The monsters outside.
Those that endlessly loathed and resented humans, existing only to kill them.
Humanity had never once won a war against the monsters, and the Empire had only continued to lose its vast lands.
Only after surrounding themselves with the Wall could they barely protect what remained of humanity’s territory, and even that was narrow compared to the Empire’s once expansive glory.
Then since when had it been that way.
Since when had monsters invaded humans, trampling their homelands.
“I did think the monsters outside were strangely different.”
The monsters outside were strong simply because they were outside.
Originally, “outside” was defined with the Wall as the standard. So it wasn’t strictly accurate as an expression—the farther a place was from where humans lived, the stronger the monsters became. That had been the general view until now.
But if that were the case, the monsters near the Wall shouldn’t be that different from the monsters inside it. Yet they were. They were clearly different at the root.
Their strength, speed, even the hardness of their bodies were all different, and because of that, humanity could not recklessly expand the Wall. Above all, it was crucial that even the strength of the Zodiacs did not work on them.
Right. The power of the Zodiacs did not work. The power that fought by receiving the strength of the gods.
Humanity had believed it was simply because they were stronger.
“You sons of bitches.”
Frondier stared into Hella’s eyes and recited, toward the entire pantheon including her.
“Humans fought because they believed in you. Proud that they’d received the power of the gods, they stood at the very front in the war against the monsters. Because they were told that was the will of the gods. And you’re saying all of that was just a disgraceful prank you gods set up?”
“.......”
Hella turned her eyes away. It looked like she was avoiding his gaze, and also like she had resigned herself to something.
“Answer me.”
“Why should I bother answering? You already know the entire answer.”
Hella’s voice sank low and gloomy.
“Do you really want to hear it from my mouth? Should I praise you? Fine, you hit it right on the mark. The monsters outside are things originally sent by the gods. Things they personally created. For humans who had once prioritized divine power above all else, monsters created by the gods were very well suited to killing humans. Of course, humans didn’t know that.”
Clench.
Frondier curled his empty hand into a fist.
If he hit Hella now in this mood, he might actually be able to kill her. In that case the first god he killed would be Hella.
However, Frondier instead released Hella.
“Who was it.”
Frondier asked.
“Who was the first bastard to come up with something like that. Who created the monsters outside?”
“......It’s not just one person’s fault.”
Hella rubbed the neck that had been grabbed as she spoke.
“This was something all the gods agreed on. Humans had advanced too far. So there was a need to rein them in—”
Sliiide.
At that moment, a spear tip touched the base of Hella’s neck.
When she rolled her eyes, blades were touching her entire body before she knew it.
This was inside the Workshop. Frondier could confine an enemy with the strongest weapons at his disposal.
The same method he had used on Ria Liss. Wherever she moved her body, even the slightest flinch, she would be cut by a blade.
“Stop pointlessly circling around it and talk straight.”
“.......”
“What do you mean they advanced too far. Why does that become a problem for the gods?”
“......The advancement of humans leads to a result where the need for gods declines. When that happens, faith dwindles, and the number of humans who no longer believe in the gods increases. Humans like you, for example.”
“So you committed a massacre of humans for that trivial reason?”
“For that trivial reason?”
Hella let out a thin, fishy smile. Just by smiling like that, her face was cut by the blades. The blood running down her face only made her more ghastly.
“For a god, faith is everything. A god who cannot obtain faith cannot maintain themself. I’ve seen any number of gods disappear that way.”
“You’re saying faith is everything to a god?”
“Frondier, you know about demons, don’t you? Among the Seven Deadly Sins, Baal was especially strong. That was because, in a certain sense, he was also a god. Lucifer and Satan are the same, having become so famous that groups that worshiped them sprang up. Once worship arises, that immediately becomes power. And for gods, that’s all there is. The reason they can wield such tremendous power is ultimately faith.”
“......So, in order to be worshiped by humans, you intentionally threw them into the abyss and made them need the power of the gods.”
And that power of the gods was, in the end, nothing but a trap to make sure they could never escape the abyss.
Hella spoke.
“Frondier, that’s how gods are at their roots, all of them. What used to be vaguely lumped together just became a clear system.”
“And you expect humans to accept that bullshit.”
“Humans are already doing it. You saw Palma, didn’t you?”
At Hella’s words, the corner of Frondier’s eye twitched.
“......Palma. You mean the magitech system.”
“Right. That and our system are no different.”
In the past, Frondier had evaluated Palma’s magitech system like this.
─The performance of the magitech system is extremely impressive. Just as Arald predicted. Because its performance is so good, people will rely on it even more, and since the state is the one controlling that magitech system, if they want to grow strong they’ll have to be loyal to the state. The more loyal they are, the more magitech systems they’ll be given, so they’ll obey even more. Whoever thought of it first must’ve been some bastard shouting ‘Long live the king.’
And that magitech system, now, was no different from the gods’ system of divine power?
Hella said.
“Frondier, divine power is strong. That’s a fact that needs no two words. It’s just that it doesn’t work on the monsters outside. As long as they stay inside the Wall, humans can live happily enough in their own way.”
“You really are—”
Hella, scraping at Frondier’s insides.
In response, Frondier’s anger surged. This time it really felt like he could flick his finger and take her head off.
But just before that,
“......But you.”
Frondier suddenly thought of something.
What was Hella doing right now?
She was needling him and getting under his skin, but she was also telling him all the information he asked for. And it wasn’t like there seemed to be some way to break out of this situation.
What good did it do Hella to make Frondier angry now? It would only put her life in even more danger.
At first, Frondier had thought his threats had forced Hella’s mouth open. But for that to be the case, Hella was making far too many provoking comments to Frondier.
'It doesn’t add up.'
If the threats hadn’t worked, she wouldn’t be spilling any information.
If the threats had worked, she wouldn’t be provoking Frondier like this.
“......You.”
Thinking that far, Frondier realized something.
“Why can’t I see you?”
“What are you talking about.”
Whenever Frondier met a god, he could always peek into their past.
Hephaestus had been like that, and Hestia as well. In Poseidon’s case, he couldn’t do it because it was dangerous—he would notice the peeking—but with Atena, he had been able to bring the spear and shield.
Then why Hella?
Why couldn’t he see her memories, when she was this close?
“......You, don’t tell me.”
Frondier reached out and grabbed Hella by the chin. It was a rough act with no intention of sparing her.
Even when he forced their eyes to meet, he couldn’t see her memories.
Hella, goddess of death.
The woman who ruled Helheim, lived in Niflheim, and presided over the dead.
......Loki’s child.
“Don’t tell me you’re not actually a god?”
“.......”
Hella’s eyes widened, then sank.
As if her strength had left her, she tilted her neck, her gaze dropping toward the ground.
“Would you hurry up and kill me already? I’ve said everything I had to say.”
***
Among the Nine Worlds that opened on Yggdrasil. At the highest place among them ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) sat Asgard.
There were countless palaces here where gods lived, but among them was a particularly splendid palace topped with a roof of pure gold.
Gladsheim, Odin’s residence and the gods’ council hall.
The gods of Asgard had gathered here.
This hall had no table, and its circular floor formed low steps that descended toward the center. The gods stood at appropriate positions and spoke their opinions.
The closer one was to the center of the circle, the lower the steps became, and this was the place where Odin always stood. The highest god standing at the lowest point, surrounded by the other gods.
Today was no different.
“Father.”
A man spoke to Odin, who stood in the center.
“Are you going to leave him be.”
Skin as if it held light, a face close to perfect. His deep, pensive eyes looked at his father Odin with concern.
Baldur, god of light. At his words, Odin leisurely lifted his gaze.
“Who do you mean.”
“You know, don’t you.”
“I’m really asking because I don’t know.”
Odin lowered his eyes again as he asked.
“Frondier, or Aster. Which one are you referring to.”
“......Frondier.”
“There’s nothing to worry about with that one.”
Odin shook his head.
“He won’t be able to handle Heracles. In other words, he cannot stand against a god freed from the constraints of the human world.”
“We’ve received reports that Hella is in danger.”
“Of course. Hella isn’t a god.”
Odin nodded as if it were obvious.
“After Ragnarok, we cast everything related to Loki down from the seat of the gods. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“......Even if she lost her place, Hella’s strength must still be considerable. If someone can threaten her, wouldn’t other gods of similar level also be in danger?”
“Hm.”
At those words, Odin leisurely stroked his beard.
His gaze turned elsewhere.
“Baldur says so, but what do you think.”
Where he was looking stood a blond man.
If Baldur stood there as though light were overflowing from him, that man’s hair flowed down like gold finely scattered and poured over him.
Odin called to him.
“Thor.”
At that, Thor lifted his lowered eyes.
“I told you during Ragnarok, didn’t I.”
Despite his splendid appearance, Thor’s voice was soaked in exhaustion.
“If there is a god who’s afraid of being killed by humans, then that god deserves to die.”
“Thor.”
Baldur lightly cautioned him for that remark, but Thor instead looked at Odin and spoke.
“Either way, once he comes all the way up to this Asgard, I’ll personally smash his head in. Odin, that’s what you’re hoping for, isn’t it?”
There was no emotion at all in his gaze as he looked at Odin.
“Since all you care about is preserving your own life.”
“Thor!”
Baldur shouted, and Odin raised his hand to stop him.
“Enough, enough.”
Odin nodded as if it were nothing serious.
“He’s right. There’s nothing there to get angry about.”
“Father.”
“In any case, the farther Frondier progresses, the more things go according to our will. You know that.”
“......That is true.”
Baldur bowed his head.
The gods clearly had a plan. That was why Odin could be this relaxed.
No, not just Odin—none of the gods gathered here seemed very worried.
“Frondier is going to go save Atjie. He’s trying to bring back someone who’s already dead.”
Odin spoke.
“That means he’s going to connect worlds that absolutely must not be connected. If that happens, the human world and the divine realm will also be connected.”
In other words, unlike the “possessions” or “descents” by which gods had appeared until now—
The gods themselves would be able to head directly to the human world.
“Frondier wants that. Because he wants to kill all of us gods.”
Odin looked around at the surrounding gods.
“We should give him what he wants. While he’s killing the gods, we’ll tidy up the humans. It’s a deal where both sides can be satisfied. Isn’t that right?”
As if agreeing with Odin’s words, all the gods nodded. Except for Baldur and Thor.
Baldur still felt an inexplicable unease within himself, and Thor merely seemed displeased with Odin’s words and behavior.
Baldur spoke.
“If Frondier meets Hella, he’ll also learn what the monsters outside really are.”
“He will.”
Odin answered that as well without much concern.
“Humans need gods, and gods need humans. It’s simply that kind of system.”
Odin lifted his head and looked at the ceiling.
The high ceiling of Gladsheim, and above that, the roof of pure gold shone brilliantly.
As if he could see that brilliance, Odin looked up as he spoke.
“It was nice when you didn’t know, wasn’t it. Frondier.”
