Otherwise, you can find another savior.

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"Is that so?" Morgan began to whisper in Shiomi's ear.

"Unfortunately, I just can't bring myself to be ruthless when I see Master's face," tide Jian explained, squinting her eyes.

Scáthach nodded repeatedly.

At that time in Britain, even though she knew that her master might be coming to kill her and stop the war, Shiomi couldn't bring herself to fight. She just begged Scáthach to give her some time to finish her business.

"If you keep acting like this, you'll suffer sooner or later," Morgan mumbled indistinctly, nibbling on Shio's earlobe.

“That’s why we need to keep an eye on our beloved disciple and not let any disreputable women get close to him.” Scáthach said thoughtfully, “I find Skadi’s attitude towards you strange. There’s probably something intriguing in the prophecy left by Odin.”

“In the mythology of pan-human history, Skadi also has the identity of being the bride of the Norse gods,” Morgan pondered. “If this Skadi from the Lostbelt, as the last Norse goddess, had no chance of marrying, like the queen of a certain Shadow Kingdom, she could only watch over her husband—”

“I suspect you are making a personal attack, Winter Queen,” Scáthach said, sliding her hand toward Shiomi’s inner thigh.

"It's just stating the facts, how can it be considered a personal attack?" Morgan's hand casually stroked Shiomi's chest.

"P-Please, you're not suggesting that... Odin of this Lostbelt left a prophecy before disappearing, forcing Skadi—"

　tide Jian's words were abruptly cut off before she could finish speaking.

He had his Achilles' heel gripped, and he certainly dared not continue to speak recklessly.

"We'll find out then," Scáthach said.

Then, tide Jian was forced onto the bed by them.

"A true man is born between heaven and earth; how can he remain subservient to others for long?"

He tried to gain control, but it was all in vain.

Chapter Seventeen Valkyrie

The next day, what awakened Shiomi and the others was the immense magical aura emanating from the direction of the village gate.

After feeling a strange and immense magical power in his sleep, Shio instantly woke up. He got up from the soft mattress on the floor, grabbed the clothes he had left in the room, put them on, and rushed outside.

Morgan and the other two, who were sleeping together on the bed, got up and changed their clothes one after another after hearing Shio's noise.

Pushing open Gerda's door, Shiomi saw that almost the entire village was gathered there, mostly children, and seven or eight adults in their twenties.

Before these kneeling villagers stood a figure draped in a pure white cloak, holding a small round shield and a radiant spear, with magically formed arc-shaped wings on his back.

That person was undoubtedly the source of the immense magical power that Shio had just sensed.

Right now, the villagers are kneeling neatly on the ground, waiting for the man in the white cloak to arrive.

Recalling the village situation she learned from Gerda yesterday, Shiomi immediately realized that the visitor in white must be the "envoy" Gerda had mentioned, a warrior under Skadi's command.

But what surprised Shiomi was something else.

Then Gerda came out and walked to the side of the white-cloaked envoy. Judging from her reaction, it seemed that she was going to be taken away alone.

Just as Shiomi was about to take a step, she suddenly caught a glimpse of many similar white figures in the sky and was taken aback.

“A considerable number, though not a threat in terms of magical power,” Morgan said as he walked out of the room after Shiomi. “But if negotiations break down and war breaks out rashly, it could affect the entire village and the villagers here.”

“Those warriors in white cloaks seem to have no life in them… Could they be the Valkyries from Norse mythology?” Scáthach also went outside to observe the situation in the direction of the village gate. “As far as I know, the Valkyries are divine weapons created by the great god Odin to deal with Ragnarok.”

tide Jian then turned to them and said, "I'll go check the situation first. You guys try to get close discreetly. If a fight breaks out, try to protect the villagers first."

"The reason Valkyrie wants to take Gerda away is probably because of her leaving the village without permission by crossing the gate, only to return," Artoria speculated, based on what she had heard yesterday.

After nodding in agreement, tide Jian rushed to the village gate.

Then, the Valkyrie noticed Shiomi, or rather... she couldn't help but notice her.

Shiomi did not conceal her magical power, and Valkyrie's senses immediately detected it.

In a village devoid of any magic, a being possessing immense magical power is tantamount to a dangerous being and naturally requires caution.

“You are… the guest that God is waiting for.” Valkyrie recognized Shiomi and then calmly told her, “Then, human, hurry up and embark on your path, and do not keep our God waiting.”

"Skadi..."

Shiomi walked through the children and adults, trying to get closer to ask more questions, but was blocked by more Valkyries descending from the sky.

The faces peeking out from under the white cloaks were identical; they were all mass-produced machines named Valkyrie.

“Answer me, Valkyrie, or rather, the Lord, why did you take Gerda away? What did she do wrong?” Shiomi demanded.

At this moment, Gerda spoke first to dissuade him: "That's not it, you've misunderstood, Lady Shiomi... I merely broke the rule that once I stepped out the door I shouldn't return, and God has summoned me to personally question me. Please don't clash with your companions over me..."

Gerda clearly did not fully understand what Valkyrie was saying to Shiomi, but since the envoy referred to Shiomi as "a guest of God," then she was no ordinary guest.

“One thing at a time. What’s between me and Skadi is our business.” Shiomi extended her hand. “You only went out to collect herbs to treat the sick villagers. If you are an all-knowing and all-powerful god, you should understand this.”

He called out to Gerda, telling her to leave Valkyrie and return to the villagers.

But Gerda dared not move at all.

No wonder.

For the villagers who have no fighting ability and do not understand what fighting is, the Valkyries, as their wielders, are an insurmountable and powerful force.

The villagers today don't understand how anyone could face the imperial envoys without fear.

Some who had heard about the situation from Gerda believed it was a problem between the censors.

"It is not permitted, it is not recognized. God's command is the absolute word of this land, and those who raise objections should be punished."

After a brief silence, Valkyrie calculated the answer.

Even God's guests must abide by the rule that "God's word is absolute".

“I didn’t ask you, Valkyrie,” Shiomi said.

All the Valkyries turned around instantly, their faces expressionless, but they simultaneously raised their weapons, aiming them at Shiomi.

Because when Shiomi said those words, she passed through the wall of Valkyries like a gust of wind and arrived in front of Gerda.

The Valkyries were unable to see Shiomi's movements clearly.

"But……"

Gerda, whose wrist was being held, hesitated and did not take a step.

At this very moment, Valkyrie's internal thought processes were on high alert, ready to launch an attack on Shiomi at any time.

They all raised their guns.

Morgan and Scáthach, who arrived a step later, were ready with their magic.

Morgan was in charge of imprisoning the Valkyries, while Scáthach used primal runes to protect the villagers.

The tense atmosphere suddenly came to an abrupt halt just before it reached a critical point.

All the Valkyries looked up as if startled—though their faces remained expressionless.

Then, the Valkyries took flight again, seemingly to leave, without even taking Gerda with them.

"By the command of our gods, we cease the detention of those who have committed sins, and we depart now." The leading Valkyrie looked down upon Shiomi and the villagers from the sky. "Guests from a distant world, we convey the name of our gods—"

The Valkyries' voices rose in unison like a hymn:

"Do not delay on the road, do not interfere with this land again, I await your arrival in the royal city."

"I'll be there, don't rush me. Since it was her who invited me, at least be patient."

After Shiomi finished answering, the Valkyries flew away silently and gracefully, like a flock of swans returning to their nest, leaving behind a neat trail of contrails.

Clearly, it was Skadi, far away in the royal city, who stopped the Valkyries from fighting at the last moment.

Chapter Eighteen: Heading to the Royal City

After the envoys left, the villagers were quite uneasy. Shiomi had to spend some time telling them that everything was alright and that tomorrow would be the same as usual.

Fortunately, his "special status" as Skadi's guest still proved useful.

After Shio-mi comforted and encouraged them, the villagers returned to their homes, and even the children did not play outside.

Ultimately, the imperial envoy had just left, and the events that had just occurred were changing rapidly, so the impact on the children was even greater, and they needed to stay at home to recover properly.

"Really...it's alright? I was supposed to go with the Imperial Envoy to meet the gods and await punishment..."

Gerda was still uneasy when she returned home.

“Don’t worry, we’re just trying to figure this out too.” Scáthach crouched down to comfort Gerda. “If you’re really uneasy, come with us. We’ll ask the goddess to forgive you in person.”

"Is Master going to take Gerda to Skadi's capital?" Shio asked, taken aback.

“After all, we don’t know if Skadi really intends to forgive the child.” Morgan leaned back in his chair. “If we leave and Valkyrie comes back the next day, wouldn’t all the significance of my husband’s actions be wasted?”

“Moreover, judging from their reaction just now, they should be divinely created weapons that strictly follow orders,” Artoria said. “For such beings, when different orders conflict, they will only choose to obey and execute the order with higher priority after calculation.”

She spoke with a tone of deep empathy.

During her time as the Lion King in the Sixth Singularity, Artoria knew that she shared some similarities with these Valkyries, but was even more autocratic than them.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Anyway, it’s just taking care of a child, so it’s not a big problem,” Shio said. “Besides, by tracking the magical remnants left behind by the Valkyries, we’ve been able to determine the general direction to the royal city.”

He also agreed to bring Gerda over so that Skadi could personally clear her of the charges for violating the rules, thus avoiding further repercussions from the mechanical Valkyries.

Otherwise, simply guarding this place and preventing the Valkyries from getting close would actually hinder Shiomi and the others.

"I'm going to... see the gods?" Gerda's eyes were filled with disbelief, unable to process what was happening.

In her less than thirteen years of life so far, Gerda shares the same belief as the villagers: that God is a distant and absolute being.

Although they had never seen them, Gerda and the villagers understood, through the messengers who always appeared regularly to deliver divine pronouncements, that God was always watching over everything in this world from a place they could not see.

The gates and walls that even giants dare not approach are the best proof.

"Are you scared?" Scáthach asked.

“…No, I’m not scared.” Gerda clutched her skirt helplessly, trying to laugh but her smile was forced. “I’m just a little nervous and excited because…because…none of the adults in the village have this kind of opportunity!”

This pure and innocent joy and unease left tide Jian and the others at a loss, and she could only respond with a gentle smile.

Originally, Shiomi and the others planned to stay only one night before bidding farewell to Gerda and the villagers and continuing their search for the road to Skadi Castle.

But Valkyrie's appearance has both disrupted the plans and made the destination easier to ascertain.

The only difference was that he brought along Gerda, a girl he had just met.

Just as Shiomi and the others finished eating and were helping Gerda pack her simple luggage in preparation for departure, Storm Border contacted them, saying they would arrive here today according to the coordinates sent by Shiomi to meet up with Shiomi and the others.

Shiomi then explained the current situation to everyone in Chaldea and told them that they should continue their journey to the Lostbelt King's headquarters. He instructed Storm Border to head northwest, and that he would use magic to leave markers along the way for the warships to scan and track.

"You mean, the reason Skadi let the Valkyries stop fighting wasn't because of you, or to repay a previous favor, but simply because she didn't want to increase her own losses?" Scáthach laughed.

On the way, tide Jian raised this point of view, which made sense.

As individuals, those Valkyries possess strength comparable to outstanding Servants, and coupled with their spiritual status that allows them to be called demigoddesses, a swarm of them would indeed cause Shiomi considerable trouble.

The problem is that even if Morgan and the others only protect the villagers and don't support the battle, Shiomi can still take care of all the Valkyries present, it just takes a little more time.

“After all, without Odin, no one can create new Valkyries. By the way, Master, did you know that in the 80s, the monarch of the Cursed Department of the Mage's Association submitted a report stating that half of the Valkyries had already disappeared when the war between the gods and giants, known as Ragnarok, began?” Shiomi said.

“Although I haven’t read the magicians’ reports from this era, I do know a bit about the whole story,” Scáthach calmly continued. “Brynhildr, the eldest daughter of the Valkyries, gained strong emotions and a distinct personality after meeting Sigurd, but she also became the turning point in the Valkyries’ decline.”

“That’s right, it seems that the report from the Curse Department’s monarch was true.” Shio smiled. “If I have the chance in the future, I will tell the Curse Department that the Queen of the Shadow Kingdom has confirmed the authenticity of your monarch’s report.”

"What else did that report say?" Scáthach was more interested in this aspect, wanting to see to what extent contemporary magicians could grasp the affairs of the Age of Gods through research and investigation.

"Furthermore, with Brunhilde as a turning point, more and more Valkyries declined from the level of demigoddess, forgetting the great god's decree while gaining individuality, and left on their own." Shiomi recalled for a moment, "And then there's what I just said, only half are left."

“It’s basically the same as what I’ve heard.” Scáthach nodded. “In this Lostbelt where only one god remains, these Valkyries are invaluable fighting force, essential tools for maintaining rule. If it were me, I would also feel it’s unnecessary to lose them at your hands before they’ve even become an enemy.”

“Props, huh?” Shio also sighed. “Is it happier to continue existing like a mechanical demigoddess, or to be like their eldest sister, gaining a personality and emotions, and then being reduced to a human?”

I think it's the latter.

Artoria, who had been listening to the casual conversation, suddenly spoke up.

She smiled at Xi Jian as she turned her head and looked at her. Suddenly, tide Jian understood the answer and nodded in agreement.

Chapter Nineteen: Skadi's Waiting Period

The royal city of ice and snow.

"Ophelia, how is the knight's injury healing?"

As always, Skadi, seated on her throne, asked Ophelia this question.

“He is generally out of danger. He is currently healing in a spirit form and should be fully recovered in another day.” Ophelia said solemnly. “In addition, I tried to ask Katniss to return to Lord Kirshtalia’s Lostbelt immediately, but she refused to leave. I ask Your Majesty to make the decision on this matter.”

"It's fine. If she wants to stay here, as long as she doesn't break my rules, she can do whatever she wants." Skadi didn't seem to care about any of that.