Episode 7/Chapter 4: Valkyrie (4)

TL: Tsubak

ED: Isalee

The battle ended.

The warriors of Valhalla completely defeated their enemies that doubled their numbers.

The plains were filled with the corpses of the gnolls and blood. The gnolls that had seen the giant fall lost all their fighting spirits. They were more busy fleeing rather than fighting, and in the end, they all started fleeing desperately.

The moment more casualties occurred on a battlefield wasn't when they clashed frontally. It was when one side chased down the fleeing side and massacred them one-sidedly.

Valkyrie Rasgrid lowered her posture in the plains and looked at the ground. Her dragon wing clothes that were made with white scales suited the plains well.

"We won."

Valkyrie Reginleif said this with a satisfied face. She, who was born with a really precious bloodline even among Valkyries, was always composed and beautiful.

"We will take a while just by cleaning up the corpses of the gnolls."

She said that as a joke and then looked up the sky. It seemed like someone spread the rumors that a flock of crows was gathering.

Rasgrid raised her head and looked at that. She couldn't see Hugin in between them. It seemed like he had already left for another battlefield.

"The warriors were moved inside Black Fortress. Each commander has already started retrieving the casualties."

Valkyrie Ingrid approached carefully and spoke towards Reginleif. Her role as a specialized messenger made her steps as light as a feather.

Rasgrid let out a long sigh. She stood up slowly and then turned to look at Reginleif and Ingrid. She could see a headless giant and a greatly damaged fortress beyond the two of them.

"A giant has appeared."

It was lowest ranked, but it was still a giant. In a normal situation, the Black Fortress would have collapsed and countless warriors of Valhalla would have died.

Rasgrid's cold eyes sunk down. She thought of the things that happened yesterday and today.

She understood that a Stragos had appeared in the dwarven mines because they were the giants' hunting dogs that could smell and search for the unts. It wouldn't be weird for them to appear at anytime.

A giant however was different.

How was it that they appeared? Why did they send a giant to the fortress?

Either they aimed for it, or planned it, or it was a strategy.

'Perhaps there may be a simpler reason.'

Their attacks had gotten so strong to the point that they sent a giant to the rear. It seemed like Ragnarok had progressed that much.

Rasgrid didn't say anything. However, Reginleif knew really well what she was thinking about.

"I have already reported this. Although my responsibilities don't end here, I have done all I can. So let's forget about the giant at least for today. Aren't there more important things than that?"

As Reginleif smirked, Rasgrid opened her mouth and asked even though she knew exactly what she was going to say.

"What things?"

"Rewarding the warriors. Being happy for the victory and share alcohol with them. My sister."

"I also think like that. The warriors have performed better than we thought. I feel proud to be a Valkyrie that helps and leads them," Ingrid added. There was excitement in her eyes.

"Now, let's return and drink some alcohol. You can't stay out today Rasgrid."

Reginleif crossed her arm on Rasgrid's shoulder and laughed. Ingrid also laughed lowly and in the end, and Rasgrid also put on a smile.

&

The sun set, and night came. The fire in the altar burned so intensely it seemed to devour the night.

Valkyrie Reginleif stood in front of the high altar. The warriors of Valhalla that amounted more than 2,000 looked at her in a comfortable posture, and Reginleif swung her clenched fists.

"Valiant warriors! Warriors of Valhalla!"

Reginleif's voice was so loud it resembled thunder, but it didn't hurt their ears. Rather, her voice was beautiful and magnanimous that made their ears enjoy it.

"I express my respect at your braveness and I praise you for that! Think of it as an honor that tonight I, Valkyrie Reginleif, will be together with you!"

"Uaaaaaaa!"

"Valkyrie!"

"Reginleif!"

The warriors answered with a heated cheer. It was a heat that didn't seem to lose to the fire in the altar.

Reginleif also laughed. She showed an excessive movement as if she was acting and put on a sad expression.

"Warriors! Forgive me for not being able to fill all of your glasses. You are just too much, and we are merely three! You can't wait some hours to drink your first glass, right?"

It was merely a joke but the warriors all burst out in laughter. Reginleif swung her cape.

"However we also know refinement. Today, my sister Rasgrid will fill the glasses of the two people that performed the best! It's none other than the ice princess Rasgrid!"

"Ohh!"

"Rasgrid!"

The warriors cheered and Rasgrid frowned when she was called ice princess. Tae Ho, who was at the front, had to grit his teeth to try not to laugh.

"Warrior of Thor's legion, warrior Bracky!"

"One man army!"

"Invincible warrior!"

As Reginleif named him, the warriors all yelled Bracky's nickname. Bracky let out a fresh laugh and got on the platform. As he, who was huge even among the warriors of Valhalla stood in front of her, Reginleif admired him brightly.

"You really are big!"

"Really big!"

Reginleif stood on her tiptoes, but she didn't even reach Bracky's chest.

"Reginleif."

Rasgrid said this coldly and lowly as if telling her to stop at that point. Reginleif shot a playful eye gesture at Bracky as if teasing her and then took out a side step and yelled, "Warrior of Idun's legion, warrior Tae Ho!"

"The warrior that had a Valkyrie meet him!"

"The warrior that rode on a Valkyrie!"

"Idun!"

The warriors cheered again. Rasgrid frowned at the vague title while Tae Ho cleared his throat and stood in front of Reginleif.

Bracky smirked and said to Tae Ho, "It's a cool day."

"Yeah."

They had spoken for the first time today, but they felt friendly enough. You could say that he was an ally that he had faced a life and death battle with.

Reginleif gave Bracky and Tae Ho each a cup of alcohol made with horn. When that process was over, Rasgrid took a deep breath and stood in front of the two people while holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Warrior Bracky, will you accept alcohol from me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

As Bracky answered in an unexpectedly well-mannered way, Rasgrid even lowered her posture to fill the cup easier. Bright red alcohol quickly filled the cup.

"Warrior Tae Ho."

The next was Tae Ho's turn. Just like there was that feeling with Bracky and Tae Ho, Rasgrid and Tae Ho also had the same feeling between them. Rasgrid filled his cup and then put on a faint smile.

"Thank you."

Rasgrid greeted Bracky and Tae Ho with her eyes and then took a step back. Reginleif, who'd seen all of this, laughed and stepped up.

"Now, warriors! Raise your cups! Let's be happy with today's victory!"

Bracky and Tae Ho turned back to look at the warriors. There was something that filled their chests when they saw the two thousand warriors raising their cups.

"For Asgard and the nine planets!"

"For Asgard!"

They drank alcohol at the same time. A laughter came out even though the alcohol content was really strong.

"You drink really well!"

"You too."

Bracky hit Tae Ho's back with his palm. If he were a normal warrior he would have fell to the ground, but Tae Ho didn't even flinch with this light greeting.

"Certainly!"

Bracky laughed again and Tae Ho felt glad he invested his runes on his physical stats. Valkyrie Reginleif extended her bottle of alcohol towards the two of them.

"Accept some alcohol from me too."

"To receive alcohol twice in the same day, I really feel like living."

As Bracky smiled, Reginleif put on a playful expression.

"Is warrior Tae Ho accustomed to this?"

"No, I'm also happy."

He hadn't received alcohol from Heda yet.

Tae Ho, Bracky, and Reginleif cheered and then emptied their cups.

It was at that moment when the gates of the fortress opened with a rumbling sound. The warriors turned back in response to that big sound and then faced the Valkyrie that stood on the gates just like two days ago.

Valkyrie Ingrid yelled with a composed voice this time too.

"Warrior Lee Tae Ho!"

"Yes!" Tae Ho answered. The warriors all quieted down and Ingrid, who had become nervous in the atmosphere, waited for a moment and then opened her mouth.

"Mee....."

"Meeting!"

The warriors yelled faster the Ingrid.

"Uhahahahahah!"

"Idun!"

"Idun's warrior!"

"Valkyrie of Idun!"

It wasn't envy or jealousy. The warriors were really enjoying this situation.

Ingrid, who had her words taken out of her mouth by the yells of the two thousand warriors, put on a dumbfounded face. Heda that extended her head from behind Ingrid put on an even more dumbfounded face.

"Wh-what is it?"

She had already expected it to some point because of what happened two days ago, but something beyond her expectations had happened.

"A! Mee! Ting!"

"A! Mee! Ting!"

The warriors yelled. The voices that didn't seem to fit at first became one and shook the fortress.

"Idun!"

"I want to go to Idun's legion too!"

"Uhahahaha! Thor won't forgive you then!"

"For Idun!"

"For the beautiful Goddess of Life!"

"You are beautiful Valkyrie!"

There was one common point between the warriors of Valhalla and the Gods of Asgard: they were all valiant and loved exalted warriors.

They had seen Tae Ho's performance in today's battlefield. Because of that, they sang in admiration rather than in jealousy or envy.

The warrior that had a Valkyrie meet him.

The warrior that had the rights to that!

The Warriors opened a path for Heda. The scene that was like Moses opening the Red Sea was really amazing.

Valkyrie Ingrid laughed and moved aside and Heda that couldn't hide behind her anymore as she passed the warriors with a flushed face. As soon as she got on the platform where Tae Ho was, she quickly said, "Just what did you do?"

She vaguely heard that he had performed greatly, but it was really vague. Ingrid told her to hear to it directly from him.

Tae Ho didn't wasn't embarrassed at Heda's fluster but spoke while enjoying it.

"Isn't it nice? They are all yelling Idun's name."

Tae Ho pointed at the warriors as if telling her to listen. The warriors were really calling for Idun's name.

"You like it, right?"

"I-I do."

Heda was Idun's Valkyrie. It seemed like she got more flustered at the warriors calling for Idun's name because her face flushed even more.

"Don't be like that and wave your hands."

"Li-like this?"

As Heda waved her hand shortly, the warriors cheered even more.

"Idun!"

"Idun!"

"Idun's Valkyrie!"

You would become better at something with repetition. Heda was timid at first but she soon started to smile brightly and waved her hand even wider.

But it was then.

"The warrior that had a Valkyrie meet him!"

"The warrior that rode on a Valkyrie!"

"Huh?"

Heda blinked. She could understand the first part, but not the latter.

"What are they talking about?"

Heda turned and asked. This time Tae Ho was the one to get flustered and Bracky laughed loudly. Reginleif, who was with Bracky, approached Heda and freshly said, "It's just like they say. Warrior Tae Ho rode on top of Rasgrid. That's why he's being called that."

Not firing at the enemy but at their ally.

When Rasgrid let out a long and deep sigh, Heda's expression transformed even more.

< Episode 7 - Valkyrie (4) > End

TL note: Thanks for reading~