Just as Shiller was busy in the tavern, the construction project of Southern Cross Cross Two officially commenced and was in full swing. A large amount of construction equipment was brought to the site, along with engineers from various advanced civilizations. However, before they entered the construction site, they naturally had to follow the old tradition of the Nine Major Kingdoms and go to Asgard for a welcoming banquet.
The Divine King and Queen of Gods warmly received them. To be honest, most of them did not expect to receive such a warm welcome from the God Clan, since although Asgard had given them a good beating, it was because they had the strength. And their collective efforts to exclude Asgard from the interstellar society seemed somewhat petty. However, finding that the Divine King and Queen of Gods were not holding any grudges, they breathed a sigh of relief.
This was not Thor pretending to be generous; he genuinely didn't mind. The God Clan was formidable in battle; that was their prowess. Others were better at political maneuvering, and the God Clan could only accept defeat gracefully, which was nothing to be ashamed of.
In hindsight, the wisest decision Odin made in his lifetime was picking up Loki back then. Without him elevating the political finesse of all of Asgard, they might not have been able to compete with those cunning politicians even in ten thousand years.
The welcoming banquet was grand, with the entire Fairy Palace reveling in a celebratory atmosphere. The engineers and the God Clan drank and chatted merrily, with plates of roast meat being served and quickly consumed. Various fruits produced by the Nine Major Kingdoms were artistically arranged in fruit baskets. The World Tree Spring Water flowed over miniature fountains. Almost everyone drank to the point of being thoroughly intoxicated.
The Divine King and Queen of Gods also drank a few glasses. By the time the banquet ended, they walked back hand in hand. Returning to their bedroom, Thor removed his outer robes, embraced Sif, and kissed her forehead.
"For the upcoming patrol missions of the Nine Major Kingdoms, you'll need to put in more effort. Opening the Nine Major Kingdoms is inevitable, but some chaos is to be expected initially. Don't act impulsively; if you're unsure or encounter troublesome individuals, come back and call me."
"Don't worry." Sif seemed a little drunk as she mumbled, "They're already afraid of us; they wouldn't dare cause trouble openly. But while an open attack is easy to dodge, a hidden threat is harder to guard against. I'm still concerned about those robots."
"Humans will handle it. After all, compared to us, they're more worried about the threat of the Three Great Empires. The potential of the human race far surpasses that of Asgard."
"I think we're doing quite well now. If we truly engaged in political games, trying to outscheme those people, who knows how many losses we'd incur."
"We need to give our descendants a choice." Thor embraced Sif from behind, gently stroking her abdomen, and said, "Our population is already small, and the birth rate is low. Should we abandon any child that isn't strong enough? We should give wisdom a chance."
Sif placed her hand over his, gazing through the window of the Fairy Palace into the distance. It was winter in Asgard, and the snow had painted the tall trees white. As a carriage took off, it kicked up a faint mist of white powder.
The fireplace in the office was burning intensely, and Loki, upon opening the door, was forced to step back a few paces by the heat wave. The Butler approaching from down the corridor smiled broadly and said, "Your Highness, we've preheated the fireplace for you."
"Oh, thank you, Tibbers. But you don't need to make it this hot next time. Pour me some spring water, please; I'm planning to work here until late tonight."
"No problem, Your Highness." The Butler, called Tibbers, bowed before leaving. Shortly after, a jug of World Tree Spring Water was brought over. The jug's surface still emitted a faint coolness, evidently freshly collected from the World Tree.
Loki smiled. Clearly, his status in Asgard had risen significantly. For tonight's banquet, there must have been leftover spring water, yet they still fetched a fresh jug from the World Tree. Perhaps this is how power determines status.
Anyone with eyes could see that Asgard's future held fewer battles. Many professional soldiers were preparing to transition to new roles, not to mention those in charge of logistics.
The God Clan, full of energy, were never ones to sit idle, always seeking something to do. They weren't troubled about survival, and work was driven purely by interest. But precisely because of this, everyone wanted a job that interested them. With the impending opening of the Nine Major Kingdoms, there were many job opportunities, though not all were available to them. Clearly, Loki had the power to decide their jobs. Who says these earnest ones can't be perceptive? When it's about their own interests, they can be quite attentive.
Nevertheless, Loki didn't mind. Even when Asgardians were attentive, they were straightforward and never roundabout. If they truly admired you, they'd almost wish to offer you their heart, hoping the whole world would know.
In a sense, Loki could also understand why Thor was once captivated by the flattery of his subordinates. Because that's how the Aesir were; their enthusiasm was like an unquenchable flame, and no one could remain indifferent to such fervent love.
And it is precisely because of this that Loki understands Odin better. The Aesir are a species that love life and hate death. You must strive to gain their love, yet must never be swayed by this love. For one who feels lacking in love, this is impossible, like asking a sheet of paper to wrap a ball of fire. Loki feels he is that sheet of paper, and he remains so until now.
His prejudice and admiration towards the Aesir stem from the same attitude: escape. But escape is never a solution, and he has already deeply realized that he cannot lead the Aesir, not because he is a Frost Giant, but precisely because he is Loki. If he still wants to be himself, he can only escape.
Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Loki begins to immerse himself in work. He and Thor have already reached a consensus, with the beginning of construction in the Milky Way, the Nine Major Kingdoms should also open up their realms, welcoming friends from the cosmos.
However, this brings many problems. The Nine Major Kingdoms, a prime piece of real estate, aren't just coveted by the Demon God. The Three Great Empires covet them, and though advanced civilizations lack ambitions to occupy it, they undoubtedly want to gain some advantage. Considering it will be the political center of the cosmos in the future, everyone wants to establish a foothold here, which inevitably will bring numerous conflicts, countless hidden and open attacks.
As the lord of the Nine Major Kingdoms, Asgard has the responsibility to solve these issues, and if they handle them poorly, it will surely attract criticism. This looks like a thankless task, but it is their path that must be traveled. After all, who doesn't know that the mayor of the capital is the hardest to be.
Fortunately, Asgard's military force is guaranteed and widely renowned, most civilizations have to give them some face. This is already quite challenging. As for serving as the community mediator, although it's not their strength, precisely because of this, as long as they achieve something, it's like the playboy turning over a new leaf.
Loki is currently handling the visa issues of the Nine Major Kingdoms. The first batch of open visas are for engineers and construction workers, as well as interstellar council politicians. However, later on, family reunion visas and other types of work visas will be opened.
Each visa requires strict review, but even with such scrutiny, it's impossible to completely prevent any infiltration. Additionally, as more people arrive in the future, even without the intent to cause trouble, issues will inevitably arise. One can only say to do one's part and leave the rest to fate.
However, the first batch of visas is relatively easy to handle. Loki reviewed them, combined with the intelligence he previously gathered in the cosmos, quickly eliminating two spies from the Three Great Empires, and found excuses to block some lacking in experience and education. Then, they were all approved.
As for electronic devices, there's really no way to check thoroughly. Asgard's tech levels are good, but in terms of mechanical devices, they're still far behind the Mechanical Civilization. They intend to sneak in using technical means, and Asgard has no solution for this. Fortunately, they also have Jarvis, serving as the last line of defense.
After the visas are approved, the subsequent engineering teams can directly enter the site. However, few actually came, as most used local workers from within the Nine Major Kingdoms. To be precise, most are people under Nick's command.
Other races do want to participate, such as the Dwarves, who boast excellent engineering and construction capabilities, but their ideas are too varied, frequently aiming for artistic innovation, and their building methods are too advanced, not compatible with mechanical equipment. Humans, however, remain more cautious and willing to operate equipment.
Construction began early the next morning. Loki visited the construction site, where the living area was first set up, essentially just a row of prefab houses. What the machines are now hoisting are large foundation slabs.
The construction speed is actually very fast, as many hoisting devices are anti-gravity machines, various repetitive works are completed by mechanical arms. This engineering process is already a quite mature system within the cosmos, with machine operators primarily serving a supervisory role.
Symbiote Agents stand high above, supervising, ready to remedy any emergencies immediately. Loki knows that where he can't see, Jarvis is surely watching here too, preventing Electronic Life from tampering.
They worked like this all day. By the end of the workday, the entire foundation was completed. The work efficiency is phenomenal, and if they continue at this pace, the entire headquarters building will soon be finished.
By the end of the workday, most aliens are heading off in small groups to launch their spaceships. They have long heard of the great reputation of the Nine Major Kingdoms, and now having the opportunity to work here, naturally, at the end of the workday, they want to explore.
Of course, Loki and his team couldn't stop them, because these people are here to work, not imprisoned. In their spare time, wherever they want to go, no one can control it.
Of course, the main reason for not worrying is that their small spaceships can't enter some critical places, such as Asgard and the Solar System. They would be discovered immediately upon entry. Generally speaking, as long as they show their visas, they wouldn't get chased away, but they can only roam within the Solar System, certainly not allowed to enter Earth.
It's not discrimination against aliens, nor fear that they'd cause trouble on Earth, but rather fearing something might happen to them on Earth, which would be hard to explain. Although disasters like Mutant outbreaks have decreased significantly now, if a few were truly killed, it would be bad for delaying the construction progress.