NABC Chapter 60 The Test of Fairness (Bonus Chapter 1 for National Day)
Chapter 60 The Test of Fairness (Bonus Chapter 1 for National Day)
Odin still rejected Frigga's proposal.
"No, as king, I must distinguish between state affairs and family affairs."
"Now that Thor has been chosen as his successor, he should not be changed arbitrarily until he makes a serious mistake."
Even if it's just for show.
After a moment of contemplation, Odin added:
"However, I should indeed give Loki a chance to prove himself."
"What opportunity? Have you made any plans?" Frigga asked.
At that moment, Odin remembered what Loki had told him.
'My childhood will be spent in matches I have no chance of winning. You'll only test Thor and me's strength, speed, and endurance, not our intelligence or magic.'
'This time, let the rules favor Loki.'
“I intend to send the two brothers as envoys to Kamar-Taj to strengthen the alliance between Asgard and Kamar-Taj.”
Odin solemnly revealed his plan.
As Russell demonstrated his combat prowess, Kamar-Taj became increasingly important to him.
As evening approached, the celebration began.
The Asgardian royal family has also officially announced the theme of the celebration.
— Celebrating the reconciliation between Asgard and Jotunheim.
The deeds of Russell, Thor, Loki, and others in Jotunheim were also publicized after being romanticized.
Asgard erupted in excitement.
When news of Russell's crushing defeat of Laufey, the Frost Giant King, spread like wildfire, and the Asgardian royal family made no comment.
The Asgardians guessed that the news was most likely true.
Unbeknownst to them, their prince, the future monarch Thor.
He led his squad alone in a great battle against the Frost Giants in Jotunheim and emerged victorious.
The greatest contributor was most likely Bertrand Russell.
But the news released by the royal family still left them in disbelief.
They initially thought there was some exaggeration about Russell's record, but to their surprise, it turned out to be completely true.
It's even more terrifying than the version many people know.
Well, there are two main versions of Russell's story.
One of the Warriors Three, Fandral, uttered this while playing among the flowers;
One of them is from Bertrand Russell himself, who said it while playing the role of a bard.
The second version is more authentic and accurate.
"Russell!"
"Russell!"
"Russell!"
When Russell and Loki entered the arena together, waves of cheers erupted.
Two days ago, Russell was merely a royal guest in the eyes of the Asgardians;
Two days later, Russell had become a hero in the eyes of the Asgardians.
Even though he wasn't an Asgardian.
Russell glanced at Loki beside him out of the corner of his eye. Loki's face showed undisguised envy, jealousy, and... disappointment.
Russell gained the Asgardians' approval in just two days, something he had sought for a thousand years without success.
To be precise, it was achieved with just one resounding victory against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim.
At this moment, Loki was suddenly overcome with a desire for war.
He also intends to utterly defeat the Frost Giants! Even more so, to kill the Frost Giant King Laufey.
Loki's emotions were so intense that Russell, who wasn't specifically using his telepathic abilities, could hear them clearly.
'That won't do. A monk's state of mind is also very important for his practice.'
Otherwise, one's mind will be eroded by energy from another dimension and distorted.
One wrong move, and you might even become a servant of a dimensional demon.
'If Loki doesn't resolve his inner conflicts, he'll find it difficult to become a powerful and consistent mage.'
Although he was worried, Russell didn't have a good solution.
A mental illness requires a mental cure.
"Thor!"
"Thor!"
"Thor!"
Just then, cheers came from another direction.
Russell looked over and saw Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three of Asgard.
Loki looked over as well, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant.
The Asgardians cheered for Russell, and although he was envious, he could understand it.
After all, it was Russell who single-handedly turned the tide of the battle.
But Thor?
Why!
He was nothing but a reckless and impulsive man who nearly caused the deaths of everyone at Jotunheim.
Seeing Loki's expression, Russell inwardly groaned.
He believed Loki had the potential to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and that Loki had a significant advantage over Wanda, Tony, Stephen, and others.
Long lifespan, live a long time.
But now it seems that his character flaws are too great.
"I just want to find a successor in advance so that there's a seamless transition when I'm no longer in charge. Why is it so difficult?"
"Let's go, Loki. Go say hello to Thor and the others."
These words should have been said by Loki to Russell, but Loki's mindset was not very stable at the moment, so Russell had to say them.
Thor and the others also walked towards Russell and Loki.
Seeing Russell and Locke together, a strange light flashed in Sif's eyes.
The group met and greeted each other.
"Little brother, why are you with Russell? Are you discussing magic?"
Before Loki could answer, Thor continued.
"Let's go have a drink. It's a celebration, let's have some fun."
With that, Thor flashed his signature smile and gestured for Loki and Russell to go aside and have a drink.
It must be said that in terms of approachability...
Thor, the sunny and cheerful young man, completely outshines the melancholic and gloomy little prince Loki.
Although they had only known each other for a few days, both of them made a deep impression on Russell.
Coincidentally, the impressions were almost completely opposite.
Like movement and stillness, extroversion and introversion.
Russell recalled a proverb from his hometown.
Oranges born in Huainan are oranges, while those born in Huaibei are oranges.
Perhaps, Loki's problem could be solved by changing his environment.
“No, this time we’ll have tea,” Russell said.
Mead is good, but one indulgence is enough.
Russell had no interest in wiping out Asgard again.
......
The camera returns to Earth, to New York.
Having just finished training, Eileen, catching her breath, asked Matt:
"Matt, how's the investigation into the Hand going? You've seemed distracted during training these past few days."
Matt shook his head and said in a deep voice:
"It's not going too smoothly. We've pretty much figured out their influence and protectors in New York."
However, some of their influence is in Japan, and I couldn't find any information about that area.
"The information is incomplete, and the NYPD and FBI are unable to take action against their influence in Japan."
Eileen then asked, "So, Matt, what are you planning to do?"
Matt replied, "I plan to go there myself and uncover the Hand's influence in Japan."
"Won't this be dangerous?" Eileen asked worriedly.
They knew nothing about the Hand Society's situation in Japan, and Matt was plunging in headfirst, which could very well result in him suffering a crushing defeat.
“Don’t worry, I have this.” Matt raised his hand.
He held a pager that Russell had personally manufactured, one that could not be remotely controlled to explode.
“If I encounter danger, I can call Russell.”
Matt is quite confident in his skills, as long as he's not comparing himself to Russell.
He didn't believe that anyone in the group could defeat him instantly and prevent him from pressing the pager.