Status Window

"Ha."

When I checked my status window, there it was — a Transcend Tale that hadn't been there before.

On top of that, my level had shot up by thirty-nine.

Guess clearing that S-Rank Gate alone last time counted for a lot.

I had killed hundreds of monsters single-handedly, so a level-up of this size was only natural.

"Where's Gleipnir, anyway?"

Gleipnir had clearly said it would acknowledge me as its master and follow me.

But no matter where I looked, there was no sign of the chain anywhere.

"Wh-what the—?!"

The voice suddenly rang out inside my head, and I couldn't help but shout in surprise.

"Gleipnir, you say?"

The voice that had appeared out of nowhere insisted that it was Gleipnir.

"So where are you right now?"

"My back?"

Intrigued by the claim, I pulled off my top.

Ordinarily it would have been impossible to see, but I was different — my senses told me everything I needed to know.

And sure enough, dead center on my back, a tattoo had been etched in the shape of an iron chain binding a wolf.

"So how am I supposed to use you?"

"Really?"

With that explanation in mind, I pictured Gleipnir emerging from my body.

Chang!

The instant the image formed in my mind, a chain shot out of my hand.

"Oh."

I grabbed Gleipnir as it poured out of my palm and checked its item information.

Hephaestus's name was still hidden from view, but perhaps because I had become the chain's master, the effects were now clearly visible.

There were no bonus stat buffs to speak of.

Instead, the three effects were listed in plain terms.

Link, Bind, Subdue?

Authorities?

An authority was what happened when a god's epithet took physical form as power.

I'd never imagined that a divine relic could carry such power as well — or that it could talk to me through mere thought alone.

Explain exactly what each one does.

That's all it does?

Link was, in essence, an ability devoted entirely to supporting my fighting from the sidelines.

And Bind?

Bind, too, was a form of combat support.

If Link boosted my own fighting capability, then Bind sealed an opponent's movements.

What kind of authority is Subdue, then?

At a glance, Subdue looked like a duplicate of Bind.

But the fact that they were listed separately meant their effects had to be distinctly different.

Sealing?

So it's different from Bind after all.

I couldn't say for certain, but if restraint was the power to stop movement, then Subdue felt like the power to stop something beyond mere movement.

Sealing power — does that include skills, abilities, and mana too?

Which meant that if I wished it, I could seal away every ability an awakened being possessed.

Even a Unique or Boss monster, with its skills sealed, would be reduced to nothing more than a slightly stronger regular monster.

"They really weren't kidding when they called this Mythic-grade gear, huh..."

Stunned by the sheer absurdity of the equipment's performance, I let my mind wander for a moment.

Then I snapped back to my senses and drew Gleipnir back inside.

Hm? For what?

So that means this isn't even everything you have?

As I listened to Gleipnir, the corners of my mouth curled up on their own.

This was already more than enough to qualify as game-breakingly overpowered — and there was more on top of that? For me, that was nothing but good news.

There's no need to feel bad about it.

Yeah. You're plenty impressive as you are.

Saying so, I gave Gleipnir's confidence a little boost.

I had no idea whether an inanimate weapon could possess emotions, but at least in this one's case, something like feelings clearly existed.

So rather than treating it bluntly, I made a point of speaking to it kindly.

Good.

A wave of the thing's delight washed over me unbidden.

I didn't understand the mechanism behind it, but divine relics definitely had emotions.

"Ah, I need to get going."

Getting Gleipnir had absorbed my attention so completely that I'd lost all track of time.

By now, Hati's seal should have already come undone.

If I don't hurry, she's going to sulk at me.

No, you don't get it.

The simpler a creature's nature, the more reliably it throws a tantrum when you break even the simplest of promises.

I quickened my footwork and raced back toward the Blue Castle.

"You're late."

"Sorry."

The moment I arrived at the Blue Castle, Hati spat out just that one line, her face set in a pout.

I apologized right away, but her mood didn't thaw immediately.

"You said you'd be right back, did you not?"

"And here I am, back. Come on, lighten up."

However it might have looked, she had probably been worried about me.

She was simply so clumsy with her emotions that this was how it all came out instead.

"I'll keep my promises properly from now on. Okay?"

"......"

Frankly, once we parted here, there was no guarantee we'd ever meet again — but I went ahead and wrote her a blank check anyway.

Even so, Hati showed no real reaction to my words.

"Hmm..."

While I was racking my brain over how to cheer her up, a thought flashed through my mind.

Wait a second. Why am I the one who has to cheer Hati up?

Come to think of it, I was neither Hati's parent nor her caretaker.

I was nothing more than a guest, invited here by the master of the Blue Castle.

The only reason I'd saved Hati in the first place was my promise to Sköll.

Nowhere in any of that was there an obligation for me to soothe her feelings.

Right?

Gleipnir enthusiastically agreed with me.

There was no need for me to stand here wringing my hands.

That was my conclusion.

"Well then, I'll be heading back."

"Huh?"

At my words, Hati stared at me as if I'd caught her completely off guard.

"You there? Where do you think you are going?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"What do you mean, where? Home, obviously."

Flustered confusion was written all over Hati's face.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could act this decisively because I had no lingering attachments — but Hati wasn't built that way.

"After being in such a cold place, surely you would thaw yourself a little before departing..."

"Why bother? My place is warmer."

My words left Hati completely speechless.

It couldn't be helped.

Because what I'd said was simply true.

"See you, then."

"W-wait, just a moment!"

Just as I turned to leave, Hati grabbed hold of me.

Her grip was so strong that my wrist ached under it.

"Let go first."

"...Yes."

Sensing my pain, Hati released her hold on my hand.

Since she had no hands, the only way she could grab anything was with her mouth — and her teeth were as hard and sharp as mithril.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Ha..."

I let out a sigh and set the mood.

The kind of mood where Hati had no choice but to apologize to me.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

"Th-that is..."

I knew, of course. She'd met a living being for the first time in ages.

Naturally, she wouldn't want to let go.

But that was that, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this was this.

"Look, if you want to keep someone around, you have to actually show some consideration. Where's the effort?"

"......"

"Huh? You won't hesitate to act tough in front of me, but you bite me the moment I turn around..."

"......"

When I hit her with the cold, hard facts, Hati couldn't manage a single word.

I waited a moment, and at last she fidgeted and opened her mouth.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"What was that? Too quiet, I can't hear you."

"I'm sorry..."

"Still too quiet."

"I-I said I'm sorry!"

Hati's face flushed crimson as she shouted her apology.

Receiving an apology from one of the highest-ranked divine beasts put me in an excellent mood.

"So? Are you going to ignore me and snap at me like before?"

"I will not."

Only after Hati promised not to did I let go of my irritation with her.

"Let's head inside for now. It's freezing out here."

"Y-yes!"

The moment I suggested we go into the castle, Hati lit up and threw the gate open herself, ushering me inside.

"So? What are you planning to do from now on?"

"What do you mean, do?"

Judging by that reaction, it was obvious she hadn't thought about anything at all.

With that realization, I sighed.

"Your seal's been broken now, hasn't it?"

"It has."

"Then what are you going to do going forward?"

"Well..."

Hati, of course, said nothing.

She hadn't even thought about it, so an immediate answer would have been the strange thing.

"A goal. Have you set yourself a goal?"

"A goal? I have nothing of the sort."

Exasperated by how shamelessly she declared it, I smacked my palm against my forehead.

How was anyone supposed to survive this treacherous world without even a goal...

"If you really don't have one, why not go look for your brother?"

"...Find Sköll?"

Sköll had given me his core and heart, but he was still a divine beast through and through.

More than that, he was no ordinary divine beast — he was the beast who symbolized the sun itself.

A being like that wouldn't simply have vanished.

He's probably still alive somewhere.

He might be training to reclaim his strength, or he might have fallen into a deep slumber somewhere.

Having to remake the heart and core he'd given me, he would be badly weakened for a long while.

"What do you think? Sounds like the perfect goal for you."

"Hmm..."

At my words, Hati mulled it over for a moment before nodding.

"That is what I shall do."

"Then it's settled."

The two of us talked for about an hour after that, and then I returned to the royal castle.

And the moment I got back, Hyuk tore into me, so I never got the chance to see this message.