Chapter 135: Internal Strife or External Foe?

In the days that followed, Tony set all his work aside and stayed by Pepper’s side until January 1, 2011.

Tony called Harvey directly. Knowing that Harvey was home alone, he wanted to come over for a lavish meal.

Harvey did not refuse. He had been eating fast food every day lately, so a change of taste would be welcome.

During the year Harvey had been away, Stark Industries had paid him another 1.8 billion dollars in dividends. As Stark Industries secured its footing in the energy sector, its annual profits continued to grow.

Harvey’s liquid assets had now climbed past two billion dollars. He could practically lie back and collect money.

Harvey went straight to Tony’s home, where Pepper had just had an abundant feast prepared.

“Happy New Year, Mr. Harvey. In the coming year, I’ll have to trouble you to continue looking after Tony.”

When Pepper saw Harvey arrive, she gave a slight bow and spoke politely.

After the intimate days they had spent together, Tony had told her many things about the planet Xandar. She also learned that Tony had received substantial support from Mr. Harvey; otherwise, the development of the gravitational device could never have progressed so quickly.

She had also seen the footage recorded by JARVIS. Though it could not compare to witnessing the scene in person, she had still seen hundreds of people bowing in worship before Mr. Harvey.

At the same time, Mr. Harvey’s enormous body, more than two hundred meters tall, had left Pepper profoundly shaken.

“Miss Pepper, there’s no need to be so formal.”

“Tony is extremely capable on his own and hardly needs me to look after him. In fact, his talents have helped me earn quite a lot of money.”

“So for the time being, I have no need to worry about liquid funds.”

Seeing how polite Pepper was being, Harvey smiled as he spoke.

“Regardless, I still have to thank you for giving Tony the opportunity to set foot in the universe.”

Pepper knew that Harvey was merely being modest, but she still spoke with heartfelt gratitude.

“Pepper, go bring the rest of the food.”

Seeing her act that way, Tony spoke up directly.

“…”

Pepper glanced at Tony. His expression had grown somewhat serious, so she nodded.

“Sorry, Harvey. I hope you won’t take offense.”

“Pepper normally wouldn’t behave like this. It’s my fault for mentioning the New Year worship ceremony on Xandar.”

“After I showed her the recording, she became like this.”

“If she has offended you in any way, please be understanding.”

While Pepper was away, Tony came before Harvey and spoke somewhat sheepishly.

“Miss Pepper isn’t you. She has never left Earth to see a wider world, so her reaction is understandable.”

“You needn’t worry that I’ll be angry or anything of the sort. I’ve experienced situations far more troublesome than this.”

Harvey was not bothered in the slightest.

On Xandar, he could come and go as he pleased, just as he had when returning to Earth this time. Sonia would never raise any objections. The fact that she had asked when he would return was already an exception.

But if Harvey wanted to take a walk around the island, Sonia would take it extremely seriously, repeatedly reminding him to watch his conduct.

Even when Sonia left for a while—half a day at most—she would still worry about him.

“No wonder you said you wanted to come back to Earth for a change.”

“You’re free over there, but not completely free, right?”

After hearing Harvey’s explanation, Tony pondered for a moment before understanding.

On Void Island, he had good relationships with many members of the Void God Cult, but only a handful of them had ever been fortunate enough to meet Harvey.

Clearly, Harvey’s identity as Kassadin meant that he had to be mindful of his conduct.

“That’s right. On Xandar, I eat well, drink well, and sleep well. But when it comes to freedom, being Harvey is much more comfortable.”

Harvey did not stand on ceremony in Tony’s home. He simply took a seat at the dining table.

“I actually feel more at ease on Xandar.”

“There, I don’t have to hide the fact that I’ve become younger, and I can display my strength to my heart’s content.”

Tony spoke with some emotion.

On Earth, whenever he went out, he had to put on his Iron Man armor. He absolutely could not take it off while outside, or his secret would be exposed.

“Tony, you only just returned a few days ago. Even if you intend to go into space, you should stay home for at least half a year.”

Pepper came over carrying more food. Having heard Tony’s words, she spoke up.

“I know. You don’t have to be so nervous. I may be gone even longer.”

Tony did not seem frightened at all.

“You wanted to see me about something, Tony. Just say it.”

“I don’t like people beating around the bush in front of me.”

Seeing Tony’s expression, Harvey continued eating and spoke directly.

“All right. I just wanted to ask what kind of trouble I’ll face this year.”

“I know the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, but you can at least give me a general idea, can’t you?”

“Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”

Realizing that Harvey had already seen through his intentions, Tony stopped skirting around the issue and asked the question that had troubled him for days.

“As for the general direction, it’s related to the Avengers.”

Harvey had known that Tony would come looking for him if nothing else was going on. Still, after glancing at him, he gave him some indication.

“An outside enemy invading?”

When Tony heard Harvey mention the Avengers, his brow furrowed deeply.

At present, he was the only member of the Avengers, but he knew the conditions under which the Avengers would take action.

There had to be an external threat endangering Earth. As for conflicts between nations, Nick Fury would never be able to persuade him to intervene.

“Whether it counts as an outside enemy depends on how you define one.”

Harvey considered the matter. He stopped eating, thought for a moment, and then answered.

Strictly speaking, Earth was part of Asgard’s territory. Although Loki had been adopted, he was still a prince of Asgard.

And later, Loki would indeed bring Thanos’s army with him.

So Harvey himself was not sure whether it would be more accurate to describe the situation as an internal conflict or an invasion by an outside enemy.

“Won’t Odin, the All-Father, or the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, intervene?”

Tony’s expression grew serious.

“No.”

Harvey could give a definite answer to that question.

Odin had been deceived by Loki, while the Ancient One found it difficult to interfere when Thor was willing to step forward and resolve the matter himself. That was why Loki was allowed to run wild.

“Then I can handle it.”

Hearing that neither of those two powerful figures would be alerted, Tony realized that the enemy this time could not be overwhelmingly strong. His expression relaxed, and he spoke with confidence.

“Unless something unexpected happens, you can handle it as you are now.”

Harvey did not deny it.

Only after Loki grew older and studied countless forms of magic would he become truly powerful.

The Loki they were about to encounter at this stage was merely strong in body. He could toy with some heroes, but against someone genuinely powerful, his strength would not amount to much.

Thor was different. The strength of the ordinary Thor was one thing, but once he entered his “I want my father” mode, his power would soar to an utterly absurd level.