H28.8.14 Typo Correction
① Then, Mist offered to train Freya, hauling the unwilling Swan Hilda to what appeared to be a training facility, accompanied by Elune.
As Liliana spoke of the absurd notion that I was originally supposed to become the Hero, the carriage carrying us, drawn by two horses, reached a dizzying height.
“I-It’s amazing…”
“Mmm, amaz…”
“I’m too terrified to stand.”
Elise marveled as she gazed out the window of the cabin, and Mai, seated beside her, seemed to gaze with wide, sparkling eyes filled with curiosity.
Meanwhile, Kirika, her legs apparently having given out, had shrunk herself into a small ball at the edge of her seat.
“I-I’m fine, you know.”
“Scary, scary…”
“We’re heading to the ‘Garden of the Gods’ now, I’m so looking forward to it!”
On the opposite seat, Freya, nervously fiddling with the temples of her glasses, was trying to appear brave, but her legs were clearly trembling.
And Shela, clinging to Freya’s waist, had her usually perked-up fox ears drooping and her fluffy tail hanging low.
Meanwhile, Liliana, who had declared me a Hero, was beaming with expectation, her chest puffing out with a fervent gaze.
On the other hand, I was incredibly excited at the prospect of visiting the ‘Garden of the Gods,’ where the gods supposedly resided.
Then, peering out the small window connecting the passenger car to the now-empty coachman’s seat, I confirmed the two horses ahead were not moving an inch.
They were probably asleep, charmed by magic.
Occasionally, the majestic figures of Flist, Mist, Elune, and Swan Hilda, soaring through the sky, would catch my eye through the window.
Given my memories from a past life, it was only natural to feel the urge to kneel and worship.
Looking down, the houses of the city appeared as small as my little finger, offering a panoramic view of the roads and mountains we had traversed.
As we ascended further— *Parryyyyin* — a sound like a transparent membrane breaking was heard.
“We have now ascended to a higher dimension. The ‘Garden of the Gods,’ where the Valkyries dwell, is here.”
Flist’s voice echoed in my mind, and I realized we had finally reached the divine realm.
As we proceeded further, a vast sea of clouds appeared before us.
The sea of clouds itself exuded a sacred aura, illuminated by auspicious rainbows and halos.
Moreover, above the sea of clouds stood several majestic buildings resembling stone temples.
Beside the wide, spotless road, lush fields were meticulously maintained, and the gentle babbling of a clear stream could be seen.
“Is this… the ‘Garden of the Gods’!?”
The two-horsed carriage carrying us glided slowly, as if licking the surface of the cloud sea where the ‘Garden of the Gods’ existed.
The speed was about the same as a brisk walk.
Occasionally, incredibly beautiful women, presumably Valkyries, would pass by, but not a single man was ever seen.
The women’s attire ranged from opulent dresses with feather robes, said to be worn by celestial maidens, to simple yet sacred-looking togas, as if a scene from a religious painting had come to life.
Flist, Mist, and Elune, who had brought us here, had also changed from their light armor to togas, and their hair ornaments were adorned with colorful bird tail feathers.
Meanwhile, our Swan Hilda remained in her light armor.
And they were arguing about something.
“Swan Hilda, it appears your training as a Valkyrie is insufficient.”
“I… uh…”
“I shall train you properly while everyone else is being welcomed.”
“Train me!? I want to be welcomed too!”
“We are offering to personally train you, who are still inexperienced. You should weep tears of gratitude!”
“N-Noooooo!”
Eavesdropping on the Valkyries’ conversation, I learned that Flist had pointed out Swan Hilda’s lack of training because she couldn’t change from her light armor to a toga.
Then, Mist offered her training, and Elune dragged the unwilling Swan Hilda to what appeared to be a training facility.
Swan Hilda’s mournful cries echoed around us, but there was nothing we could do.
“Swan Hilda will surely become even stronger now…”
I murmured, watching the direction Swan Hilda was dragged away.
My hands were unconsciously clasped in prayer, but I shouldn’t pay that any mind.
“Swan Hilda… I won’t forget your noble sacrifice. I’ll eat plenty in your stead.”
“That girl’s in quite a predicament…”
Elise said, seeing Swan Hilda off in her usual manner, while Kirika sighed.
“We have arrived at the ‘Garden of the Gods.’ You may disembark.”
Following Flist’s instructions, we stepped out of the carriage and hesitantly set foot on the ground made of clouds. We didn’t sink, nor did it feel fluffy; we could walk comfortably.
“Flist-sama, is Swan Hilda going to be alright?”
“Don’t worry, she arrived at the ‘Garden of the Gods,’ but she couldn’t change from her battle attire, the light armor, to her everyday wear, the toga, so we’ve decided to train her.”
“Truly, the immature are unsightly!”
As the representative for the ‘Princess Harem,’ I inquired about the well-being of Swan Hilda, a party member. It seemed she would be subjected to mandatory training due to her immaturity in not being able to change into her everyday attire upon arriving at the ‘Garden of the Gods.’
This was an internal matter for the Valkyries, and it was difficult for us to intervene.
I felt sorry for Swan Hilda, but we decided to accept the welcome wholeheartedly.
Following closely behind Flist and Mist, we walked along a path made of what appeared to be solidified clouds, and soon a large building came into view.
At first glance, the building resembled the Asgard Holy Church temple where the Thanksgiving Concert was held in the Old Kingdom of Vandis, but it was much larger, with intricate carvings on its pillars and beams.
“We have arrived. The banquet hall is inside.”
Upon Mist’s words, we let out a sigh of relief and were led into the building’s grand hall.
Several large tables were arranged in the center of the hall, covered with intricately lacquered tablecloths. Piled high with dishes of fruits I had never seen before, deep bowls of stews made with colorful vegetables, large platters of beautifully grilled, large chunks of meat, and jars filled with various drinks and spirits were placed all over.
Chairs were arranged along the walls for resting and conversing.
It appeared our welcoming party would be a standing buffet.
Inside, in addition to Flist and Mist, many other Valkyrie elder sisters were present, making it a lively affair.
However, I was the only male in the room, which made me feel quite uneasy.
“Welcome to the ‘Garden of the Gods,’ ruled by the Valkyries. Let us enjoy ourselves without formality today. This is by the order of Dentemetina, Aquaanar, and Crouneruia, so we have made the utmost preparations.”
A Valkyrie elder sister, seemingly the highest-ranking among them, declared the opening, and the banquet to welcome us began.
“Are you Hal?”
“You are still quite young.”
As I was serving myself food onto a small plate and pouring wine into a goblet, two unknown Valkyries approached me.
“I am Brynhildr. Remember me.”
“I am Geirrflög. Be well.”
Suddenly, Mist approached with a fierce look and pulled Brynhildr and Geirrflög away from me.
“Brynhildr and Geirrflög, Hal is already promised to us.”
“Mist is so stingy.”
“What a narrow-minded thing to say—”
They started arguing about me, but I decided it was best to quietly withdraw.
Glancing at Mist and the others, I retreated with my back foot and fled the scene.
“Elise, these sweets are so delicious. Eat as much as you like.”
“Freya is entertaining me, it’s a bit scary.”
“So, you won’t eat them?”
“No, if I miss out on such rare delicacies and feasts, I feel I’ll regret it for the rest of my life, so I’ll have them.”
Ahead, Freya was piling sweets and dishes onto Elise’s small plate, seemingly flattering her.
Elise, who had encouraged the “fake Princess Freya” whom we encountered when leaving the Old Kingdom of Vandis, had been threatened by Freya with punishment, but Freya apparently gave up on punishing Elise as she couldn’t find any openings.
“Oh, what a cute little fox! Your pure white fur is beautiful, and your tail—so fluffy—is irresistible.”
“Valkyrie-sama… please, please let me go…”
Sheela was captured by a Valkyrie elder sister in a chair by the wall.
That Valkyrie elder sister seemed to share the same taste as Elise and Freya.
Sheela pleaded to be released, but it was likely futile unless the elder sister grew tired of her.
“…Nom, nom…”
In the chair next to her, Mai was picking at the food she had portioned onto a small plate with a fork.
“That girl’s original abilities are sealed, or rather, she seems to be separated.”
“…You can tell, can’t you?”
“Who do you think we are… Don’t underestimate us!!”
“M-My apologies.”
As I watched Mai eating her food aimlessly in a chair by the wall, a passing Valkyrie elder sister easily discerned Mai’s secret and revealed it.
As expected, it seems Mai’s secret is easily discernible to those who can see.
After this journey ends, upon returning to the Base Mansion of the ‘Princess Harem’ in the suburbs of Granza, the Imperial Capital of the Espana Imperial Kingdom, I may have to urgently undertake a new journey to the former Wahl Imperial Kingdom territory.
However, I’ve left the Raymond Trading Company’s business to Alicia, but there seems to be a lot of things that need to be handled, which gives me a headache.
It’s been over a month since we set off on our journey to the Southern Nations.
The journey is enjoyable, but I’m also worried about Alicia.
Furthermore, I’m concerned about how Edele, Dietlinde, Tirna, and Ly, who remained at the ‘Princess Harem,’ are doing.
Also, they will surely be envious when they hear about our journey.
My heart feels heavy somehow.
“The clothes the Valkyrie elder sisters are wearing are very interesting.”
“Uhm… you shouldn’t touch there.”
“Kirika-sama, not just the clothes, but the food, the buildings… There are countless things to see.”
Turning around, I saw Kirika, who had captured a Valkyrie elder sister, eagerly caressing her clothing, while nearby, Liliana was busily examining various things.
The last one, or rather, the last entity, Swan Hilda, had not yet appeared in the hall, and Elune seemed to be supervising her training closely.
The welcome party, as it entered its full swing, became increasingly chaotic as participants consumed more alcohol. It was then.
“Eeeeeeek!!”
Suddenly, Elise screamed.
“W-What is it, Elise?”
“H-Hal-sama… please don’t look.”
I rushed to Elise upon hearing her piercing scream and found her crying, bent over.
“Elise, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing much. The food was just too delicious…”
Freya, standing near Elise, pointed at her stomach and smiled.
“Elise, consider this as settling the score for that punishment earlier. And with such a plump belly, even the tea house lady won’t mistake you for anyone else.”
It turned out that Freya had been continuously bringing Elise food and sweets with the intention of making her belly round…
“Elise, it’s okay. If you use a lot of magic, it’ll go down quickly.”
“Hal-sama… R-Really?”
“It’s okay, I guarantee it.”
And so, Elise, whose belly had become round once again, began dieting next to Swan Hilda.
Thank you for reading.
episode21-3 Behind-the-Scenes of the Valkyries ① ○Scheduled for pre-release on August 15th at 0:00.
