Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 399 A Woman Three Thousand Years Older Than a Mountain of Gold (Second Update)

"You have a lot of nerve, Archmage." The Allfather seemed somewhat angry after hearing Salomon's request. This kind of behavior of profiting from the conflicts between the Aesir royal families was intolerable to the Allfather. If it weren't for Salomon's identity as a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme and the persuasion of Queen Frigga, that seemingly ordinary dark staff would probably have smashed into his head.

"Because I must do this, Father of the Gods."

The two gray wolves, Kili and Kulich, also growled threateningly at Salomon. Although the Father of the Gods sat on the stake, his figure was incredibly tall, like a giant that blotted out the sky, and his black staff had transformed into a chilling spear. Salomon could almost hear the cries of the souls that died under that spear.

All the sunlight had vanished, leaving only low, leaden-gray clouds gathering in the sky, while muffled thunder from afar urged Salomon to speak.

Although it was not the Venerable One's order to come to the Father of the Gods, Salomon merely bowed slightly, showing no sign of backing down, nor did he show any apology on his face.

"After you and the Venerable One leave, I must resort to any means necessary to maintain the current situation." Salomon straightened up, looking directly into Odin's single eye without fear. Odin read his eyes; he knew what it meant. The Allfather knew that every word Salomon spoke from then on was serious.

"Building an army is the best way, just like your heroic warriors." Salomon took a deep breath; the pressure from the Allfather was immense. "I don't know Thor's potential, but I need to forge an army to defend against humanity's enemies."

"Does this enemy include the Asgardians?" The Allfather's gaze pierced Salomon's heart like a spear, his voice like thunder, shaking Salomon's eardrums, like the furious roar of a giant on a mountaintop and a blizzard whipped up by a howling wind.

Salomon knew that he had better not lie to Odin.

"As long as the Asgardians uphold the covenant, they are allies of Kamar-Taj. This is a consensus that has been maintained since the first Sorcerer Supreme." Salomon was not lying. Kamar-Taj had previously signed two different covenants with Asgard.

The first covenant was signed between the first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto, and Odin. Its main content was that Asgard would deal with threats from the Material Plane, and the Sorcerer Supreme would deal with threats from other dimensions. Salomon had never seen the detailed contents of the covenant; his understanding of it was limited to the Venerable One's explanation. The second covenant was signed between the current Sorcerer Supreme and Odin. After Odin's failed attempt to reclaim Midgard and completely conquer the Nine Realms, the current Sorcerer Supreme's covenant with Asgard was a military non-aggression pact.

The alliance with Asgard that Salomon referred to were these two agreements. These two agreements firmly established Midgard's sovereignty over Kamar-Taj and the cooperative relationship between Kamar-Taj and Asgard. These agreements are also one of the cornerstones that have maintained peace in the Nine Realms for many years.

The Father of the Gods took out a piece of parchment.

"Although you haven't inherited the title yet, I need you to sign the contract first." Odin looked at Salomon standing before him, holding up the parchment to the sorcerer so he could see the words written on it. "You have the makings of a king. I know what a good king is like. Promises can be broken when there's profit to be made. So I only trust contracts... This contract was signed between your teacher and me. As long as you sign it, we can continue our conversation."

Salomon examined the contract carefully. The paper indeed bore the Venerable One's true name and title, including the Allfather's. Besides these, he also saw an unexpected name: Thor.

Although the handwriting was childish, it was indeed Thor's name. Odin had made Thor sign this contract when he was a child. As for Loki, he probably hadn't even seen this piece of paper, once again demonstrating the Allfather's favoritism.

Salomon had no objections to the document. He accepted the contract and signed his full name on the paper, which shimmered with dazzling magical light. In a way, he felt a connection with the Vishanti Trinity and Yggdrasil, who traverses the nine galaxies.

In the name of Vishanti, in the name of the World Tree, the contract is established.

The one-eyed god retrieved the contract with satisfaction.

"My pact with Agamotto is not as simple as you think, child," Odin's tone softened considerably. He paused, and the dark clouds that had gathered in the sky quickly dispersed, the giant illusion that had blotted out the sun vanished in an instant, and the Allfather once again became the ordinary old man sitting on the wooden stake.

The Father of Gods had a somewhat amused expression.

“Back then, your overlord and I faced a great threat, and that covenant wasn’t written on paper. To prove our promise, Agamotto and I carved it into a rock, the very spot where Kamar-Taj is now. Kamar-Taj is built upon the foundation of that covenant. I don’t need you to sign another covenant, because you must abide by it,” Odin said. “I agree to your little request. I will give you an order in a moment, an order that will allow you to command the dwarves to forge armor for your army.”

"But I have another contract. If you agree, all your military plans will receive the support of me and the next Asgardian king, if you can deliver on that promise." The Allfather smiled knowingly. "I want you to support Thor's ascension to the throne and his marriage to Hela. Of course, my daughter is no pushover; you must demonstrate power exceeding hers for the contract to stand. If you can do that, I will agree to Asgard's assistance to you, and perhaps even more."

"Asgard will not begrudge a prince's title. Now it is your turn to choose, Salomon."

"Father of the Gods, I already have a partner."

"So what? You will eventually ascend to the highest position among mankind. What's wrong with having a few lovers?" the Allfather said matter-of-factly, completely oblivious to the increasingly dangerous look in the eyes of Queen Frigga, who had been observing the whole thing. In his younger days, the Allfather also had several lovers. If Queen Frigga hadn't been so skillful in concealing this from the Aesir and Vanir gods, the political situation in Asgard would likely be far more complex than it is now.

For example, Heimdall, Odin's most trusted intelligence officer, was one of the illegitimate sons of Odin and Aegir, the ancient sea god (the daughters of the waves). Through the machinations of Frigga, the queen of the gods, Heimdall obtained a very important position, and because he was Odin's child, Heimdall gained the power to guide the Bifrost.

He thus distanced himself from the conflicts of the Asgardian court, becoming someone who could remain unscathed regardless of changing circumstances. This arrangement was both a form of estrangement and protection, and Aegir, the ancient and noble son of the giant ancestors and the god of the deep sea, had nothing to complain about.

Odin has more than one illegitimate child. Bragi, who is currently tending to the eternal gardens of Asgard, is one of them. Bragi, the god of poetry, wisdom, and eloquence, is the illegitimate son of Odin and the giantess Gunnlod. His only duty in Asgard is to oversee the entertainment at banquets. This position is important in some ways, but not so important that people usually forget about him.

Queen Frigg's greenhouse was in the garden. Salomon also met this goddess when he went to see her. Bragi, the god of poetry, wisdom and eloquence, was always in the Queen's sight.

Besides these, there were also illegitimate children created for special reasons, such as Vidal, the god of silence, and Vali, the god of nature. Under the rule of Queen Frigga, all court intrigues were completely unrelated to these illegitimate children. However, it is self-evident that Queen Frigga harbored some resentment. Therefore, when Salomon rejected Odin's conditions, Queen Frigga actually appreciated him even more.

"If you become the Prince of Asgard, I will bestow upon you Dropnir, and you will gain immeasurable wealth." Odin extended his hand, promising Salomon this divine artifact. The simpler the function of an artifact, the more powerful it is; the armlet, meaning "The Drooping One," is one such example.

Every nine nights, Dropnir would produce eight golden armlets identical to it, and Dropnir's power could last forever. These armlets were no different from the artifact except that they did not have Dropnir's magical power.

This armlet was Odin's personal item, and its owner could use it to prove their status in Asgard. The Allfather genuinely intended to bestow this title of prince upon them.

"Accept it, and let Asgard and Midgard live on together!"

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(End of this chapter)