Chapter 186: Odin

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Odin

A few hours later, as the invitations began reaching the different pantheons, some immediately started discussing who their representatives would be, while others were more concerned with figuring out what the other major powers were actually planning. Within the Biblical Pantheon, however, several angels were facing a much more uncomfortable problem: figuring out who the hell was supposed to represent them now that Elohim was gone.

It wasn’t as though this was the first inter-pantheon meeting Elohim had failed to attend, but Michael knew perfectly well that he couldn’t keep using the same excuse forever—that his father had simply sent him as a representative or something along those lines. Eventually, the other pantheons would start suspecting that something had happened to Elohim, assuming some of them didn’t already know.

And while Michael racked his brain trying to figure out what to do, far to the north, within the territories of the Norse Pantheon, the All-Father himself sat upon his throne inside one of Asgard’s enormous halls, carefully considering what he would say next.

Beside him sat his wife Freya, watching silently as the old god explained his thoughts before several of the most important members of his family. Thor remained somewhat farther away, his enormous and heavy frame practically swallowing the seat beneath him. Baldur stood near one of the pillars, while Hela simply listened with her arms crossed and an expression that made it painfully obvious how much she wished she were anywhere else.

To Odin, the meeting was far too valuable an opportunity to waste. If so many pantheons were going to gather in one place, then the Norse needed to make their position within the supernatural world perfectly clear. He had no intention of sitting among the other deities as though they were all equals. Asgard needed to project strength, stability, and superiority.

Hela slowly exhaled through her nose after listening to the old man talk for several minutes. "Was that all, old man? You called me all the way here just to tell me this?" Without really waiting for an answer, the Goddess of Death turned on her heels and began walking toward the exit.

Baldur moved quickly and appeared in front of her before she could reach the doors. "A little respect for the All-Father wouldn’t hurt, don’t you think?"

Hela stopped and slowly looked Baldur up and down before fixing her green eyes directly on his. "Get out of my way, weakling."

Baldur didn’t move a muscle. Hela’s expression remained completely cold. "Or I can lock you in my realm again, and this time make sure you never find a way out."

The two deities stared directly into each other’s eyes for several seconds until Baldur finally stepped aside. He knew perfectly well that testing his luck against Hela was a terrible idea, and although he did so reluctantly, he moved out of her path.

Hela walked past him without so much as acknowledging the gesture. "Loser."

Baldur’s expression immediately twisted, but before he could respond, Odin’s voice carried across the hall once more. "Hela."

The goddess stopped dead in her tracks. "What a surprise," she said, rolling her eyes with her back still turned toward the old man. Of course the bastard had something else to say.

"I’m not finished with you," Odin continued. "I want you to accompany me to the meeting. You and Thor will come with me."

Hela turned on her heels, Odin’s words finally catching her full attention. One of her perfect eyebrows rose as she stared at the old god in obvious disbelief. "Seriously, old man? Why don’t you take Baldur or Heimdall with you?" Her gaze briefly shifted toward Freya before she continued. "Or better yet, take Brunhilde."

The Goddess of Love didn’t react in the slightest, remaining perfectly calm beneath the stoic gaze of the Goddess of Death.

Hela had never been a particularly impressionable woman, but she recognized strength when she saw it. Freya wasn’t merely Odin’s wife and the Goddess of Love, Beauty, War, and Fertility; she was also the strongest female deity within the Norse Pantheon. Even Hela acknowledged that, in terms of raw power, Freya stood above her. On top of that, she commanded the Valkyries and could go from a kindhearted woman to a ruthless warrior whenever the situation demanded it.

That, without question, was worthy of respect in Hela’s eyes. Which was precisely why Hela couldn’t understand why Odin needed her as a bodyguard.

Odin frowned slightly. "Do not question my decisions. You will come with me because that is what I have decided."

Hela held his gaze for several seconds while the old man refused to give even an inch. She wasn’t surprised. Everything involving Odin could ultimately be reduced to a single word.

Control.

Hela knew the old man far too well not to recognize it. He could disguise it as strategy, responsibility, protecting Asgard, or whatever other excuse happened to suit him, but in the end, Odin needed to feel that everything remained under his control—people, realms, decisions, even his own fate.

Her gaze briefly shifted toward Thor, expecting the god to say something, but nothing happened. The enormous God of Thunder simply drank from a mug, a dark expression resting across his face.

He looked as though he wasn’t even truly present at the meeting, and Hela honestly couldn’t blame him. Ever since Astrid and Soren had disappeared, the God of Thunder had only gotten worse.

He had gained even more weight, drank far more than before, and his marriage to Sif had deteriorated into a shadow of what it once had been. They were still together, but anyone with eyes could see that the spark in their marriage had withered away.

How did Hela know all of that despite how little interest she normally had in matters outside her realm? The answer was simple.

Sif and Thor had reached the point of literally begging Hela to tell them whether the souls of their children were somewhere within her realm, desperate to know whether Astrid and Soren had died or if something worse had happened to them.

The only answer Hela had been able to give them was no. And in the end, Odin had known exactly how to take advantage of the situation.

Hela had never said anything about it. It wasn’t her problem. Thor was old enough to decide for himself whether he wanted to keep obeying every word the old man spoke like a dog waiting for its next command.

Even so, a small part of her had always suspected that Odin hadn’t merely used Thor’s grief over the disappearance of his children to keep him closer and easier to control. She suspected the old man probably knew far more about what had happened than he let on.

Absolutely pathetic.

Hela looked back toward Odin. "Fine."

The old god narrowed his eyes slightly, probably expecting another argument, but none came. Hela simply turned around again. "If that’s everything, I’m actually leaving this time."

"Be there when the time comes," Odin added.

Hela raised one hand without bothering to turn around. "Yeah, yeah. Don’t be late, don’t kill anyone important, don’t embarrass Asgard. I know the speech."

Freya had to lightly cover her lips to hide a small smile as Hela finally walked through the doors and disappeared from the hall. She had always found the Goddess of Death’s attitude interesting. Freya herself tried to treat those around her with warmth and affection whenever possible, while Hela couldn’t have cared less about any of that.

In a strange way, Freya found that attitude refreshing, although she would never say so out loud.

Silence settled over the hall after Hela’s departure. Odin remained staring at the closed doors for several seconds before returning his attention to the invitation still held between his fingers.

Baldur let out a loud scoff while keeping his eyes fixed on the doors Hela had just disappeared through. "What an irritating woman," he complained with obvious frustration. "I don’t know how you tolerate her, Father. If it were up to me, I’d get rid of her and replace her with someone else."

"Baldur, don’t say that." Freya’s voice was gentle, but firm enough to make it clear that she didn’t approve of his words. The Goddess of Love turned toward her son with a slightly concerned expression. "Hela is... complicated, yes, but that doesn’t mean you should speak about her that way."

Baldur looked away with a grimace. He had no interest in hearing anyone defend Hela, not even his mother. He despised her. He hated her more than almost anyone else in Asgard and, if he were ever given the opportunity to kill that woman with his own hands, he probably wouldn’t hesitate for very long.

Just remembering the times the Goddess of Death had humiliated him in the past was enough to make his blood begin to boil again.

Odin, who until that moment had remained lost in his own thoughts, finally turned his attention toward his son. He didn’t need to be particularly perceptive to notice the anger Baldur was struggling to contain.

"I understand your grievances, my son, but Hela is important. More than that, she is necessary to maintain order within the Pantheon."

Baldur clicked his tongue.

He had heard that exact same answer countless times before, and by this point it did absolutely nothing to calm him down. Even so, he eventually forced his anger back down and lowered his head slightly. "I understand, Father."

Odin nodded, satisfied that his son had accepted his decision without continuing the argument.

The truth was that Odin didn’t care much for Hela as a person either. However, the goddess rarely interfered with his plans. She spent most of her existence secluded within her own realm and, unless he summoned her personally or something directly affected the dead, she showed little interest in Asgard’s affairs.

Besides, even Odin had to acknowledge that replacing her would be foolish.

He couldn’t think of another Norse deity who could manage the dead and the Norse Underworld better than Hela. She was cold, strict, and completely merciless whenever the situation required it, all qualities that were extremely useful for someone responsible for keeping countless souls under control.

Even when compared to Underworld gods from other pantheons, Hela ranked among the best..... The only one Odin could clearly acknowledge as surpassing her in that regard was Hades.

The Greek God of the Underworld had spent countless millennia ruling over the dead with an efficiency that was difficult to match, and his authority over his own realm had reached a level that even Odin respected.

Beyond that, the All-Father really didn’t have much to complain about when it came to Hela. As long as she continued fulfilling her responsibilities, obeyed whenever her presence was required, and didn’t become an obstacle to his own plans, she could continue ruling her realm however she pleased.

The mere thought of Hades inevitably caused Odin’s mind to drift toward the Greeks and, more specifically, toward their new king.

Damon.

Odin couldn’t help feeling a certain amount of curiosity. He would finally have the opportunity to personally meet Kronos’s firstborn son.

He knew enough about Damon to understand that he was anything but simple, and that was precisely what bothered him. Odin held no particular hostility toward the Greek god, nor could he say that he truly disliked him.

He simply disliked not knowing as much about Damon as he believed he should.....And to Odin, that was almost an insult.

He was the All-Father. A god who had dedicated an enormous portion of his existence to pursuing knowledge, secrets, and answers that others didn’t even dare seek. He had sacrificed an eye in pursuit of knowledge. The idea that a deity as important as Damon could exist while still leaving so many unanswered questions was not something Odin found comfortable.

He knew Damon’s lineage and much of what the god had done throughout the supernatural world, at least on the surface, and for the moment Odin couldn’t say that he was particularly displeased with any of it.

And with all that, he still can’t determine whether the Greeks, now without Zeus ruling over them, would eventually become a problem for Asgard. And if there was one thing the All-Father despised, it was having gaps in his knowledge and predictions.

The upcoming meeting, therefore, wouldn’t merely be an opportunity to demonstrate Asgard’s superiority before the other pantheons. It would also give Odin the chance to finally get a better idea of Damon’s intentions for the future.

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