No, the woman on the balcony looked more like a girl than a grown woman.
Her hair was neatly tied back without a single strand out of place, shining as if spun from molten gold. She stood around mid-160 centimeters—petite and well-proportioned—with delicate, refined features that still held a hint of youthful innocence.
Perhaps because of the warm weather, her lightly dressed figure revealed well-defined muscles—not bulky or rough, but finely toned to the point that you’d barely notice unless you looked closely. Like her smooth, firm thighs that seemed both supple and strong.
Regardless of whether she was a woman or a girl, there was no denying she was strikingly beautiful. It wasn’t just her looks; an indescribable aura surrounded her, enveloping her like a gentle glow.
She stood on the balcony, gazing down at the view below. Her eyes, as if inlaid with finely crafted jade, sparkled with quiet confidence. It was the kind of look that spoke of accomplishment, of pride—like someone who had achieved something significant.
In fact, she was thinking about the war from a few months ago. More precisely, the great war against the Arcono Orcs who ruled the massive mountain range.
No one could even begin to guess how many users had died facing the orcs. From birth, these orcs were trained for battle, each one a formidable warrior. On top of that, there were the strange orc shamans who wielded bizarre magic, and the final, chilling showdown with the Orc Lord that ended the war—just recalling it sent shivers down her spine.
Looking back, the battle had been far from easy, but in the end, victory belonged to the southern continent. They had captured the feared orc fortress and paved the way to Ragnarok.
One of the results of that victory was this city—and this grand, lavish palace. Every user on the southern continent praised the Blue Palace, and naturally, that praise extended to the clan that had led the war against the Arcono Orcs.
That clan was Odin.
After the war with the Arcono Orcs, users on the southern continent hailed the Odin clan as the best on the continent. Of course, there was a bit of regional pride behind that sentiment—perhaps a reaction to the influx of users when the western continent closed its borders.
Strictly speaking, their reputation was limited to the southern continent, but the leader of the Odin clan didn’t mind the praise. After all, the girl herself thought much the same.
The city’s reconstruction was nearly complete, and users were actively engaging in activities centered around Ragnarok. The more the city thrived day by day, the stronger her confidence grew. Despite the heavy losses, Ragnarok itself had more than made up for them. And above all…
“…?”
At that moment, the girl, lost in thought, sensed something unusual and slowly turned her head. She focused her gaze on the shadow cast inside the balcony entrance. After a few seconds, a flash of striking violet hair swayed into view.
“Eldora!”
With a lively voice, someone suddenly appeared. Taller than the girl by a head, a slender woman clad in light tan leather armor stepped forward.
Eldora turned to face her visitor, staring intently. The woman’s long, slender legs clicked gracefully as she approached, her bright eyes crinkling with a fresh, cheerful smile.
“There you are! We’ve been looking all over for you, Eldora.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that? Natalie.”
Eldora’s voice took on a mock-serious tone. Natalie, the woman, raised her eyes slightly and tilted her head.
“Oh? Then what should I call you? Cornelius? That’s not very pretty.”
“Anything’s fine, really…”
Eldora sighed lightly as Natalie grinned broadly.
“So, what’s this about looking all over for me?”
“Oh, our prophet was searching for you. Really desperately, too.”
Natalie emphasized “our” with a giggle. Even Eldora, who usually kept a calm expression, showed a subtle change.
“Melinus?”
“Yeah! And…”
At that moment, Eldora started moving. Natalie, about to say more, followed with wide eyes, but Eldora was already striding toward the entrance.
“Eldora, Eldora! Wait, I wasn’t finished…!”
Natalie’s voice called after her, but Eldora didn’t slow down. If anything, her pace quickened, almost hurriedly. Her face lit up as if she were going to meet an old friend.
A little while later, Eldora left the room, passed through a long corridor, crossed a skybridge connecting to another building, and opened an elegant wooden door.
Inside, the first thing she saw was a spiral staircase descending endlessly downward. As she went down the winding steps, she glimpsed rows of neatly arranged tables and a vast library filled with countless records. It was a treasure trove of knowledge.
As the staircase finally neared its end, a faint sound echoed through the quiet library.
“Can it be done alone…?”
“Well, we’ll have to see, but probably…”
Eldora stopped at the bottom and peeked inside. There sat an elderly man with white hair, draped in an ash-gray robe, at a large desk. A white staff rested at an angle, a lantern cast a soft glow, and the man, sitting upright with gentle eyes, was deeply engrossed in his studies—like a true sage.
Occasionally stroking his long white beard or moistening his fingers to turn the pages, the man’s calm demeanor brought a faint smile to Eldora’s lips. Unlike her earlier interaction with Natalie, her expression now was warm and affectionate.
With a look full of trust, Eldora cleared her throat softly.
“Hmm?”
“Oh?”
Two voices answered. The old man looked up, eyes wide with surprise. To his right stood a graceful woman in her mid-thirties, also wearing a flowing white robe. She carried a bundle of records and froze in surprise at Eldora’s sudden appearance. Eldora herself looked a bit startled—she hadn’t expected anyone else.
The woman quickly composed herself and smiled gently.
“Natalie didn’t tell you I was coming?”
“No, I didn’t hear anything. Sorry, Olivia.”
Eldora bowed politely. Olivia smiled, placing a hand on her cheek.
“No need to apologize. The Odin Lord remains as steadfast as ever.”
Like Atlanta in Ragnarok, the central city was surrounded by four outer cities. Olivia was the clan lord of one of those cities, and she maintained a very friendly relationship with Odin.
Eldora returned the smile, and the old man chuckled, motioning lightly. A chair slid out from under the desk and moved toward Eldora. This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, and Eldora sat down calmly.
“I heard you called for me, Melinus.”
“That’s right. There’s something I need to discuss.”
“Discuss?”
Eldora’s curiosity was evident as she asked. Melinus glanced sideways. The woman in white set down her records and, after a moment of thought, spoke quietly.
“Odin Lord, I heard you’re still searching for the scabbard—is that correct?”
Eldora blinked a few times, then nodded with a puzzled look.
“That’s true, but I haven’t been able to focus on it lately.”
“Well, Olivia brought some rather interesting information.”
Melinus’s voice was rougher than expected as he cut in. The conversation naturally shifted to the main topic.
“Clan Lord, are you familiar with the myths surrounding this Ragnarok continent?”
“Not in detail… I only know that long ago, there was a great battle among the gods.”
“That’s enough,” Melinus said, stroking his long beard as he sifted through records.
“Ragnarok… literally means ‘Twilight of the Gods,’ but it can also be interpreted as the fate or downfall of the gods.”
“Downfall… That doesn’t sound very promising.”
“No need to worry too much. Every battle has winners and losers. In this case, the losers are linked to the downfall. How exactly to interpret that downfall is another matter.”
“Right. But how does that myth connect to the scabbard I’m searching for?”
At that moment, Olivia stepped forward.
“Recently, we discovered ruins believed to be at the edge of the world. It’s also called the site of the final war—the place where the gods fought their last battle.”
In that moment, Eldora’s eyes sparkled ever so slightly. Though she hadn’t yet heard all the details, the scent of adventure was unmistakable. After being cooped up in Ragnarok ever since the assault on the Orc fortress, her body was itching for action—and something about this felt right. Having earned the title of War God for her exploits during the Arcono Orc War, Eldora was naturally not one to shy away from battle.
“Why do you believe that ruin is located there?” Eldora asked.
“There was a mural,” the woman replied, as if she’d been expecting the question.
“More precisely, there was a long wall surrounding the ruins, covered in paintings. We spent nearly a month bringing in experts on ancient knowledge to interpret the murals, and we managed to make some progress.”
“The biggest breakthrough was uncovering the meaning behind the ‘fall’ I mentioned earlier. The final painting seems to depict the process of sealing a god. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.”
Olivia glanced sideways at Melinus, shooting him a look that said, Why are you stealing the spotlight just as I’m about to get to the important part?
“Anyway, I can’t say for sure. We’ll only know what that place truly is once we go inside. But at the very least, I think we’ve found a clue.”
Olivia paused to catch her breath, but seeing Eldora tilt her head in confusion, she suddenly realized she’d left out the most crucial detail.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot the most important part. In the mural depicting the sealing process that Melinus just mentioned, we found something interesting—a scabbard.”
“A scabbard?”
“Yes, a scabbard was painted there. Think about it. Odin Lord’s Excalibur is a kind of sacred relic in mythology, right? And throughout history, sacred relics have been used countless times to seal absolute beings… Do you see the connection between these two facts?”
“…Hmm.”
Olivia spoke quickly, wary that Melinus might jump in again, and the old man cleared his throat awkwardly.
Eldora, sharp as ever, immediately caught on to Olivia’s meaning. Her usually calm eyes narrowed slightly—a clear sign she was piecing it together.
“No way…”
“That’s right, Eldora. If that mural really was painted during the age of myths, then that scabbard is very likely a sacred relic. Hmm… I think you understand what I’m getting at.”
“Elfin Lord. We…”
“Of course, I came here seeking Odin’s power as well.”
Olivia winked one eye as she said this. Eldora fixed Melinus with a gaze full of longing.
“Hmm. I understand the Clan Lord’s feelings. After all, you’ve been searching tirelessly for that scabbard—you’d clutch at any straw.”
“Are you saying the information I brought is just a straw to grasp at?”
Olivia snapped sharply, and Melinus stroked his long beard, trying to maintain his composure.
“No, no. What I mean is, we mustn’t rush. Since the Elfin Clan is facing difficulties, we can’t take this lightly either. So… sigh… understood.”
But after looking at Eldora once, Melinus let out a long sigh, clearly feeling that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t make a difference. He rubbed his chest thoughtfully and then smiled kindly.
“Clan Lord, don’t let your guard down. Summon the entire knight order.”
“Of course. Understood.”
As if already set in motion, Eldora sprang to her feet. Just as she was about to turn, she suddenly stopped and stared intently. Earlier, Melinus had been rubbing his chest; now, he was subtly brushing his abdomen.
“Ah.”
Noticing Eldora’s gaze, his hand quickly slipped back into the loose sleeve.
“…Still, I hope this old man will at least be given time to eat.”
With a wry grin, Melinus chuckled softly.