Chapter 233 Prophecy
The palace in Vanaheim, though not luxurious, was certainly complex and mysterious. Phineas, traveling through it, found many places incredibly fascinating.
He also noticed that compared to Asgard's dual cultivation of science and magic, Vanaheim placed greater emphasis on magic, or what they called sorcery.
Phineas arrived at the palace and met King Njord, only to find him an old man with a full head of white hair, just like Odin, and even looking older than Odin.
"Thank you for coming!"
Njord's attitude was very friendly, and the welcoming ceremony was quite grand.
"Long time no see, son of Odin!"
Thor had indeed been here before; Njord greeted Thor first after descending from the throne.
"Your Majesty!"
Thor returned the greeting with great respect.
After greeting Thor, Njord immediately turned to Phineas, his clear eyes scrutinizing her before he slowly said, "You must be the White Butcher!"
Phineas's face darkened; she resolutely refused to accept the nickname, and replied, "Hello, Your Majesty, I am Phineas Hellscythe, a sorceress from Kamar-Taj."
"Karmar-Taj..."
A familiar look appeared on Njord's face. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, that little girl who came to chat with me before also said she was from here!"
"She's now called the Sorcerer Supreme, I think. Do you know her?"
Phineas was taken aback, looking at Njord. Judging from his words, the Ancient One seemed to know him. She replied, "If her name is Ancient One, then I am her disciple!"
"That's the name!"
Njord nodded, scrutinizing Phineas again, and said, "I didn't expect that in less than a thousand years, so many interesting figures would appear in Midgard."
"And Odin actually gave you that stone!"
Njord said, glancing at Phineas's chest. Although his clothes covered his face, Phineas felt as if Njord's gaze had pierced through him.
Phineas couldn't help but take a small step back. He knew the stone Njord was referring to was the Space Stone, and he realized that the pressure Njord was exerting on him was even greater than that from Odin.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing Phineas's action, Njord laughed, then looked at Hogan, who had followed him in, his expression immediately turning cold. He said, "Don't embarrass Vanaheim outside!"
"Yes!"
Hogan nodded, his face equally expressionless.
Although Vanaheim and Asgard were currently on friendly terms, they were still two separate kingdoms. Hogan, a Vanir god, had become an Asgardian soldier, which meant he wouldn't be favored by Njord.
After exchanging greetings, Njord told Phineas and Thor to rest, as a thank-you banquet would be held that evening.
Upon hearing this news, Finney felt a moment of helplessness. He had thought that given Vanaheim's mysterious nature, the way they expressed gratitude might be different, but it turned out to be a banquet.
Thor, on the other hand, was somewhat expectant. Although he had visited Vanaheim several times, he had never attended a Vanaheim banquet.
On the way to his room to rest, Finney secretly inquired about Njord from Thor.
"I don't know much about it!"
Thor shook his head and replied, "I only know that a long time ago, at least before I was born, Vanaheim and Asgard had a very bad relationship. It seemed to be my father's enemy."
"It wasn't until later, when my father led Asgard to unify the Nine Realms and signed a peace treaty, that the relationship improved."
Finney pondered. Thor's words contained virtually no useful information, and he also knew that the Nine Realms weren't conquered by Odin alone; Hela had also contributed significantly.
Regardless, Njord's strength, even if not as great as Hela and Odin, shouldn't be too far behind. Moreover, he's a magic user, and even the Ancient One came to chat with him, though Finney thinks it's more likely they were discussing magic.
This made Phineas curious about the magic of Vanaheim.
In the evening,
Phineas reluctantly changed his clothes and followed Thor to the banquet hall of the palace. He had expected it to be like Asgard, where everyone would sit down and simply drink and eat, but he was surprised to find it was quite different.
If the atmosphere at an Asgardian banquet was joyful and lively, then the atmosphere in Vanaheim was elegant and noble, leaving Thor, who had entered excitedly ready to feast, momentarily bewildered.
Although it was called a banquet, Phineas felt it was more like a ball on Earth. Almost everyone was dressed to the nines, beautiful music was playing, and people were gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves.
This situation surprised both of them.
Fortunately, although Thor disliked such banquets, as an Asgardian prince, he had received etiquette training from a young age, so he wouldn't embarrass himself.
Phineas was even simpler; his face meant that as long as it conformed to human aesthetic standards, he could never look ugly, no matter what he did.
Although both Thor and Phineas were comfortable in the setting, Thor was still quite dissatisfied, muttering to Phineas, "What's the point of drinking like this? If I'd known it would be like this, I should have gone back sooner!"
Thor had brought Phineas along specifically to experience a Vanaheim banquet, but the outcome was far from what he expected, leaving him extremely disappointed.
"I think it's alright!"
Phineas said nonchalantly. In truth, he didn't particularly enjoy either the Asgardian or Vanaheim banquets, mainly because he disliked drinking.
Only Thor and Phineas were attending the banquet. Hogan, after meeting Njord, had chosen to leave the palace and rejoin the soldiers.
Phineas and Thor noticed his dislike for the place, and Njord's dislike of him, so they didn't stop him.
During the banquet, the two whispered among themselves. Thor kept complaining that the wine wasn't as good as in Asgard, the meat wasn't as tasty, and so on, while Phineas, while offering perfunctory replies, secretly hoped for an opportunity to learn about Vanaheim's magic.
As the two most important people at the banquet, they were constantly being observed by those around them from the moment they arrived. Thor was fine, as many people already knew him.
But Phineas was different; his mysterious origins, immense strength, and handsome appearance attracted everyone's curious gaze.
Just as a group of Vanaheim ladies, possibly hundreds or even thousands of years old, were debating whether to flirt with Thor or Phineas first, Njord's arrival made the choice for them.
"How's it going?"
Njord asked, looking at Phineas and Thor.
"The wine is very good!"
Thor quickly replied.
"Not as good as Asgard's!"
Njord glanced at Thor, seemingly implying something, making Thor a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Njord ignored him and immediately looked at Phineas, asking, "Mind if you'd like to have a private chat with me?"
"Uh!?"
Phineas was slightly surprised, but after looking at Thor, he nodded in agreement: "Okay!"
Following Njord to a quiet garden outside, Phineas was curious about what the other wanted to do with him.
"I once received a prophecy…"
But Njord's words startled Finney.
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( End of Chapter)