Chapter 749

Nyarlathotep had departed with a graceful wave of her hand, leaving behind nothing but a scrap of paper.

Her departure was dignified. The same couldn’t be said for those she’d left behind.

In the short time she’d spent with them, they’d learned far too many things, most of them so staggering that their minds were still struggling to process them. They had a thousand questions and a million thoughts, yet couldn’t find the words to express any of them.

For a while, all they could do was stand around staring at one another.

Evenson, however, had already recovered.

While everyone else remained trapped in the aftermath of their conversation with one of the most incomprehensible beings in existence, he’d managed to pull himself back to the present and identify the problem that mattered most.

Damn it! I’ve just been roped into paying for a house!

Why wasn’t he still reeling from Nyarlathotep’s revelations?

Because being shocked was one thing. Continuing to obsess over something you couldn’t possibly understand was another.

It was like knowing the Sun would eventually burn out in four billion years. That was undeniably a big deal, but how many people spent their nights losing sleep over it? How many skipped meals because the distant end of the solar system had them so worried?

The answer was obvious.

The events Nyarlathotep had described were so far beyond Evenson’s understanding that even four billion years seemed like a fairly manageable timeframe by comparison.

There was no point worrying about things he couldn’t comprehend, let alone influence.

He’d much rather worry about the money he’d just lost.

And this wasn’t going to be some ordinary house, either.

The Eredar Twins had promised Nyarlathotep a luxurious villa in Los Angeles. Given the identity of their guest, it would probably need a swimming pool, extensive gardens, and perhaps even a private beach. Knowing the twins, they might go all out and commission something that looked more like a palace.

The total cost could easily reach ten million dollars or more.

And that was only the beginning.

They’d also have to cover Nyarlathotep’s daily expenses. Food, transportation, entertainment, and whatever else she might need would all fall under their responsibility.

With a guest like her, cutting corners wasn’t an option.

For transportation alone, they couldn’t exactly hand her the keys to a cheap three-wheeled utility vehicle and call it a day.

Still, Evenson wasn’t so stingy that he’d begrudge the expense of keeping Nyarlathotep comfortably settled on Earth. If spending money was all it took to ensure she stayed here peacefully, it might even be a bargain.

The problem was the injustice of it all.

Look at his own living arrangements. His house was nothing special, and his daily meals were hardly luxurious. Meanwhile, someone else would be enjoying a mansion purchased with his money, eating lobster by the platter and drinking fine wine by the case.

How was that remotely fair?

Was he working to make money for everyone except himself?

Could everybody else spend his money freely while he had to file a formal request every time he wanted to buy something for himself?

Absolutely not.

This arrangement had to change.

Evenson shifted his gaze toward the Eredar Twins.

Almost all his wealth was under their management, and they were the ones who spent the most of it. If he wanted to improve his financial situation, they were the obvious place to start.

At that moment, Alythess and Sacrolash had finally recovered from their own shock. They noticed Evenson staring at them with an expression that suggested he was plotting something unpleasant.

They turned toward him.

"What are you looking at?"

Evenson didn’t flinch.

He fixed them with a steely gaze, adjusted his sleeves, and strode forward with the swagger of a man who had just conquered three kingdoms and was preparing to annex a fourth.

"I’ve made a decision. I’m informing you both now."

The twins exchanged bewildered glances.

They’d seen plenty of sides to Evenson, but rarely this one. The man could barely maintain this kind of confidence when he was fully dressed, much less when he’d been caught off guard.

Curious despite themselves, they asked, "What decision?"

Evenson lifted his chin.

"Starting next month, my allowance goes up!"

For a moment, neither twin reacted.

Then both looked as though they’d just swallowed something unpleasant.

They’d braced themselves for any number of possibilities. Even a sudden announcement that the Burning Legion was marching on Earth might not have surprised them as much as this.

Yet after all that posturing, this was what he wanted?

Evenson took their silence as resistance.

His expression hardened.

"I’ve made up my mind. There’s nothing either of you can say to change it. My allowance is going up, and the increase had better be at least two hundred percent. I’ll even accept a payment arrangement where you charge me more in fees than I actually receive, as long as the increase looks big enough!"

The twins immediately grabbed his hands.

"We’ll increase it by four hundred percent!"

Their eyes were full of genuine concern.

"Please, take the money and see a psychiatrist. And when you have time, come to the company so Moira can arrange a brain scan. This sort of problem shouldn’t be left untreated!"

Evenson yanked his hands free.

What the hell? Is it so strange that I want to spend my own money?

Before he could protest further, Claire approached and took his hand as well.

"Don’t get upset. I’ll increase your allowance next month, too. Just calm down, all right?"

As she spoke, Claire exchanged a series of meaningful glances with the twins.

Do you think we’ve been controlling his spending too strictly? Is this some kind of delayed reaction to his conversation with the Three Primordial Gods? What if he’s genuinely lost his mind?

Evenson paid no attention to their silent exchange.

An unexpected windfall!

Not only had the twins agreed to raise his allowance by four hundred percent, but Claire was offering an increase of her own.

His household standing had never been stronger.

For the first time in a long while, he felt that his authority within the family had reached unprecedented heights.

"What’s going on over here?"

The Ancient One finally spoke.

Unlike the others, she hadn’t managed to shake off the revelations she’d heard. Of everyone present, she had devoted the most to protecting this world, and Nyarlathotep’s casual dismissal of her efforts had struck a particularly painful nerve.

If I hadn’t come here to watch the show, you wouldn’t even qualify as an actor.

The remark had cut deep.

She’d spent centuries protecting Earth, making sacrifices and enduring burdens that few could comprehend. Yet to a being like Nyarlathotep, all that effort amounted to little more than an insignificant sideshow.

She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she’d barely noticed Evenson’s outburst until it finally snapped her attention back to the present.

"I’ve been sitting here feeling miserable," she said, looking between them. "Could you at least take this seriously?"

"What’s there to be miserable about?"

Evenson was in excellent spirits now. He walked over to offer her some consolation.

"Why waste your time worrying about things like this? Whether you understand everything or nothing, life goes on. If you can’t make sense of something, you still have to live your life. And even if you do figure it out, you’ll still have to live your life afterward."

He shrugged.

"You’re not going to transcend the universe just by thinking really hard about it. Ignorance is bliss."

The Ancient One sighed.

What a wonderfully carefree attitude.

She wanted to argue, but she couldn’t deny that he had a point.

In the end, she forced herself to set those troubling thoughts aside.

At that moment, a groan came from nearby.

"Mm... Ah..."

Thor, who’d been unconscious for quite some time, was finally waking up.

The Eredar Twins immediately transformed into their human disguises. They had no desire to invite further complications by drawing attention to their true forms.

Thor’s eyes flew open.

He sprang to his feet, Mjolnir in hand, and began scanning the surroundings with barely restrained fury.

"Malekith! Where’s Malekith?"

His consciousness was still stuck at the moment he’d fought the Dark Elf leader. Yet the battlefield had somehow transformed into a gathering of people he’d never seen together before.

And, more importantly, his enemy was nowhere to be found.

"Malekith is dead!" Evenson exclaimed, half exasperated and half amused.

Really? You’re looking for him now? He’s been dead for ages!

"Dead?"

Thor stared at him, struggling to accept the news.

"How?"

"We worked together and took him down," Evenson replied. "You don’t need to worry about the details."

Thor slowly sank back down, sitting on the ground as he stared up at the sky.

"I seem to have missed quite a lot."

He’d expected to fight Malekith and defeat him himself. Instead, he’d apparently lost consciousness before the battle could even properly begin, only to wake up and discover that his enemy was already dead.

What was the point of being the God of Thunder if he couldn’t even stay conscious long enough to participate?

He felt like an extra in someone else’s adventure.

Then another question occurred to him.

Why had he passed out in the first place?

Thor turned his gaze toward Evenson.

You were here, weren’t you?

Of course. That explained everything.

He’d probably been sabotaged by this man again.

"You haven’t actually missed much," Sif hurriedly assured him, helping him to his feet. "Malekith only just died, and you woke up right afterward."

She carefully avoided mentioning Nyarlathotep.

Sif felt sorry for Thor. As the crown prince of Asgard, he’d grown up believing his people stood at the pinnacle of the universe. Yet Nyarlathotep’s words had made it painfully clear that Asgard’s view of its own importance might be little more than an illusion.

Sif knew Thor well enough to understand the danger.

His mind was as straightforward as his hammer was heavy. If he learned what Nyarlathotep had said and decided to challenge her out of wounded pride, he might actually do it.

And if he did, not even Odin himself could protect him from the consequences.

Sif could only hope Thor never found out.

If only I’d woken up a little earlier, Thor thought wistfully.

At least then he might have had the chance to meet whoever had been involved in the battle.

He sighed, then remembered something else.

"What about the Aether?"

"Over there."

Sif pointed toward the ground.

The Aether lay where it had been left, looking about as harmless as a discarded piece of scrap.

Thor’s mood immediately brightened. He straightened and addressed the group in a formal, dignified voice.

"On behalf of Asgard, I apologize for the trouble our affairs have caused Earth. This conflict has brought your world considerable hardship, and we deeply regret that."

He bowed his head.

Then he continued, "To prevent such an incident from happening again, I intend to take the Aether back to Asgard and seal it away permanently."

"Suit yourself."

Evenson waved dismissively.

Ideally, he’d have preferred to place this Infinity Stone, and every other Infinity Stone, in Nyarlathotep’s possession. Turning them into a set of cosmic bracelets for her to fiddle with would have been an elegant way to eliminate the risk they posed.

Unfortunately, she’d refused.

If Thor wanted to take the Aether away and lock it up somewhere safe, Evenson had no reason to object.

Seeing that nobody else raised any objections, Thor approached the substance and began considering how best to gather it up.

"Thor. Wait."

The voice came from behind him.

Thor stiffened and turned around.

The speaker was the Ancient One.

"Who are you?" he asked. He’d never met her in person.

"This is the Sorcerer Supreme," Evenson explained. "I mentioned her when I visited Asgard last time."

"Oh!"

Thor nodded as he remembered.

During his previous visit to Asgard with Jane Foster for a medical examination, Evenson had mentioned the Sorcerer Supreme to Odin. He’d gone on at considerable length about her various titles, none of which Thor could now recall. He did, however, remember the respect with which his father had spoken of her.

That alone was enough to establish that she was someone important.

Thor straightened and addressed her respectfully.

"What can I do for you?"

"Nothing complicated," the Ancient One replied. "I’d simply like you to serve as a witness to something."

"A witness?"

Thor looked confused.

"To what?"

The Ancient One silently produced an old parchment scroll and unfolded it before handing it to him.

Thor accepted it and began to read.

The document was written in two languages, Asgardian and Celtic. It was a formal agreement concerning the status of Midgard.

More specifically, it established Earth as an autonomous state under the nominal authority of Asgard.

Thor’s eyes widened.

An autonomous state of Midgard?

According to the document, Earth enjoyed an extensive degree of self-government and owed Asgard no practical obligations. In return, Asgard possessed no actual governing authority over Earth. Their relationship existed almost entirely on paper.

Thor looked up at the Ancient One, momentarily speechless.

For a fleeting instant, he wondered whether the document was a forgery.

Then his gaze fell to the signature at the bottom.

Odin’s name was unmistakable.

This was genuine.

If the agreement was valid, then the woman standing before him was effectively the ruler of a sovereign realm. And among all of Asgard’s subordinate territories, few could claim the degree of autonomy enjoyed by Earth.

Thor was still trying to process that revelation when the Ancient One spoke again.

"I’d like you to witness my abdication."

"My... what?"

Thor stared at her.

"Abdication?"

It took him a moment to understand what she meant. Asgard had no tradition of rulers voluntarily surrendering their positions. Royal succession normally came about when a king died or was otherwise no longer able to rule.

Thor couldn’t recall ever hearing of a ruler simply handing over the crown while still alive.

"Who are you planning to give your position to?"

"Claire. Come here."

The Ancient One turned toward her student.

"I’ve already passed my armor and sacred spear on to you. Now, I’ll entrust this position to you as well."

Claire froze.

"M-Me?"

She looked from the Ancient One to Thor, then back again, visibly at a loss for words.

The Ancient One smiled gently and placed a hand on Claire’s head.

"You’re the only one I can trust with this. And you’re the most suitable person for the position."

She had her reasons.

The agreement with Asgard had been intended to secure Earth’s autonomy, but in practice, it had never fulfilled its potential. Even so, putting such a document into the wrong hands could have serious consequences. Someone ambitious might use it as a tool to stir up trouble, whether on Earth or between Earth and Asgard.

Claire, however, was someone the Ancient One had watched grow up.

She knew the girl well. Claire had little ambition for power, and she had no desire to exploit her position for personal gain.

Of everyone she could entrust with the responsibility, Claire was the one the Ancient One trusted most.

Evenson stood nearby, nodding in approval.

What a woman!

The Ancient One was relinquishing her position without hesitation, displaying the sort of selflessness that most rulers could only dream of possessing.

Granted, the position of planetary ruler was largely ceremonial. Even so, she was surrendering it without clinging to the title or demanding anything in return.

That deserved respect.

And there was one more reason for Evenson to be particularly pleased.

The person inheriting the position was his wife!