(Melen Arc) Chapter 40 Judgement

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Rod: W-well, isn't this a surprise? How, uh...how long have you been, uh...following me? Ha-ha...Guess I was in such a hurry that I never noticed. Goddammit...

He let out an undeniably forced chuckle, trying what he could to smooth over the incriminating situation. Next to Loki and her glare of incredulity, the hume bunny Rakuta spoke up, no longer able to keep her thoughts to herself.

Rakuta: Y-you're the one who's been setting loose the violas in the lake?

Rod: That, uh...Yes! Yes, I am! It was all me! You caught me!

He suddenly blurted out, seemingly out of desperation. Eyes flashing, he raised his voice even louder.

Rod: It was definitely me! I was the one who set loose all these monsters into the—!!

Loki: All right, all right. We get it already.

Loki cut in before he could finish. She waved a flippant hand in the frozen man's direction, ever so slightly widening her vermilion eyes.

 She waved a flippant hand in the frozen man's direction, ever so slightly widening her vermilion eyes

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Loki: You're really gonna let your kid take all the flak for this, are ya, Njord?

A heavy silence settled down over the cave. Only after Loki's voice had echoed into the depth of the cavern and a painful silence descended did a figure emerge from the shadows. The sandal-clad foot of a finely shaped calf appeared first, followed by an auburn-tinged ponytail, hanging down loosely from the back of the man's head. It was none other than the god Njord, his face taut with pensive reflection.

Rod: S-Skip, don't...!

Rod pleaded despondently, but it was too late.

Njord: What the...hell is going on here?!

Loki: Two scumbags for the price of one, that's what's goin' on here.

Loki explained. Rakuta and the rest of Loki's followers could only look back and forth between Rod and Njord with identical confounded looks. The person, or rather god Loki had seen escaping from the scene of the violas back at the wharf had, in fact, been Njord.

But Loki hadn't been the only one to notice Njord hasty retreat. Rod had, as well. Unable to shake his god's questionably timed exit, Rod had followed him all the way to this cave, only to have Loki and her followers show up only moments later behind him.

Elfie: Then that 'confession' he gave us...?

Loki: He was just coverin' for his pop...You've got yourself a good bunch of kiddos, don't you, Njord?

While discovering his own god was behind the viola attacks must have been a considerable shock for Rod, the moment Loki and the rest of her followers had shown up, he hadn't hesitated even a second to cover for Njord—his faith in and respect for his "Skip" were just that great. Behind Rod, Njord grimaced, his features a mixture of regret and shame.

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