Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1268 The Magic Court (Second Update)

Kamar-Taj's headquarters prison had never been so overcrowded. Many other spellcasters from various schools had been imprisoned in shallow underground cells for defying the knights representing the Emperor and the mages representing the Sorcerer Supreme. Their fingers were bound, their tongues sealed, their eyes blindfolded, and their spiritual power locked within their bodies, unable to move. Whether they wished or not, the Emperor's iron cavalry would not cease its advance; resistance would only result in pointless casualties, and the outcome would remain unchanged. Not all mages in Kamar-Taj could adapt to this change. Some older mages were worried, while some younger ones expressed their support, believing it was befitting the title of the Sorcerer Supreme and the status of Kamar-Taj.

Although Kamar-Taj is the ruler of the magical world, in the past, other schools of magic had a more equal relationship with Kamar-Taj. Now that this rule has truly begun to be implemented, Kamar-Taj and other schools of magic have suddenly transformed into a superior-subordinate relationship. Grimoires inscribed with dangerous spells, malevolent magical artifacts, and dangerous magical animals kept by the schools have been housed in a dangerous goods warehouse inside the Himalayas, isolated by thick layers of rock and armor. Spellcasters who have conducted harmful experiments have been brought out of prison and tried according to the newly revised code, with punishments ranging from imprisonment and flogging to the death penalty.

Mordo initially did not support this behavior, but as the trial progressed, he, as judge, discovered more and more illegal activities by those magical schools. Almost all the verbal agreements between the Sorcerer Supreme and the magical schools were broken, including summoning extradimensional spirits, experiments with demonic possession, human trafficking, selling magical artifacts to secular society, and the sale of prohibited drugs and spells. As the case files grew thicker, Mordo's mood worsened.

When Salomon arrived at the court, Mordo was ordering two hundred lashes to a mediocre wizard who had sold alchemical contraband to mortal addicts, driving them mad and murderous. This punishment was no different from the death penalty, except that the execution carried out at Kamar-Taj was at the soul level. This unfortunate soul could return to the outer dimension and be transformed back into outer dimension energy, or, even more unlucky, be directly devoured by outer dimension beings.

The quack wizard refused to accept the verdict. Before the knight and the sorcerer arrived, he was completely unaware of other schools of magic. He had only learned to summon fire and a little basic alchemy from an old man, along with a few strange plant seeds. His tools were even glassware stolen from the local high school's chemistry lab. The Kamar-Taj sorcerer, sent to investigate, easily defeated the fool. The knight, working with the sorcerer, killed the wandering wizard who had taught him his tricks, as well as his mortal accomplice in manufacturing contraband. The man was nearly driven mad by the knight's ferocious fighting; he even wished the police had arrested him instead of the mechanical warriors and sorcerers who had appeared out of nowhere.

"I suppose you no longer object to my order?" Salomon waited for Mordo, who was filled with rage, in the corridor after the trial ended. This order had been proposed years earlier, but Mordo had been one of the staunchest opponents then. It wasn't until Salomon, taking advantage of the Quetzalcoatl awakening, launched an attack on all schools of magic, imprisoning a large number of lawbreakers in the Himalayan dungeons without prior consultation, that Mordo realized how powerful Salomon's execution was and how accurate his judgment was.

"We must end this chaos as soon as possible," Salomon said. "Besides the genetically modified warriors currently on a mission in Peru, I will send more knights to cooperate with Kamar-Taj in order to incorporate all schools of magic more quickly. But I also require Kamar-Taj to send more arcane mages to build the framework of the institution I proposed. We must give those spellcasters a place to belong, so that they can dedicate their lives to our goals. The sooner this institution is established, the sooner the magical world on Earth will move towards peace and order."

"Are you on the side of the Immortal City or Kamar-Taj?" Mordo asked, displeased. "Have you forgotten that you are also a member of Kamar-Taj?"

"I am a member of humanity, and I will always stand on the side of humanity," Salomon said bluntly. He rolled up the sleeves of his crimson robes, the Dropnir ring given to him by Odin, the Allfather, and wore it as an armband on his biceps. Rolling up his sleeves wasn't for anyone's sake; he didn't intend to persuade Mordo through force, because he understood Mordo's character. "His Holiness has entrusted me with the administrative authority of Kamar-Taj, and I am temporarily granting it to you. Although I hate to say it, you must understand the hierarchy and the true purpose of all decisions. Don't act like a teenager vying for power. You are much older than me; don't let people laugh at you, thinking you're less mature than me."

"I'm sorry, I was blinded by the horrific nature of the last case." Mordo took a deep breath. "I never imagined those magical schools could be so vile. Although I know many good spellcasters, I never realized what was lurking beneath the peaceful facade of the Doorless Bar."

"It's alright, I don't blame you. You've been in your ivory tower for too long, so you're bound to feel uncomfortable dealing with this kind of thing for the first time. You have no idea what kind of disastrous consequences the Venerable One will cause by letting them do as they please." Salomon patted Mordo on the shoulder. "Send more people as soon as possible, even the old guys from the arcane families will do. After all, that organization doesn't need much combat ability, but rather wisdom and composure. Those old guys who can't even lift a finger are the most suitable. I think the guardian of the New York Temple, Mage Daniel, is very suitable. If Mage Hamil has time, he can also participate. But I need a list, understand?"

“I understand, brother,” Mordo sighed. “I’m just having trouble adjusting. The whole world has changed since your orders came down. You know, your men even arrested the owner of No Doors, even though he only has one head. Luckily, it was a minor offense, and he spilled all the information. He’ll be leaving in a few days, but I’m afraid No Doors will never welcome Kamar-Taj again.”

"Have you ever seen a slum bar welcome police? Building a police bar isn't a big deal," Salomon said. "I'm here to see how those two candidates are doing."

Mordo looked utterly helpless. He first glanced around to make sure no one else was present besides himself, Salomon, and the Royal Guard before slowly recounting the situations of the two candidates. "Sherlock Holmes, he started trying to escape a month later, so we had to confiscate his scepter ring and send him to clean toilets for the prisoners. Then he helped us break up that contraband trafficking network, earning a reduced sentence, and now he's diligently studying in his room."

"What about the other one?"

"Stephen Strange, just as restless. He tried to break into the library to steal books to research a cure for himself, and was sentenced to ten lashes and a week in solitary confinement. Now this idiot is a bit more settled because he knows that such serious crimes usually result in execution. After witnessing the execution, he's much more obedient; otherwise, he'd definitely be shouting slogans about freedom and human rights." Mordo was somewhat indignant. "Do we really want people like that to be the Sorcerer Supreme? Even if it's just a title, either of those idiots will only bring insult, not honor. The trouble they cause after gaining their powers will likely outweigh the trouble they solve."

"You said it yourself, it's just a title. It's His Holiness's decision, so there's no need to question it anymore." Salomon waved his hand. "Letting them fight for this title is just because we need a scapegoat and a shield for what's to come. If you're willing to take on this misfortune, you can be the Sorcerer Supreme too. It's good for us to have someone who doesn't know too many secrets become the Sorcerer Supreme, even if they die, it won't affect the plan."

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(End of this chapter)