"No, I've always been here—or rather, outside." Doctor Strange pointed at the enormous library beyond the small room and its densely packed bookshelves.
A strange gleam flashed in Loki's eyes. He lowered his voice. "You can read the books here? That's rather different from the myths and legends. I don't recall the Sorcerer Supreme having permission to read here. Is this some personal trait of yours?..."
Naturally, Doctor Strange would not openly reveal his secret. Somewhat guarded, he examined the book in Loki's hand. It seemed to be a travel journal from Bor's era.
It had to be said that the Asgardians were far too rough around the edges! They kept very few written records. Rather than sit in a study with a quill pen and record things, they preferred gathering together to eat, drink, make merry, and boast, which made things difficult for Loki, who enjoyed researching all manner of hidden knowledge.
There was no helping it. There were simply too few books passed down by his ancestors, and he had to automatically filter out a large portion of the drunken nonsense his forebears had spouted after drinking.
For instance, claims that Bor had killed every Dark Elf with a single swing of his axe, or that Odin had fought drenched in blood and driven back the Celestials single-handedly—those were all bragging! Loki did not believe a single word of them.
"What knowledge are you looking for? Perhaps I can help?" Doctor Strange asked probingingly.
Whether he would help was another matter. He wanted to know the other man's purpose.
Loki was not someone who could be so easily coaxed into talking. Compared to him, Doctor Strange was far too inexperienced.
His smile was somewhat fake, the typical smile that never reached his eyes. "I want to find traces