Episode 26/Chapter 3: The land of fierce battles (3)

TL: Tsubak

ED: Julsmul

The rising sun at the temple of Elidi Lake seemed faster than usual, or the intensive operation of mobilizing the warriors made everyone think so, anyway.

“Ingrid, Kaldea, and I will each lead a team of warriors.”

The three groups would divide and reach the objective through independent routes after leaving Elidi Lake. This was in order to both successively trick the fomoires and to search for Garmr’s soul fragment simultaneously.

Due to their prior experiences with one another, Tae Ho, Bracky, Siri and, Harabal were all assigned to the same team. Warriors of Odin’s legion formed the backbone of the two remaining teams, and the rest of the warriors were merged in evenly.

The one leading Tae Ho’s group was Valkyrie Ingrid. Tae Ho felt saddened but also fortunate to be separated from Rasgrid after merely a day.

‘But you should still train earnestly. Ragnar set up a schedule for you, right?’

Tae Ho lacked the time to fully digest all the tactics he had learned. Even so, he knew he couldn’t slack off in training even through such a major expedition.

The priests of Elidi Lake weren’t even aware of the warriors’ plans to assault the base of the fomoires, and due to this, some hoped to accompany the warriors that were going out to “check for changes”. Despite knowing the situation, Rasgrid still allowed several priests and wandering warriors to accompany them.

Tae Ho’s group decided to unleash his flying pirate ship. Just unveiling it alone was rather eye catching, and it obviously wasn’t suitable for stealth attacks. Instead, the team decided upon its usage for the opposing reason.

“There’s a high possibility that the fomoires will fixate their attention on the flying ship rather than the individual movement of the warriors at ground level. To put it differently, we might just be able to fool the eyes of our enemies with a simple, eye-catching display.”

It was like an assassin causing a scene in order to sneak around an enemy.

“Our task is to grab the attention of the fomoires. Because of that, our team’s path is the longest, and our members are outfitted with the flashiest gear we have.”

By this point, the warriors of Valhalla had already proven themselves in Midgard three times over.

It truly wasn’t excessive to say that Tae Ho’s showmanship and patronages had allowed his title of Idun’s Warrior to spread all throughout Midgard.

Bracky, who was already famous in life, had become even more so after death as a warrior of Valhalla.

The Valkyries aside, Siri was the only woman among the warriors’ expedition to Midgard. Her presence alone was outstanding, but her performance brought her status to another level. To state that there were a great number of warriors that wanted to meet her wasn’t a lie.

“What about me, Ingrid?”

Ingrid pondered Harabal’s question before turning to Siri.

“Striking the formoires here is vital, but we need to approach the task with a rather relaxed attitude. Siri, as a veteran, you should understand. A patient hunter is always successful.”

Bracky laughed soundlessly at her ignoring Harabal, while Harabal’s expression warped into a frown.

“I’m actually feeling quite sad. I was also rather famous in my village.”

His claim was believable, for otherwise he wouldn’t have come to Valhalla.

Ingrid gave a sympathetic look while Harabal grumbled and then pouted her lips slightly.

“You proved your worth during the last expedition. Each and every one of you are heroes of Valhalla, and it’s truly an honor to fight alongside you. It’s a prideful thing, really.”

Ingrid spoke and then glanced at Harabal. Her words were frank, but her attitude was sincere. Harabal scratched his head and smiled, and Siri began laughing.

For now, Ingrid had only briefed everyone on the name of their final destination. It seemed that Kaldea would inform them of the remaining details before any decisive actions were taken.

“If something goes wrong, prioritize your lives. The Valkyries that come and go from Midgard to retrieve the souls of warriors will find you.”

After the short conference was over, the warriors embarked on their free ride. Of course, there was nothing in particular that they could do, as their route was predetermined upon a flying ship.

The sun had begun setting. As Tae Ho stared into the horizon, Cuchulainn interrupted his thoughts without warning.

‘I’m just asking, but when are you going to use that summoning ticket?’

“Heda’s summoning ticket?”

‘Right. The one you got from Idun.’

The ticket that could summon Heda anywhere even if but for a moment.

Tae Ho checked his bosom and pulled out the ticket. Its paper-like appearance was simple aside from the several complicated runes glowing on its surface.

“I was thinking….”

‘Yes?’

“I was thinking it might be good to use in the middle of a battle, right?”

Heda was also a powerful Valkyrie. Although he had never seen her fight, Siri, who’d fought with her, had said that she wasn’t at all inferior to Rasgrid.

He would fight along Heda.

He thought that it was savage but also quite romantic, although it could only be so between a warrior of Valhalla and a Valkyrie.

Cuchulainn let out a sigh as Tae Ho revealed an excited smile.

‘Hey, hey. Do you really have to force the woman you like to stand on a battlefield to feel satisfied? My heart clenches just from imagining my master in such a place.’

All romanticizing aside, a battlefield was still a battlefield. It was a horrible place where lives were taken without a moment’s notice.

Unable to think of a comeback, Tae Ho flinched and smacked his lips. Now that he’d thought about it, he wouldn’t want Heda anywhere near a place like that. Still, since he only had one opportunity, he couldn’t completely ignore the benefits they would gain by having her at their side in a battle.

‘Idun-nim also said that it’s a meeting ticket, not a ‘participating ticket’. Think well on how you shall use it.’

Although he had criticized and even decided Tae Ho’s answer for him, it wasn’t that Cuchulainn was forcing him.

Tae Ho organized his thoughts for a moment before returning the ticket to his pocket. He then took out a summoning rock as if trying to appraise it.

‘You are going to call Adenmaha?’

“There are many things we have to give each other.”

After the last battle, Scathach had strengthened her senses to keep the fomoires in check, and as Ragnar was also bothered by this expedition, they had decided to keep in contact regularly.

‘So it’s a chicken instead of a turkey.’

Tae Ho ignored the proverb Cuchulainn had learned from anyone’s best guess and channeled his magic power into the summoning rock.

Adenmaha slowly appeared in front of Tae Ho with a leisurely expression. It was probably because he had told her beforehand that he would call her at night.

“Ohh! The warrior has had a Valkyrie meet him!”

The wandering warriors also present on the main deck looked at Adenmaha with shining eyes. It seemed that Bracky had shared many stories with them.

“I’m not a Valkyrie.”

Adenmaha snorted while assuming a prim posture, but it seemed like she’d enjoyed their flattery.

Bracky laughed at that, and then Ingrid suddenly approached Tae Ho.

“Warrior Tae Ho, it’s a meeting then.”

“Yes?”

A meeting? Here? With who? From where?

As Tae Ho blinked rapidly, Ingrid cleared her throat and then gestured at herself.

“I’m a real Valkyrie, so isn’t it fine?”

She smirked, having seemingly just cracked a joke.

Tae Ho’s face turned awkward as if he didn’t know how to answer, and Ingrid grew even more embarrassed as her joke had failed to land.

Bracky and Harabal laughed until their sides hurt seeing this, and Siri turned around to hide her red face.

‘Anyways, a Valkyrie really did come meet you.’

Because Ingrid was a real Valkyrie like she had said.

While Adenmaha clicked her tongue, Bracky began explaining things with a face molten from laughter. It was the story of ‘the warrior that had a Valkyrie meet him’ that he had both heard and now seen for himself.

Now that he’d seen it, that nickname certainly had a lot of truth behind it. It had more history than ‘the warrior that rides on Valkyries’.

Tae Ho closed his eyes to avoid the awkwardness and recalled one of his earlier meetings with Heda.

Heda, who sought out Tae Ho during his first expedition.

Who greeted him awkwardly before two thousand warriors of Valhalla.

A smile appeared on his face by its own volition. Those memories were invaluable to the point where he felt warmth just thinking about them.

And it was at that moment-

“Huh? It got created.”

Tae Ho blurted this out unconsciously, and Bracky and Harabal turned their heads reflexively. Siri also turned to look at Tae Ho with eyes that had become bloodshot from laughing too hard.

“Re- really?!”

Tae Ho nodded at Adenmaha’s question. Although the subject was absent, everyone understood what he was talking about.

A saga. The story of a legendary warrior.

[Saga: The Warrior That had a Valkyrie Meet Him]

‘Are all legends dead?’

Cuchulainn spoke in an absurd, incredulous manner, but that attitude dissipated only a moment later. He also began concentrating like the ones around them, for he was also curious.

Just what could the effects of this saga be?

Tae Ho activated his saga, and the previously vague atmosphere changed in an instant.

—

The distance between Kataron and Elidi Lake wasn’t thin.

Merlin had left Kataron in the middle of the night, taken a fast ship, and even increased its speed further by creating wind with his magic, but it still wasn’t a distance he could cover in a single night.

Merlin felt a bit of anxiety, and it wasn’t only due to the long path ahead of him.

Idun’s warrior was moving. Merlin was sure he’d already left Elidi Lake.

“Are you able to track him?”

Helga, who was tagging along on the ship King Ivar had provided, inquired. The most trusted warrior of King Ivar, Bultan, was also with them.

“It’s… possible.”

Merlin left a vague answer and looked in the direction of Elidi Lake.

To begin with, Merlin hadn’t decided upon Elidi Lake because the warriors of Valhalla were gathered there. It was because he was certain that Idun’s warrior was in Midgard.

Merlin could feel the existences of the Liberatuses. He felt the prototype Liberatus in Midgard, one that should be in Nidavellir, while the Liberatus he’d left behind in Kataron showed him a more systematic direction.

But something had happened, for the signals were weak and irregular.

There could be several reasons for this. The Liberatuses could be damaged, or perhaps Idun’s warrior had stored them inside a strong magical device.

Whatever the case, it was hard to chase after Idun’s warrior because the signals were too weak.

“Can’t do anything about it.”

Merlin’s face was serious, and he grumbled and sighed before grabbing Caliburn at his waist.

Caliburn, the Sword of Selection.

King Arthur had once pulled out this sword, proving his qualification as a king.

The Liberatuses Merlin made were mere copies of Caliburn. If he applied the power of the real Caliburn, he could temporarily boost the signal of the Liberatuses.

Merlin, whose father was an incubus, had his magic power strengthened the deeper the night was. He closed his eyes and began reciting a chant as he channeled magic power to the sword’s hilt.

Caliburn started to glow, and the glow quickly became as bright as the morning star.

Helga and Bultan looked on excitedly in anticipation, but their eyes suddenly widened.

They then expressed themselves with simple smiles and soft exclamations.

However Merlin just grew surprised instead of smiling. It was because Caliburn’s light was far stronger than he had expected.

How?

Merlin gulped dry saliva. He thought of a reason which made him shudder. He unconsciously inserted more magic power into Caliburn.

The night sky above Elidi Lake disappeared. The warm, bright light of Caliburn had driven away the darkness in an instant.

Helga and Bultan exclaimed louder than before, and all those present in the region gazed at the light with awe in their eyes.

Finally, Merlin smiled. It was a sincere expression.

Caliburn’s light.

The glory of Camelot that was said to have disappeared.

The Liberatuses had reacted. Merlin memorized the precise direction of the two Liberatuses’ signals, and he set sail towards them immediately.

At about the same time, in a distant place where the light of Caliburn couldn’t be seen-

Someone else felt the glory of Camelot.

< Episode 26 – The land of fierce battles (3) > End

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