Northern Europe, originally Odin's domain, had long since been vacated by him. He had left Earth to establish a new Asgardian civilization in space. As such, this land shrouded in ice and snow naturally fell under the dominion of the [Earth Father God].
Under the cover of howling winds and blizzards, this land was seen by the world as a barren wasteland. What people didn't know was that a brilliant civilization once flourished here. It only declined after the gods of Asgard departed.
Even in decline, thanks to the unbroken inheritance passed down through generations, an unknown nation still survived—Mjødysell. They continued to worship Lord Odin, King of the Gods, believing the gods he led would one day bring them a glorious future.
Today, for the first time in centuries, Mjødysell welcomed a guest. And not just any guest—this was someone so distinguished that Saintess Hilda, the crownless ruler, led the entire priesthood to greet him.
"Saintess Hilda and the priesthood humbly welcome Lord Maerin, [Earth Father God]."
"Stand. I didn't expect you to have endured for so many years," Maerin praised.
Mjødysell's environment was harsh—constantly buried in snow and wind, with days devoid of sunlight and nights absent of moonlight. Even a patch of green was a rare miracle. For most, surviving here was unthinkable.
But in the mythic era, Mjødysell was one of the most powerful nations in the world. Blessed by Asgard's gods, its heroes were legendary. None dared to challenge it.
After Ragnarök, the gods of Asgard disappeared en masse, but Mjødysell persisted—sustained by its legacy and unshakable faith. Such perseverance was admirable.
"All thanks to the blessings of our God-King," Hilda replied respectfully.
"No, it's your own doing. The age of myth is over. This is the era of humanity. I believe Odin would be proud," said Maerin.
"You… you mean… the God-King… he's still…" The calm tone sent Hilda trembling, eyes blazing with barely contained emotion. Many priests were also on the verge of tears.
"Yes. Odin still lives, and his divine soul has awakened," Maerin confirmed the answer they had longed for.
"Praise the God-King! He's truly alive!"
"Our gods have not perished! Our faith was not in vain!"
"How many sacrificed their lives for a dream… and the God-King still lives!"
"Father, Mother, Grandfather, can you hear this? You were right! Odin lives!"
…
Maerin didn't interrupt them. After tens of thousands of years of waiting and countless sacrifices, their dream had finally borne fruit. They needed this release. Still, Maerin couldn't help but wonder if the truth might bring even greater despair.
He also noticed that within the priesthood, a few had already abandoned their original faith. Though they wept with the others, it was clearly an act.
"Heh, should I be disappointed? Or should I say humans never cease to disappoint?" Maerin mused silently. But he didn't expose them. Although Mjødysell was now under his rule, he didn't intend to interfere or force them to change their faith.
"Lord Maerin… do you know where the God-King is now? Why hasn't he returned?" Hilda asked anxiously.
"Odin… is in space. Asgard has been rebuilt, but they're now guarding the outer reaches of the universe, so…" Maerin explained honestly.
"W-what… the God-King has abandoned us?" Hilda's face turned to despair. The priests, once so elated, now looked equally devastated.
"Hilda, Odin hasn't abandoned you. His duties have changed. He can't return just for personal desires. Your wait was not meaningless. Odin asked me to care for you in his stead," Maerin consoled her, telling a small lie.
"R-really? The God-King hasn't forsaken us?"
"Of course."
"That's wonderful!" Reassured, Hilda leapt up like a child, cheering uncontrollably. Realizing her behavior, she quickly composed herself—she knew Maerin's status rivaled even Odin's, possibly his friend, and etiquette must be upheld.
"My apologies, Lord Maerin. Please follow me to the temple."
"Very well."
Surrounded by priests and watched by the people of Mjødysell, Hilda led Maerin into the temple.
"Lord Maerin, may I ask the purpose of your visit?"
"There are two reasons. First, with Odin now in space, Mjødysell naturally falls under my domain…"
"That's absolutely unacceptable, Lord Maerin!" Hilda interrupted before he could finish. She knew what it meant for a god to claim their territory—it could mean demanding they change their faith.
"Calm down, Hilda. Hear me out. You dwell upon the Earth, making you my people. I will protect you, but as I said, the age of myth is over. This is the era of mankind. I won't force you to abandon your faith or meddle in Mjødysell's governance. That's all up to you," Maerin explained.
"I see. Forgive my rudeness. Thank you for your grace, Lord Maerin."
"But Hilda, I imagine Mjødysell and Asgard's legacies are nearly exhausted?" Maerin asked.
"Yes…" Hilda lowered her head. It had long been her worry—Mjødysell was isolated from the world, and their resources were almost depleted. Supplies were only occasionally procured through secret trips by a few disguised travelers.
Other than a few lost souls, no one had entered Mjødysell in centuries.
"I'll send people to assist in reforming Mjødysell. You know continuing this isolation will lead to ruin. Even the Sanctuary is opening to the world. This is the inevitable course of history. I'll also provide material aid—enough for you to survive," Maerin said.
"But… Mjødysell has been secluded so long. I fear… I fear…"
"That the people won't accept it? Or the danger from the outside world?"
"Both…" Hilda lowered her head again, surprised Maerin saw through her so easily.
"You haven't spoken to your people in a long time, have you?" Maerin asked.
"How did you know?" Hilda gasped. She hadn't left the temple in years.
Maerin chuckled. He already knew—on the way to the temple, his cosmos had scanned all of Mjødysell. He sensed the curiosity in many citizens and even detected priests secretly colluding with outsiders.
"Go talk to them, hear their real thoughts. You'll see your fears are unnecessary. As for threats, I'll send Saints to guard this place," Maerin said.
"We will follow your will." Reassured by his promise, Hilda relaxed.
"The second reason I'm here is that Odin asked me to retrieve some items for him: the ring Draupnir and the thorn Svefnþorn. I've already sensed them. But where are those two mutts, Geri and Freki? I can't sense them anywhere," Maerin asked.
"I don't know either. Since I became Saintess, I've never seen them," Hilda replied—though she didn't know how to react to Maerin calling the sacred wolves "mutts."
Geri and Freki, Odin's divine wolves, embodied Greed and Hunger. To Hilda, they were sacred, but in Maerin's words, just two mutts…
"Is that so? I'll look for them. The ring and the thorn are in the temple, right?"
"Yes, please follow me."
Hilda led Maerin deep into the temple, where two altars of eternal ice held the artifacts: nine rings and a slender thorn.
Draupnir, symbol of wealth—not one ring, but a set of one master and eight subordinate rings. The master ring creates eight copies every nine days, while the old ones fade away.
Svefnþorn, the sleep-inducing thorn. A single prick sends the victim into a deep, long-lasting slumber.
With a wave of his hand, Maerin collected the artifacts.
"Let's go. Someone will be coming to retrieve them soon," Maerin said.
"Wait—someone's coming? A divine messenger?" Hilda asked excitedly.
"Should be. Odin's in space, and I can't send the items to him myself," Maerin replied.
"Then I must prepare a grand welcome!" Hilda begged to be excused.
"Well… go ahead," Maerin said, though he wanted to tell her not to bother. Whoever came would likely just grab the items and leave. And depending on whether they had awakened their divine soul, they might not even qualify as a true divine messenger.
But seeing Hilda so excited, he didn't have the heart to ruin the mood.
Sure enough, he didn't wait long before a beam of seven-colored light descended on Mjødysell's central square.
"The 4,897th Saintess Hilda, with all the people of Mjødysell, welcomes the arrival of the divine messenger!" Hilda knelt first.
"All hail the divine messenger!" the crowd followed. Their faith—and that of generations—culminated in this moment. Emotion overwhelmed them.
Sensing the newcomer's cosmos, Maerin grinned. "So that guy Odin actually sent him… Guess he's really giving me some face."