Bringing Odin to the suburban manor, the two didn't linger long. Taking advantage of the strong sunlight, which made the light of the Bifrost less noticeable, a beam of light broke through spatial limitations and transported them to Asgard within seconds.
"Welcome, William. This is Asgard."
Odin, who had just been wearing casual clothes, was now clad in golden armor, holding the Eternal Spear like the true king of the divine realm.
Pointing to a black man also dressed in golden armor, he explained, "This is Heimdall, the guardian of the divine realm. In the future, if you want to come to Asgard, it's best to inform Heimdall first."
"No problem," William replied with a smile and nodded. Then, under Odin's knowing and Heimdall's surprised gaze, his figure flickered for just a fraction of a second.
Odin shook his head helplessly. It seemed that if William wanted to leave, no one in the divine realm could stop him.
He waved to Heimdall, signaling him not to inquire further. Some things were better left unsaid in front of William—it was enough just to understand them silently.
That brief moment of teleportation wasn't exactly a secret to Heimdall, who had guarded the Bifrost for countless years and was well-versed in spatial teleportation.
"Welcome, Midgardian. I am Heimdall, the gatekeeper of Asgard."
"I'm honored to meet you, guardian of the divine realm. I am William Devonshire."
Seeing that the two were already acquainted, Odin tapped the Eternal Spear on the surface of the Bifrost three times.
After three deep thuds, the sound of a majestic horn soon echoed from afar. Odin, smiling at William under Heimdall's surprised gaze, said, "Come, William. Asgard has prepared a ceremony to welcome a new friend."
As he followed Odin off the Bifrost, William finally understood why Heimdall had looked so surprised.
From a distance, he could see over a hundred riders in full golden armor, holding massive flags, riding toward them.
Upon seeing Odin, the cavalry reined in their warhorses from afar and saluted him while still mounted. Then, two riders dismounted and led two majestic horses over.
They placed a hand over their hearts in salute to Odin before turning around and waiting for Odin and William to mount.
"You can ride, right?"
Under Odin's teasing gaze, William's hand shimmered with natural magic as he stroked the neck of the all-black warhorse before him.
The horse, which had been a bit restless earlier, quickly calmed down.
More than that, once the magic took effect, the horse affectionately nuzzled William with its head and neighed, urging him to mount.
Seeing his chance to watch a good show disappear, Odin swung onto his pure white eight-legged steed, Sleipnir.
Noting that all the other horses were white except his own, William curled his lip. In the astonished gazes of the Asgardian warriors, his outfit transformed into a full-body suit of golden armor that gleamed brilliantly.
Then, a large crimson cape slowly draped down from his shoulders, fluttering in the wind.
Seeing that the other horses were all outfitted, William had a thought, and his black steed was suddenly clad in a thin, shiny, jet-black armor.
Not stopping there, when William felt that, although his outfit was flashy, it still didn't stand out enough from the Asgardians around him, a flicker of bluish lightning danced across his armor and his horse's barding.
It was like adding a special effect—he instantly outshone all the Asgardians.
While Odin found this amusing, he also thought it was perfectly fitting for a young man in his twenties.
Galloping quickly, they soon arrived outside Odin's golden palace.
Before dismounting, William saw that the palace interior was already packed with people. Following Odin past two lines of fully armored soldiers wielding cold weapons, the group finally dismounted.
William's over-the-top, attention-grabbing attire made Thor and Loki, standing below the throne, visibly uncomfortable.
The Asgardian citizens, curious about this human who had been granted the most solemn ceremony outside of a victory celebration, were deeply intrigued.
Many young women, seeing William dressed in divine armor with a deer head crest representing the Devonshire family on his helmet, and a cape replacing traditional wings, screamed in excitement.
"This guy is even more flamboyant than you," Loki muttered to Thor. "How about we figure out a way to get a couple sets of that armor from this mortal?"
Remembering how he had been overpowered by the Sentinel Armor and its wild lightning absorption, Thor suddenly felt that it matched him better than anything.
But he couldn't beat William in a fight, and now William had become a distinguished guest in Asgard. Just as Thor felt helpless, Loki sneered and said, "Even if we can't beat him, he's still a mortal and a mage at that. I don't believe he can outdrink us Asgardians."
Thor's eyes lit up, and he slapped Loki on the shoulder, excitedly saying, "Exactly, let's challenge him to a drinking contest! Loki, you finally came up with a decent idea."
Loki rolled his eyes at Thor and was about to retort when he suddenly heard Frigga cough softly from near the throne. The two brothers snapped back to attention and saw Odin leading William up the steps below the throne.
They quickly stood at attention and greeted him solemnly, "Welcome back, Father."
But toward William, the two only nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Odin glared at them both helplessly. Standing atop the massive platform, he struck the ground with the Eternal Spear.
With a deep "thud," the hall, which could hold thousands, instantly fell silent.
Odin pointed to William and addressed all of Asgard, "This is the legendary Grand Mage from Midgard, Lord William Devonshire, a new friend to our divine realm. He has brought us a gift even I cannot refuse."
Odin held up the healing talisman William had given him in the manor's car and said to his subjects, "This is a magical item that can instantly heal physical injuries."
Before Odin even finished speaking, William's expression changed slightly.
The price hadn't even been negotiated yet, and the old man had already announced it to everyone. Was he planning to use public pressure from all of Asgard to force William's hand, or did he believe his offer would definitely satisfy him?
Unable to figure it out, William decided not to dwell on it. If the price wasn't right, he could just lower the production volume and artificially create a sense of rarity and value.
He didn't believe that Asgard, currently dealing with unrest and needing to dispatch troops, would be willing to risk soldiers' lives just to save some money.
Odin quickly noticed the change in William's expression, but as King of Asgard, his considerations went far beyond mere business.
Although Asgardians regarded death as honorable, no rational person would refuse a longer life.
Announcing the healing talisman to the people just before a military campaign would not only reduce the populace's fear of dying in battle and boost their courage to fight,
It would also strengthen Odin's rule. With the talisman, every soldier going to war effectively gained an extra life.
An army unafraid of injury would be a steamroller on the battlefield, easily crushing enemy forces.
And in any war, the fewer the casualties, the more glorious the victory.
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