Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 581 "Snow Goddess" Skadi

Grelando stepped forward, intending to follow Tang Zijun's instructions.

However, just as her gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd getting off the train, especially touching the very end of the line, that dark area that almost blended into the shadow of the train, she suddenly felt a thud!

With a muffled thud, fine dust rose from the hard ground.

This leader, known for his iron will and unwavering resolve, whose commanding presence even under the fiercest of his mercenaries commanded respect during the devastating storm, suddenly and without warning knelt heavily on one knee. The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

The girls who had just set foot on this land were all stunned.

Tang Cao's face froze, Su Siyao's hand holding the notebook stopped in mid-air, Qin Nan raised an eyebrow, and even Tan Zhixin stopped in her tracks. Their eyes were all fixed on Ge Lilando's drooping knees, which were covered in mud and grass, and they were puzzled.

Tang Zijun, who was standing slightly ahead, also showed a hint of surprise in his originally calm gaze; he clearly hadn't expected this scene either.

But then, almost in a flash, his gaze pierced through Tang Cao, Su Siyao, and the others who stood frozen in front of him, precisely targeting the very back of the group—a deep shadow beyond the reach of light. There, only one figure stood silently.

The deep black cloak remained motionless, the shadow of the hood almost completely obscuring his face. Only deep within the hood, two faint, eerie purple lights, like ancient, cold stars, calmly watched everything unfolding before him. Tang Zijun understood at that moment.

Among this group, there was no one else who could have made Grelando, a battle-hardened and hardened mercenary leader, take such an astonishing action, except for that being who had long transcended mortal understanding. His judgment was correct.

Grilando, kneeling on the ground, was trembling slightly uncontrollably.

It wasn't fear, but a burning, soul-deep fervor. She jerked her head up, her eyes, usually sharp as an eagle's, now brimming with excited tears, fixed intently on the figure in the shadows.

Her gaze was like that of the most devout believer who had finally witnessed the miracle they had sought their entire lives, filled with indescribable awe, excitement, and an almost sacrificial fervor. Her rough fingers dug deep into the soil beneath her, as if only in this way could she barely suppress the overwhelming urge to worship. Tang Cao and the others, as if waking from a dream, followed Tang Zijun's gaze and turned back to look with surprise and uncertainty.

Scáthach remained calm in the shadows.

In the shadow of the hood, no one could see her expression. Faced with Reglando's fanatical gaze that seemed to set her ablaze, and the astonished looks of the crowd, she remained as silent as a detached bystander. The deathly silence was broken by Reglando's hoarse, trembling voice.

Gazing into the shadows, she mustered all her strength and, with a voice filled with awe and ecstasy, uttered a name clearly: "My God, Skadi."

The name was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in everyone's hearts.

"Skadi." Gloria's voice was choked with barely suppressed sobs and filled with unwavering certainty... "My God. The cold winds of the North, the eternal frost and snow, the undying will of winter." This was the name of the ice goddess that Gloria, a warrior from a tribe born in the harsh north, worshipped and revered throughout her life.

"What's going on?" Su Siyao whispered to Tang Cao.

"I don't know, maybe they've mistaken me for someone else?" Tang Cao was also a little unsure.

However, Tang Zijun knew very well that Gloriand hadn't mistaken her for someone else. The Ice Goddess Skadi truly did have a profound connection with the woman shrouded in shadow. However, to the being in the shadows, this was merely one of the many divine offices and titles she had held throughout her long divine career. A symbol she had long since relinquished through time and choice, along with the accompanying ice and snow divine power, left behind in the distant past. Seeing the atmosphere gradually hardening, Scáthach could no longer pretend she didn't exist. She took a small step and slowly approached Gloriand. "You...were my former follower?"

"Yes, my god!" Gloriand was overwhelmed with emotion; she never imagined her deity would speak to her. "I have been your faithful follower since childhood. Your deeds of leading warriors to conquer the snowfields have been told to this day. I... I have seen your statue, oh yes, and the mark on my body, there's no mistake!"

As she spoke, Grilando lifted her clothes, unconcerned about the cold, and showed Scáthach the faintly shimmering mark.

The tattoo-like mark was now glowing slightly, clearly reacting to Scáthach's appearance. This was likely why Grilando was so acutely aware of Scáthach's presence. Scáthach, gazing calmly at the mark, merely tilted her head slightly.

Those were indeed traces left by the Church of Ice and Snow, imbued with her faith. Although she had relinquished her divine authority, a trace of that faith still remained. However, Scáthach quickly withdrew her gaze.

"understood."

She gave a simple reply and then turned to stand in front of Tang Zijun.

"Arrange a room for me. I need to understand the development of this world and its current state." "Okay." Tang Zijun nodded. "The largest building in the city center has everything you need. I need to make arrangements here first, so I can't take you there." "It's alright." Scáthach finished speaking and turned to walk into the city. From beginning to end, she didn't look at Gloriand again.

Gloriand also sensed the distance emanating from Scáthach, as if the other woman had no desire for further contact. This instantly dampened her fervent enthusiasm. She didn't immediately stand up, but instead stared blankly at Tang Zijun, her eyes filled with confusion, astonishment, and even a hint of grievance. One moment she was ecstatic to see a true god, the next she had fallen into a cold abyss of nothingness. The immense contrast left her frozen, like a soulless statue, kneeling aimlessly in the dust. Tang Zijun's gaze shifted from the shadow where Scáthach had disappeared to Gloriand's dejected figure.

His face remained expressionless, but a hint of understanding flickered in the depths of his eyes.

He understood why Scáthach was so resolute.

Skadi, the Ice Goddess.

That was just a name buried by the long passage of time, a past that had long been abandoned.

Now, stripped of her icy divine power and the halo of her divine altar, she is merely an ancient being walking on the other side of the shadows, burdened by a heavy past. She is no longer a deity requiring worship from believers, nor does she wish to wear any divine crown again.

More importantly, this is Black City.

A stronghold that was painstakingly established amidst disaster and ruins, where order was initially established and people longed for peace.

Its manager is Tang Zijun, and its rule is survival.

What would the sudden arrival of a "god," especially one so fanatically worshipped by the local mercenary leader, bring? Would it lead to a fanatical split in faith? Would it cause the people to blindly follow the oracle and ignore the city lord's orders? Would it create potential conflict between different faith groups? Would it shatter the newly established, difficult-to-establish secular authority centered around Tang Zijun? Scáthach's indifferent departure was not arrogance, but a cold-blooded clarity.

She knew that her very existence could be a seed of instability.

She had no intention of overshadowing the main point, nor did she want this fragile stronghold to be further disturbed by the "divine name" she had long since abandoned.

Her disregard was precisely a silent defense of Tang Zijun's authority and a protection of the hard-won, fragile order of Black City.

She had come to understand this very deeply during her hundred years in the wasteland.

Without a word, Scáthach, with utter silence, severed Reglando's chain of faith, quietly quelling a storm of faith that could have shaken the very foundations of Black City. All that remained was the mercenary captain's dejected figure and this land, in the howling winds of disaster, needed unwavering will rather than divine mercy. Reglando's bewilderment and grievance were the small price to pay for the disillusionment of faith necessary to maintain the city's operation. The city lord's authority far surpassed any empty divine name—this was the law Scáthach had etched into her actions. Tang Cao, Su Siyao, and the others exchanged bewildered glances, looking at Reglando kneeling on the ground, her back conveying boundless grievance and bewilderment, then at the direction Scáthach had disappeared in. A heavy sense of awkwardness and helplessness filled the air. Only Tang Zijun slowly extended her hand towards Reglando.

"Get up, we still have a lot of work to do."