Jotun Talks Episode 2

Episode 2: Arrival in Jotunheim

The moment she crossed the gate of mist, the air changed completely.

Oiwa took a cautious step forward, as if testing the feel of the ground beneath her feet. It was a place that truly deserved the name "otherworld".

The air was cold and heavy. A world of silver covered her vision. An ice field where even the horizon was invisible stretched out endlessly.

(...So this is Jotunheim.)

Oiwa exhaled quietly. Her breath drifted white like mist, only to be swallowed by the air immediately.

It wasn't just the temperature. The very "presence" enveloping this place was completely different from that of the Buddhist realm.

(It's heavy... or rather, the mass feels different...)

From deep within the mist, heavy, rumbling footsteps began to echo.

Oiwa reflexively straightened her back and reached for her derringer.

"--Whoa, let's not do anything dangerous right away."

The giant who had greeted her as a gatekeeper earlier appeared from the mist with a somewhat nonchalant air.

"A little one from the Buddhist realm. It seems you're the real deal after all."

The giant's voice was low, yet it held a hint of cheerfulness.

Following him, several more shadows appeared.

(...Th-they're huge.)

In Oiwa's mind, calmness and confusion vied for control. Their overwhelming physique was incomparable even to the Devas of the Buddhist realm. It was a majesty truly worthy of the name "giant".

Among them, a particularly conspicuous man--a massive giant named Thrym--stepped forward.

"Oh, so that's the rumored messenger from the Buddhist realm? Huh, you're surprisingly delicate."

Thrym grinned, showing his teeth, as he looked Oiwa up and down as if appraising her.

...My name is Oiwa, from the Secretarial Division. I have come for the cross-cultural talks.

Oiwa did not break her expression, maintaining her professional demeanor as a secretary.

However, the giants seemed even more amused by her attitude.

Oh, how polite. But that alone won't get you through here. Can a delicate secretary like you handle our drinking party?

Oiwa let the boisterous words wash over her, keeping a smile on her face while mentally retorting to each one.

(This... the cultural gap is even wider than I thought.)

But she could not run away.

(This is also part of the job. For the sake of the talks, I must start by building a relationship.)

The giants slapped each other on the shoulders jokingly and occasionally reached out toward Oiwa, but Thrym restrained them.

Now, now, she is a guest. For now, show her to the place.

The Princess has also been notified... You're lucky. It seems the Princess herself will be coming to welcome you.

Princess—at that word, Oiwa blinked for a moment.

(A princess? Does that mean a high-ranking figure in this country...?)

Considering the status in the Buddhist realm, that is a great honor.

Oiwa felt relieved inside, but tightened her resolve once more.

(In order to successfully complete my mission in this land of different cultures... I must proceed with caution.)

In this place wrapped in ice and fog, Oiwa felt with her entire being that she had truly stepped into another world.

It was a shock.

Oiwa could not think of any other words to describe it.

Alright, a welcome for the envoy from the Buddhist realm! Drinks! A toast!

The moment Thrym let out a roar, the cheers of the giants thundered through the ice hall. At that instant, a cup made of ice was thrust before her. Inside, filled to the brim, was a thick, pale blue liquid—clearly an ice liquor with a high alcohol content.

(No way, a drinking party right off the bat!? And besides... this is definitely the strong stuff.)

Oiwa flinched for a moment, but the giants had already entered party mode. Thrym, in particular, was getting into the spirit, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, come on, don't sweat the small stuff. It's all about momentum with these things!"

"...No, well, getting intoxicated before the negotiations—"

"Don't be so stiff! You drink too!"

Pushed into a corner, Oiwa resigned herself. Still, as a point of pride for the Buddhist Realm Secretariat, she couldn't afford to be rude here.

(...Just a little bit, then.)

She steeled herself and brought the cup to her lips. In an instant, a burning sensation raced through her entire body, as if her stomach were on fire.

"............!"

Her expression twitched involuntarily, but she desperately forced a smile. Seeing this, the giants became even more cheerful.

"Oh! You've got a surprisingly good tolerance!" "Not bad at all, Secretary!"

While screaming internally (No, no, this is painfully strong), Oiwa did not let her professional mask slip.

The giants' enthusiasm showed no signs of stopping. With arms around her shoulders and back-slapping, she had been completely swept into the circle of the party before she knew it.

"Man, I didn't think someone with such thin arms would come from the Buddhist Realm." "Thin? You look like you're about to snap. Are you even eating?"

The blunt remarks flew one after another. Oiwa wore a dry smile, but inside, she was in a state of significant confusion.

(...The cultural gap is even wider than I thought.)

The Secretariat manual clearly states that the foundation of cross-cultural exchange is to "respect the customs of the other party." However, there is a limit to respect.

(No, but... I suppose this is the Jotun way.)

Oiwa desperately told herself this, resisting the urge to reach for her derringer time and again. This weapon was, in principle, for "preventing negotiation breakdown" and stopping things from spiraling out of control. But if she used it here, she would undoubtedly be branded as someone who "can't read the room."

Amidst all this, Thrym suddenly looked at Oiwa with interest.

"By the way, Secretary. Weren't you scared on the way here?"

At that question, Oiwa showed a glimpse of her true self.

"To be honest... it would be a lie to say I wasn't scared."

However, she continued, stating firmly in a dignified voice,

"But I am a representative of the Buddhist realm. Even if I am scared, I cannot run away here."

The giants fell silent for a moment.

—The next instant.

"…Haha, you've got guts!" "I like you, Secretary!"

Led by Thrym, the giants burst into laughter and slapped Oiwa's back even harder. It was no longer just a welcome; it was closer to a sense of 'kinship' for someone they had acknowledged.

(...Huh? This is, surprisingly...)

Oiwa finally realized it then. Their boisterousness and lack of reserve were not mere rudeness, but rather a way of closing the distance specifically because they had accepted her.

(...I see. This is the way of this land.)

Her heart felt a little lighter.

Around that time, quiet footsteps echoed in a distant corridor.

—The next to appear is Princess Lilia, the most serene existence in this otherworldly realm.

The giants' banquet continued. Oiwa did not get drunk (though she was at her absolute limit internally), maintaining a smile and enduring every blunt word and action. It was a moment that tested her pride as a secretary and her ability to handle the situation on the ground.

(...Honestly, I want to go home now.)

It was just as she muttered that in the depths of her heart.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall changed.

The commotion until then fell silent, as if someone had commanded it. Even Thrym muttered "Oops," set down his cup, and straightened his posture.

Serenity.

Footsteps that suited that word echoed from the ice corridor. Emerging from the mist was Princess Lilia.

She was truly an ice princess.

Her pale silver hair flowed softly as if draped in mist, and her silver dress was noble like a flower of the cold regions, yet possessed a softness. Her eyes were a pale blue—reminiscent of the silence at the bottom of an ice lake.

"Quiet."

With just that one word, the giants fell completely silent. Oiwa was slightly surprised by the sight.

(...They were so boisterous just a moment ago.)

Lilia walked quietly toward Oiwa.

"You are the one who has come from the Buddhist realm, aren't you? Pleased to meet you, I am Lilia. I am the princess of this Jotunheim."

Her voice was soft and clear. It was as if she were a single flower blooming in this rough world.

Oiwa instinctively straightened her back and bowed deeply.

"I am Oiwa, from the General Affairs Division of the Heavenly Realm. Thank you very much for inviting me."

Lilia smiled. It was a soft smile, yet one that held a hint of sorrow.

"It seems Thrym and the others were a bit rowdy. I apologize; they tend to get the way they welcome guests wrong."

"N-no... Everyone is very... energetic, yes."

At Oiwa's exquisite choice of words, Lilia gave a small, light laugh.

"You are a strong person. In your heart."

Oiwa was slightly bewildered by those words.

"I am... simply fulfilling my role."

"A role, you say? ...In that case, we are the same."

Liliya's eyes clouded over slightly. She, too, must have burdens to bear as a princess of the Jotun.

Oiwa felt a strange sense of kinship in that gaze.

(This person knows pride and responsibility...)

For a brief moment, the two exchanged glances in silence. That silence spoke more than words ever could.

Thrym, like a giant who couldn't read the room, broke in boisterously.

"Hey, Princess! Come over here too! The food is going to get cold!"

Liliya smiled troubledly and turned her eyes back to Oiwa.

"If you'd like, we can continue this over there. Let's talk more."

"...Yes. I would love to."

Oiwa nodded honestly. And so, the welcome that had seemed like a disaster was transformed into a quiet, peaceful time, thanks to the clear stream that was Liliya.

Cross-cultural exchange—the first bridge had truly been built just now.

The commotion in the hall had completely died down, and only the presence of the Ice Princess, Liliya, gently enveloped the space.

"Oiwa-san, this way."

As Liliya said this gently, she turned her gaze toward the door at the back of the hall. A majestic gate, carved like a sculpture out of freezing ice, awaited them. Oiwa hesitated for just a moment.

(The talks... they are really starting.)

The tension and sense of responsibility on her shoulders felt heavy.

"Princess, to have you guide us personally is quite a luxury!"

Thrym shouted cheerfully. In response, the other giants cheered, "Oh!" and "As expected of Lady Liliya!" However, Liliya only returned their cheers with a soft smile and quietly walked up beside Oiwa.

"They are boisterous, but they aren't bad at heart. ...Though they are a bit rough around the edges."

“Yes, that was more than enough to understand.”

At Oiwa’s wry smile, Liliya also gave a small laugh.

The two began to walk. The corridor was a fantastical space where mist and ice intertwined. Their footsteps made no sound; it was as quiet as if the air itself were absorbing the noise.

“...Regarding this meeting, in truth, it holds a special meaning for us Jotunn as well.”

Liliya’s voice was soft, yet it held a certain hidden resolve.

“This land has been closed off for a long time. However, the shadow of ruin is something we cannot remain indifferent to. I believe we need to join hands with the Buddha Realm.”

Oiwa nodded, though she was trying to grasp the weight of those words.

“...Ruin, you say?”

“Yes. Ice is beautiful, but being too quiet is also a sign that the end is near. Our race is no exception.”

As they walked, Oiwa glanced softly at Liliya. Liliya’s profile was serene, yet somehow lonely.

(This person, too... is carrying a burden.)

In Oiwa’s chest, that feeling she had experienced in the Buddha Realm—the sentiment of wavering between duty and loneliness—came back to her.

“That is precisely why I am happy to be able to speak with you like this.”

Liliya looked Oiwa straight in the face and said this earnestly.

“I, too... do not want to make this mission just a mere formality.”

Naturally, honest words spilled from Oiwa’s lips as well.

Liliya smiled.

“I am sure it will be a good meeting.”

Those words strangely eased Oiwa’s tension.

And so, at the place where the two arrived, a massive ice door opened silently.

It was the most prestigious "conference hall" in Jotunheim.

The ceiling was too high to see, the walls were covered in ice crystals, and in the center stood a stone monument inscribed with an ancient covenant.

"This is the place where we will build a bridge between different cultures."

At Liliya's words, Oiwa took a deep breath.

(This is where it really begins—as a representative of the Buddha realm, and as a secretary, I must stay focused.)

The two walked side by side, slowly making their way toward the center of the conference.

—In a place where mist and ice intertwined, a bond between different worlds was now quietly being forged.