However, this was already enough to headache Thanos. Ahead, he was up against a formidable Captain America, who seemed unbeatable. Behind him, there crouched a wily Pope II. If he could use the Infinity Gems from other universes, he might stand a chance. But since he couldn't, Thanos had no choice but to outsmart them instead.
As a result of these circumstances, Thanos went looking for Shiller even before Shiller got to him.
The restaurant in Asgard was located on the second floor of the Fairy Palace, with gold continuing as its dominant theme. The edges of the curved dome and the decorations on the walls were deep blue. The armchairs near the golden tables were dark red. The walls, slightly aged and creamy-white, brought a sense of harmony to these strong colors, giving off an aura of nobility and grandeur layered with depth.
When Shiller walked into the restaurant, he couldn't help but look up at the splendour of the palace decor. The Fairy Palace of Asgard, also known as Odin's Golden Palace, lived up to its grand reputation. Shiller was seeing the palace in this detail for the first time and was deeply intrigued.
It wasn't until a waiter in the restaurant led him to the dining table that Shiller snapped out of his trance. Upon looking up, he saw a giant with purple skin choosing food on the table.
There were many Asgardian dishes available, most of which were barbecued meat. Asgard, being an ocean civilization, barely raised livestock. As a result, the meat sourced were from various monsters in the Nine Major Kingdoms. Seeing so many unidentified types of meat before him, Shiller was unsure where to start. It was at this moment that a voice rang in his ear:
"You could try that one. It's very similar to the mutton on Earth. It's sourced from a herd-type blue-eared sheep species found on the outskirts of the Nine Major Kingdoms."
Shiller turned to see Thanos next to him and promptly said with a lively tone, "Good morning, Your Majesty Thanos. Why are you up so early today?"
Obviously, Thanos heard the hidden message in Shiller's words. He looked around and noticed the restaurant was less crowded than usual, which made his attempt at a casual encounter seem somewhat awkward.
Shiller was an early riser who stuck to a routine of rising at five o'clock, and many people were familiar with this habit of his. It wouldn't have been hard for Thanos to learn about Shiller's schedule.
However, what he hadn't expected was that even in the cosmos, Shiller's healthy lifestyle was one of a kind. To be exact, other than the waiter, they were the only two in the restaurant.
"Let's sit over there." Shiller took a handful of simple pastries and, carrying his tray, walked toward the window. They sat down next to a tall statue. Shiller took the fork and knife from the waiter and casually asked, "Are you going to the music concert tonight?"
"Of course. I have a strong interest in Asgardian music. I love their assembly horns and war drums. They remind me of my days on Titan Planet."
Thanos also picked up his knife and fork. Surprisingly, he handled the utensils elegantly, like a true gentleman from human society, maintaining meticulous dining etiquette.
"Are those the drums that sounded during the destruction of Titan Planet?"
"Destruction and art are not mutually exclusive." Thanos shook his head and said, "Asgard has destroyed far more civilization and life than I have."
"Indeed." Shiller looked out of the window. Under the morning light, Asgard's buildings in the distance appeared even more magnificent. Art always thrives on two extremes: one is extreme hardship and coldness and the other, abundance and prosperity without worries of survival.
Asgard was clearly the latter, thus, the arts here were passionate and magnificent, be it architecture or music. They were all aimed at touching people's hearts, perhaps the Eternals Family was once the same.
"The human race's Solar System development plan should have noticed Uranus, right?" Thanos asked with a faint smile on his face.
"Are you worried that the humans might discover the remnants of the Eternals Family?" Shiller cut a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, "Frankly, we're not very interested. You guys didn't leave anything good behind... However, I am interested in the story of the Eternals Family. Could you tell me about it?"
Thanos's hand, which was holding the utensils, paused. He looked at Shiller and asked, "Hasn't the Supreme Magician told you our story?"
"It's different when told by someone who actually lived it. Perhaps, after hearing your hardships, my other self may even feel some sympathy for your predicament."
Thanos showed a puzzled smile. He looked down at the food on his plate and said, "I am the third generation of the Eternals Family. As you might have guessed, our race originated from Earth."
"Our lifestyle, etiquette and culture have much in common with humans. Back then, the City of Titanos, established on Earth, was part of Earth's glorious ancient civilization."
"Most tragedies in this world originate from greed for power. My grandfather, the leader of the Eternals Family at that time, Kronos, caused a horrifying explosion while experimenting with vitality in the universe. This led to the obliteration of the glorious City of Titanos."
"Kronos's body was destroyed, but the Eternals Family had a strong spirit. Amid the explosion, he transformed his life form, abandoned his body, merged with some time rules and became a deity in the universe."
"Regrettably, he couldn't reverse the tragedy of the Eternals Family. After the horrifying explosion, the Eternals Family suffered heavy casualties. As with all intelligent life when faced with a disaster, a terrible internal turmoil followed in the ruins of Titanos."
Kronos's brother, Uranus, blamed Kronos for being irresponsible and the main culprit behind the devastation of the Eternals Family. A conflict broke out between them, but unfortunately, Uranus couldn't defeat Kronos. After his defeat, he was banished and led a group of Eternals Family members to Uranus and Titan, a satellite of Saturn, to rebuild their city."
"After the destruction of Titanos, Kronos's eldest son, Zuras, led a group of Eternals Family from the ruins of Titanos to Mount Olympus in Greece, where they established the Olympus Gods. He parted ways with the other three groups, which rooted themselves in three different areas."
"Once the chaos ended, another problem that concerned the Eternals Family was the age-old issue of succession."
"Kronos didn't have only one son, Zuras. He also had a younger son, Alars, who he didn't favor very much. His situation was like Loki's was once in Asgard."
"It's amusing, isn't it? Everything in this world seems to be a cycle of similar episodes." Thanos shook his head, somewhat resigned, "However, Alars, the 'Little Prince' of the Eternals Family wasn't as fortunate as Loki. After failing in the power struggle, he was expelled from Olympus and exiled to Titan Planet."
"There were decedents of the Eternals Family left on Titan Planet by Uranus. So, Alars joined these Eternals Family members with his followers and established the Titan Clan."
"And this His Majesty Alars, is my father."