— — — — — —
"You didn't actually authorize Loki, did you?" Seeing the twisted look on Odin's face, Rossweisse couldn't help asking.
"Of course not!"
Odin was so furious his beard practically bristled. "That bastard definitely forged my signature and seal. Absolutely shameless!"
"Then... should we inform Mr Yagami?" Rossweisse asked.
"No!"
Odin jumped out of his chair immediately, looking alarmed.
"At least not right now."
To outsiders, Loki was still a member of the Norse pantheon.
Sure, mythology painted him as a villain, but Loki himself, along with his sons Fenrir and Midgardsormr, represented a tremendous amount of military strength.
If Odin publicly declared that Loki didn't represent the Norse gods, other pantheons would be thrilled. They'd practically throw a welcome party for Loki's defection.
Odin would bet his life on it. The moment those words left his mouth, Loki would probably join the Three Factions on the spot.
Not only would Norse military strength be cut in half, but Loki would likely hand Ryo every secret Norse had while he was at it.
"But if we don't explain the situation, then..."
Rossweisse looked troubled.
If Odin remained silent, Loki really might end up negotiating on behalf of Norse mythology.
Having someone actively opposed to Norse interests act as their representative was hardly ideal.
Odin's expression darkened. Clearly, he had already considered that possibility.
In fact, he had thought much further ahead than Rossweisse.
"We need to meet Alliance Leader Ryo immediately."
Rossweisse's expression turned strange. "And in what capacity? Right now, the person officially authorized as the plenipotentiary representative is Loki."
"No, no, no." Odin rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "A delegation doesn't have to consist of only one representative. It can have two."
"But the forged document states that Loki is the sole representative."
Odin gave her a flat look, "Do you believe that?"
"No."
Rossweisse shook her head instantly.
Loki's reputation as the God of Mischief was deeply ingrained in Norse society. Even an idiot would only believe half of what he said.
"Exactly." Odin rolled his eyes. "If even you don't believe him, do you think someone like Ryo Yagami would buy his nonsense?"
Then he sighed helplessly. "The fact that this information reached you at all means the three factions' real negotiating target is still me. They're just using this to drive down the price."
At that point, Odin looked genuinely pained. "Right now, Loki and I are sitting on opposite sides of a scale in Ryo's hands. Whoever offers the better deal wins."
"I see." Rossweisse nodded in sudden understanding. "So you're planning to become a traitor to Europe."
Odin's face went black.
He glared at her. "Could you phrase that differently? This is called diplomacy. It's a bloodless struggle, understand?"
"Yes, yes. I understand completely, Lord Odin." Rossweisse answered with obvious perfunctory obedience. "Should I arrange the meeting, then?"
"As quickly as possible."
Odin desperately wanted to tell her to get lost and do it already, but he managed to choose a more diplomatic wording.
Rossweisse nodded and left to make the arrangements.
...
An hour later.
At a traditional kaiseki restaurant beside Kyoto's Kamo River, Odin finally met Ryo in person.
Odin greeted him with a smile.
"Please, sit." Ryo pointed to the seat across from him. Then he glanced at Rossweisse standing behind Odin and said nothing more.
Just as Odin had brought only Rossweisse, Ryo had brought only Lavinia as his attendant and bodyguard.
After Odin sat down, Rossweisse found herself staring nervously at the young girl casually eating kaiseki cuisine beside Ryo.
A powerhouse.
The Three Factions had someone like this among their younger generation?
And she appeared to be human.
While Rossweisse was inwardly shocked, Ryo calmly picked up a piece of nigiri sushi and looked at Odin.
His gaze lingered briefly on the monocle covering Odin's left eye.
"Interesting."
Cold sweat instantly ran down Odin's back.
For a moment, he felt as though Ryo's eyes hadn't been looking at him at all. Instead, they had peered into a perfectly still sapphire-blue spring.
The place where Odin's sacrificed eye resided. Mimir's Well, the legendary spring said to contain all knowledge in the world. A secret location known only to a handful of Norse gods, hidden within dimensional rifts and constantly changing position.
Yet Ryo had traced the connection between Odin's eye and the well and pinpointed its location instantly.
The mere possibility sent chills down Odin's spine.
From that single glance, Odin finally understood how much truth might lie behind the rumors surrounding Ryo.
Especially the one claiming he had defeated Ophis...
Odin's heart sank.
At last, he fully grasped his actual situation.
Before Ryo could even speak, Odin hurriedly said, "Whatever price Loki offered you, I can match it."
He gritted his teeth. "And I can offer things he can't."
"Hm?"
The declaration caught both Rossweisse and Lavinia off guard.
Their eyes immediately shifted toward him.
The negotiations had barely started. And he was already showing all his cards? Could negotiations even be conducted this way?
"Are you sure?"
Ryo looked at him with a half-smile, clearly aware that Odin had noticed his attempt to locate Mimir's Well.
The eye Odin had left within the spring was even more sensitive than Ryo had expected.
"I'm sure."
Odin clenched his jaw.
He was all in now.
One Ophis alone was enough to crush the Norse pantheon. Never mind a Ryo who was supposedly on the same level.
The strongest dragon god in the world plus a man capable of defeating her. There was no fighting that combination.
Which left only one logical choice. If you couldn't beat them, join them.
When facing an enemy, killing each other wasn't the only option. You could always join their side. And then stab them in the back later.
At least, Odin was fairly certain Loki would agree with that philosophy.
As for Odin himself, his value lay elsewhere. He could help Ryo guard against exactly the sort of betrayal Loki might attempt. To maintain balance among his subordinates, Ryo would need him. That was the Norse pantheon's bargaining chip.
"Interesting." Ryo glanced at him. "Lavinia, bring out the list."
"Oh!"
Lavinia immediately dug through her backpack, pulled out a thick stack of documents, and handed them to Odin.
Odin accepted the papers.
The further he read, the greener his face became.
"World Tree sapling..."
"Nidhogg's secret control terminal..."
"Fenrir's manufacturing technology and control systems..."
"Midgardsormr's command terminal..."
"I..."
His hands started shaking.
"God damn it, Loki!"
By the end, he was practically grinding his teeth into powder.
Never mind the information Loki had already sold regarding Thor, the other Norse gods, and Odin himself.
Just Loki's own offer alone was insane.
Powerful dragon species. One world-top-ten God-Devouring Wolf. The precious World Tree.
Loki wasn't merely selling out Norse mythology. He wasn't just selling Odin's private treasury.
The bastard had sold himself.
The agreement even included five thousand years of loyal service to the Three Factions.
'How the hell did that jotunn-blooded lunatic have the nerve to write this down?!'
"You said you'd match the offer." At this moment, Ryo raised an eyebrow meaningfully.
Odin's face turned completely red.
Who the hell could possibly afford this?!
.
.
.
You can read 50 chapters ahead, or support me on: patreon.com/_Coreal