Frigga left with her three children, leaving only Kurohane and Odin staring at each other in the great hall. This incredible mother loved her children with all her heart, even though they were over a thousand years old. In front of her, they were always just children. But the look she gave Kurohane as she left made him feel something strange. It wasn't a threat or murderous intent. Instead, it was like... a mother-in-law seeing her son-in-law?!
"Kurohane, Mage, our previous encounter was not entirely pleasant, but the fact that you were recognized by Mjolnir proves you are a righteous soul. Therefore, I apologize for my prior rudeness." Odin's voice boomed, yet within it lay a sincere note of regret. "Ancient One, the Mage, is the strongest on Midgard, and as her disciple, you can also represent her wishes. Therefore, regarding Loki's punishment, I would like to hear your opinion."
Odin's words truly caught Kurohane off guard!
Kurohane: (Kurohane could only blink, his brain working furiously to process Odin's words.) Seriously, is it appropriate for you, the Allfather of the Nine Realms, to speak to me so politely? And apologize to me?! How am I supposed to rant later?
However, Kurohane was no fool. The fact that Odin was speaking to him with such humility could only be for Loki, his rebellious adopted son who had clearly entered adolescence. Ah, how pitiful parents all over the world are!
"A life for a life, a debt for a debt."
Kurohane still didn't lower his guard. The words he uttered directly blocked any retort from Odin. He knew he was asking for trouble. His current actions were like a Han Dynasty envoy visiting a foreign country and demanding the king execute his own prince in front of him. If this wasn't asking for death, then what was?
To Kurohane's surprise, Odin wasn't angered. He merely smiled and said, "Hahahaha, I knew Ancient One, the Mage, wouldn't choose the wrong successor. No wonder you gained recognition from the Sacred Dimension! However, you know that the Odinsson family is not prosperous. Thor's personality is destined not to be a successful king. So Loki cannot die, but other punishments are acceptable. Whatever you propose, I will agree to it."
"I apologize, but I truly cannot represent those killed by Loki and forgive him. If you want Loki to live, then he must earn forgiveness from all the people of Earth!"
Kurohane insisted on his viewpoint. He didn't doubt the divinity within Loki. Someone who could transform himself into the God of Time to prevent damage to the timeline was clearly not an entirely evil person. However, he needed proper guidance now, otherwise, the destructive power of a naughty child was far more terrifying than that of an adult!
"Then, does that mean Loki must die?"
"Not necessarily. I believe Loki's true nature isn't bad, but your and Frigga's upbringing methods were problematic. I suggest you apply the same treatment to Loki as you did to Thor. Let him live as a mortal for a while. Only when he understands what a god's responsibilities are, gains forgiveness from the victims, and saves Earth from a crisis, will his atonement be complete. What do you think?"
Kurohane didn't want to completely fall out with Odin and also wanted to give Loki a chance. Of course, he also didn't mind if Loki turned evil again. Wouldn't free Justice Points be appealing?
Odin pondered for a moment and found Kurohane's suggestion quite good. Just like Thor, a boorish, arrogant, and savage individual, became much smarter after spending more than ten days on Earth. Perhaps Loki's awkward personality could also be corrected. In any case, there was no harm in trying. Quite good!
"Then, we shall do as you say. After tonight's family dinner, Loki will be banished to Midgard. He can only return to Asgard after he completes his transformation."
"Remember to change his face, otherwise, I'm afraid he'll be beaten to death as soon as he walks on the street!"
Kurohane also lowered his guard at this point, as Odin truly had no plans to attack him. Otherwise, he wouldn't humble himself to negotiate with him. With his strength, there was no need to be so humble.
After thinking for a moment, Kurohane took the Space Stone from the Infinity Gauntlet and directly threw it to Odin, as if it were something insignificant. Fortunately, Thanos wasn't there, otherwise, his mere gaze would have been enough to kill Kurohane!
"Take this to repair the Rainbow Bridge. You should have kept it properly, not just buried it somewhere on Earth! Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused so much trouble. After you repair the Rainbow Bridge, remember to return it to me. Asgard's treasure room cannot contain it, but the library at Kamar-Taj can."
Kurohane's reason for handing over the Space Stone was, of course, so he could borrow the Rainbow Bridge in the future. What's more, because the Rainbow Bridge was destroyed by that brute Thor, other territories in the Nine Realms also rebelled. Odin, the Allfather of the Nine Realms, was merely a name. Besides the small territory of Asgard, his control over other planets was almost zero. So, in a way, this showed how much Odin had failed as the King of the Nine Realms. Indeed, children understand their parents best. Hela was right in the movie, besides being a skilled and tyrannical conqueror, Odin didn't know how to govern a country well, so whether it was Hela or Thor, these two biological children inherited his personality perfectly. Only Loki maintained the purity of his bloodline. One was a brute, the other was also a brute!
Odin carefully put away the Space Stone after taking it, then stood from his throne. He slowly walked closer to Kurohane and meticulously examined him from head to toe! It was only after Kurohane felt shivers down his spine from being stared at by Odin's single eye that he finally spoke:
"Kurohane, Mage, to further strengthen the alliance between Asgard and Kamar-Taj, is there a possibility of a political marriage between the two sides?"
"You want to marry the Ancient One, Mage?!"
Kurohane: (Kurohane's face paled, his expression a mix of disbelief and shock, as if he had just heard the most preposterous joke in the universe.) You're not Star-Lord's philandering father, how dare you make such a request?! A toad seeks a toad, you're ugly but you play around!
He stared at Odin with a strange expression, an unprintable torrent of curses caught in his throat. He held his breath, almost suffering internal injuries!
Odin was also surprised by Kurohane's thought process. No one who hadn't suffered a brain embolism for ten years could say such a thing!
"I mean, the subject of the marriage is you, not Ancient One, the Mage!"
"Political marriages usually occur between crown princes. Have you ever seen a king marry a queen?!"
"You are Ancient One, the Mage's disciple, and can be considered Kamar-Taj's successor, so you qualify for a political marriage!"
"I absolutely would not like a female version of Loki! Don't even think about pushing Sylvie on me!"
"Not Sylvie, I'm talking about my eldest daughter, Hela!"
Kurohane said nothing, only opened a portal in the air!
"Goodbye!!!"