The Sorcerer Supreme's true teachings?
Salomon's expression was one of wavering surprise.
Ever since he had ventured into the Dark Dimension, he no longer naively believed that the Sorcerer Supreme's true teachings referred to the Vishanti's magic.
The Book of Vishanti was prominently displayed on the bookshelf in the library, and any member of the Magicians' Conclave could read it.
Kamar-Taj was not Hogwarts, and there were no final exams; how much magic one learned or wanted to learn was entirely up to them. The Ancient One had openly shared the Vishanti's magic with all members of the Magicians' Conclave, without any concealment.
The hidden part, however, concerned the magic of the Dark Dimension. Salomon knew the danger of that knowledge. Although the library contained some information on how to communicate with Dormammu, further mystic arts were strictly hidden by the Ancient One.
Seeing Salomon's somewhat unnatural expression, Athena chuckled. Young people were indeed still young people.
She said, "In my eyes, the Sorcerer Supreme is also a young person, only a little over a thousand years old. The Dark Dimension is not a great secret for an existence like me."
Salomon wanted to run away... He truly couldn't imagine how the Sorcerer Supreme dealt with these long-lived beings.
The knowledge brought by their long lifespans made everything about ordinary people an open book to them, not to mention that Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom. Salomon was quite certain that the woman before him also possessed considerable magical attainments.
"But I respect the Sorcerer Supreme's power. She has the power to stand as an equal with the Father of the Gods." Even when sitting on the sofa, Athena was like an Amazonian warrior; despite her captivating charm, her words still carried a strong sense of aggression.
She said, "I abide by the contract, but that doesn't mean the other Greek gods are happy about it. They were merely forced to bow to the Sorcerer Supreme's magic... Haven't you ever wondered why the Sorcerer Supreme, having achieved immortality through magic, still needs to train you?"
"Are you saying..." Salomon narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, many thoughts crossed his mind.
The Ancient One's plan to abandon her physical body had already begun to be implemented. For the Ancient One, she had borne the burden of Earth's safety for over a thousand years.
This responsibility indeed made her feel weary, coupled with the erosion from the Dark Dimension. Salomon fully agreed that the Ancient One deserved to quietly enjoy her retirement and explore the Universe's mysteries.
But Salomon also thought of Odin—Odin's lifespan was no longer a secret within the Nine Realms. In the past, Odin and the Sorcerer Supreme were evenly matched, and Earth became a vassal state of Asgard, maintaining its independence.
However, Asgard's Crown Prince, Thor, had not displayed the wisdom expected of a successor. It was hard to say whether Odin and the Ancient One had reached some agreement. The Father of the Gods might worry that Earth would break away from the Nine Realms after his death, or that the Sorcerer Supreme would lead the Magicians' Conclave to counterattack Asgard. Thus, the Ancient One might be timing her departure with Odin's death; otherwise, it would be difficult to say whether Odin, at the end of his life, would make Earth an example to assert Asgard's authority.
Moreover, for powerhouses like Odin and the Ancient One, physical death did not mean the end of life...
At the same time, Salomon somewhat understood why the Ancient One chose him to study the knowledge of the Dark Dimension.
In addition to the reason of the Stigmata, Salomon's own personality was also very suitable—he was simply too lazy, and his almost desireless nature was truly elusive. If Dormammu tried to tempt him with power, Salomon wouldn't even give him a second glance. If Dormammu whispered incessantly in Salomon's ear, he might even respond with a string of obscenities, not sparing any female member of Dormammu's lineage for eighteen generations back.
Many times when Salomon was discovered by Dormammu while traversing the Dark Dimension, he would, even knowing he couldn't resist, launch a brutal mental attack on the Lord of the Dark Dimension with his words. Since they were destined to be eternal enemies, why be polite?
But when faced with the Sorcerer Supreme's scolding, Salomon could only claim that those were words he saw online. As for Kamar-Taj losing internet for a few days, that was none of his business.
If Dormammu were to entice Salomon with knowledge, he might actually take the bait, because for Salomon, only magic could truly pique his interest.
And the Ancient One was currently training him in this aspect: Temperance and balance, how to correctly curb one's curiosity—these were the things the Ancient One wanted to teach Salomon. The Ancient One's current power was precisely due to her balance between the Vishanti's and Dormammu's magic.
Salomon had also considered what Athena said.
When the Ancient One laid down her burden, the Multiverse would know about it. The various demon gods who had been suppressed by the Ancient One might very well throw a grand celebration, a feast to devour Earth.
And the new Sorcerer Supreme had not yet fully matured, thus Salomon would be needed to uphold Kamar-Taj's prestige, just as the Sorcerer Supreme had done in the past.
Salomon, using his greatest malice to speculate, could guess the attitude of the Greek pantheon. It was hard to say they harbored no resentment toward the Sorcerer Supreme.
By then, whether it was Zeus or Hades, they would tentatively try to rebuild Olympus on Earth.
The young mage looked at the blonde goddess with suspicious eyes. He couldn't guess whether Athena's relationship with the other Greek gods was good or bad.
It was hard to say that Athena wasn't a spy for the Greek gods, testing the Sorcerer Supreme's attitude towards the Greek gods' return. But now that the Ancient One had agreed to Athena staying on Earth, it meant there was still room for negotiation.
"The Sorcerer Supreme's judgment was indeed correct. It seems you've guessed some things." Athena nodded after seeing Salomon's changing expression. Although she couldn't read Salomon's thoughts, the light of wisdom was enough to infer the truth with high accuracy.
She said, "I hope you can continue the Sorcerer Supreme's mission and keep those gods out of Earth."
"I don't think that's enough for you to offer me help at the British Museum," Salomon said expressionlessly. He didn't believe in any free lunches; behind every seemingly harmless act of assistance, there was likely a hidden dagger.
"I will be living here with your permission in the future, and this is a transaction." Athena spread her palm, revealing a small white sculpture. The sculpture was only half the size of her palm, depicting a lifelike flying horse. On the head of the white flying horse was a finely gilded bridle.
Salomon couldn't discern what material it was made of, as its surface was as smooth as marble, yet not as cold as he imagined.
"Pegasus?" Salomon could only think of this. The only flying horse associated with Athena was Pegasus. "Isn't that the constellation Pegasus?"
"Do you think that's possible? I told you, don't confuse human myths with reality. You should read the books I wrote; those are the facts." Athena was somewhat displeased, but out of reverence for the Sorcerer Supreme and Salomon's apology, her expression softened. She said, "Even Zeus doesn't have the power to arrange stars, and the so-called Pegasus constellation is nonsense. Pegasus is merely my exclusive summoned creature.
I once lent this horse to Bellerophon to help him eliminate the Chimera. And now, I lend it to you, for a period of... until the end of your life."