"Please," Loki said with a chuckle, "you already have a divine being walking around your house, sharing the same husband. Let's not act like we gods are all a plague. Isn't that right, Your Majesty?" He directed the question at Tian Xingyun, who stood slightly behind Daniel, looking like a little dutiful wife.
"Shut up, Norse god. We are not familiar with one another," Tian Xingyun snapped, her sharp tone cutting through the air. "I recall you once tried to steal the Immortal Peach from my father's garden. Have you forgotten how I chased you for over a thousand miles?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I remember it quite well," Loki said with a smirk. "You were chasing one of my illusion clones for a thousand miles. I watched with great interest, curious how long it would take you to figure it out. But in the end, you never did. I grew bored and dispelled the illusion myself."
"You—!" Tian Xingyun pointed a trembling finger at Loki, her face flushed with anger. She looked as though she was ready to pounce on him, but she restrained herself, glancing at Daniel. She couldn't bring herself to start a fight with this infuriating man in front of her husband, it would tarnish her dignity. Instead, she clenched her fists and glared daggers at Loki.
Seeing this, Daniel frowned and asked both women, "Envy, Xingyun, do you know him?"
"Hmph! He's just a thief—a god, yes, but still a thief. There's nothing special about him," Tian Xingyun said with spite.
Envy then answered, "He's the founder and the current hands-off leader of the Syndicate Union."
Envy's words stunned everyone in the room except Tian Xingyun, who didn't seem to grasp the full weight of what the Syndicate Union represented.
"Wait... this guy is the mysterious leader of the Syndicate Union!? And you said... hands-off? What do you mean, Teacher?" Greed immediately asked, pointing a finger at Loki, who was clearly amused by the group's reaction to the revelation.
"He's like our Danny. He prefers his hobbies over his actual job," Envy replied.
"Hey! It's not just a hobby; it's a preparation! Besides, Didn't I hire Aryan to take care of my company!?" Daniel protested but Envy ignored it. His immediate protest earned an eye roll from Envy.
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"Lord Husband... I hate to agree with her, but when I serve tea and dessert to you, most of the time you don't even touch them until dinner. And only after I remind you do you drink the tea, which has long grown cold, and eat the dessert, which has already hardened," Tian Xingyun said with a tinge of admonishment in her voice.
Loki calmed down, the usual suave smile still didn't return to his face. His eyes have a mixed complex of weariness, desperation, and... a sliver bit... of hope.
"Lord Emberweave, before I begin..." Loki paused, his eyes fixed on Daniel with a glimmer of hope. He wasn't fully aware of it, but his fists had clenched tightly. "I've heard that you can resurrect someone, even if they've been dead for a long time, even from nothing but ash. Is that true?" His voice wavered slightly, betraying the nervousness he tried to mask. A bead of sweat rolled conspicuously down his temple.
Daniel frowned in confusion. "Yes, that's true," he replied honestly.
Hearing this, the light of hope grew in Loki's eyes. They shone brightly, like those of a man lost in the desert who had stumbled upon an oasis.
"Then... Can you help resurrect my son?" Loki's voice softened, trembling with raw emotion. "I come to you not as a god, but as a father. And as one father to another, please... grant me this wish. I will repay you with everything I have." His words were earnest, his tone filled with the weight of desperation and sincerity.
"Your son? You mean..." Daniel probes, he knows about the Norse god from the myth only and not the actual living breathing one.
"It's Fenrir..." Loki began, his voice heavy with sorrow. "He was injured during the war. Since that day, he hasn't regained consciousness, and his vital energy has grown weaker and weaker with each passing day. Now, I can't even sense it anymore." A tired smile crossed his face, masking the centuries of pain he had endured. Over his long life—more than a millennium—he had tried everything to bring his son back. But failure after failure eroded his hope, day by day, sometimes even plunging him into the depths of despair.
The incident where he stole an immortal peach from Tian Xingyun had been one such desperate attempt to save his son.
Hearing this, Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "Where is he now? Is he somewhere in your base, or...?"
"I've already brought his body here to New Atlantis. You just need to follow me to the Syndicate Union branch in the city," Loki replied.
Daniel glanced at the time before standing up. "Alright, let's go. We shouldn't waste any time—I need to be back home before dinner."
"Then please, follow me." Loki also stood, leading Daniel toward the door.
Envy, watching Loki closely, frowned with a trace of skepticism. After a moment, she turned to Tian Xingyun. "Xingyun, follow him. I don't trust Loki. It's better not to leave Daniel alone with him. Just in case... he might need your assistance."
"Lord Husband's paranoia has rubbed off on you, hasn't it?" Xingyun said with a small smile. Rising gracefully, she activated her hidden technique and quietly trailed the two men from a distance.