Chapter 41: Valkyrie Herja
“Pardon?”
Diesel briefly wondered how this girl knew his name, but—
It didn’t take long to learn the answer.
“I’m a Valkyrie from Nord, my name is Herjaaa……. Um, could it be that you are Mr. Diesel……?”
This kid was a Valkyrie?
Diesel carefully examined her again.
Bright blonde hair, snow-white skin, and blue eyes that looked as though they held the open sky within them.
Her appearance certainly suited the name Valkyrie, but…….
Arms so thin they looked like they couldn’t even lift a 1.5-liter bottle of cola, legs that seemed like they’d snap if tapped, and a height that barely reached Diesel’s waist.
Her physique didn’t look the part at all.
Valkyries were brave female warriors who operated in Valhalla, the hall of warriors.
Because of that, they were famous for being taller than human men, with bodies made entirely of solid muscle.
But a Valkyrie who looked like this?
‘Hmm…….’
Perhaps sensing Diesel’s suspicious gaze, Herja clenched her small fists and spoke.
“I-If I do this, will it be proof……?”
Suddenly, a shadow flickered across her forehead.
Then, a metal helmet that completely covered her eyes appeared and settled over her small face.
‘A Valkyrie’s helmet…….’
Judging by its sheen, it was made of a metal that didn’t exist in the physical world.
Seeing that, Diesel dropped his suspicion and spoke.
“Yes. I am Diesel.”
At that, Herja dismissed the helmet she was wearing and said,
“Ah……! So you really are……! Hello, nice to meet youuu……! I am Valkyrie Herjaaa……!”
She then bowed deeply toward Diesel, bending at the waist, and brushed aside her fallen bangs.
“I heard this is how you greet people in the East, is that right……?”
“……Yes.”
“Um……. You waited here a long time because of me, didn’t youuu……!”
“No. It’s fine.”
“I-I’m sorryyy……. I should have contacted you to say I’d be late because of the purification work……. I’ve only been on Earth for about two years now, so I’m still not very good at handling the Electrosphere…….”
Only been here for two years?
Diesel recalled the records of Herja’s work he had reviewed on the way here.
Accomplishing that much in such a short time was by no means easy.
‘Hard to believe she did all that with such a small body.’
Muttering to himself like that, Diesel soon corrected his thinking.
In this survival-of-the-fittest world, nothing was dumber than judging someone by their appearance.
There was a saying, after all, that you shouldn’t mess with children or the elderly for a reason.
“Let’s move for now.”
“Um…….”
“Yes.”
“Well…… I’m really, really sorry, but…… maybe…….”
Before Herja could finish speaking, a gurgle—grrrrk—echoed from her stomach instead of her mouth.
She flinched in shock, her face turning red.
“Hyaaah……!”
“…….”
“I-I’m sorryyy……. Actually, I couldn’t eat anything while flying all the way to Incheon……. I get airsick…….”
There were Valkyries who got airsick?
Faced with this unexpected situation, Diesel fell briefly into thought.
“Then…….”
What did Valkyries even eat?
More importantly, he didn’t even know where a restaurant was.
As he was mulling over these worries, Ar spoke up from inside his coat.
〈Master, shall I guide you to a restaurant Ar recommends?〉
〈Ah……. Sure. Thanks.〉
After checking the information floating before his eyes, Diesel asked Herja,
“You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
Incheon Multidimensional Airport had an astonishing variety of restaurants.
Not only food from every country on Earth, but even places that served dishes said to originate from other worlds.
Among them, the most popular restaurant was a Korean place called ‘Super Galbi Man.’
“…….”
“Omnyomnyom……. This…… omnyamnyam……. really…… umnyamnyamnyam……. is deliciousss…….”
On Diesel’s table, meat bones worth roughly thirty thousand Qubits per piece were piled up like a mountain.
‘At this rate, she’s probably eaten more than her own body weight…….’
Valkyrie Herja was inhaling meat as if possessed by some kind of food demon.
〈Is it really that tasty?〉
〈It does taste good.〉
〈Life consuming other life…… from a spirit’s perspective, it’s a rather grotesque sight.〉
How much time passed like that?
Around the time the staff had cleared away the piled bones about three times, the Valkyrie’s busy hands finally stopped.
“Phew……! Thank you for the meal……!”
“…….”
“I feel like I can finally live again……! Ehehe……!”
Watching Herja smile like a child, Diesel was struck by a sense of dissonance.
‘She swings weapons with that face?’
No—perhaps that was her greatest weapon.
Didn’t people instinctively let their guard down when they saw something cute?
Diesel recalled a short article about how immature beings evolved to appear cute for a reason.
‘Don’t be fooled.’
Surely, beyond that innocent face, there had to be something pitch-black lurking.
Watching Herja casually rack up a bill of several million units for a single meal, Diesel steeled himself.
After leaving the restaurant, they were about to head to the designated meeting place when—
A cute voice called out from behind him.
“Um…….”
“……?”
“Herjaaa……. wants to eat dessert too…….”
“…….”
After eating that much, she could still fit more?
No, more importantly, they had work to do right now.
Diesel hadn’t come all the way to the airport to leisurely socialize.
“It’s almost time to contact the Fixer.”
“Well…… River-nim said she’d be a little lateee……. So she said it’s okay to eat…….”
Herja slipped her hand into her pocket and fidgeted for a moment before pulling out an old-fashioned mobile phone.
It was a foldable-type terminal that even Diesel had never used once in the past.
「If you’re having dessert, I’ll come over to where you are :)」
“Hmm…….”
Along with the text written on the tiny screen, the sender field showed the name ‘River-nim.’
“So that’s how it isoo……. Um, could I trouble you to guide me one more time, pleaseoo……? Herja wants to eat something sweet…….”
Watching the Valkyrie twisting her body awkwardly, Diesel muttered inwardly.
〈Ar…….〉
〈If it’s something sweet, this place would be good.〉
As if it had been prepared in advance, the spirit immediately brought up a café that handled Turkish confectionery.
“Follow me.”
“Yes……!”
Answering cheerfully, Herja dragged her carrier with a grunt and followed after Diesel.
Seeing that, Diesel briefly considered carrying her bag for her, but—
‘Absolutely not falling for it.’
He merely reaffirmed his resolve.
“Ahhh. Thank youuu……!”
‘Absolutely not falling for it.’
“Mmmhm, as expected, food from the physical world……. mmm, it’s really deliciousoo……!”
Herja chewed on her dessert with an expression of pure happiness.
“But Diesel-nim, aren’t you eating……?”
The jelly going into that tiny mouth right now was more expensive than the same weight in gold.
Diesel couldn’t just casually gulp down food like that.
“I’m fine.”
“This is really tasty though……. omnyamnyam. Sorry I’m eating all by myselfoo……. umnyomnyom.”
‘Is it that she has no sense of money…….’
Or maybe she had so much money that such a concept wasn’t necessary.
It could very well be both.
While someone’s half-year salary was evaporating at a single table like that—
A familiar voice came from behind Diesel.
“So this is where you were.”
“Ahh……! River-niim……!”
“It’s been a while. Herja-nim.”
The Fixer River entered the shop.
Alongside her was the elf shaman, Chae Seol-ah, wearing a face that looked cold enough to freeze.
“This is Chae Seol-ah-nim, a Ghostcatcher who will be working with me for the time being.”
“Hello……! Nice to meet you……!”
“…….”
Herja gave another deep, waist-bending bow.
Chae Seol-ah replied with a slight nod, then soon met eyes with Diesel.
But the two merely glanced at each other, not even going so far as to exchange the pretense of a greeting.
“You chose a good place.”
“Ahh……! River-nim, is this a place you know too……?”
“Yes. Whenever I have business at Incheon Airport, it’s a place I always stop by at least once.”
“I seeee……! Diesel-nim, thank you for bringing me to such a nice place……! omnyomnyom.”
“I didn’t know this kind of place was your taste.”
“It’s not my taste.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“I never planned on leisurely eating dessert like this either.”
River answered Diesel’s sharp gaze with a smile.
Perhaps sensing the subtle tension flowing between the two, Herja wiped her mouth with a tissue and spoke.
“Well then, thank you for the meal……!”
“You may eat more slowly. Herja-nim.”
“Nooo. Now that River-nim is here, we should start the briefing……!”
Her eyes sparkled as she continued.
“Because Herja…… is a Gabsa now too……!”
“…….”
Gabsa.
A term referring to freelancers who roamed back alleys all over the world.
If one traced its origins, it led back to a type of soldier that once existed on the Korean Peninsula, but that wasn’t particularly important.
Because the word originated from a man named ‘Lee Hamin,’ the first Ghostcatcher who cut down ghosts and saved people in the back alleys.
The difficult-to-pronounce word ‘Ghostcatcher’ was dropped, leaving only ‘Gabsa,’ which became the term for freelancers roaming the world’s back alleys.
“Right……?”
“Yes. Herja-nim is an excellent Gabsa.”
Diesel’s dissatisfied gaze turned toward the small Valkyrie.
But River let out a soft, amused chuckle and lightly raised her hand to call a server.
“Please prepare afternoon tea. In the Sky Lounge.”
She then pulled a card from her pocket and showed it.
After checking it, the server began guiding them with utmost politeness.
“We will attend to you with the greatest care.”
“Shall we move?”
As River stood up from her seat, everyone followed after her.
‘The Sky Lounge…….’
This was, unmistakably, an airport.
Naturally, there were no high-rise buildings nearby that could be called ‘sky.’
So what did she mean?
His curiosity was answered before long.
‘…….’
Before the vast runway sat a single enormous aircraft.
It was the culmination of aviation technology, nicknamed ‘a building that flies in the sky.’
A super-large Aerodyne manufactured by Angelodine, a prestigious name in flying vehicles.
“Welcome, River-nim.”
A man who appeared to be the captain paid his respects to River.
Beside him, various kinds of beastman flight attendants bowed deeply.
“I will guide you to your seats.”
The inside of the Aerodyne was larger than Diesel’s house.
Large windows that offered a clear view outside, tables where several people could sit, and even a luxurious-looking cocktail bar.
Beyond that, it seemed there were a small pool and various other facilities as well.
“Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
“Woooaa…….”
At River’s words, Herja let out a small gasp of admiration as she looked around.
It seemed Diesel wasn’t the only one who was here for the first time.
“This place is amazingoo……!”
“For the two of you, this level of hospitality is only appropriate. Since Herja-nim suffers from airsickness, I specially chartered a large Aerodyne. With this model, you won’t even feel like you’re flying.”
“Ahh, I seeee……! As expected, River-nim is so considerate……!”
Once everyone was seated, River nodded toward the captain.
The captain bowed in return and headed toward the cockpit.
Soon after, the flight attendants approached the table and politely asked,
“What would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have green tea, espresso for the elf, and a chocolate latte for the Valkyrie. What about you, Diesel-nim……?”
“I’ll pass.”
Soon, the beastman attendants skillfully set down the drinks with their furred hands.
“Thank youuu……!”
“Then, shall we talk while seeing it directly?”
At some point, the scenery outside the window began to change.
Just as River had said, there was no sensation of flying.
“The place called the Great Port.”