Like the Spring Sunshine (Beginning)

...The targets fought off Koyanskaya's attack and made their escape.

It's still unclear which path they took once outside the castle, but knowing Your Majesty, I imagine you already know exactly where they are.

In addition, we found signs that the targets had come in contact with the imprisoned Divine Spirit amalgamation.

I'm only speculating here, but...

...I believe the prisoner may have told them about the dangerous element sealed away in Mt. Hindarfjall No. 2.

Just tell us where they currently are, Your Majesty, and Saber and I will head out and recapture them.

...No, it's not important. Leave them be.

I have already decided to love both the children of Chaldea, and the strange Archer with the unwieldy cannon.

Do not force me to repeat myself yet again, Ophelia. I will not allow them to be killed.

But, Your Majesty...

You are the one who empowered Sigurd's Spirit Origin, are you not? He is not capable of anything so delicate as capturing prisoners.

He would much rather kill them. He will cut down anything in his way.

The Celtic woman within me tells me with absolute certainty that that Servant cannot be easily used.

He is himself like a demonic sword, inevitably bound to hurt its wielder.

I...

I suggest you occasionally spend some time reflecting upon yourself, Ophelia Phamrsolone, daughter of humanity.

While you are at it, give some thought to that girl, Mash, as well as the Archer.

...Very well.

... ...

That Archer...Napoleon couldn't possibly have meant what he said. He's nothing more than a ghost, an empty shade of a human mocking me.

Obviously it was nothing more than a ploy to confuse me. Did he think I'd fall for something so absurd?

... ...

Still...I should have visited them in prison. I shouldn't have let that Archer deter me from that.

Now I don't know if I'll ever get to talk to Mash again...

Hiii! Koyanskaya here, reporting back from the front lines☆ There's nothing quite like losing my whole private army!

I'm afraid the contract with these giants I borrowed from Her Majesty is now null and void, since I kind of made a botch of that attack!

With all my dependable Jötunn gone, I guess this means I've finally had a major loss...

And yet, I seem to not be the only one down in the dumps here. What's the matter, Ophelia?

You're in the queen's good graces. You're one of the Crypters, and a part of their successful plot to completely upend the entire world. And what's more, you command an incredibly powerful Servant to boot.

So what could possibly be bothering you? What's on your mind?

None of your business. Didn't I tell you to stay out of my room?

Now, now, we girls have to stick together♡

This attitude right here is why Ms. Kyrielight doesn't want to be friends with you, you know!

!!! What would you know about

More than you think, honey. Believe it or not, I'm actually veeery sensitive to human emotions.

On top of that, we're actually fairly similar. I know you like you're my own sister!

Huh...? (Similar...in what way!?)

Well, there's the fact that we both put our jobs first and foremost! We're both driven and meticulous, yet we become hopelessly devotedperhaps to our detrimentwhen it comes to love!

Huh...? (What is she talking about?)

But enough joking. In all seriousness, you make me sick.

A real woman is supposed to be able to balance her work life and love life. But you...

You have feelings for Kirschtaria Wodime, but you just can't relax about it. You can't stop worrying.

You believe what you're doing is right, but you're still not comfortable with it.

You love him, but you can't fully commit to his cause. You cling to him even as you keep your distance.

Do you know why that is? I'll tell you: it's because you've never really had someone help you before.

You've not even had so much as a single friend in all your life. Isn't that right?

...A friend?

A mage's life is devoted to her magecraft.

We don't need friends.

...We don't.

Eee☆ That's so saaad! You cheeky little thing, pretending like you don't need others to survive!

(Siiigh) Kirschtaria is going to be so disappointed...

He may like to talk big, but deep down, everything he does is motivated by a deep love of humanity.

Even though he knows all too well that at their heart, humans are just wild animals instinctually driven to help, respect, and kill one another.

...!

Listen, honey. As long as you have minds of your own, hopes and dreams aren't enough to keep humanity going.

You need to have a bit of sympathy and affection too, you know?

All the more so if you were never able to depend on family. Really, I'm surprised you didn't jump at the chance to marry that Archer who proposed.

Are you just incapable of swallowing your pride?

Or is it more that you're afraid to be honest with yourself about the fact that you've never really trusted anyone?

I... I'm not...

Oh, yes you are.

Right this moment, you're so scared you can barely stand it, aren't you? Even though this place is a never-ending Wednesday.

...Stop it.

Poor little rich girl. Even though you'll never have to worry about the oh-so-terrifying Sunday here, you still can't shake your anxieties about it.

But you don't have to tremble in fear anymore, Ophelia.

Remember where you are right now. Go on, take a good look around.

This Lostbelt is a never-ending Wednesday. That's all there can be after Odin went and died.

There couldn't be any better world for you to live in, Ophelia Phamrsolone.

...

...Stop it. One more word, and I'll wipe you out of existence.

I don't care what you think you know about me. Keep talking about it, and I WILL kill you.

Leave. Right now.

If you're not gone by the time I get back, I'm sending my knight after you. Is that clear?

Oh my, how dreadful... Was it something I said? Well, they do say good fences make good neighbors...

Very well, I apologize, and I won't mention it again! On a different note: You're leaving already? Didn't you just get back?

...I'm going to the terrace. I need some fresh air.

...Hehe, that put some fire back in her eyes. Maybe I was overstepping my bounds a bit. What do you think?

Hmph.

I don't know what the point of you women talking to one another is, and I don't care.

Either you were giving her a pep talk, or you were trying to piss her off. Which one was it?

Which do you think it was?

What are you, stupid? Why would I be asking if I knew?

...Well, no matter. It doesn't affect me one way or the other.

Play around all you like. But if you go too far, I'll kill you.

Ooh, I'm so scared. This is exactly your problem, Mr. Demonic Sword Knight. Or should I say, Your Majesty?

I know what I'm doing. I would never treat a valued customer with anything less than the utmost respect.

And since we also have the Tree of Emptiness and that unsightly queen to worry about...

...I'm counting on Ophelia to help this Lostbelt's true nature shine through.

Another lovely day... It doesn't even look like we'll have to worry about a blizzard, Senpai.

At this pace, we should be able to reach our destination before sundown!

？！

Fou, fooou!

Good morning, Fou. Did you sleep well?

Fou!

I've finished packing up the Chaldea E-Z Camping Kit. We can get going whenever you want, Master.

What a great morning! It may be awfully chilly here, but at least the weather is always nice and calm!

I was a little worried we might have to shake off some pursuers, but luckily, we made it through the whole night without incident.

Thank you for standing guard all night, Napoleon. It really helped us catch our breath and rest awhile.

Mon plaisir, mademoiselle. The stars and the aurora made it real easy to pass the time. Besides, gotta use the right tool for the job. Since we Heroic Spirits don't need to sleep, I was obviously the best choice.

We don't need to eat either, of course...but we can still enjoy a good meal.

Gotta say, these rations you brought with you are impressive. I had no idea we'd come so far with how we made and preserved food.

If only my Grande Armée had had that kind of food... The best we could come up with was bottled goods, and trust me, those weren't much help in Russia.

I wish I'd been able to mass-produce canned goods, things might've turned out differently...

Not exactly. Someone else came up with the idea, but it was Napoleon who inspired them to do so.

Since Napoleon's Grande Armée went on so many expeditions, it was essential they find some way to improve the quality of their rations.

So Napoleon

Set up a contest with a prize of twelve thousand francs for whoever could come up with the best new kind of ration!

A confectioner by the name of Nicolas Appert succeeded brilliantly. He came up with the airtight container and the idea to sterilize them with heat!

You really know your stuff, Private! That's right. I held a contest to see who could come up with the best way to improve our rations!

A confectioner by the name of Nicolas Appert ended up winning. He came up with the airtight container and the idea to sterilize them with heat!

？！

Of course, since we used glass bottles, they ended up breaking all the time, which was a real mess in more ways than one...

Fo fooou...

But, you did still pay Appert the full reward, right?

Of course! I'm nothing if not generous, you know! Besides, he had some really great ideas.

Canned goods and those things you call vacuum packs all originate from Appert's work with bottles.

That goes for Chaldea's rations, too.

Pretty impressive, when you think about it...

Anyway, now that we've had breakfast and our morning chitchat, shall we be on our way?

Yes! I'm ready whenever you two are!

...I would have liked to report our current status to everyone on the Border before we left, but...

Fou, fooou. Fooou!

Yes, Fou. I know there's no point in asking for the impossible.

Even if Da Vinci has expanded her Mystic Code drones' comms range, given our current location...

？！

...Right. At the moment, calling them just isn't feasible.

Guess we'll just have to find this other goddess first, then. On with the ultra high-speed cross-country ski tour!

I wonder if we'll have to scale a mountain before we can reach her.

...Our destination is Mt. Galdhøpiggen, the tallest mountain in all of Scandinavia.

According to the data Illya sent me, this third goddess should be imprisoned in the mountain's peak.

On a map from Proper Human History, it would be located on the old Jötunheimen highlands, but

But around here, it's at the very end of this endless string of snow and icy mountains. At least it's a straight shot there.

Right.

We're currently about two hundred and thirty kilometers away. If I can maintain my boosters' second gear, we should reach it in a few hours.

You have some awfully impressive equipment. And its magical energy efficiency isn't half bad, either.

Once we get this third goddess on our side, I'd love to have a word or two with whoever made it.

Especially since my skis are handmade...

Fou fo fo fo.

No, even I couldn't ask someone to carry me like you're getting done. No, really, I couldn't. I won't. I mean it.

Mademoiselle, make sure you hold on tight to Private Fujimaru! I'm gonna go ahead and pick up the pace!

With the strength and stamina of a Heroic Spirit, cruising at two hundred klicks per hour is a breeze!

Still, I can't really keep that speed up all the time, what with the obstacles that keep popping up.

Like, say, giants, or a pack of wild animals. ...Case in point?

Y-yes, I see them. Master, I'm detecting several magical energy signals in our vicinity! They don't appear to be giants...

They're ice beasts. It'd take too long to go around them, and we don't want them calling their friends for help, so I say we take them out nice and quick!

？！

You got it!

We've destroyed all the ice beasts. The battle is over!

All right then, let's get our march back underway! We can even make a friendly race of it!

Um, I'm sorry, Napoleon, but I have to refuse. That would be far too dangerous!

Fou, fo fooou!

You're siding with the mademoiselle, pupper? Just be careful the wind doesn't blow you away.

Equipping the Ortinax Ollerus Board attachments now... Boosters, activated.

Switching from thruster mode's first gear to booster. Ollerus Boards, standing by. Three, two, one...

...Ignition!

Whoa! I've never seen anything like that before...!

The whole palace is on fire!

Fooou, fou!

The whole building looks like it's made of ice, and there's a wall of fire surrounding it...

The fire here is just like the fire in the ice mountains; it's not melting anything around it... Like it is just suspended in the air and not burning anything at all...

A palace...of fire...

Fo, fou! Kyuuu!

Yes! We can feel the heat all the way over here!

Fou, fou!

？！

This fire is definitely made with magecraft. Nothing else could keep it burning without melting the ice palace.

Maybe there's a rune of burning inscribed somewhere? Or maybe the fire was brought here from a nearby mountain...

Whatever the case, it makes for a hell of a Bounded Field. I can feel it tingling on my skin all the way from here...

But, that only makes sense! Of course Mt. Galdhøpiggen, the highest summit in Scandinavia, would have a fiery fortress on top of it!

We are trying to bust out a goddess who could be the key to turning everything around here, after all!

It'll take more than a barrier of magecraft flame to turn this Heroic Spirit away!

Please be careful, Napoleon! I think this is the Palace of Fire!

Both in the poem "Sigrdrífumál" of Poetic Edda...

...and the Völsunga Saga...

...mention a palace on the top of Mt. Hindarfjall surrounded by a fiery hedge made from the shield of the gods!

It was called the Palace of Fire. It's a Bounded Field created by Odin himself!

This could be a large-scale ritual that uses magecraft taken from mythology, or perhaps a Bounded Field that's been in place since the Age of Gods!

Hmm?

Those flames, the shield of the gods? Nah. This Bounded Field hasn't been here since the Age of Gods.

At best, it's an imitationa bit of fancy magecraft that just looks the part. Use those baby purples of yours, mademoiselle.

I know your senses are dulled from the magical energy in the snow and fire around here, but look closer.

There they are inside the fire, plain as day!

Fou, faauu! Kyaaau!

Now I see them... Those are Muspel giants, just like the ones at the castle!

I could tell they were stronger than the Jötnar or Bergrisar, but now...there's several of them...

They're walking around in that inferno like it's a cool day in autumn...

Damned impressive! I love tough sorts who're proud of it!

I don't see anything wrapped up like before, but given how their legs are in chains, I'm guessing they're here on guard duty?

...Maybe the queen's just into that sort of thing. Or maybe...could it be Ophelia? Truly?

Whatever these guys have going on, it's in very poor taste, considering the old Jötunheimen highlands of myth weren't exactly the place to be for the likes of them!

If there's one thing these Muspel over there are lacking, it's charm! Don't you agree, fire giants!?

Haha! You're a spirited bunch, aren't you!

？！

Right. We'll need to get through them if we're going to fulfill our objective!

Ortinax output is stable. Auto-maintenance function, activated. Amalgam Goad, standing by.

...All right! Let's smash our way through these guys!

Nice work with that shield! It's even throwing the giants off-balance!

All right, I think that calls for another cannon blast! Taaaaaake THIS!

...Target silenced! That takes care of the last Muspel.

Does that mean...the battle is over for now?

Nope, I'm afraid it's not gonna be that easy. There's still more of them, mes amis.

It's still hard to make out magical energy here, but that's not the only unusual thing in the air. Can you smell it?

Oh, now that you mention it...I can faintly make out hydrogen sulfide...

That smell... Sulfur! That's the scent of a volcano!

Take another look at the flames, then at the palace.

Does it look like the flames have gone down in intensity at all? Have the palace doors opened up?

？！

I can't find so much as a seam in that Bounded Field! Maybe this means we need to use magecraft to break through it?

Disabling such a powerful Bounded Field would be a problem for Senpai and me...

Neither of us is able to use powerful magecraft like that...

We need a Caster to help us! But with things as they are, we can't count on summoning one long-term.

Not to mention we still have those guards to contend with.

Here they come! More Muspel are emerging from the fire!

Ooh la la! There's even more of them now! This must be the rest of the pack!

The smart move here is to rush us all at once, fire giants! Don't bother coming one at a time!

Fo fou! Kyau!?

Hahaha, easy there, pupper! I'll pet you all you want once the battle's over, but right now you should stay back!

？！

Up in the sky! It's huge!

Senpai, behind me! Get down!

Fo... Fou!

Senpai, look... What IS that...?

I'm not sure. It looks like...some sort of large, flying...

...creature?

...!

...Damn, this thing's tough!

I still can't tell what the hell it is, but it looks to be about as hard as the Sphinx's face!

The fire giants certainly aren't helping, either!

It doesn't look like they're working together, though!

It looks like...they're both so focused on us they're not even seeing each other!

Yup. I'd say you're right about that. I must have really pissed this thing off!

I just wish I knew what I did to make it so angry. It doesn't look too bad at a glance...

Haha, I think it just laughed!

Nope, I still got nothing. Hmm... I don't suppose you two have any idea, do you?

This is the first time we've run into something like this as well!

I agree, Master. It seems like it is, too...

？！

It is exceptionally aggressive. If it were made from magecraft, I'd expect it to be more mechanical...

It could be a Phantasmal unique to this Lostbelt...

...or it could be a Demonic Beast from a self-contained ecosystem that has never been mentioned in any myth or legend!

Fou. Kyaaau!

Huh? It's not...? Go on then, Fou, tell us everything you can!

Fo fo fou fo, fou!

？！

... ...

...I-I'm sorry, Senpai...

I can grasp the idea, but I can't exactly make sense of it as a language...

I've always admired Dr. Dolittle, but I'm afraid I just don't have that kind of talent...

It does happen occasionally... But no, you're right. Resuming combat mode!

R-right! Understood!

？！

We need to take the giants out first! Things'll get outta hand real fast if they gang up on us!

Three fire giants left! All right, let's do this thing! I'll fill 'em all up with holes!

One!

Two!

Three! Break 'em! Smash 'em! Make your way through!

We've destroyed all MuspNo, wait! The third one is still alive!

And here I thought I'd scored a direct hit... Aha, now I see! This one's a real fiery warrior!

It used its fallen comrade's body as a humaner, giant shield! Brave AND cold-blooded! I love it!

Fou, foooooou!

Whoa there...!

Khh...!

He's started hurling bouldersI mean, large blocks of ice! But don't worry. I can block them as long as I stay focused on defense!

Do it. It's time to take this guy down for good!

Hrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaah! Let's see how you like a barrage!

Consecutive impacts confirmed! Both the unidentified creature and last remaining Muspel have been

Get outta here!

...The unidentified creature has been sent flying directly into the palace...!

The fire wall shows no sign of going out, but the palace's outer wall has taken significant damage!

Sorry 'bout that! I tried to hold back, but the damn thing was so tough I ended up really going all out!

Ah crap, this is bad. I just knocked that thing into the palace. What if it ends up eating our sleeping beauty!?

Even if it doesn't, what if she ends up getting buried when the palace

It's all right. I don't think there's any reason to worry.

Hm? How can you be so sure?

Just a feeling, but a strong one. If I'm right about this, then the one in the palace has to be

...!

Fou, fou! Fooou!

...Whoa! That thing just got knocked back OUT of the palace!?

Fou...!

...Good morning, everyone.

I am the daughter of Odin, and the eldest of the Valkyries. Once I was both a demigod and a goddess of old.

In Proper Human History, my story and praises were sung in the Poetic Edda and the Völsunga Saga.

I am an avenger who once loved Sigurd, only to end up taking his life followed by my own.

...I am Brynhild, a Heroic Spirit.