Nótt, Ullr, and Jörð set out on the mission entrusted to them by the Three Seers.
After making all the necessary preparations and equipping themselves with their weapons, they departed Asgard at tremendous speed, heading toward the Continent of Mira.
Their journey was a long one, but their incredible speed allowed them to cover the distance quickly.
Along the way...
Nótt looked at his two companions and said calmly,
"I'll lead the team. If anything happens to me... Ullr will take command after me. Understood?"
Jörð thought for a moment.
Then she nodded in agreement.
Although Nótt was unbearably curious and endlessly annoying...
He was also exceptionally intelligent, possessing remarkable wit and terrifying tactical instincts.
In that regard...
He was almost exactly like his father, Loki.
As for his brother, Ullr...
He resembled neither of his parents—neither Loki nor Skaði.
Even so...
He was more than capable of taking command after Nótt.
For that reason...
Jörð accepted Nótt's proposal without objection.
But...
The moment her eyes fell upon Ullr...
An old memory resurfaced.
Ever since childhood...
Ullr had always been a loner.
He preferred solitude over the company of others.
Long ago...
Jörð had tried to become his friend.
He had rejected her mercilessly.
The memory had remained buried deep within her heart.
Before she realized it...
She was completely lost in it.
More than ten years earlier...
In the past...
Hel herself oversaw the training of Asgard's young children.
All of the children trained together within the practice grounds.
Little Jörð...
Who had not yet received her name because she had not yet become a ruler...
Had just finished her exhausting training.
She stood there, catching her breath.
Then she looked around at the other children.
Her attention was drawn to a boy sitting alone, far away from everyone else.
He sat silently.
He spoke to no one.
Nor did he pay any attention to what was happening around him.
She immediately recognized who he was.
She had seen him many times before.
After all...
They were all descendants of Asgard.
She stood there for a moment.
Then she felt the urge to walk over and speak with him.
She picked up the meal distributed by the instructors who assisted Hel during the training sessions.
Then she quietly approached him.
A gentle smile rested upon her face.
The moment she reached him...
She smiled innocently and said,
"Hello."
The young Ullr slowly raised his head.
He, too...
Had not yet received his name.
His blue hair swayed gently in the wind.
His eyes...
Were the color of a clear blue sky.
Beautiful beyond words.
He looked directly at her.
Little Jörð's face immediately turned bright red from the sheer beauty of his eyes.
Before any childish feelings could blossom...
She heard him speak in a cold, merciless voice,
"Get out of my sight, you ugly girl."
Without changing his tone, he continued,
"I don't want you disturbing my time alone."
Then, with obvious disdain, he added,
"Isn't it enough that you're already breathing Asgard's sacred air alongside me?"
He looked at her once more.
Then said,
"And now you're trying to talk to me too? Have you lost your mind?"
Little Jörð froze where she stood.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't utter a single word.
As for Ullr...
He simply stood up.
Then walked away, visibly annoyed that he had been forced to speak to her at all.
Elsewhere...
The young Nótt...
Who also had not yet received his name...
Had been watching everything.
Suddenly...
He burst into laughter.
"Oh... would you look at that!"
He struggled to contain his laughter as he continued,
"Her face turned bright red... and now she's completely speechless after what my brother said... What a disaster!"
Then he leaped to his feet, laughing loudly.
"I'm going to tell everyone in Asgard about this! Hahaha!"
He ran all across the training grounds.
Telling everyone exactly what had happened.
A short while later...
Jörð's sister heard about the incident.
She searched until she found her.
That sister was Eir...
Who had not yet received her name either.
She hurried over.
Wrapped Jörð in a gentle embrace.
Softly patted her head.
And said warmly,
"It's alright... it's alright, little sister."
Then she smiled.
"He's just a terrible person. Don't let it upset you."
At that moment...
Their third sister arrived.
Rán...
Who would one day become the Ruler of Rivers, though she too had yet to receive her name.
She glared angrily at Jörð.
Then asked,
"Did that idiot bother you?"
She clenched her fists tightly.
Then declared,
"Just say the word... and I'll deal with him."
Jörð suddenly returned to the present.
Nótt's voice had pulled her from her memories.
He looked at her curiously.
"What is it? Did something happen?"
Jörð blinked several times.
Then looked at Nótt.
After that...
She glanced at Ullr.
A small laugh escaped her lips, carrying both embarrassment and the remnants of old resentment.
"No... I was just remembering the distant past."
Nótt smiled.
He immediately understood what she meant.
Then he burst into laughter as he looked at his brother.
"Oh... Hahahaha!"
"We really were little troublemakers back then..."
Then he laughed even harder.
"And we still are! Hahahaha!"
As for Ullr...
He showed no reaction whatsoever.
He continued flying in silence with his usual cold expression, as though he had heard nothing at all.
Jörð's expression changed as she watched Nótt laughing while Ullr remained just as cold as he had been all those years ago.
She let out a quiet sigh.
Then thought to herself,
"I only hope... this mission goes smoothly."
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
🔍 Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]