As Jane prepared to retort, Charles almost burst out laughing internally.
'That's Odin, your father-in-law!' he thought.
Odin turned to Jane and said, "I am Odin, King of Asgard, Protector of the Nine Realms."
Jane, trying to introduce herself, began, "I'm—"
But before she could finish, Odin interrupted, "I know exactly who you are, Jane Foster."
Jane, now turning her gaze to Charles, asked, "And what about him?"
She couldn't understand why Odin treated Charles who was also from Earth so differently.
Charles smirked slightly, amused by Jane trying to shift the tension onto him.
Odin answered sternly, "He is the Master of the Magical Realm, the first Supreme Merlin, and the Shinobi Immortal. He is far beyond comparison with a mere mortal like you."
Jane's eyes widened in surprise. Charles had titles she wasn't even aware of.
Seeing Odin's formal introduction, Charles gave Thor a playful shrug and smile.
Thor quickly interjected, "Father, there's something within her—something I've never seen before."
Odin, unimpressed, replied, "Her planet has its own healers. They call them doctors. Let them handle it."
He turned to the guards, "Guards, send her back to Midgard."
Immediately, two guards approached to escort Jane away, but Thor protested, "No, don't!"
Suddenly, red light surged from Jane's body, knocking the guards away.
Thor rushed to her side, "Jane, are you alright?"
Odin quickly approached, inspecting Jane's arm, where red energy pulsed through her veins.
"This is impossible," Odin muttered.
A nearby healer spoke, "The infection seems to be protecting her."
Odin corrected him, "No."
Thor then said, "It's protecting itself."
Odin turned to glance at Charles, as if trying to discern whether Charles knew more about this. Seeing no hint, Odin commanded, "Come with me."
Charles, Thor, and Jane followed Odin as he led them toward the royal library.
As they walked, Odin explained, "There are things whose history predates the formation of the universe."
"The substance within her appears to be one of those ancient artifacts."
Charles glanced upward as they entered the library. He noticed something resembling Yggdrasil, the World Tree, with nine different realms represented as hanging star clusters.
Curiosity piqued him. Is this a mere replica, or is this part of the real World Tree?
Odin continued, "The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn, and they will have a dusk."
He then elaborated on the history of the Dark Elves and the Aether they used to control.
Noticing Charles's attention, Odin asked, "Have you heard the tale of the Dark Elves?"
Charles shook his head, "I'm more curious about what's above us."
Odin looked deeply at Charles, then clarified, "That is a branch of the World Tree. It is not a treasure of this vault."
Thor, still focused on the situation, asked, "Are you sure? The legend says the Aether was destroyed along with them."
"But now it's resurfaced."
Odin, maintaining his serious tone, said, "The Dark Elves are extinct."
As Odin spoke with such certainty, Charles couldn't help but wonder whether Odin truly didn't know about the surviving Dark Elves—or if he was deliberately pretending to be ignorant.
At this moment, Jane voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind the most: "Does the book mention how to get it out of my body?"
Odin glanced at Jane and responded, "No."
"Or rather, I do not have a way to remove the Aether from your body while keeping you alive."
After answering, Odin looked at both Thor and Jane, then turned to Charles.
"Let's discuss the upcoming mission. As for Jane, Thor, why don't you show her around Asgard?"
Thor smiled broadly. "Yes, Father."
…
Charles followed Odin back to the throne room. After a few moments of silence, Odin finally spoke:
"The Nine Realms are about to align. The convergence of the realms, I assume you are aware of this phenomenon?"
Charles nodded, "Yes, the Nine Realms will come together, and the distances between them will collapse."
Odin continued slowly, telling a story: "I once had a daughter. Her name is Hela Odinsdottir. She was my firstborn and once my most trusted ally in conquering the Nine Realms."
"But when I decided to lay down my sword, she had no such intention."
"For the peace of the Nine Realms, I have kept her sealed in Helheim. There, with my enchantment, she cannot escape."
"But with the upcoming convergence, the seal in Helheim will weaken. I need to prevent Hela from escaping."
"And your mission," Odin continued, "is to go to Helheim after the realms converge and attempt to reason with Hela."
Charles, stunned by the task, asked, "Reason with Hela?"
Odin nodded, "With my seal still intact, she cannot draw power from Asgard. You won't face any immediate danger. With your current strength, you will survive."
Charles's mind raced as he recalled Hela's history—the firstborn of Odin, Asgard's executioner, the original wielder of Mjolnir, and the goddess of Death in Asgard.
She was no ordinary foe. Compared to her, Thor would be no more than a child.
Charles also realized why Odin had been late during the Dark Elf attack and had fallen into the Odinsleep after dealing with Loki. The strain of holding Hela in check had likely drained him.
"What exactly should I persuade her to do?" Charles asked.
After a brief pause, Odin replied, "Convince her to abandon her hatred for Asgard and give up her thirst for conquest."
"The universe is not as simple as Hela believes it to be."
Odin added, "This mission won't be brief. I should have a few years left, and during that time, you will have ample opportunity to speak with her."
"As for your payment, I will offer you one of my treasures upfront."
Hearing this, Charles thought to himself that Odin probably didn't have as much time as he believed—perhaps no more than three years at most.
"King Odin," Charles said, "since I've agreed to your request, I will take on this mission."
"Even if I cannot convince Hela immediately, I will do everything in my power to prevent her from harming Asgard."
Charles was genuinely intrigued by the prospect of facing Hela.
It would be a valuable challenge, especially considering that his current ninja subordinates were no longer suitable sparring partners for him.