09 Loki and Heimdall

“That guy is poison.”

In the heavenly realm of Valhalla, Odin refers to Ritz as “poison.”

“I wonder if Týr still hasn’t noticed—what a fool.”

Odin donned his favorite sky-blue armor and took his magic spear in hand.

“If I myself go down to the mortal world, someone will have to be sacrificed.”

Odin grinned.

And that “someone” was—Ritz.

Odin was a schemer; he boasted that when it came to achieving his aims, means were unnecessary.

Because of that, his allies dwindled one after another, and now there was hardly anyone left but Týr.

“Well then, let’s go… Sleipnir!”

He whistled and summoned the eight-legged horse.

Mounting the horse, Odin ordered the gatekeeper Heimdall to open the gate.

“Please take care, Lord Odin.”

Heimdall looked as though he revered Odin, but in truth he did not.

He only called him that because Odin occupied the vessel of a king.

Odin understood that much as well.

After Odin passed through, Heimdall hurried to bar the door.

“There’s no need to get so worked up… over a single human. Odin’s an idiot.”

Odin’s sworn brother, Loki, appeared and said this to Heimdall.

“If humans disappear, Odin will have no one left to use.”

Heimdall couldn’t help chiming in.

“Are you sure you should say that? You’ll get fired, you know?”

“As long as Odin doesn’t hear.”

Heimdall gave an evil-looking grin.

Loki, pretending to be frightened on purpose, said, “Oooh, so scary. Well then, I’m off to see Frigg.”

“Hey, don’t you go tattling,” Heimdall added.

The god called Loki was someone you could never let your guard down around.

Though he disliked Odin, he could still switch sides, and he was never careless.

Heimdall hated Loki, but thanks to the generous heart of Odin’s firstborn, Thor, Loki was always forgiven.

“Come on now, it’s fine. Loki’s not rotten to the core.”

Thor had a gift for brightening those around him.

Because of that he had many friends, and Týr was one of them.

“I wonder if Týr is doing well.”

Scene change, to Frigg’s residence.

Thor looked up at the mackerel clouds in the sky from the window and sighed.

“Týr, I can’t help but find it strange that you chased after that human girl.”

Thor was a guardian of humans, but Týr had no such power; his only forte was commanding in war.

So why did he go after Haruka?

To Thor, it was a great mystery.

“Ah well. I’m the sort who acts rather than thinks, so I won’t dig too deep. I just want you, Týr, to come back safe and sound.”