Chương 86: Chapter 86: Oh, Odin's Eyepatch! 

"Good grief, why does your entire wardrobe consist exclusively of armor?!" Luke complained, exasperatedly rummaging through Odin's massive closet. Every single 'casual' tunic he found was heavily reinforced with golden, interlocking metal plates. 

Do you literally only own ONE set of clothes that isn't designed for war? The one you sleep in?! 

"Forget it. Just skip the outer layer. Wear your sleeping robe," Luke sighed, abandoning the idea of finding Odin a nice, casual sweater. 

He had Odin change into his luxurious, flowing sleeping robes. The soft fabric instantly stripped away a significant portion of the All-Father's intimidating, rigid aura. However, Luke then noticed Odin's gleaming, solid-gold eyepatch. 

"I think the eyepatch is still a bit too intimidating. Do you happen to have any patches made of cloth or leather?" Luke rummaged through a small drawer filled with rings and minor accessories, but found nothing resembling a simple pirate patch. 

"I possess several eyepatches, but they are all forged in this specific style. The exterior is crafted from a highly flexible, durable Uru-alloy blend, while the interior is lined with the finest, softest down feathers of a young Griffin. It is incredibly comfortable," Odin explained, shaking his head and actually attempting to sell Luke on the craftsmanship of the eyepatch. 

"I have two perfectly functional eyes, thanks," Luke rolled his eyes, utterly rejecting the sales pitch. 

"You don't have any vision problems in your remaining eye, right? Maybe next time I'm on Earth, I'll have a pair of custom glasses made for you with one blacked-out lens. Or maybe you should look into getting a high-tech prosthetic eye," Luke mused, rubbing his chin as he studied Odin. 

Currently, wearing comfortable robes instead of golden battle armor, Odin looked significantly less like a terrifying God-King and more like a normal, albeit very imposing, grandfather. But his face was still locked in a stern, humorless expression. 

Luke smiled mischievously. 

"Alright, Old Man. Smile. Don't force it, don't look stern. Just think about the moment Thor finally awakened his true divine power," Luke guided him. 

A genuine, deeply proud smile broke across Odin's face. 

"Perfect! Now dial it back just a tiny bit, but keep the warmth. Hold it!" Luke instructed, making a 'tightening' gesture with his hand. 

Odin relaxed his facial muscles slightly, but the sheer, uncontrollable joy of remembering his son finally coming into his own kept a bright, genuine smile on his face. 

Click! 

Luke had stealthily pulled out a digital camera and snapped a quick photo. 

"Take a look. Tell me what you think," Luke handed the camera to Odin. 

Odin took it, staring at the small screen. 

"It looks... acceptable," Odin muttered gruffly, but the smile on his face grew even wider. 

"Keep that exact feeling! Let's go see Thor and the others," Luke quickly drew a Sling Ring portal right outside the doors to the private chamber. 

"Gently push the doors open, keep that smile, and casually insert yourself into their conversation," Luke instructed, stepping aside to let the All-Father work his magic. 

Odin took a deep, centering breath, pushed the heavy oak doors open, and strolled into the room. 

"...Damn the Time Variance Authority! If I ever get my hands on those cowards, I swear by my hammer I will smash them into bloody paste!" Thor's boisterous, enraged voice echoed across the room. 

"You absolute idiot. Did you not listen? The TVA has already been completely destroyed," Loki sneered, rolling his eyes at his brother. 

"I SAID 'IF'! IT WAS A HYPOTHETICAL!" 

"Are you all discussing the Time Variance Authority?" Odin suddenly interjected, his voice completely devoid of its usual booming majesty. 

"Uh... Father?" 

Thor blinked in absolute shock, completely taken aback by the warm, gentle smile plastered across Odin's face. Beside him, Loki literally froze, his jaw dropping slightly. 

Seeing the room plunge into an incredibly awkward, stunned silence, Luke—standing behind Odin—frantically gestured and winked at Frigga and Sylvie. 

"Yes, dear! I was just recounting Sylvie's tragic experiences to Thor and Loki. Now Thor is loudly insisting on seeking vengeance on her behalf," Frigga, having previously seen Odin smile in private, was the first to recover smoothly, effortlessly bridging the awkward silence. 

Luke breathed a massive sigh of relief. That was almost disastrous. 

Loki, however, noticed Odin's unusual, casual attire, and then caught Luke frantically winking at Sylvie from the doorway. His brilliant mind instantly deduced the entire setup. 

Luke set this up. He's trying to make Father seem more approachable. 

Loki turned to Luke. "Uncle, I am curious. Is this 'Time Variance Authority' a truly singular, unique organization?" 

"Uh, probably not," Luke replied, stepping into the room. "While the TVA we encountered possessed the capability to travel across branching timelines, they were fundamentally tethered to and restricted by their own localized timeline. Therefore, it is highly probable that other, completely independent timelines might possess their own variations of the TVA." 

"Is that so?" Loki nodded thoughtfully. He turned to Odin. "Father, I strongly suggest we initiate a comprehensive contingency plan to ensure Asgard is never caught off guard by a similar organization or temporal threat." 

Odin looked at Loki, his single eye crinkling with genuine warmth. 

"An excellent suggestion, my son. Furthermore, in addition to temporal defenses, I intend to initiate a complete, top-to-bottom overhaul of Asgard's physical planetary defense grid. When Thanos dispatched his armada to test our borders recently, I realized that several of our automated defensive batteries had fallen into disrepair." 

Luke raised an eyebrow. Overhauling the planetary defenses? Good luck to Malekith the Accursed when he tries to invade later. 

Frigga watched Odin effortlessly integrate into the conversation, her heart swelling with joy. She smiled warmly. "While these matters of state defense are certainly crucial, I believe we have far more joyous, immediate matters to address." 

"Oh? What matters?" Thor asked curiously. 

"Why, officially announcing to the people of Asgard that they have a new Princess, of course!" Frigga said, gently squeezing Sylvie's hand. 

"Indeed!" Odin laughed heartily. "And we are severely overdue for a grand, realm-wide banquet! After all, we have had far too many monumental victories to celebrate this past year!" 

Odin looked proudly at Thor, who had finally awakened his true power. He looked warmly at Loki, having finally cleared the toxic misunderstandings between them. He looked tenderly at Sylvie, overjoyed to have a daughter again. 

And he knew that every single one of these miracles had occurred because of Luke's involvement. 

"We shall begin preparations tomorrow! I shall officially announce to the Realm Eternal that the Aesir have welcomed a new Foreign Prince! I shall formally reinstate Thor as the Supreme Commander of the Asgardian Armies! I shall appoint Loki as the Acting Regent, to handle the administrative affairs of the throne! And, of course, we shall introduce Princess Sylvie to her people!" 

Thor eagerly slapped the stunned Loki on the back. "This will be the greatest feast in centuries! Mother, please ensure the cellars bring out the strongest mead and the kitchens prepare the finest roasted meats!" 

Frigga smiled at the completely bewildered Loki. "A feast of this magnitude requires the meticulous coordination of the King. Loki, I shall expect your full cooperation in managing the preparations." 

"Yes! Mother! Father!" Loki snapped to attention, his back ramrod straight, his voice loud and clear. 

"That is the spirit! A true King must possess both cunning wisdom and the ability to unite his people in joy!" Odin clapped Loki firmly on the shoulder, his eye shining with undisguised pride and hope. 

"Oh! Uncle, you should totally have your shadow army handle the catering! Their culinary skills are absolutely legendary!" Thor shouted enthusiastically. 

Loki unconsciously swallowed hard. He remembered the mouth-watering aroma of the barbecue on Earth—the barbecue he hadn't been allowed to eat a single bite of. 

Looking at the incredibly warm, festive atmosphere, Luke nodded. "I can leave a detachment of Shadow Ninjas here in Asgard for a few days to familiarize themselves with your local ingredients and flavor profiles." 

"I am certain their assistance will guarantee the banquet's absolute success," Frigga smiled gracefully. 

"Oh, right! Would it be acceptable if I invited a few friends from Earth?" Luke suddenly remembered Tony. 

"Furthermore, I might require the expertise of the royal healers," Luke quickly added. 

"It is absolutely no problem!" Odin nodded firmly. "Your friends are friends of the Aesir! The Aesir have never, and will never, refuse aid to our allies." 

"Exactly!" Thor agreed loudly. "Our healers are the finest in the Nine Realms! They can easily extract those shrapnel shards from Tony's chest! He will be perfectly fine!" 

"Excellent," Luke nodded in satisfaction. "In return, I'll have Tony help redesign and upgrade Asgard's planetary defense grid. With his technological genius paired with your magic, Asgard's borders will be completely impenetrable." 

Odin didn't dismiss the idea of a mortal upgrading his defenses. Instead, his eye glinted with genuine curiosity and intrigue. 

Having settled the major details, Frigga left Odin, Thor, Loki, and Sylvie happily discussing the banquet arrangements and gestured for Luke to follow her toward the royal kitchens to discuss the catering. 

As they walked down the quiet, golden corridor, Frigga suddenly stopped and turned to Luke. 

"Thank you, Luke." 

"Don't mention it. It wasn't a big deal," Luke replied casually. 

"No." Frigga shook her head, looking deeply into his eyes. 

"I possess the gift of foresight. I am capable of catching glimpses of the tapestry of fate. In the original, predetermined future, I saw... too much sorrow. Ragnarok. The Mad Titan. I saw events that would eventually drag Asgard down into the deepest, darkest abyss." 

Frigga took a step closer, her expression incredibly solemn. 

"But ever since you arrived, the tapestry has become completely obscured. I can no longer see the future. Yet... even without my visions, my heart tells me that Asgard's destiny is constantly, steadily improving." 

Luke smiled softly. "Perhaps... that was simply a lie spun by Time itself." 

"Then let us watch," Frigga replied calmly, a terrifying, hidden strength suddenly resonating within her voice. "Let us watch closely to see if this is truly just another one of Time's cruel lies." 

Luke frowned slightly, caught off guard. In that brief moment, he had sensed an incredibly profound, overwhelmingly vast ocean of magical power radiating from Frigga. 

Wait a minute... based on this level of raw power... did Frigga really die to a single Dark Elf Kurse in the movies?! Or was she severely nerfed by the plot?! 1