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M: TSIA Chapter 60: Half-hearted Leisure Time
🕑 Added 2025-01-16 12:32:29 +0000 UTCBrynhildr snorted softly, as if savoring the relaxed atmosphere. "When are we going to Europe?" Brynhildr asked, Hildr's voice sounding hopeful.
"Uh, wait until I find the right time," Lance replied, lifting the book in his hand as an excuse.
The book was not a magical artifact or a mystical object, but rather a collection of Norse mythology written by Elliot Randolph, a professor at the University of Seville, Spain. The book contained ancient stories that captured Lance's attention.
However, what made Elliot Randolph special was his identity. Elliot was not just an expert in Norse mythology; he was a true Asgardian.
In the Middle Ages, Elliot was a member of the Berserker Legion, Odin's loyal troops who fought against the Frost Giants in a great war. When the war ended and the Asgardians returned to their world, Elliot grew bored with the monotonous life. Quietly, he decided to settle on Earth.
Like most Asgardians, Elliot enjoyed drinking and telling great stories. At one time, Elliot met a girl who loved to listen to his tales. With a bit of creativity, Elliot transformed his experiences as an Asgardian warrior living in seclusion on Earth into fairy tales. Those stories eventually became part of the Norse mythology passed down to this day.
Before Elliot infiltrated human society, he took careful steps to ensure his safety. He divided the Berserker Staff, the legendary weapon of the Berserker Legion, into three parts and hid them in three different locations across Europe.
Lance only remembered that one part was hidden in a forest, while the other two parts were in two churches. However, Lance did not know exactly where those churches were located.
Elliot Randolph, though arrogant, lived long enough to become the most famous expert in Norse mythology. Elliot had collected many mythological stories into his books, including legends about himself and tales regarding the three fragments of the Berserker Staff that were hidden.
Lance had a plan. If possible, he would quietly retrieve the divided artifacts without drawing Elliot Randolph's attention.
With Lance's current flying speed, he was not as fast as a passenger plane, but he was not slow either. Lance could travel around Europe in a matter of minutes if necessary. However, that did not mean the task would be easy.
...
"South of the waters, north of the mountains, a circle of stones, among ancient trees."
"East of the river, the sun shines brightly in the sky, buried in the ground with the bones of the dead."
"A place close to the Gods."
...
Lance read the snippet of the puzzle with a furrowed brow. What does all this mean? The locations mentioned felt like a mystery too difficult to solve.
Getting accurate information from this puzzle was not a simple task. Even SHIELD, with all their vast resources, would surely struggle to track down the exact locations. How could they possibly find two foolish pairs connected to this plot just because of their love for Norse mythology?
Lance let out a long sigh. He had never delved into Norse mythology before, which made this puzzle feel even more complicated. He then scratched his head in frustration. "It seems I have to go to Seville first..." Lance murmured slowly.
As Lance was still lost in thought, the doorbell of the villa suddenly rang, breaking the silence.
"Hildr, who is it?" Lance asked, turning to Brynhildr.
As a magical mechanical being, Brynhildr did not possess all the advanced technology like Transformers, but Hildr was still equipped with adequate basic capabilities. Brynhildr could easily scan the villa's cameras through radio waves. In fact, Hildr was sometimes able to penetrate police and military communication systems.
Brynhildr turned gracefully, emitting a calm mechanical voice. "Wait a moment, I will check first."
"Two police officers," Brynhildr quickly replied. "Class Three Officer Talia Bishop and trainee John Nolan, affiliated with the 66th Precinct in New York."
"Oh, it's them. There must be good news," Lance murmured as he stood up from his recliner. He quickly walked to the door, opened it, and warmly greeted, "Officer Nolan, we meet again."
"Hello, Mr. White," Nolan replied with a friendly smile. He then pointed to his partner beside him and introduced, "This is my training instructor, Talia Bishop."
"Hello, Officer Bishop," Lance greeted with a polite smile.
"Hello, Mr. White," Bishop replied in a flat tone.
Talia Bishop was a young black female police officer, around 27 years old. Unlike John Nolan, who appeared warm and approachable, Talia exuded a firm professional aura. Talia then briefly shook Lance's hand and spoke in a serious tone, "We are here to inform you that the police protection at night for you has been terminated."
"Oh?" Lance pretended not to know and glanced at Nolan.
Nolan, looking excited, immediately explained, "Mr. White, didn't you watch the news this morning? 'Southern Front' has been dismantled. The FBI raided their headquarters and found a lot of evidence of crimes—drug trafficking, arms dealing, human trafficking... Now, their leader, Leonard King Midas, and his son, Cole Midas, have been arrested by the FBI. Even Congressman Carls, who supported them from behind the scenes, has also been captured. Their green light has been revoked. Whether they can rise again in the future is still a question."
Nolan seemed to avoid mentioning other dark details—like how Southern Front turned children into monsters and sold them—which had clearly been concealed by the authorities.
Talia Bishop tilted her head slightly, continuing in a formal tone, "Since Southern Front is now leaderless and in chaos, they no longer pose a direct threat to you. Therefore, the police protection operation for you will be terminated from now on."
Lance actually didn't need protection in the first place. However, Director Zoe had forced a group of police officers to stand guard here. Of course, Lance didn't want to refuse their kindness, so he quickly said, "Alright, Officer Nolan. Please convey my thanks to all the officers who have been on duty throughout the night."
"Of course," Nolan replied happily.
