Chapter 67: Runic Language
"I thought royalties like to travel with a huge entourage? Advisors, security, and whatnot." Savant continued to ignore Doom glaring at him and asked another question.
"If you have read about my legends, then you would know that I wouldn't need all that. Much like your Chancellor here." Odin snuck in praise for Doom in his reply.
Doom nodded in agreement, "I agree. A true ruler should have the strength and the wisdom to lead his people on his own. Seeking counsel and using the strength of others to get things done is just a part of it."
"Well put!" Odin nodded along.
"We don't know the Asgardian customs but based on what we have gathered through Thor and other sources, a welcome banquet is in the works, let's begin with that. Shall we?" Doom suggested.
"A feast and some drinks is always the best way to start a friendly diplomatic relations." Odin followed.
Between the three men, they already knew each other's purpose and what they wished to gain in this discussion. Savant and Doom were aware that Odin was here to extend an olive branch while Earth was still in its nascent stage and still just reaching for the stars.
As for Odin, he was looking into the future where Asgardians and Humans don't have to start a fight. They might even be able to stave off or even avoid the Ragnarok altogether with human help. There were a lot of possibilities in allying with the humans.
The best chefs in the world were teleported in from everywhere along with musicians, alcohol, and staff to decorate the hall.
The officials of the Earth Federation were also quickly brought in with emergency notice. Savant and Doom were being updated in real-time about the progress so when they opened the door to the hall, what greeted them was a Japanese-themed sushi place with the officials already sitting there waiting for them.
"We are starting with a tasting of Sushi while the banquet is being prepared. Let me do the introductions. This is His Majesty Odin Borson, the god of Wisdom and the ruler of Asgard. Today we will have a banquet to welcome him to Earth and to wish for a successful diplomatic relations."
There were quite a few leaders of nations in the room and they looked at Savant with some displeasure at his presence in an event as important as this. But with Savant's announcement, the officials began to clap and the pre-banquet festivities officially began.
While eating the raw fish delicacy crafted by masters of the culinary arts, Odin was introduced to the important people in the room. Mainly, the Federation Council was represented by the countries in all continents including the USA, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Japan, India, China, Russia, Wakanda, Atlantis, Brazil, and Mexico.
"You seem to be able to speak all our languages fluently, Your Majesty! That is impressive." Someone pointed out Odin's language abilities.
Odin laughed as he downed a sake, "Oh, it isn't something impressive. Asgardian royalty just have a magical ability called the All-speak so we can understand most languages in the universe."
The people in the room were fascinated with the magical ability and the sounds of humming in appreciation could be heard all around the room. To the annoyance of the council members though, Savant interjected, "We just use software for instant translation. Not many magically inclined humans around sadly."
While the world leaders were getting worried that Savant might offend the god-king, and glaring at him to make him stop. Odin himself nodded thoughtfully, "After a certain point of development, we have found that magic and science have very blurry lines of separation. Technology can be equally magical."
Savant nodded in agreement, "In that case, why don't you gift me all the languages in the universe that are known to the Asgardians? I will freely distribute them to the public. Might come in handy with all the aliens just deciding to drop by unannounced."
He has done it now, the other people in the room thought. Savant was brazenly asking for gifts from a god-king from a very powerful alien civilization. He didn't even seem to care about offending the other party or jeopardizing the diplomatic visit.
Some of them gave side glances to Doom so that he might do something to stop Savant but Doom just sat there nonchalantly. They were beginning to question Doom's diplomatic and leadership abilities.
"Of course, it is but a small matter. You could have just asked Thor to get a copy for you." Odin didn't seem to care about it. There was a collective mental sigh of relief in the room.
But Savant said something that made their butts clench in tension once again, "I could, but he doesn't have the authority to let me study the ancient Asgardian runic language that only the kings know of. The language of rune magic."
This time even Doom raised his eyebrows at Savant. He was asking for something that only an Asgardian king would have access to. This could get tricky if Odin takes offense.
"Oh! You are aware of the ancient runic magic? Then you must know that even I as the god-king would have to sacrifice a great deal to gain that power. Are you prepared to make that sacrifice?" Odin looked at Savant with critical eyes that were daring him to make a sacrifice. His voice was laced with thunder.
"Nah, I don't wish to die for knowledge. That is the path you chose for your son. But I can do an exchange instead. One that benefits both of us." Savant smiled.
One of the officials just couldn't take it anymore and snapped under the pressure, "What are you doing, Savant? You can't disrespect our honored guest and make personal demands from him like that. This is a diplomatic meeting and you don't even have a right to be here. Are you going to affect the diplomacy of two civilizations for your selfish purpose?"
Savant just turned to look at the man, shook his head, and sighed, "I got a bit too excited it seems. I apologize for my rude behavior, Your Majesty."
"It's perfectly fine. But if it's all the same to you, I would like to hear about this exchange you mentioned. I am getting a feeling that it might be interesting." Odin said while smiling kindly at the outraged guy. The guy sat back down with an awkward smile.
Although Odin calmly said he thought it was interesting, his heart was anything but calm. As the ruler of the Nine Realms and a god with great abilities, Odin could see glimpses of the future and his own fate. And just then, when Savant gave the proposal for an exchange, he felt himself and Asgard being cut off from the loom of fate.
It was only an illusory moment, but Odin had caught it. This meant that Savant held the key to finally stopping the cycle of Ragnarok and the rebirth of Asgard. Asgard could finally be free from the fates that were decided for them by those mysterious beings who sat behind the shadows and controlled Asgard.
Savant smiled. "I don't need the complete runic language. I just need every research, every record, and everything you know of it. In return, I will give you the complete runic language without the need for the whole sacrifice and death ordeal."
At this moment while Odin was contemplating, Doom's telepathic voice sounded in Savant's head. "What is this runic language you are talking about? What's going on?"
"It is the condensed knowledge of the Well of Mimir transformed into a magic language. Think of all the knowledge contained in the waters of the world tree Yggdrasil that spans the whole of Nine-Realms. It all flows into the Well of Mimir. If you can imbibe the whole of Runic magic, you might reach a level of lesser omnipotence." Savant's voice sounded in Doom's mind.
"And you want to take a shortcut and make it accessible to anyone without a sacrifice?" Doom asked in an accusatory tone.
"I know what you are thinking. But do you think just anyone can handle all that knowledge? The whole point of that sacrifice is for the knowledge to judge the person's worthiness to wield it. That level of knowledge and power knows to choose its wielder.
And you need to already have the strength to be able to control it anyway. With the restrictions of having to be able to control the magic, having the strength to imbibe it, and the power itself being interested in you, I'd say there are just three or four people on Earth who have a chance to get it."
"So what do you have in mind?" Doom asked.
"We use the existing knowledge to parse the whole language. Cypher will be of great help. And he is probably the only being in the universe besides Yggdrasil itself that would be able to control Rune magic without having to go through any tests by the power. We can try it ourselves but I doubt that it will pick me. You might have a chance though."
"If you are so sure about not being able to use it yourself, why even help the Asgardians get more powerful?"
Doom heard a chuckle in his head, "Who said I can't use it? The magic may not listen to me, but the knowledge will. And once I have that knowledge I can make my own magic."
Savant planned to use his knowledge perception powers on runic language to get all the knowledge of Yggdrasil.
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