Episode 47/Chapter 1: The fastest one (1)
TL: Tsubak
ED:
The signal of Rasgrid disappeared.
Tae Ho activated his saga as soon as Hildegrid finished speaking.
[Saga: The warrior that had a Goddess meet him]
But nothing got summoned and this was an obvious thing.
‘She’s too far.’
She had said that the place the signal of Rasgrid got cut off was on the path leading to Olympus. The limit he could summon the adversary with his saga was limited, compared to the summoning rock.
When it was The warrior that had a Valkyrie meet him the limit was a radius of one kilometer but after it got promoted to The warrior that had a Goddess meet him the limit increased to three kilometers.
The path heading to Olympus took three days in a carriage from Valhalla. Actually, the region where he caught Rolo was around that place. If they wanted to get closer they would have to travel one to two more days.
He already knew that she wouldn’t get summoned. Tae Ho used his saga just in case and felt urgency.
“Calm down.”
Freya sensed Tae Ho use his saga and said. She bit her lips once and then spoke to Hildegrid.
“Tell Idun to come here immediately. We will proceed with the top rank promotion of Idun’s warrior.”
“I understand.”
Hildegarde answered immediately and left the room. Freya spoke to Tae Ho.
“I know about your relationship with Rasgrid. You have known her since you were a lowest ranked warrior but calm down. It will be meaningless to charge over there right now.”
Tae Ho was agitated and Freya looked at his eyes properly. She explained with a calm voice.
“We can guess two things with the signal getting cut. First, Rasgrid died completely. Second, Rasgrid moved to a place that the signal gets blocked.”
She didn’t use provocative words on purpose. They were only rational guesses.
“If it’s the former, it will be really meaningless to go running over there right now and even if it’s the latter, it won’t have any meaning either. No matter how much you hurry, you will still take a few hours to reach to the path leading to Olympus.”
Rasgrid’s signal didn’t weaken. It had disappeared completely.
That’s why the probabilities of her having suffered a fatal injury was low. But of course, there was also the possibility she moved to a place that blocked her signal while being greatly injured or was trapped somewhere. Even if that was the case he had no methods to go to her right now.
‘Freya-nim’s words are right. Calm down and think calmly.’
Cuchulainn added. He also liked Rasgrid but they wouldn’t be able to solve this when their emotions got ahead of their actions.
“Already 30 Valkyries didn’t return and in addition Rasgrid disappeared.”
Freya continued speaking. She was half speaking to herself.
“There’s also the possibility she’s got done by the remnant forces of the giants but something may be wrong with Olympus.”
The Temple, Olympus and Asgard were allies but they weren’t neighbouring countries. They were different worlds from each other.
The Temple didn’t know of Asgard’s situation before Kaldea notified them of the urgency.
If Tae Ho hadn’t defeated the Beast king Tiachi and opened up a path the Temple would have noticed Asgard’s situation only after it collapsed completely.
It was the same for Olympus. If Olympus got done by without having the chance to notify of the danger or were in the same situation they couldn’t notify of the danger, Asgard didn’t have any methods to notice that danger.
But of course, the three worlds maintained a constant contact to prepare for the worse. But even so that wasn’t a few times in weeks but one or two times in a year. So a situation where it was already late when they realized was highly probable.
“We have to go to investigate and this time it can’t be a Valkyrie but someone really strong. They should be at the class of a commander. Right, like you Tae Ho.”
If they sent someone weak they would just get defeated.
Freya grabbed Tae Ho’s hands. She acted as the housekeeper of Valhalla and commander of the Valkyries.
“I will send you even if you don’t request it. No, I would like you to go. Currently there are only two commanders left in Valhalla including you. But I can’t just send you like that. I will send you after I strengthen you a little bit.”
That was the reason she called Idun.
She would turn Tae Ho into a top ranked warrior and grant him with a divinity.
“How long will the ceremony take?”
It was a ceremony that was planned to take place after three days. Freya frowned at Tae Ho’s question and answered.
“Idun and I will have to work hard but we will be able to end it in some minutes.”
“If it’s too much…..”
“There are times that we have to overdo it.”
Freya smirked and spoke. That looked was far from being elegant but Tae Ho felt that Freya was really beautiful.
‘She’s strong. It seems like light is shining from her.’
Tae Ho agreed to Cuchulainn’s words. Odin didn’t give her the position of Valhalla and Asgard’s housekeeper for nothing.
“Do you feel like falling for me now?”
Freya’s playful voice turned Tae Ho back to reality. He shook his head and Freya snickered.
“It will take some time to prepare the ceremony. Actually, I was planning to prepare it slowly starting today. That’s why you will become a top ranked warrior after a few hours.”
It was a ceremony granting a divinity.
Looking at it in another perspective, it was the same as promoting a female warrior of Valhalla into a Valkyrie but there was quite a difference in it. Because of that, they couldn’t use the magic circle that was usually used on promoting Valkyries. She had to use a new magic circle solely for Tae Ho.
“Hrist!”
“Yes, Freya-nim.”
The Valkyrie of Freya’s legion that had the same name as the Valkyrie of Hermod’s legion answered to her call. Freya ordered her, that expressed etiquette when she entered the room.
“Tell the returning group to hurry up. You can take all the preparations you need.”
“I understand.”
Hrist didn’t seem to need an explanation after hearing the group returning group and she left the room instead of asking anymore.
Freya explained quickly.
“I can’t send you alone. I will make up an investigation team. Originally, it should be composed by members of Idun’s legion but it would be impossible as all the warriors are lowest ranked except for you. That’s why I will give you warriors from other legions.”
It was a reasonable story but the word returning group bothered Tae Ho.
Why was it a returning group? WHere were they returning from?
“Are you talking about?”
“Yes, about them. Bracky and Siri were already returning from the battlefield to participate in your ceremony. It’s a really rare thing even in Valhalla that a top ranked warrior gets born. Even if it was informal we were planning to show the utmost devotion to it.”
But of course, it was possible only because the situation was favorable. They were only taking two superior ranked warriors from the battlefield and call them to the rear.
“I will give you some Valkyries on top of Siri and Bracky. A top ranked warrior, two superior ranked warriors and about two Valkyries is a force that is more than enough for an investigation team. If an investigation group as this one gets defeated……We have to retreat the forces that went to the north to chase Harmarti.”
It a commander- and a top ranked warrior on top of that got defeated, Asgard would also be in great danger.
“Could something have happened in Olympus?”
“Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”
It was a low probability for it to be nothing. But it was right at that moment.
[Freya unni! What happened?]
Idun’s voice was heard from a bust of a Goddess that was in a side of the room. It was a bust that had the role of a phone that Freya used to contact Idun.
Freya smirked at Idun’s urgent and dubious voice.
“Come quickly. If you don’t come in 5 minutes I will eat your warrior.”
[What are you………]
“Start!”
Idun’s voice got cut off the moment she yelled. It was because Idun cut the connection instead of Freya.
“It seems like she’s really hurrying. Love is really incredible.”
Freya looked at Tae Ho with eyes that meant that it was good he was receiving love and Tae Ho cleared his throat with a bit embarrassed face.
“Well, she should be coming soon so let’s finish what we were doing.”
“What we were doing?”
“What we were doing.”
Freya opened her eyes sharply and approached Tae Ho with one step and Tae Ho flinched when he thought of what happened before Hildegarde intruded.
‘Envious bastard.’
Cuchulainn said and Freya put a playful smile once again.
“Pant, pant.”
Idun actually arrived at Freya’s room after some minutes while panting heavily and Freya giggled while stroking the cats.
“Hey, did you really think I was going to eat your warrior? You should have come slowly.”
‘She did have a little taste although it was only in the forehead.’
Cuchulainn spoke in a small voice.
And at that moment Idun glared at Freya and yelled.
“Unni! No, aunt!”
There was no way Idun heard Cuchulainn’s voice but she was still angry that Freya had used Tae Ho.
Freya opened her eyes sharply at Idun’s changed way of addressing Freya.
“Hey! I told you not to call me aunt but unnie!”
“What unnie! You are an aunt!”
Freya and the previous Idun were like sisters so actually, aunt was the correct expression for the daughter of the previous Idun.
“You really.”
“Really what?”
It was completely a fight between sisters. Tae Ho butted in hurriedly.
“Idun-nim, calm down. We have to hurry.”
It was certainly effective. Idun, that was breathing hard while looking at Freya, calmed down her breathing and asked Tae Ho quickly.
“My warrior Tae Ho, just what happened?”
“The signal of Rasgrid that was investigating the path leading to Olympus disappeared.”
The answer came from Freya. Idun blinked a few times as she didn’t know what she was talking about but soon, understood the seriousness of the situation and also understood why Freya had called her.
“Let’s start with the ceremony of the top ranked warrior.”
Freya stood up from her seat.
&
The preparation of the ceremony took place in Freya’s room.
Freya ordered the Valkyries to prepare for the ceremony and drew a complicated magic circle in the middle of the room with Idun. It seemed like not anyone was able to do it as the process took an abundant amount of divine power.
In addition, it wasn’t something that ended in a short moment just like Freya said. About three hours passed until Idun and Freya completed the magic circle.
Freya got wet with her sweat. She stood in her place with Idun while placing Tae Ho at the center of the magic circle. She recited a chant to make a part of the magic circle shine and continued to recite new chants.
About ten minutes later. Freya stopped her chants when the entire magic circle started to shine. She took a deep breath and spoke to Tae Ho.
“There’s only the last step left. It is to engrave the name of a new God in the real world tree of Yggdrasil.”
They would make the world aware of the birth of a new God.
Idun approached Tae Ho and made a light hand gesture. A nameplate of light appeared in the air.
“My warrior Tae Ho. Write your name in this.”
Freya gave Tae Ho a feather made of light this time.
Tae Ho pondered for a moment but then wrote his name in Korean and Idun and Freya tilted their heads because they didn’t know the characters he wrote but didn’t think about it for long. It was because the meaning behind it was more important rather than the letters or symbols.
“Good, we are done with the formalities. I will now lead your divine power with Idun. Close your eyes and concentrate.”
Tae Ho closed his eyes at Freya’s words. He calmed down himself like meditating and concentrated the power in the inside of his body.
Idun’s divine power.
Tae Ho’s own magic power.
The blessings of the several Valkyries.
He felt a familiar yet unfamiliar strength between those.
“You can feel a strength different from Idun’s divine power right? ALthough it’s small and weak yet.”
Freya spoke and increased her divine power. Idun did the same and the power of the two Goddesses brought up the power of a new God.
It seemed like a flower had blossomed.
It was too small compared to Idun’s or Freya’s divine power but Tae Ho shuddered at that strength. Tae Ho’s soul yelled.
“Congratulations my warrior Tae Ho.”
Idun spoke as if whispering. Tae Ho opened his eyes slowly and looked at his surroundings. Nothing had changed externally but something had certainly changed.
“Divine powers don’t always repel each other. In the end it depends on you but….your divine power will grow in a direction that suits with Idun’s divine power well.”
Freya said with a relaxed face. Idun grabbed Tae Ho’s hand.
“I’m really proud of you.”
The birth of a top ranked warrior was really rare even if you looked at the history of Valhalla.
Because of that, you could say that the birth of a top ranked warrior was the pride of a legion.
“Thank you. Thank you Idun-nim.”
Tae Ho expressed his thanks to Idun and Freya and then put strength in his hands holding Idun’s hands.
Idun spoke once again.
“My warrior Tae Ho, be careful.”
“I understand.”
“Let my blessing accompany you.”
Idun stood on her toes and gave Tae Ho the best blessing. Idun’s hair turned red and then she blessed Tae Ho one more time.
“Let Idun’s blessing accompany you.”
It was Heda. Tae Ho embraced her tightly.
“Let my blessing accompany you.”
And blessed her back. Freya frowned while looking at them and said.
“Do it outside, outside. Not Here.”
Cuchulainn agreed to her words earnestly.
&
Tae Ho left the palace of Freya and then headed to the central hall of Valhalla after bidding his farewell to Idun.
“Tae Ho!”
“Bracky! Siri!”
Siri and Bracky, that returned quickly by using a Black Flash, greeted Tae Ho. It seemed like they didn’t arrive recently looking that they looked fine even though they rode on the Black Flash.
“I congratulate you on having become a top ranked warrior.”
“You are the pride of our knight.”
Siri embraced Tae Ho and Bracky embraced the two of them.
“Thank you for coming like this.”
Tae Ho got out of Bracky’s embrace like escaping and spoke. Siri got to escape thanks to him and smirked but then fixed her expression to a serious one and said.
“I heard about our task.”
“We will be fighting in a really long while.”
An investigation team with Tae Ho as the leader.
The two people had already heard of Rasgrid’s disappearance along the other Valkyries.
Tae Ho nodded once and looked sideways. It was because a familiar aura was approaching.
“Valkyrie Ingrid of Njord’s legion greets the commander of Idun.”
“ingrid?”
She used polite words once again as it was a formal occasion.
It seemed like Ingrid was one of the Valkyries Freya had said they would accompany him. Siri opened her mouth to explain.
“Ingrid will accompany us along with….”
“I will also go.”
“Gandur.”
Gandur, that was hidden in the opposite direction of Ingrid jumped up and appeared.
“It’s a mixed team. As for the Valkyries of Idun’s legion, Heda will have to remain on Valhalla like usual and you can call Adenmaha and Nidhogg whenever you want with your summoning rocks. The remaining two are newbies, we can’t entrust a task this important to newcomers. That’s why the veteran Ingrid and I will be going with you.”
It wasn’t as much as Ingrid but Gandur had stayed back on Valhalla because of the injury she suffered in the last battle.
“I’m happy i’m able to help commander-nim.”
Ingrid expressed etiquette once again. Her voice and attitudes were stiff but she was filled with warmth like usual and worry about Rasgrid.
“Thank you. Let’s depart immediately.”
They had spent quite a lot of time already. There was no need to waste more time now that all the members were here.
Bracky checked his surroundings and asked.
“What about the transportation? Is there a space door or….so it was that.”
Bracky’s voice became depressed and Siri put an expression as she had gulped something bitter. Tae Ho nodded with a determined face.
And after a while, in the sky of Valhalla.
“My lower body feels weiiiiiiiiiiird!”
Five Black Flashes crossed the sky of Valhalla.
&
“Are you awake?”
< Episode 47 – The fastest one (1) > End
TL note: Thanks for reading~