ACT I
“I’m sorry that we can’t do more than this,” Yuuto said apologetically, his brow furrowed in pain.
He was a black-haired, black-eyed young man; an uncommon sight in Yggdrasil.
Yuuto was a great conqueror, who at the tender age of seventeen had already climbed from being the patriarch of the lowly Wolf Clan to become þjóðann of Yggdrasil, a leader with an aura that would make even the greatest warriors on both land and sea cower and shrink back by merely being in his vicinity.
Today, however, it was hard to imagine him radiating that kind of presence.
Under the circumstances, Yuuto’s lack of spirit was perfectly understandable.
There was a casket set out in front of him, where a young girl lay in repose, shrouded by flowers.
The girl’s name had been Sigrdrífa.
She had been his second formal wife, and she had passed shortly after they had concluded their wedding ceremony.
There were about twenty mourners attending this small memorial service held in a quiet corner of the Valaskjálf Palace. It was, by any standard, far too small of a funeral service for someone who had been þjóðann of the Holy Ásgarðr Empire.
“It is what it is, unfortunately. If word were to get out that she had passed immediately after the wedding, there’d be no way to prevent rumors and speculation. It would damage your reputation, Father, and I doubt Lady Rífa would have wanted that,” Fagrahvél said calmly, her voice hardened to keep out any trace of emotion.
Even so, Yuuto still noticed the faint quaver in Fagrahvél’s voice as she spoke. He couldn’t blame her. After all, he too was struggling to process his grief.
Fagrahvél had cared for Rífa, her milk-sister, as though she were her actual younger sister. It was rather easy for him to imagine the heartache that Fagrahvél was feeling.
“I know that, but still...”
Yuuto nodded, but his words still felt heavy in his throat.
As þjóðann, Sigrdrífa was well acquainted with the treacherous game known as politics and she had labored until her final breath to protect Yuuto from any whispered insults and slights.
Further, the idea of a small, secret memorial service attended only by those close to her had been what Rífa herself had wanted. She had even made a number of plans to ensure that there wouldn’t be any confusion after her death.
Those decisions were a magnificent display of the skills she had honed as a woman who had been born into politics as an imperial princess and lived her entire life in the court of the þjóðann.
Yuuto knew that she had saved him from all sorts of pitfalls, and he did sincerely appreciate all the efforts she had made on his behalf.
But that was precisely why he felt an immense guilt in the midst of his grief.
“She did so much for me, but I couldn’t do anything for her... And to see her off like this...”
Yuuto wasn’t able to put the rest into words. He bit down on his lower lip.
He felt he owed Sigrdrífa an enormous debt. The greatest of which was the fact that she had put her very being on the line to resummon him after he had been thrown back into the present, and then soon afterward, she had swiftly passed on the title of þjóðann to him, and finally, after the great earthquake, she had soothed the hearts of Glaðsheimr’s residents with her song.
Without Rífa, the rise of the Steel Clan would have never happened, and it was more than possible that the Steel Clan’s people would have already been wiped out.
What had Yuuto been able to do for the woman he owed so much to?
Rífa had told him that she was happy at having the chance to live and interact with him and the other members of the Steel Clan, but Yuuto couldn’t help but feel that was far too small a payment for what he owed her.
“Try not to let it bother you, Father. I believe Lady Rífa would much prefer this sort of small memorial to a great funerary procession.”
“You really think so?” Yuuto asked, almost pleading.
Fagrahvél gave him a firm nod and responded. “Yes. If she’s to set off to Valhalla, I think she would say she’d much rather be sent off with the tears of those she loved than a pompous procession driven by empty rituals.”
Yuuto felt a slight weight lift from his heart at those words from Rífa’s milk-sister and most loyal retainer.
Certainly, not all of his regrets or guilt had gone away, but they felt lighter—they started to seem almost bearable.
Yuuto quietly vowed to Rífa at that moment. He swore that he would save Yggdrasil’s people.
After the moment of silence, Yuuto turned on his heel and spoke.
“Felicia, gather the generals in the throne room. And make it quick.”
The young man who had been wallowing in grief and sadness only moments ago was no more. In his place stood a warlord who had fought his way through countless battles—a leader with the unmistakable aura of a conqueror.
For Felicia, who had spent the last four years at his side in both public and private, and was now one of his consorts, it was clear as day to see that he was pushing himself through his pain.
“Big Brother, at least take today to rest...”
“I’m fine.”
“But...”
“If anything I could use the distraction.”
“...Very well.”
Felicia could only nod her head in agreement at those words.
Shortly after the summons, the Steel Clan army’s senior commanders had gathered in the Valaskjálf Palace’s throne room.
Yesterday had been a day of great celebration for them. Yuuto, the man they had taken as their father, had finally risen to become the rightful ruler of Yggdrasil, the þjóðann.
Outside of the handful that knew of what had transpired after the wedding ceremony, most of those who had assembled in the throne room had entered in a state of nervous euphoria.
“I’ve gathered you here to discuss a matter of great importance. Specifically the unprecedented disaster that threatens Yggdrasil that Rífa mentioned during the ceremony.”
At Yuuto’s opening words, the assembled generals fell into a shocked silence.
True, they remembered that Rífa had said something along those lines at the ceremony, but given that the mood at the time hadn’t been particularly solemn, they had forgotten about it in the subsequent revelry and drinking.
“It was no lie or exaggeration. Great disasters that make the most recent earthquake seem like a mere tremor will soon engulf these lands, and Yggdrasil will be swallowed by the sea. That’s already fated to happen.”
“What?!”
A wave of confusion washed over the assembled commanders. What Yuuto had said was far too much to immediately process.
The whole thing was hard to believe. Had it not been Yuuto who had said it, they would have likely dismissed the entire story as mere fantasy.
“May we hear the details, then?”
The one who eventually spoke up was Jörgen, Assistant to the Second-in-Command of the Steel Clan.
Jörgen was one of Yuuto’s oldest and most loyal children, having served as Second to Yuuto from his days as patriarch of the Wolf Clan, and supporting Yuuto primarily in political roles.
“As you and the others from the Wolf Clan know, I’m not a man from Yggdrasil. I’ve come from the realm of the gods.”
“S-Surely not...”
“So said the rumors, but...”
“I don’t mean to question you, Father, but...”
Murmurs rippled through the commanders who belonged to clans outside of the Wolf Clan.
Everyone present was aware that Yuuto had invented all sorts of strange and revolutionary items and tactics.
Still, for Yuuto himself to come out and declare that he came from beyond Yggdrasil came as a shock to those other than the members of the Wolf Clan who had actually seen the ritual that summoned him.
“I know it’s difficult to believe, but it’s the truth,” Yuuto stated simply as though to press home the point.
Technically he had come from around 3,500 years in the future, but since clarifying that would only bring about further confusion, he chose to go with the story of his origins that had spread through his territories.
Given the extent to which religion and the gods permeated the daily lives of this era’s inhabitants, it was also a story that was easier for them to grasp.
In a way, this was the truth from a certain point of view.
“There is no deception in Father’s words. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“I as well. I’ll happily swear upon my chalice and the title of Mánagarmr.”
“I, too, will swear upon my chalice and the name of patriarch of the Wolf Clan.”
Jörgen and Sigrún chimed in to support Yuuto’s claim.
Jörgen had gained the trust of the commanders through his loyal efforts in support of the Steel Clan’s forces from the rear, while Sigrún was known as something of a stubbornly proud warrior who was incapable of lying.
That those two would swear upon their chalices and their titles, the most precious things to any denizen of Yggdrasil, had an immediate effect upon the others.
“If you two insist.”
“We have no choice but to believe you.”
“Not that we had any notion of doubting you, Your Majesty.”
While they couldn’t fully believe Yuuto’s claim, they had to accept it, at least for the moment.
After confirming that they had done that much, Yuuto continued.
“Now, in the realm of the gods, a vast amount of knowledge that doesn’t exist on Yggdrasil is readily available to all. Steel smelting, glass blowing, stirrups.”
“Ahhh, I seeeee. No woooonder we couldn’t wiiiin. After aaaall, we were facing up against the knowledge of the gooooods,” Bára—the Sword Clan’s strategist—chimed in with her languid, leisurely tone.
Despite outward appearances, she had been one of the primary forces behind the rise of the Sword Clan from an old, weakened clan to one of the greatest powers on the continent. She was reputed to be one of the three smartest individuals in all of Yggdrasil, and she had served as the strategist for the Alliance Army that had been assembled against the Steel Clan.
“I taaaake it that you also leaaaarned that Yggdraaaasil will faaaaall into the seaaaa from that knowledge?”
When Yuuto nodded in confirmation of Bára’s words, another murmur rippled through the commanders.
Their new divine ruler coming from the realm of the gods, Yggdrasil falling into the sea... Neither of those were stories that could be considered at all believable.
Even so, Yuuto, their parent that they had sworn their chalices to, was not the sort of man to joke in this sort of situation. Certainly not one with such gravity or urgency as this.
Further, he was a man who made good upon his word. No matter how ridiculous his words might have seemed at the moment he said them, Yuuto had followed through and made them a reality.
All of the commanders who were assembled here knew that from experience.
“I see. So that’s what Priestess Völva’s prophecy referred to,” Fagrahvél muttered to herself, as though she had come to a realization.
Völva had been a priestess and one of the companions of Wotan, the first þjóðann and founder of the Holy Ásgarðr Empire. It was said that she was an oracle with the ability to see the future, and her prophecies were said to have always been accurate.
Fagrahvél’s words about Völva’s prophecy were something no one in the room dared to dismiss.
“J-Just what was said in Völva’s prophecy?” Jörgen asked, clearly anxious.
Völva’s prophecies were some of the greatest secrets held by the empire, only known to a select few in the halls of power.
For that reason, Fagrahvél hesitated for a moment before she finally spoke.
“‘At the time of Ragnarok, the Wolf will consume the Sun, and the stars will fall from the heavens. The Black One, wielding the sword of victory forged from the flames, will arrive on horseback across the heavenly bridge.’ It was the final prophecy left by the oracle Völva.”
It seemed Fagrahvél had decided there was no point in keeping the prophecy from the others at this point.
“Ah, the Black One. That must be a reference to Father,” Jörgen said in reply as he cast a glance toward Yuuto.
The prophecy’s words essentially described Yuuto’s history upon this world. More than anything, there were practically no people in Yggdrasil with black hair and black eyes.
There was no one but Yuuto who could fit that description.
“We had believed that Ragnarok—the end times—meant the end of the empire, but...”
“But it actually referred to the end of Yggdrasil itself,” Jörgen stated bluntly as he finished Fagrahvél’s statement and furrowed his brow.
The other commanders also had their brows furrowed in thought.
With the addition of the legendary oracle Völva’s prophecy, they had no choice but to believe what Yuuto had told them.
However, natural disasters were an area that went beyond the knowledge of the men of this era. Everyone present could only wonder just what there was for them to do in the face of such powerful forces and wallow in that despair.
“B-But, yes, surely, Father, you’ve already come up with a solution, have you not?” Jörgen asked Yuuto, as though clinging to a single thread of hope.
Yuuto nodded.
“Indeed. I have no intention of twiddling my thumbs and waiting.”
“A-As to be expected from you, Father. What is your solution?”
“I have ordered Ingrid to build a fleet of very large ships. We’ll produce a large number of them and travel toward the east of Yggdrasil, to the continent of Europe.”
“Huh... Wha...”
Jörgen was at a complete loss for words, unable to articulate his shock, as though his jaw had stopped working.
Jörgen was a skilled politician, serving alongside Linnea, the Steel Clan’s Second, to deal with the logistics and governance issues that the Steel Clan faced. No doubt Jörgen could easily imagine the sheer cost, effort, and potential problems that awaited a plan of this scale.
Yuuto himself was aware of just how enormous an undertaking he was proposing, but given that he couldn’t stop Yggdrasil’s destruction, there was no other path forward.
“To accomplish this task, the first thing we need to do is unify Yggdrasil as quickly as possible. I’m certain that you won’t disappoint me.”
“Please take a breather, Big Brother. It seems everyone was quite shocked by the news.”
Felicia placed a cup of tea in front of Yuuto and chuckled softly.
The meeting had been adjourned for the time being. The subject under discussion was far too large in scope to finish digesting over a single round of discussion.
Unifying Yggdrasil itself had been an undertaking that had only been accomplished by one man in history—the great first þjóðann, Wotan.
What Yuuto was proposing went far beyond that. Not only did he plan to unify the people of Yggdrasil, he intended to move them to a new, safe homeland.
It was difficult to process the scale of what he proposed on both an intellectual and emotional level.
Yuuto had decided that the others needed some time to fully comprehend what he had told them.
“Seems like it. As for me, while I feel a little guilty for saying this, I have to admit the burden on my shoulders feels lighter now that I’ve told everyone.”
True to his words, Yuuto looked as though he’d been freed of a significant burden as he lightly shrugged his shoulders.
The destruction of Yggdrasil was far too heavy a truth for a handful of people to shoulder on their own. Yuuto was surprised at just how much lighter the burden seemed now that he’d shared that knowledge with everyone else.
“That said, it doesn’t change the fact we’ve still got a whole lot of stuff to get done.”
Yuuto let out a heavy sigh as he glanced down at the map of Yggdrasil spread out on the desk before him. It was a map they had taken from Valaskjálf Palace’s archives.
Yuuto’s eyes naturally drifted eastward on the map, away from the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr and toward the Jötunheimr region.
“There’s still so much out there...”
In terms of size, Jötunheimr was about as massive as Álfheimr. Conquering it would probably be quite the task.
“Kris, what’s the situation in Jötunheimr?”
Yuuto turned his gaze to the girl with a side-tail standing next to him—Kristina.
She was young, perhaps all of twelve or thirteen years of age.
Given her youth she looked more like a lady-in-waiting in training, but she was, in fact, the brilliant young mind in charge of the Vindálfs, the Steel Clan’s spy organization, which reported directly to Yuuto.
“Currently there are four clans in Jötunheimr: Armor, Shield, Silk, and Tiger, and they are all roughly equal in strength,” Kristina explained as she pointed to each clan’s name on the map.
“In terms of scale, the Silk Clan is noticeably larger than the other clans of Jötunheimr—similar in size to the Hoof Clan. As for the other three, they’re all around the same size—comparable to perhaps the Fang or Cloud Clans. All of them generally use bronze weaponry and their militaries are largely made up of chariots.”
“Oh, is that all?”
Yuuto blinked as though he found the report anticlimactic. He immediately realized, however, that it was his own sense of what constituted normal that was off.
Thinking back on it, Yuuto realized that he had grown accustomed to fighting extraordinarily powerful opponents like the Lightning Clan, the Panther Clan, and the Anti-Steel Clan Alliance.
Rather than being the norm, those enemies were all far more powerful than the vast majority of opponents one would meet elsewhere on the continent. The clans of the Jötunheimr region were more in line with what you could consider the ‘average’ clan in Yggdrasil.
“All right. Certainly, I shouldn’t ever underestimate them, but they’re no match for the current Steel Clan forces.”
The Steel Clan was already roughly ten times the size of the Fang or Cloud Clans.
The difference in strength would become even more pronounced with the use of phalanxes fully outfitted with steel weaponry, stirrup-equipped cavalry, and trebuchets. The conquest of Jötunheimr would be unlikely to take much time at all.
As had been the case against the Hoof Clan and the Anti-Steel Clan Alliance Army, when the difference in weapons technology was this extreme, there was no way for any amount of guile or strategy to overcome that difference.
Steinþórr’s ability to overcome that handicap with his individual skill was an extreme exception to that rule, and surely there weren’t two monsters of that scale in this world.
“Meaning the problem isn’t the east but... the south.”
Yuuto turned his eyes to the central Ásgarðr region on the map.
Listed upon the map were the names of now-extinct clans such as the Bow Clan, the Feather Clan, and the Arrow Clan.
They had all been wiped out in the last two months.
The Flame Clan, under the command of Oda Nobunaga, Demon King of the Warring States period, had simply rolled over them.
“Indeed. Currently the Flame Clan is at war with one of the Ten Great Clans, the Spear Clan. Several days ago they fought a large field battle along their border where the Flame Clan defeated and killed the Spear Clan’s greatest general and Second, Hermóðr. The Flame Clan is currently advancing upon the Spear Clan capital.”
“They’re moving far faster than I expected. That’s in spite of the fact that we pushed our forces pretty hard to move up the timeline...”
Yuuto’s cheek twitched in an irritated grimace at Kristina’s report.
Yuuto had originally planned to conquer the Jötunheimr region and make preparations to head into Europe while the Flame Clan was busy fighting the other clans of the Ásgarðr region, but it would be extremely dangerous to send his armies east under the current circumstances.
While there was an unofficial non-aggression pact with the Flame Clan, it was an oral promise, not an actual treaty.
Yuuto recalled what Nobunaga had said to him at the end of their meeting—
“Engrave these words on your heart. If anyone stands in the way of my conquest of the realm... I will show them no mercy.”
A shudder ran up Yuuto’s spine at the memory of that statement.
Yuuto now held the title of þjóðann and controlled the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr.
As part of his goal of total conquest, Nobunaga would seek those two things. There was no way for Yuuto to avoid direct conflict unless he gave them up voluntarily.
He could hardly sit back and wait to see how things played out either, though, so for that reason...
“It appears that we’ll need to move first.”
It was the day after the great reveal. Yuuto was currently traveling by carriage. The gentle rocking of its wheels brought Yuuto a comfortable sense of lethargy.
His destination was Gimlé, the capital of the Steel Clan.
Almost four months had passed since he had departed Gimlé to face the Anti-Steel Clan Alliance Army.
This had been the longest Yuuto had been away from his clan capital. With a lack of pressing issues on his plate, he had decided that this would be a good opportunity to make an appearance in Gimlé.
“Wow, spring really is in the air, isn’t it?”
Yuuto pushed aside one of the flaps and took a glance outside. The snow had already melted, and green shoots had started coming up out of the ground. While the wind was still chilly, it also brought the faint scent of plants and flowers in its wake.
“Ahh... I finally feel like I can breathe.”
Yuuto took a deep breath and quirked his lips into a smile.
While he was residing within Valaskjálf Palace, there was no avoiding his work or responsibilities, not to mention the people who came to worship him as the þjóðann. There was a certain oppressive stuffiness to life in the palace.
Leaving all of that behind and traveling with his trusted companions helped relieve some of that weight from his shoulders.
He was still nursing the wounds from Rífa’s passing, often withdrawing within himself. In that sense this trip was a necessary respite for Yuuto.
“I’m glad to hear that. Lately you’ve been taking on a bit too much, Big Brother,” Felicia, who sat next to him, said with a sigh of relief.
“Sorry for always putting the burden on you.”
“Indeed. Which is why...”
Slender arms gently grasped Yuuto around the shoulders and pulled him backward.
Though caught off guard, Yuuto offered no resistance and felt the back of his head press against a supple warmth. He didn’t need to guess what his head was resting against. The feeling was something he was well acquainted with.
“Do take this opportunity to get some rest,” Felicia said with a loving expression as she gazed down tenderly at Yuuto’s face.
He couldn’t help but stare affectionately back at her.
He’d heard the old saying about how love made women more beautiful, and Felicia of late was the very epitome of that adage.
Feeling a bit self-conscious at her gaze, Yuuto rolled over to face away.
“Ah, certainly. I’ll clean your ears, Big Brother,” Felicia said with a happy chuckle.
Yuuto hadn’t intended for her to do so, but it was true that he hadn’t had time to indulge in that recently. Presented with this perfect opportunity, he decided to seize it.
“Then I’ll get started now.”
With that, Felicia leaned forward.
Several strands of her golden hair spilled down in front of his eyes and a sweet scent tickled at his senses. At the same time, he felt a hard object enter his ear.
“It doesn’t hurt, does it, Big Brother?”
“No, it’s perfect.”
“Just lay back and relax.”
“Okay.”
Humming happily to herself, Felicia continued cleaning Yuuto’s ear. Yuuto felt another wave of calm wash over him.
Felicia was humming a galdr, a song of soothing that she was particularly skilled at. She really was spoiling him.
“Mm?”
“What is it?”
“Um, well. I can feel this odd something in your voice.”
“An odd something?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s the first time I’ve felt it. It’s like there’s some sort of will, like a heat in your voice... What is this?”
“Oh?! That’s... Um, Big Brother, can you see this?”
Felicia gently cupped her hands in front of her chest as though she were scooping up water. Yuuto could see a flow of light pooling in her hands.
“There’s something glowing there.”
“Yes, that’s it! Big Brother, you’re able to see ásmegin!”
“Mm? Ásmegin... That’s the power used for things like seiðrs and galdrs, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Why would I suddenly... Oh, right... Rífa’s parting gift.”
It was at this late moment that Yuuto remembered the twin runes that Rífa had bestowed upon him. Until now, he really hadn’t had the mental bandwidth to even think about it.
“I wonder what sort of powers they bring.”
The moment he murmured those words, two names appeared in his mind.
They were words he had never seen in his life, but he grasped intuitively what they meant.
“It seems they’re called Hervör, the Guardian of the Host and Herfjötur, Fetter of the Host.”
“The names certainly sound like runes suited to you, Big Brother.”
Felicia looked upon him with a curious gaze.
“As for the powers... Hm... It’s almost like there’s some sort of fog obscuring them, so I can’t really tell. Is there some sort of training I have to do?”
“Wait, what?! That shouldn’t be the case at all... If they’re active, then the runes should tell the wielder what their powers are.”
“Is that so?”
“Certainly. So why are they... Oh, right! Gleipnir!” Felicia exclaimed, having suddenly come to an important realization.
“Oh, now I get it. That’s the seiðr originally designed to bind the unnatural, right?”
While Yuuto was generally ignorant of matters concerning runes because it was outside of his expertise, the seiðr Gleipnir was something that had seared itself into his memory.
That was, after all, the seiðr that had summoned him to Yggdrasil.
“Yes. Currently there are three Gleipnirs—two from Lady Rífa and one from me—placed upon you. I believe those are preventing you from drawing upon your power.”
“Meaning I can’t use my runes.”
“Yes, unfortunately...”
Felicia glanced away with an apologetic look, but as for Yuuto himself—
“Ah well. That’s fine.”
—He seemed completely unfazed.
Felicia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m a little shocked that you’re taking that news so well. It was, after all, the power that you wanted so long ago.”
She was probably referring to when he had first been summoned here.
It was true that, at the time, Yuuto had nothing to distinguish himself, and he had clung to the hope that he would someday awaken to some sort of extraordinary power.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.”
He would certainly like to be able to wield powers from runes if he could have them.
He was only human, and like any other person, found himself admiring and envying Einherjar for their powers, but there was no point in obsessing over something he didn’t have.
More than anything, Yuuto was well aware of the danger of relying upon power that wasn’t his own.
To him, the powers of the runes weren’t important. The most important thing was that a memento of Rífa had taken root inside him.
For Yuuto, that knowledge was enough.
“Man, it’s so cold...”
Shivering, Yuuto rushed across the ground and jumped into the rock bath in front of him.
He was currently in a palace belonging to the patriarch of the Ash Clan, a facility that had been built as a hot spring resort.
Even with the post station system, it was difficult to travel between the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr and Gimlé in a single day, so they had chosen to spend the night in this palace.
While it was now spring according to the calendar, here in a land surrounded by the three great mountain ranges of Yggdrasil, the temperature remained quite chilly, with scattered snow drifts still littering the ground.
But that was what made this experience worthwhile!
“So warm! I can feel my whole body coming back to life!”
As the hot water brought warmth back into his limbs, Yuuto couldn’t stop himself from letting out a sigh of pleasure.
The colder it was outside of the bath, the more enjoyable it was to jump in and escape that cold.
Yuuto couldn’t help but bask in that joy.
“Heh, Big Brother, you’re like a child.”
“Father, the ground is slippery, please don’t run.”
Felicia and Sigrún were walking toward him. They were both completely naked.
Their state allowed Yuuto a full view of their lovely figures.
Felicia had curves in all the right places—a figure that would drive any hot-blooded male into a frenzy.
Sigrún meanwhile had a tight, slender athlete’s body—a figure that had an almost artistic beauty.
“Heh, you seem to have gotten quite used to seeing women naked. I would have never imagined that from you way back then.”
Felicia let out a nostalgic chuckle.
She was probably referring to the hot springs trip they had taken two years ago.
“I’ve had some good help along the way,” Yuuto said casually and without a hint of embarrassment as he continued to gaze admiringly at the two.
It was true that two years ago he hadn’t known women and that had made him unbearably nervous around them.
The Yuuto of today was now very well-acquainted with women, however. He was no longer the shy boy he had been back then.
“Your shyness back then was adorable in its own way, though, Big Brother,” Felicia said as she slid into the water next to Yuuto.
“Oh, were you really thinking such a thing about Father? How disrespectful,” Sigrún retorted as she herself took a seat on Yuuto’s other side.
It was the sort of exchange that he’d seen countless times before.
“I don’t find it disrespectful personally, but I don’t know of many men who like being called adorable.”
“Hrmph, see?”
As Yuuto gave his initial observation, Sigrún snorted in triumph, but Felicia seemed unmoved, smiling gently.
“But Big Brother, a woman calling a man ‘adorable’ is one of the greatest signs of affection a woman can show.”
“Oh?”
“After all, it means that she loves not only the impressive parts of him, but even loves the parts that he might find embarrassing. She loves him enough to love him in his entirety.”
Even Yuuto couldn’t help but blush as she said those words with a cloyingly sweet smile.
Felicia was Yuuto’s adjutant, a practiced warrior who had seen dozens of battles. She wasn’t one to miss an opening—even a brief one.
“Of course, there’s many other examples of your adorableness. Like when you fall asleep while working and you startle awake when your head slips off your hand. Or when you were restless with excitement when Lady Mitsuki said she was making sukiyaki. And you’re so adorable when you’re burying your face in my bosom in bed! And then there’s...”
“Stop, stop! Please no more!”
Unable to stand it any further, Yuuto moved to stop her. He felt his cheeks flush with heat.
It was only natural for a person to want to only show their admirable side and hide their less flattering aspects. That was particularly true for a man and the woman that he loves.
There was no avoiding the fact that, like anyone else, Yuuto would want to keep them from becoming disillusioned with him.
But, almost to spite that, those aspects of Yuuto were evidently very dear to Felicia.
There was nothing he could do in the face of that sort of compliment.
“Heheh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you turn that red, Big Brother. You’re certainly adorable.”
“...It’s ’coz of the hot springs.”
“Yes, of course. If you say so.”
“Dammit!”
Yuuto turned and slammed his palm against the rock next to Felicia’s face.
In 21st-century Japan, this was often described as a “kabe-don”—the act of slamming your hand into a wall or other similar backing object and using both that and your body to pin the other person in place. It was a move often used to make someone flustered, which would then be taken advantage of to make a confession more effective.
“Surely you don’t think you can get away with that attitude, do you?” Yuuto lowered his voice and spoke in an intentionally threatening manner.
It was, of course, an act, and it went without saying that Felicia was aware of that.
“Hehe, and just what sort of punishment should I expect?” She said in a teasing, taunting tone.
Yuuto felt a shiver run up his spine as excitement built up inside him. This sort of situational role-playing was also important to keep a relationship fresh.
Further, so long as he appeared to be enjoying it, Felicia could continue to ignore the fact that Yuuto was making an effort to hide the pain he was still nursing.
“Hrmph...”
Meanwhile, Sigrún watched the exchange with a pout.
It was an understandable reaction given that Yuuto had initially seemed to agree with her, only to end up with Felicia turning the tables and blanketing the atmosphere with a syrupy sweetness.
“F-Father! I-I, too, couldn’t help but think you look a-adorable when I’m licking you and you look like you’re enjoying it! Please, punish me as well!”
At Sigrún’s almost panicked confession, Yuuto and Felicia exchanged glances then burst out laughing.
“You’re just adorable, Rún. What am I going to do with you?” Yuuto said exasperatingly, then continued.
“In that case, why don’t I take the two of you and—”
“My apologies for interrupting your fun, Father, but Brother Douglas has arrived with the new Fang Clan patriarch, Lord Sven. He is seeking an audience. What shall I tell him?”
Right as Yuuto was preparing to make his move, Kristina’s voice coolly broke in to interrupt them.
Douglas was the patriarch of the Ash Clan, a subordinate clan to the Steel Clan.
The Fang Clan had been one of the members of the Anti-Steel Clan Alliance Army—a collection of clans that had taken up arms against Yuuto and his Steel Clan.
However, at this point in time, the Alliance Army had completely collapsed, and the Fang Clan’s land was surrounded by the Steel Clan’s various territories.
The fate of the Fang Clan now rested upon Yuuto’s whim.
It seemed that under those dire circumstances, the new patriarch had chosen to bet his clan’s future on negotiations with the Steel Clan, asking his neighbor, Douglas, to serve as the intermediary.
Yuuto thoroughly approved of the sentiment and he was rather fond of leaders who could make that sort of decision.
Strategically, the Fang Clan was positioned in a way that they could cause significant trouble if they chose to side with the Flame Clan in the upcoming clash.
They were a clan that Yuuto needed to either incorporate or ally with at this point, and the patriarch was someone he had to set aside everything else to meet with.
That said, as a man, he couldn’t help but grumble in this particular moment.
“Damn, that was certainly some terrible timing on his part...”
“Well... Now comes the hard part...”
Sven, the patriarch of the Fang Clan let out a long sigh in an attempt to calm his nerves.
He had turned fifty-seven this year. When taking into consideration that simply living to the age of fifty was a sign of longevity in Yggdrasil, it wasn’t unreasonable to call Sven an old man.
Many thought him to be a living encyclopedia of the Fang Clan, especially due to the fact that he was a highly-skilled general who had served the last three patriarchs, including the late Sígismund.
“To think that you would become the patriarch at this late hour, Lord Sven,” Douglas said as he chuckled and thought back to the past.
He and Sven had known each other a long time—at times fighting side by side, at times facing off on the battlefield.
“Quite! I never expected it to come down to me,” Sven replied, and nodded firmly as though in agreement.
In terms of chalice position, Sven was the great uncle of Sígismund, the previous patriarch, meaning he was a member of a clan faction and thus was ineligible to become patriarch.
As for why Sven had wound up the new patriarch—it was simply because there was no one else capable of taking the job.
“Well, given how little time I have left, I suppose I’m the right one for it.”
The Fang Clan no longer had the strength or ability to fight the Steel Clan. If they remained an enemy of the Steel Clan, it was obvious that the only fate awaiting them was destruction.
The Fang Clan had no choice but to make peace with the Steel Clan. There was no other way for the Fang Clan to survive. Everyone in the clan was aware of this reality. There was little they could do besides face that harsh truth.
That said, the Steel Clan was also the hated enemy that had killed Sígismund, their last patriarch and father. Meeting with that opponent to beg for mercy was a grave act of disloyalty toward their late parent.
It was certain that whoever made such a move would lose their standing and influence within the Fang Clan. Because of that, there weren’t many who were willing to put themselves on the line.
With all that in mind, and additionally including the fact that Sven—who was the eldest member of the clan—had already withdrawn to an advisory role within the clan, it made perfect sense to choose him to be their sacrificial lamb.
Their plan was to let Sven take all of the dishonor and disrepute upon himself in his reign as patriarch so that the clan could move forward with a clean slate.
Sven, essentially, was meant to act as their scapegoat—to be an interim leader.
“It’s not as though I have many years left. I may as well use what’s left of my life to repay the clan that’s done so much for me. This would be a great opportunity to accomplish some of my last goals in life... or so I’d like to say.”
Sven’s expression twisted from one of sadness into a rogue-like grin.
Fate had played a strange trick and granted him the position of patriarch that he had long sought but given up as impossible.
Sven had no intention of simply letting go of the position—he planned to cling to the title with all his might.
“Hrmph. As I thought, you were never one for that sort of display of virtue.”
“Luck has finally smiled upon me. Why would I give up now?”
The fact that Suoh-Yuuto had ascended to the throne as þjóðann was a golden opportunity for Sven. He felt that fate was on his side for the first time in his life.
Although it was only in name in the current age, all patriarchs in Yggdrasil were representatives of the þjóðann governing in the name of the crown. That meant they were all retainers of the þjóðann.
By Sven’s own reasoning, it was perfectly natural, perhaps even logical, for him to swear allegiance to the þjóðann.
Though it was little more than a formality, it was an appropriate course of action, and if the þjóðann would bless Sven’s rulership, it would give him legitimacy in the role, which would provide Sven with a powerful foundation for his future as a ruler that he currently lacked.
Sure, Suoh-Yuuto was a great hero who was soundly defeating all those who challenged him, but he was still just a seventeen-year-old boy. Sven had no doubt in his mind that he could bring him around to his way of thinking.
“His Majesty will see you.”
A girl with pigtails appeared, timing her appearance as the pair finished their conversation.
She was perhaps in her mid-teens, a good looking young woman who would likely be quite the beauty in a few years. But based on how she carried herself she appeared to be quite the warrior as well.
“This way, please. Follow me.”
“Very well.”
“Lord Sven.”
Douglas called to Sven as he moved to follow the girl out of the room.
“It’s fine to be ambitious, but be careful. Facing off against His Majesty is quite draining. Given your age, be careful you don’t keel over talking to him, mm?”
“Mmph.”
Sven let out a snort of annoyance at Douglas’ parting warning.
Sven had known Douglas long enough to understand that the man was cautious, and that it should never be mistaken for cowardice. He was a man who was capable of making bold decisions when the situation called for it.
Sven was also well aware that Suoh-Yuuto was a man who had defeated every enemy that challenged him. Even so, to make a man like Douglas this cautious... He couldn’t help but have his curiosity piqued.
“Please enter. His Majesty awaits inside.”
The girl opened the door at the end of the hallway and gestured for him to enter.
At the end of the room sat a young man with a golden-haired beauty to one side and a silver-haired one to the other. It appeared that the young man was none other than Suoh-Yuuto, the reginarch of the Steel Clan and the new þjóðann.
Sven had wondered just how impressive a man he would be given his history of winning battle after battle, but he had to admit the sight of him, a slight youth, was rather underwhelming.
Even Sven, nearing sixty himself, felt he could grapple him to the ground in a one-on-one encounter.
Just what was Douglas so afraid of? Sven had no intention of underestimating Suoh-Yuuto, but he couldn’t hide his sense of anticlimax.
Still, the young man before him was the þjóðann. Sven bent down on one knee and bowed his head in respect.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty. I am Sven, the patriarch of the Fang Clan. Thank you for taking time from your rest to honor me with an audience.”
“Ah, so you’re Sven of the Fang Clan. Your reputation precedes you. Just what brings you all the way out here to see me?” Suoh-Yuuto replied, looking over at Sven with curiosity.
He clearly knew the reason for Sven’s visit and was playing coy. It was obvious that the þjóðann meant to keep his hand close to his chest and force Sven to make the first move. That was to be expected of a man of his reputation.
“I have come here today to offer my felicitations on your marriage and ascension to the throne as a loyal servant of the empire.”
“Oh? As a servant of the empire... I see.”
Suoh-Yuuto’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes. We the Fang Clan did side against Your Majesty at the Battle of Vígrí?r upon the orders of Her Majesty, Sigrdrífa, but now that you have married Her Majesty and ascended to the throne, you are now our rightful liege.”
Sven smoothly recited the words he had prepared beforehand.
“I see. We the Steel Clan are the ones who killed your parent, Sígismund, yet you still wish to bend the knee to me?”
This was a question he had anticipated answering.
Sven nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“Yes, indeed. The Fang Clan have long been loyal servants of the empire.”
It was, of course, a convenient fiction, but in diplomacy, form mattered as much as function.
“I see. A rather skillful bit of justification,” Suoh-Yuuto said with a chuckle.
Even with his youth, he was still indisputably a conqueror. He was well-acquainted with the mixture of truth and artful deployment of deception that negotiations required.
“Very well. If you are willing to let go of the fact that we killed your predecessor, then far be it for me to hold any grudges over the fact that you took up arms against me. You and your clan will be welcomed back into the fold.”
Suoh-Yuuto nodded magnanimously.
The fact that his tone had changed between his initial greeting and the follow-up meant he had accepted Sven as one of his subordinates.
“M-My sincere thanks, Your Majesty.”
Sven quickly bowed before him. He felt a heartfelt relief course through him.
This meant that the Fang Clan would survive.
However, Suoh-Yuuto’s next statement plunged Sven into the pit of despair.
“Okay... Felicia, why don’t we put him under you,” Suoh-Yuuto said casually as he turned to the blonde beauty next to him.
“U-Under Lady Felicia?”
Even Sven knew that his voice was quavering.
Given that the Fang Clan wasn’t a great clan like the Sword Clan, he hadn’t expected a direct chalice from Suoh-Yuuto as a newcomer, but being given this kind of treatment was something else entirely.
“Oh? Do you have a problem with this arrangement?”
“Well... It’s, uh...”
He couldn’t say it aloud, but yes, there was a problem.
Sven was well aware of who Felicia was.
She was Suoh-Yuuto’s adjutant and one of the most important members of the Steel Clan. He had no intention of underestimating her, nor did he have a problem with taking the chalice from a woman.
The issue was that Felicia was Suoh-Yuuto’s younger sister.
Clans were operated by the sworn children of its leader. This meant that siblings were all leaders of their own clan factions, and so long as one was placed under a patriarch’s sibling, they had no chance for advancement.
Sven understood that reality all too well from his own bitter experiences.
He had finally become patriarch. He wasn’t going to end up being on the outside looking in again.
“Oh dear, it appears he would rather have someone else.”
“Oh, no! It’s not that I wouldn’t be honored to serve under you, but the chalice...”
“Yes, I understand. Then... Rún, how about placing him under you?”
“Mm?”
The silver-haired beauty twitched a brow as Felicia turned the matter to her.
Sven fought the urge to cradle his head in his hands. Of course, he had the discipline not to actually do it.
This course of action presented a problem too.
Yes, Sigrún was a sworn child subordinate of Suoh-Yuuto, and she was an accomplished warrior with countless accolades. Serving under her would likely bring great accomplishments and opportunities for advancement within the Steel Clan.
However, she was the one who had killed his predecessor, Sígismund, by her own hand. He knew there would be enormous anger if he were to be placed under her within the clan.
“Oh, yes, that’d be a great idea. It’s about time I gave Rún her own clan. With this arrangement, she wouldn’t have to leave my side.”
“Oh! I see!”
Sigrún, who initially appeared uninterested in the proposal, suddenly perked up.
“I-If I may speak. A ch-chalice ought to be pledged to one whose character one has become enamored with. For my part, I should like to take the chalice of Lord Jörgen, who is well known as a wise and thoughtful leader.”
Unable to stay silent, Sven spoke up.
He didn’t want the fate of the Fang Clan, himself included, to be left to the whims of youths who hadn’t even seen twenty years of life.
“...Jörgen, mm? Well, perhaps that’s the right call.”
After a brief moment of pondering, Suoh-Yuuto nodded his assent.
“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Feeling an enormous weight lifted from his shoulders—and feeling utterly exhausted from the ordeal—Sven somehow managed to stammer out his thanks.
So this was what Douglas meant by it being draining. It was completely different from what he had imagined.
He had thought Suoh-Yuuto would be an intimidating, frightening figure, but in the end, it was a bit of an anticlimax.
True, Suoh-Yuuto’s ability to create revolutionary ideas was a form of genius, but he seemed to have a lot of growing left to do.
That’s fine. That makes it easier to curry favor with him.
Sven quickly changed over his way of thinking. He now intended to squeeze everything he could out of him.
Just as he was thinking that, Suoh-Yuuto’s lips quirked into a teasing smile.
“Now, that makes your explanation easier, doesn’t it?”
“Pardon, Your Majesty?”
Sven couldn’t grasp his meaning at first, but after a moment’s pause, a shudder ran up Sven’s spine.
Sven came to the realization that he had been dancing to Suoh-Yuuto’s tune the whole time.
The whole exchange up to this point had been a play to give Sven a ‘gift’ that he could take back to the Fang Clan. That gift being him winning a concession from Suoh-Yuuto and avoiding the unreasonable demands that had been directed his way.
But if Suoh-Yuuto had simply handed him that concession, Sven might very well underestimate him in the future. That was the reason the þjóðann had put on this charade.
His little game still gave Sven his concession while also driving home the point that Suoh-Yuuto wasn’t a man to be trifled with. It was a masterful act of negotiation.
“Heh... Hahaha! I see! You’ve put one over on me this time!”
Sven couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Douglas was right. He could still have all the vigor he did in his youth and he’d still be utterly drained from dealing with a man like this one.
That aside, though, Sven felt that he was the right man to put in charge of the Fang Clan’s fate.
“Sieg þjóðann!”
“Long live His Majesty, Suoh-Yuuto!”
“Long live the Steel Clan!”
The next day, a thunderous cheer from the crowd welcomed Yuuto back into Gimlé.
The people of the city were well aware that it was Yuuto who had made their lives more prosperous and protected them from external enemies.
The reginarch that they all sincerely respected and loved had finally become the legitimate ruler of Yggdrasil as its þjóðann. There was no greater news for the people of Gimlé.
“Welcome home, Father!”
After navigating the main street that was overflowing with people and entering the palace, Yuuto was greeted cheerfully by Linnea who ran over to him.
In her mid-teens, she was still more a girl than a young woman, but she was, in fact, the Second-in-Command of the Steel Clan.
Linnea had extremely sharp political instincts and magnificent management skills, and she was an extremely talented individual that Yuuto felt made the growth of the Steel Clan possible through her masterful management of the clan’s logistics.
Not to mention that in a private capacity, she was one of his consorts.
“I’m home. It’s been a while, Linnea.”
“Yes, indeed it has. I’m glad to see you seem to be doing well.”
Evidently overcome with emotion, Linnea’s eyes glistened with tears.
Currently, she was dealing not only with her ordinary duties as Second, but also with keeping the Steel Clan Army occupying the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr fully supplied, the reconstruction efforts rooting from the damage caused by the great earthquake, and not least of all, managing the logistics of Yuuto’s mass migration plan.
Because of all that, she had been unable to attend Yuuto and Sigrdrífa’s wedding. This was the first time she had seen him in four months.
While they had stayed in touch by exchanging letters, long-distance relationships were difficult, especially so when compared to the 21st century where they had the benefit of smartphones. Yuuto couldn’t help but be moved by the sheer love that she directed to him.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well too. I toured some of the cities on the way here, and it seemed they were pretty much all back to normal. That was a pleasant surprise.”
The reports had stated that various parts of the Steel Clan’s territory had suffered significant damage as a result of the earthquake.
However, aside from a few lingering scars, all of the debris had been cleared, houses had been rebuilt, and the people had appeared to have recovered from their trauma and seemed to be in good spirits once more. It was almost as if there had been no earthquake at all.
The actual impact should have been worse in the Bifröst region, but from what Yuuto had seen, it seemed that the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr had taken more damage.
“It’s all thanks to you, Father. We knew there would be earthquakes, so we were able to make preparations such as emergency housing and surplus food stockpiles, as well as buying clothing from other clans, setting up anti-fire measures, and practicing evacuation drills.”
Linnea made it all sound so simple, but there hadn’t been a particularly long period of time between him informing her and the earthquake occurring. As a governor himself, Yuuto knew full well just how much work had gone into making all those preparations.
“If anything, the speed of the response has increased the trust from the populace. I believe this will make the mass migration plan that much easier to execute.”
“I’m so glad you’re on my side.”
He couldn’t imagine trying to save the population of Yggdrasil from the coming disaster without this rare talent by his side. Yuuto couldn’t help but thank the gods for his fortune.
“I-I’m also blessed that I can serve you, Father.”
The fact that she blushed as she said this was more than he could bear. The pair spent the rest of that day making up for the four-month absence.
Once they were sated, Yuuto stared up at the ceiling with Linnea’s head resting on his arm.
“We might be going to war with the Flame Clan soon.”
“Oh! I... see.”
Linnea’s expression quickly turned from a satisfied stupor to something much tenser.
As a patriarch of one of its neighboring clans, Linnea was well aware of the monstrous ability that Steinþórr, the late patriarch of Lightning Clan, had at his command. The Flame Clan was the clan that had easily defeated that very same beast of a man.
She seemed to instinctively sense that this coming war would be far tougher than any that had come before it.
“I think the main battlefield will be the Ásgarðr region, but I’ll need you to deal with logistics. Be ready.”
“...Understood.”
Linnea nodded, but her voice was subdued.
She wasn’t the sort to be dismayed by a challenge. If anything, she usually drew great motivation from attempting to overcome something difficult, which was why her reaction bothered Yuuto greatly.
“What is it?”
“Well... It’s just that you’ll be leaving again...”
“...I’m sorry.”
With the bulk of the Flame Clan’s forces in Ásgarðr, Yuuto couldn’t afford to spend long in Gimlé.
Being from Japan, Yuuto knew the threat posed by the Flame Clan’s patriarch better than anyone.
He didn’t wish to brag, but he knew it wouldn’t be possible to win without his participation. After all, their patriarch was a man known for both his quick and decisive decision-making as well as his highly-effective strategies.
Yuuto needed to return to the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr as soon as his business here was complete.
“No, I understand. I pray that fortune smiles upon you.”
“So little to do.”
The man in question let out a sigh of boredom and rested his head against his hand.
He was a man with black hair and black eyes—an extremely unusual sight in Yggdrasil. His body was crisscrossed with scars, as though they wove a tapestry of his history as a warrior.
He was almost sixty years of age, but he was so lively and full of energy that he looked no older than forty.
His name was Oda Nobunaga. He was the patriarch of the Flame Clan, a clan whose influence upon Yggdrasil was comparable to that of the Steel Clan.
“So all that remains of the Spear Clan is their capital, Mímir,” Nobunaga muttered idly, pulling out a tuft of nose hair in the process.
After starting his northern advance to secure control of Yggdrasil, he had won battle after battle, with hardly a challenge in sight. There had been no need for him to get involved directly, and he had been reduced to issuing orders from his castle in the rear. He was, frankly, bored.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, his life had been one challenge after another. He couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with how easy things had been for him here.
“My Lord, there is a messenger from the Steel Clan.”
“Oh? Send them in.”
Nobunaga quirked his lips in an amused smile.
The Steel Clan’s Suoh-Yuuto was the only man that Nobunaga had met in Yggdrasil that he considered “interesting.”
He felt a surge of anticipation.
“Thank you for the audience. I am Boris of the Wolf Clan—member of the Steel Clan. I come bearing a letter from His Majesty the þjóðann for you, Lord Nobunaga.”
The messenger bowed then produced his letter from a leather pouch, passing it to a nearby Flame Clan retainer.
The retainer approached Nobunaga and read the letter aloud.
“Inform Oda Nobunaga, the patriarch of the Flame Clan. I am Suoh-Yuuto, þjóðann of the Holy Ásgardr Empire and reginarch of the Steel Clan,” it began.
He paused for a short moment before continuing.
“By order of the þjóðann, you are to immediately cease your conflict with the Spear Clan. You are hereby summoned to the Holy Capital of Glaðsheimr, where I, the þjóðann, shall listen to your claims to territory and determine the proper borders between your two clans. If you do not obey this summons, you will be considered an enemy of the peace and be eliminated as such. Consider your course carefully.”
The retainer’s voice steadily grew softer as he read the letter, eventually trembling with fear as he reached the end. That was because the retainer was intimately aware of how frightening his liege Nobunaga could be when he was angry.
Nobunaga, however, in stark contrast to his retainer’s perceived concerns, appeared wholly unaffected by the report. If anything, he seemed entertained by it. His lips twisted into a smile.
“Heh... So the lad’s decided to make the first move.”
Nobunaga was a man who had both seen and fought in countless wars. He had immediately gleaned Yuuto’s intentions.
Yuuto himself had no illusions that Nobunaga, seeking to conquer the known world, had any intention of ceasing his invasions at his command.
However, if Nobunaga were to disobey the þjóðann’s direct command, he would become a rebel defying the rightful ruler of Yggdrasil. Yuuto could then simply issue a subjugation order against the Flame Clan.
Similar to the encirclement employed against the Steel Clan, there would then be an encirclement of the Flame Clan.
On the other hand, if Nobunaga were to obey Yuuto’s command, it would mean he had accepted Yuuto’s authority as þjóðann. Further, as the Flame Clan stood idle, the Steel Clan could absorb the surrounding clans and strengthen its position.
It was an effective course of action that would work in the Steel Clan’s favor no matter which option Nobunaga chose.
“Things are finally becoming interesting. You there! Boris, was it?”
Nobunaga called over the Steel Clan’s messenger.
He then bared his teeth in a feral grin.
“Tell that usurper Suoh-Yuuto that my conquest of the Spear Clan will continue, that I don’t consider him to be the þjóðann, and that if he doesn’t like it, he can very well come tell me himself!”
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