"I've always believed that a person's upbringing plays the most important role in shaping their character. In other words, if another person were put in your situation, they wouldn't necessarily do better than you."
"Thor might be naturally generous, but his generosity has its limits. People perceive him as more generous than you merely because he has received more throughout his growth. The attention, favor, and status you often obsess over, he gets effortlessly. So, of course, he appears magnanimous — he's the beneficiary."
"And your self-doubt, your constant question of why you're always overthinking, why you're often harboring negative emotions, it's merely because you've received less, or rather, comparatively less than Thor."
"Now, let's change our perspective. Suppose you were Odin's only child, meaning Odin only had you as his son, and there was never the existence of Thor at all, yet Odin treated you in the same manner as you've been used to..."
Loki fell into thought once again, Shiller's words echoing in his ear: "Without Thor as a reference, do you still feel you've received too little?"
"Or, could you tell me, as a prince of Asgard, what have you received? After all, I'm just a common man; I can't imagine your royal life."
"I..." Loki paused and then said,"I have many privileges in Asgard. For example, I live in the grandest building in all of Asgard, have many guards from the Fairy Palace at my command, my own exclusive carriage always ready, the Rainbow Bridge on standby, we have our exclusive royal robes, and the helm symbolizing Asgardian honor..."
"Barring the Divine King and the Queen of gods, and Thor, everyone has to salute when they see me, regardless of their divine rank. I have my own guard, an exclusive Sword Technique Instructor, Etiquette Officer, Carriage Driver, more than thirty streets of property in my name, and also two separate dimensions of territory..."
"That's enough, stop speaking," Shiller put his cup back on the table louder this time. Loki looked at him startled, Shiller said, "I'm definitely going to send your brother a surprising bill."
"Alright, now I know you must be thinking that Thor has more. But I must tell you, whether it's you or Thor, both your lives are incredibly privileged. Not just in comparison to ordinary people on Earth, but likely also to ordinary Asgardians."
"If Thor wasn't present for comparison, I believe you'd find your situation easier to accept. But with Thor, your circumstances seem less favorable."
"When people feel dissatisfied with their lives, it's often because they feel they're not close enough to achieving their goals. So, what exactly is your aim?"
"This question might sound a bit broad, but let me give you a specific example. Are you discontent because your current life isn't privileged enough, and you want more lands and wealth, endless fortune and status? Or is it simply because Thor has more than you, and as long as you have more than him, it's sufficient?"
Before Loki could reply, Shiller interjected, "From a logical perspective, everyone ought to aim for the former. After all, who in this world doesn't love money?"
"But looking at your current state, it seems like the latter applies. Because the moment Thor falls and you become stronger than him, you suddenly feel satisfied with life."
"How do you know I'm content with my life?"
Shiller spread his hands out and said, "Put plainly, people need motivation to do things. Internally, this drive can be very complex—it can involve specific things such as the pursuit of pleasure or revenge, or abstract matters such as the expression of self-worth."
"When you don't take action, or when given a chance to do so but you prefer to idle around instead, it's a sign that your motivation is no longer as strong."
"This usually means you've achieved your goals—like having spent all your money, have successfully avenged, or have found a way to realize your life's worth."
"Haven't you noticed that you're just idling around now?" Shiller looked at Loki and said, "Don't tell me that you're born to love dealing with such customer hassles and exploring the lower limits of human comprehension and communication skills."
Loki opened his mouth and took a breath, realizing he could not refute. He held his forehead, beginning to introspect.
What was he doing now? Why was he not maneuvering some plots that could shake the Nine Major Kingdoms but instead was working nine to nine here?
"Although I don't want to jump to conclusions, from what I know about you, normally, you should now be scheming a bigger plot. Maybe something like finding a way to take out your brother..."
"But you have not done so. The reason might be the change in your living conditions. Suddenly, you have surpassed Thor. Not just in terms of living conditions but also in the sphere he values most — honor. And you had ample time to laugh at him."
"Though you have not admitted it yourself, you should be pretty satisfied with this life. This is why you've been lingering here doing nothing, just killing time."