Chapter 242: Hel’s Blessing
I don’t think my eyes had ever widened as much as they did when Equidna told me that. For a moment, I wondered whether this was some kind of sick joke.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah," she said, her expression unwavering. "Hel, the goddess of the dead, is the one who granted me my blessing."
"That’s quite shocking to hear. You don’t seem like the kind of person who would receive a blessing from her. You’re not... How should I put it..."
"A bad person," she said, as though reading my thoughts.
"I’m sorry, but that’s what popped into my head, even after you told me to listen with an open mind."
I was embarrassed that she had read me like an open book. I didn’t want to think badly of someone who had helped me so much. But her face showed no disappointment in me.
"Well, I believe that’s the natural reaction most people would have," she said, smiling at me. "Don’t worry. Lady Hel would forgive something like that. Are you still interested in hearing about the blessing? Many people have already given up by this point simply after hearing my lady’s name."
"I said I would listen with an open mind, so I want to keep listening. I’m also interested in learning more. How did you receive your blessing?"
"So, you want to know more about me, Leo." Her smile widened as she closed her eyes. "I’m happy to hear that. I’m even happier that you didn’t immediately judge me to be a witch."
"I don’t want to think that way about you," I told her with complete sincerity. "I’m not a good guy, and I’ve made some mistakes, but even so, after hearing my story, you still wanted to help me. The least I can do is believe you, or at least give you a chance to explain yourself."
"I’m grateful to have your trust. First, let me ask you something: How much do you know about Hel? There’s no need to mince your words. Just be honest."
"I haven’t looked into her very much. I only know what I’ve heard in children’s stories. If I’m not mistaken, she is Loki’s daughter, along with Fenrir, the great wolf, and Jörmungandr, the great serpent."
Equidna said nothing. She merely smiled and gave a slight nod, signaling that I was correct so far.
"It is said that Odin sent her to the underworld because of a prophecy that she would bring about a great disaster in the world. She became the ruler of an ice-covered realm where the dead would be sent. Am I correct?"
"Mostly, but not entirely," she replied, as though she had expected me to say that. "Indeed, there is a prophecy that my lady will play a part in a great disaster in our world. Because of that, she was forced to live in that world of ice and snow. The place was named after her—Hel, or Helheim, if you prefer—but if you ask me, it is more of a prison than a kingdom."
"But isn’t it only natural to keep dangerous creatures imprisoned? If someone is destined to bring about the end of the world, wouldn’t it be simpler to lock her away somewhere she cannot act as she pleases?"
Equidna merely shook her head.
"Then just tell me this: If that prophecy is so precise, would imprisoning her change anything?"
"W-What?"
"A true prophecy will come to pass, no matter how much people—or even the gods—try to prevent it. Its fulfillment is inevitable."
I didn’t know how to respond. She was indeed right. A prophecy was absolute; even the gods were powerless when it came to such things. But even so, what she was telling me sounded strange.
"In any case, if she was locked away, she must be dangerous, right? Letting her roam free and do whatever she pleases seems like a bad idea."
"Not really. Contrary to what people often say, Hel isn’t evil. Quite the opposite," Equidna told me with a smile. "Hel is actually a kind goddess."
The thought, "That’s a little hard to believe," crossed my mind. I took a breath, trying to calm my nerves. I had said that I would listen with an open mind.
So far, it made sense for her to tell me about the prophecy, but that didn’t mean Hel was trustworthy.
’Would you trust an entity that was half a corpse?’ I thought, but the young woman in dark robes merely stared at me with a gentle smile, as though she could read my thoughts but was too kind to be angry with me.
"You sound like you’re speaking from personal experience," I remarked.
"That’s because I am. Lady Hel saved my life a long time ago." She rested a hand against her chest as though recalling a cherished memory. "Would you like to hear my story?"
I nodded for her to continue.
"I am not originally from Ashia. My homeland once existed to the west of here. It was there that I was born, given my name in my people’s language, and lived until I reached adulthood. The name of my country was Iberus."
"I-Iberus?!" I blurted out upon hearing that. "Iberus, the country that was destroyed about a hundred years ago? That Iberus?"
"That very country."
I swallowed hard. But that meant Equidna should have been a white-haired old woman with a hunched back by now. The thought that the youthful and beautiful young woman before me could be several times her apparent age of twenty was insane.
Her expression was serious enough to make it clear that she was not joking.
"Each blessing works differently depending on the person who receives it. In my case, my body is bound to the form it had when I made my pact with Hel. It is as though it has been frozen in time. And also..."
She held out her open palm before me. A black liquid emerged from it, looking like some kind of mud, except it also seemed to have a life of its own. It shaped itself until it took on a winged form.
The little bird, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, came to life and began flying in circles around my room. On one of its passes, it flew close to my head and startled me slightly.
Equidna let out a brief laugh at my nervousness and extended her index finger. The black bird she had created then landed on it, moving so naturally that it could have been mistaken for an ordinary bird.
Except, of course, for the color of its body, which was as black as a raven, if not blacker.
Equidna then began lovingly stroking the top of the creature’s head with her fingertips.
"The power Hel gave me allows me to create animals from my mana. They are my familiars, I suppose you could call them that. But the greatest gift she gave me was my life."
"What do you mean?" I asked, though part of me already suspected what she was going to say.
"My country was destroyed by a neighboring kingdom. My hometown was a small rural settlement near the border between the two countries."
Her gaze, which had been cheerful as she played with the bird, turned sorrowful as she recalled something painful.
"My father was killed. My mother was taken away by a group of enemy soldiers. I don’t believe she survived what they did to her," she said as the bird dissolved back into black mud. "And I was sold into slavery."
"I’m sorry, Equidna."
I felt bad for making her relive such a horrible experience. But the woman in front of me merely shook her head, as though trying to shake off those dark thoughts, and continued her story.
"My home was destroyed in a single night, and I was taken far away to serve the man who had bought me. I cried when I saw my father’s body, I cried when my mother was taken away from me, and I cried every night after leaving my master’s room."
I couldn’t say anything. It was too much to take in all at once, especially after she had revealed such a tragic past to me.
’What could I possibly say to her?’ Nothing came to mind. Unsure of what to do, I decided that letting her speak for the time being was probably the best choice.
"I was at rock bottom, feeling worse with each passing day. I thought being a slave would be my fate for the rest of my life, and I fell into despair." Equidna looked close to tears, but she seemed to be holding them back. "One night, when I cried more than ever before, I begged the gods for help as I never had before. And that was when she appeared before me."
"Are you saying...?"
She nodded. "Lady Hel heard my prayers and appeared before me. She blessed me, granted me the power to escape from that place, and gave me a purpose in life."
"And what is your purpose?"
"World peace," she told me with a radiant smile, her eyes glistening with tears. "Just as she freed me from my suffering, Hel wants to help humanity free itself from sorrow as well. It is an honor for me to serve such a deity."
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