The Son of Asgard passed every charisma check with flying colors, naturally rolling twenties from the RNG. Charmed by his outgoing persona and shining radiance, noblewomen were bashfully having wardrobe malfunctions despite many of them being mothers or betrothed. Not even men were completely immune from falling for Thor; their warrior spirits kindled bright, feeling deep admiration for the natural-born leader.
Lady Sif diligently shadowed her husband while her fellow Valkyries ran security for the Queen of Asgard. Although both women loved Thor with every fiber of their hearts, their lovable oaf was quite oblivious to the effect he had on other women. Admitting their jealousy would no doubt hurt their pride as Asgardians, but as the next Allfather, Thor needed to learn how to gain support from other races.
Although these aptitude tests proved not only Thor own might, but also through him the might of the Allfather, Toreii still explicitly told him to hold back. Even though he was strictly forbidden to use his full strength, Thor instead channeled all his effort into enthusiasm. He was a son who sought to do great things in the name of his father, even if at times Odin did not condone or give his blessing. For the Odinson, being the paragon of righteousness weighed on his being ten times greater than his pride as an Asgardian.
The courtroom was back in session, only this time with an overabundance of ladies, human and elves, packed standing shoulder-to-shoulder, with every pair of eyes glued to the handsome hunk of Asgardian muscle. Lady Sif gently rubbed her tired eyelids as she recently learned it was possible to roll one's eyes too much. Although she was Thor's one and only wife, Asgardian law allowed him to take as many mistresses as he pleased. Having lost so many lives against Surtr centuries ago, every male was given permission for polygamous relations. Their fighting force needed to be bolstered as quickly as possible, but very few Asgardian men risked angering their wives.
For the greater good of Asgard, Lady Sif was willing to overlook the transgression on her marriage, but her pride as a woman would not allow her to so easily forgive and forget. Only the Allfather had the authority to sanctify their betrothal, yet she would not dare bring her personal problems to her King. She would have to ask Queen Frigga later about her matronage to Odin, and how she dealt with his other 'flings'.
Once again, Toreii and Vy were the last to enter, and once again they were ignored. Walking forward with the regality of a king, her Valkyries stood at attention while Toreii greeted the leaders again. They no longer doubted her claim of being Odin, but not because she was telling the truth, but because they trusted the charming hero she called her son. Now with the formalities out of the way, Ai had a checklist of things she needed to accomplish before they departed.
Clearing her throat to maintain their attention, she began weaving her web of lies, "I'm sure you were wondering why I came to your aid, King Nythymyr."
"Please forgive my earlier grievous mistake, King Odin. My kingdom and its people owe you a great debt," proclaimed the elven king, giving Toreii a bow of respect. "As for your reasoning for doing so, may I venture a guess? Was it not because the demihumans were pests? The deforestation caused by them will take centuries to fix alone! Only an invasive animal can destroy what had taken nature a lifetime to build, and like animals they deserved to be slaughtered!"
'Okay… No need to go Fourth Reich on me here; I've heard those speeches before. Blah-blah-blah subhuman blah-blah-blah genocide is okay as long as it's not my race. You're not the only one with friends and family,' Ai silently commented to herself. Having lived through the Neo-Nazi wars in her own world, she was no stranger to prejudice in Yggdrasil either. 'Why is this a recurring theme…'
"No, I'm afraid not," answered Toreii flatly, somewhat annoyed, "I had owed a debt to my friend." Boldly gesturing to Vy as to not have any kind of confusion from the reacting party, "Vy wanted to help her people in any way she could, even if it meant sacrificing everything she had."
Raising an eyebrow of doubt, the elven king repeated what he heard, "A random elf you happen to meet asked you to help fight a war and you agreed? Please forgive my rudeness, King Odin, but is it not foolish to believe the words of a child? She could have just as likely been an assassin baiting you with her young appearance!"
Remembering how 50/50 it was whether her PvP opponents had qualms about attacking loli characters, Ai understood what King Nythymyr was getting at. There were dangers to assuming and judging solely on the first information retrieved. Still, she will not back down here, even in the face of someone who was centuries her senior in kingly experience. As a self-made test for herself, Toreii had to prove she was just as kingly.
"Thank you for your concerns, King Nythymyr, but in my ten millennia of world conquest, I've learned a thing or two about friends and foes. I would not be here today if not for the help from my friends. I pay back my debts, no matter what," Toreii rebutted, conjoining her own past, Odin's, and the myths surrounding her now. Her anger steadily grew as she wondered how a father could be so callous to his own daughter. "If you're asking if I had a direct involvement with your war… no, I didn't; such mortal matters are too trivial for me. It was through Vy's own effort the orcs were driven back."
Ai could not outright say her daughters had wiped out the entirety of the orc horde. Viridi, being a stickler for perfection, knew the importance of leaking information. Although the credit for their planning and hard work would have to be given to Vy, it was better this way to keep her family's abilities a secret. After all, the Noble Sisters were created for a very specific purpose.
"You expect me to believe a weak child had turned the tide in a war against several million orcs, while an alliance with powerful magic casters failed to even keep them at bay?" He asked again, this time his voice laced with harsh undertones. "Do you have proof of this? I have seen the might of your heroic son, but hers?" Pointing directly at Vy, his cold stare locking onto his forsaken daughter. "She is a failure of a magic caster; I have seen her lack of talent first hand. Despite every available resource I have poured into her education and born from my blood, Vy is worse than nothing — she is wasted space."
The court became bleak, devoid of the warmth Thor had built up. King Nythymyr's age shone through, as his voice and breath became wheezy. Every Asgardian quickly glanced around the room, avoiding direct eyesight with the elves. Frigga meekly looked to her husband with worry. The calm and aloof Allfather she had grown to love again stood stoically without giving any kind of reaction. She knew very little about Vy, but insulting a friend of Odin was akin to insulting him; very few lived long enough to insult him twice.
King's Nythymyr's health was quickly deteriorating, his light wheezing became a loud coughing fit. Before long, his hand was covered with blood from his lungs failing him. To everyone's surprise, the king's aides were not the ones to help him, but in their place, Vy had already placed herself to support her father. Too weak to swat away the child he had cast away, he felt a potion bottle enter his hands.
Normally he would have rejected any kind of potion, instead opting for natural remedies created by his people. Yet, he could not ignore the importance of the object Vy had willingly given him. King Nythymyr and his fellow leaders had bewildered looks as they each stared at the red potion in his hand. Unlike the common blue potions which can restore a being's health, legends spoke of a red potion made from the ichor of gods, with its capabilities to heal fatal wounds or even restore youth.
How a child like Vy came into possession of an imaginary, legendary item was beyond their comprehension and confused him… until he started connecting the clues. The god warrior Thor, whose strength knew no bounds, and his father who was even more powerful than him. A gift from the Asgardians would be at least on par with a gift from his own gods. Yet, his pride kept him from immediately drinking the life-saving potion.
He would have to acknowledge Vy's success without him, and that she was the hero who ended the devastating war they were losing. Accepting her help meant showing every noble he commanded he was wrong. The child he had called 'worthless' was above the things he accused her of, and even sought to save the life of the man who casted her away.
Seeing his hesitation, Toreii broke the long silence in the room, "I don't make mistakes about who my friends are, King Nythymyr. There was a time when I saw no shortage of my enemies growing. That's why I have grown to value peace and quiet above everything else. Do not misunderstand my words for compliance; I will not hesitate going to war for the sake of a friend."
Every elf, including their king, understood the legitimacy of King Odin's promise as the Asgardians looked to the young deity in admiration. While his pride made him hesitate, the fear of offending Toreii only grew fiercer by the second. Drinking the entire potion in a single gulp, he felt the years of war disappear from his body. It did not return his youth, but it cured the strain and ache his body had endured for several decades. Seeing her father's health in better shape, Vy took a step back to be by the deity's side.
While the elves were dazzled by the potency of a red potion, Toreii looked back to her daughters, "Bring in the council member," she commanded.
Thanks to Viridi's preparations and skill, she had already anticipated the need for a witness. Although the undead magic caster would have been a great prisoner to present to the alliance, she felt there's more potency in returning a familiar face. Exiting and reentering the courtroom, Nanami tightly held onto the elf prisoner she had taken from the horde army.
Loud gasps and drawn swords hummed in the courtroom as Nanami dropped off the female prisoner. Frigga, who trusted her beloved's plan to succeed, kept her anger in check, as well as the Valkyries she used to command. The awkward mood surrounding the room came to a crawling stop, as panic and hatred filled the faces of every elf present. Their king who continued to stare in total disbelief, held out trembling hands to the beautiful elf Toreii had presented.
"M-M-My… beautiful Oonya… What… What h-happened to you…? W-Were you… br-brought back from the dead?" He stuttered, looking directly at Toreii.
Mindful of the shock the king was going through, she needed to be clear about what had happened. "She only looks like your wife, King Nythymyr. This is one of the council members commanding the demons within the orc army. She's a succubus – or, more specifically, a body snatcher. Queen Oonya Nir Faeyer died twenty years ago when her body was stolen. You have my condolences. I thought it best if you could at least see her again," replied Toreii.
Freed of the cloth preventing her from speaking, the person in Oonya's body smiled dearly to the elven king. Before she could spout anything, a chilling shock ran down her backside. Glancing back, a gentle, warm smile from Viridi forced her mind into a tunnel vision. Never had she met a creature so vile and unfeeling; whatever the elf-in-maid-clothing was, she did not belong in the realm of mortals.
"King Odin is sp-speaking the truth! I took Oonya's b-body twenty years ago!" She confessed. After spending a week with Viridi, she knew better than to openly lie to save her own skin. The devil wearing an angel's halo had ingrained there was a fate worse than death in the succubus's mind. Beckoned by the unholy aura behind her to continue, her altered memories were spoken aloud like the gospel, "I-I was on the battlefield when the other c-council members were slain… W-We were no match for Vy's magic! She dueled our undead sorcerer and won! She killed him with a 6th-Tier spell!"
Toreii who was happily surprised by the level of cooperation from their prisoner of war, failed to notice the mortified horror stuck on the elf king's face and from his people. His war-hardened mind was unable to handle the confession he just heard, locking his face into an unnatural expression more commonly found on stroke victims.
The human prince broke the gloomy silence, speaking out of curiosity, "Would you mind fully recounting how Vy faced the orc army? We have been speculating for a while now, but all our scouts were able to inform us was the use of high-tier magic."
On cue, Toreii readily pulled out a scroll from her sleeve. Everything was going as Viridi had planned, save for the hiccup with everyone not believing her authority.
Painting a death battle between Vy and Dyfiir, it had all the clichés of a triumphant hero overcoming weakness and winning over the forces of evil. Honestly, it was more like the lackluster flavor texts of Yggdrasil's main storyline she often skimmed over. Ai contemplated how believable the story would be, but not hearing any interruptions or questions from the fidgeting nobles, she doubtfully trusted she's doing well.
Viridi, who orchestrated the story with Frigga, was proud of the show her newest pawn had displayed for the court. Similar to the brainwashing her dragon maid underwent, the elven succubus stood no chance against her memory editing. The refugees in her home were perfect test subjects for the ancient elf to perfect her skills. Acting was one thing, but to truly put up the best farce, blending truths into lies and lies into truths was the only option.
Proof of Viridi's success was apparent from the gazes piercing the former elven princess. She understandably shivered and moved closer to Toreii, since much like her own disbelief over the Allfather's might, the former aristocrats considered 6th-Tier magic to be impossible to achieve for someone so young. Viridi could only hope the young elf would keep her mouth shut and not expose the lie.
It was the bare minimum the audience would believe when seeing the remnant of Eos's reckless actions. In reality, Vy could barely wield some 4th-Tier spells. Additionally, putting the child on a pedestal diverted attention away from the Noble Sisters. Watching the crowd and monitoring their breathing and heartbeats, Viridi had to ensure the act was nothing shy of perfection to make up for her latest failure.
The sheer number of bodies in the room should make it quite stuffy, but a cold tension kept everyone from speaking their mind. Toreii's confidence rose as she finished reading at the sight of Thor nodding his head in approval. 'Yeah, that sounds reasonable'.
In a trance, King Nythymyr focused only on the elf who used to be his wife. Toreii's fake retelling only stroked the already-burning hatred he had for the horde, but now it was coupled with a chilling sadness. In return, the succubus saw nothing but a disgusting old man craving her body, even worse than the lustful looks the demihumans gave her. Retching at the thought of having his wrinkly hands on her perfect body, she crawled closer to the adolescent goddess and prayed for protection.
"Y-You were able to teach her the 6th-Tier of magic in merely… t-ten years?" Prince Coffer asked. The heir who grew up learning nothing but swordsmanship was instantly interested in the possibility of learning magic so quickly. Coming from a kingdom where magic did not rule in any nobility circle, gaining mastery over even some 3rd-Tier spells would secure his succession.
'More like a day and a half,' Ai said to herself, reminiscent of her days of grinding out levels.
However, unlike Yggdrasil, although magic worked in the same vein, leveling up did not. For the New World inhabitants, gaining levels meant putting time, effort, and gaining experience in whatever they were doing – i.e. proficiency. Whereas in Yggdrasil, Toreii would have simply created a party and Vy would join for shared experience points. Realizing the difficulties of weaving this lie any more perfectly, she was somewhat glad the job had been delegated to Viridi.
"Vy had learned the 6th-Tier in just ten years," Toreii clarified, "It was due to her determination to save her people. Not many are as willing to put as much effort as she did into learning something solely for the sake of others. Is there anything else you wish to know?" asked Toreii. She hoped she had jumped through enough hoops for the aristocrats. Although she would gain more experience in a noble court, it was quite useless in an Asgardian court where nothing was the same. She started to worry about letting Thor stay so long in the New World. Any moment there could be an attack and she was sure he would not hesitate to jump immediately into the fray.
The court of nobles looked to their king for guidance, except he was still only fixated on his wife. The dwarf king shook his head in pity for his fellow comrade, while the prince took the initiative. Speaking with his full royal upbringing, "What would it cost to teach me at least the 3rd-Tier?"
Toreii, who was going to brazenly give out a random answer, forced herself to stop and think of a proper response. Blurting out, 'Your firstborn, please!' would have dire consequences and a negative impact on her image. Giving her answer with the due diligence an Allfather should, she spoke reasonably, "You can't buy power, Prince Coffer. What you earn will be the reward of what you put in, as you might've already known. Vy achieved the 6th-Tier so quickly because it was a matter of life and death if she didn't."
"Are you also a practitioner of magic then, King Odin? Were you Vy's teacher?" Prince Coffer asked.
Talking about magic was usually interesting for her, but in front of a court of natural-born magic casters, Ai was hesitant in divulging her knowledge. "My people are warriors from birth. Very few grow up to become magic casters. As for Vy's teacher, it would be Queen Frigga's maid," answered Toreii. After studying the backstories of her closest Asgardians, only Loki was a true magic caster by Yggdrasil's standard, so Ai was technically not lying.
The court's attention flipped between the student and her master, wondering how a 6th-Tier teacher was confined to the lowly duties of a maid. Even in a society of warriors, a single magic caster who had entered the realm of godhood within the 6th-Tier should have been revered. Their sight soon landed on Thor and his heroic warrior-like build, and they rationalized how little precedence magic would have among the Asgardians if this was the standard everyone pined for.
"If that is all, I shall be leaving the rest of this war to your capable hands. Without their council members, I'm sure your alliance will be more than capable of maintaining your peace. The horde is no longer a threat," assured Toreii.
The succubus occupying Oonya's body pleaded, begging the deity to take her with them. Ignoring her silent pleas, Ai figured it was best to let the elves figure out what to do with their previous queen. Although she pitied King Nythymyr, this was a personal matter he had to deal with himself.
Not wanting to involve herself or the Asgardians in New World affairs any longer, she motioned for her Valkyries to leave. Although the prince looked at her dejectedly, Toreii's top priority was getting Thor back to Asgard. Lady Sif synchronously marched her silver warriors back the way they came, glad to leave the lustful looks these mortals were giving her husband.
Ironically, she failed to notice she received just as many onlookers herself. Well, at least they matched – neither of them realized their powerful charm on mortal eyes, pridefully standing tall as Asgard's next King and Queen. Thor, who wanted to stay longer, obeyed his father's wishes, although he did have fun showing off today.
He left under long waves of goodbye from the onlookers as if he was the hero who won their war. Some braver citizens offered the God of Thunder baskets of fruit and pastry, while the dwarves knew to give him his preferred bottles of mead – which he all accepted while wondering why he was showered with such warm hospitality. Their admiration for him only emboldened his desire to learn more about the New World, as he felt like that time when he returned from a long battle in Jötunheim.
Heimdall was on standby, using the [Bifrost] to safely teleport their party back… as well as the clearly-too-many gifts the women spread among themselves to help Thor carry them. Last to arrive, Frigga looked onward to her son with a worried face, wondering if he should be showered so affectionately by strangers. Thor had always been a good son, obedient and loyal to a fault, but he lacked the skills Frigga deemed necessary in an Allfather.
Toreii had commanded her Asgadians to return home first, promising she would arrive soon after. Teleporting herself and Vy through her elven castle, they both arrived in front of her sibling's room. Staying on the open balcony, Ai left the child alone with her sole remaining family. The deity surveyed the elven kingdom in the meantime, looking at the three rings separating the division of wealth. Even in a real-life fantasy world, the wealthy elite made sure to keep to themselves. Although she was not exactly a middle- or low-class person herself, she wondered how classes were able to form in the first place.
Asgard was unique with its economy. Sitting in her golden throne, she never once saw any homeless or struggling Asgardians. Everyone worked toward a common goal, which was the continued prosperity of their golden home. The few Asgardians who did operate with money were Odin's family, who paid for goods and services despite not collecting any taxes. Ai chalked it up to the devs messing with her from beyond the grave.
Ai had no plans for the Asgardians. They were a self-sufficient city with enough firepower to repel any guild from Yggdrasil. What did ruling over them entail for the future? The only endgame she knew for certain was Ragnarok. Her golden city was eventually supposed to be burned down by [Surtr], but having farmed the giant several dozen times for his data crystals, she pondered why any Asgardian would have trouble with him.
The only foreseeable threat she could think of were further attacks from Dragon Lords, who were powerful keepers hellbent on killing any Players on sight. She thought about indulging herself and exploring the New World to see all of its wonder and mystery. After today, however, she knew for certain it would attract unwanted attention, both from other Players transported here as well as the dragons. Ai had yet to discover why or how she and Asgard were transported, and the only lead she had was following the trail of Dragon Lords to the Dragon Emperor, but that was only asking for trouble.
Beside ensuring the Asgardians were happy and peaceful, her only other goal was to find the other World Champions. She knew for certain at least two had been transported, albeit at wildly different times. How would they react to seeing her ascend to the throne of Asgard? It would certainly make for a long story, but she found herself excited to tell any of them.
Through teary, bloodshot eyes, Vy closed the balcony doors behind her. Walking to Toreii, she quietly wept to herself along the way. Heated words were exchanged between her siblings, but nonetheless, she had said everything she ever wished to say. Back inside her elder sister's room, she heard muffled shouting continuing on without her. Despite growing up to respect and obey and love them, she found their sisterhood in a worse shape than the Noble Sisters, who apparently grew up with minimal constraints, teaching, or prejudices.
Other than offering a handkerchief, Toreii left the matter alone. In what could be the last time she saw the New World, she still had a single place to visit before returning to Asgard forever. Using her magical sigils, the deity warped them to a rocky mountain terrain. Devoid of vegetation, everything she could see was in grayscale. Dark clouds blocked any direct sunlight, locking the region in perpetual semi-darkness.
Making sure Vy was steady with her footing, Toreii looked for the familiar place Viridi had described to her. When the ancient elf probed through Gratia's memories, she found the place where the Niflheim World Champion was slain. Blast marks and giant craters left in the mountainside showed the ferocious battle to the death between Dragon Lord and Player.
Pulling a bouquet of roses from her sleeve, Toreii chose a flat slope to place them on. Her only regret thus far was not being able to see her fellow World Champion again. Although unintentional at first, she had avenged her friend's death. The hydra was nothing more than a severed head now, but it did little to stifle her anger for losing one of her only friends. Clasping her hands together, Ai offered a silent prayer, hoping he had returned to their world instead of dying forever.
For the first time, Ai felt an overwhelming pull on her heart. She had no real friends in real life, only colleagues, coworkers and students. Ai did not know how to deal with loss, especially from someone close. She felt for sure the other World Champions would not advocate for further violence. Their teachings and higher morals did wonders for opening her mind up to all the hate humans were capable of, as well as all the good they could achieve. Among them, the champion of Álfheim had the strongest sense of justice, similar to Thor's. He would have left matters as it were – as the champion of Niflheim had been avenged, there was no need to look for an unwarranted fight.
However, just like their original world, not everything was as black-and-white as he made it out to be. Ai had discovered this first-hand when she transferred her character over. Ideals and conviction were great to talk about, but they were nothing in the face of reality. Torn at first on what to do with the second life she was given, Ai finally made up her mind. If she were to encounter any of the other World Champions, they would surely be disappointed with her decision today.
Always being the black sheep among them, she would sully her hands so the others would not have to.
'Sorry, everyone. I couldn't be the good person you all thought I was… but I guess I never was in the first place. I'm going to make sure no one else dies because of these Dragon Lords; I swear on my life. I hope you can forgive me. Everything people have said about me is true… I am a terrible person. Still, I want to thank you for believing in me and the brief time we had together. I really, really, really enjoyed it… and will treasure it always. I hope we can all still see each other one day.'
A rainbow of light broke through the dark clouds, engulfing the duo, teleporting them back to Asgard.
A/N: I hope you liked the direction I'm taking with Ai and her personal goal. If you have any feedback about her, please let me know.