打扑克的男女

ED:

When Tae Ho got down from the Black Flash while staggering, he formed a smile as he saw Adenmaha tottering and Nidhogg clapping in joy.

Nidhogg was really excited as she rode a thing that was similar to a ride for the first time she was born so she didn’t know about Adenmaha’s state not even by a little.

Heda, that was comparatively accustomed at riding it, let out a short sigh and lead Nidhogg and Tae Ho supported Adenmaha that was panting saying that it was difficult.

Merlin, Scathach and Echidna returned to the residence of Idun for now and Tae Ho took the rest of the group and headed to a deep place of Valhalla.

“Freya-nim.”

“Did you really have to come flocking like this?”

Freya, that was inspecting some documents with sunken eyes on her throne of the Gods, frowned and said. It clearly looked like she had been sitting up all night for more than two days but she was still blindingly beautiful with her Brisingamen.

When Tae HO shrugged his shoulders, Freya grumbled a few more times and then turned to look at everyone Tae Ho brought with him and dropped her shoulders with a sigh.

“Well, it should be fine. I already know all of you.”

It was obvious that Siri and Bracky would accompany Tae Ho and there was no reason to send back Heda, that was sharing the same body with Idun. The remaining ones were Nidhogg and Adenmaha but the both of them would also be with Tae Ho so with another aspect he had only gathered the members he needed.

“I’m asking this because i’m worried but how did the rebirth of Erin go? Did you succeed?”

“Yes, only a part of it but we succeeded clearly.”

When Tae Ho nodded Freya looked at him from head to toe and then continued speaking.

“Indeed, it may be because I heard this but....your power as the master of Erin has increased. In the first place, the origin of the power of the master is based on his world and the residents. It feels like it was worth having taken care of it even in a hurry.”

The Gods of Erin obtained power from Erin just like how the Gods of Asgard obtained power from Asgard. If Tae Ho wanted to increase his power as the master of Erin he certainly needed the rebirth of Erin.

Tae Ho made the group sit down on the seats Freya offered and then asked her, that was burying her body in her throne.

“What happened with Olympus and the Temple?”

“You heard the general story from Ragnar, right?”

“Yes, I did hear the general situation but- you must have a more detailed information right?”

Compared to Ragnar, that had just heard things from others, Freya had the experience of having confronted the enemy directly. In addition, it was not possible that Odin would send her back empty handed.

Freya nodded and said.

“I returned from Olympus to Valhalla three days ago. The conclusion Odin-nim and I came to is like it follows.”

Freya took a deep breath and then spread four fingers.

“In Memphis, Maya, Dilmun and Xindu, the beings that want to destroy the world have won. And they got lead by the Kingdom of Fire and have started an invasion.”

It wasn’t that they had turned the beings that wanted to maintain the world into beings that wanted to destroy it like Nyx did. There were some that wanted to maintain among them but if you looked at the bigger picture it was an alliance of only beings that want to destroy the world.

“You know about the structures of the worlds, right?”

“Yes, I learned it from Heda.”

“Right. Then I will speak with numbers so it’s more comfortable... Think of it like you are lining up the numbers from 1 to 9 in three lines in groups of three.”

“You are talking about the Telephone Distribution.”

Tae Ho said that while thinking about the number pads in a keyboard and Freya tilted her head at that.

“I don’t know what’s that but.... whatever the case, if you give them number 1 is Olympus, 2 Asgard, 3 the Temple, 4 Memphis, 5 your hometown Earth, 6 Dilmun, 7 Maya, 8 Avesta, 9 Xindu. You can classificate them like this.”

Circles with numbers in it started to get arranged at the same time as Freya’s voice. The size of each one of them was like the head of a person so it was seen really well.

“The rear world...no, we can’t call them like that anymore. Whatever the case, not even we know much about the worlds at the end. It’s normal that there’s no interaction between each world. Asgard, Olympus and the Temple also didn’t have any particular interaction before the destruction of Erin.”

Even Heda knew nothing about the worlds number 7,8,9 besides their names.

“Whatever the case, the worlds number 4,6,7,8, and 9 fell by the hands of the beings that want to destroy the world. And looking at the structures of the worlds... they joined the strength of two worlds and invaded Olympus and the Temple.”

“They aren’t invading Earth?”

When Tae Ho pointed at the 5th world and asked, Freya frowned slightly and answered.

“Your world is located at the center of the ten worlds so it’s a bit special. I don’t know if it’s a movement of a small number of people like your case but it doesn’t have a connecting path.”

Because of that, they could send a few number of people but it was impossible to invade it full fledgedly.

Heda, that was listening to the story silently, raised her hand and asked.

“Freya unnie, what is the scale of the forces of the enemy? If my thoughts are right... even if two worlds formed an alliance I don’t think that it would be enough to overwhelm Olympus or the Temple.”

She had the appearance of Heda but her attitude treating Freya was closer to Idun. That’s why Freya also treated her as if she was looking at Idun.

“Idun and I think like this. Strictly speaking, the current situation is inflicted by an alliance between beings that want to destroy the world and it’s not the complete power of a world. In addition... looking that they had won means that a big war comparable to the Great War took place in several worlds. Even if they won, their forces should still be cut down.”

It was something they could see just by looking at Erin.

The beings that wanted to maintain the world that got defeated and even the fomoires that had won but lost their strong kings and most of their warriors so someone like Bress had to represent them.

The giants of Jotunheim hadn’t been able to recover completely from the Great War even after a hundred years.

Just like Freya had said, the power of Dilmun, Memphis, Maya and Xindu should be greatly weakened.

“Are there no survivors from the beings that want to maintain the world?”

When Adenmaha asked carefully, Freya put a benign smile and answered.

“There should probably. There wouldn’t be none. There were also survivors of Erin when the world itself got destroyed. If we stop this attack... and we go to the offensive it’s highly probable that they will assist us.”

It seems like they were using Memphis and Dilmun as a foothold to attack that they didn’t get destroyed like Erin. Then, it was highly probable that there were survivors hiding themselves deep in the world.

“Anyways, returning to the structures of the world, you should know it if you look at it but the enemy can only attack through the connecting path even if they were lead by the Kingdom of Fire. Currently, the worlds they can attack are only Olympus and the Temple and they are in a difficult situation where it’s hard to attack all at once even if they join strengths from five worlds. We have to use that point in our favour.”

But it was at that moment.

“U, um!”

Nidhogg that was aware of her surroundings raised her hand and looked at Freya with earnest eyes. It was the face of a kid with a question.

“What?”

Nidhogg flinched as she asked back in an annoyed tone but she got courage and asked Freya.

“What is the Kingdom of Fire?”

Everyone put bitter smiles at the question of Nidhogg. It was because everyone excluding her in this place somewhat knew about the Kingdom of Fire.

Freya let out a short sigh and then looked at Nidhogg’s eyes and said as if counseling her.

“It’s a group that joins the beings that want to destroy the world into one. Following what we know, they have their place at an unknown place called Muspelheim... and they are a group that support the fomoires of Erin, Jotunheim of Asgard, Kum Oh Do of the Temple, and the Gigantes of Olympus.”

The biggest reason Asgard and the three worlds thought that they were the front line was because Muspelheim and the Kingdom of Fire were attacking from the north to the south.

“But with the current situation, the worlds at the rear-no, at the south should be added to the Kingdom of Fire.”

The connection between Kum Oh Do, Dilmun and Xindu wasn’t normal. Even if they were beings that wanted to destroy the world, if they didn’t have something that connected them it was hard to react like this altogether.

They would come down from the north and climb up from the south.

Tae Ho looked at the north of the number pad and asked.

“Is there no possibility that Muspelheim will attack Asgard directly?”

“Of course there is. That’s why we can’t take off our forces from the front lines. We have to leave the minimum forces in Asgard.”

If they attacked in the current situation, there was a high probability they would join the frost giants of Jotunheim.

“Anyways, returning back... you must have already heard this but Olympus is enduring well unexpectedly. The first defensive lines collapsed but it’s only that. They have many strong beings from our side so they aren’t even able to march properly.”

“Just like you have said, it seems like the beings that want to destroy the world got really damaged because of the great wars.”

Freya nodded at Siri’s words.

“Right, there’s also the possibility they are hiding their cards but it seems like they suffered a really big blow just like how the giants of Jotunheim suffered from the Great War. They invaded with the disposition to die together with us and that’s the only thing scary about them, Odin judged that they are opponents that can be faced plentily.”

“Di, die together?”

Freya nodded once again as Nidhogg shrugged her shoulders and asked.

“Right, they are beings that want to destroy the world whose final objective is the destruction of the world. The number of remaining worlds is fewer so they must have faced us wanting to die along us.”

There was no concept of conquering or taking over in this war. And that’s why they were all the more difficult to face.

“Ragnar must have told you this but the ones at a disadvantage is the Temple. They ended up getting attacked from the front and from behind thanks to Kum Oh Do. They want Thor but he is at Olympus and Sigurd is in charge of the defenses of the northern region. It’s now time for you to decide.”

“If i’m going to send Sigurd or i’m going to go myself?”

“Right, and actually... Tyr also went there but looking that they want Thor it’s not something that would be solved only with Sigurd. The actual problem is whether you go or not.”

The one that had the right to decide was the master of Asgard, Tae Ho. What Freya and Odin could do was to propose things.

Tae Ho had already finished his thoughts while coming to this place on the Black Flash so he answered immediately.

“I should go. If the Temple falls, Asgard will be next. The best thing would be to end the battle in the Temple.”

“Right, i’m sorry for the Temple but we can’t expand the battlefield to Asgard. The best thing is to end it there.”

When the story proceeded up to this point Siri asked once again.

“Freya-nim. The return of Odin-nim and Thor-nim isn’t scheduled yet?”

“Not for now. They are planning on staying at Olympus until the mainland of Asgard gets invaded. I said that the situation in Olympus was good but the reason of that is because Odin and Thor are over there. If the two of them fall back it would be hard for Olympus to endure.”

Freya spoke up to that point. She then gulped dry saliva and explained while pointing at the number pad.

“Odin’s plan is like this. While Olympus and the Temple are resisting at the brink of death, Tae Ho will bring a guerilla unit and cut down the heads of the enemies. If the situation in the Temple improves like that you will protect Olympus after that and then counterattack.”

It was a strategy she could set up because she believed in Tae Ho that had become stronger than Thor and Heracles.

“We hadn’t gone out to attack earnestly because of the damages we would suffer but... now that it became like this we can also only conduct an attack. If the defense ends at some point you will invade Muspelheim directly and cut the connection of the Kingdom of Fire. This is Odin’s thoughts.”

“And Avesta?”

The one that asked was Heda. Freya dropped her shoulders and answered.

“It will be after Muspelheim. Or you will battle with them while Olympus and the Temple are defending. But it’s only a general outline of the plan.”

They still lacked information about their enemy. They had to see a bit more how Muspelheim and Avesta were going to move.

“It will certainly be a difficult war. But after this war ends and we win in it, a long time of peace will come. I’m sure of it.”

Her eyes and tone of the voice became quite earnest at the end parts. Tae Ho grinned unconsciously and asked.

“Are you going to retire then?”

“Why would I retire? I have to exert my authority as much as I suffered. But only... i’m not planning on doing anything grandiose. I’m just planning on living lovey dovey.”

“With whom?”

When Tae Ho smirked, Heda opened her eyes sharply and Freya flushed in a way that was hard to see and said.

“Ah, I don’t know. Anyways, if you also want to marry and live merrily peace has to come so you should work hard.”

“Unnie, isn’t the conclusion too weird?”

“It’s so everyone eats and lives well. What?”

Freya grinned in her throne and shrugged her shoulders.

“Anyways, you are going to depart after two days. You should have plenty of rest before that. You don’t know when you may be able to rest when the battle starts so if you have something you have to do, do it now and don’t regret it later. Understand?”

Freya winked and then shut her mouth like she had nothing else to say and looked at Tae Ho.

Tae Ho smiled bitterly and then looked at Heda once and said while looking at Freya once again.

“Freya-nim, I agree earnestly on your words...but there’s something I have to do with Freya-nim before that.”

“What, you still need more meetings?”

“Well, it’s better the more I have...but it’s something else.”

Tae Ho endured Heda’s and Adenmaha’s cold eyes and smiled by force and Freya tilted her head but then clapped her hands.

“It’s that.”

“Yes, that.”

“What is that?”

Heda was the one to ask but not Tae Ho or Freya answered her. Freya rolled her hair and said.

“It must be possible. It won’t only be hard on me but also on you....and Heda but it should be that worth it.”

“Freya unnie?”

“Ask your dear husband about the details.”

Freya grinned and then looked at Tae Ho again.

“Are you going to depart now?”

“It would be best to hurry.”

They were going to go to the Temple after two days but actually it was better the faster they went.

“Tae Ho master, where are you going? Can’t Nidhogg also go with you?”

Nidhogg grabbed Tae Ho’s sleeve and asked. Adenmaha smiled without any words and Tae Ho stroke her head.

“Nidhogg will also come with us.”

No, she had to.

And it was at that moment.

“Don’t tell me?!”

Heda opened her eyes widely and Adenmaha nodded from behind. While Siri and Bracky were looking at each other because they didn’t know what they were talking about, Tae Ho laughed and answered.

“It’s what you are thinking about.”

The last thing they had to finish en Asgard now that they had reborn Erin.

Tae Ho looked at Nidhogg again. He pinched her cheek lightly as she tilted her head and said.

“Let’s go meet Ratatoskr.”

To return to the roots of the World tree.

To regain the real power of Nidhogg that was asleep at that place.

Nidhogg blinked at Tae Ho’s words and then smiled brightly and answered.

< Episode 66 – The Kingdom of fire (2) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~