The people of Assa didn't really feel much about this. Their majority population consisted of immigrants from all over Europe, accustomed to daily visits and welcoming to outsiders, with a culture of warm (and equal) hospitality. Based on this, they didn't need to place too much importance on these guests from the East.
Originally, the renowned Mithra Group was the only mortal magician group to have ever defeated a god-king, the Persian god-king Dubbi-el, so they were quite famous, and even Asgard had to show them some respect.
But Odin had just defeated Azazel (along with Hayden Loki). Asgard was busy celebrating, and when they heard that the Mithra Group had sent representatives, they just assumed they had come because of the news and were quite proud of it.
Therefore, although the people of Assa warmly welcome the representatives of the Mitra Group and extend hospitality, they are still quite pleased with themselves.
Incidentally, the first Persian god-king defeated by Mithras, the fallen angel Dubir, had a name that meant "Bear of God" in an ancient language. Hayden never had the chance to deal with it, but sometimes he couldn't help but wonder what this "Bear of God" was all about.
On the other hand, another bear-like fellow, Thor, lay in bed for two days, but by the third day he was completely lively and energetic. He even complained about his two sworn brothers, Hayden, Loki, and Odin, wondering why they hadn't taken him along to Vienna to wreak havoc in the giants' palace. How could Odin possibly explain this to Thor? In the end, of course, he was simply brushed off with a few casual words.
Therefore, Thor has been particularly idle these past few days. Upon hearing that guests from the East were coming, he happily volunteered to prepare a grand feast for them. To prevent him from causing trouble at home, Odin simply sent him off to fish in the North Sea.
...Now that things have turned out this way, Hayden doesn't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.
The Aesir have now become Hayden's friends, especially Thor, who considers Hayden a sworn brother and is deeply grateful for his two acts of saving his life. Thor is the most popular hero in Asgard, which has also made Hayden a highly popular and fearsome figure among the Aesir. Other Aesir archmages aren't so easily swayed by Thor's preferences, but they all admire Hayden Loki, recognizing his exceptional intelligence, magical power, knowledge, and courage.
Currently, the only Asgardian who doesn't completely trust Hayden Loki is Odin. But it's not that he doesn't trust Hayden at all; he's probably just afraid—like how Hayden was afraid of Angela a long time ago.
Asgard has already accepted Hayden/Loki as one of their own, as one of their own.
Hayden himself, in this era and in these short few days, has also clearly realized that the new gods are indeed more advanced and better represent the correct direction of development than the old gods.
At this time, under these circumstances, Mithra, the very man who is now propelling the old world into a new one, and who may in the future plunge that new one into eternal suffering and enslavement, is about to appear before Hayden.
No matter how strong the Bodhisattvas of this era are, they can't defeat Hayden and Angela. If they were to launch a surprise attack, they could probably kill Mitra in one fell swoop.
But if Hayden were to actually kill Mitra in Asgard at this point, it would be murdering a guest, an act of aggression comparable to throwing excrement in the face of the Assassins. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Moreover, Hayden wasn't entirely sure whether killing Mitra beforehand would be the right thing to do.
No one can give a universally satisfactory answer to this kind of question. Angela also refused to give Hayden direct advice. She wanted Hayden to think about it himself and worry about it on his own.
So what should Hayden do now?
At the end of their turmoil, on the eleventh day after Hayden and Odin defeated Azazel, representatives of the Mithra Group arrived.
That morning, when Hayden took Angela to the longhouse hall for breakfast, they found it had been thoroughly cleaned overnight. All the dirty places had been scrubbed clean, and a huge silk banner hung on the wall of the banquet hall, bearing messages such as "Welcome to the Mithra Delegation" in both languages.
It wasn't exactly a particularly grand reception; rather, it had a rugged, warm style reminiscent of the northern Assamese, with a joyful anticipation filling the air. The maids set out gleaming silver platters and stemmed glasses on the large table in the banquet hall, this time without the goblet.
Hayden walked to the enormous long table—where the leaders of Asgard, the great wizards, and Loki now had his own seat.
Hayden walked up to Odin, whose expression remained calm, and asked, "They've arrived?"
“They should arrive before noon,” Odin replied.
The agile Helmod, Odin's messenger, and the fastest runner in Asgard, leaned over with great interest and asked, "Loki, how do you think they'll get here? Through teleportation magic?"
“Unlikely.” Hayden recalled what happened a long time ago, when Angela had just arrived. “The gods are very skilled in spatial magic, far more so than we humans. I’ve seen people teleport before, only to have their teleportation targets changed by the gods, who then ambush, capture, and kill them.” Wouldn’t Mitra and the others just be handing themselves over to the gods by teleporting here?
Alicia wasn't even born in this era, so she certainly wouldn't mind Hayden saying such things.
"Then how do we get there?"
Helmod looked up at the bright morning sky (Thor had previously used his hammer to make the weather look beautiful) and guessed, "Flying over?"
"Flying all the way from Persia to Norway?" Hayden expressed skepticism.
It's important to understand that flying magic in this era wasn't as easy as it is in later times. Not everyone with a little magic power could simply defy gravity and fly.
If later generations look back and carefully examine mythology, they will find that even the gods almost always needed props to fly. For example, Thor, who would become the great new god of thunder, could only fly short distances and clumsily on his own in this era. He needed to ride a brass chariot pulled by two goats to fly long distances and more nimbly.
It wasn't until two hundred years later, as new arcane techniques gradually developed, that the new gods and mortals were able to fly freely.
At least with current technology, it's unlikely that the Mithra Group's delegation could fly all the way from Persia and West Asia to Northern Europe...
"Well."
Odin suddenly raised his head and looked into the distance through the roof with his single right eye.
"If I'm not mistaken, Mithra's representatives should have already arrived."
Where?
Several playful Northern archmages emerged from the banquet hall and peered in different directions. Then Hayden, right after Odin, became the second to see them.
A colossal object was rapidly traversing the azure sky, hurtling towards Asgard, growing ever larger. Its appearance left the Nordic country bumpkins who saw it for the first time utterly dumbfounded.
Because it was a huge ship that flew in the air!
"Flying warship..."
Even Hayden, a person from the future, was somewhat stunned by the sight. The Mitra Corporation had actually developed flying warships four hundred years ago? Was this some kind of joke?
Upon closer inspection, this flying warship is about two hundred meters long, and its hull is made of what appears to be jade, glass, coral, or other magical materials from the East. Compared to the monumental achievements of bodhisattvas and deities four hundred years later, capable of moving the moon and altering planetary orbits, it is, of course, nothing more than a kitten before a giant.
Even so, from the perspective of ancient magicians, this was simply a castle in the air.
"How can such a large warship fly in the air...?"
Even Eden was stunned.
“Because of the power,” Hayden had to say from the side. “They must have installed a more powerful portable magical power source in the warship than we use now. This thing is obviously not powered by ley line energy.”
Although Asgard has a very powerful magical industry, most of it relies on ley lines, so it can't be used to build spaceships.
However, Hayden hadn't expected that the Mithra Group possessed such advanced propulsion technology four hundred years ago. In the early days of arcane industry, people were probably mainly tinkering with natural energy in various ways; where would flying warships come from? Did Mithra start playing with arcane fire so early on?
Finally, the warship flew lower and descended at an incredible speed. With a deafening roar, it crashed to the ground, shaking the earth, yet it remained unscathed. Then, a golden staircase opened at the bottom of the warship. A door opened on the warship, and a dozen or so people followed. They were all dressed in completely different clothes from the northerners, wearing loose-fitting hooded robes and overcoats with wide sleeves, clearly from a warmer place.
However, everyone present was immediately drawn to their leader. Their leader looked incredibly small and young. At first glance, he appeared to be a slender, handsome young boy. He was clearly Asian, looking to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with short, shoulder-length black hair and skin as smooth as a child's.
He wore a loose Persian kandy, which looked like a formal suit, cinched at the waist with a belt that created beautiful wavy folds. But these clothes paled in comparison to his appearance, for he was truly handsome, with well-proportioned features possessing an androgynous, transcendent beauty that would irresistibly attract both men and women. He was an extremely strikingly beautiful young man.
Most incredibly, his eyes were large and wide, clear and bright, with two pupils in each eye, a total of four, gleaming with azure light.
Azure double pupils.
This is an extraordinary phenomenon that only saints, supermen, emperors, and great heroes possess.
So in that instant, everyone's attention would be drawn to his presence, leaving them momentarily stunned. Because this is not physical beauty, nor even entirely spiritual beauty, but rather a beauty akin to seeing magnificent mountains, seas, sunrises, and sunsets.
Strangely enough, while everyone was staring at him in disbelief, the boy was also staring at someone else in the crowd. He gazed at Hayden from afar with great interest, as if he were looking at his long-lost half-brother.
Odin began to clap, and some other Norse magicians joined in, but many more Asgardians stood on tiptoe, wanting to get a better look at the handsome young man.
This caused the handsome youth to flash an elegant smile. He stretched out his hands, which seemed to shimmer, and walked towards Odin.
“Hello, Mr. Mithra,” Odin said. “Welcome to Asgard.”
“Thank you for hosting us, Mr. Odin,” Mitra replied in a melodious voice like a stringed instrument. “We have come for friendship and common interests. We hope you are well.”
But at the same time, Mithra's gaze never left Hayden for long.
--------------------------------
Mithra brought many gifts and new trades to the people of Asgard.
He brought new technological knowledge to the people of Assa.
He also traded with the Asgardians some of the unique techniques of the northern archmages, such as forging magic, combat magic, and even some of the secrets of runes.
He even brought with him the opportunity for a more lasting and friendly relationship with the Assassins, specifically through the people who came with him. These people were all brought by Mithra from places like India and Persia; they were both men and women, but all were young, vibrant mortal magicians in their prime.
Among them is the beautiful blonde maiden Sif, who will one day become Thor's beloved wife. Among them is the most beautiful and valiant Freya, who will one day bear Odin Baldr, the CEO of the Wotan Company and the god of light.
He also shared some new ideas and theories with the Assamese: "A joint-stock company is one in which assets are divided into equal shares, and funds are raised through a public offering of shares. Shareholders bear limited liability to the company based on the shares they subscribe to. Profits, after deducting reserves and welfare funds, are distributed according to the shares held by shareholders, with one share corresponding to one dividend... Do you understand?"
He told Odin and the other great magicians how to gather power through trust and even faith in money and wealth.
"We will sweep away this society ruled by gods and kings, destroy it full of tyranny and inequality, and recreate an equal world where everyone must work hard and build with wisdom and wealth."
...Strictly speaking, these are all things that will happen in the future.
But when Mithras used his will and wisdom to set things in motion, these future events have already become a certainty today.
416: Showdown
In the banquet hall of Asgard, songs and dances filled the air. Everyone gathered together, enjoying the newly brewed beer.
This beer is a legendary beer that Thor stole from a sea giant's merchant ship when he went fishing in the North Sea a while ago.
Mitra drank merrily with everyone while expounding profound knowledge during the banquet. Doing such a thing at an ordinary banquet would likely be considered unromantic. However, the guests here were all first-generation great magicians, making this conversation perfectly suited to accompany their drinks.
Moreover, Mithra's teachings didn't just cover magic.
In addition to specific and profound magical knowledge, he also talked about many ideas and concepts that even the most advanced magicians had never heard of or imagined.
How can we overthrow the feudal gods? Power alone is not enough, nor is new technology. How can we awaken hope in the other people? How can we break the feudal rule of the gods based on ritual?
Beheading only one king is not enough to overthrow the feudal system.
The power of the gods stems from the hierarchical system and ideology of feudal society. If this ideology is challenged, the power of the gods will weaken. Conversely, if we can create new ideas that represent mortals, our magical power will increase accordingly.
Let's create an era of freedom and equality, where even the gods cannot oppress mortals!
Create an era where social roles are determined not by bloodline, but by diligence, hard work, intelligence, and skills!
When all the people of the land believe in this possibility, cherish this dream, and work together towards this ideal, it can come true!
Of all the things Mithra spoke of, very few in the audience could understand even half of it; probably only Odin could. And if one wanted to fully comprehend Mithra's ideas and the social order he described, even Odin certainly couldn't.
This wasn't because they were stupid; rather, it was because their perspectives and worldviews were vastly different. The world they could see was not the same as the world Mithras saw and understood. What Mithras saw with his double-lidded, azure eyes was a much wider world. What was reflected in his vision was something higher than the earth.
As the saying goes, being half a step ahead makes you a genius, but being a full step ahead makes you a madman. People like Mithras, with such far-reaching visions, generally don't make many friends and are easily seen as outcasts in society.
Yet Mithras also possessed an astonishing charisma. Listening to him speak, to hear him express his ideas, one could feel a powerful pull. It was a force that drew the hearts of listeners in the same direction, a force that made them set aside their hesitation and gave them unwavering resolve.
Everyone felt this power, this confidence, emanating from him. He was very confident that he could do what he said he could and put that philosophy into practice.
So everyone—almost everyone—was captivated by his charm. He possessed the power of words to guide people, and a pair of bright eyes that knew no doubt. His eyes shone with a guiding light, and with such a radiant ambition, he naturally won people's hearts.
Some people admired him from the bottom of their hearts.
Some people simply believed that following him would lead to great achievements and enable them to realize their goals.
So now, everyone—almost everyone, whether the great magician of the Assamese or the guests brought by the Mithraic group from Central and South Asia—are now united as one, happily sharing the feast.
...Hayden, however, was not among them.
First of all, he dared not associate with Freya. Hayden had previously had close interactions with Freya, and as Kallen's husband, he was also highly regarded by her. If Hayden, as Loki, left too much of an impression on Freya in this era, it might cause problems in the future…
Similarly, Hayden didn't dare let Angela be seen closely by these Mitra Group people. So Angela didn't go to the banquet at all today and hid in Hayden Rocky's house.
Knowing that such a robot exists, and seeing it only once or twice, might be enough to get by. But if it leaves too deep an impression, Hayden worries about what it might do in the future.
He slipped out of the banquet hall alone and walked to a hill in Asgard, stretching and looking up at the night sky.
Hayden's divination skills were slightly inferior to those of the late professor, but his talent was undeniable. Now he also looked up at the stars in the sky, observing the celestial phenomena.
In the dead of night, among the stars, Hayden's unique vision as a prophet truly allowed him to see a star shining brightly across the world. Unrivaled and invincible, it reigned supreme. In the dark night sky, no other light could compare to its brilliance.
That's why its radiance is especially effective in guiding others forward in the darkness.
A person whom all living beings want to follow and protect has a will that is absolutely not to be easily challenged. Even if Hayden has great power in this era, he still has to be careful.
Moreover, whether Hayden should challenge Mithra in this era is actually a very troublesome question...
...Then, while he was pondering, something unexpected happened.
"You're Loki?"
A clear, melodious voice suddenly came from behind Hayden. Instantly, Hayden realized who it was and quickly turned around.
Mithra was standing there.
Sometime later, he had already left the banquet hall of the longhouse; for some reason, he had ended up on the small hill where Hayden was.
"My name is Mithra."
The strongest man in the world said to Hayden,
“When I was in Persia, I heard that you defeated Azazel, the Norse god-king, with two daggers you made yourself. I’ve been very interested in that, so I’ve always wanted to talk to you about it.”
Mithra is smiling.
Hayden frowned slightly: "I've also heard that you defeated the Persian god-king Dubil."
“That’s right. But I defeated him with the army, with the power of the people,” Mithra responded calmly. “I spoke to the people about the path to freedom, the path to revolution, and made them believe in new ideas. Then, together with my comrades and the people, I fought a fierce and arduous battle against King Dubil. He struggled immensely and indescribably, even revealing his trump cards to us… but ultimately he still lost. A ruler who is not believed by the people cannot last long… but at least he held on for a while.”
As Mithra spoke, he walked to Hayden's side. He not only smiled but also looked at Hayden with great interest: "I essentially defeated Dubil through a war of attrition. Because He cannot die, you have to exhaust His divine power and cut off the source of His divine power... But I heard that you and Odin went to assassinate Azazel, and you did it in just half a day, successfully defeating and sealing Him. That's quite a rare thing."
呃哦
This is... indeed a bit troublesome. Don't say that we shouldn't have the technology to quickly defeat fallen angels these days; it'll probably be the same four hundred years from now. The new gods usually deal with fallen angels by cutting off their supplies and then using massive firepower and divine weapons to wear them down. Fallen angels' blood and mana are intertwined; once their secret fire is depleted, they won't die, but they'll be paralyzed.