Tenkei Shiomi suddenly woke from his dream. It was already daytime the following day.
Even in the subterranean world of the South American Lostbelt, there were normal cycles of sunrise and sunset, saving everyone the trouble of carefully planning their daily routines.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in Skadi's arms. The first thing he saw was purple lingerie and a soft, full, pale chest.
A warm, gentle scent lingered around him. Almost instinctively, he pressed his face closer, enjoying the reassuring warmth that surrounded him.
"Very good, very good~" Skadi chuckled softly, patting his shoulder with her free hand. "You didn't seem to sleep very peacefully just now. Did you exhaust yourself last night?"
"No, I slept fine." Shiomi rested a hand on Skadi's waist. "I just had another dream."
"A dream? Did you foresee something again?" she asked with interest.
"No. This time I just dreamed about my mother," Shiomi explained.
Skadi immediately understood and did not ask further.
After all, everyone already knew that his spirit was connected to Tiamat's. Meeting her in dreams was nothing unusual.
"Could it be that because Tenkei's body has grown smaller, your mind has also become a little like that of a child, yearning for a mother's embrace?" Skadi hugged him gently with affectionate warmth. "I am the last goddess of the Norse world, the mother of all things in the north. If you don't mind, I could hold you the way a mother would, in place of Goddess Tiamat."
"Better just hold me properly as your bridegroom," Shiomi said with a laugh, amused by her thoughtfulness.
Then he shifted slightly out of Skadi's arms, resting his head on the pillow so they could look at each other.
"Tenkei is unexpectedly particular about certain things," Skadi said, holding his hand. "So, would you mind telling me what you dreamed about?"
"Uh… it was pretty strange." Shiomi rubbed his forehead. "Mother looked unusually disheveled, like she'd just fought someone. When I asked what happened, she said something like, 'I got into a fight with a bad god over custody rights'..."
And then he woke up.
Even though it had happened only moments earlier, the dream was already fading into something vague and indistinct, almost like an ordinary dream rather than the clear sensation of meeting within the spiritual world.
"That really is a strange dream," Skadi said, clearly surprised as well, sharing the same impression as Shiomi. "Perhaps it really is a side effect of your body shrinking. After losing your authority, even with a divine core, you are essentially back to something close to a human state."
"Maybe that's it," Shiomi said.
Only then did he notice that no one else was in the room.
Skadi followed his gaze.
"Everyone else has already washed up, eaten breakfast, and started preparing to depart. You were still sleeping, so I stayed behind to keep you company."
"You could've just left me," Shiomi said with a helpless smile. "Even though I don't actually need to eat, the rule in the Shiomi household is that if you can have breakfast, you should. It's nice when the whole family sits at the table together."
"But you weren't there," Skadi said softly, gazing at him. "You are the only one I rely on here. If we're being precise, even your wife cannot compare to me in that regard."
Shiomi thought about it and realized Skadi had a point.
After all, besides him, Aesc had close friends like Habetrot and also Baobhan Sith, the daughter connected to her by blood.
But Skadi only had him.
Whether it was the Valkyries or the surviving villagers, none of them stood as equals to Skadi. They were responsibilities she carried on her shoulders, important lives she needed to protect.
"You're making it sound so serious," Shiomi said, reaching out to smooth the strands of hair falling over her chest. "We're going out to meet Tepeu today. Want to come along? It's pretty hot outside, not the kind of weather you like. But you don't have to stay here on Storm Border either, right?"
Skadi answered without hesitation.
"If there is no battle, then I don't need to remain here maintaining the Barrier. As for the heat, there are ways to deal with it."
"Then it's settled." Shiomi patted her shoulder. "Come on, get up and change clothes. How about that purple long dress? It's loose, so it'll feel cooler."
Skadi walked to the wardrobe.
"You just want to see me wear it, don't you?"
"Yes. I do." Shiomi watched her. "Ever since I left the rear operations to you, we rarely get to go out together anymore."
"I wouldn't call it leaving things to me," Skadi replied calmly. "Since you fight as a united god, someone has to hold the rear at Storm Border, control the leyline-sealing armaments, and maintain the Barrier. When it comes to meticulous work…"
She smiled with quiet confidence.
"I'm even better at it than your master."
"Hahaha!" Shiomi burst out laughing. "You're not wrong. My master may be a master of Magecraft, but she still prefers grabbing a spear and fighting up close. The sound of clashing weapons suits her much better as music."
"First thing in the morning and you're already slandering your master with Skadi."
Scáthach appeared in the doorway carrying breakfast.
"And here I was trying to save time by bringing you two your meal."
"Good morning, Master," Shiomi greeted cheerfully. "I wasn't slandering you. Saying that Master leans more toward being a warrior than a Magus isn't exactly talking behind your back, right?"
Scáthach snorted and placed the tray on the table.
"Still as slick-tongued as ever."
Only then did Shiomi notice the neatly folded set of clothes in her other hand. She had been holding the tray with just one arm.
"New clothes? For me?" Shiomi asked.
"That's right. Habetrot stayed up all night rushing them out. She's asleep in the workshop now."
Without waiting for a response, Scáthach pulled off the fitted T-shirt Shiomi was wearing and began changing his clothes.
Left with no choice, Shiomi obediently let his master handle him like a child while constantly complaining.
"Master… go easy on me. If I really were a kid, those moves would kill me… ow! That hurts!"
His pained cries echoed in between.
"I'm already being as gentle as I can…" Scáthach muttered, sounding slightly embarrassed.
"You're surprisingly capable of raising two children like that," Skadi commented after watching for a while, once Shiomi was finally dressed.
Shiomi adjusted his collar and hem while shaking his head.
"It was pretty rough at the beginning. I went to childcare classes and looked up a ton of information. Thankfully the foundation Master gave me was solid, so I learned quickly."
"What does that have to do with how I taught you?" Scáthach said skeptically.
"Of course it does. If you couldn't learn, you got beaten. That's how education works in the Land of Shadows," Shiomi replied calmly.
The next moment, for the first time ever, Shiomi received Scáthach's punishment of grinding both fists against his temples.
He grimaced in pain.
Skadi tried to intervene, but Scáthach was completely unmoved and made sure Shiomi properly received another lesson.