Issei, Sairoorg and Regulus made their way down the royal halls of the Gremory family, passing numerous images of the family throughout the millennia, all the while they discussed their next moves.
"So, how are we getting there?" Issei asked, looking at Sairaorg.
"Based on the signature Regulus picked up, we cannot use a portal to arrive there; a barrier seems to be blocking all outside magical access, so we will have to go the old-fashioned way," Sairaorg said before coming to a stop and pointing to a fleet of ships that ranged in styles and sizes, as well as familiar crests and flags.
"Many of these ships arrived as part of the funeral, and given this, all ships here will be tagged with a magical seal that will stop them from being taken without the owner's express permission," Sairorg added as they scanned the vessels, looking for a ship that was reasonably sized given their small numbers but was also well equipped should they come to blows with Cao Cao.
"So we will need to do some magical space-boat hijacking then, " Issei stated, as his mind began to play scenes from many well-known heist films and the number of methods used to make their heist successful.
"It would seem so..." Ddraig said this, only to pause when the group saw Odin, the Allfather of Asgard, walking in their direction.
"Ah Issei, Sairaorg, it seems you have both come to admire the fine fleet of ships."The ruler of the Norse Gods said, his eye scanning the group,
Ummm yeah, I love boats..." Issei said, in a nervous tone, as he began to sweat.
"Is that so? I'm sure you know what the jib of a boat is?" Odin asked
"Uh, sure, I know what a jib is, the um, name for the wheel that steers the ship?" Issei's tone was unsure as he spoke, his statement closer to him seeking confirmation rather than being confident.
"You're an idiot, Issei." Ddriag mumbled with such annoyance that he would have smacked Issei across the back of his head if he could.
"Nope. A person who admires ships like myself would know that the jib refers to the sail that is ahead of the foremast of a vessel." Odin stated with a level of smugness that befitted a god of wisdom.
"Well, you see, I, um..." Issei tried to fire a response, but he failed
"No point trying anything, Issei; the façade has melted away," Ddriag stated to the group, causing the Old God to chuckle,
"I knew you and your friends were not here to look at the ships; your here to commodore a vessel to find Cao Cao.
"How did you figure that out.?" Issei said, surprised, causing the old God to laugh.
"Hahahah, I am the All-Father Issei. I drank from the Well of Mimir, blessing me with incredible knowledge at the cost of my eye...but even I don't have two eyes to know your plan.
"And what plan is that?" Sairaorg said sternly, crossing his arms. Despite knowing that Odin's power was far beyond his own, he could not show a hint of weakness.
"You wish to find the Holy Grail to bring Rias back to life and get revenge on Cao Cao."
"How do you know that?"
"The grail is of pagan and Christian origins; we Norse gods are connected to the Celtic progenitors. Also, the look in your eyes is that of a man bound by the desire for revenge. That is how I know." Odin explained, his eye having a stern gaze that sent a shudder down Issei's spine
Issei, Sairaorg, Regulus and Ddraig stayed silent after this, realising that their entire plan and opportunity lay squarely in the palm of Odin's hand.
"Do you all realise that this action could be costly to the lives of those not involved in this conflict? Due to the numerous factions involved, an action like this could lead to billions dying, and from a utilitarian view, is that worth a single person's life? " Odin stated clinically and with a level of sternness that had an almost magical effect on the group, which seemed to weaken their
"So you want to stop us, as I will not be stopped by anyone if it means Rias lives," Issei said in a threatening tone, summoning Ddraig's gauntlet, but to his surprise, Odin smiled in a carefree manner, in complete contrast to his previous statement.
"You do realise that all vessels here are magically locked into their locations, which can only be deactivated by the vessel's owner, meaning any attempt to break this seal will raise the alarm and have you in direct conflict with Gremory soldiers." As he said this, Odin waved his left hand near one of the vessels, using a spell that uncovered the barrier on that vessel. While with his right, he summoned a simulated image of the group being attacked by Gremory soldiers,
"Damn it. " Issei growled as he thought through the issues raised by Odin, realising that their current plan would be almost impossible to achieve.
"Looks like we will have to find another way..." Ddraig told Issei as he and the group prepared to leave, only for Odin to place his hand on Issei's shoulder, stopping Issei.
"I understand you lost Issei. Given Rias Gremory's uniqueness, she was destined to change this world. She was a beauty with intelligence, cunning and compassion backed by inherent raw power. Despite being so young, she was indeed a marvellous woman, and it was truly a shock to hear of her passing."
"I know." Issei replied, his eyes moving off the Ruler of Asgard.
"Given that, I cannot stand idly by and do nothing; I will help you." With this response, Issei's face lit up with shock while Sairorg and Regulus looked at one another with shocked looks.
"Wait! After all the seriousness, why help us now?" Issei yelped in response.
"It was simple: I needed to see if you and your allies were serious, and it seemed my hopes were true." Odin gave a confident smile as he spoke to Issei
"Thank you, so how can you help us? Will you fight?"
"Oh no, that's too far. you see, having you, Issei, a man powered by his passions, and Sairaorg, a young devil who strives to fight the strongest foes, this can be politically navigated as a mix of impulse and honour that led to your actions... if any of the leaders of the major factions where seen to endorse or participate in this action it would be seen as an act of war." Odin stated as he fumbled around in his robes, looking for something., after which he pulled out a piece of embroidered cloth. It was as white as snow, with strands of lapis lazuli blue and gold laced through the fabric.
"Here. This will get you where you need to go." Odin handed the cloth to Issei, who started scanning the item as soon as it was placed in his hands.
"Uh, thanks..." Issei said with Sairaorg taking the item and placing it in his pocket.
"This is a significant help, Odin; thank you." Sairaorg bowed to the Norse god out of respect. But this gesture only led to Issei having a confused look and led to him yelping.
"Huuuuuu! How is a piece of cloth any help?! Not unless it can be used to bribe a boat owner. It's literally useless."
"And this Issei is why ive told you to learn some mythology; that is no mere cloth." Ddraig bellowed, his annoyance growing at Issei's sheer lack of mythological knowledge.
"Then what is it?"
"That Issei is Skíðblaðnir." Sairaorg said, only furthering Issei's confusion.
Hu? Say that in English"
"Skíðblaðnir was a gift made for Odin by the dwarves Sindre and Brokk, who were tasked by Loki to make gifts fit for the gods as part of a competition, which Loki hoped would save him from Thor's wrath after he cut the golden hair of his wife, Sif. This mere cloth can be unfolded to produce a ship of exquisite craftsmanship, unrivalled in its ability to traverse the sea and sky." Sairaorg's voice was low and soft, perfect for narrations of this kind.
"This ship is great when you're in a pinch and need to escape or if you're looking for an easy-to-carry pleasure vessel, if you know what I mean, hahaha," Odin nudged Issei as he laughed, which would typically have resulted in Issei having a lecherous grin, his mind taking him to his happy place filled with naked women surrounding him as they fulfilled his every desire, but this did not happen this time. Instead, Issei just saw Rias, his first love, which caused an awkward silence in the group, which had to be broken by Sairorg.
"Thank you again for this gift." Sairorg shook Odin's hand, who grinned as she shook hands with the lord of Bael.
"If it helps defeat that bastard, Cao Cao, then I am glad to give it away, though please take good care of it. It's the only ship of its kind." Odin said in a semi-serious tone, leaving the group after seeing one of his Valkarie bodyguards searching the dock area for him. This caused the old God to sneak away, using one of his myriad spells to make himself invisible.
"Now that we have a worthy vessel, shall we leave?" Ddraig said to Issei, who looked at Sairaorg and Regulus and nodded, causing the group to jog to the nearest empty space in the port. As soon as they found their spot, Sairaorg pulled the cloth from his pocket and threw it out into the air, and in a split second, a large vessel appeared. It was not like a traditional Viking longship designed with raiding in mind. Instead, this vessel remembered a later period vessel, like that you would find in the 18th century, but with a norse twist, with runes and carvings showing great battles and triumphs of the Asgardian kingdom on the walls of the ship with a mighty dragon carved into the bow of the vessel, with gold leaf adorning its beautiful carvings.
"Lets go kick Cao Caos ass!" Issie yelled, and the group entered the ship, and the vessel began to move on its own and leave the port,
"How is it doing that?" Issei asked, steadying himself as the vessel moved.
"It must work on a sort of magical autopilot; as Odin said, this Is a pleasure vessel, and he wouldn't want to be interrupted by having to control the ship," Sairarof explained as the ship began to speed up until, in a flash, it vanished from view.