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After leaving the Asgardian treasure vault, Arthur began to twirl the Pen of Thoth in his hand. This little trick was something he had played with in school.
Odin glanced at him and smiled, “When Loki was younger, he loved to scribble and draw with this pen. His talent for mischief was innate.”
Arthur held the pen and asked, “Where did he go?”
Odin shook his head and did not answer. Instead, he looked at Arthur and asked, “Do you… have an answer now?”
The last time they met, Odin had asked Arthur what kind of person he wanted to become.
At that time, Arthur had no answer, but now he smiled and said, “I want to become a free man!”
Odin gazed at Arthur, and after a moment of contemplation, he spoke, “Can the shackles in your heart be severed?”
“How will I know if I don’t try?” Arthur smiled and said, “Of course, it’s not about avoiding anything, just about being fearless.”
Shackles form when the heart is burdened and cannot find release.
In the past, Arthur avoided many things, believing that surviving would gradually make him stronger, strong enough to face anything.
But the reality proved that such a choice only made the shackles in his heart heavier.
With so many burdens, how could one be courageous and diligent?
Therefore, severing the shackles in the heart, freeing oneself from inner constraints, and maintaining one’s bottom line and desires without restriction would make one unstoppable!
After carefully considering Arthur’s words, Odin suddenly smiled. “Well said. I hope you can achieve unity of knowledge and action.”
Arthur blinked, and before he could speak, Odin continued, “There is someone who wishes to meet you. Would you like to go?”
“Your old friend?” Arthur thought for a moment and asked, “Will it benefit me?”
“My old friend is very interested in your spatial abilities and inherent strength,” Odin said calmly. “If you’re willing, they might offer you some guidance.”
“Then I’ll go!”
Arthur didn’t hesitate too long. Odin’s old friend was likely the one from Kamar-Taj.
He just wasn’t sure whether it would be a bald woman or an old man with a white beard.
“A wise choice,” Odin said. “This will help you address the most important shortcoming you have. When you leave, I’ll have Heimdall send you directly to Kamar-Taj.”
“Hmm?”
Arthur was puzzled, just about to ask what the shortcoming was when he heard Odin say, “I hope you can become friends with my son. He needs friends like you…”
With that, Odin’s figure vanished.
Immediately, Thor jumped down from the sky with a hammer in his hand and said. “I think I just saw my father.”
“The old man might need to rest,” Arthur shrugged. “I’m about to leave soon.”
“Why don’t you have a drink then? We will drink before your departure!”
“Sure.”
…
…
The wine in Asgard was quite impressive, far superior to the so-called ‘rare wines’ collected by Star-Lord.
Thor’s personality was as bold as his appearance. The wooden goblets clinked as they drank, each gulping down a full cup.
Arthur had never been afraid of drinking, and Thor could hold his liquor as well. The two of them exchanged cups and drank for the whole afternoon, neither able to outlast the other.
“You’re even more formidable than I imagined!” Thor said earnestly. “Although I never felt I needed protection, I still want to thank you for protecting me.”
“When you get used to protecting others, you become indifferent to others’ protection,” Arthur smiled. “I don’t intend to accept your thanks because your father has already given me something better.”
With that, he took out the Pen of Thoth.
—
“This was Loki’s favorite toy when he was younger. Every time, Father had to use his power to erase those doodles,” Thor said with a hint of melancholy. “I don’t really understand why this happened. Everything was fine before we went to Jotunheim. But now, even though only a few days have passed, it feels like centuries have gone by.”
Arthur tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said, “Maybe something happened while you were away that you don’t know about.”
Thor sighed lightly. “Then I’ll find him and ask him what happened.”
Arthur blinked and thought, why not ask your father? But seeing Thor’s expression, he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. Once Thor had decided on something, he wouldn’t change his mind.
With a grin, Arthur said, “I’m leaving now.”
“Thank you!”
Thor raised his glass. “To my Earth friend.”
“You’ll have many Earth friends in the future.”
Arthur tilted his head and turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Thor suddenly called out to Arthur, who turned back to look at him.
Thor’s expression was troubled, and after a while, he awkwardly asked, “Who is that hammer blondie you kept saying? Does he look a lot like me?”
Arthur blinked, and after a moment of silence, he replied, “The hammer blondie is a fascinating person, constantly changing and often acting thoughtlessly. The things that happen around him always catch him off guard… In short, he’s someone whom fate plays tricks on regularly! You and he… are similar in some ways.”
Thor nodded seriously after hearing this. “I see…”
What a load of nonsense!
Arthur almost burst out laughing. It’s so much fun to fool a god!
Putting on a serious face, he waved goodbye. “See you!”
“Asgard will always welcome you!”
With that, he thought for a moment and then stood up. “Never mind, I’ll see you off.”
—
From Asgard to the Bifrost Hall, the only mode of transportation was a horse… Of course, Thor sometimes preferred to use his hammer for faster travel.
However, for a farewell, speed wasn’t essential, so he arranged a horse for Arthur. The two of them made their way to the Bifrost Hall.
At the entrance of the hall stood Heimdall, who had already restored his injuries and was waiting with his hands behind his back.
Arthur and Thor dismounted, and Thor said, “Heimdall, see our friend off to wherever he wants to go.”
Heimdall nodded and then looked at Arthur. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Arthur grinned.
Then the two of them looked at each other in silence.
Thor wondered what was going on. Finally, Heimdall spoke first. “The All-Father asked me to send you to Kamar-Taj.”
Arthur nodded. “Yes, let’s go then.”
“So, return the Guardian Sword to me.”
Heimdall looked helpless. “How can I open the Bifrost for you without the sword?”
—
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