Volume 1: The Fourth Holy Grail War
Chapter 14: The Inheritance of the Allfather
Morning arrived quietly.
For the first time in years…
The familiar training grounds were silent.
No wooden weapons clashed against one another.
No Primordial Runes illuminated the forest.
No stern voice echoed through the valley, correcting even the smallest mistake.
Only the wind moved through the ancient trees.
Ren stood in the clearing, taking in the peaceful scenery.
“…”
It felt strangely unfamiliar.
Behind him, Morgan approached carrying two cups of warm herbal tea.
“You woke up early.”
Ren accepted the cup with a smile.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Morgan looked toward the empty training field.
“…Neither could I.”
They both understood why.
Today…
Everything would change.
The wooden door of Odin’s cabin slowly opened.
The old wanderer stepped outside, his cloak gently swaying in the morning breeze.
His single eye swept across the valley before settling on his two disciples.
“…Come.”
There was no harshness in his voice.
Only calm.
Ren and Morgan silently followed him deeper into the sanctuary.
Eventually…
The three arrived before a massive tree unlike any other within the forest.
Its trunk stretched impossibly high into the heavens.
Countless glowing runes covered its bark, shimmering softly like stars.
Ren unconsciously slowed his steps.
“…This tree…”
Odin nodded.
“It has watched kingdoms rise.”
“It has witnessed civilizations disappear.”
“It remembers what history has forgotten.”
His hand gently rested upon the ancient bark.
“And so have I.”
For several minutes…
No one spoke.
The silence itself felt sacred.
Finally…
Odin turned toward them.
“When you first arrived here…”
“You knew nothing.”
“You feared the unknown.”
“You questioned your own worth.”
His gaze shifted toward Morgan.
“You carried loneliness.”
Then…
Toward Ren.
“You carried burdens no child should bear.”
Ren lowered his head.
He still remembered the fear he had felt when he first entered the Simulation.
The uncertainty.
The responsibility.
The knowledge of a future that had yet to happen.
“But.”
Odin’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Those children no longer stand before me.”
He slowly walked toward them.
“What stands before me now…”
“…are my disciples.”
Morgan instinctively straightened.
Ren remained silent.
“You have learned everything I can teach.”
“Runes.”
“Magic.”
“Combat.”
“Leadership.”
“Wisdom.”
“The rest…”
“…must be learned from the world itself.”
— This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
The old god extended his right hand.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then—
The air itself grew heavy.
Not mana.
Mana was the life force that flowed naturally through the world, gentle and familiar to every magus.
This…
Was something entirely different.
It was ancient.
Majestic.
The atmosphere trembled as an immeasurable Divine Authority descended upon the sanctuary.
The surrounding mana instinctively retreated, as though paying respect to something far beyond itself.
Ren felt every hair on his body stand on end.
Morgan unconsciously held her breath.
“This is…”
“…Divine Power…”
She whispered almost inaudibly.
Unlike mana, which mortals borrowed from the world…
Divine Power belonged solely to the gods themselves.
It did not request permission.
It did not harmonize.
It simply existed by absolute right.
The forest fell completely silent.
Even the wind stopped.
Golden radiance gathered above Odin’s open palm.
It was unlike ordinary light.
Within its brilliance drifted fragments of ancient runes, each one older than recorded history.
The light condensed.
Slowly…
A spear emerged.
Its shaft resembled polished white ash wood, yet countless golden runes flowed endlessly beneath its surface like living veins.
The spearhead was long and elegant, forged from a divine metal that shimmered between silver and gold with every passing moment.
Around its blade danced strands of golden lightning.
Not violent.
Not destructive.
Calm.
Regal.
Each strand carried enough Divine Authority to make even the surrounding space tremble.
The moment it fully appeared—
The sky above the sanctuary darkened.
Clouds gathered without warning.
A single golden bolt of lightning descended from the heavens…
Only to quietly circle around the spear before disappearing.
No explosion.
No destruction.
Only acknowledgment.
As if heaven itself had welcomed the return of its king’s weapon.
Odin held the spear effortlessly.
His lone eye reflected countless distant memories.
“This…”
“…is Gungnir.”
“The Spear of the Allfather.”
“The Spear that never misses.”
“It has accompanied me through ages beyond mortal memory.”
“It has witnessed the birth and fall of countless kingdoms.”
“It has stood beside me upon battlefields where even gods met their end.”
Ren stared silently.
Even standing several meters away…
He could feel the overwhelming Divine Authority radiating from the spear.
It was nothing like any Mystic Code he had ever imagined.
This wasn’t simply a weapon.
It was history itself.
Odin slowly walked toward Ren.
The spear remained perfectly still within his grasp.
“I once believed…”
“…that no one would inherit this.”
“My journey had reached its end.”
“And the age of gods had long since faded.”
He stopped before Ren.
“But…”
His expression softened ever so slightly.
“Meeting you proved me wrong.”
“…Master.”
“I…”
“I can’t accept something this precious.”
“It belongs to you.”
Odin chuckled quietly.
“And what use has an old wanderer for clinging to the past?”
He gently placed Gungnir into Ren’s hands.
The instant Ren grasped the spear—
Golden runes spread across its shaft.
Not resisting.
Not testing him.
Welcoming him.
The Divine Authority surrounding the weapon gradually receded.
Not disappearing.
Simply becoming calm.
Like a king acknowledging another worthy bearer.
Ren widened his eyes.
“…It accepted me…”
Odin nodded.
“I do not decide Gungnir’s master.”
“It chose.”
Morgan watched quietly.
Not with jealousy.
But with genuine happiness.
She smiled softly.
“It suits you.”
Ren looked down at the divine spear.
“…I’ll protect it.”
Odin shook his head once more.
“No.”
“Do not protect the spear.”
“Let the spear help you protect others.”
“There is a difference.”
Ren silently engraved those words into his heart.
The old god turned toward Morgan.
“You too…”
“…have exceeded my expectations.”
He gently placed his hand upon her head.
A single Primordial Rune appeared between his fingers.
It dissolved into countless particles of light before entering Morgan’s body.
“This is not power.”
“It is a blessing.”
“A reminder.”
“Never allow your wisdom to become arrogance.”
Morgan bowed deeply.
“…Thank you.”
The wind returned.
Birds began singing once more.
The sanctuary felt alive again.
Odin looked toward the distant horizon.
Beyond those mountains…
Fairy Britain awaited.
There were countless lives to save.
Countless tragedies to prevent.
And countless choices that only Ren and Morgan could make.
Without turning around, Odin spoke one final time as their teacher.
“Knowledge without compassion becomes tyranny.”
“Power without restraint becomes calamity.”
“Wisdom without purpose becomes emptiness.”
He smiled faintly.
“So go.”
“Walk your own path.”
“Not mine.”
“Not anyone else’s.”
“Create a future that belongs to you.”
Ren tightened his grip around Gungnir.
Morgan stood beside him.
The two siblings looked toward the world beyond the sanctuary.
Their years of learning had come to an end.
Their true journey…
Was only just beginning.
End of Chapter 14