235

Snow Demon

Forseti was intrigued by the way Brunnock used his shield. Having seen it in action, he naturally wanted to learn more about it.

Brunnock laughed but didn't answer directly.

"I have a special technique for throwing the shield, but it's a secret," he said, moving the shield lightly on his fingertips, like a basketball.

Then he changed the topic: "However, if you can teach me Holy Light magic, I'll teach you the shield-throwing skills. How about it?"

Forseti patted him on the shoulder: "Forget it, it's a tedious process."

He had actually wanted to train a few Paladin apprentices, but without the Holy Deed's help, ordinary people couldn't master Holy Light magic. For others to learn it, they needed either a noble character and willingness to sacrifice for justice or to transform their physique to acquire Holy Light affinity.

Brunnock didn't seem like someone of lofty character. If he wanted to become a Paladin, there was only one way.

Forseti's own physique transformation had only just begun. Helping others, especially gods, would definitely take a hundred years.

In the recent battle, the Asgardians had undoubtedly won a great victory, killing many enemies and capturing their commander. So, the camp wasn't attacked again for a while, and they frequently launched their own offensives.

One day, after returning from a battle, Forseti went to a specific area in the camp where huge skeletons and remains were piled up, cut from the corpses of the polar ice beasts. In Jotunheim's freezing environment, a corpse could last thousands of years without decaying.

The ice beasts were full of valuable materials, and their flesh was an excellent source of nourishment. Not because it was delicious—powerful creatures like ice beasts and dragons never had tasty meat. Their flesh was valuable due to the abundant energy it contained. Consuming it replenished strength far better than other foods.

Additionally, there was a saying in the Nine Realms that long-term consumption of such food could change one's physique. A god had discovered this about dragons hundreds of millions of years ago, but it couldn't be verified today.

Even the Jotunheim Ice Beasts were rare, and few had the chance to eat them regularly.

"Chop this piece of meat," Forseti said, pointing to a chunk nearly a meter long, wide, and high.

"Okay, Commander," the butcher responded, taking out a two-meter long knife and cutting the meat into smaller pieces, then wrapping them up.

Forseti stored the meat in the Sanctuary space. This meat was for Venom. During battles, letting Venom eat something could quickly restore some of Forseti's physical strength and holy light, a significant advantage in tough fights.

A few days later, Forseti went to the camp's command post. Some command group members, including Hela, were already there, and the commander's meeting started shortly after.

The meeting was brief, covering several topics quickly.

Finally, Hela said: "...We received a letter yesterday from the nearby Snow Demon tribe."

"Snow Elf!" someone exclaimed.

Although the Frost Giants were the absolute rulers of Jotunheim, it was vast, and there wasn't only one intelligent race. Otherwise, the fabricated "Light Spear Tribe Past" wouldn't have been believed.

The Snow Elf were one of Jotunheim's intelligent beings, known outside as servants of the Frost Giants.

Hela continued: "Recently, the Frost Giants kidnapped and killed the Snow Elf patriarch's daughter. This enraged the Snow Demon tribe, leading them to secretly join us."

"The letter invites me to discuss an alliance."

Hoddle, a command group member, said: "I worry this could be a trap."

"But it's true that the Frost Giants killed the Snow demon," another person said. "It was Laufey's eldest son, Byrest, punished by Fabti. You must have heard about it."

"My daughter was tortured and killed. It must be a serious feud."

"Yet their invitation lacks sincerity," someone argued. "If they want an alliance, they should come to us. Why should Hela go to them? Are we less powerful than the Snow fiend?"

Forseti spoke up: "I don't think they want to come. Snow Demons are much more fragile than Frost Giants. The sun mirror in our camp could kill them. Turning it off increases attack risks."

He had spent time among the ice-shaping tribe and learned a lot about Jotunheim, including the Snow Demon race.

Asgard called them Snow Demons, but they called themselves Snow Elves. The name Snow Elf suggested a beautiful image, which was true. Snow Elves were perhaps the most beautiful race in the Nine Realms, regardless of gender.

Thus, the Frost Giants recruited many Snow Demons as attendants. Though called servants, they didn't do real work.

However, the Snow Demons were very fragile, and "accidental deaths" were common. Laufey's eldest son, Byrest, was known for his violent nature, so such incidents were expected.

Hoddle said: "Even so, the negotiation shouldn't be in their tribe. It should be somewhere near the camp that avoids the sun's mirror heat."

"I agree," several others concurred.

"So we need a messenger to ask them to relocate the talks," Hela said.

"It would be great if Hermond were here," one person said, expressing everyone's thoughts.

Hermond's speed made him the ideal messenger. In case of danger, no one could catch him. Anyone else would take significant risks.

After some discussion, Hoddle said: "I think Forseti should be the messenger."

Forseti didn't usually speak much in meetings, so he was surprised: "Why?"

Hoddle looked at him: "I believe your life-saving abilities might be stronger than Hermond's."