Temple after temple, the nested chambers of Valhalla stretched endlessly. Shiomi had no idea how long he and Skadi had been wandering through this place.
In terms of perceived time, the trials of 'Strength' and 'Wisdom' hadn't taken long. But they had been rushing before the battle with Fenrir. Especially before waking from that dreamlike state, fragments of memory remained unclear, leaving Shiomi uncertain whether time had truly passed in between. After all, within this inner realm of Valhalla, the passage of time itself remained invisible.
"So... it ends up being a cave?"
Walking through the temple's straightforward secret passage, the marble-lined tunnel gradually shed its ornamentation and transformed into a pure cavern.
When the narrow passage—barely wide enough for Shiomi to lead Skadi cautiously, one in front, one behind—finally opened up, he couldn't help but utter a quiet sigh at this seemingly insignificant change.
Inside the entirely natural cavern, stones embedded in the walls stored Mana, emitting a dim glow that barely illuminated the stone chamber. The cavern was roughly twice the size of Lord El-Melloi II's classroom. The stone floor was carved with precise arcs and straight lines, layered and nested, marking the central point.
"This must be the location for the third trial, or perhaps something else," Skadi speculated vaguely, adding, "Odin never specified how many trials there would be."
"The number doesn't matter. If what's hidden here is truly significant, it's only prudent for the great Odin to set multiple trials to sift through candidates." Shiomi remained calm, beginning to survey the surroundings.
"More important than that—" Skadi abruptly changed the subject, "How long do you plan to keep holding my hand?"
Shiomi turned silently, meeting her gaze. Her eyes drifted downward, resting on their intertwined hands.
"True. Nothing unusual here for now. If you feel uncomfortable, you can let go." Shiomi offered an apologetic expression as he slowly released her hand. "After all... you haven't given your answer yet. It seems I was rushing things."
After initiating such intimate gestures so decisively moments ago, he now released her hand with equal abruptness. Shiomi's reaction made Skadi suspect he was playing hard to get.
"What are your plans after the trial ends?" Skadi asked.
"Which aspect do you mean?" Shiomi inquired.
"This world's affairs... and... my own matters," Skadi clarified.
Shiomi knelt on one knee, examining the patterns on the ground and the altar placed at its center. "Since Ophelia, the Crypter, remains by your side, you must surely understand that this world has become a Pruned Event?"
"That's precisely it," Skadi stated. "Once the Fantasy Tree is severed by you, my Scandinavian realm loses its very foundation for existence. It will swiftly vanish from this Bleached World. And then—"
Simultaneously, all life within the Lostbelt would perceive not a hint of abnormality. They would pass away as if in peaceful slumber—silently, quietly dissipating like mist, as if from a distant, ethereal dream.
"My wife Morgan also hails from an Anomaly Zone," Shiomi remarked calmly. "You must have learned this from Ophelia. The first Anomaly Zone to vanish was the Britannia Anomaly Zone."
"I have indeed heard of it," Skadi replied. "It's said that this was originally an unclaimed Anomaly Zone without an Ophelia companion assigned to it, yet it was the first to undergo changes and the first to disappear."
"So the Crypter discusses other Lostbelts even before the King she collaborates with?" Shiomi turned and asked with a smile.
"Nothing but trivial matters. By the time Ophelia mentioned it, the island nation to the southwest and the snow-covered empire to the east had already vanished," Skadi said casually. "Of the remaining four Lostbelts, the one managed by that woman named Hinako Akuta isn't worth discussing."
"Hmm, and then—" Shiomi saw this as an opportunity to probe further about the other Lostbelts. After all, Skadi seemed distracted, engaging in casual chatter.
"Among the remaining Lostbelts, Ophelia strongly advocated for me to collaborate with those colossal entities in Greece..."
"That's quite characteristic of Ophelia. After all, she's the Master in Group A who holds the deepest faith in Kirschtalia," Shiomi offered her own assessment.
"Team A... Speaking of which, you're also a Master from Team A. Why haven't you joined them—" She paused mid-sentence, suddenly grasping the crux of the matter. "Is it you? As an anomaly who's lived over 6,000 years as a human, did you also come from that Lostbelt?"
She sensed the profound depth of timeless experience radiating from Morgan, a quality strikingly similar to Shiomi's own.
"That's a long story," Shiomi smiled. "Let's return to our original topic. This world remains a Lostbelt for now. If we harness the magical power of the Fantasy Tree to transform the Scandinavian Lostbelt into an Anomaly World, it could indeed ensure that everything here survives outside the Lostbelt..."
But that would require prolonged cultivation.
Over 2000 years, Morgan and he had maintained a dynamic equilibrium after Britannia's transformation, stabilizing the very nature of the world itself. Though unintended, this outcome allowed Shiomi to watch Britannia's destruction with fewer lingering concerns, enabling him to confidently conclude the pilgrimage to Britannia.
"Why do this?" Skadi didn't need to ask about the cost. Such a monumental feat couldn't come without a price. Most likely, it would require completely draining the Fantasy Tree's magic.
"To bring you away, of course," Shiomi said. "I originally came here just to investigate possible traces of the Age of Gods in the Scandinavian Lostbelt and gather intelligence related to Odin."
"But then I encountered an unexpected situation here. Compared to the trials left by the great god Odin, the matters concerning Skadi have become far more significant."
"Hmm..." Skadi hadn't expected Shiomi's answer to be so straightforward. She pressed further, "I mean, why would you... treat me this way?"
"To you, the prophecy of the great Odin is an unfounded arranged marriage—something determined by your own choices." Shiomi exhaled deeply. "Truthfully, after learning the full prophecy, it felt less like an arranged marriage and more like it was telling me—"
He met Skadi's gaze, his tone shifting slightly.
"'I entrust Skadi to you'... Since the great god has placed you in my care, it's only natural I should consider your best interests."
"Entrust? You say entrust? Entrusting me—a goddess—to a human I've never even met?" Skadi averted her gaze, her eyes brimming with despondency.