“I’m sorry, but I refuse.”
His voice was not loud, yet it reverberated back and forth within the now-quiet Grand Hall of the Asgard Palace. The people who heard this response, except for Odin, whose cunning was deep-rooted in his eyes and who had already expected such a response, all showed a change in expression.
He actually refused?!
Loki was left dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open in shock. He stared at Kyle, who remained expressionless and he even wanted to loudly question him, “Do you know what you just refused?”
The Guardian of the Realm! This was considered a step towards Godhood! Except for the high and mighty Odin, even the princes like them couldn’t command the Guardians. In a certain sense, it was an honor on par with the King.
Furthermore, guarding the realm did not mean guarding the Bifrost, the gateway to the realm. It meant guarding the Hall of Heroes deep within the realm, one of the most relaxed and stable positions.
Thor and Fieldre hung their heads even lower. At this moment, Kyle’s refusal of Odin’s proposal might just become the catalyst for significant upheaval!
Odin’s wrath could shake the Nine Realms!
Of course, in his later years, Odin’s temperament had mellowed considerably due to his acquired wisdom and his accumulated hidden injuries. He would even intentionally step down from his throne in the future, becoming more of a gentle elderly man.
“Hmm!”
Odin’s staff struck the floor, and Thor, realizing the situation was turning unfavorable, quickly interceded on Kyle’s behalf, saying, “Father, Kyle had wanted to return to Earth. I mentioned earlier that I have a friend who wanted to return home using the Bifrost.”
Odin remained silent, his imposing gaze fixed on Kyle as if he wanted to hear his response.
Kyle’s face remained neutral as he spoke earnestly, “I’ve been away from Earth for who knows how long in the depths of outer space. I’ve wanted to go back for a long time now. As wonderful as Asgard is and believe me it is truly a wonderful place, it can’t compare to my home on Earth, nothing can.”
These were his true feelings, albeit expressed in a more tactful manner.
In reality, Kyle was not interested in the Guardian of the Realm position. Staying in Asgard to guard the Hall of Heroes? That was the last thing he wanted to do!
Odin hadn’t offered anything that would truly sway him. Threats and coercion wouldn’t work!
“Father, in my opinion, it might be better to bind him with the Chains as an heir to the God of Fire,” Loki suggested in a soft, insidious voice.
‘This guy is ruthless. Do we have some sort of grudge between us?’ Kyle cast a sidelong glance at Loki as he thought of this, making a mental note to settle the score at some point in the future.
“Father, Kyle isn’t even from our world, and his acquisition of the power of the God of Fire was purely accidental. Let him return to Earth,” Thor pleaded.
Odin remained silent, his focused gaze still on Kyle. Kyle tensed slightly, silently grateful that the power of the previous God of Fire clung to his body, concealing his true divine nature.
If Odin were to discover that Kyle was, in fact, a member of the Aesir, it would create a much more complicated situation. After all, the Aesir were often in conflict with other branches of the divine race.
“You can return to Earth,” Odin said.
The first part of Odin’s sentence caused Kyle to let out a sigh of relief. The second part however caused that relief breath to pause, “But you must accept the position of Guardian of the Realm. Otherwise, I cannot allow you to leave Asgard.”
“What do you mean?” Kyle asked in a serious tone.
“You can have some of the privileges of a Guardian of the Realm, such as using the Bifrost to travel between realms or entering the Asgardian Palace. However, the obligation you must fulfill is that, in the face of external threats or calamities in Asgard, you need to lend assistance as a Guardian of the Realm.” Odin explained, leaving not only Kyle but also Thor and Loki in disbelief.
The position seemed too lax… Or perhaps, the given options were too lenient.
At this moment, Thor and Loki both privately wondered if they were truly Odin’s sons. They had grown up without ever witnessing their father willingly compromise or back down.
“Just like that?” Kyle asked in amazement, looking at Odin with suspicion. The ancient undying ruler who had lived for countless epochs couldn’t possibly be making such a straightforward decision, could he?
“Just like that,” Odin nodded.
“Then I’ll accept the position of Guardian of the Realm,” Kyle nodded in agreement. This condition was unexpectedly easy.
“Very well, Vice General Fieldre,” Odin shifted his focus, and Fieldre immediately snapped to attention. “You will take Kyle to the Treasury and allow him to choose something as a token of his position as a Guardian.”
“No problem!” Fieldre stood up joyfully, leading Kyle away as if he had just received a reward. They quickly exited the grand and solemn Golden Hall.
Only after the two of them left did Thor and Loki, still in a dazed and confused state, finally stand up. They looked up at Odin seated on his throne with perplexed expressions on their faces.
“Do you two know about Earth?” Odin calmly asked.
“We do. Father, you’ve been to Earth before, battling and driving away the Frost Giants,” Thor and Loki provided their answers respectively.
“It’s located in the human world, on the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy, a land of savagery.”
Odin paused, his single eye revealing a complex emotion as he spoke. “They say that Asgard reigns supreme over the Nine Realms, but in reality, the strongest realm within the Nine Realms is the world of humans.”
Thor and Loki, however, still didn’t quite believe this. Some deeply ingrained beliefs of tens of thousands of years couldn’t be completely overturned with just a few words.
“Just because he’s from Earth, Father decided to let him go?” Loki asked incredulously.
“Of course, it’s not that simple,” Odin shook his head, looking at his two beloved sons. He said mysteriously, “You will understand in the future. I didn’t release him; instead, I want to establish some sort of a relationship between him and Asgard.”
“Kyle, it’s been a long time since I heard that name…” Odin muttered to himself.
The underground vault of the Aesir Palace, Odin’s treasure trove.
The passageway leading to the vault was lined with eerie pale-colored flooring, with faint blue flames flickering on both sides. The towering guards stood in silent vigilance, like statues.
“Kyle, my young friend… no, I should call you Guardian Kyle now!” Fieldre beamed as he led the way, speaking warmly, “You must take good care of me in the future.”
“Young friend?” Kyle glanced at his rugged and familiar face, along with his thick, dark beard, and sighed, “You’re the older one, and that won’t change.”
“Hahaha, that’s right,” Fieldre laughed heartily and said with emotion, “His Majesty must be in a good mood today. He not only agreed to make you a Guardian but also granted you a treasure and allowed you to return to your home planet.”
“It does seem quite unusual,” Kyle shrugged, feeling equally surprised.
To be honest, no matter how he looked at it, this matter shouldn’t have been resolved so smoothly.
Could it be that Odin had glimpsed the ‘script’?
In this world, perhaps only Kyle knew the impending doom that awaited Asgard in the future.
(End of this chapter)
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