Chapter 753

Frigga had stood at Odin’s side for longer than most beings could comprehend. Over the course of their long marriage, they had raised three children to adulthood: one daughter and one son by birth, along with an adopted son. Throughout it all, she had conducted herself with dignity and restraint, never overstepping her station or giving anyone cause to criticize her. By every measure, she was the model of an Asgardian queen.

Which made her current behavior all the more surprising.

She was offering military-grade artifacts to an outsider. That was a far cry from her usual conduct.

Asgard might operate under the principle that the kingdom belonged to its royal family, but that hardly meant Frigga could hand out its most dangerous treasures at will. The vault, the kingdom, even the lives of its subjects were all considered the royal family’s property.

And Odin was the head of that family.

He had already established his position on this matter. Yet here was Frigga, openly going against his wishes. Was she really doing something so politically foolish merely to repay Evenson for saving her life?

Evenson wasn’t buying it.

There were plenty of ways to express gratitude without challenging the All-Father. She could give him a few of her personal magical artifacts. She could teach him some of her more impressive spells. If she preferred a less magical approach, she could sell some of her jewelry and transfer the proceeds to him.

Or, well, she could offer him a few of her beautiful handmaidens...

Evenson would swear on his life that he wouldn’t dare accept that particular gift, but it was technically another way to repay a favor.

The point was, Frigga had plenty of options. Instead, she had chosen the one most likely to contradict Odin’s wishes. That was an awfully steep price to pay for a simple act of gratitude.

And as everyone knew, nothing came free. If Frigga was willing to pay so much, she must want something in return.

Her intentions were becoming so obvious that Evenson couldn’t pretend not to notice. He might as well ask outright.

"Your Majesty, how can I repay your generosity?"

As expected, Frigga’s lips curved into a faint smile.

She glanced toward the entrance.

At that single look, the already-open doors of the vault swung shut by themselves, sealing them inside.

Now they had a private room, with no one else around to overhear.

"At first, I didn’t know much about you," Frigga began. "But after you saved my life, I asked Sif to tell me more. If I had to sum up her assessment in a few words, she considers you a clever man."

Well, that’s what I call friendship.

Evenson felt genuinely touched. Sif had apparently put in a good word for him after all.

Then he looked at her.

Sif wore the blank expression of someone who had just been accused of a crime she hadn’t committed. Her eyes practically screamed, I didn’t say that! I swear I didn’t!

The moment she noticed Evenson watching her, however, her expression changed.

"That’s right!" she said, nodding vigorously. "That’s exactly what I said."

"Oh... heh."

Evenson pretended not to have seen anything and turned back to the queen.

"Your Majesty is too kind."

"You needn’t be modest." Frigga raised a hand dismissively. "I’ve spent these past several days secluded in the palace, attending to neither court affairs nor visitors. Instead, I’ve been studying the medicines you left behind."

Her expression grew thoughtful.

"They’re extraordinary. A remedy capable of saving a life is not something one should take for granted. It makes sense to keep a supply on hand before another emergency arises."

"I understand."

Evenson nodded slowly.

So that was it. Frigga wanted more Fel Blood.

"Your Majesty, if you’ve spent the past several days studying those medicines, then you’ve probably discovered that they’re not exactly good for you."

"Correct."

Frigga answered without hesitation.

With her considerable mastery of magic and several days of careful study, she had naturally discovered the true nature of Fel Blood. It was a substance steeped in pure evil, the sort of power most sensible people would avoid at all costs.

Frigga simply didn’t care.

"But in the moments when I was closest to death," she continued, "I came to understand many things. I also recognized dangers lurking beneath the surface of our seemingly prosperous kingdom."

She paused, then inclined her head slightly.

"I’m afraid I cannot tell you what those dangers are. I hope you’ll forgive me."

"Please, go on."

Evenson gave her an easy nod, making it clear that he wasn’t offended. Whatever threats plagued Asgard were hardly his business. He had no particular desire to pry into royal secrets.

"Regardless, I must prepare for those dangers. I no longer have the luxury of worrying about whether every means at my disposal is entirely righteous."

Frigga gestured toward the treasures filling the vault. Then she tapped her fingers against the enormous gold brick near the entrance.

"Which brings me to my question. Will you help me?"

Evenson’s gaze followed her hand across the vault.

He took in the treasures, the artifacts, and the gleaming gold.

His eyes widened.

"Absolutely!"

The answer came out with such conviction that one might have thought he’d just been asked to save the Nine Realms.

Then his better judgment caught up with him.

"Well... I certainly intend to help," he amended. "But Your Majesty must understand that a good medicine takes time to prepare. I’m afraid you’ll need to be patient."

"Is that so?"

Frigga regarded him with a hint of suspicion.

"When you saved my life, you prepared that batch in very little time."

Evenson smiled.

"That’s because I happened to have the crucial ingredient with me. Unfortunately, the process consumed it completely. I’ll need to make some adjustments before I can produce another batch."

He spread his hands in a reassuring gesture.

"You won’t have to wait too long. Once I’ve prepared a new supply, simply send someone to Earth to collect it."

Frigga considered his explanation for a long moment before finally nodding.

She understood the potency of the medicine better than anyone. Something capable of saving her life under those circumstances was hardly an ordinary concoction. It made sense that Evenson couldn’t simply whip up another batch whenever he pleased.

He had possessed the necessary ingredients during her treatment. Now that they were gone, he would need time to prepare more.

"Very well. We’ll leave the matter there for now."

Her expression brightened as she glanced around the vault.

"In the meantime, you should get on with choosing your treasure. If we linger much longer, my old man will start worrying."

"I wouldn’t dream of keeping Your Majesty waiting."

Evenson bowed deeply, then turned and headed farther into the vault.

And immediately regretted it.

The place was packed with treasures of such staggering value that he scarcely dared touch anything.

The first object to catch his eye was a massive brass-colored gauntlet. It was enormous, and the back of its hand bore exactly six recessed sockets.

Evenson froze.

Wait. Could that possibly be the legendary...

Before he could finish the thought, something beside the gauntlet caught his attention.

It was another brass-colored object, this one shaped like a pendant meant to hang around someone’s neck. Intricate, mysterious runes had been carved into its surface.

Evenson found it strangely familiar.

Then recognition struck.

Hold on. Isn’t that the Eye of Agamotto?

The Eye of Agamotto was the relic that housed the Time Stone. As far as Evenson knew, it was still in the Ancient One’s possession.

So why was it sitting in Odin’s vault?

A memory suddenly surfaced. Just a few days earlier, the goddess he’d recently met, Hela, had made a rather pointed remark about Asgard. She had said that there were plenty of things in the realm that weren’t what they appeared to be.

Evenson stared at the pendant.

Right. It’s a knockoff.

The pieces fell into place.

Odin was apparently the sort of collector who couldn’t stand seeing a magnificent artifact without wanting one for himself. If he couldn’t acquire the genuine article, he could always commission a replica and put it on display to satisfy his vanity.

Evenson sighed.

If the Eye of Agamotto was fake, then the gauntlet beside it was probably a counterfeit, too.

He shook his head and continued deeper into the vault.

Next, he spotted the Tesseract.

The Space Stone.

Now that was something worth looking at.

For a few moments, he admired the blue cube. Then he forced himself to look away.

There was no point getting attached. If he actually tried to claim the Tesseract, Odin would never agree to let him have it.

The Infinity Stones were strategic weapons of the highest order. During the Dark Elves’ invasion, Odin had been willing to prepare for Malekith’s next attack rather than panic over the possibility of another ambush. Asgard already possessed superior forces, but the treasures in this vault were another major reason the All-Father could afford to remain confident.

The Space Stone was especially valuable.

Forget Malekith. Even an enemy several times more powerful would have trouble threatening Asgard if Odin chose to use it. With a thought, he could transport an attacker somewhere far beyond the reach of the kingdom.

Somewhere like the surface of the Sun, for instance.

Convenient. Effective. A little warm, perhaps.

In short, the Tesseract was exactly the sort of priceless strategic asset Odin would sooner break his word than surrender.

Evenson moved on.

Beside the Tesseract sat another object that bore a superficial resemblance to it: the Casket of Ancient Winters.

This was the greatest treasure of the Frost Giants, a relic said to unleash cold so intense that even Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, struggled to withstand it. Left active long enough, it could supposedly alter the climate of an entire planet. The Frost Giants had once intended to use it to plunge Earth back into an ice age.

Impressive, certainly.

But not for him.

If Evenson were a mage, he might have been tempted. As a Warlock, however, his interests ran in a different direction. If the casket had spewed fire instead of ice, he might have considered it worth taking.

But frost?

No, thank you.

After inspecting one treasure after another, Evenson could only sigh in frustration.

The vault was full of fakes, priceless artifacts he couldn’t possibly claim, and powerful objects completely unsuited to his abilities.

What was he supposed to choose?

Then something caught his eye.

A short distance away stood a brazier, its contents blazing with brilliant, roaring flames.

Evenson’s steps slowed.

He could feel the power radiating from the fire even before he reached it. The energy was seemingly inexhaustible, yet astonishingly pure. It had a quality that immediately resonated with his own magic.

Now we’re talking.

This was practically made for him.

Drawn forward by the flames, Evenson approached the brazier and reached out to touch them.

"Evenson," Frigga warned from behind him. "That is the Eternal Flame. It’s an extraordinary treasure, and you cannot take it with you."

"Right..."

He didn’t even turn around.

Instead, Evenson plunged his hand directly into the fire and scooped out a small handful of flame.

He held the burning energy carefully in his palm, then finally glanced back at the queen.

"Then I’ll just take this much. Surely that won’t be a problem?"