Greeting her mother with a respectful bow, Nanami stood ready at the teleportation location. After learning much of the Asgardian customs from passing conversations within the castle, Nanami presented herself best as to fit the image the warrior society would expect of her. As the messenger between both nations, she would not fail her mother a second time.
Just like any security detail escorting a king into a foreign land, two dozen silver Valkyries marched from where the rainbow beam landed. In a reverse-V formation, the females moved in unison, with their captain, Lady Sif, the last to join their rank while sitting upon a pegasus.
Right behind the beautiful warriors was the Thunder God himself, Thor Odinson. Black, gold, and silver armor protected his chest, arms, and legs as the heir to Odin's throne scanned the land with his thundering blue eyes. With golden, silky locks of hair matching his wife, Thor's attention eventually drew back near his newlywed. Breathing in the fresh forest air, excitement ran through his veins. Perhaps, for the first time in a month, Thor would be back fighting, instead of dealing with boring court matters.
Second-to-last to arrive were Frigga, dressed in a gold-tinted cream-colored gown, accompanied by Viridi slightly behind and to her side. Dressed in a similar maid outfit given to Gratia, the ancient elf matched the Queen's steps perfectly, keeping exactly five paces apart. It was difficult for Nanami to gauge how she felt about Eos' and Viridi's punishments, but given how easily they were let off, she thanked her mother's kind heart everyday.
Last to arrive, and dressed very poorly for the occasion, was Toreii who lacked any social awareness. In her ever-persistent red-and-white shrine maiden robes, the deity was subjected to the unfortunate reality of 'We can't tell a king what to wear!' Now, in front of the elves and their last kingdom, Ai's hindsight proved to be as great as ever. Feeling as prepared as her worst procrastinating student, she deeply regretted never learning to properly dress herself.
Wondering if it was still too late to head back and quickly change into something more decorative for the occasion, Vy's own clothing situation was partially to blame for herself forgetting to dress up. Wearing nothing but the breezy toga given to her when she arrived, the returning princess turned out to have no qualms about her appearance whatsoever, wasting Ai's worries. Remembering the child had originally ran away from home, Ai had second thoughts about whether or not bringing her would be emotionally taxing.
To Toreii's surprise, Vy showed neither malice nor sadness about her homecoming.
Standing at attention before a boulder-sized wooden gate was a fleet of armored soldiers, boldly holding the flag of the human alliance. Three sections of flags were evenly spaced out: the first set of blue were for the human kingdoms, the green for the elven kingdoms, and finally the gold/brown for the dwarves, with their respective complicated insignias.
Following the proper ceremonial proceedings Frigga had explained to her, Toreii continued to hover at and around Vy's walking speed. Even after reading Nanami's report and hearing Viridi's, Ai had expected a grander castle. As the last standing kingdom of the elven nation, the status alone bolstered her image of the great fortress to be something on par with a guild's personal base. Yet, looking at it now, it was no different than the copy-and-paste raid dungeons she often quested for materials and data crystals.
Glad to see Nanami was alive and well, Toreii kept her composure around the Asgardians while still sending her daughter a gentle smile. Never once thinking of leaving Asgard with any of their residents, walking in broad daylight and in an open path felt strange to her. As she lived her life on constant lookout for PKers, her natural PvP instincts never truly let herself feel at ease.
However, this was before Thor became her acting bodyguard.
Having watched the live broadcast of various guilds' attempts to force their way into Odin's castle back in Yggdrasil, Toreii knew better than anyone to doubt the Odinson's absurdly over-tuned and overpowered kit. Min-maxers would have to spend years trying to decipher Thor's full combat potential, but without the dev's authority over Asgard, no one would truly know of his full strength.
That's how it usually went in Yggdrasil: gather information over many, many premeditated deaths of raid parties. So long as they had put up post-death item theft countermeasures, the information gained was at almost no cost; such is the way of Yggdrasil, as the game necessitated this kind of playstyle. The mark of top guilds was clearing these challenges in one go with a mixture of preparation, foresight, reflexes, skill, and luck.
The only downside could be if she was forced to let him loose. Like Pandora's Box, once people knew of the Odinson's full might, the world would forever be changed.
While Nanami joined their ranks right beside Frigga, their merry band of Asgardians continued through the main gate of the king's castle. Along the way, Toreii noticed the quiet whispers and pointing from several noble elves, all of whom had recognized the Third Princess upon first glance. Sticking close to the young deity, the ex-princess did her best to ignore their glances. Still new to the whole 'ruling over others' job she unknowingly signed up for, Ai lacked the knowledge of the social standing of nobles, but she knew enough when someone was being looked down on.
As someone who had to meticulously fight her way to power all her Yggdrasil life, Toreii knew the struggles of being weak. She was no stranger to seeking power for oneself, nor was she a slouch in retaining her power. Just like every other Player she had fought and killed, everyone strove to become stronger. Everyone.
Up in front, Lady Sif had dismounted upon entering the inner castle. Despite not being able to look behind her, she was keen to the blushful gaze female humans and elves looked at her husband with. A lip bite here and there; a wandering glance from a group of young girls, followed by a quiet union of giggles. She knew of the Odinson's charm, but to see others swooning over her betrothed slightly bothered the up-and-coming Princess of Asgard.
The oaf in question was still all smiles, looking happily at his wife while waving at the passersby.
Back to Ai and her growing worries, she had resorted to using the same calming techniques she had subconsciously developed, the fine wood of [Gungnir]'s shaft in her palm alleviated her growing worries. Seeing the rapidly-increasing number of nobles, all she could do was trust in her experience gained with interacting with the elf child calmly walking beside her.
While they both weathered the storm of social conformity, it's for different reasons. Ai's mind wandered all over the place simply due to hunger, constantly thinking to sneak in a piece of chocolate before they reached the king's court.
Snapping back to attention when she noticed everyone stopped moving – as she'd been moving on autopilot since who-knew-when –Toreii saw the greying visage of the elven king on his golden throne. Beside him, in equally outstanding armor and magical items, were a human and dwarf, both of whom she guessed were the other leaders in their alliance.
Magical lanterns mounted on marbled stone columns decorated the grand court. The windows were slightly tinted green to emphasize their forest-themed home, despite the castle being ironically made of grey rock. The court was filled with men and their sons, sometimes a wife here and there, but mostly what Toreii expected out of an actual court of nobles. All of them were dressed in either armor or fine clothing, while her own simple robes failed to show any semblance of sophistry.
From her lack of any kind of social life, Ai failed to notice the knights and nobles ogling over Frigga and her Valkyries. The human nobles who had traveled with their soldiers were the main culprit. Even within the united elven kingdom with many beautiful elves to catch their eye, the Asgardians easily slid into the center spotlight upon their arrival.
"I, King Bilfir Lyur Nythymyr, personally welcome you, King Odin, and your Asgardians, to our elven home of Gallahan," the king spoke in a raspy voice.
"As do I, Prince Wilmer Coffer, heir to the Alota Kingdom."
"And I as well, King Nordum Tinhelm, ruler of the dwarf nation of Minnotra."
Getting up from his throne, his two companions followed the elven king, all three of them wearing a warm smile. Vy's father then summarily shook hands with the only male in their party to arrive.
Thor awkwardly returned the handshake while his back ran cold from the glares he knew the Valkyries and the Queen of Asgard was giving the poor king.
"Uh… I'm terri-"
Loudly clearing her throat to draw every noble's attention, Frigga's expression was cold enough to kill a frost giant. "To whom are you greeting, King Nythymyr? I have no doubt my son will one day ascend the throne, but my beloved, King Odin, is still alive and well."
Hearing her other name being called, Toreii's focus returned from looking at the architecture to the scene at hand. Frigga's usual warm and kind demeanor she was used to seeing was replaced by a colder, wrathful anger. Finally reading the mood in the room, Toreii had to act quick to stem any further aggression.
Poor Thor… Stuck between an awkward position and his mother's scorn, even he knew better than anyone to be the center of attention right now. "I believe you are mistaken, King Nythymyr… I am Thor Odinson. My father is standing with your daughter," he clarified, trying to clear his name and absolve himself of his mother's anger.
The trio as well as the assembly corrected their vision, shifting from the strong and imposing God of Thunder to a child no older than twelve years old. Toreii, who had suddenly grabbed everyone's eyes, meekly smiled and gave a weak wave of hello. Silence filled the entire court as the onlookers continued to stare blankly at her in disbelief. Trying to ease everyone's tension, Toreii started walking to where the elven king stood.
While the Asgardians towered above everyone else present, the top of the deity's pigtails could barely reach the dwarf king's full height. Now feeling the full weight of being the centerpiece, the pressure she felt during her three-day meeting with the Asgardians came back to haunt her.
Returning the elven king's handshake, Ai tried to act as natural as possible. "I-It's a pleasure to meet you all, King Nythymyr, King Tinhelm, and Prince Coffer. I am Odin, Allfather of Asgard," introduced Toreii. Not sure whether she was trying to convince them or herself of her title, Ai did her best to remember the nobility lessons Vy had given her. "My people and I are grateful for the hospitality you have shown us on such short notice."
The alliance leaders took a long look at Toreii while carefully judging her validity with glances over at Frigga's direction. Seeing the Queen clearly smitten with the young, adolescent girl right in front of them, they fought against their better judgement to call the entire introduction bullshit. Breaking the silence from their side, the elven king softly asked, "You… are King Odin?"
"I am the Allfather, yes," Toreii confirmed immediately. Still seeing their confused expressions, she beckoned for Vy to come forth be her mediator. "Princess Vy can vouch for me… if you need further explanation."
Standing next to the goddess who saved her life, Vy respectfully bowed to each leader. Having been briefed by Viridi on the Asgardians, her mentor had prepared her well in advance in case the peaceful talks were to ever break down. Seeing the same unwavering face her father made when they were first united, she knew for sure now which side of history she would stand with.
Vy eagerly spoke with the confidence of someone backed by the heavens, "The God before you is Odin, Allfather of the Nine Realms and the one to stand above all; the bringer of peace and prosperity to all who subject themselves to his majesty and benevolence."
'Allfather or Odin would have sufficed…' mumbled Ai inside her mind. She did not like having so many titles attached to her name, since she would have to remember all of it, or likely have to remember the titles of other rulers as well. If she failed the latter, one of her precious people might just murder the other parties in reflex.
The high elves within the king's court were the first to murmur among their kind, looking back and forth between their long-lost Third Princess and her father. To hear the crown's own blood speak so boldly of another nation's ruler right in front of the entire court was beyond traitorous to them, and a weakening of the king's claim to the throne.
His raspy voice quickly silenced his people, as the elven king looked directly at his daughter in the eyes, "Princ-"
"Vy. My name is simply Vy. I have no titles or surname," the elf child snapped.
Toreii and the other two alliance leaders stood around like the odd ones out, waiting for the next move from the father and daughter.
"I was mistaken. Can I inquire then why a mere child believes she has any kind of authority to speak in my court? Especially now, with this mockery of an introduction. Am I really to believe this… child is a king?!" King Nythymyr yelled with his dying voice.
Immediately stopping her Valkyries before they drew their weapons with a flip of her hand, Toreii turned back to give a frightfully angry Frigga a gentle, calming look. Some part of her still believed she should have just gone alone, but after seeing the aftermath of locking up her children in the Parthenon, for better or worse, the Asgardians needed freedom in the New World, with perhaps a lot of guidance.
"I can understand your reasoning, King Nythymyr; my appearance is somewhat unexpected for the first time people meet me. However, I can assure you, I am my people's ruler and protector. As I understand, if Vy is unsuited in your eyes to vouch on my behalf, how else will I prove my title to you?" Toreii asked.
Although there was some regret having chosen a loli for her in-game character, if given the choice again, Ai would not change a single thing. Given the number of perils and hard-fought PvP matches through her entire Yggdrasil career, the difficulties in her future interactions felt… underwhelming.
Coming to his father's rescue, Thor wholeheartedly answered for them, "If there is a question about worthiness, I have a solution for us all." Bringing forth his lifelong trusty weapon of choice, Mjölnir, the double-crowned hammer seemed a bit small to be used by a warrior of his stature. Ignoring the elven guards ready to draw their swords on the God of Thunder brandishing his hammer in front of their king, Thor easily placed it in front of the trio and the Allfather.
"Even if another god tried, unless they are worthy to wield it, Mjölnir cannot be lifted by anyone lesser than I," explained Thor. His overwhelming charm and warmth easily broke through the hostility and doubt the alliance members looked at Toreii with. Gesturing for them to try as many times as they pleased, each member tried their best to lift the mythical World-Class item.
Had this been suggested in front of Players in Yggdrasil, Toreii would have said a strong 'no' to even think of such a stupid test. Of all the World-Class items within Asgard, even if Mjölnir can only be wielded by those it deemed worthy, it would spell disaster if a Player was able to get their hands on it. Ai was only entertaining Thor's idea because she had no immediate proof of her Allfather-ship.
One by one, each member tried their best and with great effort to lift the small magical hammer, especially the dwarven king. A few chuckles from the dwarf king's own men could be softly heard when King Tinhelm failed miserably to lift the small hammer, to the point of exasperating himself. Even with his pride on the line, his calloused hands failed to even get a small budge. Admitting defeat and swallowing his pride, the old muscular man breathed out an exhausted breath.
As all of them recognized the truth in Thor's words, everyone in the court waited for the kingship-claiming adolescent to take her turn.
Lifting the hammer easily as if it weighed less than air, Toreii held Mjölnir with a single hand while everyone else failed to even lift it when working together. To further prove the hammer's security enchantment, she gestured for the dwarf king to grasp the hammer's handle. Immediately after, upon releasing her own grip, Mjölnir dropped to the stone floor again, sending out a loud echo through the chamber.
Dismayed at the sight of a little girl lifting the hammer but being unable to do so himself, King Tinhelm officially recognized Toreii's claim, soon followed by the human prince. Only the elven king was left, the sole doubter of the deity's true identity. Flying back to its original owner, Mjölnir returned to Thor's hand while he kept up his welcoming smile. "Will that be enough proof for now?"
"Please forgive me, but I am going to need further proof than just the lifting of a single hammer," answered the elven king.
The Odinson did what the Odinson did best, which was wowing his admirers as they ooh-ed and aah-ed from his athleticism. Participating in a series of Olympic Games-like events, Thor lived up to his humongous base stats. While the mortals watching were impressed by the God of Thunder, the other Asgardians kept to themselves as if it were business as usual.
The last test Thor had overachieved in was using his might to destroy several different metal ingots laid together. As Vy had explained the different metals of the New World to Toreii, from copper to adamantine, after seeing Thor's test of strength by smashing through all of them at once, she decided the precious metals were not worth investing her time into. Noblewomen elves who swooned openly at the God of Thunder's prowess did not seem to care about his wife who was nearby, who throughout the entire ordeal kept rolling her eyes every time Thor received a compliment.
Like the Asgardians at home, everyone's affection of Thor grew rapidly from his physical demonstrations. The alliance leaders made exceptional note of the Asgardian Prince, while ignoring the Valkyries and the Queen who commanded every one of them. Toreii, who had long since grew bored of the physical fitness test, had asked the only native she knew for a tour. With all focus solely on the Odinson, Toreii and Vy easily snuck away from the crowd.
The streets were crowded with elves of every kind, from reclusive woodland elves to more elusive and forbidden dark elves. Although they were all racially similar, Ai could tell from just a glance of the diversity of all their cultures. From the clothes they wore, to the magic they wield, or the forwardness of their attitude, each of the different subraces had a common reason to celebrate today.
Not even given an iota of their attention, the young duo anonymously toured Vy's new and updated home. Without her tiara and personal guards, no one recognized the ex-princess as she walked by their shops. Only ever allowed to venture out into the wealthy sections of her kingdom, every shop and store she remembered there were still open. Stone and mortar stood where she used to see birds and animals outside of the areas she's used to. Feeling like a relic of the past in an age of progression and advancement, Vy was having a slight cultural shock.
Having made it past the inner ring of wealth, the two broke into the middle ring, where traders and merchants openly bargained with every passerby. Only ever been here once because she had lost her security detail, Vy led her guardian goddess to the only familiar shop she remembered.
Toreii's nose was filled with the scent of fresh baked bread as her mind relinquished control over to her stomach. The corners of her mouth threatened to spill out drool as her willpower was slowly collapsing under her mountain of hunger. Passing the bakery's window, baskets of different baked goods were showcased, lulling any hungry shopper inside.
Vy opened the door with a gentle ring of a bell, while the baker cheerfully greeted, "Welcome to Baker's Dream! How may I help… you…" The brawny elf woman who was all smiles quietly trailed off mid-sentence, easily recognizing the elven child who walked into her shop.
"Good morning!" Vy greeted back.
"P-Princess Vy! For what do I o-owe the pleasure of the Third Princess's visit?" she asked, quickly performing a kowtow. Although it was over two decades since she last stepped foot inside her bakery, any elf in the kingdom could easily recognize the family's beautiful royal children if they paid attention.
"Ahh… There is no need for bowing," Vy quickly exclaimed to not draw outside attention. "Princess Vy went missing twenty years ago. I'm just a civilian doing her shopping."
Out of fear for the ire of the royal family, the baker quickly scanned outside for any royal guards. With no obviously-dressed protectors in sight, paired with the unusual white cloth the princess wore, she rose from her respectful bow. Believing the third royal daughter to have snuck out of the castle, she still showered Vy with the respect she deserved. "I'm forever humbled the Third Princess has graced my shop for the second time!"
"Please… I'm just a normal citizen now; no formalities needed. We're here to browse your selection of bread," said Vy, trying to deescalate the situation.
Hearing no discernible ulterior motives in the royal child's voice, the middle age elf relented. Proceeding as she would with a normal customer, she was still wary of being fined later for not properly showing respect to the royal lineage. "P-Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions!" She said with a nervous smile.
A tired sigh escaped Vy while she cursed the blood she inherited.
During the verbal scuffle Toreii was oblivious to, Ai had already started looking through the shelves littered with baskets upon baskets of fresh bread, still steaming, just pulled out from the oven. Each selection was different from the last, similar to the bread she found in convenience stores back in her home world, but a lot more appetizing and less doom-and-gloom with artificial preservatives. Ready to empty her entire fortune to stuff herself with nothing but gluten, she considered forgoing choice and buying everything at once.
Seeing the goddess so enwrapped with the plain selection of bread, Vy started to wonder if it was the first time the young deity had ever seen food before, theorizing the reason she's so interested in commoners' fares. Wanting to repay the kindness Toreii's family had shown her, Vy wanted to use the last of her coin, even if a simple piece of bread was the only thing she could afford.
"I-I'll pay for anything you choose, Godd- err… Toreii," said Vy, still trying to drop formalities when it was just the two of them.
Snapping back to reality and wrestling control from her primal instincts, Ai remembered to thank Vy for her generosity. Although their fortunes were not even worth comparing, she felt it was rude to decline the gesture. Instead of a lavish piece of bread stuffed with meat and decadent sauce on top, she was mindful to pick something more affordable, opting for a medium-sized loaf of warm bread.
At the counter, Vy paid with her last gold coin. The currency she held onto for so long depicted a younger portrait of her father, minted when he was first crowned king. Letting go of the last piece of her heritage, the heavy weight she felt for decades slowly lifted. Feeling truly free for the first time in her life, she declined the change and left before gaining any more attention.
Searching for a place to eat, they found shade under an oak tree not too far away. The park was devoid of visitors, as everyone packed the taverns and bars in celebration. Although Vy had intended for the gift to be solely for Toreii, the deity had broken the loaf in half in order to share. Unable to refuse a gesture from a god, the elf humbly accepted. Before she could take her first bite, worry gripped her heart when she saw the goddess softly cry out on her first taste.
Ai, who had suffered for over a month and survived on cosmic energy she did not understand, felt like she had reached Buddha-like true enlightenment. The plain bread, whose only flavoring was salt, yeast, and grain, tasted a thousand-fold better due to the nothingness she tasted every day. She was crying tears of joy after just the first bite… and soon realized the awkward situation she put the elf child in.
Wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her haori, she cleared her voice several times to regain her composure. Unable to explain the circumstances of her tears without a long backstory attached to it, Ai quickly thought of an excuse from her home world. "Sorry about that… Where I come from, there is a saying: 'A man's food is his kingdom.'" Still not used to lying on the spot yet, she thought it was the best excuse for now.
After hearing such a strange custom of the gods, Vy tried to rationalize why immortal beings used food to gauge the worth of their abode. Following the trail of thought, she remembered the heavenly, sweet piece of chocolate shared between the two not so long ago. If she were to judge the worth of Toreii's home based on the tiny delectable dessert, then the elfling severely under played how great it tasted. While the goddess next to her was crying from mere store-bought plain bread, all Vy did was give Toreii her thanks and a smile.
A crushing sensation overwhelmed her again, believing this was the reason why Viridi had acted so coldly during their first encounter. She was basically devaluing the Parthenon her people took refuge in. Sinking more and more into despair because of her perceived slight to Toreii's home, all she could do was watch in horror as the deity ate the half loaf of bread with eager delight. She knew for certain now her death would be by Viridi's hand.
"Are you not hungry?" Toreii asked. The elven child was still holding onto her half as if waiting for something. Wondering if she said something she should not have earlier, Ai reassessed if there was any double entendre going on.
Fear ran through Vy now, worse than when she was on the run from her kingdom; even worse than being at the epicenter of the horde of orcs. She had disrespected her own savior — a savior who slayed dragons. All she could do was bow and muster all her sincerity into possibly her last few words, "Please… forgive me!"
Ai was definitely being misinterpreted again.
'Nuh-uh! I'm not doing this again!' She quickly realized. "Vy, what did you think I meant when I said, 'A man's food is his kingdom'?" Toreii asked for clarification. She was somewhat afraid to do this with the others, but had grown to let her guard down around the child.
A jumble of thoughts rattled inside Vy's mind as she willed herself to think of what to say first. Forcing herself to speak, she explained what she could do under such distress, "I thought you meant it as being able to judge one's entire kingdom from their food. From when you shared the piece of chocolate with me… I'm sorry I did not show proper gratitude! Seeing you cry from just plain bread in my old kingdom yet… I only offered my thanks in response to yours…"
How anyone could reach this line of thought, Ai would forever be mystified.
Sighing aloud, but glad she put an end to the misunderstanding before it could spiral further out of control, she realized the depths others will go to interpret her random words. As a being put atop a pedestal, mincing words had dangerous side effects. "Vy… It's just a saying, not a word of law. Please don't overreact. I was happy because no one had bought me bread before. Thank you."
Knowing Toreii well enough to be able to take everything she said at face value, Vy was able to settle her feelings of impending doom and painful demise. Despite the huge disparity between them in terms of… everything, Toreii never acted upon the fact. Although she was an absolute ruler to gods and demigods, her mannerism towards Vy was always one of an equal, never demanding worship or formal titles.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding and causing you to worry," apologized Vy, refraining from bowing like she normally would. "I wanted to repay you for saving me and putting up with my selfish requests… I fear I will never be able to do so now."
Although Vy spoke like their friendship was always one-sided, Toreii was still reaping the benefits of the nobility lessons the princess had given her. Since their unlikely meeting, Ai had found the courage to overcome a multitude of self-doubt problems and her fear of public speaking. Similar to how her fellow World Champions helped her, Vy was the last push she needed to become the Allfather she was expected to be.
"Friends don't count favors owed to each other. It's fine if we help one another every now and then. I don't mind, really… Just make sure my daughters don't go overboard," said Toreii, still frowning inside from the incident.
Surprised by the high regard she was seen in, Vy had assumed they were a patroness and protégé. Growing up with a royal lifestyle, she had playdates with other noble children, none of whom she would consider as close as a friend and vice versa. If she were to tell her past self the first friend she made was with a goddess at least ten millennia old, Vy would consider herself deranged.
As Nanami warped out of thin air to greet them, the unofficial recess was over.
Making their way back to the king's courtroom, the talk of the room was overwhelmingly about Thor.
A/N: I'll try to develop Ai's growth as a ruler in the next few chapters. Tell me what you think before things ramp up again.