Entering the library, Harvey finally realized just how terrifying the sheer number of books in Asgard was.
Everywhere his eyes landed, there were ancient books saturated with magical auras.
Inside the spacious and bright library, over thirty sandalwood bookshelves stood packed to the brim.
The tens of thousands of grimoires before him left Harvey dazzled.
"Heimdall? What brings you here?"
A young woman wearing a classical silk gown, possessing a graceful figure and a beautiful face, looked at Heimdall with a look of confusion.
This radiant girl was named Iden, the legendary Goddess of Youth in Norse mythology, as well as a famous physician and librarian of Asgard.
Like Heimdall, she hailed from the Vanir.
Since Iden and Heimdall were close in age, they were essentially childhood sweethearts who grew up together.
Consequently, she harbored a certain unspoken affection for him.
However, Odin the All-Father had arranged a marriage for Heimdall over five hundred years ago.
Now, his son Axl was already over a hundred years old.
Thus, under normal circumstances, Iden's secret crush was destined to lead nowhere.
But now, this Heimdall was Harvey in disguise.
Since he intended to spend a long time in the library stealing the knowledge of the Runes, he had to find a way to get on good terms with this Goddess of Youth who guarded the Omniscient Library.
So, Harvey put on a grave expression and said, "Iden, did Thor just come to you for help in treating a Midgardian?"
Iden, not knowing the context, nodded and said:
"That Midgardian woman has been invaded by a mysterious power. I can't even find the cause of the illness in the short term. Why do you ask?"
Harvey hesitated, acting as if it were difficult to speak.
Iden noticed her childhood friend's struggle. A flash of inspiration hit her, and she seemed to understand something as she whispered tentatively:
"I noticed Prince Thor is very concerned about that Midgardian woman. Is there something wrong with her identity?"
Harvey looked around mysteriously, and after confirming no one was there, he lowered his voice and said:
"That woman from Midgard is Thor's girlfriend. If the All-Father found out, he would surely be in a towering rage."
Hearing such juicy gossip involving a prince's infidelity, Iden exclaimed, "What? This... doesn't the Prince's fiancée, Sif, care?"
Harvey shook his head slowly and explained, "Sif is only the fiancée the All-Father verbally promised to Prince Thor. Her status isn't even official yet; how would she dare control the Prince's romantic affairs?"
Iden recalled something and said in sudden realization, "No wonder Sif has been looking so gloomy for the past two years."
"So she found out long ago that Prince Thor was running off to Midgard to have secret trysts with another woman..."
The fastest way to bond with a woman, besides the simple and brutal method of going to bed, is to chat about gossip.
Thus, in order to build rapport with the girl guarding the library, Harvey spent three solid hours gossiping.
"If Prince Thor is so obsessed with women, should I help Sif drive that Midgardian woman away?"
"Absolutely not. That's Prince Thor's family business; intervening rashly will only bring us massive trouble."
"If a heart-broken Prince decides to hold us responsible, we won't be able to handle the consequences!"
"It seems we can only watch from the sidelines and wait for the All-Father to wake up and handle these family matters..."
"Wait!" Harvey asked, feigning confusion. "Why wait for the All-Father to wake up? Is the All-Father's lifespan reaching its end?"
"Shh—!" Iden hurriedly reached out and covered Harvey's mouth, stopping him from continuing.
Iden was terrified by Heimdall's boldness. If their private discussion about the All-Father being cursed was discovered, both of them would face severe punishment.
Harvey, playing the part of a man with nothing to lose, intended to get a clear answer.
"We've known each other for so many years. Tell me secretly: has the All-Father fallen into the Odinsleep to delay the end of his life?"
Iden shrank her neck, her eyes darting toward the palace entrance.
Fortunately, Asgardians were almost all meatheads; practically no one could sit still and study.
Therefore, the library was rarely visited.
But she still spoke with extreme caution:
"Don't make wild guesses. The state of the All-Father's body is a secret; I cannot speak of it."
If it needs to be a secret, it seems the old man Odin really is about to die.
Harvey deliberately put on a grateful face and thanked her: "Thank you for your trust. I will never leak the news that the All-Father's life is nearing its end. Don't worry."
Iden was completely stunned and asked foolishly, "How do you know the All-Father's life is ending?"
Harvey said with feigned sadness, "Sigh. I didn't know before, but now I can finally be certain. The All-Father's body is likely failing."
"If the All-Father goes to Valhalla, I can't even imagine how that unreliable Prince will lead us through Ragnarok when it arrives."
Having her secret exposed in one go, Iden said uneasily, "I beg you, stop talking. Aren't you afraid of being locked in Hel?"
Harvey said nonchalantly, "What's there to fear? The All-Father is in the Odinsleep. If we don't look for a way out in advance, what happens when Ragnarok falls?"
"Are we to rely on that brainless brute Thor for salvation?"
These insolent words made Iden's heart tremble with fear.
Heimdall had never spoken such outrageous things before; today, he was like a completely different person.
Iden peeked toward the palace entrance again, terrified that the Einherjar would suddenly burst in and drag them to Hel.
When she saw a silhouette actually flicker at the door, Iden shivered and shouted a warning:
"Heimdall, are you drunk?"
"Noise is forbidden in the library. A delirious drunkard like you should go back and rest immediately!"
Harvey looked toward where she was staring.
A familiar muscular blonde man, swinging his hammer, descended from the sky and landed at the entrance of the Omniscient Palace.
Thor, the God of Thunder, hurried into the library and shouted with his booming voice, "Physician Iden, come quickly and check on Jane. Her condition has worsened again!"
As a physician dedicated to saving lives, Iden breathed a sigh of relief; luckily, Thor hadn't heard the previous conversation.
"I understand."
Thor stepped further into the library and only then spotted Heimdall. However, his mind was entirely occupied by Jane's illness, so he didn't think much of it and didn't ask questions, hurriedly leaving with Iden.
The reason they left so easily was also because Heimdall had guarded Asgard for over six hundred years.
It never crossed their minds that this Heimdall was an impostor.
And so, Harvey rubbed his hands in excitement, strode to the bookshelves, and focused on finding grimoires regarding the Runes.
The Book of Odin, a volume written by the All-Father himself regarding occult knowledge.
The Book of Ymir, a volume introducing the origin of the giants and the relationships between the gods of Asgard.
History of Valhalla, a record of Asgard's history and the deeds of the heroes who entered Valhalla.
There was also the Vanaheim Grimoire, Yggdrasil and the Nine Realms, Brief Discourse on Runic Magic, Relationship Between Prophecy and Fate, and so on.