Helga's three brothers got greatly moved at the fact that they got to ride the flying pirate ship. They giggled and talked like children should and that made Helga feel anxious.
But that didn't last that long. In the first place, as it was already night when they departed, Helga's three brothers started to fall asleep and then fell in a deep sleep.
The warriors of Valhalla viewed them cutely. Especially Siri, took off her coat, and covered the children.
"Do you have something on your mind?"
Siri caressed the head of the sleeping Gudrid carefully and then asked Helga. She flinched at that moment and then closed her eyes and said.
"I'm worried about the citizens I left in Katren."
Although they did say that it was unavoidable, they had still left behind close to a thousand citizens.
"It's fine. Even if you or your brothers stayed behind, how much help could you be? Getting out of that place should be of more help to them."
"Bracky."
The one that answered while snorting was Bracky that was seated nearby. Siri hurriedly called Bracky as if telling him to stop but he just shrugged his shoulders.
But it was at that moment. Helga, that got refuted back, asked back with a surprised face.
"Bracky? Are you talking about Bracky, the one that belonged to the Skald's knights?"
"Right, that's me."
"My, my God."
She was already experiencing the miracle of being together with the warriors of Valhalla, but it was impossible not to get surprised this time.
It was because Bracky was someone that had lived in the same time as her.
He had proved her strongly that when great warriors die they go to Valhalla.
Bracky scratched his nose as if it was embarrassing and then finished speaking.
"Just like you know, you are from royalty. If you are with us, princess, you will suffer along us but if you stayed behind you would have become the window that would listen to the complaints of the people. But that is all. Putting an end to this situation and finding back a place for the citizens to return is much better. And to do that you and your cute brothers can't stay behind in Katren. The evacuees without you are just a pain for king Catil..... So if we resolve this matter well, the citizens will soon be able to return to their homes."
But of course, this was possible because Kataron and Katren were small kingdoms.
Bracky glanced at Helga after finishing his speech and looked at her as if she understood. But an exclamation came out from other people.
"Wow, you speak well."
"Our maknae knows how to speak like that."
The warriors of Valhalla let out admiring voices. Tae Ho also said with a surprised face.
"So Bracky was a prince. Let's apologize to all the princes in the continent."
Siri nodded reflexively. For the man that was full of muscles and had a big beard to be a prince. It was too much.
Bracky frowned.
"What bullshit is that? And i'm not a prince but a son in law with the king. One of my wives was a princess. I don't know if she's doing well."
It had merely been half a year since Bracky died. The eyes of Bracky became dim as if he was thinking about his children and wives.
Helga looked up at that Bracky for a moment and then gulped dry saliva and asked with a careful tone.
"I'm really thankful for your advice. But....is Bracky-nim also a warrior of Idun?"
Helga's eyes moved to the flag in the ship for a moment. There was a golden apple drawn in the white flag, just like the army flag of Idun. It wasn't impossible to mistake all of the warriors of Valhalla as being Idun's warriors.
Bracky stood up from his seat and shook his head fiercely.
"No, i'm Thor's warrior. Thor's warrior!"
Bracky raised the hammer as if imitating Mjolnir. Siri laughed at him and then placed her hand on top of Helga's and said.
"In addition, i'm Ullr's warrior."
The God of hunting, Ullr.
By now, the other warriors also butted in and raised their voices.
"I'm Heimdall's warrior."
"I'm Hermods warrior."
If they stayed silent at this moment they wouldn't be warriors of Valhalla. As they started to reveal their legions with an elated voice Ingrid, that was controlling the ship, said casually.
"I'm the Valkyrie of Njords legion."
Everyone turned to look at Ingrid and then she turned her head and added.
"I'm just saying."
Everyone burst out of laughter. Ingrid also put a small smile.
Siri said to Helga once again.
"Helga, Valhalla is a really cool place. However, I hope you knock on the doors of Valhalla the later possible."
Because you had to die first to enter Valhalla. In addition, that death didn't refer to dying in a comfortable bed but on the battlefield.
"Yes, thank you Ullr's warrior-nim."
"Right."
Siri grabbed Helga's hands tightly and then stood up and moved to Tae Ho's direction.
"I'm sorry."
Because if you saw it from a side, she had spilled the cup when he was working hard to get a successor. However he just shook his head.
"No, i'm also feeling the same way so it's fine."
"Really?"
"You have to look at it in the long term. What use is there if you only hurry?"
Tae Ho also wasn't a fool. Even if he worked hard right now, the probabilities of a new warrior entering his legion was really low. Because just like Siri had said, you had to die first.
Tae Ho was just spreading seeds as if he was harvesting. Although the hard times would be long, the time of harvest would surely be sweet.
'And for now...I like it as it is.'
Because Idun and Heda were all focusing on himself.
As Tae Ho smirked while thinking of the two of them Siri's eyebrows twitched.
"It seems like you are thinking of something bad."
"How can that be?"
Tae Ho put a bright expression and Siri looked at Tae Ho with the same eyes Rolo had.
&
Kataron was a small kingdom composed by three cities and six towns.
And the town that Hella's curse started to spread from was in a city adjacent to Katren, that was the second biggest city and the land where the small kingdom got originated first.
Tae Ho's group could discover the troop of king Ivar faster than what they expected. It was because King Ivar, that had heard that Hella's curse had spread, had turned their horses around. It was just like Helga had predicted.
The troop of king Ivar was stationed in a hill that was looking down at a city. Although a few days had already passed since Hella's curse had spread the city didn't seem that different from outside. However you couldn't feel the particular liveliness in the city at all.
"Ivar, son of Grim, greets you warriors of Valhalla."
The man that had a great build greeted Tae Ho's group with a face filled with joy. Compared to king Sven, Ivar was a warrior before being a king. For him, Valhalla was a place he had to go and the warriors of Valhalla were the seniors he respected.
And it was the same for the knights of Kataron, that was the pride of king Ivar. Although their hometown had become a ghost town they all couldn't hide their happiness and excitement.
"I'm Valkyrie Ingrid. I thank you for welcoming us."
Ingrid replied with the business like expression like always and then proceeded to talk.
The contagiousness Hella's curse had wasn't that high. If you could effectively block the attacks of the dead ones you could plentily solve the situation.
The strategy was simple. They would attack the city together with the knights king Ivar led and send back the dead ones to their resting place and secure the city.
The warriors of Valhalla stood on the front again. The knights all exclaimed when they saw the warriors of Valhalla stand ahead of them. Their eyes were shining with respect and envy, and it seemed like they would praise them if they sleeped saying that it was cool sleeping position.
That was why Ingrid approached the warriors to speak to them in a low voice instead of giving the order to charge immediately.
"The time has come."
She wasn't talking about attacking.
It has already been some time since the warriors of Valhalla descended to the mortal world.
Although it had merely been a few days, it was enough for rumors to spread. In addition, a lot of people had witnessed their fight.
The people in the island that saw the battle remembered the warriors of Valhalla. The evacuees and the defense team continued to repeat that the warriors of Valhalla had fought for them several times.
The soldiers of Kataron thanked the miracle that they had appeared before them.
This wasn't Asgard but Midgard.
The existence of the warriors themselves that had appeared riding a flying ship was a miracle by itself.
So it wasn't merely a few days. It was plenty of time for a new story to be made.
The warriors of Valhalla looked at each other. And then turned to look at themselves.
Tae Ho, that had the 'eyes of the dragons' could know. All of the warriors had a new saga.
[Saga: His courage calms the waves]
[Saga: The kraken doesn't have remaining legs]
[Saga: Warrior of the sea]
Most of them were related to the sea
While all of them were smiling satisfactorily, Siri flushed when she checked her saga.
[Saga: She is a beautiful and proud flower that bloomed alone in the battlefield]
Because compared to the other warriors, that had told their story every day in the island, she had just silently raised their cups in a corner.
In addition, excluding Valkyrie Ingrid, as she was the only woman in the battlefield, she was really eye catching.
Tae Ho hurriedly blocked his mouth to stop the laughter from coming out and then lowered his head and pretended not to have seen it.
And Bracky, that was next to him, burst out of laughter.
[Saga: He's the son of a God that has returned]
The legend of Midgard had returned from Valhalla. That alone was enough to be transmitted extensively and remain as a legend. The part saying that he was the son of a God made him feel especially satisfied.
Tae Ho was the last one to check his own saga.
[Saga: The one that wields lightning and gale]
Every time Tae Ho fought he used the charge of the warrior. It was good to say that the scene of Tae Ho running on the sky while being accompanied with lightning and storm was a myth by itself. In the eyes of the people of Midgard it would seem like Tae Ho was the one to wield it.
Tae Ho activated his saga. And then lightning and gale got created in his hands. He could use it rather freely compared to when he used the charge of the warrior.
Babang!
He spread lightning in the air as a test. Although it wasn't that big a loud sound exploded and white light shone.
The warriors that were checking their own sagas raised their heads at the sudden noise. The warriors that were looking from behind got overjoyed.
"Ohh! Thor!"
"Thor's warrior!"
Because thunder and lightning had to be Thor.
But compared to the reaction of the warriors there were some that refuted back immediately.
"He's not?! The warrior of Thor is me, Bracky?!"
"I'm Idun's warrior!"
Bracky and Tae Ho yelled at the same time. Bracky swung his hammer to create lightning as if telling them to see, and Tae Ho spread thunder once again to create the shape of a golden apple.
The warriors became dumbfounded looking that lightning and lightning with the shape of a golden apple got created repeatedly but then cheered. They really were simple and bright just like a warrior of Valhalla should be.
"Don't waste strength in useless things and concentrate."
Siri, that couldn't keep watching at them, said to Tae Ho. Cuchulainn also added some words.
'How will you see lightning in the afternoon? Even if so, you only get misunderstood as being Thor's warrior.'
They both said right words. Because of that Tae Ho didn't argue anymore and used the last summoning rock to call Rolo. As the warriors started to concentrate on them because of the gryphon that had suddenly appeared, the warrior of Idun took out the army flag and placed it on the saddle.
"Can we charge now?"
Ingrid asked with lukewarm eyes.
Tae Ho discovered that the summoning rocks, that were in the pocket were recharged, along with Heda's reply and then smirked and nodded.
"Whenever you want."
Tae Ho covered the Sword of the winter wolf with lightning. Bracky imitated him once again to cover his hammer in lightning and Ingrid, that was looking at the two of them, slowly unsheathed her sword. Shel said a phrase that would tie up the warriors that belonged ot different legions.
"For Asgard and the nine planets."
"For Asgard and the nine planets."
The warriors of Valhalla said in one voice. They all charged towards the battlefield at the same time.
&
Kataron was a city built next to the big Olhen river that was connected to Kalic sea.
Just like all the cities that were built next to rivers, it was good because they were spread widely but it was also easy to get invaded.
King Ivar marched his troop from south to north instead of surrounding it. This composition was to push back the dead ones to the direction of the winter tree forest, that was thought to be the origin place of the dead ones.
The intentions of king Ivar worked well. The dead ones that had lost their will couldn't become opponents for the knights. Although they were numerous, they weren't impeded at all because the warriors of Valhalla were in front of them. In addition this place was like a hometown for the knights of Kataron so they could use the structure of the city effectively.
The superior races like the vampires and Stragos appeared when the dead ones started to get focused and led the dead ones and fled to the winter tree forest.
Tae Ho flew in the sky while riding Rolo. He could clearly see how the group was progressing as he was looking down from a high place.
'He's accustomed on leading an army.'
Cuchulainn praised king Ivar. Tae Ho nodded as if he agreed and then looked at the direction the dead ones were headed to as if they were fleeing.
Just counting roughly, their number easily passed the thousand. And adding the number of the dead ones they had defeated in the city it seemed like they would be two thousand. Although the number of the evacuees that had scattered was much bigger, it seemed like it would take quite a long time for Kataron to recover from this.
Tae Ho, that was looking at things from a distant place, tilted his head. It was because he felt a sense of incongruity.
It was obvious to say this but it was the first time Tae Ho came to Midgard. Because of that he memorized the terrain near Kalic sea with the map.
The winter tree forest was certainly a forest that was next to Kataron. But there was actually a long distance between them. To the point you could realize it just by looking at the map.
But the forest was closer than he thought. It was at a distance you could reach it in a moment even without riding a horse.
Tae Ho wasn't the only one that felt that way. The soldiers of Kataron, that had gotten outside the city, also felt that something was strange.
They could see the forest beyond the dead ones. But the forest was too close. Originally, it should be seen with the size of a fingernail but it was the size of a thumb.
King Ivar opened his eyes abruptly. Ingrid, that was checking on Garmr's soul fragment alone on top of the flying ship, stood up.
Tae Ho could realize it now.
The Unknown sword piece and the fragment of Gae Bolg that were on Tae Ho's hands vibrated at the same time.
It wasn't something comparable to the Kraken or the monster sharks.
The winter tree forest was approaching the city.
< Episode 22 - Saga (6) > End