Because of the Dwarf King’s surrender, Asgard’s army occupied all of Nidavellir in just one year.
This was far beyond Leon’s expectations.
He had originally calculated that it would take more than ten years, or even hundreds of years, to deal with the dwarves’ resistance against Asgard.
In the end, it turned out he had been overthinking things… In Leon’s eyes, the dwarf race did not seem like a centralized race at all.
It was unclear whether Zemo’s prestige was simply too high, or whether the dwarves had been completely frightened out of their courage by Asgard.
After the Dwarf King declared his surrender, Asgard’s army rarely encountered resistance in Nidavellir.
They easily took control of every major pass and important stronghold of the dwarf race.
Some dwarf lords even surrendered with great excitement.
They spoke with righteous conviction, saying, “We finally have time to complete our dreams!” Afterward, those dwarf lords happily returned to their underground caves, leaving the Asgardian generals utterly confused.
The dwarves really were a magical race!
The generals sighed endlessly in their hearts.
“Your Highness…” Inside the ancient war fortress, Leon sat on the throne that had originally belonged to the Dwarf King.
Below the steps stood many Asgardian generals.
At that moment, one general stepped out from the ranks and said respectfully, “Should we secretly kill the chief of the dwarf race, Zemo, so that those dwarves completely give up hope?” Now, the dwarf race had fully surrendered, and Asgard had taken control of Nidavellir.
In the eyes of many Asgardian generals, the Dwarf King had become somewhat of an eyesore.
“No…” Leon gently shook his head.
“When looking at things, your vision must be longer-term.
My elder brother has just made a promise to Zemo.
If we go back on our word right after occupying Nidavellir, how will the other powers view us?” “When we wage war against other realms in the future, will they still dare surrender?” After saying this, Leon said no more.
These generals were experts in warfare, but when it came to handling political matters, they were still far too inexperienced.
“This subordinate failed to consider the matter properly!” After hearing Leon’s words, the general was not a foolish man.
He quickly understood the reasoning behind it.
After bowing to Leon, he returned to the ranks.
Leon continued, “Continue to treat King Zemo with courtesy.
Also, the dwarf race may possess an army of twenty thousand, but it must be supervised by Asgardian generals.” Since Leon’s royal brother had already made a promise to Zemo, Leon would naturally not make Odin lose face.
However, there was actually another reason why he treated Zemo so generously.
In Leon’s eyes, Zemo was no longer the king of the dwarf race, but Zemo still had other uses.
One had to know that Zemo was the most outstanding forging master of the dwarves.
Mjolnir had been forged by his hands.
This was an endless treasure vault.
For this craft alone, Zemo deserved the highest courtesy.
As for killing Zemo?
Only a fool would do that.
“Yes!” The Asgardian generals did not dare say anything more and nodded in agreement.
“Right…” Leon seemed to remember something.
“From now on, weapons made by the dwarf race can only be sold externally through Asgard.
Anyone who sells large quantities of dwarf-made weapons without permission will be severely punished by Asgard.
Pass this order down.” The reason Leon had attacked Nidavellir was precisely for the dwarves’ forging techniques.
With them, the combat power of Asgard’s army could undergo a qualitative leap.
Now that the dwarf race had completely become a vassal race of Asgard, Leon felt that he needed to make long-term plans.
He wanted to thoroughly monopolize the dwarves’ forging arts.
Anyone who wanted weapons crafted by the dwarves would have to purchase them from Asgard.
Invisibly, this would also expand Asgard’s influence.
At the same time, resources from across the universe would continuously flow into Asgard.
Monopoly was a violent industry, while nationalization would make market prices more stable.
This would be an outcome with countless benefits and no harm.
Without realizing it, Leon discovered that he had already learned macroeconomic regulation.
“Yes!” As the meritorious figure who had conquered Nidavellir, Leon was not someone the generals dared to refute, even if they did not understand the meaning behind his decision.
Leon nodded.
“Good.
In a while, I will leave.
Nidavellir must not fall into major chaos.” “Yes…” … A few months later, a figure appeared on the Rainbow Bridge.
At that moment, Heimdall smiled broadly and said, “Our great hero has returned…” Leon shrugged and teased, “Thinking about a thick-browed, big-eyed fellow like you standing on this Rainbow Bridge every day… Even though you have eyes that can see through the Nine Realms, your days are even more boring than an ascetic monk’s.
How pitiful…” Hearing Leon’s words, Heimdall’s already dark face turned even darker.
Back when this kid was little, I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted.
I should have beaten his backside properly.
This guy is full of bad intentions!
Heimdall cursed inwardly several times.
“Get lost…” Heimdall snorted coldly.
“King Odin has been waiting for you for a long time…” Being able to personally witness Heimdall suffer a loss made Leon quite happy.
However, when he saw Heimdall’s tense expression, he quickly left the Rainbow Bridge, afraid Heimdall would hit him.
Not long after, Leon arrived at the palace.
When the two soldiers at the entrance saw him, they looked at him with worship on their faces.
Leon nodded to them, then walked into the palace.
After Leon left, the two soldiers let out a burst of cheerful cries.
Leon had long since become used to this.
He walked straight toward Odin’s bedchamber.
“Uncle Wells…” The moment Leon pushed open the door, he saw Hela looking at him with wide eyes, her face full of pleasant surprise.
Hela was now already in her twenties.
She had perfectly inherited Odin’s bloodline, and at such a young age, she had already become a budding beauty.
Over the years, if the number of her pursuers was not ten thousand, then it was at least eight thousand.
However, Hela seemed completely uninterested in those men.
Instead, she had developed a strong interest in Asgard’s politics.
If not for the unanimous opposition of Odin and Leon, she might have appeared on the battlefield of Nidavellir during the Realm War.
Leon did not even look at Hela.
He tilted his head and shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“Groot, how has Princess Hela’s coursework been recently?” Groot had also grown up by now, but for some reason, he seemed to grow extremely slowly.
Twenty years had already passed, yet his height was still only half of Leon’s.
During the Realm War, Leon had not allowed Groot to participate, precisely because he was afraid something might happen to him.
Hearing Leon’s words, Groot hurried forward and opened his mouth.
“Princess Hela goes to the Rainbow Bridge every day to ask about the situation in Nidavellir.
She is not very interested in history.
Instead, she has an extremely great interest in war…” “Groot…” Hela’s face flushed red.
She looked somewhat embarrassed and angry.
“Shut up…” “Enough…” Odin interrupted Hela.
“You two go out first.
I have important matters to discuss with your Uncle Wells…” Hela stuck out her tongue.
“Important matters to discuss.
I know…” After saying that, Hela pulled Groot’s hand and walked outside.
Seeing his daughter leave, Odin also became serious.
He lowered his voice and said to his younger brother, “Wells, who do you think our next target should be?
The Vanir?
The Giants?
Or the Dark Elves?” Odin listed all of Asgard’s enemies one by one.
There was not the slightest air of authority about him, as if what the two brothers were discussing was nothing more than a trivial matter.
“…” Leon silently looked at Odin.
Only after a long while did he slowly say, “Royal Brother, you are being too impatient…” Odin raised an eyebrow.
“Impatient?” “Yes.” Leon nodded.
“That’s right.
We have only just conquered the dwarf race.
The soldiers still have not walked out of their joy.
If we attack another realm at this time, the soldiers will inevitably develop antiwar sentiment…” “Besides, the reason I wanted to conquer Nidavellir was to use the dwarves’ forging techniques to strengthen Asgard’s power.
But right now, the power of the two sides has not yet merged.
If we start a war now… the advantage the dwarves can bring us will not show at all.” Leon understood Odin’s feelings.
With the Thunder Hammer, Odin’s strength now stood proudly above the Nine Realms.
However, relying on Odin alone was still not enough to control a war between realms.
Forcing a campaign across the Nine Realms would only have the opposite effect.
Odin’s expression eased slightly.
“How much more time do you think we need?” Leon said bluntly, “At least one thousand years!” One thousand years was still a conservative estimate.
Even if the dwarf race had become Asgard’s support, if Asgard waged war against other realms again, it would inevitably face united opposition from the other powers.
No one would simply watch as Asgard possessed three powerful realms.
If they wanted to continue conquering, they could only wait for an opportunity!
Although Odin looked somewhat unhappy, he still endured it.
“Good…” Leon and Odin discussed matters for a while longer.
Only two hours later did he leave Odin’s bedchamber.
… A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
However, during that millennium, the situation in the Nine Realms was extremely unfavorable.
Because Asgard had conquered Nidavellir, the ambitious figures within the Nine Realms also saw a certain possibility.
They forcibly waged war against other realms, causing the Nine Realms to become extremely turbulent.
In the second millennium of Odin’s calendar, after Gullveig, the leader of Vanaheim, left Asgard, he ordered an attack on Helheim.
In the end, he returned covered in blood, and the Vanir suffered heavy losses.
In the third millennium of Odin’s calendar, Odin ordered a march on Vanaheim.
However, when they attacked deep into Vanaheim’s hinterland, the Giants and Dark Elves launched a surprise attack on Asgard’s rear.
In order to stabilize the army’s morale, after discussing it with Odin, Leon ultimately led the army out of Vanaheim.
In the fifth millennium of Odin’s calendar, Odin was truly unable to withstand the demands of his daughter Hela.
Hela officially entered Asgard’s military and political system.
In the tenth millennium of Odin’s calendar, as the war situation across the Nine Realms expanded, Asgard’s prince, Wells, established the Valkyrie army.
The leader of this force was an unknown junior named Celt.
In the fifteenth millennium of Odin’s calendar, the monarch of Helheim led countless undead to attack Nidavellir.
In this battle, the Valkyrie army successfully blocked Helheim’s army, and Odin’s daughter personally killed the monarch of Helheim.
Everyone in the Nine Realms trembled, calling Hela the Goddess of Death.
In the twentieth millennium of Odin’s calendar, Asgard officially declared war on the Giants and crushed the allied forces of the Dark Elves and Giants in Jotunheim.
The Giants were destroyed, and only a small number of Frost Giants escaped the calamity.
From then on, Asgard officially possessed three realms.
In the thirtieth millennium of Odin’s calendar, after years of campaigns led by Asgard’s Odin, Prince Wells, the Goddess of Death Hela, and a series of other powerful figures, Asgard officially became the hegemon of the Nine Realms.
To avoid its sharp edge, the other realms had no choice but to compromise and acknowledge its status as overlord.
However, inside Asgard, which should have been filled with laughter and joy, a heavy gloom hung over everything.
An unknown piece of news began to spread throughout Asgard: the former queen, Catherine, was nearing the end of her life.