“Hey, Uncle, congratulations. You’ve done some fine work up until now,” said a cheerful voice. When he turned to look, he saw a blond-haired, blue-eyed man in his midforties, wearing his trademark grin as usual. It was someone Jörgen knew well, a man who was highly respected within the Wolf Clan. But from his prolonged exposure to the man, Jörgen knew that behind that smile lurked a calmness that was almost inhuman.
That being said, Jörgen didn’t dislike that side of him. It was thanks to the man’s levelheaded judgment that in the Wolf Clan’s ongoing feud with the Horn Clan, their casualties had been kept to a minimum and their clan had been able to prevent the Horn Clan’s advances. Thanks to him, the Wolf Clan had enjoyed peace for the last ten years.
The mystery man was none other than Helblindi—an outsider whose skills had enabled him to take Bruno’s place and become the new second-in-command of the Wolf Clan.
“What do you want, Helblindi?” Bruno said hatefully with a glare. In response, Helblindi casually shrugged his shoulders, perhaps because he was confident he was the stronger one.
“My business isn’t with you, Uncle,” Helblindi replied. “You just relax and rest those tired bones. I’m here for Jörgen.”
“Me?” Jörgen raised his eyebrows in suspicion. Helblindi’s grin seemed to become wider.
“That’s right. How’d you like to join my family instead, Jörgen? Uncle’s done for, I’m afraid. Sticking around him isn’t gonna do you any favors, let alone snag you any promotions.”
“That’s a rude thing to say when the man himself is right here,” Jörgen growled.
“See, that’s what I mean. Always a stickler for formalities. Hey, Uncle. Give up Jörgen and Skáviðr to me already. You wouldn’t want to see the boys you spent so much time and effort raising fall into obscurity, would you?”
“Why, you...!”
“Stand down, Jörgen!” Before Jörgen could explode with rage, Bruno raised a hand to stop him. “I thank you for being so considerate, Helblindi. Indeed, I would hate to see Jörgen and Skáviðr’s talents go to waste. Please take care of them for me.” Bruno bowed reverently to Helblindi—to his archenemy who’d usurped his position.
“You’re too soft, Uncle.” There was only a thin line between being gentle and being weak. Both Fárbauti and Bruno had a tendency to cross that line—so focused on the big picture that they were often far too lenient with those around them. In order to survive in this world, there were times when you had to stand your ground or risk being walked all over, and now was one of those times. Naturally, Jörgen knew that Bruno was acting in the best interests of his sworn children...but Bruno was being far too servile. It was so pathetic that Jörgen couldn’t stand it.
“Well, now that I have Uncle’s permission, you’ll be under me starting tomorrow,” Helblindi stated. “I’ve taken quite a liking to that persistent loyalty you’ve shown toward Uncle, you know.”
“So you can use me as a tool without having to worry, I presume?” Jörgen shot back.
“Hmph, you’re smarter than you look. Yes, you and Skáviðr will be incredibly useful tools. However, I won’t use you to the point of breaking, at least. You will be rewarded with promotions and the like for your efforts.” Helblindi acknowledged it immediately—he didn’t even try to hide it. He would use anything as long as it was useful—that was the sort of matter-of-fact logic Helblindi was known for, and likely also the reason he continued to achieve results. He was a bastard, but Jörgen had to admit the guy had talent.
“Next, I’d like for our newly appointed second-in-command of the Wolf Clan, Lord Helblindi, to detail our plan for the clan going forward.” As the ceremony chairman moved on to the next topic, cries of excitement and enthusiasm arose from all around the assembly hall.
“Oh, looks like I’m up.” With a casual wave of his hand, Helblindi turned on his heel and stepped up to the podium.
“I’ll begin by introducing myself. My name is Helblindi.” There was confidence and authority in his voice as he greeted the crowd. He spent the next few minutes outlining what actions he planned to take from here on. Then, once the speech had reached a stopping point...
“Loptr, come here.”
“Yes, dad.” Helblindi summoned his own son to the podium—a boy of delicate build, with the same blond hair and blue eyes as his father. While their faces weren’t very alike, the glint in the boy’s eyes was the spitting image of his father’s—the cold, condescending gaze of someone who viewed others as disposable tools.
“Let me introduce a certain young boy next. This is Loptr, my son and, as most of you already know, an Einherjar,” Helblindi explained.
The mention of an Einherjar caused a commotion within the crowd. Naturally, Jörgen had also heard of Loptr—the “all-arounder prodigy,” as he had come to be known. The boy had an uncanny ability to pick up and absorb any technique, no matter the category, as easily as sand soaks up water—and that wasn’t even taking his Einherjar powers into account. Some even said that the real reason Helblindi was able to snag the seat of second-in-command was that he had a son like Loptr.
“In recent years,” Helblindi continued, “the number of Einherjar within the Wolf Clan has drastically increased. As it happens, my daughter, Felicia, has also recently been blessed with a rune of her own.”
The commotion from the crowd was louder this time. “Not just the older one, but the younger one too, huh?” Jörgen clicked his tongue in frustration. “Must be nice to come from such a magnificent bloodline.” It made him so jealous he could barely stand it.
“Just the other day, Sigrún, who has already received our patriarch’s Chalice despite her young age, also came into a rune of her own. Looking to the west, the Hoof Clan’s forces grow larger by the day, suppressing ever-growing portions of the Horn Clan’s territory. This, I believe, is Angrboða’s guidance at work.” With his hand on his heart and his gaze to the heavens, Helblindi spoke in a reverent tone.
✦ ✦ ✦
