Destroy Jotunheim?
Thor and Loki looked at each other, both with expressions of shock and lingering fear.
It dawned on them that they had just narrowly escaped death.
If Lucas had destroyed Jotunheim, they probably wouldn't have survived either. The tearing of a world core would create a massive explosion, and they didn't have the ability to quickly escape Jotunheim.
"But he didn't do that."
Odin continued, "Killing is merely a means, not an end. Meaningless slaughter cannot bring peace."
"Thor, my son, you must remember. As a king, you must possess strength, but you must also know how to wield it."
After lecturing Thor, Odin's gaze turned to Loki, his eyes complex.
Loki noticed Odin's gaze and met his eyes.
At this moment, the father and son's gazes were obscure and hard to decipher.
"Go now, my children. There will be a triumphant celebration later, don't forget to attend."
Triumphant celebration?
Thor's eyebrows raised, and the corners of his lips turned up, as if he was about to smile.
Loki discreetly elbowed Thor.
Thor looked at Loki innocently, as if to say, 'Brother, what are you doing?'
Loki, helpless, had no choice but to explain, "It's not for us, it's for sorcerer Lucas."
Odin glared at his simple-minded son, then nodded, indicating that Loki was correct.
For Thor, Loki, and the others, the trip to Jotunheim was a complete failure. If not for Lucas, it would likely have required Odin to personally intervene to save them.
But even so, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim would not have let it go, and a major war would have been unavoidable. At that time, the peace between the two realms would have been shattered, and innocent lives would have faced the terror and devastation of war.
It was Lucas who single-handedly turned the tide of the battle and forced Laufey to submit, preserving peace between the two realms.
This triumphant celebration was, without a doubt, held for Lucas.
Thor and Loki merely rode on his coattails, their failure was omitted from the public narrative.
"Let's go, brother. Let's go back and freshen up."
Loki led the way, departing first, with Thor following.
Watching Thor's receding back, Odin let out a long sigh.
Kamar-Taj, Sorcerer Lucas.
He is indeed reliable and acts when needed.
As for his character, Mjolnir has certified it.
However, having something belonging to others is never as good as having it yourself.
He hoped that Thor, after this experience, would broaden his horizons and make some progress.
"Come out, Loki."
"Father."
The air twisted, and Loki's figure appeared.
The one who had just led Thor away was, in fact, merely an illusion he had created.
The two stared at each other for a long time and the air seemed to be frozen by ice.
Finally, Loki spoke first, "Am I cursed?"
"No."
Loki looked directly at Odin, questioning, "What exactly am I?"
"You are my son."
Loki held out his palm, gazed at it for a moment, and continued, "I touched a Frost Giant in Jotunheim. After that, my hand became like theirs. The casket of ancient winters wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"
Odin hesitated for a long time before finally answering, "That's right. After the battle, I entered the temple and found an infant, a young Frost Giant. Abandoned, suffering, left to fend for himself. He was Laufey's son."
Loki asked, "Laufey's son?"
"That's right." Odin's voice was low, and he seemed to have more to say.
Loki's expression changed, and he asked in disbelief, "Why? You killed countless Frost Giants, why did you take me?"
Odim said, "You were just an innocent child."
Loki walked towards Odin, pressing closer. "No, you had another purpose for taking me. What was it?"
Odin was silent.
"Tell me!"
"I hoped that one day, the two races could unite and form an alliance, bringing permanent peace through you."
Loki's expression gradually crumbled, losing control. "What?"
Odin's voice carried a hint of guilt as he explained, "But all of that is irrelevant now."
Loki's voice was tearful, his world seemed to be collapsing. "So, I'm just another stolen souvenir? Trapped here, waiting to be used one day."
Odin questioned back, though his tone was not forceful. "Why do you twist my words?"
Loki roared, "You could have told me who I was from the beginning! Why didn't you?"
Odin explained, "You are my son. I just wanted to protect you from being hurt by the truth."
Loki's expression twisted, and he said menacingly, "What? Because I'm the monster parents use to scare their children before bedtime?"
"That's not it."
Loki ignored Odin's denial, his emotions erupting. "Now everything makes sense. Why you always favored Thor for so many years. No matter how much you claimed to love me, you would never let a Frost Giant sit on Asgard's throne."
Under Loki's relentless questioning, Odin stumbled and fell to the ground.
At this moment, he was no longer the invincible All-Father but a father. A father who had made a mistake and was being questioned by his son.
Seeing Odin fall to the ground, Loki panicked and instinctively reached out to help him.
"I abandoned my previous plans long ago, Loki. All these years, I have treated you as my true son." Odin seized the opportunity to grasp Loki's hand, gently comforting him in his ear.
"Perhaps, sometimes I may have been a little biased, but please do not doubt my love for you. Everything I have done has been for my two sons."
The two were silent.
Odin admitted his favoritism.
But this favoritism did not stem from the different identities of his two sons, but from an ancient prejudice within Asgard.
Asgardians desired their royal members to be warriors embodying strength, courage, pride, and confidence, much like Thor.
In contrast, Loki was a sorcerer, inclined towards control and illusion-making.
Asgardians viewed sorcerers as outcasts and did not trust them.
As a prince, being a sorcerer was a disadvantage. And Loki had realized this.
"So, my childhood had to be spent in competitions I could never win. You would only test Thor and my strength, speed, and endurance, but never our intelligence and magic."
Odin was silent.
The subtle prejudice of Asgardians, who favored warriors and disdained sorcerers, had influenced him.
It wasn't until five hundred years ago, with the emergence of the Ancient One from Kamar-Taj on Midgard, that his prejudice against sorcerers began to dissipate.
But... it was too late.
In fact, it wasn't just Odin.
Aside from Frigga, almost all other Asgardians held prejudices against Loki.
This included Thor, Thor's comrades, The Warriors Three, Sif, and Heimdall, the Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge.
And the child who made Lucas demonstrate his magic like a magic show.
However, from today onwards, Asgardians would no longer harbor prejudice against sorcerers.
Because Lucas had arrived.