Holding Mumu, Skuld's face immediately lit up with a smile. She bowed deeply to Lin Qiye, then held Mumu up with both hands and ran into the forest as if she had found a priceless treasure.
Seeing Mumu's bewildered, helpless expression, Lin Qiye could only give him an encouraging look in silence:
Whether you can win Skuld over depends on you, Mumu!
"Sorry. Although my younger sister is already over a thousand years old, her mind has always been like that of a child." Seeing this, Verdandi, who stood at the cliff's edge, looked at Lin Qiye and the others with noticeably less hostility in her eyes as she spoke calmly.
"I understand." Lin Qiye nodded. "The future should be like this."
A flicker of surprise appeared in Verdandi's eyes at those words.
Her gaze swept over Si Xiaonan and Number 27 in turn before she spoke again. "So, what did you come all this way here for?"
"There's something I would like to ask the Three Goddesses to do..."
Lin Qiye did not beat around the bush. He immediately described Jialan's current condition, then finally turned his gaze toward Skuld, who was playing joyfully with Mumu in the woods.
"...Only Skuld, the Goddess of the Future, can save my beloved. Please, Goddess, grant my request."
Verdandi silently listened to Lin Qiye's words, then looked toward Urd, the Goddess of the Past, beside her. The latter gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"I understand what you mean." Verdandi spoke calmly. "But I'm sorry. We refuse."
"Why?"
"Why should we help you?" Urd followed up. "You are from Great Xia, while we are the Three Goddesses of Norse mythology. We are already on opposing sides. The fact that we have not immediately captured you and sent you to Asgard is kindness enough.