Alaric looked at the Ancient One without words.
Honestly, although he knew the Ancient One might react, he did not expect her reaction to be so intense.
Could she and Odin perhaps have some old disagreements?
But on the other hand, maybe it only showed that the relationship between the two of them was not bad.
If Odin, in his younger years, when he bore the warrior's stance and desire to rule over the Nine Realms, had met the Ancient One, they would surely have fought to the end, no matter the cost.
But now, in his later years, Odin only wished for the Nine Realms to enjoy peace.
In that, the two of them were not so different.
Of course, to Asgardian eyes, Earth had long been seen only as a weak, distant world without real threat.
But times had changed. Odin no longer dared to underestimate Earth.
"Supreme Sorcerer, is this really so funny?" Alaric asked in confusion, watching her still smile under the impression of what she had learned about Odin.
"And how would you feel if you caught me secretly drinking?" The Ancient One finally calmed down and raised an eyebrow.
"Hm… actually, that's quite interesting," Alaric admitted honestly.
Especially since he knew the Ancient One as a dignified sorceress who always drank tea, and the image of her with vodka in hand was something completely different.
"Supreme Sorcerer, you know… in China we have a very strong alcoholic drink."
"Tried it."
"…"
How much had she actually drunk?
And why did she say it so cold-bloodedly, as if nothing special had happened?
"If you don't want me to throw you out of Kamar-Taj, you'd better stop peeking where you shouldn't." The Ancient One stood up and said in a sharp tone.
"Yes, yes, I didn't see anything, I don't know anything!" Alaric immediately stood up and agreed without thinking.
At that moment, the Ancient One opened a portal, ready to leave, when she suddenly stopped. As if she had sensed something.
"Supreme Sorcerer?" asked Alaric.
"Tell me… do you want to visit Asgard?" she suddenly asked him.
She had just felt Odin's powerful mental waves and knew it was time to respond to his call.
"Can I go with you?" Alaric paused. He knew well that it was Odin who had requested the meeting.
Although he knew that in the future he would travel to Asgard, now, after peeking into Odin's little secret, he felt somewhat uneasy.
"Don't worry. I am with you."
"Then shall we go?"
The Ancient One nodded, closed the old portal, and opened a new one.
Alaric immediately stepped after her and together they arrived at the Golden Temple of Asgard.
At the end of the Golden Hall, Odin sat on the throne, his face serious as he watched the two of them.
Nor was the Ancient One to be outdone, her aura was equally strong, not at all inferior to Odin's.
Although Odin's body radiated the might of a king accumulated through centuries, the Ancient One lightly waved her folding fan, and a gentle breeze spread around her.
The two of them were similar in power, but completely different in style.
Alaric stood quietly behind the Ancient One, curiously examining the hall.
He wondered if everything around him was really made of pure gold.
He opened his All-Seeing Eye and quickly checked.
"It's actually fake…" he muttered quietly.
The Ancient One faintly smiled, while Odin's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Alaric then raised his head toward the dome.
Above was a mural, mostly destroyed by Hela's hand, which depicted Odin's peaceful image.
But when Alaric pierced the picture with his gaze, he saw what was hidden behind it, a depiction of Odin's glorious conquests, how he fought on all sides and gained power.
Among those images was one that depicted Hela.
"The beauties of Asgard, they are truly gorgeous… Ahem."
He suddenly felt Odin's sharp gaze and quickly changed his tone, quietly stepping back a pace and hiding behind the Ancient One.
At the corner of the Ancient One's lips appeared a barely noticeable twitch.
This child was truly bold, to mention Hela before Odin.
Especially now, when she had learned of Odin's tendency to silently look at pictures of women.
Odin's face grew dark.
Everything was clear to him, this child had spied on him.
His eyes could see far from Earth all the way to Asgard!
What kind of power was that? What kind of magic?
It reminded him of Heimdall's all-seeing eye, capable of watching over all worlds.
But even Heimdall could not see everything, Kamar-Taj had always remained beyond his reach.
So why could this boy's eyes pierce through Asgard's magical veils?
And, what was worse, he had clearly seen the pictures that were meant to remain hidden.
If he had indeed looked at the mural… then he must have seen what he should not have.
Beauties?
Surely he was referring to Hela.
Then, wouldn't he also have seen the picture of the lovers!?
They didn't even have clothes on!!
Thinking about it, Odin suddenly felt rage.
Boom!
The Eternal Spear struck the ground, and his power suddenly rose, spreading throughout the hall.
"Is this your future successor?" he asked in a deep voice, addressing the Ancient One.
"More or less," she replied calmly, nodding her head.
"Then congratulations to you."
"Likewise," she returned with a faint smile.
Odin looked at her smile and for some reason felt uneasy.
He realized, if this was her disciple and successor, then she was also already aware that he had secretly looked at his hidden album.
That realization stirred discomfort in Odin, but his face remained cold and dignified.
After all, the Ancient One had brought this child to Asgard, which meant she wanted Odin to learn of his abilities.
They were all part of the same web, Earth was the center of the Nine Worlds, and Asgard stood side by side with it.
It was clear that the Supreme Sorcerer of Earth and the King of Asgard would sooner or later have to stand together and share battles.
The future demanded their alliance, and thus even this unpleasant confrontation had its purpose.
But for Odin, all of this was like a stone stuck in his throat.
The Ancient One smiled, and he knew it cost him patience.
He felt as if he would choke on his own pride.
It was all her fault!
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