Silence enveloped the mess of the Golden Palace's corridors.
Odin's final proposal was an open gamble. He handed the choice to Lin Huai: either take on this hot potato, become the tutor to the princes of the Divine Kingdom, and gain Asgard's friendship and assistance; or refuse, get lost with his secrets, and never be welcome in Asgard again.
Thor and Loki also stopped their acting, watching this scene tensely. One's face was written with confusion and bewilderment, while the other had expectations hidden in his eyes—he really wanted to see this mortal who had exposed his identity be kicked out decisively by his father.
Lin Huai let out a long sigh.
"I understand," Lin Huai finally spoke, looking up with a calm expression. "This is only natural. After all, guiding the key characters in a play to fulfill their respective missions is an essential part of a proper performance."
In a tone half-joking and half-serious, he added to Odin:
"Though I must admit, the two 'leads' you've given me don't have a very good foundation. Especially the parts of the script regarding their character growth... it's written rather poorly."
"Mortal, what nonsense are you spouting!" Loki could no longer restrain himself. He dropped all pretenses and shouted, "A mere Midgardian bug dares to meddle in the royal family's affairs? On what basis do you 'guide' us?"
"On the basis that I see more clearly than you, Second Prince." The smile on Lin Huai's face didn't fade as he turned to look Loki straight in the eye.
"For example," Lin Huai's voice was soft, but his words startled Loki, "that clumsy performance of being attacked just now. You used your familiarity with the secret passages of the Divine Realm to intentionally let that squad of Frost Giants in. Your goal was to use them to stage a drama of 'brothers uniting against an external foe' in front of your father, adding chips to your gamble for the throne."
Thor was shocked upon hearing this and suddenly turned to glare at Loki: "Loki! Is what he said true?! You let enemies into Asgard?!"
"Of course it's false! It's just a mortal's attempt to sow discord. Brother, how can you believe him!" Loki's expression shifted, but he still stubbornly retorted.
"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Huai added unhurriedly, "Your acting is indeed good, but the details are full of holes. For instance, although you appeared heroic, every one of your attacks precisely avoided the Frost Giants' hearts, necks, and other fatal spots. Instead, you were herding them into Thor's line of attack."
"The number of illusions you created was too many and too flashy. Rather than a life-and-death struggle, it was more like showing off your magic skills on a stage."
"Most importantly, the timing of your 'injury' was too coincidental. It happened exactly one second before the last Frost Giant was smashed into ice shards by Thor's thunder. This kind of textbook plot of sacrificing a supporting character to highlight the protagonist... is too cliché, Prince Loki."
Every word from Lin Huai precisely peeled away Loki's little tricks—which he thought were seamless—layer by layer, exposing them before everyone.
Loki's lips trembled. He wanted to argue, but found himself unable to. All his inner thoughts had been seen through by this mortal!
"Enough, Loki."
An old and majestic voice interrupted Loki's futile defense.
It was Odin on the throne who spoke. Odin did not expose his second son's lie, but merely looked at Loki with his one eye.
"Sometimes, an excellent Spectator can always see through a clumsy performance."
Odin's words were nonchalant, making Loki realize that his little cleverness had not only been seen through by that mortal, but his father... had also seen it all from start to finish!
After firmly establishing Lin Huai's status, Odin leaned on the Eternal Spear and slowly stood up from the throne. His body was still tall, but everyone could see the lack of strength. His Odinsleep had been interrupted for too long.
"From this day forth," Odin's voice was majestic, "this wise man, Mr. Lin Huai, shall be the tutor for the two of you. His words are equivalent to my will."
He struck the Eternal Spear against the ground, and a golden energy ripple spread out, making the entire hall hum and vibrate.
"Thor," Odin's gaze first fell upon his eldest son, "I see your changes, but it is not enough. Power has returned to you, but wisdom and humility have not. You must learn to use your head, not just your hammer, to think about what it means to protect."
"Loki," his gaze turned to his second son, "your wisdom is a match for any monarch, but your heart is full of jealousy and lies. Only when you can face your own heart honestly will you truly be qualified to stand by my side."
After speaking, Odin's tall body swayed suddenly, almost unable to stand steady. He felt a wave of exhaustion.
He gazed at Lin Huai with his one eye, his expression solemn, with the intent of entrusting his children to him.
"My children... I leave them in your hands."
As soon as he finished speaking, his body decomposed into golden spots of light and disappeared from the throne, returning to the deep sleep needed to recover his strength over a long period.
Odin departed, leaving only Lin Huai and the two princes with different expressions in the hall.
A new, tense, and eerie power triangle had formed.
"Alright, Your Highnesses." Lin Huai spoke first, clapping his hands.
"Since your father has already arranged a position for me, then our first lesson begins now."
He walked in front of Thor and Loki, circling them once while scrutinizing them with his gaze.
"Your first lesson is very simple. It's not about learning to fight or rule, but to observe."
"Observe?" Thor asked, puzzled.
"Exactly." Lin Huai snapped his fingers. "Starting tomorrow, for a whole day, you are not allowed to use any divine power. As the most ordinary Asgardians, you will observe. Observe how the guards of the Bifrost Bridge change shifts, observe how the Golden Palace's maids clean the corridors, and observe how those passing Artificers polish a piece of masonry."
He looked at their increasingly confused faces and smiled.
"One of you only sees glory and battle; the other only sees shadows and schemes. Your eyes have long been blinded by your own obsessions; you see nothing."
"So, before learning how to 'rule', first learn how to'see'."
After announcing his first 'instruction', Lin Huai ignored the two of them and turned to walk toward the guest room arranged for him, humming an unknown tune.
Leaving Thor standing there, beginning to ponder, showing a true desire for knowledge for the first time.
Meanwhile, Loki stared at Lin Huai's back, his eyes filled with anger and resentment.