[294] Dragon

"Lord Odin, why? Why are you giving me away?"

Rossweisse wailed at Odin, her face streaked with tears.

Everyone around her exchanged bewildered glances. This was the finest Valkyrie of Norse? Really?

With Rossweisse making such a scene, Odin's composure faltered. Seriously? I just called you the best, and now you're crying?

"Rossweisse, this is a contribution for the Norse. Besides, up until now, you haven't even managed to find a single hero, right? This is a good match for you."

"Just because I haven't found a single hero all these years, and my lack of a boyfriend matches my age, doesn't mean I don't want one! I do want a boyfriend, but I just can't find one! What am I supposed to do?"

"Exactly, and now you have one," Odin continued. "Look, he's a young, powerful fighter, who has tamed Fenrir and is the sole heir of the House of Demon. Talk about a perfect catch!"

"Perfect catch... high, rich, and handsome~ hehe~"

In just a few words, Odin had completely swayed Rossweisse.

And he wasn't wrong. August was indeed a rare catch—handsome, wealthy, powerful, with a significant position and influence. He was the epitome of perfection.

In the end, Rossweisse gazed at August with a mix of shyness and burning desire, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

What's wrong with this woman?

"Hey, old man, can we possibly reconsider?"

"Huh? Why? Isn't Rossweisse a good choice? Just look at her figure and her physique! And I can assure you, she's never been with any man. Her first kiss, her first night—everything is untouched!"

August was at a loss for words. Was this really the chief god of Norse mythology? He sounded more like a brothel madam trying to sell off her best asset.

Hearing August's hesitation, Rossweisse looked at him with eyes like a small animal about to be abandoned by its owner, ready to burst into tears at any moment. Was this really the same woman who had just been wailing at Odin?

"What, are you not satisfied with her?" 

"I just feel like this woman might be too easily led astray. It's not very reassuring," August replied.

Odin glanced at Rossweisse and then, surprisingly, nodded.

This left August speechless. You're trying to matchmake, yet even you don't have faith in your own choice?

"Listen, kid," Odin said. "Despite Rossweisse's many flaws, she's the ideal candidate for marriage. If you marry her, I guarantee you won't have to lift a finger—she'll take care of everything."

August didn't respond immediately but instead looked over at Hilde and Eulinda, standing nearby.

Odin followed his gaze, and upon seeing the two women, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Those two had been trained as maids since childhood, rising to become the most skilled in serving among the demon ranks. How could a warrior Valkyrie, who specialized in combat, possibly compete?

This situation was becoming increasingly awkward for Odin. The competition was far too strong.

"How about this," August suggested, "let Rossweisse become Rias's peerage. She can stay with Rias. After all, we're all on the same side."

"Huh? Why don't you want her?" Odin blurted out instinctively.

August didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Fenrir beside him.

Fenrir gazed at Odin with a scrutinizing look, its meaning clear: Do you think a Valkyrie could ever stand on equal footing with me?

"Alright, do as you please. But you must take care of Rossweisse," Odin conceded.

"Fine, it's not like it's any loss to me."

"Good, that settles it then."

Rossweisse felt utterly helpless, like an object being bartered back and forth.

Neither Sirzechs nor Azazel paid much attention to the arrangement, or rather, they were more than happy to see it unfold this way.

August had become something of a catalyst—because of his immense power, no one felt entirely at ease. As a result, everyone wanted to form alliances with him, creating a network of relationships between various factions.

Take Rossweisse, for example. Odin's eagerness to make the match was primarily a strategic move to curry favor with August.

By taking Rossweisse under his wing, August would effectively become a semi-son-in-law of the Norse. Befriending a powerful figure like him was a deal that could only benefit them.

Besides, from a practical standpoint, all the Norse were giving up was a Valkyrie. To those in power, this hardly counted as a sacrifice.

Sirzechs, too, was pleased with the outcome. Through August's connections, the devils could also foster better relations with the Norse.

And so, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Rossweisse was reincarnated as a devil by Rias, becoming her second Rook, just like Koneko.

With that, today's events came to a close.

Not wanting to waste any more time with the others, August made an excuse to leave.

Sirzechs stayed behind, discussing potential alliances with Odin and Azazel. Odin's visit had been for this very purpose: to establish diplomatic relations with both the devils and the fallen angels. Otherwise, as the chief god of the Norse realm, he wouldn't have come here for no reason.

After leaving the scene, August returned to his room, eager to open the system and start drawing gacha.

It had been a long time since his last draw, and August was thrilled at the opportunity.

Six advanced gacha draws—this was an unexpected delight.

Opening the draw panel, he took a moment to compose himself, washing his hands thoroughly before beginning the process.

As the gacha wheel began to spin, August's heart pounded with anticipation.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the skill: Dragon's Shadow!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the item: Life Potion x10,000!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the item: Mana Potion x10,000!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the weapon: Asauchi!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the weapon: Dark Staff!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the system item: Dimension Travel Card!]

[Dragon's Shadow]: A powerful shadow of a dragon that transcends the system's skill tree!

[Life Potion]: Restores vitality and heals injuries.

[Mana Potion]: Restores magical power.

[Asauchi]: A nameless Zanpakuto.

[Dark Staff]: A staff capable of casting dark magic.

[Dimension Travel Card]: A system item that allows travel to another world for up to one year. Return is possible at any time, with no system quests required.

[Ding! The system has detected that the host possesses similar skills Power of Shadow and Dragon's Shadow. Would you like to fuse them?]

"Fuse."

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have acquired the skill: Dragon's Shadow!]

August was slightly surprised. Was this fusion a unilateral one? The name hadn't changed at all.

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