– Kaah!
A loud, piercing scream erupted in his mind.
What should this be called?
Jormungand… It's too small to be called that, and its presence is terribly weak.
If I had to call it something…
"…Ouroboros?" (TL:NOTES:-Ouroboros :- a circular symbol that depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail and that is used especially to represent the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth)
Ji-soo-woon mentioned the word "Jormungand." In their world, there seems to be a creature called Ouroboros, another snake from mythology. Well, that snake didn't seem to devour worlds or anything.
It's kind of funny to call this Jormungand just because it's similar to Jormungand.
Anyway.
– Ka, haaack!
The Ouroboros trapped in the spear writhed in agony, letting out a desperate scream.
Glaipnir, who was trapping it, seemed to be in pain.
"This… isn't a skill that humans can use, is it? It's a magic that transcends the realm of species from the beginning."
Abel muttered in disbelief.
"And, how on earth did such a thing end up attached to you? No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand…."
"I don't know."
Why was it attached to me?
Of course, I've never attached such a thing to myself.
If that's the case, it means that it naturally mixed into my soul before I even realized it….
"When was it?"
Of course, there were countless situations where such a thing could mix in.
But before the regression, it had never appeared even once.
If it were to appear, it would have appeared sooner.
In that case….
"Regression."
It's the conclusion I've reached. Something unexpected happened in the process of defying time.
Since it was a magic that even Ji-soo-woon couldn't be sure of, it's not strange that such a thing happened.
"I don't know for sure either. It might not have been the price of experiencing the future."
"…Price?"
"Perhaps the power of Jormungand mixed in while experiencing that future."
Of course, that's just speculation. It's a situation where it's not certain whether it's really related to Jormungand or not.
Anyway.
"At least it seems that it won't cause any more trouble for now. It should be enough for emergency treatment."
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would give up so easily."
"It's okay. My magic isn't that weak."
It's not just any "mythical magic."
Once it's activated, unless Ouroboros destroys it forcibly, it will be maintained permanently.
In other words, I'm the one holding the leash.
I faced the bastard head-on.
"I know you're listening. You seem to have at least a minimum of intellect."
– … ….
"From now on, I hold your leash. You must not jump out on your own or swallow anything without my command. If you do."
Tap.
With a light flick of my finger, Glaipnir began to vibrate, emitting light.
– Ka, haaack!
This is the true power of Glaipnir.
It was a magic created to restrain Jormungand even a little.
After tormenting the creature like that for a while, I stopped and asked again.
"So, what's your answer?"
– ....
Nodding.
The Ouroboros that mixes with me, nodding its head weakly.
Of course, I can't just believe it blindly. I have to keep watching him and managing the stigma.
"Can you control it?"
"I have to."
High risk, high return.
To kill Jormungand, you have to be prepared for this level of danger.
"Make good use of the stigmaHow should I call for your help when I need it?"
"If you need me, call me through the stigma it have that function."
Abel looked at me with a troubled expression.
"To be honest… your existence could also be a danger to this world… but…"
"I understand."
"…Yes, that's right."
She said that and immediately lowered her head.
"I will watch over you as a representative of Denver. So… don't make me regret the choice I made today."
After finishing her words, she completely concealed herself in front of me.
For a moment, I looked at where she had been, then looked at the back of my hand where the stigma were engraved.
Regret.
"I'm already sick of it."
Of course, I have no intention of repeating it.
—
A week later, I was breathing. Are you bragging about breathing like it's something great?
It's a big deal.
At first, even breathing was difficult, damn it.
It took some time to get used to the stigma.
Moreover.
[Are you okay, Kyle?]
"…."
I quietly blocked my ears.
I'm sure I heard a ghost. Otherwise, there's no way I'd hear voices in my head like this.
[Since you can hear it, don't pretend you can't.]
"Damn it."
I finally gave in to Abel's voice, which persistently spoke up.
"I'm busy."
[You're more than just busy, you're a key figure. I plan to keep an eye on you whenever I'm bored.]
"Don't I have any privacy?"
[If privacy was important, you shouldn't have summoned me in the first place.]
"…."
That's true.
I can't deny it, damn it.
Even if it's not Denver himself, as a representative of his delegate, there's no privacy to be had.
I'm crushed by the disaster I brought upon myself.
Damn it.
[Moreover, if you've seen the destruction from the future, it's natural that you would also find the key to preventing that destruction.]
"That's true."
[I know there are many things you haven't said yet. But I'm not going to force you to say them.]
"So you're going to watch me like this and make a clear judgment about me? And all this while letting go of the stigma?"
[You believe. But from my perspective, I just want to do my best.]
"You're being straightforward."
Of course, while I answer her bluntly, I understand her actions internally.
She is acting on behalf of Denver, and as such, she must have a sense of responsibility.
[So, this Ouroboros didn't cause any more trouble afterwards?]
"no."
[That's… fortunate.]
"You don't have to worry about that. By the way, how's the holy church these days?"
"Not good. Fanaticism is spreading among the believers."
"…Hmm."
"They are worshiping Denver as the sole god and persecuting those who believe in other gods."
"I didn't think about stopping it?"
"If I were Denver, I would have actively stopped that movement. But I'm not Denver."
Abel sighed softly.
"If I were to directly intervene, someone might feel threatened. And if that leads to a decline in faith in Denver… "
"I understand."
It would be a disaster.
The collapse of a large religious group that controls the continent would inevitably cause tremendous chaos.
And that is exactly what Jormungand desires.
"I think I need to intervene in the holy church denver God as soon as possible…."
"Yes, I need your help."
Abel didn't turn to say that.
"I can still stop it for now, but I don't know when problems will arise, you know."
"Then you should pay attention to that as quickly as possible."
For now, I have the position of an imperial duke and knowledge of the future.
If the conditions are right, it may be possible to pressure the Church of the Denver God and solve the problem.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"First, I think the urgent fires within the family have been extinguished. Next, I should… "
The magic corps will take care of itself when it's important.
The knights are the same.
Then.
"Oh, by the way, there was an interesting incident in the territory."
"…An interesting incident?"
"Yes, it's something that was supposed to happen soon. It's also related to Jormungand."
I asked Abel with a wry smile.
"Do you happen to know about 'Einherjar'?"
"I know to some extent."
"Yes, they are the warriors of the gods. They serve the world of the gods called 'Asgard,' not Denver."
"That's right. There are hardly any records left now, but they were said to have led a vast number of believers in the past."
"Yes, they were the beings that ruled the era before Denver."
Of course, now their world has greatly diminished, and only a few believers live a difficult life in the unexplored lands.
"They are no longer gods to be reckoned with, but Einherjar, their warriors, are still strong."
"Hmm."
"And just around that time, Einherjar appeared in the world after a long absence."
I still remember.
The warrior who suddenly appeared, not Denver, but another god's servant.
At that time, the Holy Knights of the Church and the famous knights of the Empire did not think much of such Einherjar.
Some even called him a relic of change.
"Interesting. So what happened to that Einherjar? Did he prove his faith with his own strength?"
"He died."
"Huh?"
Think about it. The Church of the Denvert God couldn't just leave him alone. They cornered Einherjar with all sorts of schemes and eventually killed him."
"Wait, wasn't he a strong warrior?"
"Yes. He was a strong warrior. He repelled the pursuit of the Holy Knights and even inflicted a fatal wound on the Empire's Sword Master."
Yes, he was really powerful.
However, Einherjar was alone. There were no authorities or famous people to defend his faith in the continent.
So he received all sorts of slander and ended his life disgracefully as a 'cultist.'
"Since then, Einherjar has never appeared in the world again. He wasn't the only Einherjar, but… "
"So what you're saying is… "
"Well, from the standpoint of Denver's representative, I don't know how my words sound to you right now."
I chuckled and said.
"This time, I'm thinking of rescuing that Einherjar a bit."
"Hmm…."
"Hmm…."
"Well, there are some things I'm aiming for. As a representative of Denver, you know that divine beings don't just exist for Denver alone, right?"
Well, all those divine beings were useless and eaten by Jormungand, but…
Still, things will be a bit different this time since I'm here.
"So where is that Einherjar now?"
"I actually looked into it a bit."
In fact, I didn't just sit around. I investigated while breathing.
"Just because I breathe doesn't mean I didn't see and hear things. I heard news that Einherjar was not just any Einherjar."
Yes, news reached me.
Of course, the place where news of that Einherjar reached me was unexpected even to me.
"He was within my territory."
"…What?"
Yes, it's quite surprising.
Surprisingly, he was in my territory.
And it seems he had a clash with Cedier, the inquisitor of the devout Church of the Denver God.
Upon hearing my story, Abel stammered.
"U-um… So, this time too, the Church of the Denver God…"
"So, here's the thing."
It wouldn't be easy to persuade Cedier normally, but with Denver's representative here, the answer is clear.
"I'll need your help."
Isn't this the perfect time to make use of your connections? Ha ha.