"Magic only ensures that the seeds can grow robustly in harsh environments, without lingering in the plants, causing no harm to the human body. The plants simply achieve optimal medicinal efficacy and perhaps the beneficial components for the human body are enhanced,"
"A herb that only grows on snow-capped plateaus, with excellent therapeutic effects and rare yield, is not overpriced after being certified by authoritative institutions."
"We have a vast market in the East. They clearly want these villagers to earn money more than us, so perhaps we can discuss it with their leader. Neither the production process nor the efficacy fears any verification."
"It seems that you don't need my advice," Loki said with a smile, "You've gained a lot of experience from the Eternal Life Factor industry."
"It's entirely different," Strange waved his hands and said, "The medicines are all genuine and effective, because magic can shorten the growing cycle and make the medicine more effective, rather than creating something out of nothing."
"I don't think the Eternal Life Factor is creating something out of nothing either," Loki leaned his face on one hand, and taking a piece of cake with the other, and spoke with his mouth full, "Almost 100% of the patients in Shiller's Arkham Sanatorium, believed that they reduced aging or even regained youth from the Eternal Life Factor."
"That's only because Shiller's sanatorium provides a good environment, and he tirelessly carries out psychological examinations for his patients and resolves their emotional problems. At least 40% of aging is psychological aging. Isn't resolving this a delay in aging?"
"So this is not completely deceptive, it's like buying a package, but the real useful thing in the package is not the Eternal Life Factor."
"They are fortunate," Strange snorted and said, "Nick paid a large sum of money for Shiller's regular psychological evaluation, so did Stark. The first batch of people who bought the Eternal Life Factor, enjoyed Shiller's treatment almost effortlessly."
"If the entire cosmos knew about Shiller's abilities and his prices, people from the Nine Major Kingdoms would be queuing up."
"Then the whole cosmos won't be peaceful," Strange took a sip of tea and continued, "Shiller's treatment involves not only face-to-face questioning, but also a comprehensive plan tailored for you. That's the key to his cure-all abilities, so for the safety of the cosmos, not too many people can have access to him."
"Did you know Thanos is studying psychology?"
Strange slightly furrowed his brows, but he replied, "Anyone can study psychology, the textbooks are readily available, so don't tell me you've never read them."
"But it seems he has received a certain guidance from Shiller, and he has quite the talent?" Loki looked down, replaced the teacup to its original spot and said, "I started paying attention to him again because, Frigga obviously added him to a certain list."
Strange narrowed his eyes at Loki, "Why on earth is your mother in such a hurry? In comparison to your longevity, isn't the frequency at which she is concerned about your marriage equivalent to humans urging ten times a day?"
However, Loki's expression didn't reveal any irritation, he calmly said, "Frigga is overly eager to change my existing situation, either going to a place where people value me more or bringing back a sufficiently powerful being to make them value me more."
"Why do you need the recognition of Asgardians?"
"In reality, it's not important." Loki sighed and said, "It has no impact on me, but there's a saying on your planet, Earth, that people live on hope."
"Frigga firmly believes that Odin owes me because one of his sons got the throne and I didn't. If it's just that, then it's fine. But the Asgardians' overt and covert discrimination against me bothers her the most, so she believes I have to regain my prestige."
"And she's pinning her hopes on your future spouse and not on you."
"Because she knows I've lost all hope." Loki shook his head with a smile, "Once this was a problem for me, but now it isn't."
"But it still haunts her." Strange took a deep breath and said, "My father still believes that New York is a hellhole for me, that its inhabitants are all demons, and that one day they'll have to pay for their contempt."
Loki laughed because the statement was quite amusing, then he looked away and said, "Frigga believes that someone who genuinely loves me will strive to heal my trauma or compensate me once they understand my past, and I, in turn, will be healed by them."
"She doesn't believe in your ability to heal yourself."
"She's unwilling to believe it."
"Because she feels that this is incredibly unfair to you." Strange also put his teacup back, supporting his face with his elbow, and said, "You have too little but are doing too much. No mother can bear seeing her child suffer like this."
"So, what are your thoughts?" Strange inquired, "Do you think it's a good thing if someone were to compensate you for your past?"
"It does not need to be compensated." Loki shook his head, "When I recall it, I think first of Thor and then the times we spent together, I don't think this can be regarded as regret."
"Then how do you plan to refuse?"
Loki was biting his thumb and finally said, "If possible, I neither want a husband nor a wife, but I want a child."
"You're going to have one yourself?"
"Why not?"
Loki was apparently serious, he said, "Helen is great, but I think she should live in a stable family environment. I have to admit, Stark will be a good father, and Pepper knows how to educate. Once they are married, a complete family will be established."
"I can't always take her away from them because of Frigga's needs. This seriously affects the continuity of Helen's education, and shuttling back and forth between Earth and Asgard is too exhausting."
"But Helen made me realise that if you have a continuation of life, you will view the world in a different way, not for my sake but for Frigga's."
"If it's just me, her focus will be entirely on me, and those old incidents that can no longer be changed take up most of her energy, which makes her feel angry, sad, and tired."
"But if there's a child, she can step into a new life stage, just like when she was with Helen. And if this is truly my child, then, the child can spend more time with Frigga."
Strange nodded, agreeing that this logic had no issues. The reason Helen couldn't do it was because Stark's side was also dominant. Loki couldn't possibly adopt an attitude of stealing the child, demanding Helen to stay by Frigga's side. This would not be good for Helen, and it also didn't hold the moral high ground.
But if Loki had a child of his own, then this child would be completely of Asgard's, they would be very close and can naturally stay together every day as the mother would be Loki, and no one could have objections.
"Who's the father going to be?" Strange asked.
"The list of potential candidates is surprisingly long, and I am confident of success."
"Including me?"
"Including you and Shiller." Loki's words were stunning, "and also Thor, Tony, Steve, Nick..."
"Don't shit where you eat." Strange said irritably: "You are just the opposite, you have devoured everything."
"Your genes are excellent." Loki spread his hands, "This is the only issue I need to consider, the rest... As a human living in a scientific society, you should understand, we can completely skip all the romantic process, and rely solely on technology."
"But I don't think any of us are ready to have a child."
"So when the time comes to really decide, I won't tell anyone."
Strange frowned, he stared at Loki and said: "Do you have a way to get our genes?"
"I indeed do, but I hope we can cooperate."
"How to cooperate? If we know of the child's existence, then it will definitely become a moral burden..."
"It's enough to just know of its existence, but not knowing whose it is." Loki looked at Strange seriously, "It's fine if we come together at some point."
Strange covered his face, he should not have had too high expectations for the morality of these gods. What was said in the myths was indeed true.
"Do you know that this is just a rash statement in anger? Who the child looks like when he/she is born is still unknown, right? The simplest differentiation method, skin color, you can't possibly think that there is no lineage gap because we are all white, can you?"
"Everything can be adjusted." Loki realized Strange's resistance, so he said: "This is just one way, it's not completely determined, I am still thinking about it."
"I advise you to go somewhere farther." Strange said: "If even meeting becomes a difficulty, then he will not likely take the child from you."
"You mean going to another cosmos?"
"What do you think about Batman?"
Loki hesitated.
"Undoubtedly outstanding genes."
Strange heard Loki swallow his saliva, Loki licked his lips and said: "If it is him, I can consider a less scientifically based method."
Strange slightly rolled his eyes and said: "You are purely moved by lust, also how about Superman?"
"He's also pretty good, borrowing Natasha's words, if I'm going to die in bed, I hope my blood can splash on both of them."
"You can take Natasha along, she will thank you for the rest of her life."
Loki's eyes became brighter, he looked at Strange and said: "Do you think if I go to Shiller to mediate, will he agree?"
"You are not thinking of taking him along, right? I advise you not to think like that, you know better than me what the consequences of stirring him will be, I have not done surgery for gods."
The expression on Loki's face obviously hesitated again, because he remembered a certain attribute of Shiller that he learned when they went fishing together in the past. if Shiller went crazy at that time, the injury was secondary, wouldn't it ruin his good deed?
"Then he will only act as a middleman."
"Do you know how much he charges."
"If he charges per time, I think we can be more thorough in choosing." Loki stroked his chin, "It's not entirely for me to give birth, it can also be someone else who is willing, this way our choices will increase."
Loki was becoming restless, he clearly wanted to put this brilliant idea into practice immediately, but Strange pulled him back and said: "Wait, deal with this matter first, then go to the clothing consultant, that Professor is much pickier than the doctors we know, if you want to impress him, you must have a meticulous image."
Loki snapped his fingers and said.
"In human mythology, Odin is known as the King of the Wild Hunt, he would lead the elf hunters and the ghosts of the noble dead, rushing through the forest, chasing their prey."
"This is humans' nightmare of the forest for nearly a century, the deep dark green, the blue from the floating fire, and the bloody red eyes of the raven - I have an idea."