"I don't understand why you detest the fellow so. He is kind, intelligent, good looking and very talented. And by far the best suitor. The rest have no redeeming qualities in the absence of their talent for wielding."
Kahn lightly addressed his sister as he went through a huge book with equally thick pages. Both of them sat cross legged on very comfortable and expensive looking mats. The two were seated next to each other, with a huge stack of books at their sides. They had arrived at the library about an hour and a half ago, with Hector as their guide. The library of the Diaz household was huge, even bigger than theirs (in its pre destruction state). Since they were unfamiliar with the place, there was no way they would be able to find what they were searching for even, if they were given a month.
Luckily, Hector was rightly his master's subordinate, showing his thoughtfulness when he saw their troubled look. Although Luis had asked Hector to serve them, it was easy to tell from the latter's demeanor and clothing, as well as the tone that he was addressed in, that he wasn't just a servant. It was highly likely that he was the head butler of the Diaz house. As such, it would be awkward for the Romanos, who were merely visitors, to instruct him. After all, in the Diaz family, he had a better standing.
Fortunately, Hector took the initiative to make enquiries of them, asking for what they needed. After the describing the sort of books they wanted to see, Hector ordered the library clerks to bring every book that fell under those descriptions to the Romano siblings- including those in the restricted section.
It had taken just twenty minutes to gather the books, a very impressive feat considering the grand scale of the Diaz library. It was also a testament to the kind of authority Hector held in the family. Kahn could have sworn that none of the clerks paused to even take a breather, each rushing to complete the task they had been assigned. It was obvious that Hector had been 'leased' to them, so they could get the best possible service. This knowledge made Kahn hold the young master in even higher regard.
As for the room they were seated in, it was one of the many private rooms of the library, specifically the one that belonged to Luis. Hector was currently outside, giving them privacy to search as long as they wanted without any interferences.
"He may be fascinating to you. But to me, he's very boring. He isn't rash. He's too calm and worst of all, he doesn't get into any fights. I mean, do you recall that in the most recent gathering that was held about a few months back, he was insulted and he just let it go. He didn't even fight to protect his honor. If someone made that mistake with me, I'd have pummeled him or her into the ground."
Rosa's speech was aggressive, almost as though she was currently beating the taste out of somebody's mouth. Her words brought a wry smile to Kahn's handsome face. The qualities that Rosa condemned, were the very ones he admired.
A strong man wasn't one who swung his fists at the least provocation, he was one that knew when to strike and when not to. When all you did was to fight when provoked, it becomes too easy for your enemies to deal with you. Unfortunately, Rosa did not see it that way. To her, being rash was more attractive than a high level of maturity. In a way, she was still an immature little girl. Listening to her speak this way, Kahn wondered if she was truly the older of the two.
He was a bit baffled by her words though. When Rosa spoke of the 'incident' a few months back, he could feel the anger in her tone. Her anger was short-lived, yet Kahn sensed it. He knew Rosa very well, too well in fact. This was why her anger surprised him. The 'incident' had nothing to do with her. It was a conflict between two A-grade geniuses. So for her to be mad was a bit unreasonable. Only if, only if-
"Plus, he's too old. I don't like old men." Unfortunately, Rosa interrupted his thoughts with her next statement.
"Well, you can think whatever you want, but we do owe him a favor." Kahn said as he redirected his attention to the books, putting the one he was reading aside and reaching out for a new one from the large pile.
"I know. I have eyes too you know." Rosa mumbled lightly, her eyes wondering over the pages of the thin book in her hands. She could clearly see the effort that was put into making sure their needs were met, and she was grateful for that.
"You said he had yellow hair, right?" Rosa suddenly questioned.
"Yes. And blue eyes." Kahn answered, glancing at the book his sister was perusing. The book had the huge words, 'THE ASGARDIANS' on its spine and title cover. He leaned over to see what she was looking at. On the page Rosa was holding up, there was an image of a man. An image that was clearly put together by a Master Artist. The man on the page had a huge smile on his face, yet the aura that the simple picture exuded was suffocating. Beads of sweat formed on Kahn's face as he strained to see the man's image in its entirety. The man's entire body was covered in black and silver armor, his hands empty of any weapon as his cape seemed to flutter silently behind him. The grandiose figure seemed perfect with his long golden hair-
Wait a minute. Golden hair! This man had the same hair color as the little kid. This wasn't enough to draw a solid conclusion, but it was a start. Kahn immediately tore his eyes away from the figure. He retrieved a face cloth as he wiped away his sweat amidst labored breaths. When he had calmed down, he realised that he wasn't the only person experiencing dyspnea (difficulty breathing).
Rosa was just as sweaty and tired as he was. Her eyes that had stayed on the book longer than his, found him and exclaimed, "Not just the hair. They share some similar features. I didn't see the kid's full facial profile but his chin and lips are so similar to this man's. He must be his descendant. And we were right. His background isn't simple."
"How complicated is his background?" Kahn asked curiously, finally regaining his composure.
"This man is an Asgardian. You don't have enough authority to know about them yet. All I can tell you, is that they are in no way inferior to Celestials. In fact, I hope we never have to face them. They can only be allies, not enemies."
Kahn was taken aback by Rosa's words. Even though she didn't say the Celestials were inferior, it could be inferred from her words that she dreaded these Asgardians. Celestials were a high and noble race! The Asgardians must be pretty terrifying to provoke such caution.
"It is highly likely that the kid isn't on Planet Celestial. Everything makes sense now. A kid like that would be known all over the planet, no matter where he lived, as long as he was a resident. Also, the Asgardians are able to freely travel between most of the realms."
Kahn was fed with more classified information. He had an intrigued look on his face as he said, "This makes sense. Because when he left, I examined the area of teleportation. It was comprised of a strange language I could not understand."
Rosa nodded her head at Kahn's words and said, "Those are probably runes. They are unique to Asgardians."
Kahn nodded his head and asked what had been on his mind all along, "Who is the man in the picture?"
There was no way he could quickly forget that suffocating aura in such a short time. That man was in no way a minor figure.
Rosa sighed and said, "He's an expert at the peak of the Ascension Realm. The Asgardian God of Lightning, Thor."