I, The Dragon Overlord

Chapter 614 - Battle of Faith and Culture

The Valkyrie who remained on the Antarctic continent rather than returning to Asgard began to attract the attention of many. World leaders whispered to one another, pondering how to approach the heroine with the proper respect.

In mythology, although the Aesir gods were considered benevolent gods, they were also known for their violent tempers. If they witnessed any signs of disrespect, it wasn’t strange for them to act out immediately.

They also knew the consequences of angering a god with England as an example. The Tuathe De Danan God had directly attacked Buckingham Palace out of nowhere. If it weren't thanks to the wizards of Merlin’s Order, then perhaps Buckingham Palace would have ceased to exist.

In the face of a God, even if it wasn’t the main gods of the pantheon, they were enough to cause even the powerful President of the United States some headache.

A group of world leaders at the top of their respective countries discussed how to approach this situation. After all, how could one greet a god? Asking them if they had eaten that day didn't seem like a wise choice.

Despite there being many experts in folklore and anthropology on Earth, none of them had ever contemplated how to interact with a god.

In any case, the famous Valkyrie, the handmaiden of the great god Odin, was already considered a formidable god by human standards.

As for the major gods like Odin and Zeus, they were left untouched by the rest of humanity. No one wanted to establish contact with such terrifying beings.

"Huh? The Valkyrie is moving."

An observer who had been monitoring satellite broadcasts spoke up.

All eyes turned back to the large screen. Indeed, the Valkyrie was riding a flying horse, moving quickly.

"The speed of the Valkyrie is astonishing. My, this is as fast as the latest fighter jets from the United States!"

The data analyst, who had been observing, widened his eyes and exclaimed.

"Can we keep monitoring the Valkyrie's movements?"

"No problem, sir. Although the Valkyrie's speed is high, she hasn't concealed her movements, so our radar won't lose track."

"Can we predict the Valkyrie's destination?"

"Please wait, sir."

“......”

In a short time, a gigantic world map appeared on the screen. The Valkyrie was represented by a red dot, moving across the map. An arrow marked the direction she was heading. This was the rough route calculated by experts based on the Valkyrie's movements.

The leaders of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and other countries, including their neighbors in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, suddenly stood up from their chairs. Their faces expressed excitement.

The Valkyrie's path seemed to cover the entire Northern European region.

Although North African and southern European territories were within her route as well, the leaders of these countries suddenly had an epiphany. The Valkyrie was destined for Northern Europe, the place that once held the faith of the Aesir gods and still had rare remnants of Norse mythology.

While other leaders envied them, the leaders of these neighboring countries grew jubilant.

The President of the United States ran his hand through his hair with a look of despair on his face. The words of the old immortal from China once again echoed in the minds of many. He emphasized that gods represented culture, and just as the culture of China attracted the old immortal, even enabling them to have the protection of ancient gods like Taiyi, the culture of Japan was drawing the attention of the Shinto priest and summoning gods like Amaterasu.

However, the sparsely populated lands of Northern Europe had now also captured the interest of the Aesir gods.

This left the President of the United States feeling profoundly hopeless, as America truly lacked deep culture and history. It was like a child compared to nations that had existed for centuries, with the authentic Native American culture of North America having been nearly wiped out.

The President's gaze turned mournfully towards the leaders of England, Spain, and Portugal. The first colonizers to set foot on North American soil, those on the Mayflower, were Puritans from England, accompanied by some prisoners. At that time, Native Americans had greatly aided these immigrants. In gratitude, the settlers had invited them to a grand celebration, the origin of Thanksgiving.

But as history revealed, they later turned from settlers into colonizers and all but eradicated the Native American population, leading to the disappearance of the true North American culture.

The Prime Minister of England was equally baffled. He argued that their ancestors had participated together in these actions. He cited America's Declaration of Independence as evidence that the English had treated Native Americans well, and it was the Americans themselves who had taken part in the atrocities.

He went on to challenge the President of the United States by mentioning the potential threat of Native American spirits, suggesting that England's position was no better. Even the Celtic Dannan gods were making a direct move on Buckingham Palace.

The white nations, who had once colonized the world and caused great suffering to countless people, were now reaping the consequences in this era of mythological resurgence.

In contrast, leaders from countries along the Mediterranean coast were uplifted. The appearance of the phantom of Zeus had given the leaders of the Mediterranean region aspirations. The Greek President was particularly pondering on whether or not to harness the power of the gods to save their country from bankruptcy.

Egypt's President contemplated abandoning the Islamic faith and returning to the ancient polytheistic belief in gods like Ra, Osiris, and Horus. Egypt had no shortage of gods to choose from.

Countries in South America, including Mexico, were also considering religious reforms. They were preparing to embrace the distinctive Aztec mythology of ancient Mexico.

However, the Mexican leader's expression changed when he looked at the American President. Aztec mythology was directly linked to the Native American heritage.

……

"You wanted to build a wall, didn't you? Keep building it. Let's settle our old and new grudges."

At this moment, Christianity faced an awkward situation. Although it had many followers, it appeared that Christ treated all believers equally. This was admirable for the faith, but it meant that nations couldn't gain exclusive divine protection.

While many world leaders contemplated how to change their country's faith, so as to be ahead in this era of profound change, two leaders had rather unconventional ideas.

The Prime Minister of India dreamed of conquering the world. The Indians had long held a deep belief in Hinduism, with its pantheon of gods who were at least in charge of the cosmos.

The President of South Korea, on the other hand, contemplated how to make other nations' faiths and cultures transform into South Korea's.

He thought about an ancient Roman peculiarity. Romans believed that by earnestly worshiping the gods of their enemies, those gods could become their own.

The South Korean President believed that they could learn from ancient Rome. If they could convince their entire nation to worship a particular god, that god would belong to them.

‘Let me see which country will become the lucky one, allowing us, the Republic of Korea, to take their beliefs and culture for ourselves!’

With a devious look in the President's eyes, he scanned the room.

For a moment, all the world leaders remained silent, each deep in their own thoughts.