"A one-time job or full-time protection?"
Rod wasn't surprised.
"What's the difference?"
"A one-time job means I help you solve a single problem. Full-time means I deal with every bit of trouble that comes your way during that period. Other than that, the difference is in the price. A one-time job is something most people can afford, but full-time employment... well..."
Rod gave Odin a look.
Compared to the Maou, Azazel, Gabriel, and the others, Odin was dressed rather plainly.
And earlier, he had already hinted that the finances of the Norse pantheon were tight, to the point that barely anyone even wanted to enter Valhalla anymore, and the Valkyrie roster kept shrinking.
Even though he was a chief god, Rod really was a little worried that Odin might not be able to pay.
Hearing that, Odin stroked his chin and laughed.
"Kid, no matter how bad things are for the Norse pantheon, we're not so poor that we can't even afford to hire one person."
"That's good to hear. To be honest, I've admired Asgard for a long time... especially its treasury. I hear it holds all kinds of rare and priceless treasures."
A yearning look appeared on Rod's face.
"Naturally. I've lived for quite a few years, after all. I've managed to build up some savings."
Flattered by Rod's praise, Odin smiled faintly.
"Great. Then let me ask you, do you have the Tesseract in your treasury?"
"The Tesseract? What's that?"
"Oh, a dimensional gateway. There's also a Space Stone sealed inside it."
"I have no such thing."
"Then what about the Infinity Gauntlet?"
"Uh... what is that supposed to be?"
"A glove forged by the dwarves to contain the six Infinity Stones. It's said that gathering all the Infinity Stones grants you infinite power and lets you rule the universe."
At that point, Odin started to wonder if his ears were failing him.
Since when did his treasury contain something as absurdly overpowered as Infinity Stones?
If he had that sort of thing, would he still need to painstakingly negotiate with the Three Factions in search of a way to preserve his mythology?
He'd just put on the Infinity Gauntlet, and the whole world... no, the whole universe would be kneeling before him, wouldn't it?
"All right then, the Destroyer armor, at least? That one's not as ridiculous as the Infinity Gauntlet, but wiping out a world with it should still be easy."
By now, Odin was starting to doubt his life choices. He turned to Rossweisse with a blank look and asked, "Say... do I have anything like that in my vault?"
Rossweisse innocently shook her head.
How would she know what was hidden away in a chief god's treasury?
In the end, made so uncertain by Rod's questions that he started doubting himself, Odin obediently chose the one-time job option.
At the same time, Rod received a freshly triggered mission from the system.
[Mission: Twilight of the Gods]
[Objective: "Defeat Loki and Fenrir, and ensure Odin's safety."]
[Reward: Odin and Rossweisse Favorability +30, Random Reward x2]
Rossweisse left with the still somewhat shaken Odin.
Gabriel, meanwhile, watched the elevator they departed in and sighed softly. "The Norse pantheon really is having a hard time. Odin not only came here personally to negotiate with us, he also has to guard against interference from his own side."
"Rod, taking on a mission like that so casually really isn't a good habit."
Rod knew Gabriel was worried about him.
The Norse pantheon was fundamentally different from other mythological systems.
After all, Norse mythology was practically the only one that explicitly recorded that the gods were destined to fall and that the age of darkness would inevitably arrive.
While the dark age would eventually pass and usher in a new era of development, under the current circumstances, the moment that dark age came, other factions would undoubtedly rush in and devour the Norse pantheon piece by piece.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Rod smiled lightly.
People could lie, but the system would not, would it?
His opponents this time were Loki and Fenrir, and those two were practically the main culprits behind Ragnarok in the myths, so Rod had no worries at all.
Besides, he was also curious just how strong a chief god or a Transcendent-class being really was in this world.
"Putting that aside, Gabriel, Asia will probably be thrilled to see you."
"Asia... yes, she's a good child. Heaven wronged her."
As she said that, guilt appeared on Gabriel's face.
A pitiful expression like that on Gabriel's face really tugged at the heartstrings, and Rod didn't know whether Asia would be excited or not, but he certainly was feeling something.
You're a Seraph, and yet you have such scandalously indecent assets. Forget being an angel, you should just become a succubus instead.
Before long, Rod brought Gabriel to meet the three girls, who were currently watching a movie in the VIP lounge.
When she saw Rod return, Lavinia gave him a slight nod. Kuroka, on the other hand, didn't even look back, her eyes glued to the screen. The movie had reached its most important part, so she couldn't care less about anything else.
Asia's attention shifted away from the screen. She had been about to greet Rod, but the instant she turned around, the scene before her became something eternal in her memory.
Brilliant golden hair, dazzling like sunlight, cascaded softly over elegant shoulders. Her skin was as white as snow, radiating a faint holy glow, and every inch of her carried an innate sacred presence, like purity itself made flesh.
As a nun, Asia recognized Gabriel's identity at a glance. It was just that the emotions surging inside her made her afraid to believe it at first.
She froze in place, completely at a loss for what to do.
"Asia-san, you've worked hard during this time."
That was the first thing Gabriel said.
Only then did Asia come back to herself, springing to her feet in flustered panic.
Gabriel walked over, bent down, and gently took both of her hands into her own. Guilt shone on her beautiful, delicate face.
"Seeing that you're doing so well now puts my heart somewhat at ease."
"It was I who decided that you should be expelled from the Church in the past. The Sacred Gear you carried interfered with the system's normal workings, so in the end, we had no choice but to ask you to leave the Church."
"Even so, that was still our fault. I heard from Mr. Rod that you were here, so I came over at once."
"No, um, I... I..."
After hearing Gabriel explain everything and then being pulled into the Seraph's embrace, Asia could feel the overflowing holy aura and the soft warmth surrounding her. Her mind simply shut down on the spot.
For a believer, being fortunate enough to witness the descent of an angel even once in their life was already an immense blessing.
Let alone meeting a Seraph, the highest rank of all.
"I'm sorry, Asia-san."
"..."
Rod sat to the side, inwardly a little jealous.
By all rights, his relationship with Gabriel ought to have been better, shouldn't it? So why hadn't she hugged him when they met before?
This was definitely gender discrimination.
Still, from this angle, Gabriel's curves really were flawless in every respect.
Just as Rod's thoughts began drifting, he suddenly felt two piercing gazes from the side.
Xenovia and Irina were both glaring at him with wide eyes.
"I think I just felt a distinctly watchful stare."
Rod was speechless.
Did you two become angels, or did you become guard dogs?
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