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What's that sound?
~~~ ~~
Humming? Singing? Both?
I… Am I…
…still alive?
Throughout the endless darkness, he could hear humming. At first he thought that maybe this was Ceru who appeared again to heal his injuries. However, this voice sounded different. It sounded more mature.
He didn't know why but each hum sent a wave of warm energy into his body.
It felt… so peaceful.
Ah… Rafaela… Where is Rafaela…?
Arnold wheezed and coughed when he tried calling out to her.
"—Oh dear, I went straight to healing you and forgot that you might be thirsty." A voice came from beside him, "Muu, your lips are so cracked."
He felt someone's fingers on his face. No, were these really fingers? They felt quite large, almost as if they belong to a giant.
Arnold slowly opened his eyes to see what was going on. The first thing he spotted was a woman's huge chest. Literally. There was a female giant literally in front of him, holding a massive jug next to his face. Her breasts were probably twice the size of his head.
The giant lady froze.
She had long green hair and green eyes, and wore a long white robe.
She suddenly smiled.
"Good morning, hero of my people."
"…Wha?"
"Hush. Before we speak, you need to drink this." She placed the jug near his face, "Careful now, I don't want it spilling over your face."
Arnold opened his mouth. She slowly put the jug over his mouth and poured the liquid into it.
'Is this milk? It tastes… quite peculiar…'
"What is this?" Arnold asked when he felt a soothing feeling wash over him. Does this beverage have magic properties?
"Milk from this morning. I heard that a glass of milk after a dangerous battle can help make your bones stronger after they're done healing."
"Really… It felt like I drank a potion of some sort. Do you inject your cows with mana or something?"
She tilted her head, "I don't have cows."
"What about goats?"
She shook her head.
"Is there a town nearby then?"
She shook her head again.
"I live alone in this forest. The nearest settlement is a few hours' walk from here. I couldn't exactly go out while you were unconscious. You've been here for three days. I spent most of my time watching over you and healing your injuries.."
"….."
"In any case, I must thank you." She stood up, her head nearly touching the ceiling, "You saved many people when you fought those monsters alone a few days ago. Those people brought you to me and told me how you singlehandedly helped them get revenge on the Soul King's Blight Things."
"Uh, huh?"
'What's she talking about?'
"I did… what?"
"You saved the townsfolk," the giant lady repeated her words, "As their goddess I failed to realize that the Blight Things were able to come to this realm. A dungeon storm is the reason for them ending up here since conventional teleportation magic cannot be used to get here."
"…Wait, goddess? Who are you…?"
The woman chuckled, "You're quite informal with a stranger you just met and someone who is older than you."
"…Can you explain what's going on?"
"Muuh," she pouted then harrumphed, "About three days ago, the townsfolk reported seeing strange red clouds circling in the sky like a cyclone. I immediately concluded that it must've been a dungeon storm. I initially thought that there would be only one but miraculously another one of them showed up after I stopped the first one with my magic. I left the Rune Bridge unguarded but I had no choice but to stop the storm from hitting this realm. From what they told me, you came through the second storm a few hours after the Blight Things landed in this world."
"Hold on a second. You said you left the Rune Bridge unguarded? The bridge beyond a realm gate?"
"Yes?"
"That means you're… Yormilia, a Gate Guardian?"
The last living Sallengette Giant, a race of divine beings related to the Divine Titans.
"How do you know of me?" Yorm tilted her head.
'Oh shit. I better choose my words carefully.'
"Uh, there's an undead merchant going around who not only sells equipment and potions but also sells information for a portion of one's karma. I purchased something known as a Yorm Branch from him and asked him what its origins are. He mentioned that you were the one who sold it to him."
"An undead merchant…? Hmm… I recall a meeting an undead a few years ago. He wanted to purchase some things from me. At first I thought that he had nefarious intentions but he seemed like a kind soul who just wanted to trade. I sold some of the branches that I broke off the tree in my garden. I had no inkling as to how an undead came into this realm without crossing the rune bridge that I guard. There wasn't any news of a dungeon storm that day either…"
"He's a world jumper. He has this teleportation skill that lets him jump to any world he wants to go to."
"I haven't heard anything regarding world jumpers in the last century. As you probably already know, most of them are troublemakers. They use their talent to break into regions where entry is forbidden without permission and steal what isn't theirs."
"The undead I mentioned isn't like that. He would've just robbed you while you were guarding the realm gate. Come to think of it… Who is guarding it right now?"
"Oh, I received some help from the High Valkyrie herself. She sent a few recruits to help me protect the realm. This also allows me to rest when the physical strain has been too much. While we gods have stronger bodies and more energy than humans, even we need some rest now and then. Sitting in my garden while drinking tea and listening to the birds sing is all I need even if it's for one day."
"…So, you've been here for a long time and haven't left, right?"
"Yes, I watch over the Realm Bridge for the sake of the Divine Realm. I will not allow anything malicious to cross that bridge."
"I see…" Arnold looked around the room he was in. It was a simple "spacious" wooden house that had furniture made out of mainly wood. There were a lot of plants and greenery inside the room and even vines coming down from the ceiling with flowers tied around the stems.
"Can you tell me what happened before you landed here?" Yorm's gentle expression turned serious, "A dungeon storm rarely happens naturally. However, colluding energy can cause changes in the atmosphere."
Portals that lead to other worlds have a strange energy that they release into the worlds they can be found in. When something disturbs this energy, for example, a clash between energies of opposite natures, it creates a phenomenon that can lead to a dungeon storm.
No one knows why dungeon storms happen. Of course, Arnold knows the cause of it but not why they actually happen or why the portal's energy can create this disturbance.
'Is it okay to tell her about Gederick and the artifact?'
Probably not. Although she appears to be the kind, gentle type, he was certain that Yorm wouldn't hesitate to kill him if she found out that he knows where a stolen artifact is located. She probably already knows that the artifact is missing.
"Boy?" Yorm called out to him with a concerned expression.
Lost in thought, Arnold thought back to the moment's before their clash ended.
!!
Suddenly, a terrifying memory consumed his mind.
Oh, the pain.
The pain of divine energy corroding his insides.
The sound of his arms snapping from the golden yarn that hugged his body.
It all came back to him.
Arnold felt a horrible pain in his chest and he couldn't help but let out a wheeze as he squeezed down on his chest to try and soothe the pain. He pulled on his hair and groaned.
His vision turned hazy from the pain.
Why did it hurt so much…
Why did his heart feel like it was being stabbed by a hundred needles…?
"Ah!" Yorm quickly knelt and cast a Tenth-Rank [Greater Heal] followed by a Second-Rank [Soothed Nerves] spell.
Almost as if it was an illusion, the pain vanished.
Arnold took in deep breaths.
The hand clutching the sheets was still trembling.
"I apologize for meddling. You don't have to talk about it but if you need a shoulder to lean on then I'm here for you."
"…Even though I'm a demon factor?" Arnold looked at her with sharp eyes. He couldn't help but glare.
"You have committed no crime and there is no one in this house that you are a danger to. Therefore, you are not a threat."
"Right… I thought you gods have a seething hatred for anything even remotely related to demon spawn."
"I have met enough demons to see that you aren't one of them or like them."
"?"
"What I mean is that you aren't consumed yet by a demon's desire to destroy, taint and ruin. All three of these things have the same definition but only by human standards. Demons destroy lives, they taint souls and they ruin everything they touch."
"Well, then what if I told you that the Failed King is the demon lord whose soul I possess?"
Arnold could see Yorm's body twitch for a moment.
"Does that change anything? Do you want to kill me yet?"
"…Why would you ask me that? Are you eager to die?"
"….."
"I stand by what I said. I believe that there is a line that exists between real demons and demon factors. You have one foot over this line while the demons have already crossed it since birth. That line is the demon energy that you possess. Crossing over it with one foot means that you can control the energy. You can either decide to step back—cut off the demon energy—or control the demon energy at will. However, every time you leave your foot on the other side of that line, a force pushes you from behind. It's slowly moving both your legs over the line. Once both legs cross over it…"
Yorm spoke with a gentle tone, "…That will be the day I kill you."
Arnold met her gentle eyes. That wasn't a threat. If it was then she would've released some killing intent.
"—Lady Yorm, I've returned." Someone's voice came from outside.
"Excuse me for a moment." Yorm dusted off her robe and stood up. She then left the room.
Arnold laid back down.
'Hmm, these sheets smell really good. Is this Yorm's bed?'
Of course it is. It's like ten times the size of a normal queen size bed. Arnold looked like a doll laying on this giant bed.
"—The girls and I finished patrolling the Rainbow Edge. We didn't find anything suspicious."
Arnold could heard a young woman speaking to Yorm.
"Good work so far."
"…We don't deserve your praise, Lady Yorm… We failed to protect the humans from being slaughtered by the Blight Things. By your order, I will set out immediately to slay the Soul King. We heard that he invaded an ancient Elven city that was built inside a relic tomb. There are at least three relic tombs that have Elf ancestry. While we don't know which one is the correct one, I promise to slay him so that his monsters don't terrorize the realm any further."
'He's already dead, though. Should I tell them?'
"I appreciate the suggestion but I'd rather you protect the remaining humans for now to boost morale and assure them that this is a safe haven for all. Remember, humans didn't live here a century ago so they aren't used to life here yet. The appearance of the monsters from yesterday certainly shook them all and made them think that I am incapable of protecting my own realm."
"Should I request aid from my tribe to send a Valkyrie go to every settlement for now?"
'The average Valkyrie level should be 70 since not just anyone can obtain that title.'
The only reason Valkyries are considered a race is due to their warrior blood that grants them all sorts of talents and abilities as they grow older and become warriors. They're still just descendants of Parreon, a race of nomad demigods. Parreons are based on a real warrior tribe from Earth, the Vikings.
Valkyries are essentially just humans with demigod blood. They are sometimes referred to as Pars but given how most of them are women, with men being rare in their tribe, the lore refer to them as just Valkyries.
Copulating with humans or demihumans doesn't carry of risk of losing their warrior blood. That's how they were able to survive as a race.
"Before you do that, all of you need to rest. Go take a dip in the river. I'll finish Arnold's treatment then head to the Gate in a few hours."
"…Arnold? Is that the name of the human boy?"
"Yes."
"I don't like that Lady Yorm is keeping a demon in your home."
'So, they knew all along that I was a demon factor…'
Well, it makes sense since she healed him. Just like priests at temples who he usually avoids interacting with, Yorm should've also been able to sense his demon energy when she used her power to heal him.
"He is merely the victim of a demon's plot to revive itself. That doesn't mean he's a demon."
"If the energy is inside his body then he should be classified as a demon."
"Vatria, remember he was the one who saved the survivors from sacrificing their lives to get revenge. Were it not for him then we would've needed to bury more victims."
"…You're right, Lady Yorm. Forgive me."
"No need to apologize. I can understand your suspicions. We were raised with the misconception that demons and demon factors are indistinctive from each other. Only through interactions with both groups are you able to determine the difference between them."
"Yes…"
"Tell the girls that all of them can take the day off. All of you can return to your duties again tomorrow."
"Thank you. Ah, will Lady Yorm join us for dinner?"
"Another time. I'll head to the Gate once I'm certain Arnold's condition is stable."
"…I see. Well then, excuse me."
Arnold could hear a door close a second later.
Yorm came back to the room Arnold was in.
"You're welcome to take a tour of the area once you're fully healed, Arnold."
"Thanks for your hospitality, Miss Yorm but I need to leave as soon as possible." Arnold got out of the bed.
"Nn? Why is that?"
"There's somewhere I need to go. First thing's first… Where are my clothes? No, more importantly, why am I naked?"
The wind felt cold against his butt and bare chest.
'Your eyes are wandering, Miss Yorm.'
"Your clothes weren't exactly in a good condition so I threw them away. They smelled like guts and sewage, most likely from the monsters you slayed."
"I see. Where are my magic bags then?"
Surely he didn't lose them after the dungeon storm hit him?
'Jack's spear was in one of those magic bags… Getting him a weapon of equal quality will be very expensive…'
He didn't forget about his little brother who he wanted to build a stronger bond with. He wanted to give the spear to him once he turns 12.
Suddenly he remembered something else, "Where is Ceru!?" he frantically looked around the room.
"C-Calm down. Your magic bags are safe. And the one whom you call Ceru…" Yorm went over to the window next to the bed, "Is this who you mean?"
She picked up a transparent box. Inside it was an eyeball with feathers growing out of its back.
Arnold sighed in relief.
"Why do you have a Cherubim in your possession, young man?" Yorm's smile was still gentle but her eyes were cold.
"Uh…"