Ch.60 When You Say "Life Imprisonment," Do You Mean Until He Dies of Old Age?

What Ronan didn't expect was that after Odin and the Ancient One exchanged greetings, the first topic they discussed was Ronan himself.

And to his surprise, it came with a sarcastic buff aimed at none other than Thor, who stood beside Odin, and Loki, who was already locked up in prison.

This old man doesn't seem like a good person!

That thought flashed through Ronan's mind.

"Oh no, not at all. Compared to your two princes, I'm far behind."

"After all, the title of God of Thunder echoes across the Nine Realms, and Loki, the God of Mischief, is quite a renowned figure too."

"Compared to them, I'm just a nobody."

Ronan smiled and waved his hand. Such taunts didn't affect him in the slightest.

He was a grown-up, after all. He understood the proverb: "The tree that stands out is the first to be blown down."

Especially after seeing the look in Thor's eyes, like he wanted to challenge Ronan to a one-on-one fight.

In Ronan's eyes, Thor was still just a kid.

And who would bother competing with a child? That would be beneath him.

As expected, after Ronan said this, Thor's expression changed. The desire to fight in his eyes was now hidden.

Odin, however, glanced at his eldest son and, seeing Thor's satisfied look, couldn't help but sigh.

Did Ronan back down?

No, it was the opposite.

From Odin's perspective, this was the key difference between Ronan and Thor.

If Thor were to be compared by Earth years, he was much older than Ronan.

Yet, when it came to maturity, the two seemed worlds apart.

The younger one was more mature and composed.

While the older one acted more rashly and recklessly.

Comparing the two, the difference was clear.

"Ancient One, you've trained a fine disciple."

Odin withdrew his gaze with a hint of admiration.

"You flatter me."

"I've already witnessed the strength of Prince Thor on Earth."

"Given time, he'll undoubtedly become a worthy king."

The Ancient One smiled modestly, embodying the humility typical of the East.

Of course, her words weren't just out of politeness.

After all, according to future events, Thor would eventually mature, growing from a reckless child into a responsible king.

It's just that this "given time" might take a while.

"Since you mentioned Midgard, I think it's time I gave you an explanation."

"Loki's actions—secretly contacting the Chitauri and invading Midgard—were his crimes, but they were also my responsibility."

"Whether as a father or as the King of the Gods, I bear significant responsibility."

A flash of disappointment crossed Odin's eyes.

As the ruler of the Nine Realms, it was his duty to protect them.

But his own son, Loki, had conspired with beings from another realm to invade Earth, a planet under Asgard's protection, with the intention of becoming its ruler.

No matter how one looked at it, Odin couldn't escape the blame.

"It seems you've already decided on how to handle this."

The Ancient One smiled at Odin, her tone neutral.

She didn't criticize Odin or Loki, nor did she emphasize her position as Earth's protector.

But with just one sentence, she made her stance clear.

If Odin's decision was reasonable, she wouldn't object.

But if it wasn't...

Well, that would be another story.

Ronan stood by quietly, listening to the conversation between these two powerhouses.

He understood the meaning behind their words, but his current status didn't grant him a seat at this table.

To sit at this table, one needed not only the right identity but also the strength to match it.

Otherwise, Odin wouldn't show such respect for the Ancient One.

"Of course, to give Midgard a proper explanation, I've decided to imprison Loki indefinitely."

"He will be sentenced to life imprisonment, and only upon his death will he leave his cell."

"This is my way of giving both Midgard and Kamar-Taj an explanation."

Life imprisonment.

This was Odin's final concession.

It was clear from his words that he was still proud as the King of the Gods.

When describing Loki's crimes, he used the word "explanation."

But when addressing Kamar-Taj, he used the word "account."

To him, Earthlings weren't equals; they didn't need a real explanation. He only needed to give Kamar-Taj face.

More accurately, to give the Ancient One face.

"Your punishment is quite reasonable. I agree on behalf of Kamar-Taj."

The Ancient One nodded slightly, though she knew the future might still change.

But by then, it would be someone else's problem to deal with.

Ronan, standing by, opened his mouth slightly.

Loki got away?

But he quickly realized what had happened.

According to the timeline he had seen, Loki was captured by the Time Variance Authority (TVA), and things would probably play out like they did in the storyline.

But then... what about the part where Loki escaped with the Tesseract?

Normally, Thor should remember that.

"Young sorcerer, it seems like you have something to say?"

Odin, seated on his throne, noticed the shift in Ronan's expression.

His senses were sharp, though they didn't seem to extend to his two sons.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just sensed the presence of the Tesseract where Loki was captured."

"So, I thought something might have gone wrong in the process."

Ronan maintained his composure, not betraying any emotion.

After all, it's not lying if you're just being crafty, right?

That's called strategy!

"Your senses are quite sharp. There was indeed a complication."

"Tony Stark had a sudden heart issue, which caused chaos at the scene."

"In the midst of the confusion, Loki managed to escape with the Tesseract."

At that moment, Thor stepped forward, recounting the events as they unfolded.

Huh? Loki escaped?

This didn't seem right at all.

Normally, the TVA should have shown up, pruned the variant Loki, and restored the original timeline. That would've been the proper ending.

Ronan had specifically taken the Tesseract to test this theory.

If the TVA had restored the timeline, then the Tesseract in his possession would have disappeared as well.

But now...

Ronan was filled with regret!

In his rush to finish his homework, he had forgotten to check whether the Tesseract was still with him.

"If I understood correctly, when you say life imprisonment..."

"Do you mean until he dies of old age outside?"

There's no denying that when it comes to being blunt, Ronan was always ahead of the curve.

His words were like a massive Silence Spell, and the entire hall of Asgard fell into an awkward silence.

"Asgard will continue to hunt Loki down."

"And one day, when we find him, we will bring him back to Asgard!"