Today, Odin, as always, was sitting on the throne in the Golden Hall.
At that moment, there was no one in the entire hall except him.
Perhaps the Golden Hall was radiant and magnificent, but Odin, with his white hair and long beard, looked somewhat lonely.
"Alas." he sighed deeply.
He already knew that his time was running out and that his body could no longer endure such great power.
But what weighed on him was melancholy.
Worry would not leave him in peace, whether his son could safely ascend the throne of the king of gods and protect Asgard, as well as the vast nine realms.
He had no doubt about Thor's strength. His son, who bore Mjolnir, had been honing his combat abilities for nearly a thousand years.
But precisely that eldest son, though he was Odin's favorite, showed no desire to take the throne!
Thor did not want to be the king of gods. His head and temper remained childish, and he became a man who only knew how to fight.
His second son, Loki, was completely different – ambitious, he always wanted to surpass Thor. Since his youth, he had felt inferior because he could never lift Mjolnir. On the surface, he behaved humbly and politely, but behind everyone's back, he always schemed about how to seize the throne.
His strength might not have been great, but he had a sharp mind.
Two brothers – each at his own extreme.
Odin did not have a worthy successor.
He would often sigh quietly.
He even sometimes felt a trace of envy toward the Ancient One, who had long since found a successor and was calmly preparing to retire earlier than him.
It was precisely for this reason that Odin had again and again secretly organized trials, wanting Thor to grow up as soon as possible and understand the importance of responsibility.
But aside from worrying about his son and the future of Asgard, Odin in many ways was no different from ordinary old men.
He loved to recall the past, the time when he was young, strong, and magnificent.
Thinking of this, Odin stretched out his hand, and in a flash of light, an album of pictures appeared in his palm.
He slowly turned the first page. On it was painted a beautiful woman, naked, almost as if she were real.
He turned to the next, and again the same kind of picture, only with another woman.
Odin looked at the album and could not help but smile.
They were all his former lovers.
Memories from the very beginning of his life, when he was still young and thirsty for love.
Of course, such things had to remain hidden from his wife Frigga.
Sometimes, when he was in the mood, he would take the album and reminisce alone about the past.
But today seemed different. A curious gaze suddenly fell upon Odin.
As the king of gods and father of heaven, Odin reacted quickly. The album disappeared from his hand, and instead his golden weapon – Eternal Spear – appeared!
Boom!
Odin fell to the ground with the Eternal Spear in hand. Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy spread around, while golden light radiated from his body.
"Who is it!? You dare to attack Asgard!?"
His majestic voice echoed throughout the Golden Hall.
Boom boom!
A steady sound resounded from outside the temple, and a group of soldiers in golden armor approached with heavy steps before Odin.
"God King!"
"Go and see if someone has attacked Asgard." Odin spoke, but his heart was full of doubts.
Asgard was protected by powerful spells, although some places could sometimes be smuggled into. Still, Odin had not noticed any desperate intruder who could spy on him personally.
How was that possible? Did the magic fail?
And more importantly...
"I don't know if my actions were just seen. They shouldn't have been…" Odin felt uneasy.
My secret was almost revealed!
What would happen if someone else found out about it? What if Frigga discovered that he still thought about his former lover?
His sons had not yet resolved their own issues, and Odin by no means wished for old wounds to reopen in the marriage between him and Frigga.
During these few days of peace and stability, Odin quickly composed himself and focused his attention. With his immense sensory power, he cast his gaze toward Earth.
"The Ancient One?"
For someone to be able to spy on him, without Asgardian magic noticing, and to observe him without him being aware, only the Ancient One, the supreme mage of his power and rank, could do such a thing.
But why?
Why would she observe him?
Wait… that's not good!
The Ancient One must not know what I am doing!
…
"Wow."
Alaric, who had just peeked into Odin's little secret, exclaimed aloud, and then, when Odin realized what was happening, he immediately canceled the magic.
Luckily for Alaric, this kind of magic did not restrict him, so not even Odin could leave any trace on him.
But he had to admit, that beautiful woman in Asgard was not a bad sight, ahem…
"What? What did you see?!" The Ancient One, who awaited Alaric as he returned, quickly asked.
"Uh…"
Man, why are you in such a hurry? Do you know that your gossipy appearance seriously ruins the image I have of you?
"Hm, I was just curious."
Noticing how the Ancient One looked at him, Alaric smiled, and she coughed and tried to regain her composure. Her voice once again became calm, though she burned with impatience inside.
In fact, she desperately wanted to know what Alaric had just seen, and she was almost excited.
If it were some great secret that Odin was hiding, perhaps it would be better to forget it. But if it were something shameful, then she would enjoy the chance to laugh at Odin.
Alaric leaned in a little and whispered to her what he had just discovered.
"Pfft!"
"Hahaha!"
"Odin!"
The Ancient One couldn't hold it back and burst into loud laughter.
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