Episode 32/Chapter 1: The land of darkness (1)

TL: Tsubak

ED: Julsmul

Balgad, the Giant of Earth, died.

The Magician King, Utgard Loki, buried his body within the wooden throne and closed his eyes.

It was an unexpected loss. There were now only three of the Five Fingers remaining.

The Magician King didn’t want to blame Avalt. The one that had granted them a right to act freely was him and they didn’t have death planned.

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An accident.

The incident was one only expressed like that.

The Magician King thought of the Great War. Asgard wasn’t the only side that hadn’t completely recovered since then.

The Five Fingers had been weakened. The present Five Fingers weren’t comparable to the ones in the Great War.

The Magician King gritted his teeth. It was because the old wound in his shoulder had started to hurt.

The Prince of Light, Cuchulainn.

The warrior of Erin that had defeated the strongest giant of the previous Five Fingers, the Giant of Cold, Urtr, and had even dealt Utgard Loki a near-fatal wound.

The magician king pressed on the wound with his big hand and the pain was transmitted on his skin that looked like a split wall.

The Great War.

The Magician King smiled bitterly. He didn’t look at the past but at the present.

The Five Fingers weren’t weak. They were strong among the present giants.

It wasn’t easy to imagine that the Giant of Earth, Balgad, was defeated by a warrior that had just become superior-ranked.

Idun’s warrior.

He had already heard his name several times.

The one that had defeated the sinner, Sigil, and killed Bress the Tyrant was that warrior.

The Magician King understood the Five Fingers. He could also understand why Avalt and Balgad were so obsessed with Idun’s warrior.

He’d been contacted by the Frost Giant King, Harmarti. He received the results from when Asgard clashed against the army of giants to rescue Idun’s warrior.

The things that happened in Midgard-

The reaction of Asgard-

The measures Freya took-

And the most important thing of all, the movement of the King of Gods, Odin.

The Magician King sped up his thoughts. Contrary to his brilliant mind, he opened his eyes slowly and looked out before him.

He moved the small picture of Idun’s warrior to a broader one and looked at the completed image.

The time had come.

It was already ripe.

The Magician King rolled his fingers and transmitted his will through the magical nets that looked like a spider web.

—

The God of Lies, Loki, raised his head.

He was in a noisy bar.

It was still the middle of the day, but warriors were already gathered and drinking. The traveller that came from the North started to tell stories about the warriors of Valhalla, and the warriors’ eyes shone like those of kids as they listened to his story.

Even the waitresses that had no connection to the battlefield leaned their ears towards the traveller.

And that was a really obvious thing.

Because the stories of the warriors of Valhalla were manifested myths on the ground.

The traveller also spoke about Idun’s warrior. Based on the words of Idun’s warrior, the residence of Idun was filled with the most beautiful Valkyries in Valhalla and he rode on a golden ship and even had strong and cool Shinsoos.

In addition, he had also said that the great Viking King, Ragnar, also resided in that place.

Just being able to meet him was glorious enough, but it seemed that one would be able to receive classes from him if you went to Idun’s legion.

“Idun’s warrior said that the representative Valkyrie of Idun’s legion is so extraordinarily beautiful that her beauty is the best in Asgard and in all the Nine Realms. Not only that, but she also cooks so well that you may die after eating it.”

“Ohh.”

“Ohh Valhalla!”

Loki tilted his head slightly. Because there was only one Valkyrie in Idun’s legion.

Heda.

Loki also knew her. Although it wasn’t as that traveller claimed, she was certainly a beauty in any part of Asgard.

The traveller kept telling many other things.

Especially, the most popular of them was the story of the monster Bracky of the Skald Knights. His story of having died and having returned in a few months after becoming a warrior of Valhalla made the hearts of the warriors burn.

“Valhalla!”

“Valhalla!”

The warriors desired Valhalla more than usual and they pondered about the life after death rather than the current life.

Loki smiled bitterly. He thought of Odin’s face that would be frowning by looking at this situation. He created wars with his magic to replenish Valhalla with new warriors, but he wouldn’t like this situation where everyone desired death.

Loki drank the beer in his cup. No one in the bar noticed that they were in the presence of a God.

Loki closed his eyes. It wasn’t to savor the cheap beer.

He could hear the voice of the Magician King. It was really weak, as it had passed a long way and was sent from beyond the Great Barrier. The contents of it were also short.

But it was enough. Loki placed down his cup and again smiled bitterly.

“Let everything happen as the King wishes.”

Loki mumbled and stood up. He then left the land that the Giant of Earth, Balgad, had prepared many things and moved to another place.

Now, the time wasn’t really too long.

—

“Amazing!”

Adenmaha yelled brightly as soon as the conference ended and returned to the residence.

Actually, she was already beyond elated while coming to the residence

.

Tae Ho understood Adenmaha, and he was actually also really excited.

‘Standing in front of tens of thousands of people is always thrilling.’

Cuchulainn said, and Tae Ho agreed. It was what he felt in a final.

Tens of people would concentrate in him. They would react sensitively at each one of the motions of his hand or eyes.

It was a moment where one could imagine that they had become a God.

And that feeling would get bigger the more people were lined up in front of you.

Adenmaha was a Goddess of the Tuatha De Danann, but she didn’t possess that much power. In addition, the word ‘Goddess’ for the Tuatha De Danann, that was solely composed of Gods, was no different to differentiating a woman.

Because of that, Adenmaha had no experience of being worshipped by someone, and the same went for being cheered in front of tens of thousands of people.

“Ahh, so you play being God because of this.”

It seemed like it was a wrong appreciation, but Tae Ho just laughed at it as Adenmaha also wasn’t being serious with her words.

“It must have also influenced you ever since you became a Valkyrie of Idun’s legion. You are an existence belonging to Idun now, so you will obviously get heated up when they call out Idun’s name.”

Ragnar, who had returned earlier than Tae Ho’s group, said as much.

Tae Ho looked at him, wondering when he had arrived, and Ragnar opened his mouth again.

“If you are going to return to the residence, you should do it quickly. It’s not just one or two commanders that want to have a drink with you, so if you get caught, you will be held for at least a month.”

The humans of Midgard weren’t the only ones that showed an interest to Idun’s warrior. Idun’s warrior was also the main talk among the warriors of Valhalla.

‘A feast with warriors of Valhalla was always painful.’

Cuchulainn mumbled in a low voice as if he had remembered something terrible.

Because when the warriors of Valhalla started to party, they would follow that path until the end.

Tae Ho remembered the banquets he had been until now and shook his head unconsciously. He then turned around and thought of another thing.

‘I also want to see her.’

If he closed his eyes he felt like he could see Heda’s and Idun’s faces. He wanted to meet the two of them the fastest he could.

“It’s obvious what you are thinking about.”

Ragnar clicked his tongue and shook his head. Tae Ho grew embarrassed and then cleared his throat a few times and asked,

“What are you planning to do, teacher?”

“I’m planning on staying a few more days before returning. I have some things to take care of.”

Although he was retired now, he was someone that had once climbed to the top-ranked seat. His influence couldn’t be ignored at all. In addition, Valhalla always needed his vast knowledge and strategies.

“Most of all-”

Ragnar swapped the subject and looked at Tae Ho. He put on the eyes of a master testing his disciple and asked,

“I’m curious about your thoughts of having met him directly. How did you see Sigurd?”

The top-ranked warrior, Sigurd.

The strongest warrior in Valhalla, something no one could deny.

He was strong. So strong that the current Tae Ho couldn’t even begin to be compared with him.

Did he only feel that he had faced a wall? Or fell in shock that there was another sky beyond the sky?

Ragnar was expectant of the answer Tae Ho would give, and it was the same for Cuchulainn.

Tae Ho opened his mouth slowly. It was an honest thought he didn’t decorate at all.

And that answer satisfied Ragnar and Cuchulainn.

—

The day Tae Ho left the fortress in the front lines was the day after the grand conference took place.

Bracky and Siri, who had suffered along with Tae Ho, received a momentary vacation. In addition, Siri was called especially by Ullr to rest in his residence instead of Idun’s residence or in Midgard.

Because of that, when they arrived at Valhalla, Siri went to Ullr’s residence along with Gandur that had come for her. Bracky was also received by a Valkyrie of Thor’s legion so he immediately rode off on their ship.

“She didn’t come to greet me.”

As Tae Ho looked at the dock with disappointed eyes, Adenmaha swelled her cheeks.

“You have me. I’m here.”

He was already being accompanied by a Valkyrie, so there was no need for another one to come. In addition, there was one more reason this time.

“That’s a cool ship.”

Merlin smiled and said. The thing that was in front of Tae Ho’s group wasn’t the wooden boat. It was a huge ship that was adorned in gold.

It was one of the several rewards he had received this time for his actions.

Tae Ho looked at the big, white sail that had the symbol of Idun with a proud face. He felt like he could understand the expression ‘to feel full just by looking at others eat’.

As it was a magical boat like the flying pirate ship and Scuabtuinne, it didn’t particularly need anyone to control it. With that in mind, Tae Ho, Adenmaha, and Merlin could view the insides of the ship while going to the residence.

“It’s big and beautiful.”

Tae Ho said with a satisfied expression after checking out the spacious cabins, storage, etc. Adenmaha put on a satisfied expression when she saw a symbol of a white sea serpent that was on the deck.

And after some more time-

The three of them stood on the deck and looked at the direction of Idun’s residence. As it was the first time for Merlin, he showed an excited look like that of a traveller finally visiting a famous landmark.

“Most of all, are you prepared to cope with it?”

“Cope with it?”

“You bluffed big time.”

Adenmaha started to say the things the newcomer warriors said they heard in Midgard as if it was absurd. She had said something similar in Midgard, but the situation was different now.

Firstly, a few days had passed since new warriors entered the legion, and it was plenty of time for them to realize the truth of the legion.

“What did they say?”

“They didn’t say anything but, ‘let’s wait until the commander comes’~ something like that?”

Adenmaha frowned and said. As Heda wasn’t currently on the residence, Adenmaha had been the one that was taking care of the new warriors.

“I can feel their doubtful gazes at times and…..ugh, I felt like my liver was aching.”

Because there was a difference that couldn’t be filled from what Tae Ho had said and the actual residence of Idun.

Tae Ho frowned.

“Hm. It’s somewhat unfair. I have never lied….Why is your expression like that?”

“It hurts. Hurrrts.”

Adenmaha got her cheeks pinched strongly and then stepped back while putting on a teary face. While she covered her cheeks with her hands because she was afraid she may get pinched again, Tae Ho found her to be both cute and poor at the same time.

As a result, Tae Ho opened his shoulders broadly and said,

“The flying ship is what I showed them in Midgard, and we also have this cool ship, right?”

‘So you are saying you didn’t have it when you spoke about it.’

Cuchulainn spoke with a lukewarm voice, but he ignored it.

Adenmaha said while still covering her cheeks,

“What about the Valkyries?”

The new warriors had heard that there were more than ten.

“That’s no problem either.”

Tae Ho spoke and then looked at a distant place. It seemed like he should start by now as they were getting closer to the residence.

[Saga: The Warrior that had a Valkyrie Meet Him]

[Saga: Warrior’s Equipment]

[Saga: His Pocket is Connected to a Treasure Vault]

Tae Ho activated his sagas in rapid consecution and a squad of fake Valkyries appeared behind Tae Ho with Heda at the front.

Rasgrid, Reginleif, Ingrid, Gandur, Kaldea, and Adenmaha. A total of seven.

Excluding the fake Heda, all the other ones were just standing dumbfoundedly, but it was enough.

When he armed the Valkyries with the ‘Warrior’s Equipment’ and several loots he gained from the battlefield, a quite convincing squad of Valkyries was made.

“Good. Perfect.”

He made the fake Heda and Adenmaha wear helmets so that their faces wasn’t shown. It would be hard to explain if there were several similar faces.

Adding Heda and Adenmaha to the fake ones, there were nine in total.

As there were six warriors in Idun’s legion including Tae Ho, the number of Valkyries was much bigger.

Adenmaha looked at Tae Ho with really lukewarm eyes and Cuchulainn clicked his tongue and said.

‘It certainly isn’t a saga but a cheat.’ (ED note: Cuchulainn should hook up with Ragnar!)

He hadn’t lied, whatever the case.

And the effects was enough.

The newcomer warriors were standing on the deck as if to welcome Tae Ho’s return, and they all had enchanted expressions.

“Ohh! It’s just like Idun’s warrior had said!”

“Look at the Valkyries!”

“Idun’s warrior!”

“Our commander!”

They were all bearded, grown men, but it was nice to see that they were jumping in joy.

“This is service.”

As Tae Ho rolled his finger ever so slightly, the fake Valkyries waved their hands towards the warriors and then the cheer of the warriors became louder.

“A King needs a strategy to fool the enemy.”

While Merlin decorated his words, Adenmaha took a deep breath and fell behind. It was because a beautiful woman showed from between the cheering warriors.

“Heda,”

Tae Ho said. As soon as the ship arrived on the deck, he jumped down and stood in front of her.

Heda smiled brightly instead of running towards him and embracing him.

“Hello once again?”

Tae Ho smiled and then opened his arms and hugged her.

< Episode 32 – The land of darkness (1) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~