570 - Wedding Aftermath #2

In the garden of the mansion, in a wide clearing located between the trees.

I could see Luna stretching and flailing her body here and there.

"Luna-ya, what are you doing?"

"I was practicing flapping my wings!"

So it seems.

On Luna's back, a pair of wings filled with black feathers extended to the left and right.

Their size was enough to wrap around Luna's body. They looked cool, almost like a cash item from a game.

"So, have you become able to fly a bit?"

"Shall I show you? Luna, jump-!"

Luna leaped into the air.

Then, she flapped her wings diligently in the empty air, but while the sound was loud, Luna's body was pulled by merciless gravity and ended up falling to the ground.

"Hueueu-."

Landing on the ground, Luna puffed out her chest confidently.

"Hueu, how was it? Didn't it feel like I flew in the sky for about 5 seconds? I'm so out of breath-!"

"No, it just looked like you jumped high and then fell."

"Actually, you're right! I can't fly at all! Just how on earth do birds fly around?"

Luna peered at her wings this way and that.

Luna's wings were said to be a unique physical function possessed by the Tribe of Night. It was said that once one becomes aware of their divinity, they gain wings that can be brought out or made to disappear at will.

Thinking back, it seems Moros, the God of Doom, also had wings.

However, Luna couldn't handle the wings that had just appeared not long ago. Since it was a physical organ she hadn't even thought of appearing suddenly, it was only natural.

Pul-reok, pul-reok-.

Luna continued to flap her wings toward the empty air. That appearance was quite funny, like a pigeon that had fallen into water splashing around in all directions.

"I'm flying-! I, have to fly-!"

『Little Night, to fly in the sky, you must feel the wind.』

Behind Luna, sitting in the shade and watching this scene, were Lady Nox, the Goddess of Night, and her partner, Erebor.

『You must entrust your body to the wind, like a small feather.』

-Jjik-jjik.

"Geueueu...!"

As if a mother bird were teaching a baby bird how to fly, Lady Nox had been giving Luna lessons on flight for several days since the wedding.

However, there seemed to be no results.

"What do I have to do to fly? Hassan, you flew in the sky with that strange hammer-! Tell me too, what do I have to do to fly-!"

Luna's attention, after flapping her wings for a long time, turned toward me. It seemed Luna was asking about the time I flew around while drunk.

I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

"I told you I don't remember well because I was drunk then. I don't really know how I flew either. Rather, I want to learn from you, Luna."

"I need to be able to handle my wings well soon so I can accumulate Karma and become a goddess.... How can I become able to fly quickly?"

At Luna's question, I thought about the training methods of birds.

Should I try pushing Luna off a high cliff? What if Luna slips from my hands and becomes like an egg smashed on the ground?

After frowning at that very terrible thought for a moment.

"I should stop here for today-!"

Sareureu-.

Luna, having shaken her wings this way and that to make them disappear like fine dust, stretched with all her might.

I massaged Luna's shoulders and the area near her shoulder blades by pressing firmly with my thumbs or rotating them.

As I always say, massaging the area around the shoulder blades, which a person cannot reach themselves, is very effective for relieving someone's fatigue.

Luna was in a state where the muscles of her shoulders, back, and shoulder blades were overall very tense and tired due to the special body part called wings, which she normally would never have used.

I loosened that part up overall.

Gu-u-uk, kku-u-u-uk.

"U-a-eu, heu-ya-eu-eu-eu-a-. My body, it feels like my body is melting-."

So she made groaning sounds at my massage.

Perhaps if a red bean shaved ice melting under the sun could open its mouth and speak, it would have said exactly the same thing as Luna right now.

After receiving the massage for a long time, Luna slipped out of my grasp and asked.

"So, Hassan. What brings you here? I heard you were busy attending to guests? There are many who are only just arriving now to congratulate us!"

"That's true. But, I'm thinking of wrapping things up and leaving for the north soon, so I wanted to see how you were doing, Luna. I was wondering if your schedule is okay."

"As for my schedule, I am busy-. Since the workshop obtained the God of Wine's throne, orders have started to flood in."

"Really?"

The miscellaneous brewing workshop Luna made-Sun and Moon.

Luna's studio, which started with a single sign hung on a small cabin, had suddenly become a corporation in itself, with about fifty employees as subordinates.

On top of that, the sign of Sun and Moon had ascended to Bacchus's throne, so could there be any greater achievement than that? I don't know.

However, it was also true that it would become that much busier, so I couldn't just be happy. Unless one were a workaholic who loves working.

Of course, that is a worry of the affluent.

Luna said.

"Alfheim-. We're finally going. We kept saying we'd go, we'd go."

"Yeah. Now we're going to the land of winter."

"I thought spring had finally come. To think we have to go to a cold place again-."

Parureu- Luna's body trembled.

Because Luna was from the warm and sweltering Ideope region, she was quite weak to the cold despite the grand title of being the daughter of Lady Nox, the Goddess of Night.

Could such a Luna endure well in Alfheim, where there is nothing but snow all year round?

However, Luna's attitude was decided surprisingly quickly.

"But, there's no way I wouldn't follow where Hassan goes! So when are we leaving?"

"The sooner the better. It will probably be within this week."

"Okay-! Then, I'll have to practice flapping my wings hard. Surely, my wings will be helpful in whatever happens-!"

Luna trembled her body with both hands balled into fists. Then, wings popped out from behind Luna's back once again.

"Then, do your best, Luna-ya."

"Mm-hmm-!"

* * *

After making a round of the mansion, the last place I headed to was Luna's workshop. Although Luna wasn't here because she was practicing flapping her wings in the garden.

In this workshop, there were many employees carrying out the brewing process diligently in Luna's stead. Among the girls of Ideope, my eyes turned toward a woman with black hair.

"Gloria, is the work manageable?"

"Ah, is it Hassan."

When the Nymphs diligently stepped on and crushed the grapes, Gloria would move and store them. Gloria was doing that kind of work.

It was quite a strenuous and hard job, but it would be an easy task for Gloria.

Gloria wiped the purple liquid on her hands onto her waist and asked.

"What brings you here?"

"I'm thinking of leaving soon. I was wondering if you're okay with that."

"What, you're leaving already when it hasn't been long since you got married? Isn't it fine to enjoy the honeymoon? Speaking of which, how is married life?"

At Gloria's question, I thought about my married life.

Actually, there were no parts where my life changed drastically just because I got married. It was just that the times we had spent together until now were continuing.

However, in a corner of my heart, I felt a bit reassured as if I had gained someone truly on my side forever. There was also a feeling that I had to take responsibility for them no matter what.

To summarize, something like-I should live diligently?

I wonder if the feelings of couples who get married after living together for a long time are all similar to mine.

When I glossed over the answer and was lost in thought, Gloria said.

"In a foreign land, your power might become weaker than it is now. There won't be any faith in you there, and the rules will be different."

"Yeah. So, I was thinking I'd like you to help me. How about it? Will you go with me?"

"As for me, I owe you a great debt."

The persuasion of Gloria ended easily. I am a bit worried if it's okay to take Gloria, who has just started living a life free from violence, to the land of winter.

With that, the rough preliminary plan was finished.

Now, once I appoint people to run my Temple and the mansion while the mansion is empty and prepare this and that, it's really the end.

So I busily hurried the preparations to leave for the land of winter.

* * *

And on the day after the year passed, I was able to finish the rough preparations. Actually, since I had been preparing to leave from before, there wasn't much to call preparation.

The biggest problem was just the worry that Elfriede might have become entangled in a huge problem and become beyond saving even at this very moment.

Thinking that I couldn't delay any more time, I made us board the carriage.

The carriage was a giant dog sled pulled by the spotted Cerberus.

"Then, stay well, my big mansion."

When I waved my hand toward the mansion, Lady Nox, standing at the entrance of the mansion, waved her hand toward me.

『You do not need to worry about this place. Antiope and the Death Knight to be newly hired this time will guard it thoroughly.』

It was incredibly reassuring that several people, including Lady Nox, were staying behind to protect the mansion.

"Then, we are departing-ssi...!"

When Paranoy gave the reins in his hand a crack, the three-headed dog, Spotty, began to walk forward slowly.

-Kereureureu-.

"Everyone, open the way-ssi...! Hassan-nim, the God among Gods, is passing through-ssi...!"

Passing through the crowded city, crossing the city gates, and finally when the giant plains where the snow was melting away were visible, Spotty accelerated his speed even more.

Pababat, pababab, pabababat-.

Four feet with ominous claws cut through the winter snow that hadn't yet vanished and headed north.

Our target was the north of the Gaia continent, which the Borzak Family was said to rule over most of the territory.

I heard the north is an exceptionally cold and desolate place, so I came wearing plenty of warm clothes. Will it be okay? Just thinking about that place already makes me feel cold.

"Paranoy, will it really be okay for you to drive the carriage? You're sensitive to the cold too."

"It is fine because there is a transparent screen-ssi...! It is a very excellent sled-ssi...! It is truly comparable to the thing called an automobile-ssi...!"

The dog sled received as a wedding gift from Vulcanus's forge was as state-of-the-art as a truck.

Various mechanical devices were attached, so in fact, it could even be driven autonomously without Spotty needing to pull it.

To think such an object was already completed just by me giving a brief idea about automobiles. It's wonderful. There's a warm heater and a soft backrest.

Thanks to that, the only things to do inside the carriage were to doze off or play word chain games.

After thinking for a moment about how far and in what form the mechanical engineering of this Gaia continent could develop. The fatigue from rushing the journey gradually washed over me. Should I close my eyes for a bit?

"Luna-ya, wake me up if anything happens-."

"Mm-hmm-!"

Sareureu-.

It was only for a moment that my eyes closed in fatigue.

"Hassan-nim, please open your eyes-ssi...! We have arrived at the winter fortress city, Winterswarm-ssi...!"

MnZBMElkRjFKc3ZCR0RiWklQRlA5WlZINzRaZThhUzZ1cnMyS01IbEgxYS9Fd1JTWWw0M3lNK3llRVBmNzhzSQ

I came to my senses at Paranoy's fuss.

"What? What? Where did you say we arrived?"

"It is Winterswarm-ssi...! We have arrived at Winterswarm, a strategic point of the north and a city famous for its hot springs-ssi...!"

"Already?"

What the.

Didn't they say it was a journey that takes at least a week to reach the northern territory?

No matter how good Spotty and the dog sled were, there was no way we could have arrived in the time it took to just close and open my eyes.

However, separate from my dazed feeling, when I looked out the carriage window, a giant old castle built incredibly high and the sharp triangular roofs of those old castles were truly welcoming me.

It seems that arriving in the northern territory was definitely not a dream.

Looking at the snow piled up here and there and the roofs of the sharp spires, I asked.

"How many days did it take for us to get here?"

The one who answered that was Luna.

"A week-!"

"What-!?"

"Why are you so surprised? You traveled together too, Hassan-!"

"I traveled for a week-?"

I have no memory of it.

I should have just departed Sodomora and closed my eyes to take a nap. To think that a week had already passed and we were almost at our destination.

Even so, could this be possible? While I was feeling suspicious, Paranoy, who was driving the dog sled, asked.

"By any chance, do you feel as if time has been skipped...? Do you feel as if several days have suddenly passed when you only closed and opened your eyes for a moment, without any intermediate process...?"

"Oh-. Exactly. Damn exactly. There's no other way to express it."

Paranoy's opinion was accurate. I was feeling as if time had been skipped. As if the process in between had disappeared and only the result remained....

To that, Paranoy added a few more words.

"I, Paranoy, also often felt that kind of feeling-ssi...! To think that Hassan-nim experienced the same thing as I, Paranoy. I feel a very close sense of familiarity-ssi...!"

Paranoy had often talked nonsense, saying things like, "I only closed and opened my eyes, but I had already arrived at the destination-ssi."

At the time, I had mistaken it for him dreaming and talking gibberish while half-asleep.

Looking at it like this, it seems his words weren't just simple nonsense.

"Paranoy-ya, I'm sorry for doubting you and thinking it was nonsense. Truly, there is such an experience."

At my sincere apology, Paranoy wiped his nose.

"It is fine since you recognize it even now-ssi...!"

More than that, how on earth did this happen?

When I was feeling quite suspicious, Hippolyte, who was sitting in the next seat, said.

"Hassan, if your and Paranoy's words are not a joke. It could be said that the axis of time has changed. Something, by some kind of powerful force, has twisted your time."

"Time, is twisted?"

"Yeah. And those who can do such a thing are few. Probably, it would be a divine authority."

Then Luna clapped her hands with a jjak.

"By any chance-! Are you talking about Saturn, the King of Titans? Saturn, the father of the Hyphos gods-! I heard Saturn could handle time-!"

Hippolyte nodded at Luna's words.

"Yeah, Saturn. But it's impossible. Saturn was annihilated by the Trinity of the three main gods, his sons. However, in your and Paranoy's case, I don't know how it happened...."

Leaving behind a small but clear question.

The carriage entered the northern territory.