Meanwhile, in Asgard...
Heimdall walked calmly through the streets of the island's only city, greeting everyone he passed. In return, the people welcomed him with warm smiles and deep respect.
All the inhabitants of Asgard shared the same bloodline, and the Rulers held a place of great honor in the hearts of their people.
But such status meant very little to Heimdall.
To him...
Every person in Asgard was important.
Everyone deserved respect, regardless of their position.
That was why he treated all people equally, without arrogance or pride.
After walking for some time, Heimdall arrived at Volund's workshop.
The rhythmic sound of hammers echoed throughout the forge as sparks flew from molten metal, filling the workshop with intense heat.
He entered with a smile and greeted his friend.
"I haven't seen you in quite a while, my friend."
His gaze then swept across the enormous piles of spears and weapons scattered throughout the workshop.
With a smile, he added,
"Still busy forging all those spears?"
Volund lifted his head from the anvil, set his hammer aside, and stopped working.
A broad grin spread across his face as he looked at Heimdall.
"Oh... Heimdall."
"So you've finally climbed down from your lofty tower, you bastard."
He shook his head before continuing,
"Where have you been all these past few days?"
"I needed your help with something important."
Before Heimdall could ask what he meant...
Volund bent down beside a nearby wooden crate and pulled out a newly forged bow.
He handed it to Heimdall proudly.
"What do you think of this weapon?"
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
"It's even better than the bow you're carrying now."
Heimdall accepted the bow and examined it carefully.
After a moment, he looked back at Volund with a calm smile.
"Volund..."
"Both bows are made from exactly the same metal."
He slowly turned the bow in his hands before continuing,
"The only thing you've changed is its appearance."
"And you know that very well."
The smile disappeared from Volund's face.
He let out an irritated sigh.
"I know..."
"But I can't help it."
His eyes drifted toward the blazing furnaces inside the workshop.
"This is the only metal I have available right now."
"If only I had even slightly better material..."
"I could forge Divine Weapons with ease."
Heimdall smiled and gently patted his friend's shoulder.
"Don't be discouraged, Volund."
"And don't forget..."
"You've already created some Divine Weapons."
His smile widened.
"Pandora's Box, for example."
"And while the weapons you've forged for us—the new Rulers—may not equal Ruler Odin's spear or shield..."
"They're not much weaker, either."
He then lifted the bow slung across his back with a grateful smile.
"I actually came here today to thank you."
"Thank you for this bow... and for my arrows."
"I used them just a little while ago."
"They performed magnificently."
He chuckled.
"I almost managed to hit that person."
Volund looked at him curiously and folded his arms across his chest.
"Which person are you talking about?"
"And who forced you to use your arrows with that much power?"
Before Heimdall could answer...
His eyes fell upon someone walking down the street toward them.
A bright smile immediately spread across his face.
He raised his hand and called out loudly,
"Brother!"
"Brother, come over here!"
The figure gradually approached.
It was...
Sol, the Ruler of the Sun.
Heimdall looked at him happily.
"What brings you to the city at this hour?"
"Weren't you away supervising the training of the young Rulers with the potential to become future rulers?"
Sol looked first at Heimdall, then at Volund.
He approached them with calm, measured steps, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Then he laughed softly.
"Oh..."
"So it's Heimdall and Volund?"
"The two busiest people in all of Asgard are standing right in front of me!"
He laughed again as his gaze shifted between them.
"How fortunate..."
"It seems I've met both of you at exactly the right time."
Heimdall looked at his brother with a faint smile before asking,
"What is it, Sol?"
"What brings you to the city today?"
"Did something happen?"
"Has one of the children finally awakened their power?"
Sol calmly shook his head.
"No, Brother."
A look of admiration appeared on his face as he continued,
"But I am impressed by one of them."
Heimdall raised an eyebrow with interest.
Sol continued,
"It's true that he's physically weak—far weaker than most children his age."
"But he is truly strong."
Heimdall looked directly at his brother and asked,
"Is it Thor's son?"
Sol nodded.
"Yes."
"That boy possesses an extraordinary determination."
"He never gives up."
"He continues training even when it seems impossible for him."
After a moment of thought, Volund looked at Sol and said,
"He's just like his father, isn't he?"
Smiling, Sol nodded once more before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Yes."
"But if he had inherited his father's talent and physical strength as well..."
"He would have become a force to be reckoned with."
Silence settled over them for a few moments.
Then Sol cautiously glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear.
He stepped closer to the other two and lowered his voice.
"By the way..."
"Have either of you heard the latest news?"
Volund looked at him curiously and shook his head.
"No."
"So what's the news?"
"Is it about the war in the Fallen Islands?"
"Or did the Three Seers reveal something new?"
Sol quickly shook his head.
"No, no."
"That's not it."
His voice dropped even lower.
"I happened to find out why Thor got married all those years ago."
"And I also discovered why he let his wife leave Asgard after she gave birth to their son."
The moment Sol finished speaking...
Heimdall's expression changed.
He looked at his brother seriously.
"Sol..."
"Stop."
"This is none of our business."
Sol raised an eyebrow.
"You really don't want to hear it?"
"Don't you want to know why Thor's wife left Asgard after giving birth to his child?"
Heimdall firmly shook his head.
His voice grew slightly sharper as irritation became visible on his face.
"Stop this, Sol."
"Don't interfere in other people's affairs."
"Thor himself doesn't wish to speak about it."
"And we should respect that."
"We shouldn't chase rumors or try to uncover matters that don't concern us."
Sol sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
"All right... all right."
Then he smiled at his brother.
"You're right."
"You care more about following the rules and respecting others than anyone I've ever known."
He laughed.
"If someone asked me who the most honorable person in this world is..."
"The one with the finest character..."
"I would answer without hesitation..."
"Heimdall."
Volund, meanwhile, looked at Heimdall with exaggerated disappointment.
"But... I wanted to hear those rumors."
Heimdall gave him a calm look before turning to leave.
"Then the two of you can stay here and talk about whatever you like."
"As for me..."
"I have something I need to do."
With that, he quietly walked away.
He was on his way to find Thor.
He knew that if Sol continued spreading this story, the rumors would quickly spread throughout Asgard.
And in Heimdall's opinion, Thor had the right to know before the rumors grew any further.
As for Sol...
It never even crossed his mind that his own brother would betray his confidence by going to inform Thor.
He simply assumed Heimdall had left because he didn't want to listen to their conversation.
Smiling, Sol turned toward Volund and said excitedly,
"All right..."
"Everything I heard about Thor and his wife..."
He leaned in much closer, lowering his voice to little more than a whisper.
"I heard it from..."
Not.
The Ruler of Night.
(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]