📖 Scene — The Ruler's Lies
While Odin's raven was flying over the Human Empire, it sensed something strange in the area…
A vague… unclear feeling.
It stopped midair, landed on a tree, and settled on a high branch, silently observing, trying to pinpoint the source of that mysterious sensation.
🌌 In Asgard
Far from the continent of Mira…
Odin stood calmly, staring ahead, while Skadi—Poseidon's daughter—and Hades, his brother, stood before him, burning with anger, shouting:
"Where is Loki?!"
"Where is my son?!"
"Where is my husband?!"
But…
Odin did not look at them.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward Poseidon, who stood at a distance, and said in a strangely calm voice:
"Have you seen Apollo around? I'm looking for him."
⚠️ Hidden Tension
From afar, Poseidon saw his daughter and Hades shouting at Odin.
He understood immediately…
The truth had been exposed.
His daughter must have told Hades everything.
He thought of escaping…
If Odin looked at him directly, he might realize he was the one who revealed the secret.
But before he could move—
He heard Odin's strange question.
He froze in place…
Then slowly turned and looked at him from afar.
A chill ran through his body.
🧊 An Unsettling Calm
As for Hades and Skadi…
They were stunned by Odin's calmness.
This calm… wasn't normal.
Hades stepped forward and said in a low voice:
"Odin… did something happen? Why didn't you tell me you needed Loki?"
🎭 The Beginning of Deception
Odin finally lifted his gaze and looked at Hades, saying calmly:
"Don't worry… he's fine."
Then he added:
"He's on his way to Asgard. He has completed the task I asked of him."
Silence fell.
Skadi looked at Hades…
And Hades looked at her.
Before either could speak—
Odin continued:
"And I didn't abduct him. I asked him… and he agreed. He went of his own will."
💥 Shifting the Blame
Their expressions changed.
The anger that had been directed at Odin…
began to shift.
But Odin didn't stop.
He delivered another blow:
"I even told him to inform you both about what I asked of him… didn't he do that?"
😶 Shock
Hades and Skadi's eyes widened.
They exchanged glances…
The anger toward Odin vanished completely.
And in its place—
a new anger rose.
But this time…
it was directed at Loki.
🕷️ Threads of Manipulation
They didn't know…
that Odin was lying.
That he was the one hiding the truth.
But he felt no guilt.
In his view…
a ruler does not need to justify every action.
It is enough to escape the problem…
even if it means placing the blame on someone else.
🐍 The Absent Victim
And Loki…
was not here.
He had not yet reached Asgard.
He wasn't present to defend himself.
😮💨 Reinforcing the Lie
Odin sighed, looked at them, then gestured for Poseidon to come closer, saying calmly:
"It's fine… I understand how you feel. That idiot always causes trouble."
Then he added with light sarcasm:
"If the task hadn't suited him… I wouldn't have asked him to do it in the first place."
Hades and Skadi sighed, nodding in agreement:
"You're right… he always does that."
👁️ A Silent Witness
At that moment…
Poseidon approached.
He listened to the conversation.
And immediately understood…
that Odin had shifted all the blame onto Loki—
and walked away from the situation…
completely clean.
Poseidon didn't know what to say…
If he spoke the truth now, and told them that Odin was the one who hid everything, and that Loki wasn't guilty as they believed…
then he would be the next to face Odin's punishment.
So…
he chose silence.
He stood watching Skadi and Hades as they threatened Loki with harsh punishment upon his return.
⚖️ Harsh Judgments
Hades said coldly:
"I'll make him clean up after my dogs… and all the villagers' mess for an entire year."
Skadi added, her eyes gleaming with cruelty:
"I'll freeze him… and keep him frozen for a whole month. If he survives… he should consider himself lucky, and I'll forget what he did."
😨 Poseidon's Shock
Poseidon listened…
His eyes widened in shock and fear.
Then he looked at Odin—
only to find him nodding, as if listening to beautiful music.
A cold sensation spread through his body.
He quickly looked away, glancing at the sky, trying to escape:
"Oh… look at the sky! It's getting late… I should head home—"
🧊 An Unavoidable Call
But—
Odin interrupted him, smiling:
"Wait, brother… I need you for something."
🚶♂️ A Silent Departure
Poseidon couldn't refuse.
He quickly bid farewell to Skadi and Hades and left with Odin, moving away from the scene.
🤔 The Others' Confusion
Hades and Skadi looked at each other and said almost at the same time:
"What's wrong with him?"
Then Hades added:
"Is he sick? Why is he acting like that?"
They thought for a moment…
then shook their heads.
They were rulers… they didn't get sick.
Their powers protected them from weakness, and their bodies had never known illness.
Hades sighed:
"He's always like this… strange."
Skadi nodded:
"Yes… he's always been like that."
🌑 The Hidden Truth
Neither of them knew…
that at that very moment—
Poseidon stood before Odin…
looking at the ground, unable even to raise his eyes.
Fear had completely taken hold of him.
😔 A Trembling Confession
In a low, shaky voice, he said:
"I… I didn't mean for all this to happen… it was an accident… believe me."
He didn't dare look into his brother's eyes.
Because he knew well…
that standing before Odin—
was unlike facing anyone else.
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
🔍 Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]