Chapter 1109 Father and Son (Thirty-eight) (Patreon)

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Loki held Helen and almost fled in panic from the Asgard business district.

On the way to the Celestial Palace, he was in a daze, and all he heard were the Asgardians' sighs of regret, praises for the second princess as pure as moonlight, and curses on the damn Kree.

Loki completely failed to understand how things had turned out this way. When he was in Asgard, no one looked up to him, but after his death, he became the most perfect princess in Asgard's history.

Although Loki understood human nature better than others, he had not systematically studied psychology and sociology. If he had such an educational background, he would know that all sentient beings with humanity and wisdom share a common trait, which can be broadly summarized as the "social deification effect."

People are always full of various beautiful fantasies about things they have not obtained, and they praise these things more actively than those who have actually possessed them, which is essentially a way of praising the perfect image in their own minds.

This is also a manifestation of the pursuit of value recognition: I have beautified a certain thing in my mind as the most perfect form, and if others also think it is very perfect, it proves that they have recognized my values, and we will have common topics.

This is the behavioral manifestation of people's pursuit of common values in social interaction.

However, if you praise something that many people have but have varying opinions about, it may not necessarily gain recognition.

To gain recognition and a sense of security in value recognition, deifying and praising something that is already dead is the safest and easiest way to find recognition from others.

Something that can no longer have any new performances, no matter how it is praised, will not break people's fantasies.

The part of people's inner desire for a sense of security is constantly telling them that choosing this topic is the most appropriate and safe.

And going deeper, from the perspective of society, the relationship between people develops from the possession of a common fantasy.

And when this common fantasy has spread to the majority of people, it is very likely to be deified from multiple aspects to ensure that people have enough topics when embarking on relationships.

Essentially, when the common fantasy reaches this level of universality, deification becomes inevitable.

This is not the will of the individual, nor the will of the ordinary people who need topics, but the common will of society generated by human nature.

When Sylvie was alive, she might have just been a sickly princess, Thor's sister and Odin's youngest daughter, but such a barren character setting could not provide Asgardians with enough topics.

So her image has been repeatedly beautified, needing to be beautiful and kind, gentle and powerful.

Only in this way can two Asgardians or other members of the Nine Realms, when they start a conversation, begin with "the beautiful second princess is really too tragic" and end with "damn the Kree."

And the reason they don't use Thor as the topic is that Thor is the actual ruler now, and using her as the center of the topic is easy to touch on taboos, while the living Queen Thor can only accept praise, but the dead second princess Loki can spread gossip.

People may love deifying gods, but they love even more dragging them down from their pedestals. The more perfect the image they fabricate, the more intriguing the gossip circulating around it.

The perfect image can be used to open up topics, but historical anecdotes and rumors are more effective in bringing people closer. Essentially, people don't dare to disrespect the living, but the dead no longer have relationships.

After the dazed Loki returned to the Celestial Palace, Thor was still waiting for him in the living room, and Sylvie had already been taken back to rest. This time, Thor had lost her gentle demeanor, sitting silently on the throne like a majestic statue.

"I guess you must be very puzzled now about why Loki has such an image in this space," Thor said in a somewhat cold tone, "Because war needs a banner, and the more perfect the dead second princess is, the more damnable the Kree will be."

Loki stood blankly behind the table, and Thor stood up from the armrest. As Thor stood in front of Loki, the tips of her golden hair brushed against his cheek. This Queen Thor had a gorgeous appearance, but the most striking thing was the suffocating killing intent in her eyes, as if the years of warfare had turned her heart into a blade.

"I need my subjects and generals to fight bravely, I need them to be filled with grief and indignation, ready to sacrifice themselves." Thor turned her back to Loki and said, "They will do so not because they truly recognize Loki..." Thor shook her head slowly, "When my sister disappeared, she was just a child, how could she have any charm?"

"It's just because I say she is the perfect princess, so everyone must say so. I am their ruler, they are not appreciating Loki, but fearing me."

Loki regained his senses, as if he had guessed what Thor was going to say, and his gaze fell on Thor's back.

Thor walked back to the chair and sat down, then said, "You should have also experienced that day when Odin called us over and announced that I would be the only heir, and you were nothing."

"The questions you didn't dare to ask that day, I can ask for you. If Thor is the heir, then what about you? Thor will get the throne, then what about you? Thor will get the respect of all Asgardians, then what about you?"

Loki stared straight at Thor, the queen before him was very different from the elder brother he knew. The Thor he knew would never say such cruel words to him, openly showing him the blade, wanting to see if there was blood on it - this Thor made him feel frightened.

But this war-hardened queen had long abandoned useless gentleness, she just looked at Loki with a mocking gaze and said, "The questions you didn't dare to ask Odin, I can also ask for you. What's the difference between you and me?"

"You've spent half your life pursuing these questions, but the answer may be simple enough to make you feel stupid." Thor tilted her head and looked at Loki, "The answer is, we actually have no real difference. They just fawn on Odin out of fear."

"When the king they fear says someone is very good, then even if he's not good, he's good, even if he's not perfect, he's perfect, even if he's not fit to be the heir, he can still be the heir... Authority can erase all shortcomings."

"Why don't you think about it carefully?" Thor smiled and said, "At that time, was I really better than you? Did we really have such a big difference? Was this difference really so great that the Asgardians ignored and discriminated against you, but extolled me endlessly?"

Loki's expression stiffened for a moment, then sank back into reminiscence, but soon the changes in his expression indicated that the facts were not as such.

Two children of roughly the same age, how much difference could there be? Even if they had different inclinations in personality and martial arts, they were inseparable, doing bad things together and doing good things together. How much factual basis did the others really have to form such different judgments about them?

"Loki, come here," Thor called to him. Loki stood still, but seeing the changes in Thor's expression, the muscles shifting from sunny to cloudy, made Loki's heart gradually sink, so he instinctively stepped forward and stood before Thor.

Thor sat relaxed in the chair, while Loki's body stood stiffly, so the difference in height did not reverse their positions at all, allowing Thor to sharply say the following words.

"We grew up in the same family, looking completely different, but in fact very similar. Don't think I'm reckless, careless, and biased, you're not much better either."

Loki opened his eyes slightly, just about to open his mouth to refute, but Thor looked at him and said, "I used to be lost in the Asgardians' praises, didn't you get lost in their coldness and exclusion?"

Thor stood up again, face to face with Loki, her eye contact like a knife stabbing into his eyes.

"Your clever, calm, and logical mind, why didn't it remind you that their prejudices were groundless, and why didn't it stop you from turning yourself into the same as their prejudices?"

"They said you were too introverted, so you became even more introverted; they said you were physically weak, so you completely gave up on martial arts; they said your character was bad, so you caused more meaningless mischief..."

"Loki..." Thor gently reached out and stroked Loki's cheek, looking at him, "Are you really avenging them, or using this as an excuse to indulge yourself?"

"Since I can't get anything anyway, why can't I do this?" Loki's gaze gradually grew cold as he stared straight into Thor's eyes, "If I become lively, exercise martial arts, or learn to follow the rules, what can I get?"

"And if I learn to be calm, to see myself clearly, to no longer be obsessed with honor, what can I get?" Thor's eyes crinkled as she said, "No matter how I change, the throne will always be mine, never yours. What right do you have to mock me as a reckless fool?"

"You damn..." Loki bared his teeth, and the next moment, the hand on his cheek pushed his head to the side with a slight force.

Loki stood silently with his head tilted, his black hair covering half his face, while Thor walked behind the chair, her hands resting on the back as she said, "You are not the first Loki to come here, but you seem to be the most special one."

"That's why I'll tell you this, Loki... Loki..."

Thor's voice suddenly grew low, with a sadness and gentleness that didn't fit her temperament. As her brows furrowed, the flamboyant fire gradually died out, leaving only a dry, wooden voice.

"Don't mind them, don't mind those subjects who fear power but lack virtue. How they see you is not the same as us, you are not their friend."

"Wash away all the traces they've left on you, remove all the labels they've put on you, make them fear you, not recognize you."

"Don't be delighted by their praise, but make them be grateful for your praise."

"To step on their heads, you must first feel that you are already stepping on their heads, or even disdain to step on their heads."

"And this is the only way for you to gain power."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 1110 Father and Son (Thirty-Nine)