📖 Scene — The Grand Performance and Loki's Fall into the Trap
Odin, still hovering in the air amid the fading remnants of the storm, heard Loki's sorrowful question.
But he did not answer.
Before he could utter a single word, a familiar voice thundered across the scene.
Poseidon had arrived in haste, accompanied by Athena and the rest of the rulers who had come to witness what was happening.
Poseidon looked at Odin and caught a fleeting signal in his eye.
In a single instant—
He understood everything.
And since lying was one of his natural talents, he did not hesitate for even a moment.
He turned toward Loki, his eyes widening with anger, and shouted in his face:
"How dare you lie, Loki?!"
His voice echoed powerfully through the area, and everyone turned toward him in silence.
Poseidon continued, pointing accusingly at him:
"I heard you say it to Odin with my own ears! Do you think your little tricks will let you escape punishment?"
Then he stepped forward and said in a scolding tone:
"You were the one who didn't want anyone to know about your mission so they wouldn't envy you! Have you forgotten what you said?"
Poseidon cleared his throat slightly…
Then began the greatest performance of his life.
Imitating Loki's voice with near-perfect precision, he said while nodding confidently:
"Lord Odin… could you please not tell anyone about my mission? Except Poseidon, of course."
Then he changed his tone, mimicking Odin:
"And why is that? Are you afraid they'll envy you?"
He returned to his imitation of Loki, speaking with even greater confidence:
"Yes, yes! I am afraid of that—especially my wife, Skadi, and my father, Hades. I truly feel they would envy me so much that they might ruin the mission."
Then he changed his voice once again, imitating Odin's disapproving tone:
"What are you saying? They are your family."
After that, he shook his head in feigned sadness and continued in Odin's voice:
"But if this is your wish… then I will honor it."
A heavy silence fell.
The performance was so realistic that it was astonishing.
Some of those present almost believed they were witnessing the actual event.
Then the reactions erupted.
Freya looked at Loki sorrowfully and sighed:
"I thought you had become better as you grew older… but you never cease to surprise me, brother."
Skadi's face flushed with anger, and her voice trembled with emotion as she said:
"How… how could you say something like that?! Do you distrust me this much?"
Hades stared at Loki in disbelief, then pointed to himself and said:
"Me? I would envy you? Has your mind completely failed you, boy?"
Loki stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening.
He looked at Poseidon with genuine shock.
Then at the other rulers, all of whom were staring at him with contempt and anger.
His voice trembled as he whispered:
"I… I didn't do that."
Then he repeated in an even weaker voice:
"Did I?"
At that moment…
Doubt began to seep into his heart.
Even he himself was starting to believe that he might truly have said those words.
He tried to search his memories, to recall anything related to that conversation…
But found nothing.
Not because he was guilty—
But because the performance had been so masterful that it had shaken his confidence in his own mind.
Slowly, Loki lifted his head and looked toward Odin, who still stood above them in the sky, and asked in a broken, sorrowful voice:
"Did I really say that… my lord?"
Odin was momentarily startled.
He realized that Loki was beginning to lose confidence even in himself.
If this continued, the boy might collapse completely.
So Odin waved his hand quickly and declared in a decisive voice:
"I will personally handle Loki's punishment."
Then he added in a commanding tone:
"You are all dismissed."
As soon as the rulers heard this, they began departing one after another—but not before seizing the opportunity to mock Loki.
Some laughed and said:
"Look at the mess you created for yourself, you fool."
Others sneered:
"You deserve whatever happens to you."
Loki remained standing in place, watching them leave, his eyes filled with confusion and heartbreak.
After everyone had gone…
Odin dispersed the storm that had covered Asgard.
The black clouds parted.
The lightning ceased.
And the winds grew still.
Then Odin descended slowly from the sky, shaking his head as though burdened with regret, and said in a calm voice concealing profound cunning:
"That fool Poseidon… he always does this. He's forever causing trouble for everyone."
He sighed and added, as if he bore no responsibility for what had happened:
"He is truly an irresponsible man."
Loki looked at Odin with overwhelming relief, as though a crushing weight had finally been lifted from his chest. In a hesitant voice filled with hope, he asked:
"So… I didn't do that, right?"
Odin nodded calmly and replied reassuringly:
"That's right. You did nothing wrong. Everything that happened was the result of that fool Poseidon's lie… and the worst part is that the other rulers believed him as well."
Then he shook his head with feigned sorrow and added:
"What a disgrace."
Loki's eyes immediately ignited with determination, and he said eagerly:
"Then let's expose him! Let's tell all the rulers the truth! I don't want to appear as both a liar and a scoundrel on this island."
He sighed in frustration and added sarcastically:
"I only want one bad reputation… not two."
Odin looked at Loki and saw the unmistakable resolve in his eyes.
Within his mind, his thoughts began moving swiftly.
If he allowed Loki to confront Poseidon directly, everything might be exposed.
And Poseidon, foolish as he was, might reveal the truth in a moment of anger or fear. If that happened, Odin would be exposed before everyone as the true deceiver.
The situation had to be guided carefully.
And since Poseidon was already a fool…
Adding the title of "liar" would do him no harm.
Odin looked at Loki and said, shaking his head with counterfeit wisdom:
"Not now, Loki… not yet."
Then he continued in a calm tone:
"First, we must understand why Poseidon said such things."
Loki immediately understood. His eyes widened with admiration until they seemed to sparkle like stars.
He exclaimed excitedly:
"Ah! That's why you didn't expose him in front of everyone! You want to uncover what he's planning!"
Odin slowly nodded.
Inside, he thought with amusement:
"This fool asks the question and answers it himself… even filling in the gaps I leave behind. If I didn't know he was innocent, I would think he was helping me."
Odin nearly laughed, but concealed it behind a serious expression before saying:
"Let us set this matter aside for now… and examine the treasures you brought."
The moment he finished speaking, a powerful wind swept through the area.
Within moments, the treasures Loki had brought appeared before them:
The three legendary flowers…
And the ancient sword he had stolen from the demi-humans using the sister of their king.
Odin examined the sword first.
He could feel the tremendous power sleeping within it.
Then he turned his gaze toward the three flowers.
He remained silent for several moments, deep in thought, before saying in a low voice:
"We must discover a way to make these flowers multiply…"
A smile of ambition spread across his face as he continued:
"So that we may cultivate an entire field of legendary flowers."
(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]