The curious people called the city of Radetza adjacent to the holy land a city that was fated to become a great city.
The reason was for three simple overlapping factors:
First, the huge amount of crops that was harvested in the wide fields near Radetza.
Second, it was the perfect location to connect the cities in the coast of the Kalic sea and the inland cities.
Third, the safety that the strongest force among the nearby nations gave.
In addition to these three points, as the city was close to the land that was hailed as the holy land, if people and supplies didn't gather, then that would be even weirder.
The group that reached Ratedza, that was three times bigger than Kataron, was welcomed hospitably due to the king Harpdan bringing his guards to greet them personally.
The warriors of Valhalla were overjoyed at the welcoming of the people of Radetza, but Ingrid and Rasgrid felt a bit troubled.
'This kind of expedition is a first.'
The expeditions the two Valkyries experienced in Midgard until now finished in a short time. As most of them ended in a day or two, compared to the days they had spent in the island of King Sven, you could say that it was comparatively long.
But it had already been fifteen days since they arrived in Midgard.
Not only were rumors about the warriors of Valhalla spreading far but people were gathering to see them.
This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as it was an opportunity to increase the prestige of the Gods and strengthen the sagas of the warriors. But they couldn't help but feel uneasy, as the place the Valkyries and the warriors of Valhalla hold is not on Midgard but Asgard.
King Harpdan invited the warriors to his castle and then served hospitably. As he was someone that was closer to King Catil than King Ivar of Kataron, the synastry between the warriors wasn't that good but in the first place, the situation was different.
It seemed like problems in the holy land could also trouble the country of King Harpdan, as he was really earnest in sharing information.
The first time a change took place was fifteen days before. The people that came and went to the holy land started to get attacked by the beasts. That wasn't taken too much into account but three days after that, monsters rather than beasts started to attack and the villages near the holy land got destroyed.
There were also damages in the roads and the farms and King Harpdan couldn't easily decide if he should enter the holy land to attack.
There were two reasons for that.
Firstly, they didn't know how many monsters there would be and secondly, they were unsure because of the Shinsoos of the earth.
There were two shinsoos living in the holy land. Based on the legends, they were beasts that were born with an excellent lineage, just like the fine horse of Odin, Sleipnir. They couldn't only speak in human words but also possessed magical powers.
The holy land was no different than the land of the shinsoos. King Harpdan didn't want to clash against the Shinsoos, that were no different to powerful monsters, head on.
'Could the biggest reason they didn't fight the rumors about the warriors of Valhalla?'
Ingrid precisely grasped the third reason King Harpdan didn't mention. As the warriors of Valhalla had come down to Midgard to get rid of the monsters he had judged that it was far better to ask them to solve this matter.
Ingrid nodded slowly after listening to all the story. Rasgrid exchanged a glance with Ingrid and then agreed in silence. The one that was leading this expedition was Ingrid so she was the one to take the final decision.
"I understand. We will enter the place called holy land."
"Thank you."
Harpdan smiled satisfactorily and opened up a banquet to welcome the warriors.
"Master, you aren't going to the banquet?"
Adenmaha looked at the direction that music was heard from and asked. It had been a long time since the sun had set but the heat of the banquet didn't seem like it would cool down anytime soon.
Tae Ho sat on the bed King Harpdan prepared and shook his head.
"I have been there until now. I just returned a bit earlier. I want to rest a bit."
This morning, the classes with Rasgrid ended. No, more accurately, it had stopped to his advantage. As they reached the destination to accomplish their third task, Tae Ho needed to stay in top shape to prepare for all cases.
Because of that, Tae Ho wanted to go to sleep for 24 hours as soon as he was freed from Rasgrid in 12 days but the banquet held his feet back. After all, even though it was hard and painful, he couldn't miss the banquet.
'That's a really thorough promotional mentality.'
Cuchulainn mumbled as if it was absurd.
But he couldn't do anything about that. Because the banquet was the perfect place to patronize something.
"But still, you were great on having got out of it in the middle."
Adenmaha also mumbled as if it was absurd but then put on a vague relieved face.
"But master, if you sleep the lessons with Scathach will start anyways."
Tae Ho flinched at Adenmaha's sharp words and then answered while dripping cold sweat.
"N, no. There's no way the divine message of Idun-nim can last for 24 hours. Ugh, but the lessons will still start as soon as I go to sleep right....?"
'Why are you asking me when you already know the answer?'
Cuchulainn laughed and said. Adenmaha looked at Tae Ho that had drooped his shoulders and clicked her tongue and then took out Heda's letter from her pocket.
"Here, master's cure all."
"Thank you. I really only have you."
"You do know how to speak well."
It seemed like she didn't dislike that, that she snorted a bit and sat next to Tae Ho and took a peek on the letter. But the contents of the letter were shorter than before.
"Did something happen to Heda?"
"She's dozing off even in the afternoon, maybe because recharging the summoning rocks every day is harsh on her."
"Mm, I will have to control myself."
As he was calling Adenmaha everyday, she had to at least recharge one summoning rock everyday. Even if it was the Valkyrie Heda, it was easy for her to get exhausted.
"But master, Heda was also worried but how long do you have until you are able to use the power of a God again?"
"About tomorrow in the afternoon, so less than a day."
He had defeated Balzak in the afternoon.
"It's almost up."
"Yeah. I'm glad as the time passed without much happening."
'Don't drop your guard, it doesn't finish until it truly finishes.'
Cuchulainn said with a harsh voice. Even though he had less than a day left, looking at it by the sides, he still had a day left. Compared to the life and death battles, where each second was precious, it was an eternally long time.
Tae Ho thought that Cuchulainn's warning was right and nodded and after that put back Heda's letter.
"I should go to sleep. Thanks today too."
Tae Ho showed a smile towards Adenmaha and then took out a summoning rock. And then Adenmaha looked at the summoning rock and said.
"I can also charge it with my own magic power so don't save it and use it whenever you need to. Understand? Don't get hurt in battle for saving it.....Why is your face like that?"
"Well, I'm thankful that Adenmaha is worrying about me."
As Tae Ho put on a smile as if he had seen something warm, Adenmaha frowned and snorted.
"It's because it's too troublesome to search for another master. It's not that I'm worried about master."
"What a textbook reply."
'You really can't lie.'
As Tae Ho and Cuchulainn laughed and spoke, Adenmaha pouted and used the summoning rock Tae Ho was holding to return.
Cuchulainn laughed once again and said to Tae Ho.
'Anyways, the restriction time will soon end. Don't drop your guard and sleep. You have to go meet master.'
Telling him not to drop his guard but also telling him to go to sleep sounded a bit weird but those weren't incorrect words. Tae Ho lied on the bed and closed his eyes.
&
The night passed and morning came.
Time flowed along the sun that was getting higher and when the sun was reaching its peak, the one that was looking at the sky took a deep breath.
"The sun feels nice today."
Spoke a man who was smiling brightly. He was a man that was a head taller than normal people but thought of himself to be small, and the ones around them also thought the same.
Because the man wasn't a human but a giant.
Sinner Sigil. The killer of the same race that had massacred hundreds of his race in the Great War. The crazy bastard that didn't know his place and tried to stand up to the magician king.
His hair, that was black and blue like the night, became an ash gray color because of the long prison life. But he didn't mind that even a little and enjoyed the sunlight.
And there was someone facing that Sigil with uneasy eyes. He wasn't a giant but a fomoire. Korga, who was the father of Midak that had died by the hands of Tae Ho and an underling of the Tyrant Bress, was in this place to mediate the negotiation between the giant of earth Balgad and Bress.
Korga's task was simple. Support Sigil. Help him do what he wants to do.
The two people were standing in the middle of the holy lands. And on Sigi's back, there was a huge hog that used to be called the Shinsoo of Earth. The creature, that had its limbs crushed, was just breathing roughly without even being able to move on the huge magic circle.
Sigil laughed once again as he spoke,
"He was a nice opponent to warm up. I really liked that it was able to take some punches. You said that it was because Garmr's soul fragment is embedded in it right? What an unfortunate dog bastard, if it wanted to die it should have died peacefully. You are suffering even after having been crushed to death."
Garmr's soul fragment, that resembled a black jewel, was stuck in the forehead of the hog. Sigil turned around and forcefully pulled out the fragment. The hog Shinsoo let out a terrible cry but he didn't mind that.
"But you fomoires are also quite something. Having brought me to Midgard without any making any sound was impressive but your information net is also excellent. No, I was surprised in your numbers. Although you are weak fleas, for so many of you to be in Midgard is impressive. Isn't Bress also hiding in Midgard? There is a saying that the place below the lamp is the darkest."
They were words that were spoken as light as a kid but Korga flinched unconsciously. Sigil's shining eyes made him uneasy.
"Well, what can I do? Let's speak about business."
Sigil smiled thinly. You could only express his smile like that. He turned around to sit down and then moved his head.
"Take your underlings and attack the humans city. Balgad's underlings will also help you. It's nothing hard. You just have to clash with them head on."
There were many that eyed on the great city of Radetza. Because of that, King Harpdan had strong knights under his command to protect the city.
"Vikings are bastards that worry on how they die rather than when, so if you face them head on they will come to greet you. Will they stay still when Valkyries are watching? It should be the same for the warriors of Valhalla. Valhalla is the place where those kinds of Vikings gather. They are the same. A big and flashy battle will occur."
Sigi's eyes were yellow. Korga evaded his eyes that were as long like a cat and asked,
"Are you also going?"
"No, i'm different. When you clash in the front with a bang, I will enter the city stealthily to massacre the defenseless humans to my heart's content. It will be fun. I will also be able to accumulate many evil deeds and their force will also disperse."
They wouldn't be able to leave Sigil alone in the city doing what he pleased.
He had already caught the Shinsoo and acquired Garmr's soul fragment. However Balgad wanted something beyond that and that was the same for Sigil.
"I like battling. But I like fighting battles that I can win. I like to kill rather than dying. That's why I will fight a battle that I can win. I will rip their forces, tear them off and keep tearing them to kill them one by one."
Sigil hadn't prepared only one thing. He turned around to look at the Shinsoo that was groaning in its back.
"I like Balgad. That bastard is the ring leader that imprisoned me a hundred years ago so I will someday tear him off but I like him right now as he's the giant of the earth. That's why I was able to prepare a really fun thing."
The magic circle that was covering the Shinsoo wasn't only to seal its movements. It was a much stronger magic circle that could do something beyond that.
The place that the magic circle was spread was also peculiar. Sigi,l who had peculiar evil eyes that could see through all things had decided on this place.
"The bastards of Valhalla won't be able to ignore this. No, this is a really big thing. Even if they win against you, that will surely fight moderately, and even if they are somehow able to stop me from going crazy in the city, if they can't block this then it's their defeat. So they will only be able to disperse their forces. But that still won't be able to block it. This is that kind of item."
Korga couldn't ask what it was. He just wanted to get far away from Sigil, who was making him feel uneasy.
Suddenly, it seemed like Sigil had read the thoughts of that Korga when he stood up from where he was sitting. He looked at the sky and said casually.
"It's time."
"Time?"
As Korga asked unconsciously, Sigil put on a bright smile and turned to look at the hog Shinsoo and said.
"The time for the friend of this guy, that couldn't finish off its friend that had gone crazy because of Garmr's soul fragment and that believes that it escaped with its own strength, to run wild against the warriors of Valhalla."
A surprise attack wasn't always the right thing. There was a need to notify the warriors of Valhalla about the factor that would make them feel nervous and that will disperse their forces.
Sigil took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and opened them again.
"Get ready to attack. Don't waste any more time and go. It's now the time to fight."
Sigil didn't wait for Korga's answer and walked away. Korga could only follow him back.
&
A Shinsoo that had the shape of a black cow ran. When it reached the city of Radetza despite being a bloody mess, the sound of a horn trumpet that notified the attack of an enemy was heard.
The Shinsoo fell in front of Ingrid and started to tell her about the things it had seen.
The warriors of Radetza, that had become inspired by the warriors of Valhalla, didn't even wait for the orders of the king and went to the front lines. Hundreds and thousands of fomoires were charging towards the castle.
Rasgrid took some of the warriors of Valhalla and went to the front lines. Valkyrie Ingrid didn't listen to the words of the Shinsoo half heartedly. She groaned when she heard that the giant who had suppressed the hog Shinsoo was planning something big in the holy lands.
They also had to deploy warriors to the holy land. As they had the flying pirate ship that had finished repairing itself, they would be able to fly over the front lines and go to the holy lands.
Ingrid selected the warriors that would go to the holy land. She got on the flying ship first to lead the warriors.
The flying ship started to fly.
The warriors of Radetza looked at the fomoires that were flocking over and blew their horn trumpets.
King Harpdan didn't go out to battle. Korga just looked at the battlefield while standing on the rear so that he could escape at any time but Rasgrid noticed the existence of Korga, who was standing on the back lines.
While all of that was happening.
The soldiers that were guarding the gates of Radetza urged on the ones that had escaped. As the front lines of the battle and Radetza weren't that far away they had to close the gates.
One in the group that entered the gates hurriedly looked behind towards his back. He heard the sound of a horn trumpet being heard from far away and looked at the flying ship flying on the sky.
He smiled brightly and turned around once again to walk deeper into the city.
While the battle against the knights of Radetza and the fomoires started, Sigil, the killer of the same race, crossed the gates.
< Episode 24 - The Shinsoo's of Earth (3) > End