Just as Thor was pondering whether to first confront the god-slaying All-Black the Necrosword or to first examine the legendary Black Vortex that could Infinity amplify power...
A figure carrying a fragrant breeze emerged unexpectedly from the shadows beside him.
Madelyne Player, the infamous Goblin Queen in the Mutants world.
At this moment, she was wearing a form-fitting red and black dress that accentuated her graceful figure, and her fair arms naturally wrapped around Thor's arm.
She glanced up at the star-studded night sky, her eyes brimming with irresistible allure. Her red lips parted slightly, her voice as soft as honey. "The weather's quite nice today, Thor, how about...?"
Before she could finish her ambiguous sentence, she heard soft footsteps behind her.
Thor instinctively turned his head to look.
Wanda stood in the courtyard corridor not far away, still clutching the Eye of Agamotto she had just acquired. She was still wearing her scarlet robes, clearly having just seen off the group of sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.
She had originally seen Thor standing there alone, feeling lost and confused after taking over as the Sorcerer Supreme, and instinctively wanted to come over and ask him something.
But as soon as he got closer, he saw a beautiful, unfamiliar woman leaning intimately against him, and he stopped in his tracks instantly.
The moment their eyes met, Wanda's fair cheeks flushed slightly, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head and whispered, "Sorry to bother you."
Before she finished speaking, she turned around and hurried towards her residence.
"Hey, Wanda, wait a minute!"
Without a second thought, Thor abruptly pulled his arm away from Madelyne's grasp, not even glancing at the demon Madelyne behind him.
He caught up with her in a few strides and blocked Wanda's path. "What's wrong? Did you need something?"
Wanda stopped, glanced at him, then quickly looked at Madelyne standing not far away, pursed her lips, and spoke with a hint of awkwardness in her tone:
"Didn't you have something to discuss with that... Ms. Madelyne? Is it inappropriate for me to just come over like this?"
"Hey, what's wrong with that? It's fine." Thor waved his hand dismissively, then moved aside, completely blocking Madelyne's view.
Seeing the lingering confusion in Wanda's eyes, he softened his tone and asked,
"Is it because you just took over the position of Sorcerer Supreme that you suddenly feel the weight of responsibility on your shoulders and are unsure of yourself?"
Wanda was taken aback by his words, which struck at her heart. She then nodded slightly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool outer shell of the Eye of Agamotto, her voice soft:
"Yes. I never imagined that one day I would bear the title of Sorcerer Supreme, responsible for protecting the safety of the entire Earth. Before... I even made a mess of my own life."
Seeing the unease in the little girl's eyes, Thor's heart softened. Leaning against a nearby pillar, he casually asked:
"By the way, where's Pietro? Why isn't your brother with you? Shouldn't he be by your side right now?"
Pietro instantly lifted Wanda's spirits. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and said in a sarcastic tone, "Don't mention him! It's all Tony Stark's fault! He dragged him out to experience nightlife right after the war!"
"Now I don't know which bar they've run off to and are having a wild time, not even eight oxen could pull them back."
Upon hearing this, Thor couldn't help but chuckle softly, trying to smooth things over:
"Hey, young people are hot-tempered. You've just finished a tough battle, it's normal to relax a bit."
Before Wanda could respond, he continued, steer the conversation back on track:
"Actually, you don't need to think of the position of the Sorcerer Supreme as such a heavy burden."
To put it bluntly, this position is just a title. You only need to step in when there's a cross-dimensional invasion or a cosmic-level event. All the trivial matters can be left to Strange.
Wanda paused for a moment upon hearing this, frowned as she looked at him, and spoke with a hint of hesitation in her voice:
"Huh? This... isn't that a bit inappropriate? He's just starting out in magic, and he already doesn't have enough time."
"What's wrong with that?" Thor waved his hand casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Oxen and horses should be used for their purpose. He still owes me 100 million yuan, so it's only right that I work for free."
"Didn't you also look at those futures? He was destined to be the next Sorcerer Supreme. At worst, we can just give him a title and make him the temporary Sorcerer Supreme, letting him do all the dirty work while you have an easy life. Isn't that great?"
Wanda still felt a little guilty, and her delicate brows furrowed even more tightly.
"But... won't the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj have any objections?"
Also, Strange has to go to the hospital to perform surgeries during the day to earn money, and then go back to Kamar-Taj to practice magic at night, while also dealing with all these trivial matters. With such a non-stop schedule, won't he suddenly die from overwork?"
She was, after all, a soft-hearted young girl. Even knowing that Strange owed Thor money, she still felt that exploiting someone like that was somewhat immoral.
Thor, seeing her pained expression, almost burst out laughing. He raised an eyebrow, his tone completely indifferent:
"Hey, what's there to worry about? You have the Time Stone, right? If he really dies suddenly, you can just open a time loop and bring him back, right?"
He paused, then added, patting his chest as if to guarantee it:
"If you really feel bad about it, come find me anytime. I can easily use a wisp of my law power to heal his body and turn him into a tireless, nuclear-powered ox that can run non-stop for hundreds of years without getting tired."
Upon hearing this, Wanda finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. The confusion and unease in her eyes instantly dissipated, and she looked at him with a smile.
"Why does it seem to me that the position of Sorcerer Supreme isn't as important or difficult to attain suddenly here?"
Thor stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then spoke in a serious tone:
"That probably depends on who's sitting in that seat."
Throughout history, countless people have desperately sought to become emperors, dictators, or those second only to the emperor. They only saw the power that position brought, never considering the immense responsibility and daily workload that came with it.
He leaned against a pillar, looking at Wanda, his tone becoming more serious:
"A qualified leader does not have to do everything personally, but learns to delegate appropriately, letting subordinates do their jobs and get the work done for you."
If you really can't learn it, go learn from Tony. He's a typical capitalist; he's a master at delegating and shifting responsibility.
Wanda tilted her head, listening intently as he finished speaking. After pondering for a while, she nodded slightly, a hint of determination returning to her eyes.
"Okay, I understand, I will."
Seeing that she had finally let go of her burden, Thor smiled and asked:
"So? Is there anything else you want to ask, or anything you can't figure out? Feel free to tell me."
Wanda shook her head, gave him a gentle smile, and said softly:
"No more for now. Now that you mention it, this position doesn't seem so difficult anymore; it's actually quite easy."
She took two steps back and waved to Thor, "I'm going back to rest now, Thor, goodnight."
"Goodnight." Thor smiled and waved at her, watching her figure disappear at the end of the corridor before turning his gaze away.
He had just turned around when he saw Madelyne Player standing not far behind him, arms crossed, a half-smile on her face, her captivating eyes full of mockery.
As Thor turned around, she parted her red lips slightly and suddenly spoke:
" Thor, so you're planning to make her your little queen?"
Thor was taken aback by what he heard, glanced at Madelyne's attire, and then picked her up in his arms.
"No, Madelyne, tonight you are my queen."