Cassandra

Year 820 | Month 4 | Day 20

Quiet chatter fills the throne platform as we all sit arrayed around the large throne standing high on the raised dais, the wind blowing my hair as I wait with everyone for the Protector. After last night, I’m feeling rather tired. Particularly due to the interactions we had with the Ardene Royal Family, but also due to how long my own family spent asking me question after question after question.

I look around for a few minutes at the two or so hundred Sacred Beasts gathered on the leaves and branches nearby the large platform. Each and every one of them is in their beast form, and not a single one is interacting with the royal families or their parties. Although a few of them give me a polite nod of their head when our gazes meet. Which I am going to assume is due to my being Wrath, since the Sacred Beasts have never really acknowledged me before like that.

Well, except for Arnbjorn. The old man who used to teach me things and is in charge of caretaking for the World Tree Roots in the capital back at Liathtria.

It’s too bad the caretakers can’t leave the roots though. So he isn’t here.

Would’ve been nice to see him again.

I glance over at Aulta’s section of the platform before looking at Ardene’s. The three kingdoms each have a section of the platform to themselves, all arrayed around the throne. And the Royal Families of each kingdom have much smaller thrones of our own at the front of our sections, with little more than benches for any advisors we brough along. Meanwhile none of the knights were even allowed here at all.

For our group, we have my family, along with dad’s council of advisors consisting of about seven or so advisors, along with the leader of the adventurer’s guild, and a few other notable people with influence in the kingdom.

A loud cracking sound echoes throughout the platform before the Protector appears on his grand throne in his humanoid form. And without letting anyone begin prostrating or anything, he begins by shouting, “Assembled once again on the crown of the World Tree, we shall not bend.”

“Nor shall we break,” everyone responds back, including the Sacred Beasts.

Another cracking sound echoes throughout the area before Nidhogg looks around for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on me as his lips twitch ever so slightly. Then he taps the arm of his throne, and the entire platform begins to shift, moving his throne straight up against the trunk as the third of the platform that the Ardene’s are on moves to our right and the entire platform shifts from the previously circular form to a since long platform arcing off the side of the great tree.

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“For those of who that are joining us for the first time since the reinitialization of the System, I will spell out for you what we discussed during the last meeting,” Nidhogg states, his voice echoing out over the platform and likely far out past the span of the tree itself. And I can’t help but notice his gaze drifting towards me as he mentions this. “To start things off, the System has been in place since the dawn of time. However, it was once sealed away in an attempt to lock up and weaken the three Sin Beasts of Ragnarök, each of whom are monsters created from multiple different Sins. And this reinitialization marks the last cycle before the three Beasts are released from their captivity in one century’s time.”

My eyes widen in surprise at the exact time he gave us for their release, since I’ve never actually been told how long it would be before they’re released. Just that they will be, and that I’m the only one who can stop Fafnir.

“One of the three beasts, Fenrir, is sealed away in a type dimensional space that many of you should all be aware of by now,” the dragon states, “but what you aren’t aware of is that the very last dimensional space, or dungeon as the System refers to them, that will crumble is the one containing Fenrir.”

Fenrir. I haven’t actually heard about that one very much. The only ones I’d heard more details about were Fafnir, who I’m apparently destined to fight, and Jormungandr, who everyone knows exists just because it’s a giant serpent in the Grand Ocean. Which makes it hard to miss even if it never leaves the waters fully.

“The weakest of the three beasts will be our current priority,” Nidhogg says, his gaze roaming around the lot of us. “The World Serpent, Jormungandr. A Sin beast made out of the Sloth, Envy, and Pride who is sealed within the Grand Ocean, unable to leave the bounds of the water until fifty years from now.”

Just the fact that the World Serpent is the weakest amongst the three makes me feel a shiver run down my spine. Particularly since I’ve seen the creature before. And even just its head was the size of this island after all, so when it passes, it’s damned hard to miss.

Fortunately, the creature isn’t able to have any part of its body leave a meter above the surface of the water before some sort of magical barrier blocks it and forces it back down. So it never really causes all that many problems. Especially considering the vast size of the Grand Ocean in the first place.

“And the strongest of the three, Fafnir, who is sealed within the very tree you sit upon today,” Nidhogg continues, making my eyes narrow a little bit even though I already knew that. “And whose eventual downfall should be brought about by Wrath.” He nods his head towards me as he says this, bringing the attention of most everyone to me for only a moment before he continues, bringing it back to him, “But your first priority is not to deal with the three beasts.”

I frown as I can already guess what’s coming.

“It’s to deal with the invaders and to grow stronger,” he says, his attention lingering on me as he says that last part. “Because you won’t be able to deal with the beasts with the invaders roaming around trying to deal with them in their own ways. Nor will you be able to do anything at your current Tiers.”

No one says anything in response to this.

Because everyone knows he’s right.

In comparison to the three bringers of Ragnarök, we are weak.

Extraordinarily so.