The next day, it was the overwhelming magical energy emanating from the direction of the village gate that roused Shiomi and the others from their sleep.
Feeling the unfamiliar, immense magical presence in his sleep, Shiomi instantly woke up. He rose from the soft mattress on the floor, grabbed the clothes that had been left scattered in the room, quickly dressed, and rushed outside.
Morgan and the other two, who had been sleeping crammed together on the bed, heard Shiomi's movement and got up one by one to change.
As Shiomi pushed open Gerda's door, he saw that nearly the entire village had gathered at the gate. Most of them were children, with only seven or eight adults in their twenties among them.
Before the kneeling villagers stood a figure cloaked in pure white, wielding a small round shield and a radiant spear. Behind that person were arc-shaped wings made of Mana.
This figure was undoubtedly the source of the immense magical power Shiomi had sensed moments ago.
At that moment, the villagers were all kneeling in perfect unison, awaiting the arrival of the white-robed figure.
Recalling the details about the village that Gerda had shared with him yesterday, Shiomi quickly understood. The white-robed visitor must be the "Envoy" Gerda had mentioned—one of Skadi's warriors.
But there was something else that shocked Shiomi.
Gerda had also stepped forward and was now walking toward the white-robed Envoy. By the looks of it, she seemed to be about to be taken away alone.
Just as Shiomi was about to step forward, he caught sight of several identical white figures in the sky out of the corner of his eye. He froze.
"Quite a few of them," Morgan said, stepping out after Shiomi. "Though their magical power isn't really threatening, if negotiations break down and they rush into battle, it could endanger the entire village and its people."
"Those white-robed warriors… I can't sense any life force from them... Could they be the Valkyries from Norse legend?" Scáthach said, stepping outside to observe the situation at the village gate. "From what I know, the Valkyries were divine constructs forged by Odin to prepare for Ragnarök."
Shiomi turned back to them. "I'll go check the situation first. You two stay hidden and approach carefully. If a fight breaks out, focus on protecting the villagers."
"The Valkyries' reason for taking Gerda is probably her unauthorized crossing through the gate to leave the village, only to return," Artoria speculated, piecing together the information she had gathered yesterday.
After nodding in agreement, Shiomi sprinted toward the village gate.
Then, the Valkyrie noticed Shiomi—or rather... she couldn't help but notice.
Shiomi had not concealed his magical presence, and the Valkyrie's sensory abilities immediately detected it.
In a village devoid of magic, the presence of such a vast magical aura naturally drew attention.
"You are... the guest awaited by the gods." The Valkyrie recognized Shiomi immediately and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Then, human, hurry along your path. Do not keep our gods waiting."
"Skadi, is it..."
Shiomi weaved through the crowd of children and adults, trying to get closer for answers, but more Valkyries began descending from the sky, blocking his way. The faces peeking out from beneath their white cloaks were all identical—these were mass-produced Valkyries.
"Answer me, Valkyrie, or rather, Envoy. Why are you taking Gerda? What did she do wrong?" Shiomi demanded.
At that moment, Gerda stepped forward to intervene. "It's not like that. You've misunderstood, Lord Shiomi... I simply broke the rule that once you step beyond the gates, you're not supposed to return. The gods are summoning me to answer for my actions. Please, don't confront the Envoy and risk causing conflict over me alone..."
Gerda clearly didn't fully understand what the Valkyrie had said to Shiomi, but since the Envoy referred to him as "the Guest of the Gods," it was clear that he was no ordinary visitor.
"That's one thing," Shiomi replied. "What happened between me and Skadi is our business." He extended his hand. "You only went out to gather herbs to treat the sick villagers. An all-knowing, all-powerful god should understand that." He gestured for Gerda to step away from the Valkyrie and return to the villagers.
But Gerda didn't move. It was hardly surprising. To the defenseless villagers, who had no understanding of combat, the Valkyries—the Divine Messengers—were overwhelmingly powerful beings whose commands could not be disobeyed. To them, it was incomprehensible that someone would dare face the Divine Messengers without fear. Some who had heard Gerda's account believed this was merely a dispute among the Valkyries themselves.
"Not permitted, not acknowledged. The divine command is the absolute word upon this land. Those who raise objections shall be punished."
The Valkyrie paused briefly, then quickly calculated her response. Even a guest of the gods must abide by the rule that "the word of the gods is absolute."
"I didn't ask you, Valkyries," Shiomi said.
In an instant, all the Valkyries turned in unison. Their faces remained expressionless, but their weapons rose in perfect synchronization, aimed directly at Shiomi. As Shiomi spoke, he had swept through the human wall of Valkyries like a gust of wind, arriving before Gerda. The Valkyries hadn't been able to track his movements.
"But..."
Gerda, her wrist now held firmly by the Valkyrie, hesitated, unable to take a step forward. At that moment, the Valkyries' internal thought processes triggered alarms, preparing them to attack Shiomi at any second. Their spears were raised.
Morgan and Scáthach, arriving just moments later, had their Magecraft at the ready. Morgan prepared to bind the Valkyries' movements, while Scáthach would shield the villagers using the Primordial Runes.
The tense standoff, teetering on the edge of violence, suddenly stopped. All the Valkyries seemed to be taken by surprise, lifting their heads—though their faces remained unchanged.
Then, the Valkyries took flight once again, seemingly preparing to leave, and they didn't even take Gerda with them.
"Obeying the command of our deities, we cease the capture of the sinner. We depart now."
The lead Valkyrie looked down from the sky at Shiomi and the villagers. "To the guest from the distant world, my god commands us to convey—"
The Valkyries' voices rang out in perfect harmony, like a sacred chant:
"Do not linger on your journey. Do not interfere with this land again. I await your arrival in the royal capital."
"I will come. No need to rush. Since she extended the invitation, at least show some patience."
Once Shiomi had finished speaking, the Valkyries flew off in silence, moving gracefully like a flock of swans returning to their nest, leaving behind neat contrails in the sky.
It was clear that it was Skadi, far in the royal capital, who had stopped the Valkyries from engaging in battle at the last moment.