Chapter 54: Loki My Husband, Who Is Lana?
Chapter 54: Loki My Husband, Who Is Lana?
The tension inside King Balder’s tent was thick enough to cut with a dagger.
It was awkward. Absolutely, undeniably awkward.
I silently cursed my timing. If I had known what kind of powder keg I was walking into, I would have kept Baihu sealed away. Instead, I was trapped in a silent war of glares. King Balder sat across from me, flanked by his two formidable Valkyrie wives and his Summons, Gondul and Skogul.
To my left, gripping my arm tightly, was Ayala—a stunning, towering Amazonian warrior clad in magical scale bikini armor, her fiery red hair bound up in a high ponytail. To my right sat Baihu, the newly summoned Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. She was a picture of smug satisfaction, pressing my right arm firmly between her white fox-tails.
Off to the side, Lisa Swallow—my lover and magic teacher—watched the spectacle with an amused, knowing look. She sat with Taki Tsuki, while my two maids, Shehuang and Yin Meng, stood dutifully behind them.
But the real source of tension wasn't the harem; it was the grey wolf resting at King Owen’s feet. Shrunk down to the size of an ordinary beast, the creature looked deceptively docile. Owen had named him Fenrir long before he realized he might be the reincarnation of Odin himself. It was a bitterly ironic choice, considering Earth's legends claimed Odin was destined to be swallowed whole by Fenrir.
Owen and I couldn't openly discuss our past lives on Earth, so I had just finished spinning a carefully tailored explanation of recent events. Baihu, completely ignorant of our cosmic connection, immediately tried to stir the pot between Owen and me.
"Lover Loki," Baihu purred, her eyes darting maliciously toward Owen. "This was the human guy who kept trying to force me to marry him. Humph."
I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud as Skogul sharply pinched Owen’s side. Sensing my friend’s mounting distress, I raised a fist, flashed Owen a sympathetic thumbs-up, and threw him a bone.
"Come on, you're the husband of the Southern Duchy's most beautiful woman," I said, listing them off to soothe his ego. "The twin Valkyrie Queens Skogul and Gondul, Elf Queen Breeze, Vampire Queen Alice Dark, Eastern Ice Phoenix Holy Maiden Xia Bing, and Mermaid Queen Ariel Blue... who, if I recall, is currently pregnant with your second princess! Honestly, my King, I envy you. You're living the dream. I would've chased after Baihu too, if... well, sorry for snatching her. Uh, and Ayala as well."
An immediate, sharp elbow to my ribs from Ayala reminded me exactly who I belonged to. Baihu tilted her head, genuinely confused as to why I would openly praise Owen's harem.
Owen, thoroughly exhausted by Skogul’s silent admonitions, offered a weary, humble sigh. "It can't be helped. Xia Bing belongs to a Righteous Sect, so she strictly forbade me from openly pursuing her. It was simply fate that brought you two together, Loki. Just focus on making some cute Kitsune babies."
I could see the lingering regret in his eyes. He had chosen the pristine Holy Maiden of the Ice Phoenix Sect, but a part of him clearly wished he had won the fox. What he didn't know was that our soul connection had already sealed Baihu's destiny; it was the very reason she had never felt an attraction to any other man.
Brushing aside my flattery, Owen shifted the conversation back to business. "Alright, Loki. Get back out there and do your best. Your maids can remain here at the camp with Ayala and Lisa. I understand your situation now." He turned his gaze to the fox maiden. "Holy Maiden Baihu, your sudden disappearance from your Secret Realm Team might cause diplomatic issues. Please inform your Sect Master, since I know you can use your <Safe-Haven Portal> to return."
Baihu sneered, her tails flicking dismissively. "Xia Bing is probably thrilled that I vanished from the portal on the other side of the Inner Sea. Why spoil her mood so soon? Let her enjoy the peace a little longer. But fine, I will send word to Sect Master Long for you."
I suppressed a groan. The Purple Cloud Holy Maiden already hated me because of Shehuang and Yin Meng, and now the Ice Phoenix Holy Maiden and Baihu were at each other's throats. Owen and I were fundamentally destined for a future of severe headaches, trapped between rival wives on opposite sides of a global conflict.
As we stood up to leave, Owen pulled me aside, his voice dropping to a low, heavy whisper. "When you go back inside the realm, keep an eye out for Lana. Without Fenrir to protect her, I'm deeply worried. I don't think Thorin is strong enough to keep my girl safe, but Angelica insisted on him. Go, and good luck, Loki."
I nodded, though my skepticism slipped through. "I'll keep a lookout, but that place is the size of the eastern and western continents combined. The odds of a random encounter are slim to none. See you later."
After a lingering, passionate kiss from Baihu before she departed for the Demonic Sect, and a round of goodbyes to the rest of my camp, I stepped forward and leapt into the swirling green portal alone.
Thud. Crunch.
My vision blurred and then snapped into focus as my boots slammed down onto the rocky shoreline of a rushing river. I was standing in a deep river valley, flanked on both sides by low, jagged mountains. The water was crystalline and pristine, teeming with normal fish thriving under the realm's rich life energy.
Knowing the local geopolitics, I immediately stripped off my standard attire and changed into the black robes (the same as the book cover) of a Demonic Sect Holy Son. If I bumped into Easterners, this outfit would at least prevent them from attacking me on sight. As for the Westerners? They would attack me regardless of what I wore.
I securely fastened my Sect Token to my belt. It was a badass magical artifact; I could even use it to store live fish or animals and transport them back to Myst.
Catching my reflection in the river, I grinned at my new look. With my fiery red hair and the dark, flowing garments of a Beastmaster Cultivator, I looked exactly like an evil antagonist straight out of a cultivation novel.
But my amusement vanished in an instant.
A flash of color upstream caught my eye. On the rocky bank, a body lay face down, half-submerged in the rushing water.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Even from a distance, the shredded remnants of a royal academy uniform and the tangled strands of golden hair looked terrifyingly familiar. Before my brain could fully process the sight, my feet were already moving.
I rushed upstream, dragged the cold body out of the water, and flipped her over.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Lana?!"
Panic flared in my chest. She wasn't breathing. I pressed two fingers to her neck—no pulse. She was freezing to the touch, her skin already taking on a terrible, bluish tint. Because my Earth memories were fragmented, my knowledge of CPR was shaky at best, and healing magic was the standard in Myst anyway.
Her face was badly battered, bearing the horrific bruising of a Giant's club. The left side of her uniform was torn completely open over her heart, leaving her half-naked, but I didn't care about modesty right now. She was dying.
"Lana, don't you dare die on me! Cure Mental Fatigue! Minor Air & Life Utility!"
Placing one hand firmly on her forehead and the other over her sternum, I channeled the spells back-to-back. I pushed magical air into her lungs to purge the water, sparked her faltering life force, and forced her heart to pump. For a grueling minute, I kept my hands pressed to her chest, continuously feeding her steady pulses of minor healing magic.
Finally, her chest rose. A ragged breath escaped her lips, and her golden eyelashes began to flutter.
Once she stabilized, I hastily pulled a 50% Healing Elixir from my inventory and uncorked it. I poured it into her mouth, but in her unconscious state, she couldn't swallow it.
Left with no choice, I leaned down, sealing my lips over hers to gently force the liquid down her throat with my breath.
The elixir worked instantly—perhaps a little too well.
Lana's hands suddenly shot up, gripping my arms with surprising strength. Her tongue shifted against mine, actively returning the kiss. The mental pick-me-up had completely cleared the fog in her mind, but as I hastily pulled back, the look in her eyes made me seriously question how much oxygen her brain had lost.
She opened her eyes halfway, gazing up at me with profound, unadulterated love.
"Husband?" she whispered softly. "Where are we? Where is our son? Why aren't we at home? Huh... did you cut my hair?" She ignored the massive wound on her skull entirely, reaching up to touch her ragged, shortened bangs, throwing me an irritated glare.
I stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Husband? Son? Home?
"I am Count Loki Sky," I said slowly, trying to anchor her to reality. "You are in the Royal Secret Realm. You were severely injured. Your name is Princess Lana Balder. We are definitely not married, and you do not have a son. You hit your head really hard, Lana. Your memories are scrambled."
She reached up, pinching my ear with an annoyed scowl. "No, I remember perfectly. You are my husband, Royal Knight Loki Sky. We have a son. You cut my hair—I vividly remember you doing it right after we had sex! And my name is Sif, your wife! You literally called me that in bed... Ouch... my head..."
The exertion was too much. Lana's eyes rolled back, and she fainted directly into my arms.
I stared blankly at the sky. "Fuck you, Owen. You just had to ask me to find her, and my terrible luck just had to flare up. Damn it!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the dense forest behind me. A fight was coming. Acting on pure instinct, I tapped my new Beastmaster Sect Jade Token and pulled Lana into the artifact's pocket dimension, ensuring she was safe and out of sight so I could move freely.
Creak.
I drew back the string of my Yggi's Heartbow, spinning around to aim at the tree line.
The bushes burst open, revealing a tense, war-torn group. Thorin led the charge, followed by Mary, the healer, and a female mage. Looming behind them was Lana's personal Storm Giant, Blitz.
"Thorin?!" I yelled.
"Loki?!" he barked back.
Recognizing each other, we both lowered our weapons. Thorin looked exhausted, his clothes shredded from battle. He scanned the riverbank, a desperate glint of hope in his eyes.
"Hey, Loki... did you happen to see Princess Lana?"
I kept my face entirely expressionless. I knew my brother would never intentionally hurt her, but this entire situation smelled rotten. None of them had broken through to the 4th circle yet, and Thorin had a distinct look of guilt in his eyes.
"I don't see anyone but you guys," I lied smoothly. "Where is the Princess? What happened?"
Thorin didn't hide the truth. "Last night, after dark, we were ambushed by dozens of Lizardmen. Lana fell off a cliff in the chaos. We know she's still alive because Blitz can feel it. He sensed her life force in this exact direction, so we're searching everywhere."
Mary turned to the massive, toga-clad giant. "Blitz, do you still sense your master nearby?"
Blitz scratched his massive head, his deep, rumbling voice filled with confusion. "Master was just by the river... but now her presence is gone?"
I quickly extended my arm, pointing a finger far down the riverbank to cover my tracks. "I did see a large log or something floating downstream heading south a few minutes ago. Maybe she managed to climb onto it like a raft?"
Why was I lying to protect her and hiding her away?
The reasons piled up instantly in my mind. First, what would Thorin even do with an amnesiac, helpless Lana who was currently insisting she was my wife and the mother of my child? Nothing good for me, that was for sure. Second, she was half-naked, and we had just shared a highly questionable kiss; even if it started as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, King Balder wouldn't care about the nuance. Third, if Thorin took custody of her in this state, the chances of her making it out safely were slim, whereas I had the magic and resources to hide and heal her. Fourth, sending them south meant they were walking away from my northern route, ensuring we wouldn't cross paths again.
Fifth... if I was being entirely honest with myself, a petty spark of jealousy flared at the thought of Thorin playing the hero when she was fine. I didn't trust his judgment not to stab me in the back using her as leverage.
And finally, a quiet, protective instinct gripped my chest. Any woman who looked at me and called me her husband—even a deeply concussed, confused princess—was someone I was going to protect.
Thorin ground his teeth together, looking at me pleadingly. "Will you help us track her? Your tracking skills are far better than mine."
"Taki Tsuki went north, and I have to meet up with her," I replied coldly, leaning into my established persona. "Plus, I'm explicitly not supposed to get involved with the Princess, remember? Good luck finding her, though."
Thorin looked like he wanted to punch me in the face for being a petty, grudge-holding bastard, but he didn't have the time to argue. Waving his hand to his team, he pivoted and bolted downstream, leading his group southward in a frantic search for a princess who was currently resting safely in my pocket dimension.
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