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

Run, run faster, I told myself.

Rata and Freyr had already kicked off the walls and climbed atop the building. When I finally reached the roof, they were about fifty meters ahead. And beyond them—looming in the distance—stood the tower of the Odis Temple.

A massive hole gaped in the side of the tower. From it poured a torrent of blazing red flames and blinding white light. The two forces collided, and the shockwaves thundered through the air like rolling cannons.

Solana’s voice came through.

『They said… Ymir has arrived…!』

I cast the Golden Flame again and sprinted along the rooftops. The deep wound on my shoulder,which hadn’t fully healed, hurt. But there was no time to care. There were still roughly three hundred meters between me and the temple.

The moment I leapt onto the next roof, the tower’s wall erupted again.

From the gaping hole, red and white light spilled out, each intensifying the other’s brilliance. Like a giant explosion, the blast sent a circular wind rippling outward from the tower through the sky. From below came screams. The city of Flocia was in utter chaos.

The gale tore past my ears alongside the cries, roaring like some living thing. Far ahead, I could see the temple’s tower.

Through the gaping hole in the building, I could catch a faint glimpse inside.

There were people.

Somehow… I just knew it was Mia-san and Felix-san.

The white light, coming from the cold aura of the Frost Orb. My companions were fighting to protect the sacred relic. Solana’s words echoed in my mind, carried from the gold coin.

『Rion! Hurry!』

“Yes!”

Around the tower, the cold spread with alarming speed. The rooftops near the temple were instantly coated in frost, shimmering under the light.

From the coin came Loki’s voice as well.

『The Frost Orb… is resisting, isn’t it…』

Such intense cold…

Even the gods themselves were concerned, but more importantly—

The Frost Orb was the very thing that protected the dungeon’s seal. If the enemy was attacking it, we had to stop them, and we had to be fast!

“Wake up!”

A burst of light to shatter the nightmare poured forth from the coin.

The gods leapt into the air.

Solana pointed toward the tower.

“The tower… it’s going to collapse!”

Perhaps because the wall had been blasted away, the upper portion of the tower was on the verge of crumbling. The chamber with the orb was on the fourth floor. What was about to collapse was the floor above it—the topmost fifth floor.

If this continued, our companions would be crushed under the ruins of the upper level.

“Hooraaah!”

Thor hurled his mighty hammer, Mjolnir. It struck the unstable fifth floor and smashed it apart, sending shards flying outward, away from the tower. Loki and Solana raised their hands toward the temple, slowing the fall of debris.

But something caught my eye.

Some of the fragments burst into light—and then seemed to be drawn into the tower, straight toward the massive figure standing amid the dust.

It was as if… they had been swallowed.

“The primordial titan… is he here…?”

A shiver ran through me.

Memories of the myth surfaced in my mind. The titan that devoured the ancestors of the gods flashed across my mind. The cold and the fear crawled over me, and a sound escaped my lips.

“Ymir…!”

Beside me, Sigris nodded gravely.

“Mm. There’s no mistake.”

By now, the orb chamber at the top of the tower had lost both ceiling and walls, completely exposed.

The clash of heat and cold raged unabated. I could see Mia-san’s red hair. Felix-san, Safi, and even some of the temple’s people were there too.

And there, beyond the orb, stood the fire-wreathed giant—Ymir. The flames that cloaked his body whipped and flickered in the gusting wind, occasionally revealing glimpses of its form. Its tousled blond hair danced violently in the storm.

I ran toward the tower alongside the gods.

Freyr, moving ahead, was already right beside the tower. Rata was nowhere in sight—perhaps having hidden somewhere.

Loki spoke beside me.

“That fire… I see. It seems Ymir somehow devoured and absorbed the power of Flamebone Surtr. In other words, he gained the strength to resist the ‘seal’ that the subordinates had worn…”

Indeed, the red-black flames reminded me unmistakably of Surtr.

“So it’s not just skills… he can devour the power of monsters too.”

But… that meant cannibalism, right?

Not just gods or humans… even monsters?

The possibility had never crossed my mind. Regret stabbed at my chest. Still, there was nothing I could do now but push forward.

Solana shouted.

“Rion, we’ll hold it off!”

The gods concentrated their attacks on the colossal figure. Thor’s hammer, Solana’s light, Uru’s bow, Sigris’s spear, and Loki’s flames—all struck in unison.

The attacks pierced through the cold that enshrouded the tower, closing in on Ymir.

Uru’s voice pressed against my back, urging me onward.

“You, head for the tower!”

Hurry… I have to hurry.

With his left arm wreathed in flames, the colossal figure deflected Solana’s light. His right arm caught Thor’s hammer, and all other attacks were blocked by a magical barrier.

I kicked off rooftop after rooftop, finally reaching the cathedral’s ceiling. While the Golden Flame still lingered, I leapt off the wall and climbed toward the fourth floor of the tower.

Hot blasts and icy gusts hit me at the same time. With no walls or ceiling to shield me, the fierce wind from the lake tore straight at me. It felt as if I had leapt straight into a tornado.

Amid it all, the giant radiating fire—Ymir—stood waiting.

“You… you’re…”

My voice trembled.

“Ymir?”

Freyr was there too, standing beside the man.

Neither of them spoke, and that silent confidence made itself known to me whether I wanted to notice it or not. Cloaked in fire—this man, no, this monster—was Ymir.

The one who had targeted Lu, killed my father, and now seemed intent on devouring the world all over again.

I readied my short sword. He wasn’t an opponent I could recklessly rush at—but maybe I could shoulder a fraction of his attention, just enough to give the others a chance.

The gods continued their assault, hovering around the tower. Even surrounded, neither Ymir nor Freyr showed the slightest sign of hesitation.

“Ri…on.”

The voice at my side snapped me back.

Mia-san was on her knees. Felix-san and Safi were crouched in the same way. Behind them, the head priestess of the temple had fallen as well. Everyone was smeared with soot and bruises, but thankfully, no one appeared to be gravely injured.

Even in a moment like this… I felt a fleeting sense of relief.

“Thank goodness….!”

Felix-san breathed out.

“Pauline-sama is—”

He pointed toward the Frost Orb. Through the glare of light and the swirling dust, the orb at the center of the chamber was hard to make out.

Still, squinting carefully, I noticed two figures hovering in the air.

“…Huh?”

It was Pauline-san and Lu.

The two of them hovered faintly above the orb, their forms woven from magic. I had seen the same phenomenon when I spoke with the princess in this very room before. Unlike that time, however, both were now fully life-sized.

Felix-san continued.

“From the royal capital, she’s using the Seal skill to resist them with cold…!”

Pauline-san pressed both hands toward the orb, wincing with effort. She was channeling the magic of her skill from far away in the capital. That must be what was holding Ymir back.

The gods’ assault continued relentlessly.

“Rion, stay back!”

“Got it! I’ll make sure this monster goes down outside the tower!”

Even just protecting Mia-san and the others from the shockwaves was all I could manage. I unleashed the spirits to counter the orb, shielding my friends from flames and falling debris.

The gods’ offensive was overwhelming. If I got any closer, I would probably turn to dust in an instant.

Ymir endured it all.

No…. was he waiting?

“Ugh….”

A groan came. It’s the first sign of someone reaching their limit. It came from the only human taking part in the battle—Pauline-san. Her face was twisted in pain. Her outstretched hands trembled uncontrollably.

“Ah…”

Pauline-san’s form wavered. She was thrown backward, disappearing from above the orb.

Ymir let out a savage laugh. The flames cloaking him roared violently.

From above, Solana shouted.

“This is bad!”

We tried to push Ymir back with the Golden Light.

But the cold radiating from the orb was rapidly weakening. The fist-sized orb from Flocia simply couldn’t match Ymir! 

Seizing that fleeting moment, Ymir took a step forward.

A shout burst from my throat.

“Stop!”

His bear-like hand clamped down on the Frost Orb.

Just watching, I could feel the overwhelming force in that grip. A cracking sound, like ice shattering, echoed through the chamber. The shattered orb exploded into white light, scattering across the room.

“No……!”

Lu screamed.

Ymir opened his massive mouth, and like a vortex, the remaining shards of light were sucked in.

The chaos around us fell silent. The cold that had been clashing with the heat vanished, and the wind began to settle.

His mouth was bone-dry. The sheer scale of what had just happened rang in my ears, and I couldn’t move a finger.

Ymir wiped his mouth as if savoring the taste.

“Hmm…. so this is the <Seal> skill.”

Through the gaps in the flames that cloaked him, the giant let a faint smile slip.

“I’ve learned it.”

Safi whispered, her face pale as a sheet.

“T-the orb is the keystone of the seal, right? If it’s gone…. what’s going to happen to Flocia dungeon?”

I stared in shock at Ymir, and then at the lake.

The newly formed bridge connected Dungeon Island to the city of Flocia. If the seal were to weaken like it did with the Eastern Dungeon, monsters would spill out from a labyrinth rated for level thirty adventurers.

And now, Ymir had devoured the orb. He had absorbed the <Seal> skill—gaining resistance, perhaps even immunity.

“This is bad.”

Thor’s face twisted with concern.

Mia-san and the others were battered and bruised. The gods were here, but they couldn’t fight freely. They had to protect the city at the same time after all.

My short sword trembled in my hand.

Ymir’s flames flickered, revealing the thick chest and massive neck beneath his robes. His face was like it had been carved from solid rock. Now, utterly unreadable, it showed no hint of emotion. To us—creations made by others—it seemed as if he felt nothing at all.

His tousled blond hair whipped wildly in the gale.

Despair gripped my chest. Still, I tightened my grip on my short sword. Even if it was only a bluff, I had to become at least a fragment of protection for someone, anything.

And for the first time, it felt as if Ymir’s enormous eyes turned toward me—dark, endless pits that seemed to swallow all light.

“Oniichan!”

Lu’s voice rang out.

The orb was gone, but her form still hovered in the air.

“Lu.…?”

“Don’t give up.”

Her eyes blazed with determination as she raised both hands into the air. Beneath them, light began to gather—converging where the orb’s pedestal had once stood.

“Skill 『Miko』…. Creation…!”

At her whispered words, Freyr’s eyes widened, and Ymir’s brow furrowed.

A miracle had begun.

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

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A southern wind swept through the Odis Temple in the royal capital.

Grand Commander Pauline, who had been at her desk in the great tower, lifted her gaze at the report that had just arrived. It spoke of an anomaly affecting the warriors’ most closely guarded secret treasure—the Frost Orb.

“Be specific.”

Pauline frowned.

As a member of the royal family, she possessed the skill 〈Seal〉. That was one of the reasons a sixteen-year-old girl bore such a heavy responsibility. If anything went wrong with the orb, she had to act at once—using her skill to suppress it before the situation could worsen.

The Frost Orb was the keystone of the dungeon. It emitted the frigid air that sustained the ice of the seal, confining monsters deep within the dungeon.

Orbs with similar functions existed in many regions, such as Flocia—but the one installed beneath the royal capital’s temple was especially large. If it were to lose its function, the consequences would be irreparable. Monsters could even begin spilling out from the dungeons surrounding the capital. In fact, a similar catastrophe had once occurred in the Eastern Dungeon.

The aide delivering the report hesitated, his words faltering.

“…It felt as though the orb was afraid of something.”

“Afraid?”

She found herself echoing the question without meaning to.

No matter how powerful the magic contained within it, the orb was still nothing more than a tool.

“…Pardon me. What do you mean by afraid?”

“The orb is trembling. And the cold has intensified to the point that it can be felt even outside the underground chamber—as though it were frightened, trying to protect itself.”

Pauline brushed back the silver hair that spilled from beneath her tall hat.

A deep whoosh sounded outside as a powerful gust of wind slammed against the tower.

A southern wind… come to think of it, the city the horn-blowing boy had headed toward lay to the south as well.

“We must be on our guard.”

Pauline set down her pen, rose to her feet, and stepped out of the office.

“Let us go at once.”

 Just as she started walking briskly away, a voice called out from behind her.

“Your Highness!”

When Pauline turned around, she saw a young girl staring at her with wide, sky-blue eyes.

It was Luisia—Rion’s little sister.

Chestnut-colored twin braids spilled out from beneath the cap that marked her as a novice priestess.

“…A-are you going down below?”

How did she know?

As Pauline stood there in surprise, Luisia hurried over.

“I have a bad feeling. From underground… from the room where I spoke with my brother! There’s something really frightening there, and I’m worried about him…!”

The Frost Orb also served as a means of communication with the south. Luisia remembered speaking with Rion several times through the orb. Pauline had also heard that this girl had sensed it when the Eastern Dungeon had been scattered with remains.

—To think such a burden should fall upon someone so young.

The skill dwelling within Luisia—『Miko』.

Whether as commander of the warrior order or as a member of the royal family, Pauline could scarcely imagine the weight this young girl was being made to bear.

If Odis had truly granted her power, then what kind of fate awaited her?

Relying on her felt cruel. And yet—right now, Pauline felt she could not afford to ignore the girl’s senses.

“Luisia. Please come with me.”

Luisia pressed her lips together tightly, then nodded.

The two of them hurried toward the underground chamber.

◆◆◆

Mia was running through the streets of Flocia.

She curled her lips in bitterness and glanced back. Cloak snapping in the fierce wind, the real Felix was racing after her.

The two spoke as they hurried along.

“…Are you certain the one you saw was an impostor—someone pretending to be me?”

“Yeah. I’m sure of it.”

Mia clicked her tongue in frustration.

She’d been careless. Not long after Rion rode off on horseback, the real Felix had arrived. At first, Mia had been confused. But she soon noticed something was wrong. After all, the warrior order hadn’t managed to make contact with Nils’ collaborator or even with Nils himself.

“Think about it. If it were really you taking Rion away, you’d have left a whole list of nagging instructions behind. Just disappearing with Rion? That’s not like you at all.”

“…Is that meant to be a compliment?”

Now the two of them were heading to the Odis Temple.

Felix opened his mouth to speak.

“If an impostor posing as me appeared, the most likely purpose would be to lure someone out.”

Mia nodded. Veteran minds worked quickly when put together.

“But Rion has the gods on his side. Rather than targeting Rion himself, the goal is probably to draw Rion—and the gods—away from the real target.”

“A diversion then. But we’re in the middle of the city. To make a move under those circumstances means….”

Even as he ran, Felix deliberately touched the small coronet on his brow.

“As expected, the target must be the Odis Temple. The scattering of ashes in the dungoen on the first day may also have been bait—to draw our attention toward the lake.”

“If that’s the case, then…”

“Still, the temple houses the Frost Orb. They say even the gods can feel its chill, and monsters shouldn’t be able to approach it at all, right?”

Just as Felix was about to continue, the ground shook.

They nearly lost their footing, both of them sucking in sharp breaths. Their feet came to a halt instinctively, overwhelmed by a primal sense of dread.

The temple was just around the next corner. From ahead came the screams of men—warriors and adventurers alike.

“So we were right. Damn it!”

Gritting her teeth, Mia and the others powered through the final turn.

“W-what… is this…?”

This, she realized, was what it meant to be robbed of words.

What burst into view was a colossal figure wrapped in flames. She rubbed her eyes again and again. Its height was only a little over two meters—but its entire body was engulfed in fire, and the shimmering heat made it seem far larger than it truly was. For an instant, Mia mistook the enemy for something even larger than Surtr himself.

Her legs stepped back on their own. Her instincts were screaming at her to run. When she spoke, her voice trembled so badly it sounded almost ridiculous, even to her own ears.

“…Its whole body is engulfed in flames?”

Felix groaned, unable to hide his disbelief.

“Is it wrapping itself in fire to fend off the sealing chill….?”

The fiery giant tilted its head upward, then leapt. With a heavy thud that shook the ground, it landed atop the cathedral’s roof.

A shiver ran down their spines.

As adventurers, their worst fears only multiplied in that instant.

“It’s going for the orb, isn’t it!?”

Mia shouted, and Felix nodded grimly.

“To the orb chamber!”

Chaos had erupted inside the cathedral as well. An ambush by a monster that shouldn’t even exist—one strong enough to crush the warrior order in a single blow—was wreaking havoc.

The remaining guards were no match, and most of the others had already left to explore the labyrinth and the towers. The priests were in utter disarray.

Amidst the turmoil, Mia spotted a small patch of green hair.

“Safi!”

Taking the girl with them, Mia and Felix raced up the stairs.

Safi’s voice trembled.

“I… I felt a huge presence in the basement too!”

The girl was half-divine, half-human. Perhaps she had sensed the enemy’s approach.

Clutching her chained axe tightly, Mia bit her lip.

“Rion… please make it in time…”

They stormed into the orb chamber, and at that same moment, a wall shattered. The chilling aura radiating from the orb clashed violently with the heat wave rolling off the fiery giant.

The sheer force of it made the air itself quiver.

Mia struggled just to keep one eye open.

“If the gods don’t arrive in time, then….!”

From the roaring flames, a shock of tousled blond hair and dark, gleaming eyes emerged. A wide, unsettling grin spread across the fire-wreathed giant as it reached toward the Frost Orb.

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

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The man astride the horse introduced himself as Rata. Borrowing the gods’ way of speaking, he is also probably a monster.

The situation was bad—so bad it could fairly be called the worst possible.

A fierce wind swept through the square, kicking up clouds of dust. The exits to the streets were blocked by bandits, and behind me the monster Rata waited on horseback.

I used Sun’s Divine Protection, cloaking myself in Golden Flame. If the enemies had been only bandits, I might have been able to scramble up the wall and escape. With my enhanced physical abilities, it would have been possible.

The real problem stood before me.

—Nils-san. He is already drawing his sword.

Tension surged up from my chest. I tried to recall the breathing technique Father had taught me to calm myself, but it didn’t work. At one time, I had overlapped Nils-san with my father in my mind. The more I tried to steady myself, the more my vision blurred, and all I could do was let my voice tremble.

 “…It’s a lie, isn’t it?”

The shock was so overwhelming that my knees nearly gave out beneath me.

Nils-san—no, the god Freyr—didn’t even blink.

“I used Seiðr magic.”

His reply was clear and decisive, like a sword cleaving straight through me.

“First, I erased my memories as a god and implanted false ones—those of an older brother searching for his younger sister. That way, you wouldn’t suspect me.”

He raised a second finger.

“Second, Seiðr magic manipulates the mind, which means it can also seal divine power. To approach you as a human, it was more convenient to suppress not only my memories, but my power as a god as well. There was a chance that the gods allied with you might sense me otherwise you see.”

He wasn’t explaining out of kindness. He was forcing me to face reality—that the adventurer I thought had become my companion, even our party member, had been my enemy from the very beginning.

“No way….”

Don’t be fooled, I told myself.

And yet my thoughts wouldn’t stop racing.

I knew now that the Freyr I had seen in the dungeon—like his sister, the goddess Freyja—had been a fake, a mere projection, a replica. That meant the real one had escaped the ice and taken up residence in a human body like this.

The wind caught his blond hair, sending it fluttering as Freyr closed his fingers tightly around a necklace. As though swearing an oath, he pressed it to his forehead, then carefully tucked it back inside his clothes.

A gasp slipped from my lips.

“T-that’s….”

There was no doubt about it. It was the necklace Nils-san had carried, the one he had treasured as his only clue to his missing sister.

“Nils-san, you said you were searching for your sister….”

“On that point, I did not lie. I am searching for my sister.”

Freyr spoke without a hint of expression.

“The Goddess of Fertility—Freyja.”

Somehow, I understood at least that much.

The desire to search for one’s family was something even the mind-control Seiðr magic could not completely conceal.

Loki’s voice echoed in my head.

『The necklace Brísingamen. A divine artifact belonging to the younger goddess, Freyja. I wondered why it wasn’t around her neck. Her brother was the one carrying it huh.』

He continued.

『Just like with Safi, items with a “protective” effect might weaken the ice of the seal. That’s how Freyr managed to regain consciousness from the seal on his own. Now the pieces fit, but his motivation remains unclear.』

He was right.

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why Freyr would side with monsters and try to prevent us from awakening the goddess Freyja.

He was a god himself…. so why would he interfere with waking another god?

“.…Just tell me one thing.”

I shouted.

“Why are you our enemy?!”

“To protect my sister. If Odin’s scheme succeeds, then Freyja—”

I leaned forward, determined not to miss a single word of what came next.

Freyr’s sword moved. Smoothly and naturally, its tip turned toward me.

“—!”

It was a slash like a flash of light.

I twisted my body and barely evaded it. I deflected the follow-up strike with my short sword and leapt back. Without the Golden Flame, I would have been cut clean in two.

“Hah—”

I took a deep breath.

He tried to distract me with words.

That was a feint. He was playing mind games!

Freyr’s eyes were cold and clear. I have to fight, yet something deep inside me screamed no.

I don’t want to fight this man. The man who’s searching for his sister.

『Rion! There’s no time! Wake us up!』

Thor’s voice rang out, but I shook my head.

My right hand reached toward my pocket—only for my left hand to grab it and force it down.

“Not yet! I—I need to talk to him!”

『Listen! The enemy didn’t tell you all that out of kindness! He definitely has a plan! He’s stalling you and us gods. He’s buying time!』

I forced myself to remember the situation I was in. I was surrounded in an alley, still holding the coins that housed the gods. I was separated from my companions.

The one who had lured us in here was Uru.

『No, Thor. Rion has a point. This is a chance to gather information. If all of us come out, Freyr will retreat. If we want to keep him talking and drag this out, now is our only chance.』

『Ugh…!』

『Let him talk. Hold back for now.』

『He’s a god! Do you have any idea what that could lead to!?』

Freyr stepped forward. From a high, overhead swing, he made a downward strike. The sword technique known as “Wrath Strike”. His most powerful attack, was not something I could afford to take head-on.

I leapt sideways.

But he was already ahead of me, intercepting my movement, he drive a piercing thrust straight toward me.

“Gah…!”

I caught it on my blade, but the impact sent me flying anyway.

『You’ll be torn to pieces…!』

Thor’s words echoed distantly in my mind. The overwhelming difference in power I’d felt during our sparring sessions—it was the same now. If I charged, I’d surely lose. Yet he kept coming.

“Double Scattering Strike.”

Using the <Swordsman> skill, I launched my technique. I barely blocked the twin slashes coming from both sides. My cheek, which had been grazed, felt a burning pain.

“Why… why would a god like you side with monsters…!?”

“I told you. Protecting what’s precious requires sacrifices.”

“Does this have something to do with Odin’s scheme…or Freyja-sama’s message?”

Freyr fell silent, then turned the tip of his sword toward me again.

I raised my voice, refusing to back down.

“Wake up!”

The blue-crystal short sword glowed green as its magical runes flared.

The sudden gust, raised by the spirit, should have thrown him off—but Freyr moved with a dancer’s grace, dodging it effortlessly. Of course, it couldn’t hold him back. He was a god after all.

I blocked his merciless upward slash with the short sword.

“That body… it’s human too!”

“Human? Yes. The pitiful man whose skills were devoured, left a hollow shell.”

Heat surged through my chest.

A sword swung in a wide arc from his right side. I spun the other way, deflecting it with a mirrored motion. It was a reflexive maneuver, but Freyr narrowed his eyes. For the first time, he seemed genuinely impressed. He leapt backward, putting distance between us.

And then I heard Solana’s voice.

『Rion, I believe in you! But…!』

The god’s words came out like blood being coughed up.

『Freyr is a powerful god. Skills are the divine power scattered into humans. And… probably—』

The next wave of attacks came like a violent storm, making me shrink instinctively. I dodged, ducked, and occasionally deflected—but no matter how it looked, I was being toyed with, led around.

It felt as if invisible threads were pulling me.

Completely, he could read my movements, my intentions, even my hesitation.

“Your Swordsman skill… was it original?”

“Are you not going to use your skill?”

Amid sparks flying from our clashing blades, Freyr’s whisper cut through the noise.

I was using the Golden Flame, but it wasn’t enough. I knew it. But as always, I couldn’t bring myself to summon my skill, to steel my heart and fight. 

I swore to the Goddess that I would become the “kindest of the strongest”. From the all-encompassing message that echoed across the sky, I had also heard the word “hero”.

But I couldn’t bring myself to rouse the power meant to strike down this person—someone who had once been my companion, someone who was searching for his sister—without even knowing the full story.

“Rion. What is your resolve?”

The question came with a kick. It felt as though an iron bar had been driven straight into my stomach, and I was hurled backward.

My back slammed into a wall. 

The air burst from my lungs.

If not for the armor Safi had so carefully maintained, I would have blacked out.

“Questions arise one after another. What do you cherish? What is it that you will never surrender?”

“Q-questions…?”

“Yes. I have chosen. My sister—I will reclaim her, no matter what. And beyond that, I choose nothing else. That is my resolve.”

His blue eyes bore into me. There wasn’t the slightest trace of cloudiness or hesitation in them. A stark difference from me. I still wanted to talk, to ask, to understand.

The skill had activated because of fear. Because I knew that if things continued like this, I would die.

“Thunder God’s… Hammer!”

The lightning was effortlessly avoided. 

His counter attack slashed across my shoulder. The impact hit me like a burning lance, pain searing through me all at once.

Solana screamed.

『Rion!』

I tried to force myself upright. I had to use a skill—use a blessing.

Another voice followed, tight with urgency.

『…This is the limit. Rion, awaken us.』

Uru’s words echoed in my mind—but then another voice drowned them out.

“Oniichan!”

An impossible call came from behind. I spun around.

“Lu…?”

It was her. Lu.

Impossible. She should be in the capital. H-how…?

For a moment, I forgot the pain, the battle. My attention was stolen.

Her face twisted with sadness.

“Oniichan, why are you fighting that person…?”

――!

My chest tightened.

I had sworn, like in the stories, like Father did, to become a kind and strong adventurer. And yet here I was, fighting the very person who was searching for his sister.

“That…!”

A sharp, stabbing pain throbbed through my chest.

Nils-san… no, Freyr…?

Our desire to protect our families was the same—so why weren’t we on the same side?

Before I could dwell on it, Lu’s face twisted into a gleeful, almost cruel smile.

“Hahahahahaha!”

I froze. A monster was laughing using Lu’s face.

“So, as I thought, you are strong yet at the same time, terribly weak.”

Frost crept over Lu’s body. A burst of white light erupted—and from within, Rata appeared.

So it had been an illusion.

“You—!”

“Oh my? Were you planning to just stare idly?”

A sword struck from the side. I was flung back, along with the short sword I had been holding. As I landed and tried to take cover, a boot slammed into me. Pinned against the wall, I barely managed to point my short sword forward.

My vision was terrible. Whether it was from the damage or from tears, I couldn’t tell.

『Rion! 』

I had no choice but to face the truth. Nils-san, no, Freyr had become my enemy.

He wouldn’t return. He wouldn’t come back to the party.

“Help me… Goddess!”

I clenched the gold coin in my left hand.

Solana, Thor, Loki, Sigris and Uru appeared, scattering golden light as they manifested.

Freyr, god of swords, halted at a measured distance.

“So… you’ve cling to the gods.” 

Freyr’s lips twisted ever so slightly.

A sharp sting of defeat pierced my chest. I couldn’t gather my resolve, couldn’t fight back. My determination—my resolve to protect my sister—felt weak. 

The wind whipped wildly, tossing Freyr’s golden hair like a living flame.

“Kindness without resolve is no different from weakness.”

The words drove into my chest like an icicle.

Solana swung her right arm.

“Traitor! Do not mock those with a righteous heart!”

The goddess, her golden hair tossed wildly, glared at Freyr.

“…Rather than you, who would harm my followers, it is Rion—struggling to strike you—that is truly strong.”

At that moment, the ground trembled. I had been on my knees, and I staggered, barely caught by Sigris.

Freyr tilted his gaze northward.

“—It seems Ymir has arrived as well.”

That name belonged to the primordial titan.

A chill slithered over my entire body.

The direction Freyr looked was at the north. The place where the Odis Temple stood.

Freyr and Rata began to retreat.

The appearance of the gods had turned the tide in our favor. This battle had probably been intended from the start only to delay us. The gods and the monsters kicked off the walls of the buildings, rising up onto the rooftops.

Their direction is the north, the same as ours.

“Everyone!”

I returned the gods to the gold coin. As I healed my aching body with White Flame, I gave chase.

If they were targeting the Odis Temple, there was only one possible target, that divine artifact!

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

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The next morning, Mia-san and I headed for the harbor together.

The wind was fierce, whipping across the lake and stirring the surface into restless waves. A pure white bridge stretched all the way to Dungeon Island, and from its midpoint, the tower speared up toward the heavens.

Thick clouds, heavy enough to blot out the sun, raced across the sky at an alarming speed. The air felt damp against my skin, making me wonder if rain was about to fall at any moment. Yet in spite of the threatening weather, Flocia’s harbor was buzzing with noise and energy.

“Those crossing the bridge, this way!”

“Anyone boarding a ship, over here!”

The ones shouting orders were members of the Raven Warrior Corps. Command over the adventurers had already been entrusted to them. Apparently, the Flocia Adventurers’ Guild had issued an official request to that effect yesterday.

Even so, there weren’t enough leaders to go around. Only about thirty of the warrior corps’ members were elite enough to enter a hidden area of the dungeon.

And so—

“City defense is on this side! Don’t mix in with the others!”

A burly adventurer raised an equally massive hand as he shouted. It was Lloyd-san—one of the people who had entered the hidden area with us the day before. He and his companions had taken up positions on a raised platform, acting as field commanders. The stone hammer strapped to his back looked ominously heavy.

Adventurers gathered, moving into position to defend the harbor.

The gold coin trembled in my pocket, and Solana’s voice reached me.

『So this is the critical moment』

At her words, I nodded my head in agreement.

『For those who live here… the tower must be terrifying right now.』

“Yeah…”

Everyone gathered at the harbor wore grim expressions.

Some were preparing to enter the dungeon. Others were there to investigate the tower. And some stood ready to defend the city in case monsters should crawl out of the dungeon. Their roles differed, but they all shared the same certainty—that something was about to happen.

Countless ships were already out on the water. Part of it was to examine the bridge from the side, but it was also a precaution in case the bridge were to sink. Since it had appeared so suddenly, there was no telling when it might vanish beneath the lake again.

A clatter of chains made me turn around.

“Feels like the weather before a storm.”

It was Mia-san. The Raven Warrior Corps’ cloak—matching my own—fluttered in the wind behind her.

“I just want to get to the tower already.”

“Yeah. We need the gods to examine it one more time.”

Later, we would cross the bridge together with Felix-san and the others. A carriage for that purpose had already been set atop the bridge.

It was an enormous structure—easily a kilometer long.

The whinnying of horses made Mia-san and me pause our conversation.

Felix-san rode up, approaching us on horseback.

“May I have a moment? I have a request for you, Rion.”

Mia-san and I exchanged glances.

“We’ll be right back.”

“Got it!”

Felix-san helped me up into the saddle.

At that moment, a strange sensation washed over me. It was Felix-san, but somehow… different. Something about him felt off—unnatural, almost.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked.

“No… it’s nothing.”

We usually traveled by carriage.

Riding a horse—was this some urgent matter?

After parting from Mia-san, I was jostled by the galloping horse, my hands gripping the reins.

Felix-san spoke as he guided the mount.

“There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Meet…?”

“An ally of Nils has been found. They wish to see you, Rion.”

I think I drew in a sharp breath. Our eyes met briefly.

I wanted to reunite with comrades I hadn’t seen in so long.

“L-let’s go!”

“Heh… yes”

Felix-san replied.

We rode on for a while. Eventually, we reached the warehouse district. And then—a feeling of unease crept over me.

“…So many people?”

Through the Blessing of the God of Hunting, the Wild Heart skill revealed it: dozens of breathing presences.

We were surrounded!?

“Wait—!”

The moment I spoke, Felix-san slammed his horse to a halt.

I was thrown forward, landing hard on the ground.

My coin pouch flew from my pocket, and I scrambled to catch it before it hit the stone.

『…This…』

Solana’s voice whispered in my mind.

We were in a square-like open space, and men—suspicious and menacing—blocked all the exits.

“It’s the presence of monsters.”

“Huh?”

From atop the horse, Felix-san laughed. It wasn’t just a laugh—it was a sneer, a chilling, utterly unsettling sound.

“Hmph… I suppose producing this much magical power makes one too noticeable. Seems I won’t be able to use this hand again.”

Frost crept across Felix-san’s body. When the frost cleared, standing there was… a slender man, dressed like a merchant.

“W-who are you…?”

The presence surrounding him felt anything but ordinary. I drew my short sword, bracing for whatever was coming.

“Perhaps you should pay attention over there first.”

The man said, gesturing with an open palm.

Across the square, from the opposite side, a familiar figure emerged.

“N—Nils-san?”

For some reason, Nils-san stared at me with an emotionless gaze. It was as if he were looking at a pebble, as though every feeling he had toward me had been stripped away and discarded.

『…There’s also the presence of a god, not just monsters.』

 Solana’s voice passed through my mind, barely registering.

『Rion.』

Nils-san’s voice sounded directly inside my head.

The same way the gods had spoken to me through the coin. A chill ran down my spine.

“…Nils-san… you said you had allies—”

He tilted his chin toward the man standing behind me.

“They are my allies. I arrived in this city while receiving information from them. At that time, I still went by the name Nils and was your companion… but—”

“W-what are you saying?”

I stammered.

“Just as that man disguised himself, I too… had been wearing a mask.”

The coin in my pocket trembled, and Loki’s voice spoke sharply in my mind.

『…That voice… it’s Freyr’s.』

Freyr?

The god of fertility, sleeping deep within the dungeon?

A chill ran through me, stronger than ever. The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“…Why?”

“I am borrowing a human body for now. I dwell within the flesh of a man left behind, a shell of a body consumed and abandoned by Ymir. And—I approached you to learn about you.”

I glanced at the man atop the horse.

Is he the monster?

Nils-san’s voice echoed in my head while also reaching my ears—two layers of sound, disorienting. I could barely comprehend what was happening…

“It benefits the monsters, yes, but knowing humans was also my sister’s, Freyja’s wish.”

The coin in my pocket grew hot. This time, Thor’s voice rumbled in my mind.

『You switched sides?』

“Yes.”

『You… this does not suit you at all…!』

Nils-san drew his sword.

“I will not lose my sister. I will do whatever it takes… I will not give the goddess Freyja away.”

I faced the person who had once been my comrade. Behind me, the man on horseback laughed—loud and unrestrained.

“I told you, didn’t I? You’d sacrifice a lot. You’re a kind person, but can you fight with all your might against another brother protecting his sister?”

My sword shook. Just as my heart wavered.

The coin trembled too.

『Rion.』

Solana’s voice was hoarse, panicked. The goddess herself seemed alarmed.

『Not here. But in the city… there is an immensely strong presence there.』

“There too…?”

『Yes…! Like that tower… a presence as strong as a giant. What is happening in this city?』

Thor clicked his tongue.

『Hmph. Dividing us, damn it.』

A spark shot through my mind. This was how critical the situation had become.

『Adventurers are scattered across Lake Tower and Dungeon Island. And here we are, Rion. The enemy seeks to divide our forces.』

The river bandits around us formed a wall.

Nils-san squared his sword, eyes fixed.

“You will not pass, boy with the horn.”

Our weapon wasn’t a wooden sword like before.

This was no longer a friendly spar.

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

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The adventurer Nils was walking through Flocia, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Truth be told, he shouldn’t have been outside. He had been summoned to the Odis Temple, where someone new—someone he had formed a party with for the very first time—was waiting for him.

He knew that much. And yet, his feet carried him onward, away from the temple, of their own accord.

He found himself at the harbor.

The lake was dyed crimson by the blazing sunset. It looked as though the entire world were wrapped in fire, stirring something deep within his memories.

“…Ugh…”

Nils clutched his head.

The blond hair he grabbed was damp with sweat. Ever since the boy, Rion, had blown the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, something had felt wrong.

He took a deep breath and faced the lake once more.

A massive bridge wide enough for several carriages to pass up on stretched across the water, connecting the city of Flocia to Dungeon Island. Had Nils been a bird, it would have looked like a single line drawn across the surface of the lake.

For a bridge of such scale to rise up from beneath the water, the city must have fallen into utter chaos. What stood out even more was the tower rising from the middle of the bridge. Its white outer walls had turned red in the light of the setting sun.

A breeze swept across the surface of the lake.

The dull ache in his head slowly began to return.

“…I—”

As if fleeing from the twilight itself, Nils turned his back on the lake.

He pushed his way forward, bumping into people as he went. Perhaps because of his tall frame, several passersby recognized him as the adventurer Nils and called out to him with worried voices. But the nausea and the sense of wrongness only continued to grow. It was as though something were stirring deep inside his chest—something unknown, something he did not recognize, beginning to awaken.

The images of the two gods he had seen inside Flocia dungeon crossed his mind: Freyr, the god of fertility, and his sister, Freyja. Investigations had revealed that both had been mere “replicas”, constructs of woven magic.

A mutter slipped from his lips.

“G-gods…?”

How long had he been walking?

Nils found himself in an abandoned warehouse district, devoid of people. The instincts granted by his Swordmaster skill caught the presence behind him.

“Who’s there?”

When Nils turned around, he saw a slender man standing behind him.

“…Have you forgotten me? I am Rata—Ratatoskr the Bone-Scavenger.”

Nils frowned.

“…Rata?”

“How lonely that is to hear. Though, considering you sealed your memories yourself, it’s only natural.”

A vague fragment of knowledge surfaced in Nils’s mind.

Seiðr magic. Magic that worked upon the human mind.

“You cast Seiðr upon yourself with your own hand, sealing away your true memories. With no memory remaining, your disguise would have been perfect. Not even the presence of a god could leak out.”

Pain split his head, as though it were about to burst.

“That body is entirely human now. After Ymir-sama devoured your skills, it became nothing more than an empty shell. You are merely residing within it.”

The man calling himself Rata curled his lips into a grin and held out a metal fragment no larger than a thumb.

“A magic key that opens a hidden area of Flocia. I’ve returned this one to you. It’s especially potent in magical power.”

The object he presented did indeed resemble the dungeon’s magic keys Nils had seen before. It was slightly larger, and at its center, a gemstone was set, gleaming faintly in the dying light.

“The dream is over.”

Nils shook his head in resistance, but Rata forced the metal fragment into his hand.

“It’s about time you used your insurance. The dungeon’s master key—the master key of the dungeon—belongs in the hands of its lord. In other words, yours.”

The pain in Nils’s head intensified.

“Remember the thing most precious to you. The gift from your younger sister, the goddess Freyja—the necklace Brísingamen!”

Nils drew a scorched necklace from within his clothing. Several metal fragments were bound together by a slender chain, now blackened and ruined. He himself remembered it as something left behind by a sister who had been abducted.

But now, he understood that memory was wrong.

It had not simply been left behind—it had been entrusted to him.

The dulled necklace flared into radiant gold. The metal fragment he had received slid into place at the center, resting at his collarbone. Grime and rust peeled away. In his hands, the necklace shone with a beautiful golden brilliance.

—Onii-sama….

He thought he heard the voice call to him.

Surely it was only an illusion…

—After all, it had been a thousand years since he had last heard it.

“…I am—”

Nils the adventurer, searching for his missing sister. But that too, was a temporary truth—a fabricated memory. In order to travel the world and draw near to the awakened gods, he had deliberately shaped his own mind that way.

Seiðr magic had made it possible.

The necklace Nils wore was a safeguard against losing his true self. It had once been a divine artifact belonging to his sister and because of that, the core of his heart—the feelings he held for her—had never faded.

Before beginning his long wanderings, Nils had removed many of the metal fragments from the necklace. Each fragment became a magic key capable of manipulating the doors of Flocia dungeon.

That was only natural. They were, after all, parts of a divine relic belonging to the master of the dungeon—the god of fertility.

—Onii-sama….

Recalling the voice that echoed in his mind, Nils clenched the necklace tightly.

Leaning back against the wall, Rata spoke.

“Have you awakened?”

“…Yes.”

Nils tightened his grip on the necklace his sister had entrusted to him.

With steady steps, he walked through the warehouse district and made his way back to the harbor once more. The white tower rose upward, stretching toward the heavens.

“My resolve was set long ago. My sister—Freyja—I will not let anyone take her.”

(Even if it is only a fragment of her power.)

He added the thought silently in his heart, then turned to face Rata.

The monster, disguised as a slender merchant, clapped his hands together in obvious delight.

“Splendid! The reconnaissance is complete, and the preparations to draw attention to the dungeon are already in motion. Ymir-sama will arrive before long. With you at our side—this is most reassuring.”

Rata’s shoulders shook as he raised a hand to cover his mouth.

He was barely containing his laughter.

After a moment, Rata straightened himself.

“…Well then. It seems only proper to address you this way now—Lord Freyr, God of Fertility.”

Nils looke up. As though searing it into his eyes, he stared at the tower dyed red by the setting sun.

“I won’t hesitate again.”

Nils—no, Freyr, the God of Fertility—turned on his heel alongside Rata and vanished into the deepening shadows of Flocia.

◆◆◆

I stood on the top floor of the temple, gazing out over Flocia at night. The window was open and being five stories up, the wind reached me easily. Through gaps in the thick clouds, a bright moon cast its light across the lake. The tall tower was dyed silver, stretching upward as though it might pierce the clouds themselves.

Had I been looking at it with a clear, unburdened heart, it might have felt like a dreamlike sight. One I would surely have told Lu and my mother about after returning to the royal capital.

But right now, all that escaped me was a sigh.

“Nils-san…. I couldn’t find him…”

I leaned out the window again and again, searching for any sign of him. Yet even when I used the Blessing of the God of Hunting, there was no trace of him to be found.

Earlier, everyone except Nils-san had gathered in the chamber of the Frost Orb. Pauline-san and Lu were there too—we needed to share what had happened in the dungeon and talk things through.

I had asked around then as well, but no one knew where Nils-san had gone.

“Did he go off on his own to look for his sister?”

That thought only made me worry more.

The gold coin trembled, and Solana’s voice reached me.

『You’re worried.』

“Yeah.”

Nils-san felt like an older brother to me. His swordsmanship reminded me a little of my father’s. Having someone like that become part of our party had made me genuinely happy.

And yet—

『You should rest for now. There’s no way to know whether this tower was unexpected for our enemies as well. But at this point, anything could happen…』

I nodded and whispered softly.

“Status”

Status:

Rion (14 years old, Male) Level: 27 Skill『Alarm』: ➥ 【Wake Up】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Wakes up a sleeping person refreshed. ➥ 【Unseal】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Cancel any type of sleep. 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. ➥ 【■■■■】 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. ➥ 【■■■■】

When I returned from the dungeon, there were once again portions of my status I couldn’t read. It was probably power that the gods intended to grant me but I still couldn’t use yet. A new power on the verge of awakening.

If it awakened in tomorrow’s battle, I would become stronger again.

I spoke to Solana.

“.…It’s fine. I’ll find Freyja-sama. No matter what.”

I gazed up at the silver tower, its surface gleaming softly in the light.

A strong wind swept through, carrying moisture with it. It’s a wind that felt like a storm about to break.

“Tomorrow will be rough.”

I nodded in response to Solana’s words and stepped away from the window.

The next morning, we would once again investigate the tower.

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

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As Rion began searching for Nils, the gods were moving as well.

Five of them floated in the blue sky.

“After the world was sealed, Freyja… she must have been caught up in some event. That much I believe to be certain.”

As the first god to awaken, Solana seemed to take it upon herself to speak first. After that, she fell silent, passing the weight of words to the next speaker.

It was the young man clad in hunting attire who picked up the conversation.

“But you see…”

The God of Hunting, Uru, crossed his arms and stroked his chin thoughtfully. The brown braids of his hair fluttered lightly in the breeze.

“What sort of event was it? Even if you know there’s prey, if you don’t know what kind, it’s as though you know nothing at all.”

When it came to matters of battle, Uru’s gaze sharpened, becoming almost predatory.

He continued,

“From my perspective, Odin must have had a hand in it. That’s what the broken messages hinted at. If that’s true—”

Uru’s eyes swept across the gathered gods, measuring each of them.

“So, what do we do? Do we go rescue Freyja as things stand?”

Deciding the next move was inevitable. Quick as the wind, Uru drove the discussion forward, his instincts honed for instant judgment—as any hunter’s would be.

“The strategy’s unclear. It’s… unnervingly strange. And, just so you know, I’m against it. As a scout, I don’t want anyone rushing blindly into the fog.”

The next to raise her voice was a woman clad in azure armor. Sigris, the God of Medicine, let her eyes—matching the hue of her armor—sweep over those gathered.

“I wish for Freyja to be saved. Her power is too valuable to lose… especially her mastery of Seiðr magic. Among the sibling gods of fertility, she is unparalleled.”

Seiðr was a magic that acted upon the mind. It was the key to unlocking the full potential of the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn. Its power was bound and restrained precisely by Seiðr. One of the reasons Rion and the others came to Flocia was the existence of this magic.

“And…”

Sigris hesitated, then continued, her voice softening.

“Freyja and we, the Valkyrie warrior maidens, have fought together before. Our powers can strengthen one another. I admit… this is partly a personal wish, that a comrade might be saved.”

She let her armored hand rest over her chest, the metal ringing faintly.

A brief silence fell over the room, heavy yet respectful. It was Solana, as facilitator, who finally broke it.

“Anyone else…?”

A cough rumbled through the air, making the atmosphere itself shiver. The Thunder God, Thor, finally spoke.

Towering over two meters, his massive frame was easily twice the size of the other gods.

“…I’m in favor of rescuing Freyja too. You all felt the magic atop the Tower of the Lake, didn’t you?”

His voice rolled across the hall like distant thunder.

“I sense Freyja’s presence there. Nine times out of ten, she’s still in that tower. But—”

He paused, eyes narrowing.

“That magic… it’s far too strong for a single god to wield. There’s something suspicious about it, some kind of strategy at play.”

With a resounding thud, Thor struck his broad shoulder with his golden hammer, Mjolnir.

“But putting it another way, we can’t just leave her there. Imagine a power like that falling into the hands of monsters… or Ymir, the primordial titan. How much stronger would that make our enemies?”

A tension ran through the gathered gods.

Atop the suddenly appearing tower, all of them could feel a force of magic so immense it seemed impossible for a single deity to hold. It rivaled the combined strength of all five gods present—or perhaps even that of Odin himself.

Yet the presence they felt, unmistakably, was Freyja’s alone.

Solana took up the thought.

“If that’s the case… the power of Seiðr itself could fall into enemy hands.”

The thought of a power that could manipulate the mind—memories, will—falling into the hands of monsters was terrifying. No one could imagine what horrors they might force humans to commit.

It was entirely possible that the enemy had already acquired something close to that power, though the gods remained unaware.

Thor scratched his cheek with fingers like thick logs.

“As for her brother Freyr… we still got no lead. Whatever we found on the fourth level, it seemed just like a replica—much like Freyja herself…”

He paused, then turned his gaze toward the Sun Goddess, who nodded silently.

“So? Solana, what do you think?”

His wide, probing eyes urged her.

“Hm…”

The youngest of the five gods drew in a steady breath. Her golden eyes betrayed no hesitation. The pause was merely to let all eyes settle on her.

“I think we should go and save Freyja. And the reason is—”

Even as she spoke, Solana’s posture remained proud, unflinching.

“Rion, and the others… they would want to save Freyja too. They are the ones living in this world. If that is their wish, then I believe we should help them. We should help mortals.”

Uru and Sigris blinked in surprise. Thor squinted, then let out a booming laugh.

“For the sake of mortals, huh? I see… that’s very like you.”

Solana crossed her arms, raising the index finger of her right hand.

“Our will is important of course. However, the world does not belong to the gods alone. In the end, it is Rion and the others whose intentions we must respect. And mortals would never allow such a concentration of magic to remain unchecked—it sits right in front of the city, after all.”

A quiet, almost mischievous chuckle escaped and echoed in the room.

She pressed back a lock of golden hair and cast a questioning glance to her right.

“…What is it, Loki?”

“Oh? Nothing. I just think you’re right. We can’t ignore human opinions. It’s pointless for the gods to be talking among ourselves, isn’t it?”

The dark-robed god stretched both arms out from his sleeves and shrugged.

“But, Solana… watching you is fascinating. Just by interacting closely with a human boy, it seems even the gods start to change.”

Solana lowered her gaze, contemplative.

“…Indeed. The gods have not always trusted humans—or even dwarves, for that matter.”

Loki grinned broadly and waved his hand as if dismissing it all.

“I’m not teasing you, mind you… But gods do change, too. Solana, even you—thanks to a certain dwarf—seem to be… changing a little lately.”

Solana tilted her head, puzzled.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh? You’re not aware? Don’t you feel… a little flustered around Rion?”

“Eh… that’s…”

Her golden eyes flickered uncertainly. The other gods suddenly began to flail in panic.

“L-Loki!?”

“Um, uh! I think that kind of thing should be handled slowly!”

“Y-Yeah! That’s right! I agree!”

Loki, in contrast, narrowed his eyes into a mischievous half-lidded gaze.

“…Why is it you all are the ones panicking the most?”

Solana’s eyes darted about, still clearly confused. She didn’t fully understand what he was implying.

“F-flustered…? Hah!”

She placed both hands over her chest, over her dress.

“Th-this… this part?”

“…I never imagined you’d be so innocent you can’t even handle a little teasing.”

Loki groaned and covered his eyes, then snapped his fingers with his free left hand.

“Doesn’t anyone notice? Even gods change. Just as Solana has grown and changed… gods can change too.”

His gaze lifted to the sky above. If this had been the real sky, Odin would surely have been there, watching.

Solana drew herself together and lowered her chin.

“The awakening goddess of fertility… isn’t necessarily on our side?”

“Exactly. If there’s a history we don’t know, that’s a possibility.”

Loki replied.

He continued, voice calm but firm.

“Still, I agree with Solana. That tower cannot be ignored. Even cautiously, we have to go.”

As if struck by a sudden thought, he added,

“If Odin has crafted a strategy, then we are already part of it. We know there’s a plan—but we may have no choice but to act according to it. Perhaps that’s the situation we’re already bound to.”

A wind began to stir in the sky above the gathered gods. Though it was a fabricated, semi-artificial sky, it was not completely sealed off from the world outside. If the weather changed, they would feel it.

Thor crossed his massive arms, feeling the air.

“…The wind’s picking up out there. Looks like a storm is brewing.”

And with that, the discussion ended.

Like Rion and the others, the gods had no choice but to move forward.

Solana, the Sun’s Daughter; Thor, the Thunder God; Loki, the God of Mischief; Uru, the God of Hunting and Sigris, the God of Medicine—each of them are already “unsealed” and rests within the gold coin that Rion carried.

The sky they hovered in wasn’t the real one.

It had been recreated from their combined magic.

When the gods held serious discussions, it was inconvenient not to be able to see one another. That was why a sky for conversation was projected inside the gold coin. The blue sky, surrounded by clouds, was essentially a council chamber for the gods.

“Freyja…”

The first to speak was Solana, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight.

To grasp the situation, the Sun Goddess began by confirming the basics.

First: the labyrinth in Flocia had indeed contained the power of the Goddess of Fertility.

Second: the “unsealing” had triggered some mechanism, and a tower had risen from the lake.

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

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A tower had suddenly appeared in the lake.

From above, it looked like an arrow driven straight into the water.

Originally, the lake had the trading city of Flocia on its northern shore, with Dungeon Island, which housed a dungeon, in its centre. The tower now rose in perfect alignment with both the city and the island. A bridge, equally as white as the tower, connected the commercial city of Flocia to the dungeon island in a single straight line.

From the skies above this transformed lake, an old man gazed downward.

This was the realm of the gods—known as the “Heavenly Realm.”

The old man peered at the world below, squinting one eye as he stroked his beard.

From the top of the tower, a rainbow arched upward. The bridge of the rainbow stretched toward the heavens, though it vanished halfway through.

Odin recalled how, long ago, the rainbow bridge—Bifrost—had connected the mortal realm and the heavens, and slowly shook his head.

It was still too early to linger in memories.

He raised a hand toward the tower, narrowing one eye.

“…So this is where the main source of magic was concealed.”

A smile formed beneath his beard.

“Quite well done. Yes… awaken it properly.”

Nodding with satisfaction, Odin furrowed his brow.

“…Strange. Why does that presence accompany Rion and Solana?”

Everything was proceeding without a hitch. Yet Odin felt unease at the unexpected aura.

A ripple disturbed the carefully calculated flow, as precise as the passage of the seasons.

He raised his right hand. Two ravens swooped down, landing on his shoulders.

“…Go.”

At his command, the two black birds took flight.

The descending birds quickly became mere black specks in the distance.

Below, Rion and the others were just emerging onto the surface.

◆◆◆

A pure-white tower had suddenly appeared in the lake.

An equally white bridge had emerged, connecting Flocia to the dungeon island, forming the very base of the tower.

While rescuing those trapped in the dungeon, we also had to investigate the tower. But… the results were completely unknown.

We followed the bridge and approached the tower—but there was no entrance anywhere. According to Loki, it seemed to be sealed with magic, similar to the mechanisms within the dungeon itself.

——The metal pieces we carry won’t unlock it.

——Most likely, there exists a master key somewhere. Probably  some kind of a central key for the entire dungeon that can be used to access to this tower.

That was our analysis—but we couldn’t focus on investigation alone.

The tower, now visible from the city, was causing panic among the people. The raised bridge had lifted several ships, throwing the harbor into chaos.

Even more troubling was that the dungeon and the city were now connected by the bridge. Previously, the lake had served as a natural moat—but now the monsters of the dungeon could potentially cross into the city.

Safi and I, along with the raven warriors, had our hands full.

We returned to Flocia to recruit adventurers to protect the city. Then we went back into the dungeon to ferry the rescued people onto ships. We scanned every hidden area to ensure no one had been left behind. It wasn’t until dusk that things finally settled.

Having entered the dungeon at dawn, it meant we had been running all day. Exhausted, I returned to the Odis Temple and made my way first to the basement, where Safi was waiting.

“…I see now.”

The dwarf blacksmith held my short sword up to the magical stone lamp on the workbench. The blade gleamed sharply. Safi nodded with satisfaction and gently tapped the hilt with her hammer.

The short sword had been put through heavy use, so it seemed she was re-engraving the magical runes.

Without turning her back, Safi spoke.

“We achieved victories and results… but new problems arose.”

I nodded as I waited in the chair.

Watching the short sword take shape, Safi asked,

“The city’s gotten pretty chaotic. What’s your plan from here?”

“Well…”

After the tower investigation had settled for the moment, Safi had returned to the forge in the temple’s basement. So it made sense that she’d be curious about what was happening outside.

I answered,

“We’re suspending the dungeon investigation for today. Once the sun rises tomorrow, we’ll resume looking into the tower.”

I pressed a finger to my chin, thinking.

The suddenly appeared tower clearly held secrets. Even after returning from the dungeon, the gods had been unusually quiet.

I wanted to ask them for answers but there was this sense that I shouldn’t approach lightly.

“Rion, thank you for today.”

Before I realized it, Safi had finished her work. The little blacksmith held out the dagger in her small hands and said it.

Sitting down while she stood, our eyes met at roughly the same height.

I think I blinked in surprise.

“…Just now?”

“Ah! For helping me!”

Safi pouted.

“When my pack was broken and the monsters attacked!”

“Ah… yeah.”

“I really am a liability in the dungeon, huh…”

“It’s fine. Honestly, I’m glad you were there, Safi.”

There were probably things that would’ve gone wrong without her—like the lift mechanism, or the dungeon’s layout.

The dwarf blacksmith’s cheeks flushed, and she crossed her arms, leaning away slightly.

“W-well… maybe.”

The gold coin trembled.

…What was that?

Normally, the gods’ voices would speak right after such movement—but this time, nothing followed.

Safi pointed her thumb toward the workbench.

“Alright. I’m going to examine the magical keys here.”

On the tray before her lay several metal pieces. Each was about the size of a thumb, yet they were the proper “keys” that had unlocked the dungeon’s hidden doors.

There might even be hints here for entering the tower.

“I’m one of Alvis’ Ten Blacksmiths! From mousetraps to locks, if it’s metal, I can handle it!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle—after all, in the royal temple, she had created all sorts of things. The dwarves made not only weapons and armor, but also mechanisms to protect the temple—even mousetraps.

…Though, admittedly, the mousetraps were so elaborate that they moved in impressively dramatic ways.

Ahem. Safi cleared her throat.

“…Let’s go back a bit. That magical key… it’s quite worn, but I think it was originally a single divine artifact.”

“A god’s tool, you mean?”

“Yeah. Probably some kind of ornament. A bracelet, a chain, or something that had been broken apart and repurposed as keys.”

I tried to imagine what kind of divine artifact it had been.

A bracelet perhaps? A belt?

I stood from my chair and sheathed my short sword at my side.

“Thanks for the sword. After this, it seems we have business in the ‘Frost Orb’ chamber.”

I parted ways with Safi and left the underground forge.

In the temple, the warrior corps bustled back and forth.

I searched for that person—Nils-san.

He, too, had been summoned to the ‘Frost Orb’ chamber. There, I would see Pauline and Lu as well.

But first, I wanted to speak with him. I wondered what he was feeling. After all, the person we had rescued in the dungeon wasn’t his sister.

I recalled his weaknesses and scratched the back of my head.

“…I hope he isn’t lost somewhere again.”

However, Nils-san was not easy to find.

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

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Sealed within the ice was a goddess of breathtaking beauty. If one were to compare her to a human, she would likely be a few years older than me—perhaps seventeen, or eighteen at most.

Hair like threads of woven gold rippled softly within the transparent ice. Her lowered face seemed tinged with quiet sorrow, and her unwavering blue eyes resembled those of an exquisitely crafted doll.

She was clad in a pale green dress. A golden ribbon gathered her hair of the same shimmering hue. Her left hand rested lightly against her throat, while her right arm extended gently forward, as if to grasp something, or perhaps to hold it out.

I had never before known what it meant to be struck silent by beauty. A single, magnificent flower, imprisoned in ancient ice—that was the image that came to mind.

“So this is… Freyja-sama”

At last, that was all I managed to say.

From the gold coin, the voices of the gods Thor and Uru rang out.

『Freyja…』

『She hasn’t changed at all. Not one bit—just as she was long ago.』

It sounded as though they were reminiscing about the past.

『It certainly is Freyja. As beautiful as ever, more beautiful than the early winter dawns or the budding spring trees. But…』

Though I couldn’t see him, I felt Loki’s gaze sharpen.

『Something’s missing. The absence of monsters nearby is strange too…』

As I listened to the gods’ voices, my hand brushed against the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, at my side. Its engraved patterns shimmered like an aurora, as if it were urging me, “Blow me”.

I turned to look back at my companions.

Felix-san, Mia-san, Safi, and even the raven warriors behind us—all of them were utterly captivated by the goddess before them.

“…A goddess?”

The one who murmured it softly was Nils-san. His dull blond hair fluttered in the cold wind.

Remembering the god Freyr we had seen on the fourth floor, I answered him.

“They seem to be sibling gods. An older brother—and a younger sister.”

Nils-san still looked stunned. He only gave a faint nod, drawing his chin back slightly.

This time, Solana’s voice rang out.

『Rion. You’re going to do it, right?』

“—Yeah.”

If the Goddess of Fertility were to awaken, the rescue operation in this dungeon would become far easier. More than that, it would give me yet more power to protect Lu.

I knew we had to save the people who had been captured. I understood that. But for me—the power to save my sister was the strongest implication.

Felix-san planted his staff firmly on the ground.

“At this point, delaying the release of the seal would only be more dangerous. Please, Rion.”

I turned to face the ice.

Looking up at the goddess sealed within the icicle, I brought the awakening horn—Gjallarhorn—to my lips and blow into it.

Skill, please awaken the goddess!

——Wake up!

The sound of the horn rang out.

Light spilled forth from the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, and in an instant, it raced through the entire space. The air, the ice, the walls—all of it began to tremble. The tremor grew into vibration, then into a deep, resonant roar.

The ice shattered one piece after another, dissolving into glittering motes of light that melted into the air. Cracks spread across the ice that bound Freyja-sama.

From the gold coin, Solana murmured—

『It’s breaking.』

Shards of radiant ice danced through the air.

Bathed in a rain of golden mana, the goddess slowly rose, then drifted down toward us.

She truly is beautiful. Her petal-soft lips slowly parted.

—Odin…

A voice echoed inside my head, and I reached up to touch my ear.

She was surely speaking right in front of me, yet the sound felt wrong. It wasn’t traveling through the air at all—it was resonating directly inside my mind.

—Odin…

What followed was badly distorted, so muddled that I couldn’t make out a single word.

Freyja-sama’s body was wrapped in a faint glow. Worse still, it was slowly beginning to fade, and without thinking I rushed toward her.

“G-Goddess!”

One after another, the gods leapt forth from the gold coins. With the horn having been blown, they had all regained their strength.

Solana, her white garments fluttering, caught Freyja and held her steady.

“…F-Freyja!”

The Sun Goddess was wreathed in gentle light. White flame enveloped Freyja-sama’s body.

Solana drew her brows together.

“This is…!”

The giant Thor, Sigris in blue armor, Uru clad in hunting garb—and Loki in a black robe. All of them hovered in the air, gazing down at Freyja.

It felt as though they were holding their breath.

“This vessel…. it’s a replica.”

At Loki’s words, I lifted my face.

“W-what do you mean? A replica?”

“A mass of magic shaped in the likeness of a god. Think of it as a message left behind—one that possesses power.”

I barely understood enough to grasp one thing.

It wasn’t the real her.

In other words—was it an illusion?

Indeed, the fading Freyja-sama didn’t look to be in pain. She had no expression of suffering, no will behind her eyes—like a beautifully made doll.

Loki bit down on his lip.

“Even so… I can’t read the message itself. This replica was woven with extraordinarily strong magic. It must have carried something of great importance, yet…”

A deep crease formed between Loki’s brows. I had never seen a god wear such a sorrowful expression.

“…Was the seal here made so powerful simply to weaken this vessel? If that’s the case, then the one who set such a contrivance must be—!”

Loki looked up, staring up above us.

Questions began to well up inside me one after another. Perhaps it was because my emotions had been thrown into chaos. The vague unease that had sunk deep in my chest surged up all at once.

Did something happen after all the gods were sealed away?

Did Freyja-sama really awaken before? Somewhere in the untold gaps of the kingdom’s history?

Did she knew that Lu possessed the Power of Creation?

…And who was it that hid such events?

“…Ah.”

In my mind, the image of the one-eyed old ancient artifacts dealer surfaced—overlapping with the figure of the Chief God, Odin.

I couldn’t say anything more.

The vibration that had just begun to subside suddenly intensified again. It was strong enough to be called a rumble from the depths of the earth. The remaining masses of ice shattered one after another, and water began to pour in from the places that had been sealed shut by ice.

Felix-san shouted.

“Flood!?”

“You’ve got to be kidding…”

Mia-san groaned. This was the thirteenth floor—deep beneath the lake. I had nothing but a bad feeling about this.

The great hall where we had just fought the boss was now being inundated from all sides, torrents of water rushing in with terrifying force. And on top of that—we could hear the cries of monsters.

“Kikii!”

“Gii!”

From the area where the boss had been, monsters surged in with the current—water wyrmlings, sahagins, and even the kelpies.

Mia-san swung her right hand, chains clanking as she did.

“This is bad. If we turn back now, we might still be able to—”

Everyone turned behind us at once.

At that very moment, the entrance to the unexplored area collapsed. Chunks of ice and rock crashed down, completely sealing the exit.

Mia-san slapped a hand to her forehead.

“We’re trapped…?”

The water level rose at an unbelievable speed. It had only reached our feet moments ago, yet now it was already up to our waists.

Safi screamed and clambered onto one of the soldiers.

“P-please, do something already! I’m about to drown here!”

W-well, you’re the only one whose head is about to go under…

The Thunder God, Thor, ran a hand through his blazing red hair.

“…Dwarf. What lies above this ceiling is still part of the dungeon, right?”

“Y-yes, but—!”

The Thunder God flashed a confident grin.

“Then up is our only option! Grab on!”

Thor whipped his red hair about as he let out a thunderous roar, hurling his hammer, Mjölnir, straight upward.

The falling masses of ice were shattered to pieces. Catching Mjölnir as it returned to his hand, Thor laughed.

“Here we go.”

The five gods wrapped us in light.

In contrast, the goddess we had awakened—Freyja-sama, that vessel of hers—grew dim, then began to fade away.

—Odin…

The repeated words broke off once again, unfinished.

My chest tightened. The weakened goddess somehow reminded me of Lu.

“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t find you. But if you’re nearby, I promise I’ll search for you—and wake you up. Because I… I’m the one who awakens the gods.”

I didn’t know whether words like these meant anything at all.

But for just an instant, the vessel seemed to smile.

Then it faded, and vanished.

“Nils-san!”

Nils-san looked utterly stunned—caught between the collapsing cavern and the disappearance of the goddess.

“…Rion, this… again, I—I—”

“Hold on!”

I gripped Nils-san’s hand tightly.

Solana shouted.

“Hold fast! We’re flying!”

Bathed in her gentle, protective light, we soared higher and higher.

With the gods’ power, we smashed through the cracked ceiling. A surge of water came rushing at us. I cried out, and the water spirit Undine gleamed within my right arm gauntlet. The spirit wrapped us in bubbles, shielding us from the torrent.

Someone was shouting, but the roar of the flood drowned them out.

We shot out into the open. The ceiling we had just burst through seemed to lie directly beneath a waterfall.

“…Amazing.”

The words slipped out of me.

The space ahead was vast—the same one we had descended to on the lift—but the view was like another world. It looked as though a flood had swept everything into a new dimension.

The chamber was shaped like an overturned cup, but waterfalls cascaded along its walls, as if the incoming water had built new boundaries of its own.

Following the flow, my gaze dropped downward.

The water level had risen dramatically. The thirteenth floor—maybe even the twelfth—was now completely submerged. Amid this overwhelming sight of water, a deep, rolling rumble continued.

“I feel an extraordinarily strong magic… similar to Freyja, but far stronger than Surtr—terrifyingly strong.”

The goddess closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

She pointed toward the edge where the wall met the ceiling.

“That’s outside the dungeon.”

Does that mean the magic lies there?

Felix-san touched his coronet.

“This is way beyond expectations… my head hurts. For now, get us to a safe place!”

Looking down, the flooded lowest level came into view. The thirteenth floor was surely under water, at least.

“…I wonder… what about the other adventurers?”

Felix-san crossed his arms, his expression troubled.

“…The warrior corps should only be down around the tenth floor. Only we, accompanied by the gods, can scout the lowest levels.”

We slowly ascended through the vast chamber.

Me, Mia-san, Felix-san, Nils-san, Safi, and the raven warriors—five gods protecting us—but no one could say what might happen next.

Gradually, the influx of water began to ease.

Beneath us, multiple whirlpools were forming. The water that had rushed in… was it being drained?

“I-I see…”

Safi murmured.

“This space—it temporarily stores water to power something. I knew it was a vertical chamber, but it’s basically a water-pressure mechanism…”

Solana added her insight.

“A strong magic is moving… upward… toward the sky?”

What was actually happening?

My thoughts were a tangled mess, impossible to fully sort out.

A vertical shaft appeared above us—the same lift path we had descended earlier.

Clanking in her blue armor, Sigris pointed upward.

“Alright, everyone! We’re going in!”

Guided by the gods, we plunged into the narrow vertical shaft.

The walls rushed past us at incredible speed. We shot out into the hidden area on the fourth floor where the lift had departed, landing on solid ground.

As the gods returned to the gold coin, adventurers began to gather around.

“Felix-sama… what is this—!”

“The rescue on the fifth floor has been completed. We are now engaged in retrieving those trapped on the sixth floor—”

Felix-san stopped the rapid reports with a tap of his staff.

“Hurry! Gather the survivors and get them outside!”

After waiting for the sixth-floor rescue to finish, we led the survivors out.

And then—we saw something extraordinary.

The calm lake of Flocia. On its tranquil surface rose a tower, pure white, standing tall. So high that its upper reaches vanished into a haze. From its pinnacle, a seven-colored rainbow stretched into the sky.

The gold coin trembled, and Solana’s voice came through.

『Strong magical power comes from the peak.』

Our breaths caught, our hearts racing at the hint of a revealed secret.

Hidden away in Flocia —was the Tower of the Gods.

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

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I brought the Valkyrie’s hammer down on the crystal dragon’s head. Lightning coursed through its gigantic body, reducing it to ash.

The blinding flash seared my vision, and the deafening roar tore at my ears. Just the aftershock alone was enough to make me feel like I was about to pass out. Through the haze before my eyes, I caught sight of a strange figure—a blonde woman standing against the farthest wall. Her smile was gentle, yet tinged with a hint of sorrow.

“F-Freyja-sama…?”

I didn’t know why the name came to me so instinctively.

Vaguely, I remembered my dream—the same woman, encased in ice, exactly as she appeared now.

…Was she trying to tell me something?

“Uhm…”

The moment I let out a sound, my vision suddenly cleared. The light and smoke had vanished. With all my concentration poured into that single strike, those few seconds had surely stretched into what felt like much longer.

Before I realized it, the woman’s figure was gone as well.

I noticed then that I was falling.

“Wa-wa-waa!”

The world spun around me. I had jumped as high as I could to strike the dragon’s head, falling was the inevitable consequence.

T-this is bad!

Just as I closed my eyes, I felt someone catch me.

“Whoa! You alright?”

It was Mia-san. Nils-san was beside her, supporting me just the same.

Though their wounds must have hurt, they carefully lowered me to the ground. 

The massive battlefield that had once been alive with chaos was now utterly silent. Pale light filtered through the large hole in the ceiling, and the distant roar of a waterfall echoed mournfully. The terrifying dragon, the summoned monster, none of them remained. Because I had been able to communicate with them, a small pang of loneliness crept in.

The scattered warrior corps, Safi, and Felix-san began to gather. 

Surveying the injured around him, Felix-san rested heavily on his staff.

“We did it.”

I lowered my chin.

As I used White Flame to heal everyone’s wounds, a voice echoed in my mind.

――――

You have reached Level 27.

――――

I shivered because it had been a while since I’d last experienced such an increase.

“My level…”

“Leveled up?”

I bounced excitedly and answered Mia-san.

“Yes!”

Nils-san smiled.

“Well done. I never imagined you’d defeat a dragon of that magnitude…”

He raised both hands in a mock surrender. Shaking his head, his blonde hair swayed.

“I’m at a loss for words. Rion, you all make an incredible party.”

“Hey now, aren’t you part of the party too?”

Mia-san laughed and gave Nils-san a sharp pat on the back.

….That for sure stings a little.

Nils-san stumbled but then broke into a broad grin. His smile was so genuine and unguarded it, a look I have not seen on him before.

“Right.”

Felix-san cleared his throat.

“Now, everyone. This is undoubtedly a great victory, but we must remember our purpose. The people imprisoned as slaves have been rescued, and the obstacles in our way were removed.”

The ashes that stirred the monsters, the dragon that had disturbed the currents—both were defeated. Rescuing the masses is important but the secrets slumbering within the Flocia Dungeon remain.

Having reached the 13th floor, there is no ignoring them.

『The time has finally come.』

The voice of Sigris, the God of Medicine, trembled from the gold coin.

All eyes turned toward me.

“This way.”

I nodded and started walking straight ahead.

The unexplored area of the Flocia Dungeon was definitely there—at the wall where I had glimpsed the goddess’s apparition.

We crossed the vast chamber.

Then I came to a stop before a stone slab embedded in the wall. A single monolith, the size of a castle gate, seemed to float amid the jagged natural rock. Through the gaps between the supporter’s legs, the dwarf blacksmith Safi poked her head out.

“It’s an artificial wall. I can sense magical runes etched into it. There’s no sign that it’s ever been opened.”

It was, without a doubt, a true unexplored area.

The gods were surely watching over us through the gold coins. 

I pressed both hands flat against the wall. It was cool to the touch. A shiver ran up my neck.

“Wake up!”

Golden light scattered, and the rock face shimmered. The stone shifted slightly, as if stirring of its own will. A gap opened somewhere, and a frigid wind swept through.

“Wha…!”

Cold. Bitter, piercing cold. It was the kind of freezing air that seemed to speak of the strength of the seal ahead—enough to make my lungs feel as if they would freeze.

『Let me help you. It’s dangerous with your wet bodies.』

A warmth, like sunlight, enveloped us.

“Thank you, Solana.”

I pressed both hands to the wall once more.

“Wake up!”

This time, the wall shattered. The fragments crumbled and vanished inward, as if inviting us to enter. A blizzard-like wind swept through, freezing the surrounding water. Yet thanks to Solana’s protection, it no longer felt bitterly cold.

We stepped inside.

“So beautiful…”

Safi whispered.

The place resembled the night sky. Though darkness enveloped everything, each shard of ice around us glimmered like a star. Thanks to their light, we could move without fear of getting lost.

We walked toward the deepest part, where a magnificent ice pillar stood.

Within it, a beautiful woman was sealed, frozen in place, her right hand outstretched as if offering something.

『…It’s Freyja.』

Solana murmured.

『No doubt about it. She’s been waiting to be awakened.』

As if in response, the alarm horn, Gjallarhorn, vibrated.

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

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The giant dragon roared.

Its powerful jaws, its baleful fangs, its eerily calm eyes—every single feature demanded attention, making it impossible to look away from it. Light streamed down through the shattered ceiling. Its pale blue scales and veil-like, translucent wings shimmered with an otherworldly glow.

I couldn’t help but recall a story I’d heard long ago, back when I was small—before Father was gone.

A tale of an adventurer who entered a cave and fought a dragon.

Our situation now is uncannily similar.

This is the thirteenth floor of the dungeon. A vast chamber without pillars stretched out before us, so large that its far edges blurred into the distance. The ceiling alone had to be at least ten meters high.

The crystal dragon slowly raised its head.

—Grrroooaaar!

The dragon roared again.

The air trembled, a violent vibration rippling through the space. If we were lucky, we might escape—if not, we’d lose consciousness on the spot. Faced with such overwhelming force, my feet retreated on their own.

Mia-san, Felix-san, Nils-san—and even the warrior corps and Safi—everyone was being crushed by the pressure.

A scream rang out from the warriors.

“G-gods…?! Can’t we have them fight in our stead?!”

With trembling hands, I pulled the alarm horn—Gjallarhorn—from my pouch. There was no response. It didn’t glow, nor did it vibrate.

Using the awakening power to rouse a god and have them slay this dragon would place an enormous burden on them. In areas where the seals were strong, even the gods couldn’t unleash their full strength without the horn.

“Not yet! But—!”

Raising my voice, I wrapped myself in the Golden Flame.

I clenched the horn tightly in my hand.

“Even without help… I know we can defeat it! B-because…!”

I am scared.

Terrified.

But there was a heat in my chest that burned even hotter than that fear.

“In the royal capital… in Alvis… whenever it truly mattered, the horn lent us its power. I think the god within the horn chooses the right moment.”

Remember the Royal Capital.

Remember Alvis.

When things were truly dangerous—when it was absolutely necessary—the horn had always answered. Within the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, dwells the god Heimdall.

“So if the horn isn’t responding right now… then I believe it’s because the god inside trusts us—believes that we can fight this battle ourselves.”

Everyone snapped back to their senses and looked up once more at the pale-blue giant dragon.

Breathing steadied.

Postures straightened one after another.

“We will borrow the gods’ power. But the ones who fight… are us. I think that’s the kind of battle this is.”

I lifted my gaze and met the dragon’s stare.

Stay calm.

Observe it carefully.

Understand what kind of enemy it is.

Its head loomed five meters above the ground. Its neck was as thick as a log. The four legs planted firmly into the floor, and the veil-like wings that obscured the ceiling made it feel less like facing a living creature—and more like waging war against a fortress.

Even so, I was certain of one thing.

The god within the horn believed we could win.

—Are you the guardians of the goddess Freyja?

—If that is the case… something about you suggests that time flows a little differently around here…

The dragon rumbled deep in its throat and yawned.

—Well, in the face of the end, it all amounts to the same.

—Your companions. The countless rabble crawling about above. Friends and family alike—every last one of them… I will devour them all.

Across the dragon’s back, countless crystals reflected the light, as though it were clad in armor made of crystal itself. Each stone glimmered and flashed.

Then—countless points of light burst forth into the air.

『Undine…?』

At Solana’s murmur, the words slipped from my own lips.

“The stones on its back—don’t tell me they’re all spirit stones?”

So that’s why it’s called the “Water Crystal Dragon.”

Countless spheres of water rose into the air around the dragon. In the next instant, torrents of water slammed down like a rain of blows. We scattered as if struck by whips.

“Y-you say we can win, but—damn it!”

Mia-san clicked her tongue and spun on her heel. Innumerable spirits continued to unleash watery strikes at us—an unending rain that would be fatal if any of it connected.

At this rate… we couldn’t get close.

Moving just as swiftly, Nils-san raised his voice.

“It’s enormous! Or are all of your enemies this absurdly out of scale?!”

S-sorry about that!

Blond hair streaming behind him, Nils-san flashed a grin.

“…But that just makes it more interesting.”

With a swing of his sword, a water strike was cleaved in two.

“The power depends on the spirits themselves! There are a lot of them, but each one’s no stronger than a lesser dragon from the fourth floor!”

Mia-san deflected the attacks with her axe, Felix-san countered them with magic, and Nils-san cut them down with his sword. Each of them steadily neutralizing the water strikes in their own way.

Because we had scattered, the enemy’s aim was divided. And once we remembered, we’ve seen this attack before, all we had to do was repeat what we’d done back then.

“Let’s move forward!”

I shouted.

The crystal dragon snorted.

—Hmph!

A vast arena.

The crystal dragon beat its wings and rose into the air, pulling far out of our reach. It meant to wear us down, slowly, with the rain of water strikes.

“Fire Line!”

Felix-san’s spell slipped in through the opening. Steam burst from the water wall that intercepted it.

The dragon lifted its head high.

—Come forth, my kin.

From the hole torn open in the ceiling, multiple shadows swooped down. The ones it summoned were the lesser water dragons we had encountered on the fourth floor. Those water-wielding monsters were its subordinates.

“Everyone—fall back! Get close to me!”

Skill,『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』was used. 【Valkyria’s Spoon】…… Recovery. Consumes magical power to expand the range.

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

A sharp pain stabbed through my head. I’m now level 26. If I hadn’t grown this much, my mana would have been completely drained in an instant.

“Ugh…!”

Gritting my teeth against the drain on my mana, I spread the Golden Flame through the power of the God of Medicine.

Mia-san, Felix-san, Nils-san —and Safi and the warrior corps as well—everyone was wrapped in Solana’s blessing. Now no one would be outmatched in physical ability.

The time limit was three minutes. Casting it on this many people wasn’t something I could do more than once or twice.

In that brief window, we had to close in and defeat this enemy.

This fortress of a dragon.

“Kaaaah!”

Four lesser dragons lunged at us. Nils-san and Mia-san stepped forward, swinging their weapons. In the next instant, the dragons were cleaved apart, blasted away, reduced to ash.

Our frontline—already utterly dependable—had been further empowered by the Golden Flame.

“T-this is—”

Nils-san glanced back, lowering his jaw in awe.

“It’s the power of the gods! Now, while we can!”

The crystal dragon seemed momentarily unsettled. Even I had grown through repeated level-ups, able to wield the power of the gods—Solana and the others—more fully than before.

—You!

—My kin, come forth!

More lesser dragons surged forward. Even the sirens and sahagins joined the fray.

Their goal was surely to buy time. Against them, we wielded magic, axes, and swordsmanship. Pushing through the horde of monsters, we pursued the dragon that had retreated deeper into the chamber.

The water strikes no longer frightened us. I could read and anticipate each one now.

“Everyone!”

We surged forward in a single line.

The dragon must have seen the wave of our frontline pushing up like a tide.

I moved in the center of the formation. Exchanging glances with those on my left and right, the party returned smiles and nods. Our plan had surely been understood.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

Mia-san stepped forward. The water strikes converged toward her.

She met them all head-on with the Crimson Axe.

—Don’t come any closer!

A long tail swung through the air.

“Ha!”

Mia-san’s raised axe clashed violently against the dragon’s tail.

The Crimson Axe gleamed, converting the absorbed magic into a spiraling vortex that struck back. The force made the massive dragon stagger in place.

In that moment, Nils-san and Felix-sab leapt into the dragon’s vulnerable flanks.

『Haha! Using the frontline to pry open the gates of the fortress!』

Thor’s voice gave me a push.

『Slaying a dragon—that’s a hero’s job, isn’t it?!』

Before Felix-san, icy-blue runes flared to life.

“Ice Blade—Ibarak!”

A chill that sent shivers down the spine surged forward. Ice formed, freezing the surrounding water as it hurtled toward the crystal dragon.

—Tch!

Spreading its wings, the dragon tried to escape, wary of the icy restraints closing in.

“Dragon Severing Strike!”

Nils-san moved first. One after another, ice pillars sprang up, and he unleashed his swordmaster techniques upon them. The shattered shards of ice, still razor-sharp, shot straight toward the crystal dragon.

The blades pierced its scales and wings.

The crystal dragon halted its flight and slammed down onto the ground, shaking it with the impact.

With its wings spread wide, it became an even easier target.

“Got it.”

Felix-san planted his staff firmly. Ice magic wrapped around the massive, tree-trunk-like forelegs, holding them fast.

—How cunning…

The crystal dragon opened its massive maw with a roar.

Inside, its mouth glowed a deep crimson, while the crystals on its back shimmered a pale blue.

My magic detection warned that a tremendous amount of mana was gathering within its throat.

The god Uru called out,

『Dragon Breath incoming!』

Dragons can unleash devastating attacks from their mouths—fire, lightning, or other elemental forces. Because it’s like a breath weapon, adventurers call it Dragon Breath.

But—

“Wake up!”

I activated the crystal mounted on my left gauntlet.

From it, the fire elemental, Salamander, was roused and ready to act.

—Guuuoooh!

A torrent of water blasted from the dragon’s maw, sweeping toward Mia-san and Nils-san’ positions.

“Not on my watch!”

The breath collided with the fire elemental, generating a furious cloud of steam. Just as Loki had taught me, perhaps water truly possesses the power to bewilder.

Felix-san acted, quickly adding his fire magic to produce even more steam.

—A distraction?

I ran towards the dragon.

Faster, faster, faster!

Before everyone’s Golden Flame and this steam dissipate!

—The swordsman and the axe-wielder won’t be able to move for a while.

—And the child with the least magic… what can they even do?

The enemy’s vision is obscured by the steam, but surely it senses that I’m moving freely toward it.

I need to finish this in a single strike. If I pause to prepare a second attack, a counterstrike will come. And I must also account for the possibility that it puts distance between us—then I’ll need a follow-up strike.

—Huh?

—What is this… overwhelming power?

While the enemy underestimates me, even slightly—

Skill,『Divine Protection of the God of Medicine』was activated. 【Sigris’ Spear】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅a ranged support. The magical effect is channeled into the spear, delivering it to the target.

Skill,『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』was activated. 【Mjolnir】 ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Borrows the legendary war hammer from the God of Thunder.

In my left hand, I summoned the spear of the God of Medicine.

In my right, the hammer of the God of Thunder.

I combined the spear in my left hand with the hammer in my right. Thor’s war hammer, Mjolnir, now resided within the spear of the Valkyrie.

—The gods’… hammer?

The spear and hammer merged at the tip, forming a giant halberd full of divine power. Its destructive force, its ability to pursue a fleeing target, this combination could accomplish it all.

—Who… are you!?

With a running start and a leap, I faced the crystal dragon head-on.

The ancient dragon’s eyes widened at the sight of the thunderous halberd raised above him.

I shouted out the words that came to my mind,

“Valkyrie’s… hammer!”

Mjolnir, embedded at the tip, struck the dragon’s crown.

Thunder roared, lightning tore through its gigantic body, and the dragon was pierced by the raw power of the gods.

Blinded by the thunder roaring so close, my ears ringing from its shriek, I watched as the crystal dragon turned to ash and vanished.

Amid its disappearance, I thought I saw a beautiful goddess on a distant wall—Freyja, the same goddess I had glimpsed in my dreams.

The unexplored area of the Flocia Dungeon… it had to be there, waiting beyond.

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

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