“What? That’s so stupid! How can someone be born from someone’s head!?”
“I was, and I was born already a beautiful and intelligent lady!”
“Pft, Estrid, a lady? Is Ragnarok coming?”
“Shh, don’t talk about Ragnarok!”
“What about you, big brother Van, how were you born?”
“…Naked.”
“Ew!”
Van could only let out a sigh as he watched the children once again roaming inside the orphanage. Athena– Estrid seems to be playing her part well, perhaps too well. But what could one expect from the Goddess of Wisdom if not the best?
It had been a few hours since Estrid revealed herself to him, and Van still could not grasp the things she had told him. Granted, she said it was only her theory, but thinking about it more and more, it seemed possible.
Each time Van and Evangeline meet, she always tells him that everything she ever does and does is for him. And whether Van liked it or not, it was probably the truth. Evangeline was a cold and heartless individual, so sacrificing a whole race just for Van was something that she could and would surely do if it ensures that her goal will be completed.
After all, what is a simple genocide compared to being invaded by a race that literally devours every universe it lays its eyes on?
Of course, Van had small reservations in doing it– after all, there are children playing in front of him right now. The Aesir, who he initially thought were just gods who like playing with the other Realms, were actually, at their core, just like any of the other races.
His initial plan was also not to kill them, but to make them kneel and answer to him so he would find the answers he seeks; but with Estrid’s presence, that pretty much changes everything.
With Estrid by his side, it was only a matter of time before she found out the whole truth about this future world they find themselves in. But considering she has been here for more than ten thousand years, talking to the Transported; wouldn’t that mean that she at least talked to Andrea and the rest of the people from the Pit?
“Estrid, can you come with me for a bit?”
“Aha, I have been summoned by King Van!”
“What!? No fair, I thought I was King!?” Ulfrik, the oldest child in the small orphanage, once again expressed his dismay, kneeling on the ground as he clasped his chest, “Have… have I been betrayed!?”
“Die, old King!”
And as he said that, one of the other children stabbed him with a steel sword. Van was going to stop them at first, but the steel sword might as well just be a wooden stick for these children, as it failed to penetrate Ulfrik’s even just a little bit.
“Wolololo!”
And with their war cries once again echoing throughout the orphanage, Van and Estrid walked up the stairs.
“…” And as soon as they were gone, the war cries were no more. Instead, it was replaced by the inquisitive eyes that were intensively looking at each other; squinting as far as they could.
“They’re gone again, this is the second time.”
“Something very suspicious is going on here. I, as the old oldest, order my old minions to find out about this suspicious thing,” Ulfrik then stood up from the floor as he stretched his hand and gestured towards the stairs, “Let us go!”
“Let’s go!”
“Don’t shout! They will find out about us!”
“Sshh!”
Ulfrik lightly slammed his fist on one of the children, shouting for him to lower his voice. The other child was going to rebuke, but before he could do so, the others were already sneakily going up, their feet tip-toeing towards the mystery they were about to unveil.
“What do you think they are doing inside?”
“I bet they’re doing that.”
“That? What’s that?”
“Ssh, that’s not for you young children to know,” Ulfrik shook his head while clicking his tongue, “But if they are doing that, then we should definitely stop them.”
“What is that!?”
“Shut up or I will hit you again!”
The children proceeded to walk towards Estrid’s room, quietly. With the floor squeaking with each of their steps, followed by a chuckle that was almost as high-pitched as the squeak.
“Sshh!” Ulfrik placed his finger on his lips as they reached the front of Estrid’s room. However, instead of quieting down, the others rushed towards the door, placing their ears on it to try and hear whatever was going inside.
But alas, as soon as they did so, the hinges of the door seemed to have not been able to contain their weight as it limped towards the floor with a bang.
“It was Ulfrik’s idea!”
All of the children then quickly pointed towards Ulfrik, who could do nothing but widen his eyes from the sudden betrayal.
“I was a fool to have trusted all of you again!” Ulfrik closed his eyes and looked to the side in shame, “I will never trust anyone ever–“
“They’re not here!”
“What!?”
Before Ulfrik could finish his lament, he was forced to open his eyes from the words he just heard; and as one of them said, Van and Estrid were nowhere to be found in the room.
***
“…Why didn’t I get that ability instead of the shield?”
“Please do not underestimate Aegis. It is one of the strongest weapons in all of Olympus.”
Van was now walking around the city, beside a brown-haired woman that slightly looked similar to him.
“So, can I call you Athena now? I am starting to get confused as to what I should call you if you could just change the way you look anytime you want to.”
“No, call me Estrid indefinitely,” Estrid shook her head as she continued to walk, “And may I ask why you called for me?”
“I wanted to ask you more about this world, specifically if you’ve met anyone from the New Wall city.”
“I am afraid I have only met the vampire, as well as the human embodiment of the Staff of Asclepius; I think most of them have already died when I met them.”
“…What about Andrea? Hasn’t Evangeline told you that she’s also supposed to be technically the child of Azrael? Since her mother also came from… a feather or something.”
“You mean Skylar? She’s with the Staff of Asclepius; as for Andrea, I am afraid she just wasn’t as special as you, King Evans. She grew old, maybe as a result of her not being fathered by a god.”
“Wait, what? Skylar is with Latanya?”
Hearing Estrid say her words so casually, Van could not help but be slightly taken aback.
“There’s no need to be perplexed, the relevance of the information is minimal.”
“I haven’t told you the full story of how I got here, did I?” Van then grabbed Estrid’s arm, pulling her to the side of the busy street before telling her the story of his deal with Gerald, as well as what happened to Harvey and the other humans.
Estrid had her hand placed on her chin the whole time Van was telling her his story, and as soon as it was over, she immediately had something to say.
“Oh, they probably thought that by placing you in Asgard, you’d probably be wreaking havoc and weakening it yourself; I must say, quite an unorthodox plan, but not without its merits considering your somewhat berserker nature.”
“…The only time I went berserk was when I accidentally activated Mister Hercules’s skill,” Van furrowed his eyebrows, “Which I think probably won’t happen again, since I have the [Gift of Dionysus], which prevents my mind from being… controlled.”
With the sudden realization, Van could not help but open his System once again to check if that truly is what Dionysus’s skill did– and it was. If he gets the chance to, he should try his theory– but if he was wrong, then it might spell his death.
“Don’t you also have Artemis’s accuracy?”
“Just a tiny fraction,” Van quickly replied, “I still pretty much just only use my speed.”
“And as you should,” Estrid nodded as she went back to the street and continued walking, “Hermes was the same even though he had other abilities. It was a blessing for the other males of Zeus that Hermes was not really one for fighting; if he was, then they would definitely not be his match– and I see you have gained a sufficient amount of strength as well?”
“…I did,” Van nodded as he followed Estrid, “Charlotte… she was dying.”
“You need not say anymore,” Estrid let out a sigh as soon as she heard Van’s words, “Death by your hand was probably the best way she could have gone, King Evans– she was already in a very bad state the last time I was with her.”
“Wait… what do you mean you were with her?” Van once again stopped Estrid from walking, “You were with her?”
“Of course,” Estrid nodded, “She was the very first Transported. Well, first after Angela and her sister, that is; but Angela was transported here almost at the same time as me… speaking of which, I wonder what those sisters are now?”
“Wait… wait. Miss Angela and her sister are still alive?”
“I presume, they are quite resilient. The last time I saw them, they were traveling the Realms to find their brother,” Estrid shrugged nonchalantly.
“…What?” Van had thought that Athena hasn’t changed throughout the 10 thousand years… but it would seem she has. For her to treat something like this as irrelevant information, then what, in her definition, counts as relevant?
“Let’s rewind it back a little,” Van then could not help but slightly let out a breath, “Charlotte said she hasn’t even met anyone from her past.”
“I was with her,” Estrid let out a sigh as soon as she heard a trickle of doubt in Van’s voice, “She might have forgotten, but I never would– even if I wasn’t the Goddess of Wisdom. After all…
…she massacred half of Vanaheim.”
