.

Heimdall narrowed his eyes.

“This is your job, boy.”

Two red lights flared within the rift in the sky—groans of a monster. Those lights… were its eyes.

“I will defeat that monster!”As I landed in the plaza, the colossal beast emerged from the rift in the sky, descending toward us.

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

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As soon as we were admitted into the castle, a guide was assigned to us.

We were quite a large group, so we moved through the royal palace in a long procession. At the front is Pauline-san—the Ninth Princess. We followed behind her (me, Mia-san, Felix-san, and then more than twenty members of the Raven Corps).

The castle, built upon the foundation of what had once been a great temple, was incredibly tall. We had to climb steep, endless flights of stairs. Perhaps the nobles and the king had lifts of their own.

At last, we entered a grand hall.

I knew I shouldn’t stare, but my eyes kept drifting from one sight to another. The polished floor faintly reflected our figures. The stark white light of magic-stone lamps scattered and shimmered across its surface. The walls were carved with the likeness of the god Odis, and above us stretched ceiling paintings praising that same chief deity.

—A fabricated mythology.

The thought surfaced unbidden, and my throat tightened.

The sound of our footsteps changed as we stepped onto a carpeted corridor. The gazes I felt from the sides were those of nobles sizing us up. It seemed we had gained some allies within the palace, but this was no place for carelessness.

Mia-san leaned closer and whispered,

“…Hey, don’t you think they’ll take our weapons? Normally, they would, right?”

Pauline-san answered without hesitation.

“It’s fine.”

She kept her gaze forward, not even shifting her eyes.

“It’s not impossible that there are nobles aligned with Ymir. The slave traders had that much influence within the kingdom.”

That was true. We had come in such numbers precisely because we had to be wary of an attack from the nobles.

Mia-san curled her lips slightly.

“Heh. Even with the king here, huh?”

“That is how strong the nobles’ power is. To the point that even the king’s orders are not always given the weight that it should have.”

At that moment, our guide came to a halt. After offering a deep, respectful bow, they opened a set of massive black doors. A great chamber lay beyond.

The first thing that came to mind was a boss floor in a dungeon. The high ceiling and the wide, pillar-sparse rectangular space felt strikingly similar. The differences were the wine-colored carpet covering the floor—and the central area, enclosed by a low barrier. Within that partition stood a desk. This was likely a council chamber, where those wishing to speak would step forward to that position.

Chairs were arranged around the enclosure. From where we stood, the seats closest to us were empty. The farther back it went, the more people filled them—and directly opposite us sat a man wearing a crown. His silver hair and green eyes bore a clear resemblance to Pauline-san.

From the gold coin, Solana’s voice spoke up—

『Rion…』

“Yeah.”

It was the king.

Broad-shouldered, draped in a thick, heavy-looking robe.

The mere thought of meeting his gaze felt almost irreverent—yet I had no idea what proper etiquette demanded. In the end, I simply relaxed my body and stood as straight as I could.

Then, from the horn, another voice spoke.

『That will do.』

It was Heimdall.

『As long as you do not lack respect, there is no such thing as ‘correct’ way to conduct yourself here. After all, you are about to overturn everything.』

Pauline-san stepped forward and dropped to one knee.

“Your Majesty, it has been some time.”

The warriors followed suit, kneeling in unison.

Mia-san and I were completely late.

No one had explained anything to us!

Panicking, we hurriedly copied the others.

Then, the king spoke.

“Rise.”

Pauline-san stood, and at the king’s command. To ‘proceed’, she stepped forward to the center of the enclosure.

A heavy silence fell over the chamber. All eyes turned toward the princess. Her tall white headdress stood dignified and resolute.

“I will now speak of the truth behind the myths. Some of you may have already felt a sense of unease after the message delivered in the name of the god Odis.”

Her voice did not falter.

The man she had addressed as Your Majesty is also her father. And yet, her words rang out clearly, unwavering.

“The powerful monsters that were said to have been completely defeated in the myths—have appeared in both Alvis and Flocia. If the gods had truly triumphed, such beings should not exist.”

She paused.

“What this reveals is the deception of the myths. The gods did not seal the monsters within the labyrinth as a result of victory. They were on the verge of defeat—overwhelmingly so—and thus sealed the monsters away to delay their loss.”

A ripple of unrest ran through the nobles. The king remained impassive, his face is unreadable.

“And now, that seal has been weakened. It is being undone by a faction of the resurrected monsters. This is precisely what is occurring in Alvis and Flocia at this very moment.”

Pauline-san pressed on, her voice steady.

“This means that the battles interrupted by the ‘sealing’ have now resumed.”

A murmur swept through the chamber—confusion, disbelief, even veiled accusations. Words fell upon Pauline-san like a storm. 

Dressed in the robes of the Odis temple and crowned with her tall headdress, Pauline-san stood there declaring a story that denied the very myths themselves.

“Adventurers alone are not enough to fight. Yet, the people must be protected.”

Even the nobles raised their voices, reacting with a mix of outrage and incredulity.

“How dare you deny the myths!?”

“What proof do you have?!”

“Why should we nobles be the ones to protect commoners in the first place?!”

“Skilled we may be, but the ones who should die first are the peasants!”

Pauline-sam did not flinch. The verbal stones hurled at her seemed to shatter harmlessly against her resolve.

Solana spoke softly,

『She’s strong.』

“Yeah.”

『She must have faced countless battles in the temple while we were fighting, and emerged victorious in all of them.』

Pauline-san tapped her staff against the floor.

“Your Majesty. At this moment, many dugeons face the threat of releasing even more monsters. I ask that you command the soldiers across the kingdom, as well as the knights in the castle who possess combat skills, to join the fight.”

The king raised his right hand. The nobles’ voices fell silent instantly.

“…As king, I already know what you know.”

A ripple of astonishment swept through the nobles.

“But to make the nobles—those with real power—believe this truth, you’ll need proof.”

Pauline-san turned her gaze toward me.

“The proof is here. I will show the ancient gods who have awakened to resume the battles.”

She tapped her staff against the floor and smiled.

“I will open your eyes and let you see for yourselves.”

I placed my hands on the gold coin and the horn.

“Wake up!”

Light scattered in a dazzling cascade.

The gods sprang into the air. Solana, Thor, Uru, Loki, Sigris, and Heimdall. Some hovered above the floor, some stood firmly upon it, manifesting within the royal hall itself.

A voice trembled as it escaped.

“T-this…..G-Gods?”

Perhaps it was not doubt so much as astonishment—a reflexive gasp of confusion and wonder. But the gods themselves presented undeniable proof.

—Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Thor and Heimdall. The two massive deities laughed, a booming sound that seemed to pierce the ceiling and reach the very heavens. Several nobles collapsed to the floor in sheer shock. It was a laughter no human could ever produce—raw, overwhelming, shaking the very core of the heart and inspiring awe.

“I am Thor!”

Thor pointed to his chest with a gigantic thumb. Lightning crackled from Mjolnir, held tightly in his right hand.

“I am Loki.”

“I am Sigris, the Valkyrie.”

“I am Uru, the God of Hunting.”

“I am Heimdall.”

Solana hovered in the air, hand pressed to her chest.

“I am Solana, goddess of the sun.”

The nobles stood frozen, their minds reeling. First struck by the princess’s words, then disoriented by the king’s acknowledgment, and finally rendered speechless by the very appearance of the gods themselves.

Mia-san glanced at me.

“.…This whole sequence huh.”

“Yeah. The preparation Pauline-san mentioned, it was probably just to get the king’s agreement first.”

The corrupt nobles had stripped the royal capital of real power. Yet the king still retained some measure of authority—perhaps because so many nobles had abandoned the castle.

Pauline-san had already secured her advantage in advance.

Felix-san spoke softly beside me.

“Well, the trade-off seems to be the reestablishment of the king’s authority, I suppose. And it seems the plan to convince the nobles worked beautifully.”

Within the enclosure, Pauline-san raised her voice.

“If you protect the people here and now, it will be a tremendous achievement for you, the nobles who remain in the capital. Just as the chief god used the word ‘hero’ in his message, in a city where many nobles have departed, your influence will grow.”

I could understand, in a vague sense, what she was doing. She was dismantling the assumptions of the myths, making it clear that the kingdom could no longer operate as it had. And yet, she offered them an opportunity to earn glory through action.

—It had the feel of a negotiation, yes, but it was brilliant.

As if to drive the point home, Thor spoke.

“I’m counting on you.”

“Ooooh!” 

A roar of excitement swept through the chamber. This time, it was exhilaration, not outrage. The gods’ encouragement had reached not only the nobles but even the soldiers guarding them.

Mia-san smacked her forehead with a sharp thwack.

“The utterly useless nobles fled the capital long ago. The ones left are at least willing to try to protect the city. In that sense… it might actually work out in our favor.”

I nodded, and felt my chest burn with the same heat.

“Un!”

Of course, not everyone was convinced. Some remained confused, others scowled. Yet many of the nobles—especially those who looked like warriors—were visibly stirred, caught up in the excitement.

The chamber swelled with energy.

Solana drifted down gently beside me.

“Rion”

Her voice, paired with her sharp gaze… I felt a sudden, tense awareness. Something unsettling was about to happen.

“.…Could it be…. monsters?”

Just as we were advancing, so were our enemies.

—Oooooooo!

A low, rolling roar traveled on the wind like distant thunder. One voice followed another, chaining endlessly. The royal castle sat at the city’s center, yet the cries of the monsters came from every direction—east, west, north, and south.

Solana grabbed my hand.

“Even here, I can feel Ymir’s magic seeping up from below. That monster is strengthening the command that loosens the seals—it is growing stronger by the moment.”

Led by the goddess, I slipped between the ranks of the warriors and stepped out onto the terrace of the chamber.

From up here, the buildings below seemed laughably small. Every bird flying past was beneath us. And under the open blue sky, the monstrous cries echoed. Black smoke spiraled upward from the direction of the Western Dungeon.

I realized that everyone in the chamber was looking at me. I drew the horn from my pouch. Its faint glow—left from the power Rue had infused yesterday—seemed to hum with readiness.

I turned to the goddess and asked.

“Other dungeons too? All across the world?”

“Most likely.”

I stood overlooking the royal capital, feeling the eyes of the chamber on my back.

Taking a deep breath, I blew into the awakening horn, the Gjalhorn, letting its sound ride on the wind.

【Master of the Horn】… fully unleashing the power of the awakening horn, Gjalhorn.

The tone spread across the capital—no, across the world.

Immense magic poured forth, and beneath the blue sky, bands of light danced like the aurora.

“Everyone—”

I called out, turning around. Pauline-san smiled at me.

The first battle—the war of words—was over. Now, the fight against the monsters unleashed upon the capital would begin.

“Gods, everyone, let’s go!”

Leaving Pauline-san and a few guards in the chamber, we gathered on the terrace. The power of the gods wrapped around us in light. Together with the dozens of warriors from the Raven Corps, we soared into the sky.

Below us stretched the city where I was born and raised.

A feeling of grandeur lit up my chest. Wrapped in light, flying above, everyone in the capital was surely pointing up at us.And so, the battle to protect the royal capital began.

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

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Early in the morning, the carriage carrying us raced over the cobblestone streets of the Royal Capital. We passed through the slums where we had once lived and followed the canal westward. Our destination was the castle at the very heart of the city. At last, today had come—the day we would speak of the “truth behind the myths.”

With every step closer, the castle loomed ever more imposing, rising high as if to challenge the sky itself. Its vast width could no longer be contained within our field of vision. The white walls shimmered in the morning light. The central tower towered above us, gazing down with an almost oppressive authority.

Solana’s voice broke the silence.

“…It truly is enormous when you see it up close. Far more than I imagined.”

I gave a small nod.

The highest point must have easily reached fifty meters. As for its width, it was impossible to grasp from the carriage window alone. Countless buildings and roofs overlapped one another, and yet, somehow, the castle lost none of its solemn grandeur.

I spoke softly.

“You can see it even from outside the capital… it’s unbelievably huge.”

Between here and the castle lay multiple layers of dry moats and walls. Within them, it was said, hundreds of people lived.

From the coin, Solana continued—

『There was once a temple in the royal capital that connected the heavens and the earth. Most likely, this castle was built upon its foundations.』

No wonder it was so vast. It stood atop a structure from the age of myth, expanded and rebuilt over centuries by human hands.

This time, Loki spoke with a note of admiration.

『Perhaps there were surviving followers of Freki, the god of art and architecture? Or maybe some human inherited his power through a skill and created something like this? Either way… this must have been the greatest work of their lives.』

The carriage approached a dry moat that yawned like a cliff, then began to cross the bridge spanning it. A statue of the god, Odis cast a stern gaze down upon us. Halfway across, we passed a lavishly adorned noble’s carriage coming from the opposite direction. An unpleasant memory stirred in my chest. The Royal Castle was a place where nobles gathered—in other words, the very people who had once ruled over the Eastern Dungeon.

A murmur slipped from my lips.

“Nobles.…”

From the seat across from me, Pauline-san, who had been resting with her eyes closed, spoke.

“The castle, in its proper role, is the center of governance. There was a time when nobles held lavish parties night after night, but their numbers have greatly diminished. Or rather—”

The princess gave a small shrug.

“Most of the nobles who indulged in such pleasures have already fled the capital. Perhaps they sensed the threat of war in the adventurers now gathering here. Those who remain are the royal family, and a handful of nobles who still care, at least somewhat, for the country.”

Pauline-san cast me a brief glance.

“The fall of House Warlburg, which once controlled the Eastern Dungeon, is also a significant factor. People are more willing to listen than before. Of course, whether they will accept the true myths is another matter entirely.”

Besides the princess and me, two others rode in the carriage.

Felix-san and Mia-san.

All of us wore the raven warrior cloaks, the mark of the warrior order. Three more carriages followed behind us, and in total, about thirty members of the Raven Corps were on their way to enter the Royal Castle.

Mia-san ran a hand through her red hair.

“Are we really allowed to walk into a place like this?”

She had been shifting uneasily the entire time.

It was a secret thought, but she looked like a cat ready to bolt out the window at any moment.

“Rion, are you okay with this?”

“It’s my first time too…”

“Guess so. I’ve got zero confidence when it comes to manners or etiquette.”

Felix-san cleared his throat softly. Perhaps he was nervous as well—his movements were stiffer than usual.

“I would ask that you remain composed. Pauline-sama has spent her time, even while we were in Flocia, negotiating with nobles and other members of the royal family in preparation for this day.”

Mia-san and I exchanged glances. Almost in unison, we gave a solemn nod.

““W-we understand.””

“Mm. Basically, we’re going to ask not just the adventurers, but the nobles too, to defend the capital, right? But just to be clear, are we really going to say it—that the current myths are a lie?”

Pauline-san lowered her chin slightly, then tapped the floor of the carriage with the staff in her hand.

“In the royal capital, aside from the soldiers each noble commands, there are also knights tasked with protecting the city.”

Solana spoke up.

『Knights huh. You mentioned before that they’re a force distinct from adventurers.』

In response to the goddess’s question, I chose my words carefully.

“They do fight monsters alongside adventurers sometimes. There are cases like the ‘Blood-Red Sunset’—when monsters appear outside the dungeon. But how should I put it… they don’t take on requests like adventurers do, and they’re not part of the Adventurers’ Guild either.”

Pauline-san nodded.

“Rebellions have often broken out in the frontier regions. For that reason, the capital maintains forces that are meant primarily to fight other humans. If adventurers are ‘handymen’ who take on all kinds of requests, then knights are ‘soldiers.’ And to move them, orders are required.”

“I see. And those orders can be given by the royal family—or the nobles.”

“Precisely. To mobilize the castle, to draw all of it into action, we need a powerful premise—that this is a crisis.”

Mia-sam leaned back against her seat.

“So, that’s the truth behind the myths, huh.”

The carriage came to a halt at the castle gate. The grand iron doors stood imposing before us—so solid that even Skoll in his rampage might have struggled to break them. The guards at the entrance, upon seeing Pauline-san, immediately allowed us through. Our carriage rolled forward across the bridge spanning the second dry moat.

The princess leaned in and whispered.

“I’ve already gathered the nobles, Rion-san.”

“Y-yes, I understand.”

I tightened my grip around the gold coin in my pocket. The horn rested inside my pouch.

“Seeing is believing. Please—open the eyes of the nobles and the royal family.”

As the princess spoke, the carriage at last arrived at the entrance of the castle.

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

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After finishing the meeting in the orb chamber, Lu and I stepped out of the Great Tower. The morning sunlight wrapped around us, while a fresh spring breeze swept gently across the grounds.

The temple courtyard was wide. Perhaps because of the flowerbeds—or maybe the herb garden behind them—the air carried a faint scent of greenery.

A smile bloomed on Lu’s face.

“It’s such a nice day, Oniichan.”

“Yeah.”

I smiled back at my little sister.

“Why don’t we take a walk along the inside of the wall for a bit?”

“Okay!”

Lu is still not allowed to leave the temple grounds. The power of creation within her was being targeted by slave traders, and if Odin had his eyes on her as well, then it was even more important to keep her somewhere heavily guarded.

But because of that… we had already kept her confined to this small world for nearly two months.

“In the Royal Capital… I bet the flowers at our neighbor’s place are blooming right now.”

She was talking about the house across from our old home in the capital. It had been a poor district, but the people across the street always planted flowers by their doorway.

I hesitated to say something easy like “We’ll be able to go back soon.”

So instead, I changed the subject.

“…Look, flowers are blooming in this flowerbed too.”

Lu had noticed the flowerbed beside the chapel.

“Really! The red bellflowers and white dora are already blooming!”

She tugged my hand. The bed was full of red and white blooms, bursting with color. Lu puffed out her chest and looked up at me, her eyes sparkling.

“How’s it look?”

Her braids swayed proudly as she asked, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Amazing! Did you grow all of these, Lu?”

“Yes! From the far side of the chapel all the way over here.”

Lu had always been diligent, and she had taken on many tasks around the temple.

We walked along the flowerbeds, Lu occasionally crouching to remove pests from the flowers or pull weeds from the soil.

Just as we were thinking it might be time to head back, we froze.

A metallic sound reached our ears.

“…Is that… a blade?”

At my words, a high-pitched sword rang out again.

Lu’s voice trembled as she whispered, clearly uneasy.

“Where’s it coming from?”

With the blessing of the God of Hunting, the ability ‘Wild Heart’, I could easily pinpoint the source of the sound. I relaxed my expression to reassure my sister.

“It’s okay. It’s coming from the training grounds.”

The Raven Warrior Corps had a training facility in their base. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, but the sounds of combat drills were already sharp and clear.

“Oniichan… can we go see?”

“You can. But that’s where people fight.”

“I just want to watch. I want to get used to it.”

Lu gripped my sleeve tightly, her brow furrowed. Still, her eyes were unwavering, and I could feel her determination.

—If a battle were to break out near her, she’d have to escape on her own.

She wanted to familiarize herself with the atmosphere of combat, just in case.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

We approached the training grounds. The area was enclosed by sturdy stone walls, but it had no roof. That was probably why the sounds carried so clearly.

Every so often, a clatter of chains rang out.

I called through a gap in the wall.

“We’re coming in!”

Peeking inside, I saw exactly who I expected.

Mia-san’s red hair streamed behind her as she crouched low. She manipulated the chains coiled around her right arm, drawing a hand axe toward her with precise control.

Our eyes met.

“Rion!”

The moment Mia spoke, I let out an “Ah—,” and Lu covered her eyes.

Gon!

A block of ice dropped onto Mia’s head with a solid thud.

“Ow…!”

Her training partner—Felix-san—shook his head, clearly exasperated.

“Apologies! But if I may be frank… that was an opening on your part, Mia.”

“…I know.”

Mia-san answered while rubbing her head.

It seemed that she and Felix-san had been sparring seriously, exchanging blows of magic and chain axes from roughly twenty meters apart. Both were breathing hard, clearly exhausted. Their training had clearly been no ordinary exercise—it had been a real duel.

The two of them slipped past us and crouched near the wall, drinking water as if it were the most delicious thing in the world.

Felix-san spoke up.

“Rion. Have you finished your conversation with the commander?”

“Ah… yes.”

We shared what had happened in the Orb Chamber with both of them. There were no restrictions on speaking, and I trusted that they could keep things contained.

Mia-san wiped the sweat from her brow.

“…I see. So we’ve been training for three hours since morning. No wonder I’m exhausted.”

Lu and I widened our eyes in surprise.

“T-three hours?”

“Seems we overdid it. A bit of overwork on our part.”

Both of them were drenched in sweat, their bodies pushed hard—but you couldn’t say their fighting spirit had wavered in the slightest.

It was as if their resolve was radiating out along with their body heat.

Mia-san snapped the lid on her water bottle.

“Rion, how was the battle in Flocia?”

“…Even with Solana’s help, it was close. I hear the city suffered a lot too.”

“It was rough. Honestly… it wasn’t enough. Truth be told, we couldn’t really handle them.”

Then she grinned.

“That’s why we train. So next time, we’ll be stronger.”

Lu hesitated, then asked softly:

“Um… Mia-san… aren’t you scared?”

Mia-san and Felix-san exchanged a glance. Almost wordlessly, they smiled at Lu.

“Little sister… yes, it’s a bit frightening. But to be honest, I’m a little excited too.”

“…Huh?”

Mia-san straightened up, speaking as she went.

“I thought we’d be facing giant snakes or fire giants… but it’s a primordial titan instead. Still, having something like that around… it makes adventuring feel more like an adventure.”

The two of them rose and walked back toward the training area.

“Alright then. Shall we try again before noon?”

“Mia, be careful about the timing when you coordinate.”

“I know.”

They squared off once more, keeping a careful distance, eyes locked in silent challenge.

The gold coin and the horn trembled. Perhaps they were reacting to the nervous energy in my own heart.

『Rion.』

Heimdall’s voice echoed from the horn. I reached first for the gold coin in my pocket, then to the horn in my pouch.

“Wake up!”

From the coin sprang Thor, from the horn came Heimdall.

The two war gods stood before me, bathed in the brilliance of sunlight.

“Shall we lend a hand, boy?”

I nodded, and Thor strode toward Mia-san and the others.

“Then I’ll take care of Mia’s side.”

After seeing the god off, Lu pointed toward a bench near the entrance. Her lips were pressed together tightly, determined.

“…Oniichan. I’ll be over there, practicing how to refine my magic too.”

“You too, Lu?”

“Yeah. I want to practice so I can draw out more of Freyja-sama’s power of creation and my own magic.”

Just then, from Mia-san’s side, the heavy thud of a giant hammer hitting its mark echoed through the air.

Heimdall let out a dry laugh.

“Luisia, that’s a wise idea. You carry Freyja’s power, creation itself, and immense magical energy within you—but…”

He continued.

“Think of it like a spring and its floodgate. If the power is the water, the energy exists inside you, but it cannot reach the outside without passing through the ‘floodgate.’ And… the floodgate you can open right now isn’t very large yet.”

Lu fixed her sky-blue eyes directly on the god.

“I… I want to be strong too.”

“Yes. Practicing how to bring your magic to the surface will help you protect yourself. The floodgate will open wider with time.”

Heimdall handed the horn to Lu.

“I want you to gradually infuse magic into my awakening horn, the Gjallarhorn. To awaken gods across the world, immense power is needed. The vast energy you’ve inherited as Freyja’s reflection should be stored within the horn.”

Lu nodded and dashed toward a bench in the corner.

Heimdall turned to me.

“Then… shall we get to it as well?”

Tomorrow, we would go to the castle and reveal the truth of the myths.

But for today, we spent the hours training, preparing for what was to come.

◆◆◆

Luisia pressed a hand to her chest.

Rion and Heimdall faced each other, crouched low in combat stance.

Her brother’s expression was nothing like the one she remembered from their childhood backyard training sessions. The Rion who once read picture books to her, who had swung wooden sticks alongside her, was gone. This Rion—undaunted in the presence of a god—was a true warrior.

Heimdall’s sword clashed against Rion’s dagger.

Sparks flew.

It was as if the forge itself had been placed on the anvil, and the blade being honed was the Boy with the Horn.

Luisia remained seated on the bench, captivated by her brother’s display.

“Oniichan… you’ve become really strong.”

She pressed her hand to her chest again and spoke softly.

“Freyja-sama…”

—What is it?

“I want to be stronger too… How can I learn to use Freyja-sama’s power?”

As she asked, Luisia poured her magic into the horn, starting with her own method.

The basic approach was the same as when she used her ability, Creation. Drawing the magic from deep within her body, she guided it into her arms and pressed it into the horn she held with both hands.

Gradually, her arms became wrapped in a soft green light.

The power pulsed as it flowed into the horn. The awakening Gjallarhorn seemed to recognize its purpose, swallowing her magic willingly.

—You likely have both talent and the accumulation of all your previous training.

A gentle voice, Freyja’s, echoed from her chest.

—You have been striving to master Creation all this time, haven’t you?

Luisia shook her head.

“…That alone… might not be enough.”

A shadow flickered across Luicia’s heart.

Her brothers were working so hard—for her.

But through Creation, she could feel Ymir’s overwhelming strength. She was the one who had bound that massive being with shackles during the battle in Flocia. At the time, she had been caught up in the fight, but the sheer magnitude of power she felt through her magic had been etched into her memory.

“Freyja-sama… before you dwelled within me… what were you doing?”

There was a hint of hesitation from the goddess. If Luisia were captured, everything would be lost. Freyja was trapped inside her.

—I would reside in bodies that could host a god, from one to the next.

“So… each time the previous host died, you would move to the next body?”

—Yes.

Luisia clutched her chest sharply, then forced a smile and shook her head.

“It’s nothing. Really.”

The training grounds were filled with the sound of effort.

Luisia resumed her practice, choosing to trust her companions—for now.Yet her hands trembled. Bit by bit, she was beginning to fear that everyone around her might get hurt… all to protect her.

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

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By the time we finished sending messages and organizing our belongings, a full day had passed since we returned to the royal capital. Lu had already regained consciousness. And just as Freyja herself had said, once Lu awoke, the goddess stopped speaking altogether.

The skill 『Miko』 must be completely suppressing Freyja. In a sense, it really was a cage—one that sealed a god within a human body. Yet at the same time, my little sister could draw out Freyja’s power of creation and her magic.

That skill, 『Miko』, was unbelievable. It wasn’t coexistence. Lu clearly held the upper hand.

Solana had speculated that the ability might originally belong to Odin, the chief god who ruled over the other deities. And now that very sister of mine had been summoned with me to the underground chambers of the temple.

“Ah-choo!”

The room my sister and I were standing in was the chamber that housed the Frost Orb. Soon, a conference would be held here to establish contact with temples across the land. For the moment, the only other person in the room was Pauline-san, the one who had summoned us.

When I spoke, my breath came out in a pale cloud.

“It’s cold…”

Even though spring was already in full bloom outside, a thin layer of frost coated both the walls and the floor here. I gently rubbed Lu’s back, checking to make sure her cloak and scarf hadn’t slipped.

“Lu, are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

She hunched her shoulders, burying half her face in the scarf. Cold air slipped through the gaps in my own mantle as well. Both of us shivered.

“Oniichan… Freyja-sama is saying something too.”

“What did she say?”

“She says, 『My apologies for the trouble.』”

“I… see…”

I let my head droop in defeat. Freyja really did seem like a rather gentle, absentminded sort of goddess. By concentrating, Lu could actually speak with Freyja, who resided within her. The reason we had been summoned here was probably so the gods dwelling in the coins and the horn could hear the discussion as well.

Shaking off my thoughts, I turned my gaze toward the Frost Orb at the center of the chamber.

A sphere about two meters in diameter floated within a carved recess in the floor. Pauline stood beside it, holding her right hand over the orb.

If you listened carefully, the princess was quietly chanting.

“Sacred Orb… join with the power of the World Tree, and let the voices from afar reach this place!”

The orb flared to life.

Brilliant white light filled the entire room.

Pauline-san smiled and beckoned us closer.

“We will now exchange information with the temples in the frontier. Please listen as well.”

“Yes!”

I answered promptly.

Tapping her staff lightly, Pauline began the meeting.

“Then we will start with the report from the temple in the mining city of Alvis.”

Every city that housed a dungeon also possessed a Frost Orb. Depending on the location, the orb’s size and power varied.

Originally, they were sacred artifacts used to regulate the seal on the dungeon. But by channeling magic through them, the orbs could communicate with one another. It seemed this, too, was a power awakened by the horn.

The princess smoothly handled the reports arriving from each region.

Lu and I exchanged glances.

“Oniichan…”

“Yeah… It sounds like the monsters in the dungeon are becoming more violent everywhere.”

For instance, monsters stronger than usual had begun appearing within the dungeon. In other cases, the same creatures had grown far more cunning. In some cities, monsters had even burst out of the labyrinth and onto the surface, forcing high-ranking adventurers to hunt them down.

As Pauline-san listened to the reports, her expression gradually grew more severe.

Finally, when the last of the regional updates had finished, she spoke.

“It seems Rata’s words yesterday have been confirmed.”

The princess lowered her gaze.

“This is strange. An anomaly has occurred, yet no traces of the titan’s ashes have been discovered. No evidence at all. And even in cities where the slave traders had no bases, the disturbances in the labyrinths are happening just the same…?”

The orb continued to glow with its pale white light.

The sight suddenly reminded me of the battle in Flocia, and the realization struck me like lightning.

My eyes met Lu’s. My sister gave a small nod.

“Pauline-san… could it be this?”

I pointed toward the source of the seal.

“The Flocia orb—the monster… Ymir—he shattered it and ate it!”

The Frost Orb was a divine artifact that controlled the seals. That meant the seals could be strengthened… or weakened.

Pauline-san let out a strained breath.

“Impossible…!”

The gold coins trembled, and the gods began speaking one after another.

『That Ymir guy is more capable than I expected.』

『Are you saying that by absorbing the orb, he gained the ability to manipulate the seals just like the orb itself…?』

『What a troublesome bastard.』

『This…』

All the gods residing in my coins began speaking at once, and my head quickly started to spin. And as if that weren’t enough, Heimdall’s voice boomed from the horn.

『Fuhaha! Indeed… this is troublesome!』

His voice was thunderously loud.

Lu and Pauline both covered their ears, though it didn’t help much when the sound echoed directly inside our heads.

Lowering his voice slightly, Heimdall continued,

『However, there must be another mechanism at work. Even if Ymir absorbed the orb’s power, affecting every dungeon in the kingdom would be far too sudden.』

He had a point…

Lu tugged lightly at my sleeve.

“Freyja-sama says… she has something to say.”

Even Freyja now…

Having so many gods appear was reassuring. But they all had such strong personalities that I sometimes found myself completely overwhelmed.

“Um… I’ll just repeat what she said, Oniichan. She thinks ‘Ymir might be using Yggdrasil’s Water Mirror.’”

Yggdrasil’s Water Mirror.

That was another divine artifact created in ancient times. It was said to exist in the deepest layers of each dungeon, once used by distant gods to communicate with one another—much like the Frost Orb had just done. The one who picked up the idea was Loki.

『…Hmm, I see. That’s certainly possible. Yggdrasil—the Tree of Magic—extends its roots through every dungeon. If even a single part of the roots becomes tainted with poison, eventually the corruption spreads throughout the entire root system.』

After saying that, Loki fell silent.

I rested a finger against my chin, thinking.

“So… a divine artifact meant to transmit messages… is being used to send commands to every dungeon, telling the seals to weaken…?”

When the voices faded, the chamber of the orb felt even colder. In my pocket, the gold coin trembled faintly, giving off a slight warmth. Solana’s way of encouraging me.

“…We’ll just have to solve things one step at a time.”

Pauline-san planted her rod firmly on the floor.

“For now, the danger levels in each dungeon remain within what the temples and adventurers can manage. But if they exceed that point—then the power of the horn will be absolutely necessary.”

I nodded.

“So now we know how the enemy intends to move.”

“…Heh, yes. That we do.”

Pauline-san gripped her staff tightly. She looked tense.

“Tomorrow, we will go to the Royal Castle and ask the royal family and the nobles to take part in the battle.”

Bathed in the orb’s pale light, the princess’s cheeks looked whiter than usual.

Even during the discussion earlier, many voices from the other temples had demanded explanations about what happened in Flocia and Alvis. The lies surrounding the ancient myths—like the seals themselves—were reaching their limit.

And when the horn sounded again…

When gods emerged from labyrinths across the world…

The old myths would truly come to an end.

That was the feeling I couldn’t shake.

“Oh my, there’s no need to look so worried.”

“To be honest… I’m a little excited. The end of these lies may become a kind of awakening for the kingdom.”

We left the chamber of the orb and stepped outside the tower.Warm spring sunlight greeted us, and from somewhere in the distance came the steady sound of soldiers training.

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

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The cage was to be kept in the underground of the Great Tower. The small room, about five meters across, was dim and chilly. Next door lay the chamber of the Frost Orb and cold seeped through the walls and floor. My breath drifted in white clouds.

At the far end, a desk held the cage. Inside, a single mouse sat with its eyes closed. The room held only the three of us: Pauline-san, Safi, and myself.

Even Rata sensed that someone had arrived.

“…What is it you want?”

At last, the mouse opened its eyes. And a man’s voice came from its mouth.

Pauline-san stepped back a few paces, her eyes widening.

“This… this mouse… is speaking?”

I nodded and gestured toward the cage.

“This is Ratbone Rata, a monster. Safi set a trap—well, technically a mousetrap—inside the Flocia Temple, and he got caught there. We brought him here.”

I had sent a letter beforehand, but Pauline-san stood frozen, pinching a lock of her silver hair between her fingers.

Well… that was understandable.

After all, who would expect a monster that had tormented us so fiercely to be caught in a temple’s mousetrap? Even I hadn’t imagined it. When I last saw him, he had the sharp eyes of a sly merchant… and now he was a tiny mouse.

The gold coin trembled, and Solana’s voice echoed in my mind.

『 A strategist undone by his own schemes, Ratbone Rata.』

The goddess’s tone carried a hint of mischief. For efficiency, all the gods had returned to the gold coin and the horn, conserving their magic.

“You tried to stop Rion as he headed for the tower during Flocia’s final battle. Though defeated, you escaped and now aimed for the Odis Temple in Flocia. Using your transformation ability, you snuck in as a small creature, hoping to sow further chaos. But—”

“Kkik!”

The mouse clicked its tongue in annoyance.

Solana continued.

“What you didn’t expect, however, was that thanks to Rion’s sister, Luisia, the Frost Orb which Ymir should have destroyed, had already been restored. Because of that, you were right beneath the temple… directly under the seal’s cold aura, and you grew disoriented. And when you fled into the underground chamber… you walked straight into a trap.”

The mouse, Rata, rolled his golden eyes toward us.

“…To be caught in a trap this simple.”

He muttered, shaking his small body in self-mockery. Perhaps he even shrugged.

Pauline-san stepped forward, questioning.

“Even though I’d heard the report, I never imagined… this is the monster?”

The mouse’s fur was a dull gray, about the size of a cat. Its golden eyes were sharp and venomous.

Pauline-san planted her staff on the floor, steadying herself.

“Little one, Safi… is it truly safe to keep him in this cage? If I’m not wrong, he’s a troublesome monster, able to change his form at will, right?”

Safi pouted, her green hair bouncing as she crossed her arms.

“Of course it’s safe! Ever since we discovered what this mouse really is, it was—well, a huge ordeal! I used every bit of my skill and all the gods’ magic to make this cage so sturdy that even a hundred giants couldn’t break it! And as for his transformation ability? It’s sealed with divine magic and my runes!”

The dwarf blacksmith’s pride practically steamed from her. I remembered the nights on our journey, the ringing of hammer on metal deep into the night. I smiled at her with gratitude.

“Thank you. After all, this mousetrap was your creation to begin with. I’m sure it’s more than sturdy enough.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

Safi said, puffing out her chest.

Pauline-san blinked, eyes wide as she looked between Safi and me.

“Ah… I see.”

The princess murmured, as if coming to some realization.

…? I wasn’t sure what she meant.

Meanwhile, Rata opened and closed his tiny mouth in irritation. For such a small body, his oversized fangs were a little intimidating.

“So?”

His golden eyes glinted sharply. Rata continued.

“What do you want? I am the slave trader known as ‘The Merchant’ and I’d like to welcome you to my house. Though… it is a bit cramped. Still, the plain, rugged cage is not my responsibility.”

A fierce, almost intimidating presence radiated from him. I stepped forward, positioning myself in front of Safi and Pauline-san.

“I’ll ask again. Ymir said in Flocia, ‘From now on, it’s competition.’”

Rata remained silent.

“I think he’s planning to attack us soon. I want to know when and where he’ll strike.”

The mouse let out a mocking chuckle.

“You think I’d tell you?”

…Well, of course not.

After all, the real reason we brought Rata to this room was to show him to Pauline-san. The questions were just an afterthought.

During our journey from Flocia, we’d asked him the same questions over and over. According to Loki, it didn’t seem like Rata was hiding anything. It is most likely that he simply didn’t know.

For a monster, Ymir—their creator—was absolute. There was no discussion, no negotiation; only Ymir could know his own plans.

The mouse snorted.

“…Oh? A new divine presence, is it? If you’ve awakened Freyja, have you also learned of Odin’s betrayal?”

I forced myself to remain expressionless.

Rata erupted into laughter.

“Kkik! Just like a thousand years ago. You will fail, driven by distrust and greed.”

His voice carried so strongly that the guards peered through the doorway.

“Slaves… the very essence of them… I made a fortune! Watching them ripped from their families, screaming and crying… so weak, so foolish… it was glorious!”

Pauline-san’s grip on her rod tightened until her knuckles whitened, anger radiating from her.

Safi’s face had turned pale.

This monster—the so-called slave trader, their de facto manager—was before us.

I drew a steadying breath.

“Rata.”

The laughter stopped instantly.

“I’ve wanted to ask for some time. Why… why do monsters attack us? Ever since the age of myths?”

“You displease us. But… kuk… from the perspective of a titan like Ymir, this world itself was born of stolen creative power. If we don’t tear it apart, carve our anger into it, we are not satisfied. And those of us created by Ymir… we follow the same path…”

I recalled the scenes of the myth. Odin had taken Ymir’s heart—his power of creation—and begun to shape the world. For Ymir, it was vengeance. What had been taken should be reclaimed. Odin, too, had his reasons. If Ymir hadn’t been stopped, the gods themselves would have been destroyed. He was a terrifying creator who devoured his own creations.

The monster’s grin shifted, becoming wistful and self-mocking.

“…The primordial titan, huh.”

The mouse rose on his hind legs and stared at the ceiling.

“Rion, was it? My senses as a monster are… unusually unsettled.”

“…Huh?”

“A monster’s intuition. Soon, creatures will emerge from the dungeons. Not just in the Royal Capital… but from every dungeon across the land.”

The unexpected words left me momentarily stunned. Not just the capital, not just a single city… It will be a movement on a much larger scale?

From the gold coin, Solana’s voice rang out, demanding an explanation.

『Why the sudden confession? What’s your intention? 』

“The secret to being a shrewd merchant… is repaying debts. The debt for sparing my life will be settled this way… the rest is revenge.”

Rata narrowed his golden eyes.

“I never liked Ymir to begin with. The slave organization I built… it’s finished now. ‘To devour everything,’ they said—how fitting.”

And with that, Rata fell silent.

We left the underground chamber, and returning to the light above brought a small sense of relief.

Pauline-san broke the silence first.

“Through the Frost Orb, we should also contact the Odis temples across the land. Ymir’s offensive may have reached them sooner than expected.”We nodded to each other and moved quickly, aware that time was already against us.

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

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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.

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