Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1274 (Second Update)

"Commander, Laura Crawford wishes to see you; she possesses an order signed by the Emperor."

The adjutant's voice roused Aparisha from his reverie. He opened his eyes and looked at the golden eagle sculpture and longsword before him. Aparisha could no longer remember his life before becoming a knight; even fragments he could recall couldn't shake his spirit, instead making those memories seem as dull as a bad movie. The War Prayer, guiding the thoughts of genetically modified warriors, was a compulsory course for every knight. This thick book clearly defined the mission of genetically modified warriors and how they should use the power bestowed upon them by the Emperor.

Besides war prayers, every knight, during meditation, would repeatedly recite their oaths of loyalty and victory to the Emperor. At this moment, Aparisha knelt on one knee, savoring each word he knew by heart. He still remembered completing the Trial of Death, dragging his weary body and indomitable spirit through the swirling sands of the alien desert as he knelt before the Emperor. The Emperor praised his courage, passion, and wisdom displayed in the trial and bestowed upon him a glorious cloak. It was an unforgettable moment of glory. Aparisha still felt the smell of monster blood, his own blood, and explosive propellant filling his nostrils. He still remembered the corpses scattered across a ten-kilometer radius—his gift to the Emperor.

"I will offer my bones and blood, bombs and blades, loyalty and victory. I am the Emperor's sword, I am the Emperor's shield, I will protect my subjects according to his will." The prayer still echoed in Aparisha's mind, the long prayer seemingly etched into his soul. "I am the Emperor's thunderous wrath, I am the Emperor's merciful blade, I am the Emperor's shadow of fear. Exterminate the aliens and sorcerers, liberate humanity. No mercy, no hesitation, no forgiveness, no retreat, until death do us part."

"I think she's in a bit of a rush. Are you planning to see him?"

"Let her wait after I finish my meditation."

"She has the Emperor's orders," the adjutant shook his head. "Shouldn't we show some respect?"

"The Emperor won't mind me fulfilling my duties; that's what he wants to see." Aparisha closed his eyes again, leaning on his sword of oath and bowing his head, his tone tinged with annoyance. "Brother, if you interrupt my meditation again, you'll be training with me in the duel cage, Salazar."

"How can I be your second-in-command if I can't stand my ground?" Lieutenant Nixon said with a smile. After a while, Aparishia finally stood up, the power armor's servers making noise from prolonged combat and lack of maintenance. He looked at Lieutenant Nixon's legs and hands; although encased in power armor, Aparishia knew there was no more flesh and blood inside. Seemingly sensing the chapter commander's gaze, the second-in-command shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. This won't affect my combat ability. Or would you like to have a race or an arm wrestling match with me?"

"I'm confident I can achieve final victory." Aparishia reached out and gripped her adjutant's arm tightly, managing a weak laugh. "Welcome back, Nixon brothers. I'm sorry I mistook you for Salazar brothers; I didn't expect you to leave the medical department so soon."

"I didn't expect it either, but I saw the Emperor at Skysword Station. The doctors were planning to use cloning technology to grow my arm, but I knew you wouldn't even wipe your mouth after eating without me by your side. To avoid embarrassing you, I had to come back immediately, otherwise our chapter would lose face." The smile still lingered on Lieutenant Nixon's face. "The Emperor has already avenged me; it's said that the monster's corpse is still slowly evaporating in the Kobo Belt."

Lieutenant Nixon pointed to a roll of parchment and a skull and laurel wreath relief on the shoulder armor. "To honor our courage," he said, "I also brought a similar shoulder armor. It was a gift from the Emperor." "We kept our oath," he continued, "and we did not dishonor the name of knight."

"Take me to see Laura Crawford and find out what she wants to do." Aparishia nodded. "See why the Emperor gave her that order."

"This is to protect the heritage of human civilization," the archaeologist said, head held high and without any politeness. Jonah, standing behind her, nervously watched Aparishia and his adjutant Nixon. Even though he knew these genetically modified warriors wouldn't harm them, Jonah, who rarely interacted with them, still felt a surge of tension, as did his girlfriend whom he had found on this adventure. However, Laura Crawford had experience with the Royal Guard, and compared to the demigod-like warriors, Aparishia, whose power armor and height were slightly inferior, didn't intimidate her much. "The Emperor values ​​the creations of human civilization, and weren't you also created to protect these heritages?" Laura Crawford said. "Therefore, I need an expedition team to go deeper into that cave with me. I believe the stone door in that cave can help us find the true origins of the Yasok people, or do you believe in the Blood Moon Goddess that the Yasok people speak of?"

"Politeness, woman!" Aparisha said in a low voice. "We will obey the Emperor's orders, but that doesn't mean you can command us."

"I'm sorry, I was too hasty." Laura Crawford readily admitted her mistake, surprising Jonah behind her. He knew how terrible Laura's personality used to be; she would do anything to uncover the truth she wanted to know. But last year's expedition to Kit City and this year's expedition to Paititi seemed to have changed Laura Crawford's personality considerably. In the past, she wouldn't apologize, but would argue her point. "I beg for your help, Company Commander Aparisha... Chapter Commander," she said. "This is important. The origins of the Yasok people may contain some kind of witchcraft, and your masters and I believe that the secrets within are worth exploring."

"Or destroy," Lieutenant Nixon added. "The knights have the final say on the order."

“Yes, if the Yasok clan’s secret witchcraft poses a danger, the knights can handle it themselves,” Laura Crawford said. “But before that, I’d like to confirm with my adventurer. This is Wanda Maximov, the expert your master sent to help me decipher the ruins. Whether it’s dangerous should be her judgment. The orders don’t specify who has the authority to make that judgment, do they?”

"According to wartime regulations, the chapter commander has supreme command authority at the front." Lieutenant Nixon took the parchment bearing the emperor's seal. "Although the operation here is merely the extermination of extradimensional creatures, it still falls under the category of wartime. Since our lord sent you to us, it's because he needs us to oversee your archaeological expedition. Ms. Crawford, this is an indisputable fact. Unless you abide by the knightly code and discipline, I have the right to refuse to provide you with assistance and to form my own expedition. I believe that Ms. Wanda Maximoff, as our lord's apprentice, would also agree to join the expedition organized by the knights."

Lieutenant Nixon was not exaggerating; it was indeed a time of war.

Yesterday, Commander Aparishia, accompanied by his guard and led by Sergeant Camilla, met with the leaders of the Shining Path in the region. Although the meeting wasn't particularly pleasant, with the support of substantial arms purchases and trade contracts, the local Shining Path leaders agreed to the conditions proposed by Latvinia: in exchange for the arrest of CIA spies and the search of CIA secret drug manufacturing facilities, the Knights would use fighter jets to destroy any Peruvian government aircraft attempting to enter the area.

The Cavaliers are now involved in the Peruvian civil war.

This was at the Emperor's behest; a new force capable of breaking free from CIA control must emerge throughout South America.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)