Waltrautesan no Konkatsu Jijou - Chapter 3 - Part 6

Waltraute was monitoring the boy from a point just barely beyond Muspelheim’s defensive line.

When she heard that conversation, she muttered, “Hm. I doubt Loki would act so kind without reason. What is he after? …Don’t tell me he really does have an interest in other men.”

The two ravens Muninn and Huginn spoke while flying around next to Waltraute.

“Hm? That is…”

“Waahhh!! Lady Waltraute, look…look over there a second!!”

“Silence. Do not speak to me during this important moment.”

“No, this is more important!! I don’t know why, but the no-view zone in Muspelheim has been unlocked!” squawked one of the ravens. “That’s Naglfar!! That’s the giant ship Naglfar!!”

“…What?”

She was reluctant to take her eyes off of the boy, but Waltraute frowned and glanced over in the direction Muninn and Huginn indicated.

And she was left utterly speechless.

A number of large white ships were lined up along a dock on the shore of Muspelheim. They were not floating in the water. Instead, they were lined up along the flat ground and supported by many wooden pillars.

They must have been under construction.

They were the giant ships known as Naglfar. During the final battle of Ragnarök, they would carry countless evil spirits and giants to attack the human world of Midgard and the heavenly world of Asgard.

Technically, they were likely not simple ships but actually something like a mobile version of Bifröst.

Around the fire world of Muspelheim and the underworld of Niflheim, the odd flow of magical power prevented the use of Bifröst. That was one of the defensive lines set up by the giants to prevent a surprise attack from the Æsir, but it also made it difficult for the giants to use similar transportation techniques.

That was why they needed Naglfar.

Once Naglfar achieved enough distance from Muspelheim that it was outside the range of that defensive area they had set up themselves, the giants and evil spirits on the ships could be scattered throughout the nine worlds. That was how “the battle that would end the world” would spread throughout all the worlds in no time at all.

The completion of Naglfar was one of the triggers for Ragnarök.

In other words, a general time limit for Ragnarök could be calculated by the construction rate of Naglfar.

“…What was it the head of wisdom Mímir had predicted?” asked Waltraute.

“I-I think it was that the danger would likely come 300 years from now…”

“That fool!! It is over 90% complete! From the looks of it, they might be able to finish it within a week!!”

But then Waltraute received a communication in her ear.

It was from the second Valkyrie sister Gerhilde.

“We have received a report via Muninn and Huginn of what you are seeing. Waltraute, please return to Asgard.”

“What are you going to do!?”

“As the timing of Ragnarök has been accelerated, we must also prepare for war. We must begin immediately. The difference lies in whose preparations are completed first.”

“B-but…!!”

The fourth sister Waltraute looked over towards the fire world of Muspelheim.

The boy was still there.

If Ragnarök began now and the gods and the giants clashed, the boy would most certainly be caught in the middle of it all. And a soul born in the human world of Midgard was not durable enough to withstand the attacks of the gods.

Even his soul would be destroyed.

Waltraute would not even be able to retrieve him as a member of the Einherjar.

And the second sister Gerhilde was likely already aware of that danger thanks to Muninn and Huginn.

Despite that knowledge, she said, “We have always known that over 99% of the residents of Midgard will die once Ragnarök begins. The stage where you could remain attached to that boy has ended. You must change your line of thinking and prepare for Ragnarök.”

“…!!”

The creaking sound of something straining could be heard inside Waltraute’s fist. She very nearly crushed the part of her aurora armor that covered her hand.

“The information we have received from you has been very useful,” continued Gerhilde. “We can use that information to strike first against Muspelheim in a preemptive surprise attack. I will see you at the strategic control room in Valhalla.”

The transmission ended.

The two ravens cowered in fear of the killer intent coming from Waltraute, but remaining silent would not help matters.

One of the ravens hesitantly said, “But if Ragnarök has started, there really isn’t anything you can do for the human boy.”

“In fact, isn’t a good thing we managed to catch a glimpse of Naglfar? It would have been completed sooner or later even if this had not happened. If we hadn’t noticed, Midgard and Asgard would have been caught off guard.”

“…A good thing?” said Waltraute in a low voice as if it was a curse. She finally began shouting with clear hatred in her voice. “Damn you, Loki… Damn you, Loki!! You brought that boy to Muspelheim because you knew this would happen, didn’t you!? You lured in Muninn and Huginn, the scouts of the heavenly world, so they would see how far Naglfar had progressed!!”

Due to the distorted flow of magical power, Bifröst could not be used to reach Muspelheim. That distortion also interfered with Asgard’s other magic, and some of the most distorted areas could not even be seen with their magically-enhanced vision.

Surtr had hidden Naglfar’s construction in one of those areas to prevent anyone from observing its rate of completion. That was why Asgard based their decisions on the prediction made by the head of wisdom Mímir.

So why had Waltraute and the ravens “coincidentally” learned how far along Naglfar was?

The answer was simple: it was no coincidence.

“Loki forcibly opened the no-view zone from within Muspelheim! His goal was to let us see Naglfar just as it became dangerously close to completion!! And he got a soul of the human world involved to do it!!”

“But…” The ravens looked over at the boy who was asking about various things within the fire world of Muspelheim. “Wasn’t that the right thing to do as a member of the Æsir? Even if he got us involved, Loki was working to reveal the plans of Muspelheim.”

“Not a chance,” denied Waltraute immediately. “What is Naglfar made out of?”

“Well…”

“What is it made out of!?”

“Th-the fingernails and toenails of dead humans!!”

“Yes. The more humans die, the faster Naglfar approaches completion. Times of peace delay its completion. So you’re saying Loki predicted how far along Naglfar’s construction was? Of course he did. He is the one who has been causing volcanic eruptions and wars in Midgard to hasten its completion!!”

He was merely showing off the destruction he had prepared.

It was a mocking plan befitting of that joker.

But the end result would be the demise of all nine worlds. And that would of course include that innocent boy.

“B-but why!? Why is Loki doing this!?”

“…I cannot even guess,” replied Waltraute in a low voice.

The target of her hatred stood next to the boy she wished to protect. And the armies of Muspelheim stood in the way of her path to either.