The Norns of Norse Mythology

The soft words mixed with a smile suddenly rang out in Promise's ears.

Following it was a scene of flowers blooming.

Beautiful flowers blossomed in the quiet corridors of Chaldea.

And from within the flowers, the dreamlike figure of the Flower Mage appeared before Promise.

She smiled, her beautiful eyes as intoxicating as fine wine, gazed directly at Promise.

Seeing Merry's appearance, even Promise couldn't help but look a bit surprised.

"Merry, when did you get here?"

"Of course, it was when you told me that the Goddess of Wisdom had already dropped an anchor for you, and that you were planning to head to the Age of Gods in the North, even wanting to burn down that tree."

"From that day on, I've been coming here to see you."

Merry spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, even deliberately adding exaggerated gestures as she said, "Besides, this is the moment when the darling of the gods, the hunter of goddesses, the hero who forged the holy sword, sets off on another journey."

"It's the prelude to another magnificent epic. As your most loyal audience, how could I not rush to the scene to applaud and cheer for you!"

"...Are you going to hold a book and, in the future when I'm exposed, loudly proclaim your congratulations for me to everyone you meet?" Promise glanced sideways at Merry.

The moment he said it, Promise regretted it, because...

"Eh!"

Hearing this, Merry's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands in excitement all of a sudden, saying with great joy, "That's a great idea! I'll do it this way next time, hmm..."

Before she could finish, Promise pinched her cheeks with both hands as he glared at her angrily and warned, "Don't you dare!"

Merry blinked her beautiful eyes, looking at Promise's flustered and angry expression. Instead of being alarmed, she smiled even more brightly.

Moreover, because of his reaction, Merry, who had been just bickering with the young man on a daily basis, subconsciously associated it with the scene where, when Promise's identity was revealed, she would hold a thick history book and loudly proclaim celebratory words.

"Rejoice! Before you stands the great hero from the Age of Greek Gods, the disciple of the Centaur Sage, Chiron, the follower of Athena, the darling of the gods, the one who humiliated the Goddess of Fate, the God of Painting who captured the hearts of countless princesses and goddesses of the divine era..."

"Pfft!"

Thinking about the scene, Merry, unable to hold back, burst out laughing.

This is fun!

This really seems like a lot of fun!

I want to do it!

Seeing her reaction, Promise instantly guessed what she was thinking and felt a vein pop on his forehead.

At this moment, he was really considering "silencing" her to avoid future embarrassment.

As Promise looked at Merry, contemplating whether to eliminate the fairy to silence her and prevent future social disasters, the latter, noticing the strange look in his eyes, quickly took a few steps back.

She even pretended to hug herself, her cheeks flushing as she exclaimed, "Ah, you pervert, you H!"

"...As expected, I really should just bury you."

Promise took a deep breath and, as he spoke, pulled out a Servant Class Card.

Seeing that he was seriously considering transforming into a Servant, Merry was so scared that she immediately begged for mercy without any dignity.

After the two of them had a little playful argument, before..

"They'll be in your care."

Promise, who was about to leave, said this to Merry.

But the latter shook her head without even thinking about it.

"No way, I already said I'm your loyal observer. Naturally, I should follow you all the time. As for them, well, there's another version of me watching over them anyway.

Besides, the treasures you've left behind are more than enough for those two kids to spend."

Merry smiled and said to Promise,

"You guy, do you even understand the value of your paintings? You've already declared that you'll paint a picture for their future.

That future painting of yours is the highest form of recognition for them.

So, in their upcoming journey, no matter whether it's the heroes from your little black book of grudges or the gods in your paintings, they will all help them in every possible way without hesitation."

"Even for your sake, even if they aren't qualified, your friends and the gods will definitely make sure they earn that qualification."

After all, it's your painting, Promise.

Hearing her words, Promise fell silent for a while.

Because he knew Merry was telling the truth.

Just like how Jeanne d'Arc had wholeheartedly protected Ritsuka and Mash during the first Singularity.

Or how Chiron, the Centaur Sage, had specifically come to teach them during the second Singularity.

Thinking about this Promise felt a bit relieved as he took out the third, blank Servant Class Card once again.

Though Merry couldn't see the Servant Class Card in his hand,

She knew the time for departure had come.

So, she made the flowers blooming around them dance once more, sending Promise off on his journey with blessings and beauty.

"Thank you."

And at the very last moment, Promise finally said a sincere thank you.

After all, Merry was the first person to see him off and bless him the best... although her main reason was probably just to watch the drama and enjoy the show.

Then, speaking these words, Promise disappeared before Merry's eyes.

Looking at the young man's body vanish, Merry wasn't surprised at all.

She even glanced up at the sky and muttered softly, "Such a petty goddess... pfft, and that guy Promise, no wonder he likes Clotho so much. Turns out these two are actually the same—both tsunderes.

Oh wait, no, these days goddesses don't even bother with being tsunderes anymore; they just go straight for the goal~~"

As she spoke, Merry, with a smile on her face, also left the area.

The flowers that had bloomed here vanished without a trace, as if by magic.

Almost at the same time, in the main hall of Chaldea.

Under the astonished gazes of Roman, Da Vinci, and the rest of the Chaldea staff, who looked as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight,

"What's with those looks?"

With her arms crossed in front of her chest,

Director Olga Marie, wearing red tights, frowned as she looked at the people before her.

"Is my presence here really that surprising?!"

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Norse, Age of Gods.

Legend has it that in Norse mythology, the entire world is constructed from a world tree known as "Yggdrasil."

From its trunk, nine worlds are said to branch out.

At the very top lies Asgard, the realm of the gods, ruled by Odin.

Yggdrasil has three massive roots, one of which extends deep into the sacred spring of Urd in Asgard.

Beside the spring stands an ancient shrine, home to three goddesses.

Their status is so special that only Odin, the All father, the King of the Gods, has the right to face them directly, for they are... the Norns of Norse mythology!

(Norns, just like Moirai from Greek Mythology...the Goddesses of Fate)

They weave the web of fate and pour water from the spring of Urd onto Yggdrasil every day, keeping it alive.

Among the three goddesses, the youngest and most mysterious is Skuld.

For the domain she governs corresponds to... the future!

Beside the spring of Urd, on the thick roots of Yggdrasil, Skuld sat dressed in a black gown etched with mysterious runes.

Her night-like hair was tied into a long braid that fell behind her back.

One of her eyes shone a clear sky blue, while the other remained hidden beneath her falling dark locks.

Whenever she brushed aside her hair to reveal that hollow eye, what she saw was the distant future.

Today, as usual, she sat by the roots of Yggdrasil and the spring of Urd, brushing aside her hair to gaze into the far-off future.

In Norse mythology, no matter the process, the outcome is always predetermined.

That outcome is the arrival of the end—the destruction of the world, known as Ragnarok (The Twilight of the Gods).

This is a fate that even Odin, the king of the gods, with all his power, cannot alter.

It is also the scene that this goddess, when she reveals her eye to peer into the future, is destined to see.

But today, the scene that appeared before her eyes was slightly different.

Though the end was still destruction, in the eterablly unchanging future, this time Skuld saw a raging fire.

A fire that consumed the entire world, reducing Yggdrasil to ashes...

Thus, a few days later, Skuld left the sacred realm of the gods and stepped onto the Bifröst, the Rainbow Bridge, descending to the human world—Midgard.

She peered into the future again and again, searching through the vast tapestry of fate, hoping to find the traces left by the shifting threads of destiny.

But the fate of the world is like the leaves blooming on a tree.

Even though the thread of fate she sought was changing all the time, without an anchor point, the task was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

The only thing she could confirm was that the figure who would set the World Tree ablaze was not a god, but a human.

All she needed was to find, who he was .

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