打扑克的男女

ED: SlowAsLightning

Valhalla was busy.

Originally it should have been as leisure and solitary as they only left behind the necessary defense forces and most of the others left with Odin on the expedition to the north but it was different this time.

It was because the restoration of Valhalla was taking place.

The restoration project could be divided in two big parts.

One was the project to restore the fortress and moats and the other one was the reconstruction of the residences of the legions.

Close to 10 days had passed after the battle ended but the restoration project was still at its early stages.

It was because they had to focus on retrieving the corpses of the dead and the destroyed fragments of the Steel warriors and getting rid of the corpses of the giants and evil spirits.

In addition there was one important thing.

It was the funeral for the giant of fire Loki and the Steel warriors that got destroyed completely.

The funeral that took place the day before Odin went out to the battlefield was more solemn than ever.

Part of the reason was that the number of Steel warriors destroyed in this battle was much bigger than the ones that got destroyed the past hundred years but the most important reason was because of the giant of fire Loki.

The betrayer Loki.

The cause of evil that brought catastrophe to Asgard.

They were comparatively calm expressions. There were countless expressions that insulted and disdained Loki.

Bu all of these things were a misunderstanding. Loki wasn’t a traitor. He was the real protector of Asgard that had sacrificed everything he had.

“Bastard.”

Freya spoke after she placed Loki’s corpse on a wooden boat and pushed it away. She had a teary face right now.

She had cursed him that much the past hundred years, resented him.

She didn’t even have the time to apologize nor get angry to ask why he did that.

Odin fired a flaming arrow to the boat that was getting farther away. He took in the death of Loki who was an old friend, a brother and his son at the same time.

The day after Loki’s funeral ended Odin led his force and headed to the north. After that, the restoration project took place for five days and when it completed to some extent they got the leisure to restore the residences.

Idun’s legion was noisy.

Close to half of the warriors in this legion became Steel warriors due to the war but new members doubled or more the size of those that had left.

The warriors of Midgard had come to support Valhalla.

They didn’t have the need to cross the rainbow stair Bifrost. They just had to follow the lead of the Valkyries in the place they died and enter Valhalla.

The majority of the newly entered warriors wished to enter Idun’s legion and the Valkyries that asked them the reason for that said in one voice.

“The golden apple tree.”

The beautiful golden illusion that had surged up high in the sky.

The Valkyrie that threw the question understood. It was because she also remembered the scene of that day when she closed her eyes.

“This is Idun’s legion......”

The princess of Kataron Helga, who was among the newly entered warriors, spoke in a voice filled with emotions. The warriors that were next to her were putting the same eyes.

“It’s just like Idun’s warrior said.”

“Ohh, ohhh!”

They were different to their seniors that entered before them. Until then there were a lot of things that were exaggerated but now all of those things turned real.

First, there were a lot of majestic ships.

Half of them were ships of Erin that Odin gave him and the remaining half were gifts from Freya.

Because the newly entered warriors easily surpassed a hundred.

Freya didn’t have the justification to decline Idun’s strong claim to give her some ships.

But of course, it wasn’t that Freya didn’t want to provide her with ships as she was sincerely grateful towards Tae Ho. She did show some pertinacious sides as she was the one doing the housekeeping but still she knew how to use things when she had to.

“Look over there! They are the Shinsoos!”

“Ohh! Ohhh!”

Rolo and his wives and their chicks were flying in the sky. It was the result of Tae Ho having recognized Rolo’s merits and having brought his previous wives when he had the time. Rolo, that was the captain of a gryphon pack, had more than ten wives so naturally he also had a lot of chicks.

McLaren was showing his strong presence in the middle of those chicks and the warriors admired the look of the huge rock serpent.

“Warriors, I welcome you to Idun’s residence.”

The one that welcomed the warriors was Adenmaha. Her rank was the highest after Heda, who was the representative of the legion.

The ones that were standing behind Adenmaha weren’t only Sigrun and Gudrun. There were five Valkyries that entered the legion like the warriors.

“Helga.”

“Mister.”

Merlin, who had come out to the dock along with Adenmaha, welcomed Helga separately. There were several emotions on his face looking at Helga.

He hoped that she could marry the one she loved, give birth to children and raise them, do everything she wanted and have a happy life.

But she came too early.

She was merely a teen.

“I’m fine. I’m also happy right now.”

Helga seemed to have read the regret in Merlin’s face and spoke bravely. She wasn’t forcing those words but was being sincere. She had chosen the life of a warrior like now instead of the life of a princess.

But of course, she was worried about her siblings she had left in Midgard and her father, King Ivar. She had a big difference in age with her siblings so she raised them as if they were her own children and also wanted to see the youngest sibling that treated herself as being the mother.

But even so, she didn’t regret entering Idun’s legion. She had entered Valhalla like everyone desired so her family would probably be proud of her.

“Right, it’s good if you are satisfied with it.”

Because it was none other than her life.

“Before that, it’s kind of amazing. My body is the same as when I was alive. No, it feels like it became better.”

“It should be as that is the new body Odin gave you. You will also start accumulating runes.”

This was the reason why you had to die first to enter Valhalla.

All the warriors that enter Valhalla would receive a new body over their souls.

The rune accumulating system that Odin and Freya developed.

The warriors of Valhalla needed a body engraved with a special magic if they wanted to accumulate runes, that was the core of the growth of the warriors.

The body Helga received this time was a new body Freya developed after her research. It’s formal name was ‘standard body of a warrior generation 7’. It was Freya’s ambitious work that managed to bring up it’s performance by 1.2 from the generation 6.

It wouldn’t be good to tell this to Helga, whose eyes were currently shining.

Merlin held back himself and extended his hand to her. It was to introduce her to the residence.

“Although we will be focused on rebuilding for a while.”

Idun’s legion was also as destroyed as it could.

But Helga smiled brightly as if she still liked that and grabbed Merlin’s hand.

&

Schathach was spending a busy time.

Part of it was because the number of warriors she had to nurture increased from ten to more than a hundred but the bigger reason was because she now had more members that she had to train individually.

The king of birds Hraesvelg and the black dragon Nidhogg.

She taught Hraesvelg the proper Scathach’s style technique as he had learned an imitation of it by himself and for Nidhogg, she taught her the origin of mystical magic utilizing her vast magical power.

The origin of mystical magic just used magic power as it was without reciting any chants so it wasn’t that efficient but it had a strong point that it was really easy to use.

Nidhogg had overflowing magic power anyways. Nidhogg and her would have fallen in a pit of pain if she taught her complicated techniques so it was better to teach her simple origin magic.

But of course, Adenmaha’s classes still proceeded in the middle of this. Adenmaha had learned quite a lot of mystical magic under Scathach but Scathach didn’t like that she couldn’t use mystical magic properly when she got out to battle. Because of that, Adenmaha’s classes were too realistic and more intense than others.

Eight days past since Odin departed and ten days since the battle against the magician king.

While Adenmaha’s groaning and pained voice was heard in a deep place of Idun’s residence, Tae Ho was facing Freya.

&

“The ceremony for the top ranked warrior will be after three days.”

“The expedition team will return so soon?”

At the deepest place of Sessrumnir, Freya’s palace.

Freya, who was half lying while stroking ten cats, shook her head.

“No, I will proceed with it informally alone. It’s better the more top ranked warriors we have.”

She had a relaxed posture but you could see that she was really exhausted from her expression and voice. She had been working without resting for the past ten days.

“We will proceed with the ceremony formally when Odin returns. That will probably take about two months.”

They had to completely drive away the army of the frost giant king and return to Valhalla.

“Can I ask about the situation on the front lines?”

Freya closed her eyes at Tae Ho’s question. Each of her small actions were beautiful and lovely but he felt regretful seeing that she was clearly exhausted.

Freya let out a long sigh and then fixed her posture a bit and continued speaking.

“Well, it’s quite good if I were to simplify it. But the resistance isn’t weak either. Actually.....honestly speaking, the reason we are rushing your promotion is because one of the top ranked warriors died.”

“Did Sigurd......”

“No, not him and not Bali either. It’s someone called Van, you should have never met him.”

He was the one that fought the most eagerly among the top ranked warriors. He was always stuck in the front lines so there was no opportunity for him to meet Tae Ho.

“They are winning but it’s impossible for them not to have anyone die at all. But don’t worry too much. The interest of the giant king Harmarti is to stall the forces he can to retreat safely rather than strike back and win.”

The both sides fighting had already determined the loss of a side. This advantageous situation would continue until the end if there are no variables.

“Ask Hildegarde about the details. She’s writing up a report to hand to the commanders.”

“I will do so.”

“Right, let’s speak about Nidhogg and Hraesvelg next.”

Freya lied down once again and slowly stroked the fur of a cat she had close to her.

“You know that their bodies are a kind of magical armor, right?”

“Yes.”

“I retrieved them for now and placed them in a place that is abundant in magical power. They will be able to recover faster if the blacksmiths of Valhalla assist in this......but you also know that we are quite busy lately, right? We will have to leave them to heal naturally for the moment.”

The blacksmiths of Valhalla were all dispatched on restoration projects. It was fortunate that the reinforcements of Nidavellir helped with the physical labor, if they hadn’t the blacksmiths would have already passed out of exhaustion. They didn’t have time to rest at all.

Tae Ho, that now knew of the situation of the blacksmiths, asked carefully.

“Will it take long?”

“I think it’s faster for Hraesvelg’s case but Nidhogg suffered great damages. There’s a probability it may take a few months even if the blacksmiths get to help later on.”

Freya frowned and spoke. Actually, not even she could be certain of it as it was her first time looking at this magical armor.

“I’m still glad that they are able to recover.”

“Of course. In the case of Hraesvelg, he came to help us without asking for anything. We have to take responsibility and restore his body and also reward him greatly.”

Freya spoke as if it was nothing but Tae Ho admired Freya’s kind heart.

“What?”

“I feel that you are really beautiful.”

She didn’t only receive the help of another and try to use it.

She thanked it and tried to pay it back.

Perhaps it was an obvious thing but reality was that the obvious thing often didn’t happen as it should.

Freya was of course a beautiful Goddess. In the eyes of others she was the most beautiful one and for Tae Ho, she was the third most beautiful.

‘But being beautiful doesn’t only mean the looks.’

Cuchulainn smirked and said. And Tae Ho also agreed to that.

“Bragi’s rune is working well. Too well.”

Freya snorted at Tae Ho’s direct compliment. Idun and Heda would have flushed at that but Freya was much more experienced than them.

“Anyways, let’s leave it here.....should I also keep my promise?”

“Promise?”

“I told you that I would give you a blessing if you finished the task in Vanaheim well. In addition, you made a really incredible saga.”

Freya, who was giggling until now, opened her eyes sharply. She was beautiful like a thorny rose but was also threatening.

“Shall we see how much the completion rate increases with one blessing?”

Freya whispered seductively and then rose up. Tae Ho flinched unconsciously at the really enchanting movement.

‘How interesting.’

Cuchulainn wasn’t thinking of helping him at all.

Freya crawled slowly towards Tae Ho, who was sitting in the floor, instead of walking. Cuchulainn got excited and brought up his will to try to receive a lower ranked blessing instead of the top ranked blessing.

A few more seconds like that.

Freya arrived in front of Tae Ho.Tae Ho opened his mouth and tried to form some words.

And it was right at that moment.

“Freya-nim!”

The one that entered the room by opening the doors abruptly was Hildegarde. Freya reacted immediately at her urgent voice. She dissipated the atmosphere from before in an instant and stood up.

“What’s wrong?”

Hildegarde, who respected Freya to the extreme, was acting this rude. It meant that it certainly was something that urgent.

Tae Ho also turned to look back. Hildegarde contained her breathing and spoke quickly.

“The signal of Valkyrie Rasgrid disappeared.”

Her signal, that had gone to the outskirts of Asgard, disappeared.

She wouldn’t be that agitated if it was only that.

There was one more thing.

The report Rasgrid sent before.

The Valkyries that didn’t return from Olympus.

Rasgrid, that made her comrade Valkyries return, went up to investigate alone.

“Where was the signal cut off?”

If she had crossed over to Olympus it was possible for the signal to get cut. Because it was another world. It was rather weirder if the signal got maintained.

But Hildegarde’s answer was different to Freya’s expectation. She bit her lips once and then answered in a dark voice.

“It’s right before the path heading to Olympus.”

&

Rasgrid took a breath. It was impossible to escape and also impossible to hide.

The warriors that had gone out to investigate with her had all died. They were intermediate ranked warriors but they couldn’t resist at all.

The barrier that covered the surroundings was really strong. It blocked everything from inside and outside.

Rasgrid, who was looking for a hole to get out, closed her eyes tightly. It was because she realized that the owner of the barrier had reached behind her.

Rasgrid took a breath for the last time. SHe then turned around and put strength in her hand holding the sword.

The owner of the barrier.

The one that defeated several intermediate ranked warriors easily as if flicking his hand.

Rasgrid opened her eyes widely. Her opponent wasn’t a giant nor an evil spirit.

“You are.......”

“It ends here.”

The existence didn’t let her speak anymore.

The master of the barrier approached Rasgrid.

< Episode 46 – Idun’s (5) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~