Odin blinked, setting the Eternal Spear aside.
"The wings on your back remind me of a tale from long ago."
The Nine Realms were not always nine.
They were once called the Ten Realms.
The vanished realm was exiled by Odin's wrath: Paradise.
Yet this Paradise bore little resemblance to Lucifer's angelic civilization. The two were fundamentally unrelated.
"I know the story you're thinking of," Lucifer said casually, crossing his left leg over his right on the sofa. "We merely appear similar. In reality, there's no connection."
Though both bore angelic wings, the disparity was vast.
Lucifer's angelic civilization could, in its later stages, open wormholes at will and traverse the cosmos.
Before Odin could speak,
Lucifer noticed Thor and Loki had been staring at his wings since they entered.
He smiled and gently fluttered the pristine wings behind him.
Whoosh~
Thor's mouth gaped open in astonishment.
"I-It… can fly?!" he stammered excitedly. "It's so beautiful! How fast does it go?!"
In Thor's mind, something so lovely seemed impractical in battle.
What if it gets damaged? Is it even useful?
For a warrior, functionality was paramount.
Lucifer chuckled at Thor's question.
"Of course it flies. What else would it be for?"
Hearing the wings could fly, Thor's curiosity grew.
How fast? How far?
But Odin hadn't invited them to gawk like children.
"What should I call you? Where are you from? What is your purpose?"
Odin's eyes narrowed slightly. Answers to these questions would provide a basic understanding.
Thor snapped to attention beside Odin.
"Lucifer. As for where I'm from… I'm more of a drifter at the moment."
Lucifer swung his crossed leg casually.
"My purpose? The same as yours, King Odin. Who wouldn't want their civilization to thrive?"
The first two statements were introductions,
but the last sentence offered Odin the most information.
"You're a king of a civilization?" Odin asked directly.
"Yes," Lucifer admitted with a self-deprecating smile. "Though now, I'm just a lonely king."
Creating angels was arduous.
He had to reshape familiar souls from his memories and expend limitless energy to forge them.
Angels were an elite force.
Each one was invaluable to him.
If Lucifer was the King of Angels,
the three pillars of his civilization—the Blade King, Foundation King, and Revelation King—were equally vital in his heart.
Seeing Lucifer's admission,
Odin pondered two questions:
First, how to verify if Lucifer truly ruled a civilization?
Second, if he did, how to account for the dark energy consumed?
Aged and weary, Odin sought to avoid unnecessary conflict.
The Nine Realms were already chaotic, and he didn't want to endanger another civilization.
"How do you prove you're a king of a civilization?" Odin asked.
Sensing Odin's skepticism,
Lucifer smiled and adjusted his footing.
"You're the All-Father of Norse mythology, but in my civilization's knowledge, I know of your Twilight of the Gods."
Twilight?
Thor and Loki frowned. What does twilight have to do with this?
Odin's narrowed eyes widened slightly.
He turned to his sons. "Thor, Loki, go find Frigga and end today's gathering."
Though his words implied dispersing the thousands assembled,
his true intent was to dismiss them. They've heard enough.
"Why?!"
Thor blurted, his straightforward nature showing.
Loki grabbed Thor's wrist and pulled him away, saying, "Yes, Father."
Dragged outside, Thor demanded, "That line must've been crucial to Asgard! Why didn't we press further?!"
Loki shot Thor a disdainful look, muttered, "Idiot," and went to find Queen Frigga.
The more Thor remained oblivious, the greater Loki's chances of becoming king.
Coupled with his tactful exit, Loki deemed his performance flawless.
Back to Odin and Lucifer,
once the brothers left,
Odin leaned the Eternal Spear against the sofa, his tone conciliatory.
"Twilight of the Gods?"
Lucifer nodded slightly. "Twilight of the Gods."
"How do you know?!" Odin pressed. "What else do you know?!"
The Twilight of the Gods plagued every king who knew of it.
Asgard's history of rebirth from destruction, his troublesome sons, and the dangerous princess Hela outside its walls—Odin was besieged by worries.