The situation before Arthur now was anything but ordinary.
The fate of Ragnarok— the cataclysmic event that could bring about Asgard's destruction— had been completely entrusted to him by Odin.
To be honest, Arthur had no idea where the old man found such unwavering confidence. An event capable of wiping out an entire civilization had been inexplicably placed in his hands.
What if he failed?
And what was even more unsettling— Arthur's understanding of Ragnarok remained frustratingly unclear.
How it started, how it ended, or what even defined its conclusion— he had no definitive answers to any of these questions.
This left him with few options. Almost none.
In fact, rather than fixating on Ragnarok itself, he figured it might be wiser to deal with the more immediate matters concerning Frigga and Odin while he had the chance.
So, when he noticed Frigga's unwavering composure, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "But before that, there's something I'd like to know."
"Odin?"
Frigga's voice was calm.
Arthur nodded.
She offered a faint, sorrowful smile and softly replied, "I have never seen him this weak. Once this process begins, there's no stopping it. And in the midst of it all, our only hope is you."
"…Honestly, that's a lot of pressure." Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "To be blunt, to Asgard and your so-called divine race, I'm still an outsider. A… well, 'mortal.' I don't know what makes the old man so confident in entrusting me with something this massive, but don't you think that's kind of reckless?"
"Everything has its destined path," Frigga said, gazing at him. "Except for you. You don't need to force a change or worry about the outcome. Just act on your instincts and do what you think is right. Whatever happens, we will accept it."
"That just makes the pressure even worse."
Arthur blinked. "Alright then, Kamar-Taj is too crowded. I'll send you to New York instead."
"To meet your little girlfriend?" Frigga's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I must say, I like her very much."
"Uh… how do you know about her?" Arthur frowned. "Is your hobby spying on my personal life?"
"I won't deny it." Frigga's tone was light. "But we haven't actively watched you in a long time. With your current abilities, our presence might be detected, and well… that would be rather awkward."
"…You're aware of that too?"
Arthur could only sigh. Frigga's honesty left him with no room for complaint.
At that moment, his wristband flickered with a blinking light.
Slightly taken aback, Arthur tapped it, and within seconds, a transmission connected.
"It's me." Natasha's voice came through.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and turned to Frigga. "Since when does Asgard have satellite relays?"
"Our communication operates beyond such limitations," Frigga responded with a knowing look.
"What are you talking about?" Natasha's voice held a hint of confusion. "Are you still in Asgard?"
"Yes," Arthur replied. "Handling some urgent matters here. What's going on on your end?"
"Dr. Selvig has been rescued. I'm in London now," Natasha said. "What's the next step?"
"Did you skip work again?" Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "I bet a certain one-eyed boss isn't too happy about that."
"His expression never changes; it's always grim," Natasha replied. "I need your instructions."
"Let me think. Dr. Selvig has been working on a theoretical device, something designed to map spatial anomalies. We need to get it built." Arthur said. "Reach out to Jane's team and her intern. They should be able to help Selvig put it together."
"Understood."
The communication ended quickly, and Arthur looked at his wristband in confusion.
He had faith in Tony Stark's tech, but even he doubted that Tony had managed to build a communicator capable of reaching Asgard.
If this was happening now, there was only one possible explanation.
"The Nine Realms Convergence!"
Arthur and Frigga spoke at the same time.
A look of concern crossed Frigga's face.
Arthur thought for a moment and then called Lily.
"Not busy?"
Lily answered, sounding surprised. "I figured I shouldn't disturb you when you're working."
"Fair assumption," Arthur said with a chuckle. "Listen, I need to discuss something with you. I'm arranging for a guest to appear in my room later. She'll be staying at our place for a few days."
"A woman?"
"An elder."
"...Alright." Lily agreed immediately, then giggled.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
"W-e, our family," Lily said slowly before happily adding, "When are you coming back?"
Arthur suddenly felt like the protagonist in a romance drama, his heart softening at those three simple words.
To be honest, he used to think such moments were ridiculous.
But now that he was experiencing it, he didn't find it ridiculous at all. In fact, he felt oddly happy.
"I still have work to do, but it won't take long," he reassured her.
"Okay," Lily nodded. "I've already thought about it..."
"Thought about what?" Arthur asked.
"...Let's talk about it when you get back. I shouldn't take up too much of your time right now. But once you're home, your time is all mine."
Arthur found every word she said sweet, so much so that he barely noticed when the call ended.
Frigga looked at Arthur and sighed softly. "I suddenly feel Odin may have underestimated the situation."
"You still have options," Arthur said. "Or we move forward with my plan for Loki."
"Loki?"
Frigga was taken aback but then smiled. "Alright, I'll cooperate with you."
As she finished speaking, she waved her hand, and another version of herself appeared beside her.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 70 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395