Chapter 70

"I'm sorry... this is my fault. There were so many things I should have taught you... and now you understand... Thorfinn. You have no enemies. No one... has any enemies. There is no one here... that you must hurt... There wasn't..."

- Thors Snorresson

The Dream (夢の中身) is the 70th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Einar continues to fight off the farmhands, who lament that he will not go down. Just as beat up as Einar, they decide they've had enough and walk away, warning Einar that he and Thorfinn will be punished once it's found out that they've acted out this way despite being slaves. Einar is happy they won. Meanwhile, Thorfinn, who has been knocked unconscious, dreams he is at home near his village, simply laying in the grass at peace after having dreamed all the bad things that have happened to him. Thors approaches and Thorfinn starts to tell him about the dream, but Thors interrupts him and tells him he smells blood. He asks Thorfinn who he has killed with his shortswords, and reminds him that he was only to use them to protect himself and that he now understands what he meant when he said he had no enemies and that there was no one he should hurt. Cadavers reach for Thorfinn from the earth, reaching for Thors as well. Thors apologizes to Thorfinn for not teaching him more. The ground caves in and Thorfinn falls, barely holding on to the earth's walls. He sees grotesque dead soldiers engaged in battle underneath him and wonders if this is Valhalla.

Summary
Thorfinn wakes up in the grass underneath a tree, surrounded by wildflowers, when a lamb bleats in his face. He is clean-shaven. He sits up and sees his village, then thumps back down, relieved to find out it was all a scary dream — watching his father get killed, going through countless battles, fighting a giant ogre of a man and ending up a slave. He looks at the sky, sighs and closes his eyes, thankful and at peace. In real-time, Thorfinn lies on the ground unconscious. Einar, wounded, angrily glares at the attacking farmhands, who are equally beaten and lament that Einar will not go down. Einar punches one of the farmhands and tells them they can find out once and for all if they're truly inferior to them. The four farmhands give up and tell Einar they're in for it now and will be in trouble when they found out slaves acted out like this. Einar simply smiles, happy they won. In the dream, Thors approaches the resting Thorfinn and pets the lamb grazing next to him. Thorfinn stands and starts to tell Thors about his bizarre dream, but Thors cuts him off and says he smells blood. He asks Thorfinn who he killed with those swords. Thorfinn is confused and looks down to find himself holding his bloody shortswords, once again looking the way he did as a teen following Askeladd's band. Thorfinn drops the shortswords. Thors tells Thorfinn he told him to use them only to protect himself. Thorfinn calls out to his father and reaches for him, but he is tripped. He looks back to see that his foot has been grabbed by a cadaver's hand reaching out from the earth. More hands grasp at him as cadavers burst from the ground, grabbing Thorfinn as he screams. He calls for his father's help. The cadavers also reach for Thors, who apologizes to Thorfinn and tells him it is his fault, as there are many things he should have taught him. He tells Thorfinn that now he understands that he has no enemies; that no one has any enemies, as he told him when he was six. He tells Thorfinn there is no one that he must hurt, that there wasn't. The ground gives way and breaks apart. Thorfinn falls in along with the cadavers. He desperately clings to the earth's walls and is finally able to grab on. Hanging on, he stares down and sees grotesque dead soldiers engaged in battle. He wonders what the place is, and if it is Valhalla.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Einar
 * Thorfinn
 * Thors Snorresson (dream)