— — — — — —
"C-can we discuss the price a little more?" Odin asked with a grim expression. "Forget the Norse faction. Hardly anyone in the world could afford that price."
Loki had practically sold off a huge portion of Norse assets. There was no way Odin could match that offer. Even if he wanted to, most of the things in question were no longer his to sell.
"No one can afford it?" Ryo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Loki is only one of your chief gods."
The implication was obvious: One of your subordinates is richer than you. What kind of boss are you?
Odin's face darkened even further.
"Loki's background is... somewhat unusual."
In truth, Loki came from the defeated Jotunn faction of Norse mythology, while Odin belonged to the victors.
However, the two had sworn brotherhood in their youth. Because of that bond, Loki survived despite his faction's defeat and even managed to secure a significant position within Norse society.
The reason was simple: his immense influence.
Fenrir, the God-Devouring Wolf. Midgardsormr, the Midgard Serpent. Those alone represented enormous power, not to mention the wealth and legacy inherited from the Jotunn race.
Across the entire world, the only beings who could rival Loki's assets were probably Indra.
A figure like Indra naturally sought allies of comparable standing. Although Loki's personal strength only reached the level of Satan, his foundation was incredibly deep. He had influence over far too many powerful beings.
And now Loki had handed all of that over to Ryo.
If Odin could somehow offer more, that would be the real miracle.
"So what you're saying," Ryo said with a pleasant smile while helping himself to another dish, "is that you were bluffing me earlier?"
Cold sweat instantly formed on Odin's forehead.
Damn it. He had talked too confidently and ended up digging his own grave.
But at this point, he could only grit his teeth and continue. "The Norse faction is sincerely willing to establish an equal and mutually beneficial alliance with the Three Factions. At least on paper."
In other words, whether the relationship was truly equal wasn't important.
What mattered was that the documents said it was.
"I'm not seeing much sincerity," Ryo replied with a shrug.
"What kind of sincerity would satisfy you, Mr. Yagami?" Odin sounded noticeably awkward now.
He knew he had fallen into a terrible negotiating position, but there was no way out. Who could have predicted Loki would sell himself out as well? How was anyone supposed to negotiate under those circumstances?
"Mimir's Well," Ryo spoke casually. "I've become a little curious about that spring."
"Impossible."
Odin rejected the idea without hesitation. "Mimir's Well involves the core secrets of the Norse faction. If Thor and the others found out, they'd never agree to use it as a bargaining chip."
"Why would they find out?" Ryo asked.
"Because of—"
Odin stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes widened.
He stared at Ryo with a strange look. "You mean...?"
Ryo calmly picked up a piece of soft tofu, took a bite, and dabbed the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "Is there anyone here who would leak the information?"
Realization immediately dawned on Odin.
He straightened in his chair. "I understand."
Then he slowly turned toward Rossweisse.
The look in his eyes became increasingly disturbing.
"L-Lord Odin, why are you looking at me like that?"
Rossweisse shivered.
The gaze made her skin crawl. She rubbed her arm and found goosebumps already forming.
Odin quickly adjusted his expression and put on a warm, grandfatherly smile. "Rossweisse, if I remember correctly, you mentioned resigning a couple of days ago."
"Huh?"
Rossweisse blinked in confusion.
She had obediently disabled her hearing system earlier and hadn't listened to the conversation between Ryo and Odin, so she had no idea what was happening.
Still... something about that smile felt deeply suspicious.
Then a thought struck her.
"Are you finally firing me?"
Her eyes lit up.
"Does this mean I can finally escape this job that only pays €1,500 a month? My miserable minimum-wage job?"
Odin nearly choked.
His mouth twitched repeatedly.
"Rossweisse, your way of thinking is deeply unhealthy. As a Valkyrie and guide of heroic souls, your work is sacred. How can something so noble be measured in money?"
After delivering a lengthy and righteous lecture, he immediately asked, "By the way, did you really disable your hearing system earlier?"
"I did." Rossweisse answered honestly. "Excellent. You're a good Valkyrie."
Despite saying that, Odin's eyes were filled with blatant suspicion. "Which is why I have an important mission for you."
"Huh?"
Rossweisse froze for a second before immediately dropping to one knee according to Valkyrie protocol.
"Rossweisse awaits your orders."
Odin nodded in satisfaction.
"From this moment onward, Rossweisse, you will serve as an exchange representative between the Norse faction and the Three Factions. You will become a subordinate of Alliance Leader Ryo Yagami and be responsible for his personal protection. Do you understand?"
"Understood." Rossweisse lowered her head and accepted the order with complete seriousness.
"You may rise."
Odin quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He believed Rossweisse probably hadn't eavesdropped, but why take the risk?
If he sent her to Ryo and kept her under Ryo's watch, then even if the secret somehow leaked later, Ryo would have no grounds to accuse Odin of being responsible.
As for Odin himself? Only an idiot or Loki would leak information like this.
At that moment, Rossweisse looked up and cautiously asked, "Lord Odin, where does the salary for this exchange position come from?"
Odin's face immediately turned black.
The surprised look Ryo shot him only made things worse.
"It'll still be paid by the Norse faction."
"Ah..."
Rossweisse's voice instantly filled with disappointment. "But... But fifteen hundred euros isn't enough to live on in Kyoto, is it? I've heard the cost of living here is really high."
"There are allowances!" Odin snapped.
"Oh, come on." Rossweisse rolled her eyes. "Norse allowances are a nightmare. The paperwork is ridiculously complicated, and you have to process everything through local offices. Don't tell me I'm supposed to fly back to Norse territory every month just to claim them."
Odin had no response.
His face darkened as he slowly turned toward Ryo.
"How about..."
Then, in full view of everyone, Odin drew a finger across his throat.
Seeing that, Ryo couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
.
.
.