Clockwork Bride

Page 327

By the end of the meal, Hayden had stuffed himself with enough roasted meat, bread, and soup for ten people. But the Assa people didn't think he was a glutton; on the contrary, they were very happy! What a strange culture!

Meanwhile, Thor and Hayden drank one glass each, maintaining a close balance. In just one meal, they had each consumed over sixty glasses.

Hayden cheated; his drinking capacity was practically limitless, and with Angela by his side, even his blue bar seemed endless. He could drink as much as someone brought him a bottle. But Thor's drinking was purely skillful; he drank sixty large glasses without batting an eye, remaining completely calm and composed—truly terrifying.

In the midst of their feast, Thor suddenly spoke up: "Loki, what brings you to this harsh, northern land? If you'd like to move here, you're absolutely welcome!"

Hayden couldn't tell the whole truth, but he didn't want to lie outright either, so he replied, "I travel all over the world looking for ways to defeat those evil god rulers."

That's all the truth.

"Oh." Thor nodded knowingly. "I've also heard that there's a human magician organization in Panfilia that wants to unite human resistance forces from various places. Are you from there, my friend?"

This Hammer God, although he looks bold, dashing and silly, is actually quite cunning.

"No."

Panfilia is the ancient name for a part of ancient Turkey. Hayden wasn't familiar with the area, but he vaguely noticed that it was very close to the place of origin of Mithra.

Could it be that Mithra is approaching this way? Mithra from four hundred years ago?

Now, Hayden's mindset was somewhat complicated. His goal was to defeat Mitra, but fundamentally, his true goal was to save the world. So what was the method? His original plan was to find Angela's true name and use the power of the Outer Gods to defeat Mitra. But now, back four hundred years in the past, wielding the world's greatest power, Hayden was somewhat confused about what to do.

Saving the world, saving lives, creating a better world. It sounds easy, but how exactly do we do it?

He had been too busy and too hasty before, which led to some trouble in Japan. Now, with over four hundred years of history in his hands, there was no need to rush. Hayden, instead, calmed down and considered whether he should think more deeply and observe this era more closely.

“My friend Thor, I do wish to stay in your beautiful land for a while.” After some thought, Hayden said, “Would it be possible for my wife and me to reside in your country?”

Angela stood to the side, striking a docile pose.

"Of course! You can stay as long as you want!" Thor, who had just downed more than sixty cups of wine, laughed heartily. "Loki, my friend, we hit it off immediately. How about we swear a blood oath and become sworn brothers?"

Ahhhh?

406: Exploring the future

Social relations in feudal times were largely based on blood ties.

The divine nobility established their upper social classes through blood ties and marriage alliances. Between divine races, communities were formed based on the closeness of blood relations, with the immortal ancestral gods protecting and controlling their members. Although internal turmoil and conflict occasionally occurred within the divine race, its fundamental characteristic of being bound by blood ties remained unchanged.

The common people, the lower classes in feudal society, did not possess divine blood and were therefore considered inferior and weak, oppressed by the gods. However, like the gods, they also formed social organizations based on blood ties. Everyone was required to assume roles dictated by feudal traditions and family relationships.

However, the Assamese were a different group. They were essentially vagrants who had escaped feudal society, earning their living through hard work, not a society built on blood ties and geographical connections. For lowly and weak vagrants to fight against a feudal divine race, they couldn't rely solely on themselves; they had to organize. But they lacked any particularly advanced social consciousness, and their only means of organization was to imitate the models of feudal society.

Every Assamite, every nomad, is consciously equal and cannot imitate the patriarchal relationships of a feudal divine family. Therefore, they can only establish pseudo-brotherly relationships with each other, which are largely equal.

All those who pursue freedom are compatriots, brothers!

If they are willing to swear a blood oath and become blood brothers, then they are even more trustworthy!

In conclusion, all this is just to express one point:

Thor's sudden proposal to become sworn brothers with Hayden wasn't really surprising. Hayden wasn't his only sworn brother. Such pseudo-brotherly relationships were quite common among the Assassins!

The two exchanged ages. Thor looked to be in his early twenties, but was actually over forty; the great mage simply seemed to age more slowly, so he was naturally the elder brother. They immediately swore a blood oath, each dripping blood into their cups and drinking it together. Angela watched the spectacle from the sidelines, and then…

...Then their other brother arrived.

"Thor, what are you up to now?"

The speaker was an elderly man sitting in a chair deep in the hall.

He entered unnoticed, without even Hayden noticing, wearing a wrinkled grey cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, revealing only his right eye. He appeared to be about fifty years old. Something that looked like a staff rested on his right shoulder, but it was actually a spear with a handle carved from ash branches and engraved with many runes.

Upon first seeing him, Hayden immediately recognized his identity.

At the same time, Thor noticed the other party's arrival and immediately shouted happily, "Brother Odin! This is Loki, my newly sworn brother!"

Odin.

The greatest magician in Norse mythology, a great sage, a great military strategist, a great prophet, the founder of rune technology, a pioneer of arcane magic... In addition to these, he had many other titles and honors, because he was just that remarkable.

This is Odin.

Although Hayden was a man from over four hundred years in the future, he still couldn't help but tremble in Odin's presence. Odin's magical wisdom was what made him wary.

However, Thor and Odin interacted very casually. When he saw Odin coming over, he immediately opened his arms and went up to hug Odin.

He called Odin his elder brother because Thor and Odin were also sworn brothers. They were not actually related by blood, but they swore an oath by mixing their blood in a cup, becoming blood brothers who drank from the same cup of blood wine—this was the most revered way of swearing brotherhood among the Asgardians.

Odin and Thor embraced, then Odin turned to Hayden with his one eye and nodded meaningfully: "Welcome, Loki. You two have come from afar. Although our Asgard is simple, please rest well."

Hayden nodded in agreement: "Thank you, Mr. Odin. Please allow us to continue our visit."

He could tell that Odin didn't fully trust him, and Thor probably didn't either. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Hayden would have found it rather strange if they had truly trusted him.

Take your time. Anyway, going back more than four hundred years, Hayden really has no time pressure now.

This feeling was truly peculiar. It seemed like it had been a very long time... a very long time since he had experienced this feeling of not having to worry about time at all. Ever since [Fallen City], ever since Hayden made up his mind to defeat Mithra and change the world, he seemed to have been trapped in a sense of time pressure and fear. But now, finally, that was gone.

So perhaps Hayden should change his mindset as a result.

It must be because he is a foreigner, a person from the future, that he thinks the land of Asgard is not bad.

At the banquet, Hayden was warmly received by everyone. Everyone was kind—at least willing to accept them, with a culture of welcoming strangers and a simple sense of equality. They prepared a sumptuous meal and even lent them a place to stay; it was very heartwarming.

However, living here would be a completely different story. The land is freezing cold, the ground is hard, the waves are turbulent, and there's insufficient sunlight during the day. It's only thanks to the environmental transformation achieved by the "Great Project" that it has become habitable and fertile. Without the newly developed arcane magic, they probably wouldn't know how difficult it would be just to obtain their daily food.

The residents were all refugees who had fled from war, so they were rough and bloody, and they didn't hesitate to fight in the face of war. These words sound cool, but it wouldn't be comfortable to be their neighbor.

--However……

Hayden still thinks it's a good place.

I think they are very good people.

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About an hour later, in Odin's own house, Odin summoned Thor and asked, "What is your impression of this Loki friend?"

Odin has no palace, at least not yet. Valhalla and Gradius are things that were built later. Right now, Odin lives in brick houses just like his people.

What's my impression?

Thor laughed, continuing to drink the wine from his sworn brother's house as he spoke.

"What he said is probably true, though he likely has a lot more to say than what he actually said. But he claims to be a traveler, well-traveled and knowledgeable, so he's probably reliable. His magic is incredibly powerful; I've never seen anything like it before. His wife's metal body is also amazing. He's a heavy drinker. I've never seen anyone drink like that. And,"

He leisurely downed a glass of wine.

“I can tell that he genuinely likes this place. Unlike those spies and agents sent by the gods who look down on us ‘lowly people’... So I think he’s a decent person. At least we can get to know each other first.”

This was Thor's opinion of Hayden. Odin knew his sworn brother well; he always judged people and things based on first impressions, so he didn't try to change his mind. He simply said, "Then spend some time with him and see what he's really capable of."

"How do you plan to give it a try?"

"Whatever you want. You can arm wrestle with him if you want, or continue your drinking and eating contest if you want." Odin shook his head. "We don't know anything about our Loki friend yet. It's fine if you can discover what abilities he has."

"Row."

Thor didn't waste any time, took his wine glass, and went to carry out his orders.

However, after Thor left, Odin began to do something strange in the room.

Odin did not believe this "Loki" because he had a strong intuition. Odin also liked to live in anonymity, making up strange pseudonyms to deceive people and steal their magic and power. Of course, Odin asked himself and believed that he did all these things for the sake of his people.

However, he could sense a kind of kinship in this "Loki," a feeling of kindred spirits repelling each other.

That's why Odin was particularly worried.

He took twenty-four stones from his pocket and placed them on the long table. Each stone was engraved with a rune.

Then he drew a basin of well water and casually tossed the runestones into it—an incredible sight immediately followed.

First, the first rune surfaced from the water. It was a swastika, resembling a spear, and pronounced "Teyvaz." It meant battle, power, and—struggle. Odin's one eye saw many things in this rune, making him realize that his friend "Loki," whom he had met today, was also a true warrior, a man who fought against fate.

But that's not enough to explain everything Odin wanted to know.

Soon, a second rune rose from the water. That rune was [?], pronounced "Evaz." It represented the highly poisonous yew wood, making it a symbol of death and rebirth. It meant "death," but also "resurrection," implying that death was not the end of the story.

Odin half-closed his eyes in thought. He could indeed see the power of death and life in this "Loki." The runes of "Struggle" and "Life and Death" made Odin realize that this new friend must be a man who would fight against fate until his last breath.

Finally, the third and final rune rose from the water. That rune was [?], pronounced "Dagz." When this runestone floated up from the basin, it was like the sun slowly rising from the sea at dawn, surprising even Odin for a moment. This is because [?] is the most auspicious of the twenty-four runes, considered the luckiest. It is the dawn breaking through the darkness, it is the sunrise, and its meaning is—[Transcendence].

At the end of a lifetime of struggle, a new sun rising from the darkness of death will surpass something that was...

Odin stared at the three runes with his single eye, lost in thought.

It seems this "Loki" friend is quite an extraordinary guest.

Odin did not know the answer. Divination and prophecy are strange things, ambiguous and vague. There are no answers in them, only questions. This is true even for the wisest gods, for great magicians and prophets.

So how should we deal with this "Loki"?

407: A good-for-nothing

So the next morning, Thor came over and started making a scene at Hayden.

"We in Asgard welcome all guests and everyone to join us. But those who don't work don't eat; labor is the most honorable thing! Loki, you need to work too!"

Hayden naturally didn't mind the request and nodded, saying, "Sure. What do you need me to do? I know that there aren't enough archmages anywhere."

"That depends on your skills," Thor replied. "Asgard is a place where heroes gather. Here, whether it's craftsmanship, magic, or sheer strength, as long as you have a skill, you can earn wealth and status for yourself. Do you and your wife have any special abilities? I saw you blow the head off a frost giant yesterday; do you have any other skills?"

That's a long story. The variety of things Hayden hid in his trouser pockets far exceeded Thor's wildest imagination.

However, he couldn't really use too much futuristic technology to bully the ancients. Besides, Hayden worried that showing these ancient archmages too much futuristic technology might cause problems.

If it sparks their inspiration, who knows what they might create.

So Hayden changed his mind and simply patted his chest and said to Thor, "I have traveled the world, I know all kinds of magic, I am a great magician of all kinds!"

Then he pointed to Angela and said, "My wife is the world's most amazing healer. As long as she's not dead, she can heal any injury, and in an instant!"

Hayden wouldn't dare say he could "heal even the dead," after all, resurrecting the dead while in a state of time travel is something Hayden's "resurrection" technique is largely based on time manipulation, and he couldn't afford to gamble on what might happen when they were combined.

“Healer, that’s great!” Thor nodded, but still seemed a little dissatisfied. “However, the Transmutation spell isn’t very interesting. Are there any others? Like the spell you used to blast away the Frost Giant yesterday?”

After all, Thor is a straightforward hammer god; it seems that only direct power interests him.

However, Hayden couldn't pretend he hadn't heard this!

“I told you I can do everything, but you don’t seem to believe me.” He shrugged and said to Thor, “Then I’ll just have to show you what I’m really capable of!”

Thor, however, seemed to enjoy the spectacle and immediately laughed, "How can you let me witness it?"

"I want to compete with you!" Hayden clenched his fist. "But not that kind of clanging military magic from yesterday, and I don't plan to use it. I want to compete with you in other things—you name it! Eating, drinking, farming, healing, anything!"

This made Thor burst into laughter: "Brother Loki, you don't think that the dozens of drinks I had yesterday were my all-out effort, do you? I eat faster than I drink, and I can eat two sheep and two cows in one meal!"

Honestly, this shouldn't be something to be proud of, but Thor is clearly very proud. Perhaps it's a cultural difference?

Hayden slapped his thigh: "Then let's have a eating contest!"

So the two of them started having a eating contest.

Thor ordered from the longhouse himself, and then the waitresses brought over two enormous silver platters piled high with all sorts of roasted meats: roast goose, roast beef, roast pork, roast lamb, roast rabbit, and roast venison. Thor's culinary preferences were truly unimaginative.

Hayden and Thor settled down in front of their silver platters, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. A cook cheerfully banged on his pot, signaling the start of the match.

Thor started eating.

He started eating from the far end of the silver plate and ate rapidly from there! He could devour a roasted rabbit in three bites and a roasted goose in thirty seconds! His hands and mouth moved so fast that you could only see the shadows of their movements!

Eat, eat, eat, eat! In just ten minutes, Thor had already devoured two pigs, a cow, three sheep, and dozens of geese and rabbits. When he had eaten half of what was on his plate, he finally looked up to see how his new adopted brother was eating.

The sight before him finally left Thor speechless.

He saw Hayden pick up a roasted rabbit, stuff it directly into his mouth, and swallow it. He saw Hayden pick up a whole roasted lamb, stuff it into his mouth in one gulp, and swallow it. Bones, meat, skin—he didn't care; he swallowed it all without even chewing.

Even if Thor could eat a lot, he couldn't possibly chew up and swallow the cow bones... Perhaps it's not impossible, but normally he wouldn't even think of doing it, let alone actually eat it.

And an even more horrifying sight followed. Perhaps finding eating bite by bite too slow, Hayden stood up, grabbed the enormous silver plate, and shoved the entire plate and everything on it into his mouth in one gulp. After swallowing it, he let out a burp and spat out a burst of golden sparks.

Hayden wasn't cheating this time; he didn't even waste any food. The golden sparks also made Thor's eyes widen. Because those were alchemical flames.

Both alchemy and Eastern alchemy involve using one's own body as a furnace, or rather, as a "furnace." Hayden simply did it in a more...modern way. He swallowed the flesh, bones, and even the silver plates, and then used alchemical fire to forge them into a whole.

In this era, this is something only he could do. Absolutely unique technology.

However, at the same time, even Hayden did not expect that Thor actually understood a little bit of it.

Before becoming a great sorcerer and a warrior, Thor was actually a rather skilled blacksmith. In his birthplace, and in this land of Asgard, many men were blacksmiths. In this volcanic north, excellent iron ore was plentiful. They would use the cold winds blowing through the canyons to fan the furnace fires, forging heated swords and blades into steel by inserting them into the ice and snow.