"What kind of joke is this?! Those Midgardians are insulting Asgard! We absolutely cannot agree to such conditions! Loki, I'll go with you and take that girl back by force!"
In the Golden Palace of Asgard, Thor's furious roar shook the heavens.
Hearing her son's outburst, Frigga, standing beside the throne, couldn't help but cover her face.
How could her child be this dense?
Loki, standing across from Thor, rolled his eyes at his brother's words.
Back then, she was just humoring you—do you really think you're that important?
And if you want to get yourself killed, fine, but don't drag me into it.
"Silence, Thor! Do you even know what you're saying?"
Odin, clearly annoyed, struck the floor hard with Gungnir, the Eternal Spear.
"Of course I know what I'm saying! In the past, Midgard saw us as gods—they feared us, worshipped us and we gave back! We drove away the Frost Giants, warned the Kree not to cause trouble near Midgard! They should serve us, not deny our very existence!"
Thor spoke with passionate intensity.
Loki blinked. Honestly… what Thor said did make some sense.
If it had been the old Loki, he would've totally agreed.
But now? With Josh Kahn and that terrifying crew of his?
Yeah, no thanks. Better to just think that quietly in your head.
"Then tell me," Odin said with a blank expression, staring at Thor, "What should we do?"
"Simple! Just like you once struck Jotunheim—we strike Midgard! We show them our power, break their will, and remind them the name of Asgard must be respected!" Thor said firmly, voice full of righteous anger.
"…That's the thinking of a soldier, not a king," Odin said with disappointment, shaking his head.
How can this hotheaded child ever inherit the throne?
"Then what is a king supposed to do? Let Midgard insult Loki and disgrace us?" Thor shouted back.
"I don't see it as an insult," Loki suddenly interjected, touching his nose.
Insult? Please—you clearly haven't seen real humiliation.
"This is just a matter between two families. It has nothing to do with nations," Frigga added, her voice calm.
"What?! After all this, you're still defending those Midgardian royals? Fine—I admit that Josh Kahn is powerful, but that doesn't mean we should back down!"
Thor looked at his family in disbelief.
"Enough!" Odin cut off Thor's fantasies and looked at Loki.
"This is your decision to make. What do you say?"
"...I agree," Loki said after a few seconds of silence.
"Haha! I knew it! My brother agrees with me!"
Thor laughed, assuming Loki had taken his side.
"…I agree to give up everything Asgard has given me. I will live as a mortal and be with Carol."
Loki didn't even glance at Thor as he spoke his decision.
And in that moment, Thor's joyful expression froze on his face.
"Loki, have you lost your mind?! You're going to give up everything—just to live as a mortal?!
And all for some teenage girl?!"
Thor stared at his brother in disbelief.
This couldn't be the real Loki… could it?
"Loki, have you really thought this through?"
Odin couldn't help but frown slightly when he heard Loki's decision.
Although Thor's words were often impulsive, he wasn't entirely wrong this time.
A prince of Asgard giving up everything for a mortal woman—even if she was a queen—was far from honorable in the eyes of the royal family.
As Asgard's king, Odin honestly didn't want Loki to agree.
But from another perspective, Loki's choice actually solved a long-standing dilemma Odin had buried in his heart.
"I've thought it through," Loki said calmly.
"Thor's strength surpasses mine. His achievements and honor far exceed mine as well. He's the one most suited for Asgard's throne, isn't he? After all, I'm just the younger brother—second in line to the throne. As long as Thor is here, my so-called 'right to the throne' is nothing but an illusion, isn't it?"
Loki looked deeply at Odin as he spoke.
"What? Loki, what nonsense are you saying?" Thor was stunned by his brother's words.
"You're my brother! We're both princes of Asgard! We should rule Asgard together!"
Thor's innocent words made Loki's lips curl into a faint, mocking smile.
But Odin and Frigga exchanged glances, both frowning slightly.
There's a hidden meaning in those words… Could it be—he already knows?
"Loki, you and Thor are both my sons. Always have been. There is no such thing as a first or second," Odin said in a deep voice.
"Is that so?" Loki asked.
"Then why did Thor get Mjolnir and not me? Don't give me that excuse about 'only those deemed worthy can lift the hammer'—that enchantment came from you, didn't it?"
Odin fell silent.
Even Thor had nothing to say.
What could he say? Give the hammer to Loki? He wasn't willing.
Mjolnir or Loki—which one was more important? For Thor, that was a hard choice.
"If this is truly your heartfelt decision, then I will support you," Frigga finally said, after watching her sons silently.
"But remember this—though you're giving up your status as a prince of Asgard, if you ever run into trouble, Asgard will always be your strongest support."
She walked up to Loki and gently straightened his collar.
"I will, Mother." Looking at Frigga's kind face, Loki nodded seriously.
"This is ridiculous!" Thor, overwhelmed by his brother's decision and their parents' attitude, was deeply disappointed.
He had no intention of staying a moment longer—he turned and walked out of the palace.
"Even if you're marrying into the Kahn family as a mortal," Frigga said softly, ignoring her eldest son's tantrum, "We can't let you suffer too much. We still need to make sure you have some wealth and status in Midgard. The Kahn family can't have all the say."
Odin's expression darkened.
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
"How do you plan to do that?" he asked cautiously.
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