Yasaka POV
Work, Work, Work.
Why didn't I just run off with Wilhelm and Artoria? They're off having a fun adventure while I'm here having to do with paperwork.
Ugh.
Requests for funding for blah blah blah—why do we need a horse racing stadium!? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I immediately stamped it with my Denied stamp.
Unfortunately, it was starting to get really worn down.
Why am I getting so many stupid requests recently? Should I get someone to just filter out all of these stupid requests? I would absolutely love a good secretary, but I fear that it would be impossible to find one I could trust.
I just know all the noble families in the city would try to stuff one of their people into the role if nothing else. And the constant bickering and attempts to undermine the position would just be more annoying than the effort it saves.
Though, they've been a lot quieter since Wilhelm and the others have come. Now that I suddenly have a strong man at my side, it's like they all backed down.
Funny how that works.
It makes me want to go over there and beat them up, but I'm just being petty. I know it's obviously not because Wilhelm is a man and I'm a woman. Though, I'm sure that difference is acknowledged in some capacity.
I suddenly now have extraordinary support that they can't influence. And it hasn't been that long since they've appeared, so they haven't been able to grasp how to handle them yet.
They very well can't kick up a fuss and try and demand I kick Wilhelm and the others out. Ignoring all the help they provided in the war and basically becoming heroes to our people, they had no excuse to do so.
Besides Wilhelm being my lover now, they're also important assets to the youkai in general, if it's looked at that way.
I would almost say that most of them had probably been won over silently. And the few that haven't, some of those old annoying bastards, they probably realize it's pointless to throw a tantrum when it would just earn them anger.
Now, on the world stage, the Youkai are genuinely respected and not treated like some third-tier faction that people barely remember even exists.
While that comes with its own problems, I don't think any of those old bastards hate the fact that they've risen to a higher prestige in the world.
I'm sure their egos have been stroked enough that they could have gotten over their hardheadedness and antiquated views.
I'm annoyed just thinking about those old bastards.
I picked up the next paper. "Why does someone want to build a statue of me!?" I let my face hit the table. "Soma~"
I felt the mists in the room swirl, and my trusted guard appeared. "Yes, Lady Yasaka?"
"Go find whoever wrote up this request and beat them up." I waved the paper to him. "They want to build a solid gold statue of me, Soma. Solid Gold. Why do they think we have that kind of budget!? They went through the effort of going through the proper channels and filling out the right paperwork. Soma!"
He of course didn't do anything.
My phone buzzed.
A distraction!
There was an update in the group chat with the other girls.
Loyal_Knight: Hello everyone. I'm with Wilhelm right now. We are doing well, and he is staying out of trouble. We've been having a good time exploring this world. We met a local deity, and he was very kind. The food here is very good as well.
Spear_Witch: So he has not caused any problems thus far? That is good.
She_Who_Invites: Give it time. Is there anything strange about that place?
Loyal_Knight: Nay. It is normal in most aspects that I could understand. We are currently in a city called Mondstadt. Wilhelm says that it is similar to 'German' with a mix of 'Scandinavian,' to put into perspective. The people here are very kind, and we've met quite a few locals. There was an incident that occurred that Wilhelm and I interjected in, but I support his decision to assist.
Mother_of_the_Devil: Find any good ingredients or alcohol?
Grimm_Queen: Have you seen local magic?
Foxy_Momma: Make sure to take lots of pictures!
Loyal_Knight: Wilhelm somehow got forced into working at a bar for the first day here. Apparently he looks very similar to someone who lives in the city and continuously gets mistaken for him. There is also someone I look similar to as well. One moment, I will send some pictures.
Loyal_Knight: [Picture] [Picture] [Picture]
Loyal_Knight: The first is of the man named 'Diluc' that looks just like Wilhelm. I added other pictures.
Loyal_Knight: They have a great many ingredients I have come across as well as some very interesting drinks. As for magic, we have not run into anyone using specifically magic thus far. They seem to have this pathway called 'visions' that are bestowed by the gods here. They correspond to an element and allow the wielder to manipulate said element.
Mother_of_The_Devil: Are you sure that's not Wilhelm?
Oni_A_Mother: Oh my, I was almost tricked as well. But I can tell the difference after looking at it for a moment. Master's eyes are sharper, and his hair is darker.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh wow! They could be twins! If I didn't have a perfect memory, it may have thrown me for a loop, but I was able to pinpoint about twenty slight differences without staring too long. Also, Jeanne is next to me, and she says hi. When she gets better at reading and writing, she wants to join in.
Lady_of_Light: That man lacks the same light that Wilhelm carries in his eyes.
Spear_Witch: Yes, his physical features are similar, but I can see through the picture as well. He lacks the same presence that my student holds.
Foxy_Momma: Either way, I can't be the only one thinking of a Wilhelm sandwich.
Mother_of_The_Devil: I can't say I wasn't thinking that as well.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Jeanne's flustered now, so I think you're not alone. ~
Foxy_Momma: What are you doing right now?
Loyal_Knight: We are about to leave Mondstadt and travel to another city via merchant caravan. Wilhelm sends his greetings, and he sends his love. Among other things.
Foxy_Momma: He told you to tell us to send nudes, didn't he?
Loyal_Knight: That is correct, yes.
Loyal_Knight: Wilhelm also says not to forget to mention that we ran into a wooden robot. We collected the components, but he felt it was significant enough to mention.
She_Who_Invites: A wooden robot!?
Spear_Witch: Boys.
Oni_A_Mother: It doesn't matter what era; boys really are all the same, aren't they? My kintoki was the same as well.
Loyal_Knight: He also said to mention that he got two new swords. He is very satisfied with them.
Spear_Witch: New swords? I will have to inspect him when he returns home then.
Loyal_Knight: We've run into some strange creatures. We have found more of those slimes, but they were purple in color and would shock you if you touched them. But there are these other creatures called 'Hilichurls'; they are strange humanoid creatures with fur and masks and dark skin. When they 'die,' they turn into dust and disappear.
Grimm_Queen: Oh? Similar to me, Grimm? I am curious. Send me some pictures when you have the chance.
Loyal_Knight: I will do so.
Spear_Witch: Are they strong?
Loyal_Knight: The ones we have discovered have been relatively weak and posed no threat. They appear to be about as strong as a normal human, but I do not know if that is normal for them or not yet.
Loyal_Knight: Ah, as well, we have discovered that their craftsmanship here is quite excellent. We have taken to purchasing all manner of wares in that regard. Wilhelm made sure to buy a spear for you, Scáthach.
Spear_Witch: That silly boy. This Scáthach will gladly accept his gift.
Loyal_Knight: If anyone wishes for anything for us to purchase, please give notice now so we can make sure to acquire anything in time.
Grimm_Queen: If you come across any magical items or texts, I would be appreciative.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh, double for me. Though, I suppose we would share at the end of the day. I wouldn't mind some jewelry. Oh, and make sure Wilhelm picks out something pretty for Jeanne. She's sitting here trying to say she doesn't need anything, but she was telling me earlier today how she's never gotten any 'girly' gifts from a boy before.
Foxy_Momma: I wouldn't mind something cute just for fun. Oh, and make sure Wilhelm burns that outfit he was wearing in the last picture.
She_Who_Invites: That goes double for me. On the burning part of that outfit. He is not wearing that when he comes home.
Loyal_Knight: You need not worry; I made sure he was aware that he would not be wearing that for an extended period. He seemed to be having fun with it, however, so I held back for the time being.
Grimm_Queen: He is coming nowhere near my bed if he's wearing that.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: And just like that, we won't have to worry about it anymore, because the moment he hears something like that, it's going into the nearest volcano.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Jeanne says that she likes it. We're going to need to work hard to fix her.
Loyal_Knight: Is everyone in a private location? Wilhelm wishes to send what he calls a 'care package' to everyone using the location of your phones.
Grimm_Queen: I am alone.
Spear_Witch: I am at the house.
Foxy_Momma: I'm good; go ahead.
I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Jeanne and I are good!
She_Who_Invites: I'm at home.
Mother_Of_The_Devil: I just went to my room.
Oni_A_Mother: I'm alone at the moment.
Lady_of_Light: I am within my realm; there is no problem.
Loyal_Knight: One moment, they should arrive shortly.
And just as she said that, I saw in front of me as one of Wilhelm's portals opened and a literal gift basket fell out.
It was full of different types of fruits, vegetables, and even a few bottles of wine.
If they were anywhere close to how good the apples were, I knew I was going to enjoy this immensely.
How sweet.
He very clearly planned this, and it wasn't spontaneous, which reinforces how sweet it is because he's still thinking of all of us.
Well, someone's going to get the nudes they wanted.
[Line Break]
Hela POV
"I want to go home."
"Mmm, then go home."
I felt my eye twitch. "You know very well it's not that simple!" This…this distorted view of my father was one of the most irritating creatures I've ever had the displeasure of meeting in my existence!
"Let' see, you met Idun, Thor, Freya, and most of the kids." He rubbed his beard. "Oh, why don't I take you to meet Hel? Then we can go to the highest branch, and you can meet Hræsvelgr!"
"Hræsvelgr!? The Cosmic Eagle?"
"Huh? What's with that impressive-sounding name!?"
"...forget it." There was no point in explaining to him the entity that went by that name from my universe. "And I refuse to leave my 'self' from here. It's already…difficult enough to meet you. My common sense would completely collapse if she turned out to be anything like you." I ended with a scoff.
"Sounds like someone's in the mood for a spanking." He swung his hand through the air.
"I dare you!"
"Well, if you insist~"
I couldn't hold back; I used all the divine power I had regained to this point and threw it all at him.
To my utter disgust, he was in fact still Odin, and it did little to nothing as he used his spear—walking stick—to simply deflect it all.
I should have instead used that power to kill myself and save the humiliation.
He ended up putting a hand on my head like I was some child looking for affection. I scowled as I slapped it away, only earning a chuckle from him.
"Do you hate it here that much?" He finally asked. "You know, we'd be happy to have you here if you want to stay."
That…
It was strange.
From the moment I first arrived, I had been welcomed with open arms. Despite the fact that I was an outsider and that I didn't belong here. He had pulled me along to introduce me to many names I recognized from my life or from books I've read at the temple.
Meeting people who wore the names and faces of my supposed siblings. They had not looked at me with disdain or carefully hidden displeasure.
Even to the current king, he had thought me some kind of usurper or insult in his eyes. Not someone who stood to be a threat to his throne even though I held Odin's blood.
No…. Odin had even given me a Golden Apple.
Something that would let me regain my power in mere weeks compared to the years I was expecting beforehand.
The amount I just wasted… I could recoup it in as little as a day.
All of that was given freely without so much as an implication of payment needed later.
"Well, if you want to go home, I suppose it's only normal." He said helplessly. "The Brat has his house connected over to your home, or so he said. We can head over there if you want. But before that…how about I take care of that seal carved onto your soul?"
"My what!?"
"Hmm? Did you not notice." He stroked his beard. "No, I suppose it's normal. The best to protect something is to make sure it's never noticed in the first place. You were bound to Helheim, were you not? You couldn't leave despite all your best efforts? Do you think even I'm capable of sealing an entire realm?"
I…no, his words make sense. Was I wrong about how I was being sealed away?
"Well, maybe I could." He grinned, looking very proud of himself. "But that's a whole set of problems that would need solving. If I tried to seal all of Helheim, then after thousands of years, you would have definitely found weaknesses to exploit, wouldn't you?"
"...I traveled all throughout Helheim in my imprisonment; I couldn't find a way to escape."
He just nodded. "You weren't put behind a locked door; you had a chain put around your neck and a stake planted in the ground like a certain Mutt. The chain only appeared when you tried to leave Helheim. The brat's method of traveling…well, you could say it was able to get around those restrictions."
I couldn't do anything but stare at him.
No, it made sense. Why had I never seen this before? It makes perfect sense the moment he points it out.
He raised his finger and poked my forehead. "As I said, the best kind of seal is the kind that you don't know exists. That other me is a right bastard, but a smart one. He made it so you couldn't think about it properly. A subtle magic, but a powerful one."
"Odin!" I roared furiously. "He –"
I looked down; Odin was putting a hand on my stomach.
"Vidar, let me have a bit of Asgard's power." He said softly.
It took me a moment to know who he was walking to.
"As you wish, Father." A voice echoed across the landscape.
His power exploded outwards as I felt something stab into me. I looked down at my arms; there were runes appearing under my skin, going up and down my body.
"Hoh, a strong bastard." Odin grunted. "But who do you think I am!?"
I felt his power increase, and something pulled out from inside of me as those runes instead were stretching backwards and began to crawl up his own arm. Pulled away from me despite their best effort to remain, I could feel the sensation of tension as their magic worked to pull them free from my soul.
With one final motion, he pulled away from me as I fell backwards.
His arm was covered in hundreds, thousands of runes before he clenched his hand and they all shattered.
Blood flowed down his nose and the corner of his mouth before he wiped them again with a tired breath.
I felt…something strange inside. Like a weight I didn't know I had was now lifted from my shoulders.
"Darn, what a tricky spell he made. It was tied to his life force, which made it all the more annoying. The only 'key' to unlocking it would have been his death. If you would have gone anywhere near Helheim again, your chain would have dragged you back to that decrepit place. But you should be fine now."
Despite everything, he just smiled and put a hand on my head again.
"Hang on, I got a message!" Odin suddenly changed his attitude completely.
...
He took out some communication device that I recognized from my supposed new sister. And the one who gave it to her as well.
"Oh? Oh…hmm." He pressed his finger against it, and almost immediately I saw a magic portal open up right above us as something large fell out.
Odin let out a panicked cry as what looked like some kind of machine had pressed him to the ground.
"You brat, you did that on purpose!" He flailed under the weight of it before pulling himself out. "The fuck is this thing?"
I furrowed my brow. "Is this…made of wood? A wood robot?"
Odin's eye sparkled. "A wood robot! That's fantastic! How does it work!?" He walked over to where I think the head was on its rather large body and all but disappeared down the missing hole. "Oh, there are lots of gears and mechanisms in here; how neat."
Who would use wood to make a robot? Well, there are some types of wood in the universe that are sturdier than steel, but those are even rarer than steel!
I shook my head then walked over to what looked like the severed head. I lifted it up, noting that someone had cut it cleanly from start to finish in one stroke.
I found something inside, holding it up to the light.
"Oh, what's that?"
"Some kind of logic circuit." I answered him. "Not any I've ever recognized before."
"I found this inside where its heart should be." Odin held up a spinning spherical device as well. This one was actually made of metal.
Well, some parts of the design were metallic by necessity after inspecting it again. But a significant part of it was made of wood!
"That's the power source." I could tell at a glance what he was holding, but it made me furrow my brow.
"It's trying to absorb the ambient mana, hmm."
"That's normal." I responded. "Even advanced mortal technologies have learned how to perpetuate themselves. Magic is the easiest method to achieve those results."
However, this is rather primitive in design. The most impressive thing is the logic circuit because compared to the rest of the design, it looks centuries ahead of the technology. It's the only thing that would take effort to produce.
Disposable wooden automatons?
It was bulky, large enough that a normal mortal would stand no chance. And there seemed to be some type of foreign runes on its arms and various parts of its body. It must have some tricks to it as well to make it dangerous.
I looked inside the head component and saw pieces that seemed to allow it to gather and concentrate a large amount of magic in its 'eye-like' center.
Perhaps some rudimentary laser?
"They are cheap cannon fodder." I dismissed it before dropping the head onto the ground.
"Yeah? How easy do you think these would be to reverse engineer?" Odin asked.
I rolled my eyes before picking at my nails. "I helped create The Destroyer. Compared to that, I could rebuild this thing in a day and fully understand its mechanisms."
"Yeah?" His eye lit up. "That reminds me, want to help me fix The Destroyer?"
I remembered that my foolish younger brother gave it away. "It's my destroyer! Give it back!"
"Hohoho!"
[Line Break]
A/n
Wanted to have Wilhelm connect back with everyone as the arc goes on, dropping off goodies and whatnot. Odin sees the Ruin Guard and thinks, Wow, this would be cool to mass produce as frontline support. They wouldn't be hard to upgrade either with better runes or magic.
If you want to read 10 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty if you can't use the above under the same name