"Gundam?"
Not only the elves, but even the dwarves had never heard the word.
Iron Hammer stared at Garfield in a daze. "Your Highness… what exactly is a Gundam?"
Garfield struggled mightily, finally prying two paws free from Angie's arms.
With a flick of magic, luminous projections unfolded in the air, sleek silhouettes one after another… Assault, Thunder, Freedom.
"Listen well, you ignorant youths." Garfield declared solemnly. "Allow me to enlighten you."
He gestured dramatically at the floating designs. "This is a general-purpose tactical humanoid mobile weapon."
"There is a cockpit inside, only intelligent beings or autonomous machines may operate it. It fights across the stars, charges through the void, and dominates battlefields with elegance and violence alike."
Garfield's voice grew increasingly impassioned.
"This is the romance of men. The steel throne of warriors. The cockpit of the strong among women."
A great many words followed.
Very great many.
When Garfield finally finished his impassioned explanation, Iron Hammer fell silent for a moment before responding calmly. "This structure is too tall and unsuitable for frontal combat."
"The internal space is insufficient to accommodate a space-jump device. The internal framework is also… rather outdated."
He thought for a moment, then added honestly. "As a toy, it is acceptable."
Fran, the younger elf, tilted her head and examined the projection with a critical eye.
"The body is bulky." She said flatly. "It lacks aesthetic refinement and elegance. My magic puppets are far more pleasing to look at."
"The cockpit space is wasteful, installing a magic crystal array for long-range spellcasting would be far more practical."
"…" Garfield suddenly remembered something important.
These were not amateurs.
One race was the most famous mechanical foundry in the universe. The others were masters of magical construction and arcane engineering.
Compared to them, he was merely an ignorant little orange cat from the internet of a small village.
Fine, Garfield thought darkly. One day, I will fill the sky with Gundam's and Star Destroyers.
You will cry, clutch my thighs, and beg for forgiveness.
Iron Hammer coughed lightly and brought the discussion back on track.
"Your Highness, such things are ultimately toys. What you truly need is a divine costume suited to your godhood."
Right.
Divine costume.
Garfield immediately abandoned Gundam.
"So." He asked, "Is there a type that covers the whole body when divine power is activated, like Thor's or Loki's?"
Iron Hammer nodded. "Correct. Similar to Prince Thor's."
He did not mention Loki at all, a silence that spoke volumes about Loki's popularity.
"The divine costume must be customized according to your divine attribute and growth potential." Iron Hammer continued.
"You must be present during the forging process. It will also require a period of synchronization and adjustment before it can be finalized."
The craftsman's technical terminology hit Garfield like a wall of runes.
After a brief pause, Garfield came to a decision.
"I understand." He said. "I will accompany you to the Star Ring within three days after the banquet."
With his primary objective achieved, Iron Hammer was visibly pleased.
He promptly joined Thor's increasingly chaotic wine-fighting circle, where shouting, laughter, and overturned goblets reigned supreme.
As for Garfield…
He remained firmly under the control of two fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged elf women.
Elves were mysterious, powerful, and seemingly detached from worldly affairs.
But when angered, they were far more terrifying than Asgardians. And angry women were fundamentally unreasonable beings.
No sane creature would provoke them.
Many guests wished to approach Garfield, but none dared interrupt the elves. In the end, they could only leave reluctantly.
After all…
When the forest is large, there are all kinds of birds. And when the pigsty is large, all kinds of pigs arrive.
Garfield noticed a particularly unwelcome group among the guests, those winged beings from Silver City.
He did not know what Odin had been thinking when he invited them.
According to orthodox records, the relationship between Asgard and Silver City was strained at best.
There had been no large-scale wars, but minor conflicts were far from rare. Trade was nonexistent, and years could pass without a single formal exchange.
In the comics, Odin once sent his daughter away, what he had been thinking at the time was anyone's guess.
In this particular time and space, Garfield did not yet know whether history had followed the same path.
Still struggling silently in the embrace of the two elf girls, Garfield sensed a shift in the air.
A tall, dark-skinned man with vast black wings approached.
Fran and Angie both frowned at once, their displeasure obvious.
One of the winged ones was unsurprised by the elves' reaction.
In that distant era, when Silver City believed the universe should follow a single divine will, their ideological conflict with the elves had escalated into open confrontation.
Had Odin not intervened at the height of that war, only one faction might have survived.
As for casualties…
One side possessed the Spring of Reincarnation. The other enjoyed the blessing of the World Tree.
Few had truly died, but grudges had taken root all the same.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Garfield," The winged man said calmly. "I am Amenadiel of Silver City. This is my sister, Angela."
Garfield scratched his head. Right… this mess again.
Originally, Silver City belonged to DC's cosmology. Marvel's winged ones had never been able to challenge Odin directly.
Angela, in particular, was Odin's youngest daughter, later stolen by the treacherous Angel Queen after Odin defeated her in battle.
At that time, the World Tree held Ten Realms.
The Angel Queen's domain had been the Tenth. Believing his daughter dead, Odin exiled the Tenth Realm beyond the World Tree into other dimensions.
Cut off from its resources, the realm declined. Angela was raised by the enraged Queen to become an assassin, one trained to kill Odin himself.
Later, father and daughter reunited. Angela left Silver City, wandered the universe, and eventually befriended Moondragon, Drax's daughter.
One more detail of note… Angela preferred women.
"Welcome, guests of Silver City." Garfield said politely. "May I ask what business you have with me?"
Amenadiel smiled warmly.
"Our father sends his regards. He hopes that, should Your Highness have the time, you might be willing to speak with us."
Garfield's expression froze briefly.
Another big-shot looking for me? What exactly do I have that makes them all queue up like this?
Odin's sons were hardly unknown, yet Thor and Loki had not received such invitations.
Fran and Angie exchanged a glance.
Angie lowered her head and whispered to Garfield, still holding him firmly. "If you ever visit our elven kingdom, we have many cats."
After speaking, she lifted her gaze and shot Amenadiel and Angela a deliberately provocative look.
Amenadiel, accustomed to centuries of political friction, merely smiled in response.
Angela, however, clearly new to such diplomacy, bristled instantly.
Their gazes collided.
A faint crack of thunder echoed. Divine energy stirred visibly behind both women.
This is getting dangerous, Garfield thought.
As one of the hosts, he could not allow the situation to escalate. So he used the most reliable solution available.
"THOR." Garfield roared, his voice carrying like a beast's bellow.
"SOMEONE WANTS TO CHALLENGE YOU TO A DRINKING CONTEST."
The entire banquet hall fell silent. All eyes turned.
From the crowd emerged Thor, wine sloshing in his massive goblet, his steps unsteady but confident.
He took one look at the scene, his brow twitching slightly.
He drained another mouthful of wine and stepped forward.
First, he glanced at Amenadiel. Then, he looked at Angie, Fran, and the visibly coiled Angela.
Thor grinned broadly.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream