Amora was exceptionally skilled at charm magic—most people would be ensnared before they even realized what was happening. Only those with extraordinarily strong willpower or superior magical resistance could withstand her abilities.
Aegir possessed both the power of a Sea Lord and his meticulously crafted Runic Tattoos, making him extremely resistant to magical manipulation. Amora's charm magic simply won't work on him.
She'd realized this within seconds of meeting him, which was why she'd immediately switched tactics. If magic wouldn't work, she'd rely on more traditional methods. Physical attraction combined with careful manipulation could often achieve what magic could not.
That is, in every movement, every smile, she seemed to display an amazing allure that appeared completely natural and unintentional.
In the face of Amora's infinite seductive gestures, Aegir knew a proper response was necessary. While he personally wasn't affected by her tricks, other ordinary Vanir wouldn't be able to resist her influence. That could cause serious problems.
But Amora was genuinely talented, and it would be wasteful to simply send her away. Just look at how Odin handled her—despite the chaos she'd caused over centuries, he'd never executed her. That spoke to her value.
And it certainly wasn't because Odin was merciful. That would be the biggest joke of the millennium. Anyone who remembered how many Odin had killed while unifying the Nine Realms knew better. Rivers of blood would be an understatement for those conquests.
So the best approach was to find a way to redirect Amora's ambitions and keep her occupied—too busy to cause trouble.
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On a mountain range not far from the palace, Skirnir and Amora followed Aegir through the rocky terrain.
"Lord Aegir, is there something special about this location?" Amora asked, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The movement drew attention to her slender neck and the graceful line of her shoulders. Her fingers lingered in her golden hair, wrapping it around one fingertip in a gesture that seemed casual.
Skirnir was staring intently at the ground, as if he'd discovered the most fascinating thing in existence.
"This mountain is nothing special," Aegir replied enigmatically. "But it will be very soon."
"Oh?" Amora's eyes widened with feigned innocence, a small smile playing at her lips. "Then I'll have to watch closely. After all, anything you do, Lord Aegir, is bound to be impressive."
"Then watch carefully," Aegir said, snapping his fingers with theatrical flair. "The Tower of Seiðr!"
BOOM—
The elements in the air suddenly surged into motion. Lightning gathered from all directions, crackling with barely contained energy. The space itself seemed to ripple like water disturbed by a stone.
Then, an ancient dark tower emerged from the void— radiating power. It descended smoothly onto a flat area of the mountain range, settling into place as if it had always been there.
Amora's mouth fell open, her carefully maintained seductive expression forgotten. She looked from the tower to Aegir and back again, genuine shock replacing her smile.
She could feel powerful magic emanating from the structure—waves of arcane energy that made her skin tingle. This was a true magic tower, the kind that existed only in legends.
Skirnir was equally dumbfounded. "Your Highness, was that... space magic? You summoned an entire tower from another dimension?"
"Let's go," Aegir said simply, patting both of them on the shoulder and leading the way toward the tower.
As they approached, a wave of magical energy washed over them—identifying.
Amora raised her hand instinctively, gathering defensive magic in her palm.
"Don't be nervous," Aegir said calmly. "That's the tower's barrier system. It won't attack without hostile intent or my authorization."
Since obtaining the Tower through the check-in system, Aegir had sole permission to enter and control who else could access it. The magical energy Amora was sensing came from the tower's connection to Vanaheim itself—it was drawing on the realm's ambient magical energy, making its power reserves essentially infinite.
The tower had powerful defensive capabilities. Its outer barriers could release massive Arcane Lightning covering hundreds of kilometers if needed. And beyond that, Aegir now had a protective barrier around all of Vanaheim similar to the one Sanctum maintains around Earth.
Amora, who specialized in magic, was immediately captivated the moment she stepped inside the Tower of Seiðr. Every step revealed new magical restraints and energy patterns. Arcane energy and natural forces danced in harmony throughout the space.
Looking around, she saw countless magical tomes. They lined the shelves in organized rows, their spines promising knowledge she'd never dreamed of accessing.
"Lord Aegir, these are..." Amora's voice trembled slightly, genuine emotion breaking through her calculated facade. A glimmer of desperate hope flashed in her eyes.
"Magic books containing all of Vanaheim's accumulated magical knowledge, along with magical knowledge from different dimension." Aegir replied casually. "Interested in studying them?"
Amora nodded eagerly, abandoning all pretense of seductive manipulation. "Yes! Can I really access these?"
"Of course," Aegir said. "As long as you agree to work with me, I can give you unlimited access to the tower. But you'll need to fulfill a small request."
"Whatever you ask, I'll agree!" The words burst from Amora before she could stop herself, her face flushing with genuine excitement rather than calculated charm.
"I'm thinking of reestablishing the mage corps for Vanaheim," Aegir explained, watching her reaction carefully. "I need a qualified instructor to teach magic to new candidates. Would you be willing to take on that role?"
He paused, then continued, "Additionally, I need a Chief Court Mage—someone responsible for managing all magical practitioners in Vanaheim, overseeing magical education and research. This position would include unrestricted access to all magical knowledge in the tower, including texts from other realms. Interested?"
"Me? You're offering this to me?"
She was being handed everything she'd ever wanted—access to unprecedented magical knowledge and authority over Vanaheim's entire magical infrastructure.
If Lorelei learned about this from her cell in Asgard's dungeon, she'd be absolutely livid with jealousy. This was beyond anything either sister had ever dreamed of achieving.
Amora looked at Aegir with complicated emotions. They both knew she'd been sent here to sow discord. But why would she bother with any of that now? Knowledge was the most important thing to a mage, and he was offering her unlimited access to knowledge that would take centuries to fully absorb.
Any seduction plots or political games seemed utterly pointless compared to this opportunity.
"I accept," Amora said, meeting his eyes directly for once without any seductive affectation. "And I swear I will serve you faithfully as your Chief Court Mage."
Aegir turned to Skirnir. "This matter is now your responsibility. Select individuals interested in magic from across Vanaheim. Gather them in the capital and establish a proper academy under Amora's guidance. I want to build a powerful mage corps like Vanaheim had in its glory days."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Skirnir gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, admiration clear in his voice.
Aegir sighed internally. Skirnir had completely misunderstood his intentions again.
The old warrior thought this was some elaborate political maneuver when Aegir's actual reasoning was much simpler—he wanted to neutralize Amora as a potential threat while making productive use of her abilities.
Summoning the tower so dramatically was meant to establish his power, to make Amora understand the gap between them. To make her put aside any schemes and serve him properly out of genuine interest rather than fear or obligation.
He also wasn't worried about Amora's strength increasing through study. The tower's library updated constantly with new magical knowledge. Even if Amora dedicated every waking moment to learning, it would take her centuries to master even a fraction of it. By that time, Aegir's own power would have grown far beyond any threat she could pose.
As for placing her in charge of the mage corps, that was simply efficient resource management. The ultimate loyalty of the mage corps would be to him as Sea Lord—Amora was just a laborer with an impressive title.
Well, it did feel slightly capitalist, exploiting skilled workers while holding all the real power. A bit guilty about that. But only a bit.