Odin stood atop a high rock on the island of Asgard, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
Through his energy, he was observing everything the imperial knights and mages were doing on the other island.
He chuckled quietly to himself.
They will never find her…
The Empire must have lost a great deal with the disappearance of their sacred weapon.
When the thought of the weapon in Forn's possession crossed his mind, his expression shifted slightly.
"I should see that weapon myself… and determine whether it truly deserves to be called the strongest weapon in the world."
He rose from the rock, then turned toward a giant child who was running behind him, attempting to smash a small tree.
"Do not cause chaos, child… understood?"
The child froze instantly, then nodded rapidly in an almost comical manner.
Odin smiled faintly.
"It seems my efforts in raising you were not wasted."
Then he vanished from his spot and returned to the small village where he lived with his siblings… their children… and their new guest.
Minutes later, he appeared at the edge of the village.
There, he saw Forn standing in front of his house… spying.
One of his brows lifted slightly.
He approached silently, concealing his presence, and listened as she muttered in irritation:
"Where did that idiot go? Where has he been these past days? I said I still have more questions to ask him!"
She exhaled sharply.
"And that woman… Athena… she doesn't talk to me about anything, as if she's mute!"
At that moment, a calm voice spoke behind her:
"It seems you are in desperate need of learning patience, Forn."
Forn froze.
Her face slowly flushed as she turned around to find Odin standing there calmly, an unreadable expression on his face—was it anger? Or mockery?
She spoke weakly:
"It's your fault! Why aren't you ever in your house? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Odin regarded her without clear interest.
"It does not matter where I was… but rather what I saw outside the island."
The redness vanished from Forn's face at once, replaced by sharp attention.
"And what did you see, Odin?"
He smiled faintly.
"It seems your enemies are of your own kind… are they not, Princess?"
Then he added more quietly:
"Or should I say… runaway?"
Forn's expression changed instantly.
Fear crept into her eyes.
"Listen… I… I can explain—"
Odin gently shook his head, cutting her off.
"There is no need for such fear. You are our guest. We will never harm you, Forn."
He looked at her steadily.
"And do not worry. It is impossible for the knights or the mages to find you… as long as you remain on this island."
A brief silence settled between them.
Forn lowered her gaze slightly.
"Thank you, Odin… I truly don't know how to thank you."
Odin exhaled calmly.
"Did you not hear me? You are a guest in Asgard. There is no need for this constant worry and overthinking that leads nowhere."
He stepped closer—just one step—but his presence alone made her focus on every word.
"I told you what is happening beyond the island only so that you would understand we do not care who was chasing you."
Then he continued evenly:
"In the end… you descend from someone to whom we owed a debt. We are merely repaying it."
His words lingered in the air before he added:
"Nothing more."
When Forn heard this, the worry on her face gradually faded, as if she had finally convinced herself that overthinking would serve no purpose.
She said quietly:
"Alright, Odin… I'll stop worrying."
Odin gave a slight smile.
"Now… will you tell me why you were looking for me?"
Forn answered quickly, as though she had prepared her reply beforehand:
"I asked your sister Athena if I could leave the village and explore the island a little… but she didn't answer me. So I came looking for you."
Odin shook his head gently.
"No. You may not search the island, Forn."
Before she could protest, he continued:
"Our children—mine and my siblings'—who possess the potential of rulers… are currently training. We cannot allow you to wander while they are in a sensitive stage of their training. You might unintentionally interrupt them."
Forn fell silent for a moment, understanding what he meant.
She was not a prisoner…
But she was not entirely free either.
After thinking, she said:
"So I won't be able to leave the village until your children and your siblings' children finish their training?"
Then she looked toward the children training nearby and asked:
"How many are there? And where is the rest of your people, Odin?"
Odin was silent for a moment, studying her deeply.
"Let us go inside, then… This will take some time to explain."
He turned toward the door, but suddenly stopped without looking back.
"By the way… what form does your sacred weapon take? Is it a sword? A spear? Or a shield?"
Forn stiffened slightly.
"And why do you want to know that?"
Odin looked at her with faint amusement.
"Calm down, little cat. I ask only because you usually wield a sword. If your weapon is a spear, a shield, or something else, you will need time to adapt to it. Nothing more."
Forn thought for a moment.
If he had wanted to harm her… he would have done so long ago.
Finally, she replied with a faint frown:
"It's a spear… a very powerful one."
Then she stopped abruptly.
Odin noticed and asked calmly:
"But… what?"
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"But I can't use it. I don't know why… every time I try… nothing happens."
Odin stepped closer and made a simple gesture with his hand.
"Come with me. Show it to me. Perhaps I can find a way to help you use it."
A flicker of hope stirred within Forn. She wanted to thank him quickly—
But before she could say a single word…
Odin vanished from his spot, his voice reaching her from a short distance away:
"Follow me."