"If he were really a friend, he wouldn't sneak in during the dead of night to see me."
William handed the slightly faded Casket of Ancient Winters back to Odin with a smile. "Relax, I've got no intention of getting involved in your family's drama. Otherwise, I wouldn't have deliberately made noise to alert everyone. As for who you choose as your heir—that's your business.
All I want from Asgard is stability. Only if you stand strong at the front will Earth be safe from interstellar threats."
That was what he said—but in truth, William knew full well that this guest room might contain monitoring devices beyond his detection.
Knowing what was likely going through Odin's mind, William naturally chose to say exactly what the old man wanted to hear.
Rather than bet on the "two problem children," Thor and Loki, it was much safer to stand with Odin—even if he was nearing the end of his life, he still held Asgard in an iron grip.
At least until Odin died, William would gain far more by siding with him than from both Thor and Loki combined.
And let's not forget—even if Thor was easier to manipulate, when had he ever shared Asgardian gear with the Avengers? Not once. Heck, he'd never even thought of it.
"Thank you," Odin said warmly. He didn't mind that William was using Asgard as a shield—he was actually pleased. He waved for breakfast to be brought in so they could eat together.
After a relaxing meal and over half an hour of casual conversation, Odin finally asked, a bit hesitantly, "Do you know of the fire giant Surtur?"
"Of course," William nodded. "The one said to bring about Ragnarok. What, are you planning to take him out?"
His eyes lit up. "If the pay's good, I could handle it for you."
"No need." Odin laughed heartily and shook his head. "For Asgard, keeping Surtur alive is actually better than killing him. Besides, he's an elemental giant—you can't truly kill him."
William understood. Of course he did. As long as Surtur stayed in Muspelheim, the realm of fire, he couldn't fuse with the Eternal Flame.
"So… what if I banished him to another dimension?"
Still eyeing the Casket, William continued tempting Odin, "Say, if I kicked him into Hell, someone of his level would have a much harder time returning to the material plane."
"You have access to Hell?" Odin frowned, not with interest—but with alarm. He leaned forward and warned in a low voice, "William, I've lived a very long time. Allow me to offer you some advice."
"Of course." William nodded in surprise.
"No matter how powerful you are, even if you could destroy Hell itself—don't deal with those ancient monsters. Because in the end, there's only one outcome:
Eventually, you'll become one of them."
"…Huh." William blinked. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "So there's no one who can resist the temptations of demons?"
"There are—of course there are." Odin let out a booming laugh. "But the real question is—are you one of them?"
"Ah… haha…" William scratched his chin, trying to mask his awkwardness.
Truthfully, he knew himself well. Sure, he looked powerful, but when it came to self-control, he wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue.
He might resist once. Maybe even twice. But forever? Not a chance.
Let's be honest: if someone offered to make him Lord of Hell, he'd hesitate. He'd get curious.
And curiosity is where it always starts. The moment you take that first step, your heart's already cracked open.
"Thank you," William said sincerely, giving Odin a respectful nod. But deep inside, he couldn't help wondering—was this warning truly for his sake? Or was Odin just afraid that if William gained control over Surtur,
it'd be like handing the most dangerous weapon against Asgard directly into his hands?
That thought stuck in his mind and wouldn't leave.
And then he realized—was Odin bringing up Surtur just to stop him from getting near the Eternal Flame?
Sure enough, a moment later, Odin said, "The Eternal Flame's nature is… unique. I worry that if your armor absorbs it, it might gain sentience.
So, if it's just flame power you want, I can take you to the land of the dwarves.
You could absorb the heat of a star there—and while we're at it, maybe see about upgrading Merlin's staff."
"But what I want is to try fusing with the Eternal Flame," William replied with a grin. "And don't forget—you promised me that a few days ago. If you want to renegotiate terms, then maybe…"
He waved a hand, and the Casket of Ancient Winters flew onto the table.
With a wide smile, William said, "You've had this treasure for a thousand years. Did it never occur to you to forge it into a weapon? Like, say… an Ice Hammer, like Mjölnir?"
"A weapon? It already is the ultimate weapon."
Odin placed his hand on the Casket and sighed, already knowing what William was thinking.
"When I first acquired it, I did consider turning it into a weapon.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized—it only brings winter, only brings death. What more would reforging it really add?
Even if you made it into a weapon, it wouldn't increase its power. So why waste the effort? Better to leave it in the vault, preserving its strength, and use it as a symbol of Asgard's greatness."
Greatness? Yeah right. More like a constant reminder to the Frost Giants of their humiliation.
And let's not forget—Surtur's greatest weakness is frost magic. If they had the Casket, couldn't they just freeze all of Muspelheim?
Or was the Casket not as powerful as it seemed?
Was Odin worried that using up its energy would reduce it to nothing—and trigger an all-out war with the Frost Giants?
"What a shame," William said with exaggerated regret. "I was really hoping the Casket would rival a planetary core. In that case, an Ice Hammer made from it wouldn't be any weaker than Mjölnir—and I happen to be in the market for a new melee weapon."
Then he gave Odin a long, hopeful look. "How about this—why don't you forge it into a weapon first? If I help you take down the Dark Elves, you give it to me afterward."
Odin burst out laughing. "Are you a warrior or a mage?"
"Uh…" William hesitated.
Wearing the Sentinel Armor gave him strength and durability on par with Captain Marvel. If he picked up a hammer, he'd be no worse than Thor.
But since the creation of the Sentinel Armor, he'd never revealed its full potential. Even his flight speed was deliberately limited—he'd never shown his true capability of 100 kilometers per second.
It was all part of the plan: let enemies think he was a squishy mage, bait them into getting close—only for them to find out they couldn't even scratch him. And one wrong move? Boom—sent flying with a single punch.
"I'm a mage, of course," William replied seriously. "But this Ice Hammer—don't think of it as a hammer. It's a magic weapon.
In my hands, I guarantee it'll perform better than if any warrior wielded it."
Odin looked skeptical. He instinctively felt like William was bluffing. After all, why a hammer of all things? Why not a staff or a sword? Something more... mage-like?
His gut told him—William wasn't being entirely honest.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.