New Asgard.
A divided territory, independent and self-governing.
These were conditions no country could accept.
So although Thor and his people had the name New Asgard, they still had to obey Norwegian law.
Their biggest problem now was probably Asgard's economy.
Asgard's customs differed from Midgard's. They revered champions who fought in battle, which made them favor warriors over merchants.
Thanos had killed half the Asgardians, further thinning their already small population.
Norway had not given Asgard this land for free, either.
Asgard had to provide a considerable sum of money.
When Thor went to retrieve Stormbreaker, he also brought this problem up with John.
For one thing, the Asgardians had yet to fully adapt to Midgard.
Even Asgardian children had the strength of adult Midgardians.
"A bunch of people thousands of years old living among mortals who barely reach a hundred-you should plan for that," John said, shaking his head slightly. "I can find you plenty of business opportunities, but you'd better compile a list of Asgard's artisans."
"Artisans?" Thor was taken aback.
John said casually, "In Midgard, even ten thousand exquisite, beautiful plates made by machines can't compare to a single handmade bowl."
In the technological age, people were fascinated by handmade goods, even mythologizing them.
There was no denying that handcrafting could produce certain details machines could not, but for the same function, machines were often more convenient and efficient.
What was Asgard's most valuable asset?
The legends of its gods, long circulated in Midgard, and the exquisite goods crafted by artisans who had devoted centuries to their work.
Asgard's artisans truly were gods of their respective trades. In that small country to the east, someone who cooked rice for a few decades could be hailed as a sage. With everyone here starting at several centuries, surely