Episode 44/Chapter 3: The Great War (3)
TL: Tsubak
ED: Ren
“They really are too much.”
“Right, right. Tae Ho master is too much.”
Adenmaha spoke with cold eyes and Nidhogg with a teary face.
Tae Ho, who was on the head of the black dragon and in front of two dragons – perhaps two Goddesses, was still sharing a passionate kiss.
The warriors that were cheering for them at the start had now turned away and were taking care of their own business and some of them said, ‘they are still going at it?’
Gandur, who had giggled and enjoyed the view, now wore an awkward expression. Bracky, who was the first to set the atmosphere, turned to look at Siri and she frowned at his expectant expression. She made a light gesture with her chin and said while looking at him with eyes that only the two of them understood, ‘Not now.’
There were too many people near them. In addition, the timing was completely off. They didn’t know if it was just when Tae Ho and Heda had started to kiss, so to say, when they first felt the happiness of having won, but it was too late now.
The warriors and shield maidens and even the Valkyries that had shared kisses and hugs because of the happiness were now taking care of the battlefield with embarrassed faces.
Adenmaha’s eyes became close to the absolute zero and when Nidhogg was about to start crying, Tae Ho’s and Heda’s blessing ended. A superior ranked Valhalla warrior and a representative Valkyrie wouldn’t be out of breath in normal battles, but now they could only pant because they couldn’t breathe properly.
Heda bit her lower lip, embarrassed and Tae Ho felt Heda to be too lovely and felt the urge to kiss her once again.
However, he held himself back, because they had shared a kiss for close to almost twenty minutes. Cuchulainn clicked his tongue and let an absent minded voice flow in his mind.
‘How great, too great. How are you able to do that?’
‘I saved it for myself. It was also like this before… so to say, that day.’
Another voice interrupted.
It was none other than Idun.
They knew even without any explanation of the day Idun was speaking about.
…The day of the announcement that Tae Ho got promoted to the superior rank; when Heda gave Tae Ho the best blessing in front of everyone.
‘That really was to show it to others?’
It was to show Rasgrid and the other Valkyries, ‘don’tlook at him, he’s mine. So don’t even touch him.’
No one said anything but everyone thought of the same thing. Heda’s red face became even redder and she explained hurriedly, “Ah, that’s not the case. It’s not like that.”
There was no logic behind it. She was just forcing herself to say it and because of that, Idun’s calm voice suppressed Heda’s useless resistance.
‘It is like that.’
She also spoke without logic but had an incredible persuasiveness behind it.
It was because she had done the same this time. She used the kiss, which had continued for twenty minutes, so that everyone engraved it thoroughly in their heads, to the point they disliked it.
Heda bit her lower lip once again and gritted her teeth. She spoke sharply, as she couldn’t endure it anymore.
“Then, you are also the same, Idun.”
‘I don’t know what you are talking about,’ Idun countered.Heda’s eyes became sharper.
“Hmph, so you are going to come out like that, huh? Then Tae Ho is mine now. He’s Heda’s warrior. He will give up on being Idun’s warrior.”
‘W, we weren’t talking about that!’
‘What is this chaos and destruction? This situation that makes others that are watching burn with rage?’
Cuchulainn mumbled in a reverent voice while Heda and Idun were arguing with each other.
Tae Ho felt that he should get the situation under control. It was because he had to protect the peace of his family – no, the legion.
“Uh, um… Heda? Idun-nim?”
He called them both for now. Heda raised her head and looked at Tae Ho and he realized…
“Idun-nim?”
“So you can differentiate!”
‘Idun!’
Idun smiled with a bright face and this time, Heda’s voice rang in her head. It seemed as if the rights over their body had passed from Heda to Idun.
‘My comprehension isn’t able to catch up…’ Cuchulainn spoke with a suffering expression.
Tae Ho also wanted to nod but he was in a different situation from Cuchulainn. It was because Tae Ho was the involved party compared to Cuchulainn, who was a spectator.
He spoke carefully to Idun, whom he had recognized by the really lovely face that she wore.
“Uh… We have lots of things to talk about, right?”
“That’s right. And it seems like we also have to listen about her; and there are things you should explain.”
Idun’s eyes became sharp. Her golden eyes, which were usually covered with a veil, were a bit different to Heda’s. It was a very slight difference but it had more dignity and fierceness.
Nidhogg was where Idun’s eyes were looking. She had approached Tae Ho and was grabbing at his clothes while mumbling in a low voice.
“She’s certainly strong. Too strong,” she said.
She felt like she had been smashed to pieces.
Idun’s eyes weren’t only looking at Nidhogg.
It was because she wasn’t the only dragon and Goddess there.
Adenmaha, who had approached at some point, grabbed the other part of Tae Ho’s sleeve.
&
The King of Gods, Odin went to the place the throne for the king was at.
Hlidskjalf.
The throne of the Gods, on which only its king and his proxy could sit.
Odin, who had protected that seat for a long time, sat on the throne with accustomed movements. He then buried his body in it while curling down and then raised his head while closing his eyes with a modest face.
A sharp sound was heard. Freya breathed hard after slapping Odin’s cheek while gritting her teeth.
Odin took a deep breath and opened his only eye to look at Freya.
“You can hit me more if you wish.”
“Of course! Do you think I won’t be able to if you speak like that?!”
Freya really didn’t stop. She kept slapping Odin’s cheek several more times.
“Really! Really! Really!”
If he was leaving he should have told her something!
And told her something if he had set up a plan like that!
How was she the mistress of Asgard? How was she the commander of the Valkyries and landlady of Valhalla?!
SHe had been tricked for more than a hundred years.
No matter the intention, Odin had hidden things from her for a hundred years.
Why hadn’t he told her?
Why did he make her curse Loki for that long?
She knew the reason. There was no way that she would miss the reason, as she was wise.
But her emotions had exploded. The violent thoughts were pressing down on her consciousness.
Freya cried. She cried and hit Odin. In the end, she buried her head in his chest and then burst into tears.
It was thanks for being alive.
For having returned.
Because Freyr hadn’t returned.
His foolish brother had left his only sister alone.
Odin embraced Freya. He patted her back and soothed her.
“I’m sorry.”
“If you know, you should do things properly.”
Freya pouted and pushed Odin away. With a messy face, she took a breath and then asked, “Um… are you okay?”
“I am. Probably.”
“If you are, you should just say so. What is the probably? That’s so petty.”
Freya grumbled as she healed Odin’s wounds with recovery magic. It was because his cheek was swollen, as she had hit him so hard and repeatedly.
Following that, Freya also used recovery magic on herself. She didn’t get hit but her eyes were red and swollen for having cried too much.
Odin regained his normal self. Freya, who had barely regained her composure, gave a short and sharp blessing to Odin.
“We can let them in now, right?”
“They must be waiting. Let’s hurry.”
Freya nodded. She rolled her fingers and sent a signal to a distant place and the Valkyries of Freya’s legion led the honored guests to the room of the king.
The first one that entered was Hador, who led the warriors of the Vanir.
Followed by that, the representative of the light fairies Farian, and the dark fairy, Arianmina, entered and then Gundor, the representative of Nidavellir, followed their back.
There were several representatives of Midgard, as it was separated in several parts. Seven human kings entered the throne room with very honored expressions.
The last one that entered was Hela.
The queen of the dead entered, escorted by the best warrior of Niflheim, Galeon, and then sat in the seat that was below and at the right of Odin.
They were reinforcements from the small worlds inside of Asgard.
Freya expressed her thanks to them and Odin gave blessings towards them.
After a while, the last guest entered the room.
The one that came from outside of Asgard.
The other realm that hadn’t turn their backs on Asgard.
Witacheon, one of the twelve protectors of the Temple, entered the room with majestic steps. He, who was famous for being the God of speed, wore white clothes that stuck to his body so his solid muscles and long legs were showing.
The dark fairy Arianmina admired Witacheon’s dignified appearance and Freya smiled with her eyes.
Witacheon stood in front of Odin instead of sitting by his side. He then hit his chest twice and expressed etiquette.
“For Asgard and the nine realms.”
It was the Asgardian etiquette. Odin answered with the etiquette of the Temple.
“Let the light of the Temple be eternal,” Odin and Freya said. Witacheon was moved at the etiquette he received from the best God and the Goddess, who could be said were right below him.
He smiled faintly and delivered the letter of Yuanshi Tianzun.
&
Time flowed normally, as if the fierce battle had been a lie.
Night was as cold as always and was silent and dark.
The Steel warriors decided to look out themselves. It was because they didn’t get exhausted, with their Steel bodies.
It was so that the warriors of Valhalla could rest overnight and could relieve their exhaustion.
It was the consideration of the Steel warriors, who were warriors of Valhalla even after dying.
Rasgrid walked on the walls of the fortress and consoled those warriors, and the Steel warriors thanked her.
Reginleif and the other Valkyries were encouraging the warriors inside the fortress.
They shared cups of alcohol and instilled them with the courage to fight once more.
The Valkyries were as exhausted as them and Reginleif had received quite a serious injury in the battle.
But she still smiled. Ingrid cared for the injuries of the warriors rather than herself.
They had won but the damages were great.
Countless warriors had become Steel warriors and thousands of Steel warriors had faced their real end.
There were also many injured and dead among the Valkyries.
The ones that fought in the sky suffered especially severe losses.
Hrist, of Hermod’s legion, poured alcohol for the warriors of Midgard. She had lost many of her sisters that day but she showed neither despair nor sadness. She tried to smile, even if it was forced.
The legion that had faced the most damages were the Valkyries of Hermod’s legion.
Part of it was because they had participated in the battle earnestly, regardless of the injuries and shame they had suffered from Tiachi but it was also because of the whereabouts of the Valkyries that had headed to the Olympus and were really far away.
Hrist let out a small sigh, unable to hide her exhaustion. Kaldea approached her at some point and hugged her to share their warmth. She made it so that she could rest at least for a moment.
In a deep place of Valhalla, Tae Ho was speaking with Idun.
There were many things the two of them had to explain and talk about. Nidhogg and Adenmaha weren’t the only ones at Tae Ho’s side; Ragnar, Merlin and Scathach were also there.
Tae Ho spoke for a long time and then looked in the direction of the giants.
He couldn’t see their camp, because the night was so dark that even the moon was hiding. But he could feel them.
The ones wanting to destroy the world.
The ones wanting to destroy Asgard.
They were at that place and were still releasing their evil aura in that moment.
The night deepened.
Then morning was approaching.
The real battle was just starting now.
< Episode 44 – The Great War (3) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~
