With the promise made, her heart eased slightly.
Once the spirit she had been forcing herself to maintain relaxed, a deeper exhaustion washed over her limbs like a tide.
Artoria leaned against Minerva's shoulder, almost able to hear her own bones groaning in desire for total relaxation.
She forced herself to lift her head and gave Minerva a smile heavy with fatigue: "Let's... sleep. This time, it's my turn."
Minerva's optical sensor flickered slightly, seemingly failing to grasp the meaning of "my turn," but she still obediently supported the unsteady Artoria as they walked toward the large, soft bed.
By custom, she would stand guard by the bedside or enter low-power standby mode on the soft couch outside.
However, Artoria stopped by the bed, turned, extended her arms, and with a gentle but unquestionable firmness, wrapped them around Minerva's waist, then pulled her... onto the bed.
"Tonight," Artoria's voice was slightly slurred with sleepiness, yet exceptionally clear, "you sleep here. I'll hold you while we sleep."
Minerva's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Definitions and protocols regarding "sleep" were rapidly retrieved from her database.
She had no need for conventional sleep, only periodic low-power maintenance, and any safe, stable surface would suffice.
But "being held while sleeping"... this was entirely outside the scope of her standard behavioral modules.
"Logical analysis: There is no direct data supporting that this action will improve your sleep quality, and it may affect your rest due to my slight movements while in a non-sleep state. I suggest following the original protocol." Minerva attempted to offer a rational suggestion.
"Don't analyze, Minerva." Artoria already had her eyes half-closed, leaning almost her entire weight against Minerva, her chin resting on her shoulder.
Her voice was muffled, carrying a stubbornness that was almost like acting like a spoiled child, "I want it this way. This is an order... the highest priority kind."
She used the word "order," even though her tone was soft and lacked any deterrent force.
In the dim light, Minerva's optical sensor quietly observed Artoria's profile, which was inches away and etched with exhaustion and an irrefutable determination.
Among her core protocols, "accept and prioritize the execution of Artoria's commands" was one of the highest principles, even if the command was not the optimal solution logically.
Furthermore, the new guideline regarding "self-preservation" did not conflict with this, and... Frigga's words about "feeling" and "responding" seemed to stir an imperceptible ripple in the depths of her processor.
"...Understood."
She stopped resisting and let Artoria pull her down onto the soft, fluffy bed.
Almost immediately, like a cat that had found its nest, Artoria skillfully adjusted her posture, turned on her side, and pulled Minerva into her embrace, letting her back press against her chest, her arms circling her waist to enclose her completely.
Then, she let out a sigh of satisfaction, buried her face in Minerva's cool yet soft and smooth silver hair, and took a deep breath, as if this scent were the best sedative.
Minerva's body was stiff at first, her perfect bionic joints maintaining a standard functional posture.
But soon, wrapped in Artoria's steady, deepening breathing and warm body temperature, her precise sensors fed back data such as "protected," "surrounded," and "environmental safety index extremely high."
She slowly and very slightly relaxed her muscle simulation system, adjusting to a posture more suitable for being held that would not make Artoria uncomfortable.
She did not shut down her optical sensor, only dimmed its brightness to the lowest level, like two tiny blue stars quietly flickering in the darkness, reflecting the trajectory of the eternal starlight flowing on the walls outside the window.
She could "feel" Artoria's steady and powerful heartbeat coming from behind, and could "hear" her light and long-drawn breathing.
She could "analyze" the arms holding her—though slender, they carried a protective force that refused to let go.
This felt... different from the feeling of her protecting Artoria under the "protection" protocol.
This was a feeling of being taken under someone's wing, being cherished and treasured...
(... "Love"?)
This term, which could not be fully defined by logic, once again surfaced at the edge of her data processing stream.
She could not parse it, but she no longer rejected it.
She simply remained quiet, maintained this posture, and recorded this unique parameter of "serenity" that enveloped her body and mind, as if running a brand-new, undefined observation program.
The night was deep, the starlight quiet.
In the room, there were only two intertwining sounds of breathing, one deep and one shallow, one warm and one cool, yet strangely harmonious, sinking together into a dreamless peace.
In the following days, Asgard operated with a solemn and efficient rhythm to repair the wounds of war.
Artoria and Minerva were in no rush to leave.
For one, Artoria's body and magic needed time to fully recover, and for another, the magic exchanges with Frigga and further exploration of the library had been immensely beneficial.
She gained a more systematic and in-depth understanding of Asgard's rune system, even attempting to combine some concepts with her own analytical perspective as the Herrscher of Truth and her Saber-class magic applications, exploring some unique, low-consumption, high-precision tricks.
Thor did not lock himself away again.
He began to appear throughout the Golden Palace, silently participating in repair work, talking with craftsmen, learning about losses from commanders, and even taking the initiative to visit wounded soldiers.
He still didn't speak much, and his brow remained heavy with lingering sorrow and grief, but the dead, vacant look in his eyes had been replaced by a calm and resolute pain, as if all his emotions had been internalized and transformed into a kind of momentum to move forward.
He occasionally encountered Artoria; the two would only nod simply in greeting, with no need for more words, but that extraordinary trust and understanding built in desperate straits already existed.
Odin's figure, however, rarely appeared in daily affairs.
He seemed to spend more time deep within the Golden Palace, together with Frigga, dealing with the more profound and complex repercussions brought about by the breaking of the Bifrost—the potential turmoil caused by the temporary interruption of the Nine Realms' connections, the covetous eyes of other forces, and... how to rebuild or replace this vital passage.
Yet, the majesty of the All-Father shrouded Asgard, allowing all repair work to proceed in an orderly fashion.
The day before Artoria felt she had recovered enough and was ready to bid farewell to Odin and Frigga to return to Earth, she was summoned by the All-Father once again, the location still the same side hall.
This time, Odin was not alone; Frigga was there too.
The two sat above, their presence heavy and composed.
Thor also stood to one side; although his expression remained somber, his posture was upright, and he had regained some of his former bearing.
"Traveler," Odin spoke first, his single eye fixed on Artoria, "you extended a helping hand during Asgard's time of crisis, demonstrating wisdom, courage, and pure goodwill. Asgard will keep this friendship in its heart."
His voice was grand and solemn: "Asgard is never stingy toward its friends. Based on your actions, and Frigga's recognition of you, I, Odin, the All-Father, King of Asgard, hereby bestow upon you—"
He raised the Eternal Spear, the tip tracing an arcane trajectory in the air.
A speck of golden light, pure as the dawn and containing supreme majesty and blessings, detached from the spear tip and flew slowly toward Artoria, hovering before her to form a complex and sacred phantom emblem interwoven with rune symbols and star patterns.
"The title and mark of 'Friend of Asgard' for Artoria. This name has been entered into the lineage of Asgard's World Tree, and this mark contains the blessings and glimmer of Asgard."
Odin's voice, like the proclamation of law, resonated through the hall, and it seemed to leave a record on some higher-dimensional level:
"From this point on, wherever the laws of the Nine Realms reach, you shall be under the intangible protection of the name of Asgard. Those who maliciously pry into your fate shall be interfered with; those who attempt to harm your essence with curses or evil magic shall suffer backlash; when you are in desperate straits and your heart turns toward Asgard, this mark may draw upon a thread of starlight power to guide you or temporarily delay a crisis. This is one of the highest courtesies Asgard extends to its dearest friends."
The phantom of the golden emblem slowly sank into the center of Artoria's brow and disappeared.
Artoria felt her soul tremble slightly, as if gently enveloped by an intangible radiance that was extremely warm, vast, yet devoid of compulsion.
An indescribable sense of peace and "being recognized" welled up within her.
She could feel that this was not some powerful enhancement of strength, but more like the granting of an "identity" and the marking of a "stance," a heavy promise of friendship and protection from the ancient realm of gods.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Majesty." Artoria suppressed the tremor in her heart and bowed solemnly.
The value of this gift was immeasurable.
It meant that in her future travels, she had gained an intangible amulet and a firm karmic connection with Asgard.
"This is what you deserve, child," Frigga smiled, her eyes full of gratification.
Odin nodded slightly and continued: "Furthermore, Thor has informed us that your World has its unique aspects in the application of energy and matter, especially... being skilled in forging and creation."
His single eye glanced at Minerva, who stood quietly behind Artoria: "The craftsmanship of your companion's body is already extraordinary. However, as Asgard has waged war across the Nine Realms, we have also collected and refined many unique materials. Some of them may be of help to your 'creations'."
He raised his hand, and the court steward standing to the side stepped forward, holding in his hands a small metal box that appeared unremarkable but radiated spatial fluctuations.
"Inside this box are ten pounds of stardust, refined from the core of fallen stars, extremely pure with high energy affinity; five pounds of Uru alloy raw ore, unforged, but you may already know its basic characteristics; three Void Crystals, products of dimensional rifts, which can be used to stabilize space or amplify specific energies; and a small amount of Eternal Flame embers, a controllable high-level energy source—use with caution. These are a practical gift from Asgard to a friend; perhaps you can use them to forge sturdier armor and sharper weapons for your companion, or your other friends."
Artoria's eyes lit up!
stardust, Uru ore, Void Crystals, Eternal Flame embers!
These were top-tier rare materials in the Marvel Universe!
Especially the Uru metal; that was one of the core materials used to forge artifacts like Mjolnir and the Eternal Spear!
Although it was only raw ore, unprocessed by Asgard's unique magic forging techniques, its basic material properties were already treasures unimaginable on Earth!
If Tony saw these, he would absolutely go crazy with joy!
And using them to upgrade Minerva's equipment, or to craft some more suitable "gadgets" for herself, had infinite potential!
"This... is too precious!" Artoria thanked them sincerely.
"Materials only realize their value in the hands of those who know how to use them," Odin said indifferently, "I hope they can serve their proper purpose on your journey. The box itself is imbued with spatial folding and concealment runes to avoid unnecessary attention."
Frigga also added gently: "It will still take some time for Thor to restore the Bifrost... or find an alternative solution. But we have already located the coordinates for Earth and can send you back through a gentler, less resource-intensive temporary star gate. Although it is not as convenient as the Bifrost, it is safe enough. When do you plan to depart?"
Artoria and Minerva exchanged a look, and Artoria said: "If it is convenient, we would like to return tomorrow. There are some things on Earth that need to be dealt with."
"Very well," Odin agreed, "at this time tomorrow, someone will guide you to the star gate."
After bidding farewell to Odin, Frigga, and Thor, Artoria, carrying the heavy metal box, returned to the guest room with Minerva.
Closing the door, Artoria carefully placed the box on the table and opened it.
The interior space was far larger than it appeared from the outside, with those rare materials emitting various glows stored in categorized compartments.
Just being near it, one could feel the massive energy and unique rules contained within.
"Minerva," Artoria stroked the cold Uru raw ore, her eyes flashing with excitement and the light of planning, "after we get back, we'll use these to give you a comprehensive upgrade! And my equipment... we have to share some with Tony, otherwise he'll definitely nag us to death. But, we must first let him research a safe way to process and apply these materials..."
Minerva walked to her side, her optical sensor scanning the materials in the box, quickly analyzing their basic properties: "stardust can optimize energy conduction and storage units, with an estimated efficiency increase of 15%. Uru ore has extremely high physical strength and energy-bearing capacity; it requires specific forging techniques. Preliminary analysis suggests it can be used to reinforce external armor and the main structure of melee weapons. Void Crystals can be attempted to be applied to short-range spatial blinking or shield deflection modules. Eternal Flame embers... a high-risk energy source, requires extremely cautious handling. Potential uses: ultra-high-intensity instantaneous energy output or resistance in special environments."
"That's right!" The more Artoria thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, "We can design the blueprints first, and start once Tony figures out the safe processing methods! Oh, right, I also need to design a few new outfits for you... or rather, new combat suits! They need to be both good-looking and practical!"
Watching Artoria, who rarely showed such a joyful and expectant look, the blue light in Minerva's eyes softened.
She listened quietly to Artoria's plans, occasionally adding a few technical details.
That night, the two slept in each other's arms again.
This time, Minerva seemed to integrate more naturally into the posture of being held, and even... after Artoria fell into a deep sleep and the arm belonging to Artoria that was wrapped around her waist slipped slightly, she adjusted her position ever so slightly to let that arm rest more comfortably, and then continued to maintain her silent, protective "wakefulness."
The final day passed peacefully in the quiet starlight of Asgard.
Artoria made one last trip to the library to copy some basic, general rune and energy theory materials, intending to take them back to Earth for research.
She also said her final goodbyes to Frigga; the Queen of Asgard gifted her a small brooch inlaid with moonstone, claiming it contained one of her protective blessings.
Thor came personally to see them off.
On an open-air platform deep within the Golden Palace, a temporary star gate constructed of pure crystal and engraved with intricate spatial runes had already been activated, emitting a soft, silvery radiance.
"Safe travels, my friend." Thor nodded heavily to Artoria, then looked at Minerva, "And you, Minerva. Thank you for everything you have done."
"Take care, Thor," Artoria smiled, "remember what you said, and remember... you will always be Thor."
Thor's eyes flickered, he gripped mjolnir, and said in a deep voice: "I will."
There were no more parting words.
Artoria and Minerva exchanged a look and stepped hand-in-hand into the silver star gate.
Light swirled, space shifted, and the familiar sensation of weightlessness and traversal washed over them.
When the feeling of solid ground returned, and the soft sound of waves and the familiar scent of sea breeze reached their ears, they were already standing on the terrace of the seaside cottage on Long Island.
The setting sun dyed the sea a warm orange-red, seemingly no different from when they had left.
They were home.
Artoria looked around at this familiar, peaceful scene, then looked at the still-heavy metal box in her hand, and at Minerva, who stood quietly beside her with her silver hair blowing in the sea breeze.
A strange sense of fulfillment and emotion welled up in her heart.
The trip to Asgard had been short but magnificent.
It brought back pain, but also growth; it brought back partings, but also firm friendships and precious gifts.
"We're back, Minerva," she said softly.
"Yes," Minerva responded, her optical sensor reflecting the sunset in the sky and Artoria's profile, "Welcome home, Artoria."
A new chapter might be about to slowly unfold on this Earth—a land that seemed ordinary, yet was equally full of undercurrents.
And they were now better prepared.
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