Chapter 1099

"Your Majesty Odin, I would be very happy to talk with you, but I have just finished seeing a patient. I need to summarize his situation and follow up on his subsequent treatment, so perhaps we could schedule this for tomorrow?"

No sooner had Schiller finished speaking than a "crack" of thunder echoed from behind him. He put down the phone, sighed helplessly, and turned around, whispering, "If only you had come a little earlier."

"Do you think I arrived too late?" Odin's voice came from behind Schiller. "I thought that for a psychologist, any time should be the right time."

Schiller turned around and saw the burly, imposing Odin. However, what surprised him was that Odin was not wearing his usual armor, but traditional Asgardian attire—a Viking-style outfit.

Traditional Viking clothing doesn't actually look like pirates; rather, it resembles the image of ancient Chinese soldiers: soft inner linings, hard chainmail worn over them, a sword and horn at the waist, and a horned helmet.

Dressed this way, Odin no longer looked as intimidating as before; instead, he possessed a touch of casual wildness. His manner was the same—he didn't act like an outsider at all, striding quickly past the desk to the sofa, sitting down with a thud, and slapping the armrest as he asked, "Do you have any wine?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, though perhaps not the fine spirits of Asgard. There is only champagne here." Schiller walked to the liquor cabinet, contemplating which bottle to pick to entertain Odin, but Odin didn't care in the slightest, tugging at his beard and saying:

"I've lived on Earth longer than you have. I know you humans don't like brewing spirits too strong. Just bring me a glass of champagne; don't add ice. I hate wine that's been watered down."

Odin's voice was always full of vigor and loud. When he spoke, the entire room was filled with a humming echo.

Schiller didn't take out the slender champagne flutes he had used for Howard; instead, he took out two beer steins and three or four bottles of champagne, placing them on the coffee table in the lounge area.

Odin poured himself a glass without a second thought, downed it in one gulp, slammed the glass onto the table, wiped his mouth, straightened his beard, and said, "I was in a bit of a rush. Let me wet my throat first."

Schiller was about to speak, but Odin stopped him, saying, "Don't call me 'Your Majesty.' Just call me Odin."

Odin's series of actions looked somewhat crude, but they weren't off-putting at all. On the contrary, they made him seem like a bold and straightforward man. One had to admit that this greatest monarch in Asgardian history had his own unique charm, radiating an inner charisma.

"No, Your Majesty. I rarely address people by their first names during work. During these sessions, I try to maintain a relationship limited to consultation. This allows me to remain objective. Of course, if you permit, I can omit the honorifics." Schiller sat down opposite Odin.

"Let's do that then." Odin took another sip of champagne, rinsed his mouth with it, and said, "Have you been with Loki recently?"

"I haven't. The last time we met was before Christmas. He was with his brother, but I heard that after Thor finished patrolling with Steve and the available members of the Avengers, he went on his rounds. Didn't he take Loki with him?"

Odin shook his head. "This is the first time Loki hasn't gone on patrol with his brother. Frigga and I thought he was just being playful or staying on Earth to handle Sanctum business. But a few days ago, I heard his oath in Asgard. So, I wanted to come and ask you: what exactly happened?"

"Do you think this is my plan?" Schiller pointed out what Odin was thinking. Odin looked into his eyes, his expression stunned.

Schiller shook his head. "My condition hasn't been great lately. I haven't participated in any major events; I've been recuperating."

"What's wrong with you?" Odin's only eye narrowed slightly. He always spoke straight to the point, without any pleasantries or tact, though it wasn't rude—just blunt.

"Just an anxiety attack." Schiller took a sip of champagne and shook his head lightly. Odin put down his glass and said, "Then you shouldn't be drinking. Take the glass away; I won't drink either."

"Your Majesty Odin, do you really not know where Loki went? Haven't you and Thor looked for him carefully?"

Odin pursed his lips, poured the remaining wine into his mouth, and said, "I told Thor to bring his brother back, but Thor has been dragging his feet. I don't want to mobilize the fleet over his head, so I came to ask you to help find Loki."

"To be honest, when Frigga and I heard his oath, we were stunned. I pulled out three of my own beard hairs, and Frigga cried for two hours. But the least anxious one was Thor."

Odin shook his head, looking puzzled. "Usually, he and his brother are the closest, but this time, he didn't seem worried, and he didn't seem to want Frigga and me to make a big fuss about finding Loki."

"So, I came to you behind his back. Tell me, what is going on? I really don't understand these two brothers anymore."

"Do you want to talk about the two brothers, Thor and Loki?" Schiller asked. Odin didn't seem to understand the significance of the question, so Schiller rephrased it: "We can work from effect to cause, or from cause to effect. But regardless of the method, the logic is the same. It just depends on how you are more accustomed to receiving information."

"Let's start with the two brothers then." A hint of hesitation appeared on Odin's face. He continued, "Ever since Thor ascended to the throne, I've understood their relationship less and less."

"When Thor was still a prince, they didn't get along well—or rather, Thor wanted to fulfill his duties as an older brother and take care of his younger brother, but it didn't really have any effect. Loki didn't want to be a younger brother at all and was desperate to prove he was the leader, but that didn't work either."

"Frigga and I have had headaches over this more than once. We tried various methods to improve their relationship, but they always just went through the motions."

"Before Thor ascended, they put on a show of brotherly love in front of us, but we knew they were just acting."

"But after Thor ascended, they became very strange. On the surface, they didn't seem to be on good terms; not only did they often argue in front of Frigga and me, but they even quarreled endlessly in the court."

"However, Frigga and I both felt their relationship was much better than before." Odin smacked his lips, seemingly unsure how to express it. "It's just an intuition, you know? A parent's intuition."

"Just before Loki disappeared, Frigga invited me and Loki to dinner, but Loki acted as if he'd eaten a few pounds of gunpowder. He rarely showed Frigga any respect. We don't know what got into him."

"If I had to guess, I feel like he was very anxious, impatient. He contradicted me at the dinner table, and it seemed like he was just trying to fall out with me so he could leave quickly. Frigga and I don't know what he's planning."

Odin spoke at length about Loki's behavior. He was somewhat similar to Howard, only Howard was more like a scholar, always very careful with his wording, while Odin used the simplest, most direct language to describe his observations of Loki and express his views on others.

Looking at the plainly dressed Odin before him, Schiller couldn't help but sigh. This All-Father of Asgard could indeed be called an emperor through the ages.

If Magneto possessed charisma but was bad at expressing it, only showing one percent, then Odin completely amplified his charisma through his actions by two or three times.

Every move Odin made expressed the best parts of his personality: bold, grand, and full of drive. Although he was imposing, he didn't make people feel he was high and mighty. Some of his words, while overly blunt, contained concern for others, appearing rough but detailed, and worthy of reliance.

Schiller quickly performed a profile in his mind. He took a sip of champagne, mentally drafted his response, and said:

"The family situation of the Asgardian royal family cannot be analyzed using ordinary family cases, because you are royalty, and therefore exceptionally special."

"The most special point is that there may be more than one family member in a generation, but there is only one throne. The changes in family relationships caused by this situation are far more complex than in ordinary families."

Odin waved his hand, seemingly not taking it to heart at all. He said to Schiller, "I know what you want to ask. Many people seem afraid to ask, but actually, there's nothing taboo about it. The throne is definitely Thor's; he is undoubtedly the first heir."

"Of course, you might think this is unfair to Loki, but from the moment they could understand my words, I told them both very directly: the throne is Thor's, and there is no other possibility."

Odin's bluntness shocked even Schiller. Seeing Schiller's expression, he shook his head and said:

"Otherwise, what do you think I should have done? There is only one throne, but two sons. If I hadn't announced the correct answer early on and let them guess, the current result would be a hundred times worse."

"I also don't understand who spread this matter as if it were something mysterious." A helpless expression appeared on Odin's face.

"I have stated my conclusion more than once, both in private and in public, and I didn't wait until they were grown up to say it. I said it early on: the next God-King is Thor Odinson. I've said it hundreds, if not thousands of times."

Odin leaned back against the sofa, his hands on the armrests, and said, "Many people say I'm biased, but do you think there's a better way to solve this?"

"Asgard can only have one God-King. That is to say, I must choose one. No matter who I choose, it's unfair to the other."

"And what I can do is try to choose one who can meet my expectations and is more suitable for the position, while telling them the answer before they have deeper thoughts on the matter."

"I'm not the kind of bastard father who tells two sons, 'Whoever is more capable can inherit my estate,' while actually having an answer in my heart, and then coming out to take sides when they fight to the death."

"When Loki was just old enough to understand, I had already emphasized to him that there was no possibility of him succeeding to the throne. But this is not his fault; it's because there is only one throne, and even by order of seniority, it should be Thor."

Looking at Odin's face, Schiller's fingertips trembled for the first time, because he discovered that the draft he had prepared in his heart was completely different from the actual situation.

Schiller hadn't expected this God-King to be wiser, more far-sighted, and more decisive than he had imagined; he could even be called a good father. ===== CHAPTER 1100 =====