Odin did not expose the lies of his three daughters in front of everyone. Instead, he said in a calm voice that concealed much beneath it:
"Did none of those present hear or see what happened?"
At that moment, Hades's sixth son spoke:
"O Ruler Odin, I saw and heard the triplet sisters insulting my sister, and I heard nothing else. As for why she stopped and shouted at them, that makes no sense."
Odin's son, who was slightly younger than the three sisters, replied in a mocking tone:
"Do not listen to him, O Ruler Odin. He is deceitful. My sisters would never begin by insulting anyone. I believe no one heard them insulting anyone at all. We only heard the shouting of Hades's eldest daughter, like the howl of an angry she-wolf—only that, isn't it?"
Everyone nodded in response, for the voice of Hades's eldest daughter had indeed been loud, and everyone had heard it.
Hades's eldest daughter grew angry and said in a threatening tone:
"Are you saying that I am lying, you damned boy?"
Hades's sixth son grabbed his sister's hand before she could continue her insult, for they were standing before the ruler of the island, and respect had to be shown even if their father was present.
Odin looked at Hades's eldest daughter and said:
"Do you have any proof of what you say, or even a witness who heard what the triplets said?"
Hades's sixth son spoke first and said:
"I know, O Ruler Odin, that we can certainly hear from all the children what happened or what they heard. But I think what is important, O Ruler, is that we hear from the sisters themselves what happened that led to this situation."
Odin looked at Hades's sixth son and thought to himself how deceitful he was. He knew that no one would testify that the three sisters had insulted first, for no one had heard them. But his elder sister had insulted them loudly, and many children had heard her. Therefore, if he listened to the children, the victory would certainly be for the triplet sisters. With his cunning and intelligence, however, he wanted to keep the matter between them alone, so that the children would not speak of what happened or who started it.
Odin looked at Hades and said in a voice the children could not hear:
"You have a deceitful child, my brother."
Hades and his brothers looked at Odin and understood what he meant. Hades smiled slightly and said in the same inaudible voice:
"Of course. He inherited that intelligence from me."
Poseidon and Athena looked at Hades mockingly and said:
"Yes, yes, you are clever, you big boy."
Hades's face reddened in embarrassment at their mocking jokes, and he said:
"What is it? Does anyone doubt how intelligent I am?"
Odin looked at Hades for a moment and watched his brothers reply and laugh, but he did not listen to them. Instead, he focused on the children and said:
"Does anyone among you wish to tell the truth, children?"
The children looked at one another and did not speak. Hades's eldest daughter did not know what to do. She had spoken the truth, and now it seemed that Ruler Odin did not believe her.
As for the triplet sisters, they were completely confident in their position. No one had heard what they said, and they were certain their father would stand by them. They had the majority, and almost everyone had witnessed the shouting of Hades's eldest daughter and had not witnessed the beginning of the insult. Thus, confidence was clear on their faces, almost turning into reassurance.
But the words Odin spoke next did not shock the children alone; they also stirred astonishment and surprise among his brothers themselves. He said in a deep voice:
"If no one says anything… then let silence be evidence against you all."
Then he added in a firm tone that allowed no argument:
"You are all punished. No playing with the animals, no outings on the mountain, no celebrations, and no staying up at night… for ten years, children."
The children's eyes widened in genuine shock. The punishment was not directed only at Hades's eldest daughter or the triplet sisters, but included everyone without exception. A heavy feeling fell upon their hearts, but that was not the end of it.
Odin continued, saying:
"As for Hades's eldest daughter, his sixth son, Athena's first daughter, Poseidon's first son and his fourth daughter, and my three triplet daughters along with their younger brother… they will go down below the mountain as punishment for not telling the truth and for their inability to resolve the problem. They will not return until several years from now."
At that moment, the children did not understand what was happening. They had considered what occurred to be nothing more than an ordinary quarrel between Hades's daughter and Odin's triplet daughters, but what Odin said was beyond the limits of their thinking and comprehension. They suddenly felt that the matter was far greater than a simple childish dispute, so they remained silent, and no one dared to object.
Then Odin said as he turned away:
"You have only a few days, children, before you leave the mountain. Prepare yourselves well."
As soon as he finished his words, he vanished from the place, as if he had never existed. The children looked at one another in confusion, then turned to Hades and the rest of the gods, hoping they would say something, but they discovered that everyone had vanished as well.
Only then did the children whom Odin had ordered to leave the mountain realize that they had entered a real test—a test that began at that very moment and would not stop. Ruler Odin had sent them down below the mountain to face hardships and the creatures that lived on the island, to awaken their powers and discover what kind of energy their souls resonated with.
Each child looked at the others with silent looks of challenge. And in the heart of every one of them, a single thought formed clearly:
I must awaken a power stronger than the others… a power that will draw Asgard's attention to me.
Without a word, they left the gathering place of the children and headed to their homes, each to begin preparing for what was to come, for the challenges that awaited them on the island of Asgard.
None of them were afraid.
They lived upon the body of Asgard itself, and he was their grandfather. And how could they fear when they stood upon his body, upon that great island?
Thus, their minds filled with thoughts of confrontation, with questions about the strange creatures they would encounter, and about the moment they would awaken their powers. And in their hearts, there was no sense of danger… not even a single particle of fear.