Chapter 265
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Part 2, Chapter 25: Together! (1)
Queen Hifen of the Valkyries wandered through the forest with feeble steps.
Her health had visibly deteriorated recently, to the point where her condition was clearly worsening.
She didn't want to show any weakness to her people, so she pushed herself too hard, and now even walking was a struggle.
"How much longer can I live?"
She put on a brave face in front of her daughter, but the queen's health had been declining for some time.
At most, about a year.
A wilting flower was usually beyond saving.
Hifen felt this deeply in her bones.
She ventured deep into the forest without even the aid of her advisor.
This was the 'Forest of Birth,' where Valkyries were born.
Several trees were growing beautifully there even now.
New generations of Valkyries were born from within them.
And even deeper inside.
There existed a space permitted only to royalty.
Valkyrie royalty consisted solely of the queen and the princess who would become the next queen.
A slender white tree stood there.
It was about the same height as Hifen and appeared fragile at first glance.
But contrary to its appearance, the white tree was far from weak.
In fact, it possessed the strongest life force on this land where Valkyries dwelled.
For it was the tree that bore the red flowers which birthed Valkyrie royalty.
She recalled the day she first received Vena here.
"She cried so vigorously."
She still remembered the cry that echoed throughout the entire forest that day.
Has Vena met that human called her Master?
That child had insisted she absolutely had to go with him.
Even though she would have to bear the queen's burdens, she refused to yield on that point.
Hifen hadn't broken her daughter's stubbornness.
Nor did she intend to.
Whatever path she chose, it was her daughter's decision.
If it led to the end of the Valkyrie line, so be it—that was fate.
In the past, she would have absolutely forbidden it, but with her lifespan nearing its end, she had grown more lenient.
Above all, she wanted her daughter to live freely.
"Spread your wings wide and soar more beautifully than anyone, Vena. That's why you were born."
The mother prayed for her absent daughter.
Then, she carefully knelt before the white tree and embraced it.
It was the ritual performed by the queen for the sake of the Valkyries.
This time, it was solely for Vena.
"Please stay healthy."
When Vena left the forest, she had sensed it intuitively.
That they would never meet again.
That by the time her child returned, her own lifespan would have ended, and she would no longer be in this world.
So while she still lived, she poured all her strength into her wish.
'Odin, please watch over your child.'
Hifen prayed to the ancient god from Valkyrie history.
A name passed down only to royalty.
At that moment, something caught Hifen's eye.
"...This is?"
Her red eyes trembled.
Vena ran without thinking about where to go.
She didn't just run—she spread her wings and soared high into the sky.
Her chest felt tight.
A sense of betrayal welled up within her.
What was the point of those five years?
If she'd known he'd say something like that, she never would have left her Master's side back then.
The kin she didn't even remember were less precious than the one who had saved her.
"That's too much."
Tears streamed endlessly, sparkling and scattering into the air.
How long had she flown like that?
Flying mindlessly had eased the stuffiness just a little.
Vena slowly descended and landed carefully on the ground.
It was a vast, empty plain.
A cool night breeze carried the scent of the forest, mismatched with her melancholic mood.
Her mind cleared a bit.
Vena plopped down on the ground and hugged her knees.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped her naturally.
What should she do now?
From her Master's reaction, it seemed he really had no intention of taking her along.
Vena sank back into gloom.
She knew the path her Master was heading down was perilous.
Of course, she knew his life could be in danger.
That's why she'd trained with the resolve to die.
Five years—long if long, short if short—but she'd desperately mastered all of the Valkyrie's secret arts.
She'd even devised ways to deal with enemies stronger than herself.
Her Master said he wouldn't have the luxury to look after her in dangerous situations, but she thought that was because he didn't know her true capabilities.
'I can do well. I can help perfectly from the side.'
Why wouldn't he believe her?
Vena's slumped shoulders felt especially pitiful today.
It was then.
Rumble—
A vibration rose from below, and the ground bulged upward.
Weeds and dirt clumps flew in all directions as a massive scorpion tail emerged from within.
The tail, easily over 10 meters long at a glance, was encased in navy-blue armor harder than steel.
The thick, pointed stinger at its tip aimed for Vena and plunged down.
"A monster?!"
Why was there a monster here?
Avalon and its surroundings were protected by the Frontier's own blessing, preventing any monsters from approaching.
Daring to do so would mean being devoured by the Master-class monsters residing in Avalon.
Sensing something off, Vena gripped Phillion, which was in necklace form.
In an instant, it transformed into a pink hammer.
[What's going on?]
He'd been sleeping soundly but questioned the sudden form change. There was no time to answer.
Vena swung the hammer to deflect the incoming stinger.
Boom!!!
[It's insanely tough!]
Vena's body was pushed back over 10 meters.
The shock made her hands buzz and tingle.
Rumble—the ground swelled from the tail's base, shoving aside dirt mounds as a massive scorpion appeared.
The giant scorpion, the size of a small hill, menacingly clacked its house-sized claws.
"Why is a monster here? And one that looks so dangerous."
[Hey, Vena. Where are we?]
Phillion, sensing the anomaly, asked.
"Huh?"
[This is outside the blessing! Didn't you even notice that?]
"Outside the blessing?"
Only then did Vena realize she'd flown out blindly.
Her grief, betrayal, and tangled emotions toward her Master had blinded her to it.
Vena's expression darkened.
She'd forgotten while living peacefully in Avalon, but this was Abraxas, one of the Six Great Forbidden Zones.
The monsters inhabiting the Six Great Forbidden Zones were all terrifyingly powerful.
Look at the giant scorpion before her eyes.
[Vena, transform into Valkyrie mode.]
"Okay."
Vena gripped Phillion tightly with both hands and spread her fairy wings.
Her hair turned bright red as tremendous power began to emanate from her.
The giant scorpion from the Six Great Forbidden Zones was undoubtedly fearsome, but Vena felt no fear.
"I needed to vent some frustration anyway. This might be for the best!"
...It was at that moment.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dirt clumps exploded like bombs all around, and five more giant scorpions appeared.
"......"
This was Abraxas, one of the Six Great Forbidden Zones.
A treacherous land that permitted no human intrusion.
Vena gritted her teeth and took to the air.
"All of you, disappear!!"
Red light began whipping through the scorpions.
Vena panted heavily.
The metallic taste of blood rose from her throat, lingering in her mouth.
Even so, three scorpions slowly closed in.
Two lay behind her, their thick carapaces shattered.
Fighting one was hard enough, yet she'd taken down two out of five at once.
Still, three remained.
[Don't let your focus slip.]
Phillion ceaselessly stimulated her mind.
Her stamina was at its limit.
With concentration bottomed out, a single lapse could mean death.
Vena knew this well.
'I've been in real combat plenty of times.'
The five years of life-risking training weren't just a metaphor.
Under her instructor Pion's guidance, she'd crossed the line between life and death multiple times.
She'd learned what it truly meant to fight in such conditions.
So she wouldn't lose focus.
'But my stamina's definitely dropping. If I don't end this quickly, I might be in danger.'
Click—
The hammer's head split open in four directions, revealing a blue gem inside.
Injecting mana, the blue gem began to glow steadily.
Her fairy wings fluttered, scattering beautiful particles of light into the air.
Vena's form streaked upward in a red trail.
She closed in on the central giant scorpion without hesitation and swung the hammer.
Kiiiiiing—!
[Explode!!]
Phillion's cry mixed with exhilaration.
As the hammer struck the scorpion's back, a powerful explosion erupted from the blue gem.
Kwaaaang!!!
The scorpion let out a scream laced with agony.
Its massive tail lunged for Vena.
She reacted immediately, but the tail was faster.
The stinger targeted her torso.
[Einheri Valkyrie]
The light particles from her fairy wings turned red, transforming into wings three times larger.
Vena caught the giant scorpion's stinger barehanded as it came right up to her face.
As her body nearly buckled under the immense force, the red wings sprayed outward, pushing back the tail instead.
Kik?
The scorpion seemed bewildered by the sudden turn, letting out a strange cry.
Vena shouted as she swung Phillion.
"Hiyaap!"
The reopened hammer's gem glowed again.
With the explosion, stinger fragments scattered everywhere.
Vena resolved to finish all the scorpions before 'Einheri Valkyrie'—which temporarily awakened her Valkyrie power—ended.
'If Einheri Valkyrie wears off midway, I'm done for.'
It was a doping technique that forcibly drew out power, leaving her immobile once it ended.
That was Einheri Valkyrie.
Scattering even brighter red light, she smashed down on the next giant scorpion's head.
Crack—!
Its thick carapace, tough as a fortress wall, shattered in one blow.
In the past, she'd once suppressed the demon baron Rueta with sheer power, if only temporarily.
After five years in that state, plus using Einheri Valkyrie to forcibly awaken her strength.
No matter how giant the scorpion, surviving her attacks was impossible.
'Just one left.'
As she flew toward the last one, the red light from her wings began to weaken.
Only about a minute had passed, but the power drained too quickly.
Because it was an incomplete technique.
That was why Pion stayed by her side.
To perfect the Valkyrie's most crucial technique, 'Einheri Valkyrie.'
[Vena! I recommend dodging. It could get dangerous!]
'I can do it.'
Vena gritted her teeth.
The red particles flared brighter for a moment.
She charged at the giant scorpion with tremendous speed.
Defying its size, the scorpion swung its claw at astonishing velocity.
Vena deflected the descending claw with her hammer, spun in midair, and redirected toward its head.
Then.
Snip—
"Huh?"
Her red hair reverted to pink.
The wings vanished, and the red particles began to dissipate.
[Damn!]
Phillion cried out urgently.
The scorpion's massive claw gaped wide to crush Vena.
If it closed, she'd be reduced to a puddle of blood.
Just one left.
It infuriated her that she couldn't take it down.
"Damn... Sorry."
Vena murmured an apology to no one in particular and closed her eyes.
"Can't rein her in."
"Tell me about it."
Two familiar voices rang out then.
Someone wrapped around Vena's waist.
Dangling from their arm, Vena opened her eyes and looked at her rescuer.
"M-Master?"
Jamie smiled instead of answering.
Behemoth's voice came from beside him.
"I'll handle it, Master."
It was at that instant.
A colossal shadow descended from the sky.
The shadow was vast enough to swallow even the 10-meter-plus giant scorpion whole.
[Pathetic vermin.]
The heavy voice was unfamiliar.
Behemoth had shrunk to 1/100th of his original size.
Even so, the giant scorpion seemed like a palm-sized arthropod.
Behemoth's forepaw slammed down.
Thud—!!!!
It was a roar like a volcano erupting.
The vibration spread across all of Abraxas.
Vena's eyes widened round.
"Be-Behe?"
"Behemoth, you've only recovered this much after five years?"
Unlike the stunned Vena, Jamie looked slightly displeased.
In any case, the situation resolved in an instant.
Including the one that endangered Vena, all five scorpion corpses were flattened under Behemoth's paw.
Descending, Jamie gently set Vena down.
He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Einheri Valkyrie. Impressive. I didn't expect you'd mastered it to that degree already."
"...Master?"
"It was a splendid technique. I've witnessed Einheri Valkyrie firsthand before, and though it's still immature, reaching that level in just five years of training is remarkable. Plus, taking down four out of five Great Mountain Scorpions alone isn't easy even for a Master."
"Wh-Why the sudden praise?"
"Because you did well. I saw the results of your five years of training with my own eyes and felt that your efforts weren't in vain. You worked hard, Vena."
"Huiiiing... Master..."
At his rare praise, Vena teared up and clung to his pant leg.
Jamie chuckled and stroked her head.
"Still, going for the last one was reckless. If I hadn't been watching, it really would've been bad. No more overdoing it like that. Doing what you can is impressive enough."
"Okay..."
"Let's head back now. Behemoth, you..."
Jamie trailed off, speechless at Behemoth devouring the scorpions in the distance.
He'd forgotten: a pig in bull's clothing doesn't discriminate even against poisoned flesh.
They didn't exchange a word on the way back.
To be precise, both wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come easily.
The evening's events felt like a thorn stuck in their throats.
The trio entered the lodging.
Behemoth yawned lazily, flopped into a corner, and sprawled out.
Whether from the feast or reverting to his true form—even at 1/100th size—he passed out immediately upon return.
This left the two alone, amplifying the awkward atmosphere.
"Want some tea?"
"I'll make it."
"I can't trust you with even a cup of tea."
"That's mean."
Vena puffed her cheeks at Jamie's joking-yet-serious remark.
But what could she do?
Everything that passed through her hands turned from food into something else.
No guarantee tea would fare better.
While Jamie brewed the tea, Vena sat with her legs pulled up, looking dejected.
It didn't seem just because she couldn't make tea.
Gazing at the tea before her, Vena asked Jamie,
"So, I really can't go with you?"
"Vena. I want to go with you too. I saw your sincerity today and confirmed your five years weren't wasted. But you're the Valkyrie princess and the only heir to the throne."
"......"
"Can you abandon them?"
"I won't... I just won't abandon them."
"Vena, you know my goal. Can you still say that?"
Vena couldn't respond.
Jamie Welton's goal.
The destruction of the Twelve Gods.
The path to achieve it went beyond mere hardship.
Dying wouldn't be strange, nor would ending up as good as dead.
Besides, though Vena had improved vastly in five years, she still had shortcomings.
"Become queen. And lead the Valkyries to aid me."
"Master... I...!"
It was then.
Someone kicked the door open.
"Everyone's here, huh?"
It was Pion.
She appeared cheerfully out of sync with the mood, glancing between Jamie and Vena.
"But why do you two look so glum?"
"Pion?"
"...What?"
Already tense, their expressions darkened further at the intruder's antics.
Pion, perceptive enough, cautiously opened the door and stepped back out.
Then kicked it open again, pretending nothing happened.
"I've got great news for both of you! Especially for the princess—it's really good news!"
"What news is so great?"
"Pion. I'm in a serious mood right now."
"Hahaha. I can tell, princess. No need to say it."
"Did you come to tease me? Are you so thrilled I can't go with Master that you're here to mock me...!"
Vena jumped up, furious at Pion's teasing demeanor, about to snap at her.
"Your little sister! A new Valkyrie princess has been born!"
"...Huh?"
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Pion grinned widely.
"The second princess has been born, so the eldest, Princess Vena, is free to go adventuring with Jamie Welton."
Jamie and Vena froze, unable to react immediately.
They just stared at each other in stunned silence, blinking.