Gone

Ortlinde discovered something somewhat awkward: this was no longer Valhalla, and there were no warriors on horseback, so there were no stables here.

Fortunately, Gullfaxi was not a pampered horse, and although it was forced by Bai Mo to acknowledge Ortlinde as its master, it did not look down on her.

She built a fence around the house and brought the magnificent steed inside. She gently stroked Gullfaxi's mane, still feeling a sense of unreality.

Am I really qualified?

Ortlinde muttered to herself, but Gullfaxi beside her let out a neigh. It stamped its front hooves, seemingly expressing its displeasure with Ortlinde's attitude.

"Even if you're angry, there's nothing I can do... For you, only warriors like Hrungnir and Father God are worthy of Riding you."

"Pfft."

When the name Odin was mentioned, Gullfaxi stuck out its tongue like a booing audience member, its eyes showing no sign of disdain. It stretched out its head and touched the pseudo-divine declaration hanging behind Ortlinde, its Magnetic Field Power surging as it lightly touched the divine iron shield.

"Um... you mean, you only want to follow brave warriors, not those who play tricks?"

Gullfaxi nodded, its gaze fixed on Ortlinde's weapon. The Magnetic Field Power around it and Ortlinde remained, not disappearing.

It is a warrior's mount. For it, the premise of self-acceptance has never been status, but courage, especially the courage to face the strong.

So, you approve of me?

Gullfaxi nodded. Although it couldn't speak, it was quite intelligent. Courage wasn't about the strength of its wielder, but about how high a mountain that person dared to challenge. Gullfaxi, possessing the strength of 750,000 horses, understood how much courage it took for a powerless Valkyrie to charge up.

Seeing that Gullfaxi truly accepted her, Ortlinde scratched her head and grinned sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed. She enthusiastically began grooming Gullfaxi's golden mane. After a quick grooming session, she belatedly realized that there was a banquet in the distance. Just as she hurried over, a voice came from behind her.

"Is this your warhorse? It looks beautiful, sister."

Ortlinde turned her head and saw a Valkyrie wearing a hood, but strangely, she didn't seem to have blonde hair, but rather long, snow-white hair. Her eyes were also unusual, black and white, spiral-shaped.

Inside Skadi's palace, Bai Mo and the others weren't in a hurry. After truly confirming their cooperative relationship, they had more to say. Bai Mo then asked them a few questions that were of particular interest to him.

Are there outsiders here?

That's a bit hard to say. In Russia, almost everyone is Yaga, and the Terrible Emperor has records to keep track of them. It's easy to find people like Bai Wubian. But in Northern Europe, everyone living here is a normal person.

If that guy just hides in some corner, it'll be really difficult to deal with.

However, Skadi nodded firmly.

"Yes, the weapons you saw belonging to Sigurd, and the hidden defenses in the sky, were all left behind by him."

"Leave?"

Skadi nodded somewhat helplessly and continued:

"After all, you've seen the situation in Northern Europe, so leaving is understandable. Rather, as an outsider, you've done so much for this place, and we're already very grateful. At the same time, he also took some people who were willing to leave their homes, which can be considered as preserving a spark of hope."

As for his name, he never told anyone and always wore a mask; however, he seemed to have said something before he left.

Skadi lifted her chin, seemingly searching through her long memory. She had only heard Odin mention it at the council, and after Ragnarok, she seemed to have forgotten some things during that period of unconsciousness.

Everyone fell silent, like spectators awaiting the climax of a drama, waiting for Skadi to speak. Then, the goddess spoke:

"The crisis in the Scandinavian Lostbelt is far more than just Surtr in the sky. I saw in the stars that there is an even more glaring ominous star Surtr, located low in the sky, like a ferocious beast hidden in the darkness of the deep sea."

That's what he said.

Upon hearing this, Bai Mo frowned, while Ophelia couldn't help but exhale a cold breath.

The joy of the recent victory seemed to vanish instantly. Bai Mo pondered the hidden ferocious beast while also calculating: there weren't many powerful individuals who could observe celestial phenomena, so which one could this be?

"Forget it, they're gone, there's no point in thinking about it."

Bai Mo shook his head, while Skadi smiled and said:

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. He said before that he would relay the crisis here to people in other Lostbelt to seek help. Maybe we'll even have other helpers."

She changed the subject, casually asking, "By the way, what about Ortlinde? It seems like settling the horses has taken quite a while, hasn't it?"

"She wasn't there to settle the horses for me." Bai Mo's expression was quite solemn, and he said earnestly:

"Like I said before, she and I are comrades-in-arms, like sword and shield, she is not my squire. That Gullfaxi was a gift from me, it is her warhorse, after all, I can't let her keep participating in such dangerous battles, can I?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Skadi narrowed her eyes slightly, while Sigurd beside her also looked at her strangely, his eyes darting around before he smiled knowingly.

Seeing Sigurd's expression, Bai Mo nodded slightly at him.

As expected of a hero from the Age of Gods, he naturally understands this kind of camaraderie.

"After all, it's such a beautiful horse; a warrior would surely adore it. It's understandable that it's moving slowly. Now that we've finished talking, I'll go call her back."

After saying that, Bai Mo turned and left.

As soon as he left, Skadi and Sigurd exchanged a knowing glance.

Is he proposing?

"That's right, he seemed to have understood my look just now. After all, I am somewhat known to later generations."

Ophelia's lips twitched. Clearly, as a modern person Ophelia had no idea how these two Northern Europe could connect Bai Mo's words with a marriage proposal.

"Saber, can you explain to me why his actions have led you to make that connection? When you married Brynhildr, wasn't the True Magic ring Andvaranaut a gift?"

"Master, I also prepared quite a few other gifts at the time. And generally, when Northern Europe warrior wants to marry a female warrior, the betrothal gifts will include a horse."

Many young men would even venture into the mountains to tame a beautiful wild horse as a dowry. This was not only a source of wealth, but also a testament to their bravery.

Ophelia clearly didn't believe this explanation at all, while Skadi wore a loving smile and carefully explained to Ophelia:

"You might not be familiar with this, so let me explain it to you systematically. Let's take Sigurd's case as an example and see what steps are involved in proposing to Valkyrie."

Seeing Skadi's enthusiastic expression, Ophelia suddenly felt that if she refused her now, Skadi might show that pitiful look, like an elderly person being hurt by a child.

Skadi pulled out something that looked like a blackboard, took out her staff, and started gesturing on it:

Generally speaking, a warrior's wedding requires the following three conditions:

A glorious feat, Sigurd slew the dragon, proving his bravery and strength, and earning him the ticket to becoming a Valkyrie's companion.

A truly remarkable treasure, the True Magic ring Andvaranaut, gifted by Sigurd, testifies to his taste, fortune, and generosity.

Finally, there's a promise: Sigurd crossed the wall of fire, accomplishing what most people couldn't—a tribute and respect for her status.

As Skadi finished speaking, the doubt in Ophelia's eyes vanished completely, replaced by an exaggeratedly raised eyebrow.

"It seems like everything actually matches up."

Looking at Sigurd, who was smiling and nodding as if he had met a kindred spirit, Ophelia felt that something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.