Chapter 264
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: Part 2, Chapter 24: Garmon (2)
"Thank you for telling me."
"Nothing else you're curious about?"
"Plenty."
"Ask while your mind is still intact."
"How did you end up like this?"
Jamie pointed at the chains binding Osiris.
Osiris, who must have been sealed here long before the days when he operated as Diablo Volpir.
How had he come to this state?
Osiris spoke.
"Because I lost."
"To the 12 Gods?"
"Heh heh heh. They're called the 12 Gods now, but back then, they weren't. Those bastards..."
At that moment, Osiris's eyes widened, his hair stood on end, and he began convulsing.
Then, he slumped limply and lost consciousness.
Jamie placed a hand on his head at the sudden anomaly, but Osiris did not regain consciousness.
"A restriction, huh."
It seemed measures had been taken to prevent him from speaking about the seal.
This was likely tied to the 12 Gods' past as well.
Why were they hiding the blank pages of history so meticulously?
What on earth had happened between the multiple world resets?
He would learn the truth someday, but there was no way to find out right now.
Jamie had no choice but to leave Osiris behind and exit.
"You met the old geezer?"
Isis spoke with her mouth full of bread.
Jamie frowned at the crumbs flying into the air.
Did she have to talk while eating?
She could at least drink some water first.
Jamie brushed the bread crumb off his face while thinking that.
"I had some questions about Garmon."
"Oh right, you were looking for a place called Garmon. What did you talk about?"
"I asked if anyone who knew about me from long ago had come here."
"And?"
"They had. My followers. Most died of plague, but a few survived, apparently."
"Hmm. But the time when this place was called Garmon was way before Abraxas was built. Any humans from that era would be long dead and turned to dust by now."
Having heard the story, Isis casually took another bite of bread.
As she said, it made sense to think they were gone from this world, but Jamie had a feeling one of them might still be alive.
But he didn't voice it.
There was nothing certain, and by common sense, survival was unrealistic.
If one was alive, they would appear before him someday.
In some form or another.
"What are you doing today?"
"Not sure. Maybe some meditation alone."
He had gained more than one or two insights since coming here, so he needed dedicated time to sort them out properly.
Only then could he wield them fully as his own power.
Isis nodded, saying that sounded fine.
"Let me know if you need anything."
"...Try not to spill while you eat."
"Mind your own business."
At Jamie's nagging, Isis stuck out her tongue with a pout.
Clearly, she had wasted her thousand years of life.
Jamie left Isis's house.
Gurgle. His stomach rumbled.
Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten a single proper meal today.
He had eaten, but spat it right back out.
Vena's cooking was that bad.
Even wild beasts wouldn't touch it.
"...Did I turn Behemoth into something worse than a wild beast?"
Behemoth eating Vena's cooking without issue definitely pointed to a problem with its taste buds.
He resolved to pay more attention to that when making the next familiar.
Jamie headed straight to his lodging.
Isis's house wasn't far from the lodging, so he took a leisurely walk back, but he sensed presences inside.
"Here again?"
Jamie sighed in annoyance as he entered.
Pion set down her teacup and waved cheerfully.
"You're back?"
Was this shamelessness or just friendliness?
He had seen Pion three times total so far.
First at the meeting hall on day one, second when she barged in that morning, third now with unauthorized entry.
They had never properly talked.
Total time face-to-face probably less than five minutes?
So why was she brazenly sitting in someone else's house sipping tea?
"Why are you here?"
"Ah, I thought if I waited here, the princess might come."
Pion took a sip of tea as she said that.
Jamie had nothing more to say and extended his hand toward her.
Intending to kick her out again.
This time, he'd set up a barrier just for her to ensure she couldn't return.
Noticing that, Pion jumped up frantically, waving her hands.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!!"
"Last words?"
"Last words? Don't be like that..."
"Get out."
"It's about Princess Vena! I came to talk about her!"
As Jamie moved to send her flying for real, Pion hurriedly stated her purpose.
"About Vena? I don't have much to say about that kid."
"You're her master, right? I'm her instructor, so don't we have plenty to discuss?"
It wasn't wrong, so Jamie withdrew his hand.
Pion finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"
Jamie sat across from her and asked.
"Nothing major."
Pion sat back down and placed her hand on the steaming teacup.
Then slowly opened her mouth.
"The princess keeps saying she wants to follow you, so I want you to talk her out of it."
"What?"
"Princess Vena is the next queen. My role is to help her grow into a Valkyrie worthy of the throne. But ever since meeting you, she's been skipping training. If it was just skipping training, fine, but..."
Pion twirled the teacup rim with her finger as she spoke.
"She insists on going with you. That's not okay. Not even for the survival of the Valkyries."
"......"
"From what I hear, you know quite a bit about us Valkyries. You know how vital the queen is to us, right? Please, talk her out of it. I'm begging you."
For something "not major," Pion's words touched on a very important issue.
Having been entangled with Valkyries before, he knew their ways to some extent.
That's why he had sent Vena back to the queen's side five years ago.
His head knew he should dissuade her this time too.
For the survival of the Valkyrie race.
But the words wouldn't come easily.
He recalled the promise he made her five years ago.
'Your place will always be by my side, so go without worry. That's an order.'
Back then, Vena had tearfully agreed.
Those words had likely been her strength to endure five years.
He felt it when they reunited.
So he couldn't casually agree.
"Jamie Welton."
As Jamie didn't answer, Pion's expression hardened.
"Think of the Valkyries. You're the only one who can stop the princess."
"I need time to think."
"Hey!"
Pion slammed the table and stood, but Jamie showed no reaction.
With no choice, Pion sighed and headed to the door.
"The queen doesn't have much time left."
"What?"
"Ten years since the princess went missing. The queen, having lost her heir and beloved daughter, has been declining in health. Valkyrie queens are special. From birth to growth, abilities, very existence—everything. The strongest, yet most fragile. Because they're like flowers. Once they start wilting, they fade impossibly fast. She improved a bit when the princess returned, but a wilted flower doesn't bloom again easily. The queen has at most a year left. The princess doesn't know."
"......"
"I can't let the princess join you on that perilous path. Please, Jamie Welton."
Leaving those words, Pion left the lodging.
Alone now, Jamie closed his eyes.
"Master!"
"Master!"
By evening, Vena and Behemoth returned together.
Until then, Jamie had remained seated at the table, deep in thought.
The two paced in front of the serious-looking Jamie, talking.
"Do you know why Master is like this?"
"How would I know-nya? Master, wake up. Master!"
"Guess he can't hear. Did he pass out with eyes open?"
"Master, hungry-nya. Master, let's eat. Vena said she'd cook-nya."
"That's not allowed."
At the mention of Vena cooking, Jamie snapped his head up and rejected it outright.
Vena's cheeks puffed out.
"What's wrong with my cooking?!"
"You're not allowed. Rosemary said she'd bring dinner soon. We'll eat that."
"Rosemary's food is delicious-nya!"
Rosemary, the Flamekin tribe leader in charge of Avalon's household, took care of Jamie's every meal.
He hadn't eaten her breakfast because of Vena, but this time he'd have a normal meal, not Vena's.
"Tch. Mine or Rosemary's, it's all the same."
"Very different. Extremely."
"Rosemary's food is tastier-nya. Vena's is just food. Eaten without thinking-nya."
Behemoth seemed to have taste buds after all.
Though still questionable since it ate Vena's cooking unfazed.
"Behe, whose side are you on?!"
As Jamie and Behemoth criticized her cooking, Vena yelled "Wah!"
"Vena. Stop yelling and sit down."
At Jamie's sudden command to get serious and sit, even the angry Vena tilted her head and sat.
Behemoth eyed the mood and slumped in a corner.
Vena cautiously asked.
"Do you have something to say...?"
"Vena."
"Yes."
"I heard you said you want to follow me."
"It was Pion. You met Pion, right?"
"Yeah. You told her that."
"Because that's what we agreed. You said so five years ago."
Jamie lowered his gaze slightly as he spoke.
"You need to become queen and lead the Valkyries."
"Master!"
"I heard the queen is ill. Is that true?"
Jamie avoided mentioning her lifespan.
If Vena learned the queen had only about a year, who knows what she'd do, so he held back.
Vena hesitated before speaking.
"...Mother gave permission."
"Sure, a mother would say that for her daughter. But Vena, you're not just on your own anymore."
"I-it's fine! I can visit briefly later! That should work!"
Vena flailed her limbs, insisting it was no issue.
"The queen is important, but stepping away briefly is okay. M-Mother even wandered the world in her youth..."
"The places I'll go from now are war zones. Not just any war, but a great war deciding the world's fate. I can't watch over just you there."
"I trained hard for five years! So I wouldn't be a burden by your side, I worked to death!"
"When war breaks out, Valkyries will join too. Many will die. It has to be that way. Sacrifices are inevitable. But with you, the Valkyries can revive."
"Just survive, that's all."
"Vena. This is endless stubbornness."
"No!!"
Vena clutched her head and screamed.
Jamie could say no more.
He just closed his mouth, listening to her sobs.
Behemoth looked at her and called to Jamie.
"Master..."
Silence fell.
Vena trembled clutching her head, and Jamie looked at her with pity.
He knew.
How cruel his words were to her.
But as Pion said, taking her on his journey was vicious to the Valkyries too.
Objectively, he didn't need Vena, but she was the indispensable next queen for them.
"Vena. Think coldly about it."
"How can I think coldly? Why did I wait five years? You should've just told me not to go back then..."
"I'm sorry."
"I'll cool my head and come back."
Leaving that, Vena left the lodging.
Jamie sighed, unable to stop her.
Behemoth waddled over.
"Master... Vena will surely understand you-nya."
"Behemoth. Go comfort Vena for me."
"I was going to anyway. Be back-nya."
Behemoth followed Vena out.
Alone again, Jamie stared at the half-open door and muttered.
"This should be fine."
His mouth tasted bitter today.