"Teacher, you were looking for me?"
Guided by an unfamiliar female magician, Aaron entered a quiet study, where Irene was waiting.
Seeing him, she was in a good mood—until she instinctively sensed his magical energy. Her expression froze.
"You've grown even stronger…" she murmured.
Aaron gave a modest smile. "I've made some progress, but compared to you, Teacher, I'm still far behind."
Irene let out a dry chuckle.
Far behind? In less than a day, he had nearly caught up to her illusion magic. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he surpassed her completely. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day after. Before she knew it, she'd be the student.
Trying to maintain her composure, she asked, "How's your progress with the magic book I gave you yesterday?"
Aaron frowned slightly. "There's a lot of knowledge on enchanting magic. I'm still in the early stages of exploring it."
Irene let out a silent breath of relief. Good.
She had planned this yesterday, knowing Aaron's absurd talent. Instead of teaching him directly, she gave him a dense, complex book on enchanting magic—something that would take time to fully grasp. At least this way, she could delay the inevitable.
Not that she meant to hinder him. As a magician, self-study was essential. No teacher could hand down every spell. If Aaron truly wanted to reach greater heights, he would have to immerse himself in the vast knowledge stored in Asgard's magic archives.
"Enchanting magic is deep and complex," Irene said with a knowing smile. "Even I haven't mastered all of it, and I've studied for years. The greatest enchanter in Asgard is none other than our King, Odin himself. His mastery is unparalleled, but even for him, it took countless years to reach such heights."
She gave him an encouraging nod. "Take your time. Who knows? One day, you might surpass us all and become Asgard's greatest magician."
Aaron listened but didn't comment. Enchanting magic isn't my priority right now.
Then, as if a thought struck her, Irene's expression turned serious.
"You didn't… continue practicing other magic last night, did you?" she asked hesitantly.
Aaron nodded. "I did."
With a snap of his fingers, the study vanished.
The warm candlelight and wooden walls faded, replaced by a desolate, chilling wasteland. The sky turned gray, and an icy wind howled. In the distance, shadowy figures drifted like lost souls, their forms flickering between real and illusionary.
Irene's breath hitched. "Helheim's Phantasm…"
She immediately straightened up, her eyes wide with disbelief.
This was the same advanced illusion she had demonstrated to her class on the first day.
Except Aaron's was just as realistic—perhaps even more so.
She swallowed hard and carefully examined the illusion's energy.
This is impossible…
Had she not seen him cast it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have been able to tell it wasn't real.
The illusion faded, the study returning to normal. Aaron, however, looked slightly pale.
"Teacher, I have a question," he said, his voice calm despite his obvious fatigue.
Irene blinked, still processing what she had just witnessed. "A question?"
Aaron's gaze sharpened.
"Where does Asgard's magical energy come from?"
Irene was caught off guard. "Where…?"
Aaron nodded. "What's the source of the magical energy flowing through Asgard?"
To him, this was a crucial mystery.
At first, he assumed Asgard's magic was simply a unique form of cosmic energy. But if that were true, why did the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj rely on borrowing power from ancient entities rather than harnessing this energy directly?
Did they find Asgard's magic too slow to absorb? Was it inefficient compared to external sources?
Or… was Asgard's magic not from the cosmos at all?
He recalled Surtur's destruction of Asgard, the eruption of power from the planet's core. He thought of Bifrost—the so-called "Rainbow Bridge"—capable of unleashing enough force to shatter entire worlds.
Was Asgard's energy coming from its very foundation?
Then there was the World Tree.
What if the World Tree wasn't just a symbolic connection between realms, but an actual energy conduit? If so, then Asgard's power might not be limited to Asgard itself.
He thought back to Hela. When Asgard fell, her strength weakened—but she didn't lose it completely. Meanwhile, Thor retained his full divine power.
Why?
Was it mere protagonist privilege?
Or was there something deeper at play?
Aaron had too many questions and too few answers. But he was certain of one thing—he needed more knowledge.
Irene, meanwhile, was staring at him in confusion.
"Isn't magic just a special form of cosmic energy?" she said. "The All-Father guided us in harnessing it for both technology and spellcasting. That's why Asgard thrives."
Aaron nodded, though he wasn't convinced.
"Understood, Teacher," he said, offering no further thoughts. If even Irene didn't know, then the real answers lay elsewhere.
Perhaps with Odin.
Or, more likely… with Frigga.
As Asgard's Queen and a renowned magician, Frigga had access to far deeper knowledge than most. If anyone could give him the truth, it would be her.
Irene seemed satisfied with his response and moved on.
"Aaron, due to your exceptional talent, I made a special request to Queen Frigga yesterday," she announced.
Aaron looked at her, intrigued.
"You will no longer study with the other apprentices. Instead, you have been granted full access to any teacher in the Magic Academy," Irene continued. "You may seek guidance from anyone at any time."
Aaron's eyes lit up.
"Furthermore," she added, "you may enter the library whenever you wish to consult Asgard's magical records."
Aaron felt a surge of excitement.
"Originally, I hoped the Queen herself would take you as a student," Irene admitted. "But she still wishes to observe your abilities a little longer before making that decision."
Then she gave him a knowing look.
"Work hard," she said. "If you continue to show such talent, you may soon receive direct guidance from the Queen herself."
"And if you impress even the All-Father…"
Her lips curled into a small smile.
"You may receive the blessing of the King of Gods."
Aaron felt his heart pound.
A blessing from Odin himself?
Irene hesitated for a moment before adding softly, "To be honest, Aaron… I believe you have the potential to become the greatest magician Asgard has ever seen."
She didn't say the last thought that crossed her mind.
That if Aaron's growth continued at this pace, he could very well become Asgard's New God of Magic.
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