Ch.9696. Brynhild

Gilbert let out a sigh without even realizing it.

Just when he thought the main story had concluded, one of the warriors from the Sigurd Tribal Alliance suddenly launched an indiscriminate magical artillery barrage at him.

This was an unexpected variable that hadn’t occurred during the Tactical Combat, but his decision to activate CT-777’s autonomous function right before exiting the god-machine had saved his life.

CT-777, which was synced with Gilbert’s minimap, had been tracking all movements of the Sigurd Tribal Alliance warriors and managed to defend against the sudden magical attack launched by one of them.

If Gilbert had assumed the main scenario was over and hadn’t activated CT-777’s autonomous function, something terrible might have happened.

While high-ranking knights could supposedly cut through magical armaments with their bare hands, that was currently impossible for Gilbert.

In conclusion, his experience from countless battlefields before coming here had saved his life at the critical moment.

[Thank goodness you’re safe!]

He heard Brynhild’s voice as she rode Fafnir.

It was quite impressive how she had immediately mounted Fafnir to prevent a clash between the two forces after seeing him under attack.

Her actions proved that the route Gilbert had established to clear the main scenario was correct.

But what about that one?

Gilbert’s eyes turned toward the god-machine standing awkwardly.

The Sigurd Tribal Alliance warrior who had attacked him was an unexpected variable.

At least from what he knew, Sigurd people would never launch such an attack after the conclusion of the Volsung Saga.

Even though the Volsung Saga was becoming a forgotten duel ritual among the Sigurd Tribal Alliance, such a surprise attack was almost taboo among them.

Waiting for a duel between warriors to conclude and then launching a surprise attack when the outcome was decided?

This was completely at odds with the ethos of the Sigurd people, who valued honor above all else.

Gilbert instinctively sensed that there was some hidden background to the current incident.

“Brynhild, I’ll explain the details later. For now, we need to secure that warrior who attacked me.”

[Understood.]

Gilbert boarded his god-machine as soon as he heard Brynhild’s response. In the distance, he could see the enemy god-machine beginning to flee, having broken formation as soon as Gilbert mounted his own machine.

[Commander Fermo. Combat is forbidden from now on. However, maintain alert status as the situation we just witnessed could occur again.]

[I have much to say, but I understand for now.]

While pursuing the fleeing god-machine, Gilbert ordered Fermo to stand by and began following Fafnir, which was already ahead in the chase.

His instinct had moved beyond suspicion to certainty.

The Sigurd people were a race who always considered dying in battle an honorable death. Even if they launched a cowardly surprise attack, they would never turn their backs and flee.

[Who are you! Sigurd warriors never flee!]

Just hearing Brynhild’s voice filled with anger confirmed that his thoughts were not wrong.

Something unknown to him had extended its reach into this war.

The god-machine chase didn’t last long. Setting aside Gilbert’s machine, Fafnir, which Brynhild was riding, was a top-tier god-machine even in Tactical Combat.

A regular warrior in a tier-3 or lower god-machine could never escape their pursuit.

However, if the distance became too great, unpredictable variables could arise, so Gilbert suddenly stopped his god-machine and gripped his iron sword in reverse.

Winter Sword – Ice Awl

The sword, imbued with fierce aura, sliced through space.

Gilbert’s iron sword, transformed into a golden light, flew past Fafnir and completely shattered the legs of the fleeing god-machine. Having lost its legs, the god-machine lost all mobility and crashed to the ground.

Meanwhile, Brynhild, who had reached just behind the fleeing god-machine, pushed it down as it tried to rise and thrust Gram into its torso. It was an excellent strike that precisely missed the cockpit.

The chase had ended in less than five minutes, and they could finally conclude everything.

[Main Scenario “Sigurd People’s Attack – Hidden Route: The One Who Sings the Volsung Saga” has been cleared.]

[Achievement “The One Who Sings the Saga” has been unlocked.]

Gilbert took a long, relieved breath as he finally realized he had successfully cleared the Sigurd part.

Not everything had gone according to plan, and there were still unresolved issues, but at this moment, he was satisfied with achieving his goal.

At the very least, he deserved high marks for preventing a terrible war.

***

The pilot who emerged from the fleeing god-machine was, as Gilbert had expected, not a warrior of the Sigurd tribe. Nor was he a foreigner.

He had the typical appearance of an Imperial citizen, but since he kept his mouth firmly shut, refusing to say anything, they restrained him and placed him in the underground prison.

Detailed information would have to come through interrogation, but since there were more pressing matters to handle, this was pushed down the priority list.

Gilbert first reported the current situation to Count Lithuania. No matter how much authority he had been delegated as commander-in-chief, the final decision-maker was his father, Count Lithuania.

Withdrawing troops without permission would have been an overreach of authority. Fortunately, Count Lithuania, who accurately understood the current situation, ordered the withdrawal of troops. He knew well that an unnecessary war would only leave both sides with casualties.

Additionally, Count Lithuania formally invited Tarhal, the grand chief of the Sigurd Tribal Alliance. Although war had been averted, detailed discussions were needed regarding the food shortage that had caused the conflict and future relations.

Gilbert’s influence had played a role in this as well. While handling the aftermath, he had also secured a powerful ally.

[My disciple, you’ve been involved in quite remarkable affairs despite being on academic leave. The Sigurd Tribal Alliance, you say.]

“Yes, Your Highness.”

[Then I’m curious. The relationship between the Empire and the Sigurd tribes is so poor that saying they have deep grudges would be an understatement. Yet you ask me to mediate?]

“I understand. But from a political perspective, there are no eternal enemies, are there? If the situation and timing are right, hands can always be joined.”

[I didn’t know you had an interest in politics… but you’re not wrong.]

“It’s true that I’m not interested in politics. I’ve just been thinking hard about how to avoid unnecessary harm to the Imperial citizens.”

[The Sigurd Tribal Alliance…]

Seraphina, visible through the communication magic, appeared deep in thought.

The conflicts accumulated over long years couldn’t be resolved with just a few words.

Anti-Sigurd sentiment was still prevalent throughout the Empire, and many nobles, especially the hardliners, shared this view.

Moreover, with the Sigurd people suffering from severe drought, there were occasional suggestions to eliminate them completely while they were vulnerable.

If she expressed her intention to embrace them at this moment, there would certainly be many who would oppose her. Additionally, the faction supporting the First Prince might seize this opportunity to absorb more hardliners.

Considering various scenarios, accepting Gilbert’s request seemed to have many disadvantages.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Establishing relations with the Sigurd people to stabilize the border would be quite meritorious when thinking about the future.

It would certainly be an achievement that neither her father, the current Emperor, nor several generations before him had accomplished.

That wasn’t all.

Looking at the current continental situation, things were not looking good.

In short, it was like a magic bullet that could explode at any time. In such a situation, forming friendly relations with the Sigurd tribes, who were born warriors, would clearly be a great strength even in the worst-case scenario.

When that time came, she could suppress the First Prince’s faction without significant sacrifice.

But setting all that aside, there was one major advantage.

Seraphina silently observed her disciple, who was burdening her with quite a difficult task.

If one were to name the hottest issue in the Empire, it would be none other than Gilbert Lion Heart’s actions.

Given his notorious reputation, his heroic actions were now drawing the attention of the entire Empire.

In the midst of this, he had done something significant again. Not only had he prevented another potential war between the Empire and the Sigurd tribes without a single casualty, but he had also secured an opportunity to establish friendly relations with them.

Some might view this fact negatively, but that would depend entirely on how it was presented. Public opinion could be shaped according to how the narrative was crafted.

Seraphina quickly organized the thoughts swirling in her head.

The choice here was clear.

[Very well. I accept your request. I grant you full authority to establish a friendly agreement with the Sigurd Tribal Alliance. This is authorized by me, the First Imperial Princess of Infractus, so proceed as you see fit. I will take all responsibility.]

“I will strive to meet your expectations.”

[I’ll be counting on you.]

With Seraphina’s support secured, establishing friendly relations with the Tribal Alliance proceeded quickly without major difficulties. Although the negotiations were primarily led by Count Lithuania and Tarhal, Gilbert had no doubt that the friendly agreement would be successfully concluded.

If the Emperor of Infractus were to overturn this, it would be a different story, but the current Emperor rarely interfered with the actions of his heirs unless the fate of the Empire was at stake.

This was a kind of test to determine his successor.

For this reason, Gilbert wasn’t overly concerned and simply waited for matters to be concluded.

***

On a particularly bright moonlit night, Gilbert was enjoying a leisurely stroll in the garden of the Hart County estate.

It was a stark contrast to his recent tense demeanor when thinking about resolving the main scenario.

This affair had unfolded much better than he had anticipated.

Not only had the main story concluded without a single casualty or injury, but Lily had also been freed from the shackles of her past.

When Lily came to see him as things were wrapping up, she told him that he had made excellent use of his second chance. Although the deep wounds in her heart wouldn’t disappear, she could now look forward and move on.

Those words meant she was forgiving him, and Gilbert felt as if he was finally atoning for his past mistake that had ruined her life with just a few sentences.

Gilbert offered her a handshake, and after staring blankly for a moment, she smiled slightly and accepted it. It was a handshake symbolizing moving forward together into the future.

It truly was fortunate.

Lily’s smile, the first he had seen since coming to this world, was remarkably radiant. At the very least, he felt that his struggles in this unfamiliar place had been worthwhile.

As Gilbert strolled through the garden, listening to the chirping insects, he noticed someone approaching him from a distance. The figure was in the shadows cast by the magic lamps, making it difficult to identify them precisely, but he could guess who it was from the silhouette.

“Is that Brynhild?”

“So you’re here.”

There had been significant progress in his relationship with Brynhild, who had come as Chief Tarhal’s escort.

Given the Sigurd people’s culture that valued strength, it was natural for Brynhild to acknowledge Gilbert, who had fought her with all his might, and for them to become closer.

“Were you looking for me?”

“Yes. As the friendly agreement is nearing completion, there’s one more thing I need to discuss with you.”

Gilbert raised an eyebrow slightly at Brynhild’s words.

The mention of something remaining besides the friendly agreement piqued his interest.

“Something remaining? Is it something that requires us to move elsewhere?”

“No, this place is fine. This is a matter between you and me.”

Gilbert was puzzled by her cryptic statement. He tried to recall if there was anything left unresolved, but nothing came to mind.

“A matter between you and me? Was there something left?”

“Yes. It’s important to me.”

“Important, you say?”

Brynhild’s face, illuminated by the magic lamp, looked quite tense. Sensing that she was about to say something significant, Gilbert also became tense.

It was quite unusual for the typically straightforward Brynhild to display such an attitude.

“This might sound a bit funny, but I’m counted among the strongest warriors in the Tribal Alliance.”

“I agree with that. Having faced you directly, I can’t dispute the fact that you’re an exceptional warrior.”

“How can you say such embarrassing things so casually…”

“What did you say?”

“Ahem, nothing. Anyway, in our tribe, regardless of gender, there’s an admiration for strength. I think you know that well.”

Gilbert stroked his chin with his right hand.

Indeed, the Sigurd people had an admiration for strength. In the non-academy route, if one chose the Sigurd people route, demonstrating exceptional skills would lead to faster acceptance as a tribe member.

This tendency was particularly pronounced because their ancestor, Sigurd, was essentially the embodiment of human strength.

“I’m certainly aware of that tendency.”

“This is somewhat embarrassing to say myself… but because of this, I’ve been receiving endless marriage proposals from various tribes.”

Indeed, it would be hard to find someone as strong as her throughout the entire Tribal Alliance. She had been awarded the title of Great Warrior at a young age and given the qualification to lead Fafnir.

Considering these factors, it was highly likely that she had received numerous marriage proposals.

But why is she bringing this up?

Gilbert suddenly had a strange thought. He couldn’t guess why she would seek him out in the middle of the night to discuss this.

Or more accurately, he was denying the obvious implication.

Gilbert looked at Brynhild again. He finally noticed the embarrassment visible between her tense expressions.

“At first, I declared that I would marry someone who could defeat me, intending to reject those annoying proposals. I thought it wasn’t a bad idea since I also admired strength. Of course, no one had ever defeated me. Except you, Gilbert.”

Wait, this conversation is really going in a strange direction.

Cold sweat ran down Gilbert’s back.

There was always a reason for suddenly bringing up such topics. He might be somewhat dense in these matters, as people often told him, but he wasn’t so foolish as to miss such an obvious hint.

“When I lost, it was painful. I couldn’t help but despair, carrying the future of the tribe on my shoulders. But you presented a solution where the Empire and the tribes could coexist. The emotions I felt then are indescribable.”

“That was only natural. We can’t move forward if we remain bound by the past.”

“That’s not an easy thing to do. In that respect, you’re a benefactor to our Tribal Alliance. And the Sigurd people must always repay their debts.”

Brynhild’s eyes shone brightly in the moonlight. Whether they were transparent or filled with determination was hard to tell.

Gilbert had to swallow hard.

“So.”

Brynhild paused, drew a dagger from her waist, and grabbed her tied hair.

-Swish!

Without a moment’s hesitation, she cut her hair and extended the severed locks to Gilbert.

“In our tribe, we never cut our hair except when it’s cut in battle. The only exceptions are when a marriage is arranged or when offering it to someone to whom we owe our lives. And you fulfill both conditions.”

Taking the offered hair with a flushed face, Gilbert could only think one thing.

Ah, I’ve been caught.

As he blankly stared at Brynhild’s brightly smiling face for the first time, Gilbert lamented his situation.