A few weeks had passed since the awakening of the Titan child…
In the distant cave that Odin had pointed out, Forn had finally completed her recovery. She stood there, exhaling slowly as she touched the spot of the wound on her shoulder.
"That cursed sword my father used… it almost killed me."
She frowned and shook her head firmly.
"No… don't think about the past now. Think about how you're going to escape from here."
But she paused.
If that man… the one called Odin… had wanted to kill her, he could have done so easily while she was injured. He could have taken the sacred spear as well.
But he didn't.
He waited until she recovered.
Then she remembered the moment the Titan child awakened…
And the strange voice she had heard that day…
Her curiosity ignited.
Where was she?
What was this place?
And who did that voice belong to?
She recalled his words:
"When you recover, stand in this spot and call my name, and I will come to you."
She rose slowly and said,
"It's time for the truth."
She walked to the designated place, thinking about the questions she would ask him. When she arrived, she took a deep breath to steady herself, then called out loudly:
"Odin! I'm here! I want answers to my questions!"
Within seconds—
He appeared before her.
He said calmly,
"It seems you have fully recovered, Forn."
Forn let out a light laugh.
"And it seems you've been injured."
Odin glanced at his slightly burned clothes and sighed.
"Taking care of children is a great responsibility… even for rulers."
She laughed harder.
"What kind of child could possibly do that to you?"
He didn't answer.
He simply looked at her.
Her laughter slowly faded.
"Is it… the Titan child who was born a few weeks ago?"
He nodded calmly.
"It seems you have many questions."
She nodded immediately.
"Yes. Who are you? How was that child born? What is this place—"
Odin interrupted her.
"This is not a suitable place to talk. Come."
And he vanished.
Forn blinked in irritation.
"How can he be so disrespectful?! Doesn't he realize that the one standing before him is a beautiful princess?"
She froze.
Her face suddenly flushed red.
"No… no, Forn! What are you thinking? He's an enemy. An enemy!"
She repeated the word in her mind until she calmed down, then hurried after him.
As for Odin, he was watching her from afar, thinking calmly:
"What is this human thinking about? Why do her expressions change every moment… foolish."
But his gaze shifted when he saw the village he had built with his brothers—massive stone houses, towering pillars, and a sacred fire blazing in the square.
He stopped and waited.
A few seconds later, Forn caught up to him, slightly out of breath.
She said in annoyance,
"Don't disappear like that! That's not polite!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted her head slightly and looked directly into his eyes, then asked with open curiosity:
"And why are you so tall anyway? You're extremely tall… taller than two people combined! Are you one of the giants?"
She frowned and quickly answered herself,
"No… no, that's not possible. Giants aren't just tall—they're massively built, exaggeratedly so… and even slightly taller than you. So what race are you?"
Odin calmly gestured toward the houses stretching ahead.
"Let us speak in my home. It seems you lack patience… little girl."
Then he walked toward the village with steady, composed steps.
The moment she heard him call her "little girl," her anger flared.
"Do you not realize that I am a princess?! You should treat me with respect!"
But she noticed he didn't even look at her, nor did he show the slightest interest in her words. He simply continued walking toward the primitive village ahead.
She breathed heavily, muttering angrily,
"I'll show you how it feels to ignore me, you annoying brute…"
Suddenly Odin turned to her and said,
"Did you say something?"
Forn immediately panicked and shook her head quickly.
"No! No, I didn't say anything… hahaha."
Odin stared at her for a long moment—specifically at her eyes—as if trying to read her thoughts.
Embarrassed, she lowered her gaze and hurried forward.
"Why are you walking so slowly? Let's go to that house you mentioned so we can talk."
Watching her pass him while avoiding his gaze, he followed calmly and said,
"Do you know where you're going? You're walking without knowing your destination. That is a mistake. You must always know the path you are taking… whether it is an easy road without danger, or a road filled with risks."
She lifted her chin and replied challengingly,
"Where did you get that wise speech from? Are you an old man?"
He answered calmly,
"Must I be old to possess some wisdom and intelligence… little short girl?"
Then he walked past her toward the village.
She froze in place for a moment.
"Short?!"
Anger flared within her and she ran after him.
"Who said I'm short? You're just ridiculously tall—"
But her words suddenly stopped.
It wasn't the village itself that caught her attention…
It was the children.
She came to a complete halt.
Before her stood a group of children—but they were nothing like ordinary children. They were unnaturally tall, with strong, well-built bodies, training with massive wooden weapons that moved in their hands with unsettling ease.
She stared at them and muttered,
"Am I… actually short?"
She looked at herself—her height had been perfectly normal in the Continent of Mira… but here, she seemed different.
Odin interrupted her thoughts.
"Come. Why did you stop suddenly?"
She slowly lifted her gaze from the children… then to him.
She was beginning to realize that this island… was not merely a legendary place.
It was an entirely different world from anything she had ever known.