Episode 34/Chapter 2: Vanaheim (2)

TL: Tsubak

ED: Julsmul

The place that appeared beyond the space door was a vast, devastated landscape.

Tae Ho instantly knew.

He was gazing upon a remnant of the Great War.

It was the same scene that he had seen in Svartalfheim, and Tae Ho remembered the trace of the Great War that was hidden in a crack of the world.

He had also heard that there were some traces of the Great War in Vanaheim.

Tae Ho looked a bit further. There was a sky, but it was dark. The chaotic flow of magic had formed an invisible whirlpool, and the land had an ash gray color just like the destroyed remains of Erin.

The devastated land had a unique shape. It felt like there was a wall or some other obstacle blocking the space beyond the part that waved like heat.

It felt like they had torn off the trace of the Great War located in the crack of the world or ripped off a part of it and placed it in a magical space.

Tae Ho let out a long sigh and looked at his surroundings. In his vision, many icons were revealed upon his activation of 'Eyes of the Dragon'.

[Sword of Idun's warrior, Karen]

[Sword of Idun's warrior, Luph]

[Spear of Idun's Valkyrie, Asir]

There were weapons lying about everywhere. There weren't only the weapons that were used by the lowest-ranked warriors but also the weapons used by the intermediate and superior-ranked warriors.

Tae Ho could sense the foreboding atmosphere. This was undoubtedly the place where Idun's legion had faced its annihilation.

Idun and Heda didn't tell him what had happened to Idun's legion in the Great War in detail, and Tae Ho didn't ask further as it seemed like it was painful for them to even remember it.

In the first place, the fact that there was only one Valkyrie remaining was already evidence of several things.

Idun's legion had been utterly obliterated. That, or only an exceptionally small minority had survived to the point that everyone excluding Heda had disappeared over the past hundred years.

Tae Ho walked by, following the weapons that were lined up in the ground, and then stopped in his tracks. It was because he saw white gold letters in a not distant place.

[Magical sword of Idun's commander, Sigmund, Argentra]

The black and massive magic sword emanated a faint green light and was stuck like a tombstone.

As he had heard that there hasn't been any commanders in Idun legion, Tae Ho could be certain that he was the second generation commander.

The weapons the warriors of Idun had left behind. Could these be the things Idun had spoken about?

It did make sense. By this point in time, new warriors had entered Idun's legion. Retrieving the weapons of the warriors of the previous generation, those which now functioned as tombstones, would be more efficiently used in arming the current one.

But he thought that it wasn't the case.

Tae Ho touched the hilt of Argentra for a moment and then continued walking.

He started to see other things. It was the giants and the fragments of their weapons. They were emanating a strong aura even though a hundred years had passed.

Idun's legion had been ravaged during the fighting against them.

What happened at their last moment? Was it a situation where they couldn't even retreat?

He walked a bit further up and Tae Ho stopped walking unconsciously.

There was a trace of divine power left in the ground, and Tae Ho's 'Eyes of the Dragon', which had grown exponentially more powerful as he did, told him to whom it belonged. No, he could feel it just by facing it.

[Goddess of Youth and Life]

[Idun's divine power]

It was scattered everywhere. Tae Ho felt that it was a bit different to what Idun usually emitted, but he could feel that it was similar in its overall appearance.

The scattered divine power didn't only belong to Idun. There was another divine power felt right next to it.

[God of Music and Poetry]

[Bragi's divine power]

It was the name of a God he'd heard for the first time. Tae Ho had already memorized the Gods of Asgard that had legions and their commanders and also their representative Valkyries.

He must have been a God that has lost his life in the Great War, just like Freya's brother, Freyr.

Just why was his divine power felt in the place Idun's legion got annihilated?

Did Idun face a big injury in this battle?

'The warriors of Idun fought desperately to protect Idun and Bragi, and their efforts resulted in Idun barely managing to survive.....it seems like it's that kind of story, anyway.'

Cuchulainn said in a low voice. It was his guess that the warriors of Idun's legion had chosen to face an honorable death to protect their Goddess.

It was quite a convincing story. He automatically thought that Heda was an apprentice Valkyrie or had stayed behind in another place, so she had barely managed to survive.

But it was when Tae Ho took a few more steps following the trace of the divine power.

"Huh?"

'What? Do you see something?"

[Idun's husband, Bragi]

[Bragi's wife, Idun]

[He rests in this place]

There was no need to see it with the 'Eyes of the Dragon'. Those were letters that were engraved on the elaborate yet decayed tombstone.

'So Idun was a widow. Hoh, it makes her feel more mature.'

Cuchulainn made a joke to try to lift up the mood, but his efforts were entirely in vain.

Idun's husband, Bragi.

It made sense now why his divine power remained in the place where Idun's legion had met its demise and that Idun's legion had put their lives to protect him.

However, Tae Ho didn't accept Cuchulainn's joke nor did he even acknowledge it. It wasn't because he couldn't imagine the gentle and bright Goddess having a husband.

This tombstone wasn't only for Bragi. The name of Idun was also engraved in it.

Cuchulainn misunderstood for a moment because Idun was currently alive, but he soon realized that something was wrong.

'Uh, what happened?'

If this was the tombstone of Idun and Bragi, then just who was the Idun they'd been associating with until now?

She wasn't a fake. Because if she was one, all the things that happened until now wouldn't make sense.

'Did she inherit the name of Idun or something?'

Cuchulainn stated his guess. Cases that you received a name of a family was quite common. The administrator of the golden apple tree was called Idun, and if one thought that it was the name all of the administrators received, then it made sense.

The place the previous Idun and her husband, Bragi, had died at.

Idun's legion had died alongside them.

Then, just what was the legacy that was in this place?

Tae Ho lowered his posture in front of the tombstone. He slowly placed his hand on the tombstone and activated the power of Idun.

The faint golden light started to transmit from Tae Ho's palm to the tombstone and then a reaction occurred in the tombstone. The scattered divine power of Idun and Bragi started to gather on it.

The light grew stronger. The divine power of the previous Idun was golden, and Bragi's divine power was silver. It was so bright that Tae Ho felt like he would be blinded.

Cuchulainn called Tae Ho's name, but the latter couldn't hear him. He couldn't even realize that the divine power of Idun was being fired from the weapons of the warriors of Idun's legion that were scattered everywhere.

It was because he heard a voice.

The voices of the previous Idun and Bragi.

Their call.

Tae Ho opened his eyes. He wasn't at the wasted remnant of the Great War anymore. The entire world was black, and there were two people standing before him whom he'd never before met.

The woman was young and beautiful. She had long, golden hair with a mild smile. She was a beauty that wouldn't fall short to Freya, and her gentle atmosphere was similar to Idun.

There was also a middle-aged man that had an exceptionally long beard standing next to her. He was tall and had a good body, but he didn't give the feeling that he was a warrior even by a little bit. His really big and clear golden eyes were memorable.

They were certainly the previous Idun and her husband, Bragi.

The two Gods looked at Tae Ho, but he realized that they weren't souls that stayed behind like Cuchulainn or the Knights of the Round Table.

They were really remains. You could say that the two were echoes of their divine power.

Idun extended her hand towards Tae Ho. Tae Ho hesitated a bit at her gesture that told him to get closer but chose to walk towards her anyway. The divine powers of the two Gods that were before him felt like living fire. It was burning right now, but one couldn't know when it would extinguish.

The previous Idun was a bit shorter than the current one, and because of that, she looked up at Tae Ho with her big, shiny eyes. It seemed like she would ask a question at any time, as her eyes shone with curiousness.

But the previous Idun then blocked her mouth with her two hands as if it wasn't the time to speak....or that there was no time to begin with.

Tae Ho grew a bit taken aback at that cute action, and Bragi laughed. He, who was taller than Tae Ho, placed his big hand on top of Tae Ho's shoulder and then clenched it.

It was a really strong grip. Tae Ho frowned unconsciously, but it seemed like Bragi wasn't planning on letting go. The symbols of Bragi and the previous Idun were engraved in Tae Ho's shoulder and wrist.

"May our blessing accompany you."

The previous Idun then spoke. Bragi looked at Tae Ho with complicated eyes mixed with resentment, rage, expectation, and resignation and made a request.

"I'm leaving our daughter to you."

The current Idun.

The woman which two Gods and an entire legion had died protecting.

"You must never make her cry. Understand?"

The previous Idun said playfully, and that was the end. The divine power of the two people started to disappear. It started to dim little by little, and then it disappeared completely.

Tae Ho opened his eyes again. He was in front of the tombstone and he could feel that his shoulder and wrists were burning. But those weren't the only places. Tae Ho screamed and opened his mouth. It was because his tongue was so hot it felt like it was burning.

"Hey, are you okay? Hey!'

Cuchulainn called out to Tae Ho several times, but Tae Ho just stuck out his tongue without answering and looked down. He couldn't see his tongue properly, but he could read the words through the 'Eyes of the Dragon'.

[Bragi's rune]

[A rune engraved by the God of Music and Poetry, Bragi. His speech has a magical power within it]

Tae Ho said random words. His voice wasn't different from before, but he could feel a definite change.

He hadn't tested it yet, but his ability to sing would probably have increased greatly.

'Wait. Your words give great trust, people fall for your words more easily, you are able to control the sweet feeling more easily and you can even sing well? This is the most suitable ability to pick up girls?!'

Tae Ho was at a loss for words for a moment.

He was still someone that was called the Prince of Light, so how did all his thoughts flow that way?

'Why? What else is more important for a man?'

Tae Ho just looked at his shoulder and wrist instead of talking back to him. It was hidden by his clothes, but the 'Eyes of the Dragon' didn't miss the two runes of the Gods that were shining with distinctive gold and silver lights.

The power behind those two runes.

The real legacy Idun had told him to retrieve.

The rune of the previous Idun wasn't that different from the blessing of the current Idun. Actually, you could say that they were the same.

But the rune of Bragi was different.

The several effects Bragi's rune gave were only supportive ones. But the reason it was engraved on Tae Ho's tongue was to unleash the real power his rune possessed.

The God of Music and Poetry, Bragi.

The God who sang legends to life.

Tae Ho activated a saga reflexively. He then added the power of Idun and Bragi onto it.

[Strengthened Saga]

[The Warrior that had a Valkyrie Meet Him]

"Ma....master?!"

Adenmaha appeared in front of Tae Ho. It wasn't the doppelganger but the real one.

She was shocked from having been suddenly transported from the entrance to the white palace, and she looked at her surroundings in amazement.

Meanwhile, Tae Ho hurriedly looked away and ignored Adenmaha.

The reason was simple. It was because Bragi's rune hadn't only strengthened one saga.

[Strengthened Saga]

[The Eyes of the Dragon See Through All Things]

'Hey! What can you see?! Huh?! What did you see?!'

Cuchulainn asked hurriedly, but Tae Ho didn't answer him.

< Episode 34 - Vanaheim (2) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~