"That was amazing, Motegi-chan!"
"Seriously, Motegi-kun, that was crazy! What the hell was that?!"
"As expected of you… Motegi-sama…"
"Master, your performance exceeded every combat sequence I have ever observed within the labyrinth. Reaction speed, precision, and adaptation reached unprecedented levels. This duel confirmed your sword proficiency surpasses predicted thresholds."
"Darling, you won~! You beat an angel in her own realm~!"
"Truly… thou hast triumphed over an angel upon her own holy ground, mine king."
"Well… I didn't mean to drag you into a duel, honey. But it doesn't look like I need to feel guilty anymore, huh~?"
"Kyuu!"
"Ahaha… thank you, everyone."
After the duel ends, the girls cluster close to me, each shining with pride or relief, and Puck launches itself back onto my shoulder as if the duel was nothing but a fun warm-up for its owner.
But then, my eyes drift back to Brunhild. She is still kneeling and her sword remains lying far behind her.
And honestly, the duel was the most intense I've ever had. Brunhild's swordsmanship was absolutely insane, and I wouldn't have stood a chance if I didn't use [Temporary Boost].
Then, Michael rises slightly from his throne.
"Brunhild. How long will my mighty warrior remain kneeling in defeat?"
She doesn't move for a while before she finally speaks with a low voice.
"I apologize, my Lord. I have failed you."
"You initiated the duel. I simply granted permission. There is nothing to apologize for."
But Brunhild's voice rises sharply.
"No. I have failed you. I let my judgment sway. I challenged a guest. I brought shame upon your virtue. I beg for forgiveness."
"Brunhild…"
Michael exhales... long and almost sad. And I can't help myself from stepping forward at Michael.
"Lord Michael, maybe it was my fault. I didn't mean to crush her spirit like that."
Michael only lets out a small, amused smile.
"Why is everyone apologizing to me today?"
Then, he begins speaking.
"You see, Brunhild has been my greatest warrior for five millennia. She was the first to descend into the lower world's battlefield during that Demon Lord war."
Five millennia?
That means... she's as old as Lilith…
Michael continues thoughtfully.
"Among all my commanders, Brunhild is the most disciplined. The most unwavering. She has never doubted my orders, not even once. Admirable, yet concerning. I hoped her experience in the lower world would broaden her view. But instead, she clung to her code even more like unbreakable scripture."
And he looks at her with quiet pity.
"Perhaps this defeat will teach her something I never could. She does not always need to be so hard on herself."
"I see..."
Manas is prideful because she climbed to the peak of her race and chose solitude afterward. Pinna processes the world by dissecting it logically.
But Brunhild is different. She feels like a rigid knight carved out of a rulebook. Someone who's lived by doctrine so long she's forgotten how to breathe outside it.
Then, Michael's tone deepens, more commanding now.
"Brunhild, rise and show your face."
Brunhild slowly lifts her greatsword from the floor. She stands, steady but slow, and raises her defeated expression at last. Michael gazes at her, then speaks with calm purpose.
"I may have an idea for how you might atone. I want you to live with Motegi and his companions. Go to the world below and learn from them. See it not as a battlefield, but as a place worth understanding."
And we're all surprised, even Brunhild herself blinks in disbelief. But before Brunhild and I are ready to object, Michael raises a gentle hand to stop us.
"I know it is sudden. But it is my sincere request to both of you."
He looks to Brunhild first.
"You have lived by the code your whole life. But it is your time to see a different kind of truth. One not written in laws or loyalty."
Then he turns his eyes toward me.
"And Motegi, I entrust her to you. Guide her. Not as a soldier, not as a commander... but as a person."
And he bows his head slightly to us.
"Please, this is my request for both of you."
With no room to say no, I just simply agree.
"Yes. I'll do it, Lord Michael."
Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel because this is nothing like how the others joined me.
Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Lilith were all people I bonded with naturally. Pinna came to me out of curiosity, wanting to learn. And Salacia and Manas formed our connections through contracts and shared respect.
But Brunhild is being entrusted to me by an archangel, and it feels like a divine request. So I can't tell if that makes me feel proud or just incredibly nervous.
Then, Brunhild finally speaks.
"If that is your wish, my Lord... I shall comply."
And she lowers her head slightly as she asks a question.
"But does this mean… my position as Commander will be replaced?"
"Yes. But do not trouble yourself with that title anymore. It no longer needs to define you. My request is still a duty, is it not?"
"Everything you command is my duty, my Lord."
Michael closes his eyes briefly, then opens them again with resolution.
"Then from this moment onward, Brunhild, you are officially relieved of your post as Commander of Diligence."
Then, he lifts his gaze and calls out.
"Kriemhild."
"Yes, my Lord!"
A serene voice answers from above as a new female figure begins to descend from the clouds. She has feathered, brilliant white wings and a golden halo just like Brunhild's, but her long brown hair flows behind her shoulders instead of being white.
When her boots touch the marble floor, she lowers herself at once and kneels before the throne.
"Kriemhild, at your service."
"Kriemhild. From this day forward, you shall succeed Brunhild as the new Commander of Diligence."
And Kriemhild looks up, startled.
"So suddenly? May I ask why?"
"I simply wish to free Brunhild from her cage. Nothing else."
A moment passes before Kriemhild bows her head again.
"Then I accept. I will serve you well from this day forward, my Lord."
Michael nods, and he turns back to Brunhild.
"Brunhild, one last order. I ask that you guide Motegi and his companions through Turivel and offer them parting gifts."
"As you command, my Lord."
Then, Brunhild turns to face us calmly.
"Please follow me."
Without another word, we leave the throne room behind as we walk into a long corridor. Up ahead, another pair of massive golden doors gleams at the end of the path. Brunhild places her hands against them and pushes, unfolding the other side of Turivel before us.
White-stone homes stretch across a vast terrace, dry masonry fitted without mortar, strong and ancient. Wide roads weave between them, and towering pillars rise from plazas and courtyards, framing open gathering spaces where unicorns walk under the sun as angels glide overhead through the air.
And Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, Manas, and Lilith are all amazed. Even Puck chirps joyfully on my shoulder.
"Look! There are so many angels and unicorns!"
"I thought Turivel was just clouds and golden doors…"
"It's so... simple… but... that's what... makes it… so... charming…"
"Civilization patterns indicate minimal deviation over time. Estimated architectural stagnancy suggests this society has remained structurally and culturally unchanged for… at least several millennia."
"I never imagined Turivel had this many layers or this much life~…"
"Mudbrick homes in Nomah still hold superior warmth… but aye, this realm shall suffice."
"I think I'm starting to fall in love with this place~…"
"Kyuu!"
Somehow, this civilization reminds me of ancient Greece or Rome, that classical era. It makes sense, though, since Turivel is a holy land after all.
Then, Brunhild looks over her shoulder at me as she explains.
"This is where the angels and unicorns live."
"It's amazing, Brunhild..."
We walk for several more minutes until we reach a solitary building that stands at a quieter side, which looks like a temple. As we stop at its stone entrance, Brunhild raises her voice with a firm tone.
"I am Brunhild, the Commander of Diligence. I request permission to enter."
Then, the thick stone walls part inward like sliding doors, opening the way inside.
"This way."
Brunhild turns toward us again, so we follow her in. After another brief corridor, we step into a grand circular chamber filled with dozens of artifacts, scrolls, trinkets, statuettes, and ancient relics. And Brunhild gestures toward it all.
"This is one of Turivel's treasuries. It holds scrolls and relics accumulated over many ages. You may each take whatever calls to you."
And the girls light up and scramble over.
Yomogi's eyes land on a strange, gleaming silver-gold alloy dog statuette, and she picks it up gently with both hands. And Chantal grabs a translucent crystal cat and holds it up to the light.
"Aw… it's so cute…"
"Hehehe, what an interesting little guy. I like his face."
As Brunhild explains their origin, Yomogi is surprised, and Chantal just nods surely.
"Those were shaped from metals and crystalline brought into Acrusse by something from beyond… millennia ago. Their nature remains unexplained even now."
"Ehh?? Really? That's amazing…"
"Perfect! I'll take it."
But I'm curious about something, so I ask Brunhild for it.
"What do you mean 'something beyond Acrusse'?"
"That's all the record says. It fell into this world long ago. No origin, no trail, and it just simply arrived."
"I see..."
Fell into the world... that probably means it was a meteorite, right?
Kimberly's fingers brush over a sealed scroll, while Pinna carefully lifts a stone object etched with tiny gears and dials. And their eyes are widened.
"Could this be… a rare... Wind magic... scroll...?"
"This appears to be an ancient astronomical mechanism, perhaps for stellar prediction. The detailing is extraordinary."
As Brunhild explains their origin, both Kimberly and Pinna tremble at what she said.
"That scroll was written by the first elf ever born in Acrusse. And that stone was created by the first automaton ever born in Acrusse. There's no better person to take them than you. You're the only one who could understand how they work."
"No way… this… this can't be… Sylphida-sama's creation…"
"As expected… of Mother Cerion…"
Sylphida and Cerion?
I think those must be the names of the first elf and automaton Brunhild mentioned.
And as for the thing Pinna takes, it just looks like the Antikythera mechanism back on Earth.
Nearby, Salacia lifts a golden conch shell and runs her fingers along it.
"It's so beautiful~… like it holds a song inside~…"
And Brunhild explains again.
"That is the last known remnant of a sea snail species extinct for millennia."
"I know the story. But seeing it this close… it's more amazing than I imagined~..."
Manas is already laughing as she grabs several golden artifacts.
"Mwahahaha! There existeth no world where a dragon resisteth such bounty!"
Brunhild can only sigh, shaking her head with a wry murmur.
"Dragons and their gold… some things never change."
Lilith purrs lowly as she cradles a red diamond in her palm.
"Fufufu~… you're mine now, sweetheart~…"
Brunhild gives her a look.
"Must you seduce everything you touch, Lilith?"
"I can't help it, Brunhild~! It's too alluring~…"
As for me, my eyes land on a small, unassuming crate near the back covered entirely by a white fabric.
"What's this, Brunhild?"
Then, Brunhild walks to my side.
"A container. Forged to store large objects using Cosmic element. Its interior distorts space, allowing storage of massive structures."
"And the fabric?"
"Woven from the bark of the first tree that ever grew in Acrusse."
"I see…"
Well, I know my dimensional inventory is useful, but I think Hagetaka won't fit inside. So, storing that airship inside this crate first and making it small could be the perfect solution.
And the fabric itself is softer than anything I've ever touched. Like a cross between cotton and linen, but lighter. I can feel my [Tailoring] skill is already screaming for crafting it into lingerie, and I can already imagine the girls would love it.
Once our business here is done, Brunhild brings us back to Michael's throne room. Arriving there, I bow respectfully at Michael.
"Thank you, Lord Michael, for welcoming us to Turivel. And for treating everyone with such kindness."
"The pleasure has been mine. You've brought life to this realm, even if just briefly. I do hope you'll return again someday."
"We'd love to. Truly."
As we all begin to turn away, Brunhild remains behind for a moment longer. Then, she kneels on one knee and bows her head low.
"I, Brunhild… humbly take my leave from this realm, in pursuit of a new duty."
"Permission granted. Go now, and see the world with new eyes."
Rising, Brunhild turns without another word and falls in step behind us. The two unicorn guards from earlier guide us until the same pair of angelic guards takes over, escorting us to the platform where I parked Hagetaka.
Once we're all aboard, I twist the Cosmic magic stone to lift Hagetaka from the platform. Then, we all bid farewell to the angels outside.
"Thank you for everything!"
Then, I press the Wind magic stone, and the airship glides forward through the sky, leaving Turivel behind. Brunhild stands near the window silently, her fingers lightly grazing the wall beside her as she eyes across the interior.
"This... metal vulture. A carriage unlike anything I have ever witnessed..."
"You like it?"
She opens her mouth and then closes it, not a single word escapes.
AN ISLAND IN OSERIN
THREE HOURS LATER
After a long, steady three-hour flight, we finally arrive above a familiar blue of Oserin's vast ocean. As I keep my hand on the console, Salacia suddenly turns to me.
"Darling, can you land me on the sea~?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Just trust me and do it~..."
"Okay."
With that, I open the hatch, and she calls out sweetly...
"Thanks, darling~!"
Before she dives overboard into the waves with a smooth splash. The rest of us continue on, and soon I land Hagetaka onto the same uninhabited island we visited earlier.
After everyone steps out into the sun. I open the crate, and in a blink, Hagetaka's entire form folds into itself and vanishes into the container, which is shocking me.
"Whoa! This is so convenient."
And the girls also stare wide-eyed in surprise. But before they can open their mouths, an excited voice comes from the sea.
"Everyone~! Look what I found~!"
We turn, and we see Salacia marching through the shallow waves, dripping wet and grinning triumphantly as she drags behind her a massive squid, nearly the same size as she is.
Chantal and Kimberly drop their jaws.
"That's a really big squid, Salacia!"
"Salacia… you're amazing…"
Pinna observes flatly.
"Its morphology suggests it may be the largest known squid species in Oserin."
Manas bursts into proud laughter, and Lilith giggles.
"Mwahaha! Behold what kin o' kraken she hath hauled ashore!"
"Fufufu~... I can't wait to eat it~."
And Yomogi's eyes light up.
"That'd be perfect for dinner! Let's make it a welcome meal for Brunhild!"
Brunhild looks surprised, then bows politely.
"Thank you… for such a warm welcome."
With that, I open a teleportation portal, and we step through it together, returning home to Remantia with Brunhild joining us.