CHAPTER 225: CHAPTER 226: THE WIND RISES

"Senile?"

"Lost his mind?"

When Lothar heard these words used in the same breath as "Odin," he couldn’t help but be a little surprised.

"Because of the peace agreement?"

"Yes," Hela replied without hesitation.

The father she remembered was the one who had swallowed kingdoms whole, the god-king who had raised her from childhood to become Asgard’s Executioner. Not this weakling who now suddenly wanted to abandon conquest and retire from his dreams of dominion.

To wage war for Asgard, that belief had been carved into her very bones by Odin himself over the past two decades. It wasn’t just ideology; it was her purpose. Her destiny.

So when Odin summoned her back only to declare this betrayal of that dream, she could only believe one thing:

Her father must have gone senile, if only temporarily.

As Hela, daughter of Odin, rightful heir to the throne of Asgard, it was her duty to awaken him. With action. To make him remember what he once believed. What they both still should believe.

"You want the Mind Stone?"

"What are you planning to do?"

"Play the doting daughter in some father-daughter reconciliation farce?"

Lothar paused, the pen in his hand ceasing its idle spinning. His brain, emptied from overuse writing apology letters, finally found something that sparked his neurons.

"My current strength isn’t enough," Hela said with gravity. "Not enough to wake up my father."

"That’s why I need the Mind Stone, Lothar."

She was dead serious.

Tomorrow, Odin would travel to Jotunheim to negotiate a so-called peace treaty. With her current power, she couldn’t even make a dent, let alone derail such a deal.

But with the Mind Stone, everything would change.

Back on Hala, the Mind Stone’s power had been undeniable. Hela was confident, once she reclaimed that power, she could lead her army to restore Odin’s clarity, polish his heart of conquest until it gleamed like a sharpened blade once more.

"Sounds exciting," Lothar said with some amusement.

"But I refuse."

The Mind Stone, strictly speaking, belonged to his adoptive father, Thanos. He was merely safeguarding it for now. Lothar didn’t believe he had the right to lend it out on Thanos’ behalf.

What if she didn’t return it?

Father always said: Never let your guard down.

Even if this Hela was someone he had already...

"I’ll write your punishment reflections for you."

Lothar’s thoughts were abruptly cut off by Hela’s sudden proposal.

"...What?"

"If I’m not mistaken," she said coolly, "you’re grounded for sneaking off to Hala without permission, and your father’s making you write punishment essays, right?"

"Judging by the number of papers here, I’d say... ten of them."

She crouched beside the desk, her holographic projection phasing through the orange tabby cat asleep on the tabletop. She counted the sheets and confirmed her guess.

"I’ll write them. You lend me the Mind Stone. For one day."

"I just need a single day."

She stood and held up one finger, emphasizing the short-term nature of her request.

"I promise it’ll be heartfelt. I even know someone very experienced in this kind of thing."

"After one day, I’ll return the Mind Stone to you myself."

Lothar narrowed his eyes, pretending to weigh the offer. The orange cat yawned in its sleep, lazily swiping a paw across its cheek before rolling over. Sleeping was its only joy in this barren outpost.

"We’ve fought side by side. That makes us comrades, doesn’t it?" Hela added, her tone softening.

"This is the first time I’m officially asking you for something, Lothar."

"Let’s cooperate."

...

Meanwhile, back on Chitauri Prime, the unlikely duo of The Other and Woz, two beings of vastly different physiology, sat under the same roof, sighing in unison.

"His Highness Lothar is already great at literature. But Lord Thanos wants ten essays?! What are we supposed to do..." Woz, the robotic feline, looked thoroughly disheveled. His usually goofy features were scrunched into a frown of deep concern. The Other looked equally miserable.

...

Asgard, Outside the Royal Hall.

Having reached an agreement with Lothar, Hela finally left her chambers of her own volition. Frigga, who had been monitoring her from afar, let out a sigh of relief.

Especially when Hela even ordered dinner to be prepared, voluntarily.

"Summon Kiel Marza. Now."

After her meal, Hela began the first step of her "Awakening Plan."

She called for one of her most trusted former subordinates: Kiel Marza.

Or rather, formerly trusted.

After the Dark Elf King Malekith was decapitated by Thanos, Kiel Marza, who had commanded the forces stationed on Svartalfheim, was promoted by Odin to a high general, now in charge of guarding one of Asgard’s critical sectors.

The kind who commanded legions.

Thirteen minutes later, inside Hela’s private hall...

"Princess Hela,"

Though no longer her adjutant, Kiel Marza still showed deep respect when addressing her.

"Marza, take your army and set out for Jotunheim tomorrow."

Hela’s tone toward him hadn’t changed in the slightest, despite his promotion.

"Jotunheim?" he blinked, unable to read her intentions.

"Your Highness, the King will be—"

"Marza, tell me this: do you want this humiliating excuse for peace?"

Hela cut him off mercilessly.

A direct hit.

"...Your Highness..." Marza opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked at the woman before him, stunned, unable to respond.

He had a faint idea of what she intended, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"Don’t worry," Hela said calmly. "I only want to help Father regain his clarity. To make him abandon this delusional fantasy and return to being the supreme ruler he once was."

This was her chance. With the Mind Stone in hand, she would lead her army to storm Jotunheim, the hardest nut to crack.

Once Jotunheim fell, she was certain her father would return to his senses.

"I assume you won’t refuse me... will you?"

"Of course not, Your Highness. Marza will always be your most loyal adjutant, to the end of his life!"

Moved by the future Hela painted, and already discontent with Odin’s abrupt shift toward pacifism, Marza dropped to one knee and swore his loyalty.

In this moment, he drew inspiration from a brief acquaintance, The Other.

"Go prepare."

Hela gave a simple nod, dismissing the projection in front of her. With her military seal in hand, she set off for her personal guard’s garrison.

"Asgard’s peace was won through conquest. Father... you taught me that yourself. Why have you forgotten?"

Beneath Asgard’s starry sky, her whisper was carried off by the wind.

...

"Thor, what are you looking at up there on the roof?"

"Nothing much. Just wanted to get one last look at the Asgard of two millennia."

He raised his bottle toward the raccoon standing beneath the eaves, his eyes narrowed as he felt the night breeze brush across his face.

Asgard... the wind was rising.

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