Like the Spring Sunshine (Middle)

...Our big sister from Proper Human History has awakened.

Sisters. Sisters.

Come, my sisters who all share memories with me. My true sisters who have lived since ancient times, who never depended on the queen's magical energy.

I seek your counsel. Though our minds are linked, I wish to hear your voices.

Uh-huh. I get it.

Our big sister's woken up. Shame. I'd hoped she'd just stay asleep forever.

But now that she's awake, we need to do something about her.

So, what should we do? ...You know, this could be a good opportunity.

... ...

Yes. You might be right.

...This can't be happening.

Our sister from Proper Human History should still be sleeping soundly in her safe haven...

Yes, but the fact is that she is awake now. Unfortunately.

...Then we'll need to go greet her.

Yes, there's no time to waste. Even if she is from Proper Human History, she is still our sister.

She was the first Valkyriethe one closest to the gods. And so, she is the ultimate Valkyrie.

Though we may all be demigods, her Divine Core is much closer to that of a true goddess than ours.

We cannot afford for her to side with those humans.

...

Yeah, you're right. We've gotta go find her right now!

We need to save her before it's too late...

Having her remain with humans after she fell asleep in blissful ignorance would be cruel!

...Right. We should go greet her, and soon. ...Even if she doesn't wish to see us.

If Brynhild intends to side with the humans from Proper Human History over our Scandinavia...

...we will need to show her how foolish that would be...

Fou, fooou!

Oh my. You are such an adorable little creature.

Fou certainly seems to like her. Does this mean...she's our ally?

Maybe she's a Heroic Spirit without a Master who happened to materialize in this Lostbelt, like Beowulf and Billy...

She doesn't seem to have the same magical energy signature as this Lostbelt, so I'm inclined to think she really is the Brynhild from Proper Human History.

I had a feeling that might be the case when I first saw that burning palace.

After all, a palace surrounded by fire appears in her legend.

Yes. She appeared in the Poetic Edda and the Völsunga Saga.

She was said to be one of Odin's loyal Valkyries, and Sigurd the Dragon Slayer's spouse.

Yes. Exactly!

？！

...I am also the one who killed him.

That is why I am strong.

Shield-maiden Mash Kyrielight. Fujimaru.

I am prepared to devote myself body and soul to your journey to restore Proper Human History.

That I am here in this Lostbelt means there is someone with whom I must do battle...

The third goddess...

I feel that may be something of an exaggeration...

...but even if it is, I am ready and willing to help you however I can, Fujimaru.

？！

On my name, I swear to you I will be of use.

...Your eyes are the color of purple crystal. Gorgeous.

You certainly are the eldest of the Valkyries. So those jaw-dropping looks of yours are thanks to the old gods making you themselves, huh?

Thanks, old rulers of Scandinavia. Thanks for leaving such beauty in the world after you left.

Now that I've come face-to-face with that beauty myself, I'm helpless to do anything but drink it in!

I would love nothing more than to get to know you better, Brynhild...!

Fou... Fou.

I, um, I'm sorry...

Um... You are the Emperor of France, yes...?

That is not what I meant when I said I would devote myself body and soul...

...I'm sorry.

Ooh la la, you're beautiful when you're flustered, too! Haha! Making beautiful women blush really is one of life's great pleasures for men, isn't it!

...No, wait, that may have sounded really bad. Would you mind if I took that back, fair maiden?

... ...

U-um, Napoleon, I'm sorry to interrupt your attempts at flirting, but...what about Ophelia?

Didn't you already propose to her...?

...!

Ouch! You've got me there, mademoiselle! You're right, my heart does belong to Ophelia!

I may be a man of France, but I'm also a man of Corsica.

I think that may be why my Spirit Origin has these strange...quirks.

What do you mean by that?

Well, it seems that once I materialize, I can't help but look for a lover. No, seriously!

Still, it's just the one. It's not like I'm going around hitting on everything that moves.

And once I find my one true love...I can't help but profess love's virtues. It's a real burden, you know?

Fo fo fo fo. ...Fou.

Oho! I'm glad to hear you understand, pupper!

...Um...just one?

That's right. Napoleon the Heroic Spirit only professes his love to one person per materialization.

O-okay... But what about what you were just saying to Brynhild...?

？！

Whoa, whoa, hang on! I think you've got the wrong idea. That wasn't a profession of love! I was just being chivalrous!

Just because I've found my true love here doesn't mean I'm, um, immune to other women's charms! But that's still not the same thing as professing true love...

Look, I'm a passionate guy, and sometimes, I just can't help myself! Whatever I used to be like, that seems to at least be the case now!

... ...

Fooou, fooou!

Haha, easy there, doggo! I'm not actually a dog person, you know.

？！

Oh. Whoops. No, no, you've got me all wrong! It's not like I dislike them!

It's just pugs I have trouble with, ever since my beloved wife Joséphine's just bit me outta nowhere.

It took a real chunk out of me too! So I've never really gotten on well with dogs since then!

Oh my. I didn't know Your Imperial Majesty was married.

I see, I see. That's wonderful to hear.

What's more...you say you have eyes for someone named Ophelia right now?

Fou fou, fou.

My, my. I see... A woman named Ophelia...

That won't do. No, that won't do at all.

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte... You have tried to deceive women...no, people in general, with love...

That won't do at all...

Ooh la la! I can't believe it! I was only half serious!

I never expected this beauty to turn her purple, crystalline gaze on me so seriously! Does this mean...

...your answer is oui? That you accept the love I have to offer you!?

If so, it would be uncouth of me to refuse! Haha! Who cares if these two humans object!?

...Ah.

Napoleon just tried to hug a pile of snow...and now he's facedown in it.

Fo fooou!

？！

...It does seem to be the case.

It was magecraft intended to interfere with the target's sight.

As an Archer, Napoleon should be resistant to that sort of magecraft. Yet, it still worked...

My magecraft comes from Primordial Runespower from the Age of Gods, bestowed upon me by Odin himself.

Primordial Runes... That's the same kind of power that Scáthach-Skadi wields...

That spell just now was far from the runes' full power. It was a tiny fraction at most.

Even so...not even a powerful Heroic Spirit can easily resist their effects.

Now, why don't we have the emperor cool down for a bit?

No doubt he was delirious from some terrible fever.

Oh, I know! That must have been what they call spring fever!

I'm afraid not. True romance is no mere fever. It does not stop until you burst into flame.

Besides...I really am sorry, but...

...if a hero I'm sworn to love comes close to me...

...I may just end up killing him.

I see...

Then Sigurd is here, as I suspected. Yes, that explains a great deal.

Very well. Now I understand what it is I must do.

When I first materialized in this Lostbelt, I wandered it aimlessly, without understanding why I was here...

As I went around defeating the giants who attacked me, I was sealed away by my sisters, as well as a woman calling herself a Crypter...

From then on, I remained asleep in the palace protected by a Bounded Field modeled after those created by my father, Odin, until you woke me...

...Now, at last, I finally understand.

Fujimaru, I must apologize to you in advance.

Should I do battle with Sigurd, I hope you will forgive me if I embarrass myself.

Fou?

Ahh... When I see him...

...I'm quite certain I won't be able to restrain myself.

I may even get so worked up that I can no longer speak, and my spear may grow larger too.

I will do my best to resist my urges...but the possibility remains that I may end up going into a rage like a Berserker.

So...

？！

Understood, Brynhild. It's great to have you on our side!

...Thank you.

It's possible this Sigurd is not a Servant from Proper Human History.

He may not be the Sigurd I know, but someone else entirely with absolutely no knowledge of who I am.

But even if that is the case, I'm sure I...

I don't know if I agree with that, Mademoiselle Valkyrie.

Sitonai said he might not belong to this Lostbelt, and I'm inclined to agree.

Napoleon...

(He's still got snow on his head...)

This Lostbelt's been exactly the same ever since 1000 B.C.

It's a world basically designed by and for Scáthach-Skadi. A world where the entire human population has been locked down for nearly three thousand years.

No one here has any desires intense enough to create an evil dragon like Fafnir for Sigurd to slay.

What's more, there's no economy to stimulate desire. Hell, there's not even any concept of a nation-state.

So that tells us something!

Something about Sigurd besides whether he's from the Age of Gods or the A.D. era!

At the very least, we know that in this Lostbelt, Sigurd would never have been born. And even if he had, he could never have become a hero, as there could not have been an evil dragon for him to defeat!

...There you have it.

...So this is a world without heroes.

Except for you and me.

Fooou...

Haha, no need to get all mopey about it, pupper!

Even if there aren't any heroes in this world, Brynhild and I are still here. Not to mention your two human friends!

Along with you, doggo! And even that isn't all!

That Shadow Border thing of yours is around somewhere too, right? A band of humans and Heroic Spirits, all working together to restore humanity!

Yes! They're all very dependable!

I agree, Senpai. Even if we can't rendezvous with them soon, we should at least update them on our situation!

？！

It's been what, four, five days since we first met? It's probably about time you brought your shield and armor in for a tune-up, mademoiselle.

Since we've met up with the third goddess and all, now seems like a good time to head back.

You said they were located around southern Sweden, right?

That's right. The Border is parked in southern Sweden, near Norrköping.

I think we should be able to call them again if we return to the Lake Vänern area.

Hmm, that's near Village 23. All right then, for the moment, let's head back to southern Sweden!

Hey, Valkyrie lady! How are you at skiing?

Don't worry at all if you're just starting out.

I'd be more than happy to take you by the hand, hold your waist, and show you how it's done.

Hehe. You're rather amusing, Emperor Napoleon.

But, I can't. I mustn't. I'm sorry.

Please understand, it's extremely dangerous for a qualified hero to get too close to me.

Dangerous? Sounds thrilling! Don't worry, I'm perfectly delighted to risk my life for a beautiful woman.

Fou, faaau.

Napoleon... Does that mean, for Ophelia, you're also...

Of course!

Heh. Hehe. At any rate, you were talking about skiing?

No, I am not very skilled at it...but worry not. I am quite comfortable traversing snow.

Fou, fooou!

Oh, hello. Are you sure you want to ride on my shoulder? The wind will be rather strong.

Nnn, kyu. Fou fo.

I see you've got good taste in women, pupper! Haha! All right then, let's get our new Grande Armée underway!

？！

Right!

...Okay, where are we right now?

The old Skagerrak strait... On a map from Proper Human History, this would be part of the sea.

Fou?

Oh, yes, Fou, this is the ocean. Or at least, it would be on a Proper Human History map.

But around here...

...it's nothing but frost, snow, and mountains as far as the eye can see, just like most of this Lostbelt.

We've also passed lakes that are nothing more than snowfields now.

Guess that just means there's seawater and lakes underneath all this ice and snowseawater, in this particular case.

It's uncharted territory for both me and Senpai.

This place is relatively warm... It was much chillier up around Jötunheimen.

Oh, yeah, good point.

Every bit of this Lostbelt is still covered with snow, but the area from Oslo up to Mt. Galdhøpiggen had a lot of icy mountains as well.

Now that you mention it, it was colder around there than it is here, but it still feels strange to call this area "warm" though...

That's true. The word "warm" seems to have lost all meaning here...

Haha, well said. Hmm...

All right, I've decided. While we're doing this, we might as well make a little pit stop!

？！

Something like that. Besides, I'd like to find out as much information as we can.

But, since it's getting close to sunset, why don't we take a break right around here?

It's Napoly-on! The empy-man!

Hey everyone! The empy-man's back!

Who's that pretty lady with you? Is she your mate? Maybe she's an envoy! She's so beautiful!

She's got armor! And a spear!

No, no, no, no, she's not my mate!

Then again, people in this Lostbelt don't have any concept of love or marriage, so I guess I understand the confusion...

Hey! Hey, kid! Leave her alone! Can't you see you're bothering her!?

Oh no, I don't mind. I quite like children.

It's lovely to meet you, little ones. Would you like to play with me?

Yaaay!

...You sure?

Of course. It's no trouble at all. Besides, don't you need to speak with the adults?

Yeah, that I do. ...You're a real considerate lady, aren't you?

This place is...

？！

Napoleon said this was Village 67...

But while the details are a bit different, the basic structure is exactly the same.

I'd say they're about eighty percent similar. I wonder if that was intentional...

All that aside, they've been so welcoming to us...

And just look how happy these children are...

Hey, are you guys Mr. Napoly-on's friends?

Uh, yes. I suppose you could say that...

Then here! This is for you!

Mr. Napoly-on always plays with us when he visits, so we wanna thank his friends, too!

Th-thank you. These flowers are very pretty.

We all grow them together. Sorry they're not the special kind we save for the ordained day!

Please, don't be. I'm very happy to have them.

Fou fooou!

Whoa, what are you!? Wanna play tag!?

？！

Senpai...

Whoa, whoa, why the long faces, you two!? This is your first time here meeting these people!

Turn those frowns upside down! Traveling's meant to be fun!

N-Napoleon! Do you think you could stop smacking Senpai on the back so hard...?

Oh, sorry. Didn't think it was that hard.

Anyway, I asked around a bit, and it sounds like it's business as usual here.

Nobody's seen any envoys flying around on patrol, or heard anything about giants acting up.

Looks like we're safe for the moment.

In that case, we should be able to get a very good night's sleep.

Yup. Only thing is...

...there's a Bounded Field here.

...A Bounded Field?

It looks like a new one's been put up around the village's gate and surrounding walls.

Brynhild's the one who noticed it. Can't fool a Primordial Rune user.

...With apologies for my presumptuousness...

...Yes, I detected a Bounded Field besides the one Scáthach-Skadi put up to protect humans from giants and the cold.

It is a powerful field designed to defend against outside enemies, like a great shield or impenetrable fortress.

I can't make out the exact spell type, but I do know it is magecraft on a level fitting the Age of Gods.

If nothing else, I can tell you it is not based in runes. Which would mean

The queen didn't make it...

？！

Yes. Who could have done that?

The only person who sided with the Lostbelt and uses nonrune magic is...Ophelia...

But, that can't be right.

Her specialty is summoning spells, not Bounded Fields.

Caenis didn't seem to possess a Spirit Origin that was particularly skilled at magecraft, either.

But then, if neither of them did it, then who could have possibly

Fou fou! Fooou!

Oh. Welcome back, Fou.

Hmm...

Oh well, mulling it over's not gonna get us anywhere! Let's just take it easy here for the rest of the day, then pick things back up tomorr

...Aha! There you are!

Fou!

Director?

I knew I could do it if I tried! That didn't take long at all! Shadow Border here! I trust you can hear me!

？！

Hehe, don't be so surprised. It's a miraculous coincidence. I have no earthly idea how we got reconnected.

In this case, my abundant charm played no part whatsoever. Oh, and incidentally, it seems we will only stay connected for a few seconds more at best.

Whoa, who's the pudgy guy!? Is he that Goredolf you were telling me about?

...

(I...can't tell if I should be wary of him or not...)

Come on, old man, step on it! Tell them what we just found out! Hurry!

Oh, right! This is no time for formalities! Fujimaru, we have an emergency on our hands!

The old Lake Vänern! A group of giants is headed towards the village where Gerda lives even as we speak!

There's no way a bunch of children and young adults can fight them off! If the giants force their way inside, they'll kill the whole lot!

Oh no!

Village 23, huh...

Master!

Fo! Fou!

One of our Mystic Code drones only just picked it up! I don't know where you are right now, but you need to get there double time and rescue them!

That village may be useless to us as a source of new information now, but it could still easily serve as a base for our allies! You must protect it at all costs!

？！

Agreed. I cannot stand idly by as giants massacre children. That is not how a proper hero should fight.

Come on! The odds are against us making it there in time...but our Grande Armée is nothing if not fast!

Private Fujimaru is right! We move out at top speed, right now!

...We made it to Village 23, Senpai!

I'm scanning for magical energy signals right now...!

I'm afraid that's a definite possibility!

？！

The outer walls and gate all appear to be intact, but we still can't see what's happening around the fields!

I don't like that we had to climb over the gate without permission...but this is an emergency!

Fou, fooou!

I'm a little worn out after all that high-speed cross-country skiing, but I'll worry about that later! Still...I don't sense any giants around here...

Let us hurry. We should start by going to the village center.

Right!

...This is it! The center of the village!

I don't see any people out and about. Maybe they've holed up inside to stay safe...

...or maybe we're already too late. But if we are...

？！

Th-that's true. What's going on...

Wh-who's there?

I thought I heard voices... You shouldn't be out this late.

Maybe I'm not really in a position to say anything after I went outside the village, but...

Gerda!

That voice!

Lady Mash! Lord Fujimaru! And that man from the ordained day!

This is amazing... And you have another envoy with you today, too?

Wait, if you're here, that must mean you stopped fighting with the other envoys! Oh, what a relief.

I was so worried about you after that big fight you had!

Hey... How did you get through the gate? It's so big and heavy that it takes several grown-ups to open...

Oh, but we shouldn't be talking out here. We don't want to disturb anyone. Won't you come inside?

I have some soup I can heat up if you'd like. I bet you're really cold after being out there all night!

Oh, uh, well...

？！

...Hm?

Hang on. This magical energy is calm and gentle. It definitely doesn't belong to a rampaging giant.

Phew.

No one is hurt. That's all that matters.

But I do have to wonder... Why did that person from Chaldea tell us giants were attacking?

...Gerda, do you mind if I ask you a question?

I'm not sure I'll be able to answer it well, since I don't know very many things, but sure.

Did anything unusual happen in the village today, particularly from sunset until about now?

Oh, yes! That, I do know about!

Right before the sun set, a stranger came up to the gate from the outside!

The grown-ups offered shelter from the cold, but the stranger just said...

"No need for that. I'm not cold."

But their clothes were all ragged, and their face was hidden, so we were worried.

We invited them inside again, but they just clicked their tongue and said, "I'm from Chaldea. Don't worry about me."

After that, the stranger said a blessing for everyone in the village and then just left.

Senpai... Did you hear that...?

？！

Yes. I believe there was someone else who claimed to be from Chaldea in Russia as well...

Oh, and Laura said she thought she heard really loud footsteps!

We usually never hear loud footsteps except on the ordained day, so she wasn't sure if they belonged to giants or not...

...but she did say she thought she could hear them shortly before the stranger showed up.

...I think I know what's going on!

Those giants probably were on their way to Village 23, but this stranger must have driven them away.

Which means...

...we hurried all this way...for nothing...

...I mean, it's great that no one was hurt, but... Hmm.

Fou, fo, fooou!

...Thank you for the delicious soup, Gerda.

It really warmed me up.

？！

Hehe, I'm so glad you liked it. It's Village 23's traditional fish soup recipe.

Okay, I'm going to clean up.

Please stay here and relax, Lady Mash. You too, Fou.

Fou, fooou.

Oh, please don't worry about us, Gerda. Let me help you clean up.

No, no, Lady Mash, you and Lord Fujimaru should relax. That's what guests are supposed to do.

I remember hearing that in one of our legends. You know, it's amazing...

I never thought I would actually get to entertain guests of my own someday!

Hehehe. Please, enjoy your stay.

...Senpai.

Yes... It really was...

？！

Oh good, you're both done eating. Perfect.

...This place might not be in danger of running out of food, but they're not exactly enjoying a surplus.

Having them share what little they have with Heroic Spirits like us who don't need to eat, well...

...I can't help but feel bad about that.

Don't worry, Napoleon. I explained that you and Brynhild had already eaten earlier.

So...

Right.

There is indeed a new Bounded Field around the outer walls and gate.

It's the same as the one around Village 67. It's a powerful Bounded Field, but it isn't made from runes.

Well, there is one thing that's slightly different...

It looks like the original Bounded Field had a small tear in it. Probably from our fight with the envoys.

I'm guessing that's what drew the giants here... So...basically...

...someone else cleaned up the mess I made.

Not only that, they did a brilliant job repairing the tear. Not so much as an ant could get in now!

Well, there really are not any ants outside the village anyway...

Haha, good point.

How about you two? Any luck reaching the Border?

I'm afraid not. I've tried several times, but I couldn't get through.

Last time, the connection was shaky, but we managed. However now it seems impossible... Maybe it's the new Bounded Field?

That's possible. Definitely possible.

...You all hear that!?

...Gerda, we're stepping out for a little bit! We'll be right back!

'kaaay!

...I can sense them. There appear to be several giants wandering around near the village.

Perhaps they still think there is a hole in the Bounded Field, and do not know it was reinforced.

They keep going around the same location in circles, over and over...

It's possible they may give up if we leave them be...but they may not.

Guess whoever fixed up the Bounded Field missed a few. Fine by me! We'll just have to clean up the cleanup!

？！

Right on! Then let's try to keep it quiet so we don't disturb their beauty sleep!

...Understood.

Oops. I was just kidding, okay?

Yes. I am aware.

Man, you're beautiful.

Please stop.

Haha! Your cold demeanor makes it even better! All right, my new Grande Armée, onward to battle!

...We made it back inside the village without incident.

... ...

I know I brought this up earlier too, but...it just doesn't feel right jumping over the gate.

It's a symbol of peace and protection for everyone in this village, after all...

Fofou, fo.

We Servants are strong enough that we could bust right through it, bolt and all, if we pushed hard enough...but that would no doubt be a lot worse.

Besides, you know...

It would be weird for us to just come up and knock in the middle of the night after we picked a fight with the envoys...

So if those are our choices, I don't have a problem sneaking in!

...I'm sorry. I've been a bit cavalier about that sort of thing since my Grande Armée days.

That's quite enough, Napoleon.

Oh? Uh, right. Sorry.

...There you are!

You were out for so long I started to worry. Are you all right? Are you cold?

Sorry to worry you. Everything's fine, we just went for a bit of a walk is all.

A walk?

Fou, fou!

Eee! Stop it, Fou! You're tickling me! Ahaha!

...Okay, settle down. I have to talk to Lady Mash.

You see, I finally realized something.

Fou?

...Lady Mash?

Between you, Mr. Napoleon, and the person who showed up outside the gate...I think I understand now.

There are other people out there besides the envoys.

Which means...

...you and Lord Fujimaru aren't really envoys after all, are you?

...I...

...

... ...

I'm sorry. I've been wrong this whole time.

But even if you aren't envoys, I still think you're great, Lady Mash!

Things were so crazy during the ordained day that I never got to say that before...

So I'm really glad you came back, and that I got a chance to tell you!

...Hehe. I feel so much better now!

Thank you for coming to see me again, Lady Mash!

...You're welcome.