After a few cups of mead, Loki seemed to forget the unpleasantness from earlier and started competing with Thor in a drinking contest. Ultimately, it was just some sibling squabbles, not deep-seated hatred.
Lucas started playing cards with The Warriors Three.
Sif, meanwhile, performed a sword dance to entertain everyone.
Happy times always pass quickly.
At some point, Odin, Frigga, and the Ancient One arrived.
Seeing the Ancient One's smiling face, Lucas knew she must have received some benefit from Odin.
Lucas, Thor, Loki, Sif, and The Warriors Three successively greeted the three elders. Although, strictly speaking by age, the Ancient One was not their elder.
Odin, Frigga, and the Ancient One responded to everyone in their own ways.
"Sorcerer Lucas, my son was trapped in Jotunheim this time, thank you for your rescue."
Although Frigga had already thanked Lucas, as the King of Asgard, Odin still mentioned it again, maintaining courtesy.
"All-Father is too kind. Kamar-Taj and Asgard have watched out for each other for many years, jointly guarding the peace of the Nine Realms' real world and the mystic side. Lending a hand is only right."
Lucas also repeated the polite words.
After the formalities, Odin got straight to the point, "Sorcerer Lucas, your display of power in Jotunheim this time showed the true demeanor of a sorcerer."
"I plan to send Thor and Loki to Kamar-Taj to study and learn some magic knowledge. This matter has already been discussed with the Ancient One, I wonder what you think?"
"My opinion?" Lucas was surprised, looking at the Ancient One.
He is not yet the Sorcerer Supreme, couldn't the Ancient One just decide such a matter herself?
The Ancient One explained, "Lucas, you are the future Sorcerer Supreme, so you naturally have the right to discuss this matter."
"Additionally, what do Prince Thor and Prince Loki think? Your opinions are also very important."
Odin could ignore Thor and Loki's opinions because he is their father and is used to making decisions for his sons.
But the Ancient One is an outsider, so she naturally cannot ignore Thor and Loki's opinions.
After hearing the Ancient One's explanation, Lucas immediately nodded. "I have no objection."
Loki followed closely, nodding in agreement. "I also have no objection."
Lucas and Loki had already discussed it, inviting Loki to stay at Kamar-Taj for a period. Now that the opportunity presented itself, they naturally had no objections.
Thor watched Lucas and Loki nod in agreement in unison, a little dumbfounded for a moment.
'Loki, whose brother are you really?'
After a moment of stunned silence, he also nodded in agreement.
"Hmm." Odin nodded with satisfaction.
With the next generation getting along harmoniously, the relationship between Asgard and Kamar-Taj would be guaranteed in the future.
Moreover, he had heard a secret about Lucas from the Ancient One.
Lucas is not a Midgardian, his lifespan is even longer than that of an Asgardian. This way, the stability of their alliance would not be a concern.
"Furthermore, to ensure that Thor and Loki study diligently, I have also entrusted the Ancient One to act as a judge to assess and score your learning progress."
Upon hearing Odin's words, Loki's expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head to stare intently at Odin. He seemed to want to get confirmation from Odin again.
Odin slowly nodded in response to Loki's gaze.
Loki's expression kept changing.
From childhood, he had always been compared to Thor in areas where Thor excelled. Now, his father had actually given him an opportunity to compete with Thor in an area where he himself excelled. For a moment, Loki's mind was in turmoil, unable to compose himself.
Frigga stepped forward and patted Loki's shoulder, feigning encouragement but actually comforting him, "You must practice hard at Kamar-Taj."
Win against Thor, prove yourself to your father.
However, the simple-minded Thor didn't think so much and didn't see any problem with the assessment.
Don't assume he's a bad student just because he's usually carefree and acts like a cheerful, outgoing boy.
On the contrary, as a Prince of Asgard, Thor, who was trained as an heir, is very knowledgeable.
In Avengers 3, he could even understand Groot's words.
It's just that normally, his 'super brain' would always tell him it's time to use his super strength.
For this, Lucas gave a thumbs up.
However, if that's the case, does it count as buy one get one free?
Lucas pondered the possibility of bringing Thor into the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
What? Thor is a warrior, not a sorcerer?
For the Sorcerer Supreme, being able to fight is enough, regardless of whether they are a warrior or a sorcerer.
After a moment of thought, Lucas gave up the idea of directly recruiting Thor into the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
When Odin's soul returns to Valhalla, Thor will become the King of Asgard. His primary identity will be King, no longer a warrior.
It's acceptable for him to occasionally support and help the Sorcerer Supreme Team's work. But to make him set aside Asgardian affairs, to permanently reside in Kamar-Taj to protect this world from extra-dimensional erosion, is out of the question.
However, it is possible to develop Thor into an external aide for the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
After discussing the important matters, Odin and the Ancient One departed. As elders, they naturally wouldn't mingle with their juniors at the drinking table.
Frigga, however, stayed behind, pulling Thor and Loki aside to instruct them on what to pay attention to after arriving at Kamar-Taj.
Although Thor and Loki were already over a thousand years old, in her eyes, they were still children. Yes, children over a thousand years old.
—
Earth, Japan.
Matt acted quickly. In the early morning of the second day after telling Erin about his plan to go to Japan for investigation, he boarded a plane to Japan.
The investigation process went unexpectedly smoothly for Matt.
On Japan, the Hand, as a community, openly conducted various commercial activities without any concealment. It seemed to be just an ordinary multinational business organization.
The results of the investigation, however, made Matt tremble with fear.
The Hand had actually been established for nearly five hundred years!
And the organization's top leadership had never changed.
After developing into an international organization in modern times, they separated their illicit businesses and named them Snakeroot.
Snakeroot is a notorious ninja assassin group in Japan. Their members are mostly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, disguise, escape, medicine, and demolition, among other skills.
They possess willpower, endurance, and combat power beyond ordinary people. They are spies and assassination experts, usually providing their professional services to warlords or wealthy individuals.
In fact, if Lucas hadn't directly revealed the name of the Hand, the clues Matt found would have ultimately pointed only to Snakeroot.
The Hand had completely distanced itself.
Snakeroot has several bases in Japan, Matt had already investigated several and planned to continue tonight.