Chapter 32: King Ragnar
"Your Majesty, the guests have arrived."
After taking a deep breath, Bjorn's calm yet tough voice echoed in the hallway like a Viking hymn.
"Enter." A deep voice, as if it was coming from a bottomless pit, leaked from the tightly shut doors.
The force they felt from the voice was so strong it shook the heavy door and vibrated the floor they stood on. Levana gasped without realizing, followed by her fellow elves.
The two titan guards in full armor pushed the door with a stern expression on their faces.
Team KyrioswithoutKyrios-13 entered the throne room of the Titan King.
The first thing they felt was how heavy the air inside the room was.
As if the world itself knew the weight of responsibility a king of a powerful race carried, the heavy air never faded.
It felt…
Quiet.
Primordial.
Absolute.
The two hatchlings felt it more.
Everything down to air, all obeying the command of one person. It was all controlled. A perfect control that made it possible for the children to stand on their two feet.
While some held their breath unconsciously, some stared ahead with interest in their sparkling eyes.
Before them on a podium was a throne made of Void Steels. The dark purple closer to black gave off a strong and mysterious look to it. On the seat of the throne was a Man with sharp teal colored eyes and hair. His beard, braided neatly like a true Viking, reached his chest without any struggle.
However, there was a major difference Kyriaki noticed in ordinary titans and the one she was facing now. All Titans she saw on her way here had silver runes on their face, whereas the man with sharp teal hue eyes had golden runes, three of them.
The way he dressed, the way he sat, the way he gazed down, everything was a picture perfect Viking Kyriaki saw in movies back on earth. It fascinated her to no end.
But that wasn't the time to show her emotions.
Kyriaki took a few more steps after her team mates stopped walking.
And then she bowed.
Her greeting posture was not the textbook perfect dragon greetings. The way her back slightly bent, the way her left hand clenched and pounded her right side of the chest instead of placing her hand over her heart was so flawless even the Titan King strengthened his back in response.
"I greet the King of Titans, Ragnar Einor Odinson VI." She imitated Bjorn, using the traditional titan greetings perfectly even though her heart was not placed on the right side of her chest and she only had a pair of arms unlike Titans. "My name is Kyriaki Elpis Eleftherios, Team leader of this mission. May the battle of peace be within your heart."
A silence filled with surprise wrapped the throne room for a few seconds.
"Hmmm…" a low pitched humming, tinted with curiosity and satisfaction reached the children who looked no more than 8 years old.
"I welcome the students of EESOP from the moon." Until King Ragnar said so, Kyriaki didn't lift her head.
His tone was neither too fast nor slow. It was filled with strength and royalty, the kind that made one want to bend the knee, there and then.
However, Kyriaki, who carried the title of The Crown Princess of Dragons, had no particular reaction to it.
She flashed her dreamy smile that made her eyes look like a crescent moon in a polite and graceful manner.
Golden yellow pupils met teal blue pupils in a second.
"I humbly accept your warm welcome, Your Majesty. But may I get our assigned mission as soon as possible? We are not here to enjoy cultural differences or diplomatic exchanges."
King Ragnar lifted his chin high, the silver freckles on his face shone like tiny stars. The person who was standing next to him in silence stared intently at Kyriaki for a moment and bent down.
He whispered to King Ragnar. His voice was so small even the two hatchlings, who boasted high sense stats couldn't hear it. King Ragnar caressed his beard and nodded.
"That's true." Contrary to his appearance, which looked like he was a war crazed warrior, his tone was calm and composed. Even after Kyriaki's polite yet direct rejection of friendly conversation, he didn't seem displeased or angry.
"As you might already know, a mixed gate appeared in the west province at Lagujarna lake last Orpheus. The lake had been polluted with miasma and the land around it had also changed drastically. It was more so because the gate is a mixed one. For nearly three months, we sent out our young warriors who fit the core rank limit it required to investigate and eliminate the gate. However, much to our dismay, no one returned. In the end we had to send a distress signal to the Guardian Dragon Center in hope of a helping hand."
Kyriaki narrowed her eyes at the King's dignified speech.
This kind of thing, she never heard it on the original timeline. And she knew that this kind of situation was not something Titans couldn't handle.
As much as they were peace lovers, they didn't hesitate to shed blood to protect that peace.
In a situation where their kin was at danger, Titans wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice their own life. They viewed it as a great honor to die protecting peace.
Although they had friendly relationships with higher races, especially dragons who they respected for being guardians, they rarely interacted with anyone other than their kin. They disliked others poking their noses in their lives, where they gave so much meaning to privacy the most.
Which meant no matter what kind of mixed gate it was and how many people died in the process of closing that gate, they'd solve that problem on their own.
Kyriaki knew it all too well.
This understanding of titans Kyriaki got from her time's whispers, memories of the original timeline and her EESOP classes unsettled her too much.
Why?
What's the reason?
Why was she there?
No, why were all of them there?
Why were Titans asking for help to close a mere mixed gate?
She had no idea.
Kyriaki was cautious, but not disappointed of the ever changing future. The future is there to be changed anyway.
"May I ask the core rank limit of the gate? I need to confirm the data we currently have collected." That was why Kyriaki calmly lifted her arm, activating her smart watch to reread the documents of her mission. Holographic blue screens with few pictures appeared in front of her.
"It's an E rank limited gate." Instead of the king, the person next to the throne spoke.
His voice was old.
There was no ancient aura like Endymion's, but the wisdom it hid was undeniably similar to his.
Kyriaki nodded without bothering to look at him. Her eyes were glued to the picture of a grey and dark green gate that looked like she was looking at a mixed paint basket from above.
The gates normally have eleven levels. And each level was limited to the core rank of monsters. If the gate rank is E+ then the monsters inside it are all below E+ and above F-, which means it is safe for the people around the same rank to enter.
And yet, sometimes, when mixed gates appear, it gets harder to judge the level of monsters on the other side of the gate.
In the case of this gate, which was rank E, they wouldn't know if the monsters were G- or E+. And the biggest worry was the fact that mixed gates can rank up at any given moment due to the high rate of monster evolution inside the gate full of miasma.
Moreover, sometimes, if they happen to be trap gates disguised as mixed gates, the monsters can be up to the rank of A+ instead of the required core rank.
The best decision is to send highest ranking warriors and mages to clear the gate for safety reasons. It minimizes the death rate and maximizes the chances of quick clearance.
"I see…" Kyriaki tapped her smart watch after confirming her data. "And I was informed that there was a condition for giving us the clearing rights of this gate."
"Correct." King Ragnar smiled for the first time.
Even his smile was so Viking-like to Kyriaki that she genuinely thought she should've stopped listening to death metal and watching Viking dramas on Nexflix in her previous life of rebellious teenage days.
"Your Majesty, the third prince has arrived." Just as Kyriaki was about to shoot a glare at Euclid who was pretending to be innocent after chatting loudly with elves like a child, a loud voice reached the throne room from beyond the massive door.
"Enter." King Ragnar leaned back on his throne, withdrawing his smile and covering it with a poker face.
The door opened with a creek. Kyriaki's team, who were on their own worlds while she was conversing with the King, turned their heads like meerkats.
2 Meter tall Titan walked in with heavy steps, like he was stepping into a battlefield of justice and dominance. He had golden runes instead of silver, indicating that he was of the Royal bloodline.
He looked around with his chin high, four hands clenched and eyes filled with arrogance. The kind that only trashy young masters from webnovels has.
"Tsk." Euclid softly clicked his tongue next to Kyriaki. His evaluation of this prince seems to have hit rock bottom even before they heard his voice.
Kyriaki ignored him and observed the Titan with a calculating gaze. Although he was as tall as Endymion and had a somewhat muscular body, his face looked closer to a child.
He was undeniably beautiful, yes. But the young appearance and height hinted Kyriaki of his real age without the need to see his status window. The massive battle axes on his back didn't help him to cover it at all.
"This is my son, Erik Aksel Odinson." With the introduction from the King, it was time for him to bow and greet Kyriaki and her team.
However instead, he merely glanced at them and then looked away as if he was displeased.
"Hmph. No matter how much you look, the fact that I'm great and handsome won't change."
At that, Euclid's facial expression, which looked cheerful and innocent, hardened like a stone. Levana looked at the two hatchlings with a nervous look, trying her best not to get noticed.
On the other side, Kyriaki just nodded once as if she didn't care and glanced back at the King instead. Her attitude conveyed that King Ragnar seemed more important to her than his son.
King Ragnar calmly observed the situation and smiled faintly.
"My apologies, Team leader Kyriaki. His arrogance has no end, please ignore our shortcomings." King Ragnar rubbed his forehead with the upper left arm as if he was complaining.
"It doesn't matter." She shrugged her shoulders with a polite business-like smile. "Is he going to join our party on this mission in exchange for clearing rights? If so, I have to fix his personality on top of that. That won't do. I'd rather ignore him completely and think of him as a pillar we have to carry everywhere as a penalty for getting this mission out of all back in EESOP."
Cough. Cough.
Levana coughed like she suddenly became a patient in the death bed. The other two Elves widened their eyes as if they were about to pop out. Euclid smiled brightly, resembling a charming prince of a fairy tale.
King Ragnar and the person next to him looked at Kyriaki like they couldn't believe what she uttered with that smile and adorable lips. Erik was no exception. His teal blue eyebrows arched, resembling his father.
But alas, those reactions meant nothing to her.
"...you—no, nevermind. It seems you already have an idea. Yes, Prince Erik will join your party in clearing this gate for educational purposes." The king sighed and tapped the armrest of his throne with lingering bewilderment.
He didn't say things like 'I hope you'll get along well with him' or 'please take care of him'. Even if he said so, Kyriaki wouldn't have listened.
She has limited information about Titans. Especially the Royal Family of Titans which appeared in the second god's war upon Elysium's summons.
Even in the original timeline, they had less interactions with other races during the war time. They acted almost independently, so the personality of each royal family member of Titans was unknown.
The few pieces of memories where Eric appeared, he seemed friendly. But a personality could change with time. It wasn't unnatural for an arrogant brat to change their personality if someone hit them in the head hard before puberty.
Kyriaki' final decision was to just gather information.
"Very well." Kyriaki turned and tilted her head adorably, looking up to see Erik's face as she was only barely over 1 meter tall. Her face was aloof, but her eyes were ice cold.
[Ding]
[Status window
Name: Erik Aksel Odinson
Race: Titan
Age: 253 years
Core Rank: E
Job(s): Beginner Warrior(low), Beginner Martial Artist(low)
Title(s):
Attribute(s): Space, Ice, Metal
Rune: Rune of cloning, Rune of illusion
Strength: E+
Defence: E+
Agility: E
Sense: E
Vitality: E
Mana: D+
Intelligent: E+
Charm: A
Skills:
Unique: Titan Transformation, Titan Runes
Passive: Poison Immunity, Iron Body, Slow Regeneration, Night Vision, Mana Sense, Direction Sense, Cold resistance, Winter Reading
Active: Magnet, Leap, Dimensional Shift, Winter Blessing, Iron Prison
Warrior imprint
'Not bad.'
Kyriaki smiled like a blooming flower, a halo almost seemed to manifest like an illusion behind her with just one pleasant change of expression. Erik flinched at the sight.
"Then let's not waste my time, Your Highness." She nodded at him as if he was no better than her teammates and then gave King Ragnar a bow, just like she'd done since she was born. A perfect royal dragon's bow.
"Have a good day, Your Majesty."
"Very well."
King Ragnar nodded back and waved his two right hands. The massive door behind them opened without any creaking sounds like a ghost.
Without changing her expression, Kyriaki spun on her heels and turned around. Her long golden hair in a high ponytail swayed with her each move.
Tak.Tak.Tak.
Not as sharp as heels, not as heavy as armor boots. Her footsteps were light, but even a small sound couldn't escape the grand technology of the throne room. Her teammates followed Kyriaki without questioning. Erik groaned to show his displeasure with his whole body before joining them.
Just as the door was about to close, Kyriaki slightly turned her head and locked eyes with King Ragnar. He flinched at the unexpected eye contact.
Those eyes…
They were calculating, watching and waiting. The kind one could only find in a predator watching its prey.
With a light roll, those predatory golden eyes landed on the person standing next to the King with a calculating expression. He too lost his calm at the gaze of the little golden hatchling.
Kyriaki smirked, and the door closed with a loud bang.
Boom!
At the sound of the door closing, the old titan standing next to King Ragnar flinched. Not visible enough for anyone except his King to notice.
"Great Sage, Did you feel it too?" The King glanced at him with an indescribable expression.
He sighed as if it couldn't be helped and replied;
"Yes, Your Majesty. I felt like she was staring into the core of my soul. It was spine chilling." His long grey robe fluttered as he lifted his hand to rub his forehead.
"It's as if she knew what we were doing."
"No, not to that extent." The great sage shook his head in disagreement.
"Then?" King Ragnar caressed his beard with a curious look.
"She's still observing. Trying to find out our intentions. Her emotions appear to be natural. There were no negative or positive emotions in her tone. But I can feel her caution. If we cross the line, there'll be a price to pay."
"Dragons are always full of wisdom. But this one in particular seems to be very clever from a young age." Ragnar mumbled. "When I deliberately called her team leader instead of Princess, she paid no mind. And yet, she clearly expressed her rejection of nepotism when I introduced Erik to her. Not to mention, the way she hinted at it by pushing a useless cover of personality problems, truly a good play of politics."
The great Sage nodded along with his King. It was still shocking how she acted.
"You said you saw her when you visited the moon recently too." He asked.
"That's right," King Ragnar nodded. "When I went to make a deal to lure her here, I accidentally got to meet her at Former King Endymion's office. And I followed them with his content and got to see a historical moment too."
"Cadmus' Dragon Slayer?"
"Cadmus' Dragon Slayer." They both said in sync.
It was still engraved in his mind, how the little hatchling declared confidently that she'd be the master of both Cadmus' Dragon Slayer and Durandal.
"She's the same age as my youngest, but they look so different?" Ragnar shook his head resembling a troubled father.
"She's different from all four princes and the two princesses, Your Majesty. You did a good job by choosing Prince Erik in this trial." The Great Sage's turquoise hue eyes landed on the place Kyriaki stood before. His wrinkled face was full of curiosity, just like the King's.
"She is very mysterious," looking at his expression, King Ragnar chuckled. "Go observe our new sun, if you must."
The Great Sage bowed in their traditional greetings,
"Yes, May the battle of peace be within your heart."
The rune on his left cheek glowed in silver and he disappeared into thin air.
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