THE MISCHIEVOUSNESS OF THE SHIELD HERO
CHAPTER 9: THE FASTEST HORSE OF ALL NINE REALMS
In Melromarc Castle, the heroes were gathered in the throne room to be rewarded for their contributions in the Wave. Motoyasu, who was wearing his old clothes from his world, glared at Loki for 'stealing' his equipment and money from him and his trusted companions, ignoring the fact that he lost the duel 'fair' and 'square'. Raphtalia and Sigyn were staying outside to wait for their master though they're worried that he might provoke them.
"In recognition of your deeds during the Wave and accomplishing our request, we bestow you these rewards." Aultcray said while glaring at Loki who was mischievously smirking at him.
"Sir Motoyasu is presented with 8,000 silver while Sir Itsuki and Sir Ren are each presented with 3,000 silver as additional funds for their djourney." Aultcray said, as the knights gave them their rewards. "Sir Motoyasu was given more funds in order to become stronger again after someone stole his equipment and money."
Loki slightly giggled after everyone glared at him, 'They can't handle the truth that I won, huh.'
"The Shield is presented 500 silver as per our agreement." Aultcray said. "However, the cost of stealing the Spear Hero's equipment and money as well as humiliating him for believing that his two companions were slaves will be subtracted from this, and so he will be presented with nothing."
"…okay." Loki said with a deadpan tone before sighing. "Well, I'm filthy rich anyway so I don't need your petty money, Your Majesty."
"Tsk. Then there's no problem with it." Aultcray was annoyed once again that the Shield Demon was unaffected by his decision. 'I'm going to wipe that smuggling off your face!'
"I believe there is a problem with that." Itsuki said, which surprised both Loki and Aultcray. "You sponsored an unlawful act between the heroes. Like everyone, you assume that his companions were slaves, but after discovering there wasn't, you refused to give him his funds?"
"I agree." Ren agreed, which shocked Motoyasu that his fellow heroes are defending Loki. "According to the rules, Loki was the clear victor."
"I didn't lose! Loki used dirty tactics to win! He even called himself the 'God of Mischief'!" Motoyasu denied that he lost the duel.
"Not to mention that the Shield Hero brought monsters under his cloak into a one-on-one duel in addition. He lost the moment he brought them in." Malty added while smirking.
"Yeah, but he never threw them at Motoyasu now, did he? He brought those monsters to trick Motoyasu instead of using them as weapons. Also, are you saying that Motoyasu was too weak to fight some weak monsters?" Itsuki defended Loki's actions.
"Grr! I'm not weak, Itsuki!" Motoyasu exclaimed while tightly gripping his spear.
"Regardless, you also cast the spell twice which was illegal in duel. You can't deny it as everyone saw it, princess." Ren added.
"Loki may have used one illegal move, but you doubled that. And the difference is that one is harmless while the other is powerful enough to knock the opponent." Itsuki said.
"And from what I heard, Loki saved a village when it should've been the knights' job, hence why he didn't join us during taking down the boss." Ren said. "At the very least, you should present him with some reward."
Aultcray sighed in annoyance and frustration, "Fine, he'll be given the minimum agreed amount."
When the knight gave the money to Loki, he stared at it closely before giggling much to everyone's confusion. He glared at Aultcray and Malty who were still angry with him as usual before he threw the pouch at Motoyasu, much to his surprise.
"What is this!?" Motoyasu asked while clenching the pouch.
"Pity. You're quite… well… pathetic at the moment." Loki answered, as Motoyasu clenched both his spear and pouch harder than usual. "I don't need money from the king at the moment. I'm quite full anyway."
Motoyasu threw the pouch at the floor angrily, "I don't need your petty money, criminal!"
"Be my guest." Loki said, as he looked at the two heroes before he departed. "I'm impressed with you two. I thought you were idiots, but you have more brains than him."
"What did you say!?" Motoyasu asked angrily, as he pointed his spear at Loki who remained unfazed as usual.
"I don't know if that's supposed to be a compliment or an insult." Itsuki said.
"A bit of both. I'll be departing now. I had fun last night." Loki then slowly left the throne room dramatically.
After leaving the castle, the Avengers went back to the Beloukas' tent to pay for the potion that Loki stole. Beloukas wasn't annoyed nor disappointed that his customer stole his potion as long as he paid for it.
"I apologize for stealing your potion once again, Beloukas. I needed it." Loki handed the pouch to the slave trader.
"As long as you paid, it's not a problem." Beloukas then stared at Sigyn. "Hello, you must be the Shield Hero's first companion. Sigyn, was it?"
"You told him about me?" Sigyn asked her master.
"It slipped out of my tongue." Loki answered while looking at the cages, which some of them were empty the last time he was here.
"Regardless, you raised this thin little runt into a fine one in such a short time. You could easily get 20 golds for her if she isn't a virgin." Beloukas said.
"I'm still a virgin!" Raphtalia denied, as Sigyn facepalmed while Loki giggled from his disciple's retort.
"Then 35 gold!" Beloukas corrected himself.
"Tsk. Are you a pervert or a slave trader?" Sigyn said while hugging Raphtalia to keep her away from Beloukas.
"Hmm… thirty-five gold. That sounds a handsome deal." Loki said teasingly.
"Master Loki!" Raphtalia and Sigyn yelled at Loki, much to his amusement.
"I'm just joking. I wouldn't even want to think about selling anyone." Loki said before turning to Beloukas. "Besides, Raphtalia is no longer my slave so I have no right to sell her anyway."
"Then we'll be going now." Sigyn before dragging Raphtalia out of the tent.
"Wow. You're really close with them like a family." Beloukas said.
Loki smiled, "Well, they're the only family I will ever have in this world."
As Loki bid the slave trader farewell, he saw a glimpse of monster eggs on the table. He would've asked Beloukas about it, but his disciples are waiting for him outside so he shouldn't make them wait. He'll have to ask him about the eggs later, though he's knowledgeable about them thanks to the books. Besides, he doesn't need another warrior when he has two already.
The three of them then headed to the herb store where Loki usually sold high quality herbs. While selling the herbs and potions to the merchant, Loki noticed that the said merchant was acting differently towards him. It was as if he was grateful towards him.
"You know, master, I think you should hold on to the potions you made a little longer." Raphtalia said.
"She's right. We might need them for the next Wave." Sigyn agreed with her lil' sis.
"Not to worry. I made a lot of them when preparing for the Wave. It shouldn't be a problem selling some of them before they rot." Loki reassured them both before accepting the pouch of money from the merchant. 'I need to improve my crafting skills though. I won't earn more if I keep slacking off.'
"Wait. Before you go, Shield Hero! I have something to give you." The merchant took out a book and placed it on the counter. "This is a recipe book for higher quality potions than the ones you make. It should help you in your journey."
"I thank you, but why would you hand this to me freely?" Loki asked while raising his left eyebrow suspiciously.
"You saved my relatives in Riyute Village. I owe you a debt of gratitude. Plus, they asked him to help you out even though it was unnecessary to tell me." The merchant answered, which made the three of them smile.
"We're grateful to know that your relatives are alright." Sigyn said happily.
"The Avengers wouldn't dare to turn away from the people who needed help." Raphtalia declared.
"Avengers?" The merchant questioned.
"That would be our party name." Loki answered before taking the book. "I would be taking this now. It's disrespectful to turn down the offer. Thanks."
"No problem. Just keep protecting the people from the incoming Waves. I was wrong about you, Shield Hero." The merchant apologized.
"Don't blame yourself for believing the lies from the royal family." Loki suggested before reading the book while smirking. 'These are interesting potions. I could earn more profit from this.'
"By the way, the magic shop owner told me she wanted to thank you as well for saving her grandkids." The merchant said.
"Magic Shop? The store across from here?" Loki questioned, as the merchant nodded in response. "All right, we can drop by there. We have nothing to do anyway because it's a rest day."
"You know where it is, master?" Sigyn asked curiously.
"I've been exploring the town before I met either of you. I'm very knowledgeable about the stores and roads already." Loki answered by placing the book in his pocket. "Let's go. Thanks for the help, sir."
After the three of them left the herb shop, they made their way towards the magic shop. Raphtalia was playing with the orange ball as always while Sigyn was cautious about the surroundings because her master is too laid back. When they arrived in front of the magic shop, they were greeted by an energetic elderly woman.
"Oh my, you're the Shield Hero! It's good to see my grandkids' savior." The elderly woman said.
"Please, don't thank me only. My companions also helped." Loki pointed at Sigyn and Raphtalia.
"Oh, of course. I appreciate your help as well, darlings." The elderly woman said gratefully.
"All in the day's work, ma'am." Sigyn said.
Raphtalia nodded, "Yep."
"Oh, come here and sit." The elderly woman dragged Loki towards the two seats with a table in the middle that had a crystal ball.
"What is this artifact?" Loki asked curiously before sitting down.
"This is a crystal ball. It would tell what type of magic affinity you have." The elderly woman answered, as she peeked through the crystal ball to see the Shield Hero and his companions' affinity. "Interesting. You have various types of magic affinity, Shield Hero. You have affinity for Ice Magic, Dark Magic, Asgardian Magic, Healing Magic, and Support Magic."
"I think the last two are from my shield rather than part of my magic." Loki said. 'Ice and Dark Magic? Are my real people's ice abilities magic? And I've never even learned Dark Magic before because it's forbidden, except for Odin and Heimdall themselves.'
"I'm amazed. I've never heard of Ice Magic and Asgardian Magic before, though the only ice magic I know is Icicle Prison, but it counts as Water Magic." The elderly woman was amazed by the new types of magic that she never heard about. 'They must be magic from his world. How fascinating.'
"It's because I inherited these ones in my world. Magic is very common there." Loki said. 'So Dark Magic exists in this world? It may be a different dark magic than mine though.'
"That's interesting. I wish I could learn more about these types of magic." The elderly woman then turned to Raphtalia and Sigyn. "Now, for the young ladies. Ms. Raphtalia has an affinity for light and dark magic while Ms. Sigyn has an affinity for lightning and wind."
"Oh yeah, I've heard that raccoon demi-humans are gifted with light and dark magic. It seems that it's true." Sigyn said before smiling herself proudly. "And I have lightning and wind magic. They'll be helpful for my archery!"
'So Raphtalia has dark magic. Ah! I recall now. Dark Magic in this world is commonly used for illusions. It seems that I have to teach her, though it's going to be difficult because I'm not my mother.' Loki said mentally before looking down at the ground sadly at the thought of his beloved mother.
The elderly woman then placed a pile of magical books on the table, "Please take these novice level grimoires. They'll help you with your magic. I don't know if it'll help with yours, Shield Hero."
"I appreciate the books, but I can't afford them. I'm saving our funds for our equipment, food, and survival." Loki tried to refuse the offer.
"You don't need to pay. This is for saving my grandchildren the other day. I wouldn't have been able to see them grow if it weren't for you." The elderly woman said.
Loki sighed, "All right, I accept the offer. I can't turn down a present from a goodwill."
1 Week Later
On a cliff where they were teleported in the previous Wave, the three of them were sitting or laying down on the ground. It has been a week since the Wave. They've been training nonstop, but they're relaxing today. Loki and Sigyn were reading the books while Raphtalia tried to prevent herself from sleeping because she wants to become stronger by learning more about magic.
"Master, I'm quite surprised that you could read this world's alphabet. Isn't it quite different from yours?" Sigyn asked.
Loki chuckled, "On the contrary, it's quite similar. Humans from the past wrote different ancient writings, most of it was thanks to my people because they taught it. I learned numerous ancient alphabets in the past out of curiosity, but I never thought it would be useful here. There are some alphabets in this world that I couldn't read nor understand though, but I mainly replace it with a familiar word in my mind."
"That's impressive. I really wish I got to see your universe, Master Loki."
"Me too! I want to see the planets and their civilization! There might be a planet filled with demi-humans like me!" Raphtalia said excitedly.
"When the Waves are over, I'll bring you both to my world. I'll also bring your parents, Sigyn. That's a promise." Loki said. 'I hope they live in a world where any other threats like Thanos aren't constant.'
"Then let's beat the Waves. so we can see your world and others!" Raphtalia declared.
"Aye! Aye!" Sigyn agreed.
Loki smiled while shaking his head from their enthusiasm before continuing to read the book. Suddenly, he felt something from miles away. He stood up to concentrate on the source, but he couldn't detect it. He was feeling a familiar energy from afar. An energy he felt through wielding Gungnir, from Odin Allfather, and the Destroyer Automaton back in 2011.
'Odinforce?' Loki was surprised and shocked that there's a being that is emitting Odinforce right now.
"Master Loki? Are you okay?" Raphtalia asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. I just… felt something in my… arse." Loki said, which made Sigyn and Raphtalia burst out laughing. 'Why did I say that?'
Loki stared back to locate the source, but it disappeared in an instant. He wondered who was using Odinforce because only the king's lineage were able to use the powerful magic. It couldn't be an artifact because it briefly moved like a living organism. He'll have to investigate the source soon.
Riyute Village
When the sun settled down, the three of them went to the Riyute Village for lodging temporarily until the next Wave. The residents of the village were grateful to see the Shield Hero and his companions again. They were even called Avengers now. Raphtalia and Sigyn played with the children while Loki was helping the adults cleaning up the remaining monster corpses from the Wave. They were amazed and shocked that Loki was able to move the heavy corpses easily because of his frost giant biology.
After dinner, Raphtalia and Sigyn went to bed after talking about the future. Loki, on the other hand, left the rented house quietly. He made his way to the forest quietly where he detected Odinforce somewhere yet again.
"All right, where are you?" Loki questioned.
Loki roamed around the forest continuously while slaying various monsters. He's confident that his companions wouldn't know about the XP gains because he's too far away from them and briefly lost their connection as a result. An hour later, he was far away from the Riyute Village now. He stopped on his tracks after detecting another spy like before but it was a different person this time.
"If you want to spy on me, I suggest you do a better job at it." Loki said quietly, but the spy heard it.
The spy then jumped on the ground to confront the Shield Hero. They were wearing a dark cloak and a silver mask to conceal their identity and gender, yet Loki speculated their gender due to their body movement. The spy was a woman.
"How did you know I was there?" The spy asked.
"There's not a lot of people that can sneak up on me." Loki then pointed his dagger at the spy after conjuring it. "Also, I'm the one doing the questioning. Who are you? Why are you following me? And where is your friend?" [1]
The spy sighed, "I can't reveal my identity nor the reason why I'm following you. I hope you respect my wishes, Shield Hero."
"Well, if I can't know your name then you're a threat to me and my companions." Loki walked towards the spy cautiously. "Tell me who you are working for."
"That's classified. You wouldn't believe me if I did. My apologies, Shield Hero." The spy said, noticing that she was struggling speaking with her mouth somehow.
Loki lowered his dagger and whispered to her ear, "Tell me who you work for." [2]
"I work for Queen Mirellia Q. Melro-!" The spy covered her mouth instantly after slipping out the name. 'What? Why did I answer? I felt like I lost control of my mouth for a second!'
"I see. You're a Shadow, specifically one of the Queen's shadows." Loki said, as the spy sweat profusely after revealing such important information. "My apologies for manipulating your mind for a second. I'm just curious."
"Manipulate? Is that what you did?" The shadow was shocked that the Shield Hero had such abilities, otherwise, she wouldn't have come closer after her location was revealed.
"So, why did the queen task one of her shadows to tail on me?" Loki asked curiously, but the shadow refused to give any more information. "Fine. Have it your way. You're lucky I'm no longer a killer because I would've deemed you a threat."
"You're letting me go?" The shadow questioned, as she thought that the Shield Hero would've held her hostage for information.
"For now. I'm currently busy right now." Loki said, as he felt the energy closer than he anticipated. "If you don't leave now, I might take you in for questioning."
The shadow lowered her head before bowing, "I'll see you soon, Shield Hero."
When the shadow disappeared in the shadows, Loki continued to search for the one who has the Odinforce. After ten minutes of searching, he was standing in an open area where he detected his father's energy. Before he moved any further, he heard an angry scream of a horse.
Loki the horse galloping rapidly as if it was running like a cheetah. It was heading towards him at a rapid pace. He activated and switched his shield to Light Steel Shield immediately, but he was hit on the stomach and sent flying through the trees before he could execute his battle stance.
Loki groaned and spat blood, "That was unexpected."
When Loki stood up with a struggle, he stared at the horse that attacked him which widened his eyes. It was a black horse with golden battle armor and had eight legs, compared to ordinary horses. He immediately recognized the horse as he befriended him when he was a toddler. It's the same horse that his father used as a mode of transportation for war.
"Sleipnir?" Loki questioned quietly.
Sleipnir squealed at Loki before he galloped towards him at an incredible speed. Loki dodged him, but his right leg was still hit with full force which sent him flying into another tree again. He felt a broken leg, trying to hold his scream of pain because anyone might discover the location. As Sleipnir prepared to ram him again, Loki stood up and held a thick branch to support himself to stop the eight-legged horse.
"Sleipnir, stop! As part of the royal family of Asgard, you are forbidden to assault any members, even if they were once criminals! You are violating the law that my father placed upon you!" Loki announced to Sleipnir, who was running towards him.
Sleipnir widened his eyes from surprise after hearing the law before stopping his gallop. He stopped in front of Loki, who closed his eyes to prepare to take on the full force. He moved his face closer to Loki and began sniffing him, confirming that he was indeed Loki of Asgard.
Loki opened his eyes and breathed heavily, "Thank Odin!"
Sleipnir moved towards Loki slowly as he was cautious of him. The last time met his young master was when he was a heinous criminal who was serving his time in a prison cell after invading Earth, but he noticed that the prince was different than usual. He sniffed Loki, who was down on the ground, before licking him as it has been a long time since meeting one of the royal family, much to the prince's displeasure.
"All right, all right." Loki said, as Sleipnir stopped licking him. "What are you doing here, Sleipnir? How are you even here?"
As Sleipnir couldn't speak in human tongue, he manipulated the Odinforce within his body to answer Loki's question by making an illusion, similar to his magic yet different at the same time. He revealed to his young master how he arrived in this unknown realm. After Loki pretended to be Odin Allfather, he sent Sleipnir to Vanaheim as he had no use for the horse which made him feel guilty because he was useful when it comes to traveling somewhere faster. While roaming around the realm, he encountered a strange portal that doesn't resemble the Eldritch Portal that Doctor Strange uses.
Sleipnir went through the portal out of curiosity, causing him to be transported into another realm which was here, he was stranded in an unknown realm and remained hidden to avoid being spotted by humans. He has been hiding from the outside world peacefully for ten months until the Waves of Catastrophe occurred. He was fighting the monsters in secret and leveling up, though he doesn't understand the last part. A few days later, he heard from the adventurers about 'Four Legendary Heroes' being summoned in a country called 'Melromarc' to combat the monsters. Out of curiosity, he went to meet the heroes by hiding in the shadows but he only recalled seeing three heroes. He never saw the fourth hero, but has heard of him.
"Uh… yeah, the fourth shield might be..." Loki then raised his hand, revealing the attached shield. "I'm the Shield Hero."
Sleipnir was surprised by Loki, but he collapsed on the ground immediately much to Loki's worry. He was unconscious due to the immense usage of Odinforce. Loki was scratching his head, as he doesn't know how to move Sleipnir.
"How am I going to move you? You aren't an ordinary horse." Loki said before coming to a conclusion. "Well, it looks like I'm going to drag you back to the village. Bear with the pain."
A few minutes later, Loki dragged Sleipnir back to the village. He was exhausted after painfully dragging him across the forest for what it feels like years. He placed Sleipnir into an empty horse stable and left him alone to rest. He hopes that the villagers won't question him about an unknown black horse with freaky eight legs. He then felt that someone was watching him from afar. He speculated it was the same Shadow that he encountered earlier. He stared at her direction before entering the house to sleep for the night. It has been a long day of nothing but reading books.
The next morning, there were loud murmurs outside. Loki woke up and looked outside the window where the people were standing in front of the same stable that he dropped off Sleipnir. He wasn't really panicking that they'd discovered him since they're just curious. After wearing his usual armor, he exited the house after quietly passing by Raphtalia and Sigyn who were still sleeping.
"What is going on here?" Loki asked curiously while yawning.
"Lord Loki! There is a really weird horse in the stable! I've never seen anything like it before!" The village chief exclaimed.
"Oh, you must be talking about Sleipnir. He's a horse that was formerly owned by my father back in Asgard. I assure you that he is harmless." Loki reassured the chief.
"Asgard? Is that the name of your world, Lord Loki?" The chief asked curiously.
"Yes, indeed. Please don't make fun of it because someone already did before." Loki stared at the kids who were riding Sleipnir happily while the people were amazed by his existence. "I almost forgot that he's good with kids." [3]
Loki walked towards Sleipnir slowly who was still preoccupied by the children. The villagers lowered their heads to Loki when they saw him as a respect for saving their village from the monsters. When Sleipnir saw Loki, he walked towards him while the children were enjoying his company.
"Hello, Sleipnir. I hope you're well rested." Loki said before patting the royal horse's muzzle. "
"Master Loki!" Raphtalia called out to her master.
"Raphtalia?" Loki was bewildered that Raphtalia was still wearing her pajamas that he stitched last night. "Did you just get up from bed? You're still in your pajamas."
"Pajamas? Is that what she's wearing?"
"It seems comfortable."
Raphtalia nodded before scratching her head in embarrassment, "Yeah. I went out of the house immediately after seeing the majestic horse. What's his name?"
"This is Sleipnir. He was my father's war horse. He is known as the 'Fastest Horse of All Nine Realms'." Loki introduced Sleipnir to his disciple. "Sleipnir. This is my disciple, Raphtalia. Say hi."
Sleipnir neighed happily at Raphtalia.
Raphtalia chuckled, "Nice to meet you too, Sleipnir."
Sigyn yawned while walking towards Loki and Raphtalia, "Raphtalia, you need to change."
"Ah! Right! I'll be back." Raphtalia rushed back to the house to change her clothes.
Sigyn sighed, "Seriously. Isn't she embarrassed wearing those comfy clothes?"
Loki chuckled, "Sleipnir. This is my other disciple, Sigyn."
Sleipnir neighed happily at Sigyn as well.
"Nice to meet you, Sleipnir." Sigyn greeted back before observing Sleipnir. "He's really an odd horse. He has eight legs. Why does he have that?"
"I'm not sure either. My father didn't tell me and my brother about it. He's a different horse compared to the other horses we have in Asgard." Loki answered before staring at the kids who were still on Sleipnir's back. "Go on, Sleipnir. Entertain the kids. I'll be with you later."
"Are you sure, Lord Loki? Since you consider yourself a royalty from another world, it's disrespectful for the kids to use a royal horse." An elderly man said worriedly.
"And the fact that you're considered a god in your world as well." A young woman added.
Loki chuckled in amusement, "It's fine. There's no repercussion in using my fa-my horse. Have fun with him."
"Lord Loki is too kind!" The villagers exclaimed joyfully.
As Sleipnir galloping around the village while the children were screaming in delight and joy, Loki and Sigyn head back to the house. There is something on Loki's mind, and he has a bad feeling after an eventful meeting with Sleipnir last night. He'll have to discuss it with his disciples.
After Loki and Sigyn went inside the house, both of them sat down while waiting for Raphtalia. Sigyn could tell that Loki has something in plan because of his expression. A second later, Raphtalia joined in with them after changing to her casual clothes.
"Now that Raphy is here, do you have something in your mind, master?" Sigyn asked curiously.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure whether my theory is correct or not." Loki then cast an illusion of mysterious relics from Odin's Vault. "If Sleipnir is in this world, then there's a possibility that these relics are in this world as well."
"What? How can you be sure about that?" Sigyn asked while raising her eyebrow.
"Sleipnir mentioned about entering a mysterious portal, which was probably before Ragnarök occurred." Loki answered while both of his disciple were staring at him in disbelief. "No, Sleipnir doesn't talk. He simply used Odinforce to cast an illusion similar to mine."
"That makes sense now." Sigyn said, thinking that her master must've gone cuckoo after lack of sleep from the past week. She's still in disbelief that Loki isn't showing any tiredness, even if he's a frost giant.
"Are these relics dangerous?" Raphtalia asked curiously and worriedly.
"Yes." Loki answered honestly. "Eternal Flame, Tuning Fork, Tablet of Life and Time, Warlock's Eye, and… Casket of Ancient Winters. They're too dangerous to be left unchecked in this world. We need to find them before anyone does or there'll be chaos."
"What does each relic do?" Sigyn asked curiously.
"The Tuning Fork is a relic that summons the Lurking Unknown to Asgard. And considering it isn't on Asgard anymore, it'll summon the beast here." Loki explained the Tuning Fork.
"Eh, we faced monsters everyday. I'm pretty sure ordinary knights can take it on…" Sigyn said confidently before looking at her master's worried expression. "…right?"
"I'm afraid not." Loki said. "My father told me and Thor that the Lurking Unknown is an extra-dimensional being that gains its powers from the fear of other lifeforms. It claimed to have destroyed world after world, never having been defeated… until he banished it somewhere."
"Wha-?" Raphtalia shivered in fear while Sigyn was bewildered by the unstoppable reature.
"If somebody gets hold of that relic, then you'll have to say goodbye to this world soon." Loki said.
"Now I'm more eager to find these relics!" Sigyn exclaimed, as she doesn't want her world to be destroyed alongside her parents. "Explain the next one please, master."
"The Table of Life and Time is a biochemical formula for a serum, known as the Lifeline Formula, that can rejuvenate, heal, and grant its user to reach the full evolutionary potential of their race, transforming them into nearly omnipotent immortals." Loki explained the tablet.
"Immortality? Has anyone been using it?" Sigyn was interested in the relic. She doesn't recall in history books about artifacts that grant immortality in her world.
Loki shook his head, "My father believed it to be too dangerous. I still believed him to the point that I didn't even try using it when I was a… villain. I wasn't planning to risk my… whatever."
"…"
"…master." Raphtalia said quietly.
"Anyway, the Warlock's Eye. It is a powerful, mystical weapon that uses a powerful mind-controlling enchantment that very few can resist." Loki explained the Warlock's Eye, attempting to divert the villain topic away. "An enemy attempted to use it on me, my brother, the Warrior's Three, and Sif during the Battle of Harokin, but it was utterly unsuccessful because our minds were too strong for it. Mine was stronger though."
"If anyone has it, they could control anyone's weak minds." Raphtalia pointed out.
"Yeah, that is bad. They're going to let someone do something out of their will." Sigyn said.
Loki chuckled while frowning, "…Yeah."
Raphtalia tilted her head, "Master?"
"Right! Continuing on! Next is the Eternal Flame. It has the power to resurrect the dead, as demonstrated when my 'loving' sister, Hela, used the Flame to revive Fenris and her undead army." Loki explained the Eternal Flame.
"Resurrect the dead…? Can it…?" Raphtalia was about to ask her master if it's capable of resurrecting her parents, but she was stopped by Loki.
"I know what you're going to say, Raphtalia, and I suggest not. If you're planning to use the Flame to resurrect your parents. They may not be your parents anymore." Loki warned her. "They'll just be your mindless soldiers instead. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Raphtalia frowned before shaking her head, "No. It was worth a try, I guess…"
Sigyn placed her hand on Raphtalia's head for comfort, "What else does it do?"
"…It was also the source of Surtur's power. By placing his crown into the Flame, he can be summoned and, if he has already been killed, even resurrected, restored to full power, enabling him to unleash Ragnarök… which he did successfully." Loki said with a sad tone.
"Oh, I shouldn't have asked that." Sigyn regretted asking about the other capabilities of the Eternal Flame. "Anyway, what's the last one?"
Loki stared at the final relic briefly before sighing, "The Casket of Ancient Winters. It belonged to the Frost Giants before Odin took it during the Asgard-Jotunheim War."
"Oh…"
"The Casket can reproduce the infinite, icy cold of Jotunheim. It can produce cold in a variety of forms, ranging from a concentrated beam capable of freezing individual enemies to a large vortex of icy wind capable of freezing an entire landscape." Loki explained the capabilities of the Casket. "If somebody uses it, your world will become a realm of ice quickly."
"Oh heck no! I'm not planning to live a cold life!" Sigyn exclaimed.
"And these… relics are in this world?" Raphtalia questioned.
"I'm not entirely sure. For all I know, Sleipnir is probably the only one who was transported here." Loki answered. "But we'll know for sure once there are rumors about their existence during our travels."
"I can't believe you have terrifying relics lying around in your castle, Master Loki. It honestly makes the Legendary Weapons and Vassal Weapons kind of inferior to them." Sigyn said.
"Yea-Hold on. Vassal Weapons?" Loki doesn't recall anything about these weapons during his research.
"Hmm? They are entities, or spirits of vassal weapons, who come from another world before being summoned. They choose the candidate to be forcefully summoned to another world to wield; however, unlike legendary weapons, these weapons can be summoned without a candidate present, allowing locals to wield them if they prove themselves worthy." Sigyn answered. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't heard about them."
"Worthy? So it's like Mjølnir." Loki whispered to himself. "How many are they?"
"I think…eight?" Sigyn said. "Some believed there were nine, but there's no proof."
"I see…" Loki wondered why he didn't find any records about Vassal Weapons in the Melromarc Castle Library. It was probably because he couldn't stay long in the library, otherwise, he would've been caught. "So anyway, we need to depart from the v-"
Suddenly, there were loud murmurs outside of the house. The three of them looked at each before standing up and walked towards the door. As they exited the house, they saw the villagers gathering while Sleipnir was staying near the stables cautiously. Out of curiosity, they went behind the crowd and saw two familiar people standing in front of them.
"You've got to be kidding me." Loki expressed his disbelief upon seeing two idiots once again.
"In honor of his achievement during the Wave," The annoying princess, Malty, announced while holding some kind of decree. "The Spear Hero, Sir Motoyasu, has been appointed lord of this land."
Motoyasu smirked 'politely', "Yo."
"To speed the recovery of the village, a toll will be raised on passage." Malty added. "50 silver for both entering and exiting the village."
"That's absurd!" One of the villagers pointed out angrily.
"We won't have anything to eat tomorrow!" The second villager added.
"…so you won't obey the edict of your lord?" Malty felt annoyed and frustrated by the villagers' reluctance.
"Why the Hel would they?" Loki asked. "You're basically trading their life for reconstruction. Besides, I've already fixed their houses. There's no need for your presence to be here."
"The Shield Hero!? What the hell are you doing here!?" Malty wasn't in the mood to see the Shield Hero in the early morning.
"I've been staying here for a couple of days. What else would I be doing here?" Loki answered before staring at Motoyasu. "And I see you got a similar gear. A gift from the king perhaps? A pity reward?"
"Shut up, criminal! What do you mean that you fixed the houses!?" Motoyasu demanded an answer from the one who cheated in their fight, refusing to believe that Loki was much stronger and skillful than him.
Loki sighed before signaling them to look around, "Do you see any damaged houses? I've already fixed them a week ago. It really took a week for the king to respond to this village's needs? How ridiculous."
"Y-!" Motoyasu was about to refute, but his 'loyal' member and friend stopped him.
"Silence, hound! You are in Lord Motoyasu's territory right now! Leave at o-!"
"Then I have a question, Your Lordship, do you know how much it costs to stay a night here?" Loki asked the Spear Hero immediately, ignoring the princess' insults and order.
"Wha-? Of course I know! It's-" Motoyasu was scratching his cheek, as he couldn't find an answer.
"It's one silver, including meals." Loki answered confidently. "An adult villager can get by with... twenty copper coins per day. Are you willing to bleed the villagers for the sake of reconstruction that is no longer required?"
"That's right!"
"Who do you think you are, barging in our village and declaring yourself as a lord?"
"In the first place, the Shield Hero is the one who saved our village during the Wave! He should be the lord instead!"
"I can accept that. I have no intention of leaving this village's rule to some hero who didn't save us." The lord of the village agreed with everyone.
"That's not-!" Motoyasu was interrupted by Malty once again.
"You dare to object to the royal decree?" Malty questioned, trying to silence the peasants for siding with the criminal. She then signaled her knights to aim their spears at the villagers.
Loki sighed, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Your Highness."
"Oh? And what are you to tell me?" Malty asked curiously while smirking because the Shield Hero couldn't do anything to stop her, as he'll definitely become a criminal of the kingdom if he struck her. She'll be satisfied after exacting her revenge on the one who ruined her plans.
Loki smirked, "Because… they're here."
"Wh-?"
Before Malty could finish her sentence, a bunch of cloaked individuals appeared before her and kneeled in front of her respectfully. Malty widened her eyes that her mother's Shadows were watching her the whole time, but even more shocked that the Shield Hero detected their arrival which shouldn't be possible for him.
"Princess Malty, we pray you know who we are." The first Shadow spoke. It was the same Shadow that Loki encountered last night.
"What are you-?" Malty was interrupted by the same Shadow.
"A message." The Shadow showed her a scroll.
"Master Loki, who are those people?" Raphtalia asked quietly.
"They're the Queen's Shadows. They aren't your average people. They can hide their presence quite well." Loki answered quietly.
Sigyn snorted, "Not well enough if you can detect them easily."
"What…? This is unacceptable!" Malty was shivering in anger after reading the scroll by the mysterious writer. She then glared at the Shield Hero before pointing her finger at him. "Shield Hero! A duel for the ownership of the village!"
"…huh?" Loki was confused by the sudden declaration. 'What was in the scroll that made her target me, aside from exacting her revenge?'
"Please, Shield Hero." The lord of the village begged the mischievous hero. "If you refuse the duel, the Spear Hero will become the lord of this village. We won't be able to survive within a day. As the local lord, I cannot assent to a tax increase at this time of year!"
"Master Loki. You're going to help them, right?" Raphtalia questioned.
"Of course I will." Loki answered without a hesitation, much to the villagers' delight. "But I need some reward after this, money is an exception."
"You're too kind, Lord Loki!"
"Thank you, Shield Hero!"
"So… what will the dual be? Certainly not a one-on-one fight again. You wouldn't want to lose the king's gift, Motoyasu." Loki said mockingly, causing everyone in the village to laugh, except for Raphtalia and Sigyn.
"Grr! No! It'll be a race!" Motoyasu answered while clenching his hands angrily from the mockery. "I excel with a tyrella."
Loki smirked, "I accept the challenge then."
"Alright then. Where is your mount?" Motoyasu asked.
Loki whistles, "Sleipnir!"
As Sleipnir walked towards his new master obediently, the Spear Hero and Princess of Melromarc were in disbelief after witnessing such an odd horse with eight legs. The knights were also bewildered by the mysterious horse. They've never heard anything about an eight-legged horse before, not even in the monster books they've read.
"This is Sleipnir." Loki introduced his horse to the hero and princess. "I suggest you surrender this early, hero. You wouldn't want to challenge him in a race."
Malty laughed tremendously, "Such a hideous animal. You're going to mount him in the race? He's barely going to run with those eight legs of his!"
"She's right. If anything, your horse can't keep up with my tyrella!" Motoyasu agreed with Malty while laughing loudly as well.
Sleipnir squealed aggressively at Motoyasu and Malty.
Loki chuckled, "You shouldn't have aggravated him. He doesn't like it when somebody calls him 'slow'."
"Then he'll have to live with it." Malty insulted the horse again.
Motoyasu walked closer to Sleipnir, "Such a pitiful animal. It's sad that you're riding a disabled animal. You should be ashamed of yours-!"
Out of nowhere, Sleipnir kicked Motoyasu aggressively in his private part. Motoyasu was sent flying into the air and landed on a pile of hay outside of the village.
"Lord Motoyasu!" Malty called out 'worriedly' before running towards him, as her knights followed her.
"Wow. I totally didn't expect that." Loki admitted before giving a pat to his horse's back as a praise. "Nice one, Sleipnir."
"That is definitely going to hurt in a week." Sigyn said before chuckling. "What an idiot. You should never aggravate a horse."
Outside of the villager, both heroes were riding their respective mounts while waiting for the race to start. There were a couple of villagers watching the race, as they cheered for the Shield Hero. Loki noticed that there are few knights outside of the village, meaning he suspected that they're planning something to throw off the race and give the win to the Spear Hero. He's interested whether or not their plan would work finally, but he has to concentrate on winning the race to save the village from dictatorship. It's kind of ironic for him now that he thinks about it.
"The contest will be three laps around the outskirts of the village." The lord of the village said. "The first to pass those gates will be the victor."
"Sir Motoyasu!" Malty cheered for the hero.
"Master Loki! Good luck!" Raphtalia cheered for her master.
"Show us how fast that horse really is." Sigyn said.
"On your marks…!" The lord raised his hand, as Motoyasu prepared to order his dragon to move while Loki remained relaxed. "…Go!"
As the lord lowered his hand, Motoyasu set off immediately but Loki remained behind the line. There was confusion amongst the villagers, even the princess and royal knights. The Shield Hero was simply… yawning while the eight-legged horse was waiting for his master to command him.
Motoyasu looked back in confusion, 'What the hell!? What is he playing at!? Whatever. I must win this! I'll make him pay!'
"What is going on? Why is the Shield Hero not moving?"
"Could it be that he surrendered?"
"No, he probably has something in mind. He's a well known trickster from what I've heard…"
"Master Loki, are you not going yet?" Raphtalia asked curiously.
Loki smirked, "I'm just waiting for the right moment."
"Ha! I guess the Shield Hero is a coward after all. What did I suspect from a lowlife?" Malty asked herself.
A couple of seconds later, Motoyasu crossed the line while Loki remained relaxed while the dust was flying all over him. The Shield Hero was checking his status, ignoring the fact that the Spear Hero finished the first lap. Motoyasu remained confused, but he smirked as he believed that he had won already.
"The Shield Hero isn't moving yet."
"What is he planning?"
"Are we going to have a new lord…?"
'What are you planning, master?' Sigyn asked in her thoughts.
"Sleipnir, be ready once that mortal crossed the second lap." Loki whispered to his horse's ears. "We'll show him the true definition of speed."
Sleipnir neighed in agreement, eagerly to humiliate the so-called hero and princess after they insulted him because of his 'abormal' appearance. He was told by Odin, his previous master, to respect everyone he just met because he's part of royalty, but he couldn't contain his anger anymore.
A couple of seconds later, Motoyasu crossed the line once again, finishing the second lap. He was beginning to slow down because he was confident that the Shield Hero wasn't going to move in anyway. He doesn't understand why the so-called prince didn't surrender early on, but it doesn't matter as he'll humiliate him with his well earned 'victory'. As he was slightly farther from the line now, Loki cracked his knuckles before commanding Sleipnir.
"Break a leg, Sleipnir." Loki ordered the eight-legged horse to run.
"Do you really think you can catch up n-?" Malty was immediately interrupted by both of them.
In an instant, Sleipnir and Loki disappeared from everyone's sight as the sounds of the earth cracked, leaving a large smoke of dust in the line. Farther down the track, Motoyasu was humming calmly at his victory until he heard a loud sound.
"What is tha-!?" Motoyasu looked back and widened his eyes at the speed of his opponent. "What!?"
A streak of yellow line went past the Spear Hero, along with a gush of wind. The knights, who were missing from the line earlier, spotted the Shield Hero. They were about to cast a spell to slow him down, but the traps failed because he was going way too fast.
"What the-!?" The knights immediately covered their ears due to the sonic boom displayed by the horse.
As Loki and Sleipnir finished the first lap, the eight-legged horse picked up the pace and ran as fast he could to the point that everything felt slowed down. The villagers couldn't react to what just happened because they disappeared in a flash. A microsecond later, both of them passed Motoyasu again, much to his confusion.
"The hell is going on!?" Motoyasu exclaimed before signaling his dragon. "C'mon, boy! Go faster!"
When the tyrella was picking up his pace as well, a streak of yellow line went past his and his master meaning that both Loki and Sleipnir just finished the second lap within a microsecond. And it felt like their speed increased from the last one.
"No! How is that possible!?" Motoyasu asked angrily, confused by the sudden speed from the Shield Hero.
"See you at the finish line, spearhead." Loki mocked the Spear Hero before Sleipnir increased his speed again. He told Sleipnir to slow down earlier to have a 'chat' with the fellow hero.
"No!" Motoyasu yelled.
As both heroes turned around the corner, the finishing line was right in front of them. The villagers, Raphtalia, and Sigyn were cheering for Loki while the knights and Malty were cheering for Motoyasu. Motoyasu signaled his dragon to run faster, but he couldn't move any faster. Loki, on the other hand, signaled Sleipnir to run faster. They were victorious once both of them crossed the line in an instant, breaking the paper thread.
Loki sighed in 'exhaustion', "That was thrilling. I forgot how fast you are, Sleipnir."
Sleipnir neighed happily.
"Well done, Shield Hero! We won't have to increase the tax payment thanks to you!" The lord congratulated the Shield Hero.
"It's more thanks to Sleipnir here. I wasn't joking around when I said that he's the fastest horse in all of the nine realms." Loki diverted the thanks to his noble steed.
"You cheated!" Malty accused the God of Mischief, as everyone stared at her. "You used some kind of magic to increase the speed of that filthy horse! There's no way that horse is faster than a tyrella!"
Loki raised his eyebrow, "Cheating? Didn't you station your knights around the outskirts to slow me down."
"What proof do you have?" Malty asked sarcastically. 'In the first place, why didn't the traps work!?'
"They can back me up." Loki gestured towards the Shadows that were kneeling in front of her.
"Hm? Huh!?" Malty exclaimed, as she totally didn't see them in front of her. Neither did her knights and the villagers as well.
"The Shield Hero spoke the truth." The female Shadow agreed with the hero. "There are traces of magic usage along with the racecourse."
"Tsk! That criminal must've done it!" Malty accused the god once again. "There's also the fact that his freak horse is abnormally fast!"
"No. The Shield Hero has a magic affinity of healing and support, along with couple of magic that he possessed from his world." The Shadow explained. "His raccoon companion has a magic affinity of Light Magic and Dark Magic while his other companion has Lightning and Wind Magic. These are not the types of magic discovered on the course."
Loki smirked, 'Busted~'
"Tsk. Then the h-!"
"That horse was born with remarkable speed. It isn't magic, though there are hints that it originated from something stronger, but the Shield Hero doesn't possess whatever it is." The Shadow answered immediately. "In truth, the Shield Hero never cheated. It was clearly performed by the Spear Hero's party."
'Damn it! So that disabled horse is actually that fast!? I've never heard such ludicrous animal!' Malty yelled at her mind before turning around angrily. "Fine. We will leave you to your misdeeds today."
Motoyasu walked towards Loki and his disciples, "I let you win this time, but I'm not going to lose next time. Mark my w-."
"Sure, sure, whatever you say. It seems you and your balls didn't learn anything today." Loki mocked him while smirking, causing Sleipnir and Sigyn to snicker from the hilarious tease while Raphtalia was slightly surprised by the vulgar insult.
"Grr! I'll get you next time!" Motoyasu declared before walking away slowly while groaning from the immense pain of his balls.
After the Spear Hero and Princess Malty left the village, Loki stared at the Shadows briefly before heading back to the village. Raphtalia and Sigyn followed him behind though they wondered how the Shadows could disappear in an instant when they turned their heads around, but they shrugged it off. The villagers then surrounded the three of them with a delightful expression.
"Shield Hero, thank you so much once again." The lord expressed his thanks. "No amount of thanks could ever express our gratitude."
"There's no need to thank me. I just did… what I thought was right…" Loki said while smiling, as he couldn't handle the emotion he was having after seeing everyone expressed their gratitude towards him. "Anyway, please give us our reward. It doesn't have to be money. I wouldn't spread rumors about me being a thief. I will definitely be treated as an actual criminal. Not that I care anyway, but it would be a nuisance."
"Then what should we… ah!" The lord had an excellent idea after seeing the slightly rundown wagon. "Why don't you work as a traveling merchant?"
"A traveling… merchant?" Loki before staring at the wagon and Sleipnir. "That's honestly a better reward than I anticipated. I could sell my potions and other materials."
"That's right. You could earn a profit." The lord agreed with him. "We'll issue you a document that allows you to freely travel between towns and villages to sell there."
"Are you sure? We'll happily take the wagon." Sigyn said.
"Not at all. It's the least we could do." The lord said before staring at Sleipnir who was playing with the children again. "You have a fast horse, Shield Hero. You'll earn profit quickly."
"Yeah, we'll depart tomorrow morning." Loki then yawned after a long day. "I need some sleep right now."
When the night falls, Loki sat down on his bed while both of his disciples were laying down on theirs. He stared at the window where he saw Sleipnir sleeping soundly outside of the stable while the children sat beside him, comforting the adorable horse by brushing his mane. He was glad that he found someone that is connected to his home besides his mother's magic.
*Playing 'Frigga' by Natalie Holt*
"We're gonna be stuck with each other, Sleipnir." Loki whispered to himself. "We're probably the only inhabitants of Asgard in this world."
Loki then lay down in his bed, planning to get himself a goodnight rest for tomorrow's journey as a traveling merchant. If there are relics that are scattered across this realm, then it's a good idea to become a traveling merchant because he'll have some information about anything related to them. He can't let anyone possess these weapons, especially from the idiotic heroes.
"I stormsvarte fjell, jeg vandrer alene…" Loki sang himself a song to sleep quicker.
Unbeknownst to Loki, his song was heard by Raphtalia and Sigyn. It isn't the first time Sigyn heard it, but it still got her over the feels. Both of them quite felt emotional from hearing the first note before a small bit of tears were flowing from their eyes causing them to drift into sleep.
CHAPTER 9 ENDED
Author's Notes:
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I added Sleipnir into this story despite appearing once in the MCU. It's a shame we never get to see him more when he's the fastest horse in the Norse Mythology… and the child of Loki, which of course, he isn't in Marvel. Anyway, Sleipnir is basically a replacement for Filo because she doesn't exist like in the spin-off novel, The Reprise of the Spear Hero where Motoyasu got a different Filolial. There will be, however, Filolian Queen candidate in the future.
[1] A reference to The Avengers where Loki was slightly impressed that Black Widow managed to sneak up on him. It shows how Loki can detect assassins, even if they're experienced, probably because he is used to it for the past thousand years.
[2] Loki has the ability of Mental Manipulation. He could subtly influence the minds of others, such as when he manipulated Erik Selvig into researching the Tesseract, making him repeat his words and thoughts as if they were his own. He basically tricked her into thinking that she's asking herself who she worked for, but it won't work for the second time. Don't confuse it with mind control.
[3] A reference in Thor: Ragnarok where the Grandmaster insulted Asgard due to its 'hilarious' name.