Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 131 Agreement Reached (First Update!)

“I think it’s time to be open with Agent Coulson,” Natasha said casually, one leg crossed. “We tried to get back through the cave, but we failed. Now we’re stuck in the same boat, with no outside help, we have to rely on ourselves, and we need to stick together. Why don’t you open the door and listen to what Agent Coulson has gathered?”

Salomon stood up, full of doubt, and opened the wooden door to the guest room a crack. Through the crack, he saw Agent Coulson standing outside. "How did you know?" Salomon asked Natasha as he opened the door, inviting Coulson in. "Why are you so sure Agent Coulson would be here?"

"I'm an agent." Natasha Romanov didn't stand up. "Are you going to tell him, or should I do it?"

“You tell me. I hate explaining what magic is to other people.” Salomon drew his wand and cast a spell to seal the door. Agent Coulson looked at the scene before him with some surprise, then waited for his colleague's explanation. Natasha Romanoff recounted what she knew in extremely brief words. Although she didn't know as much as Nick Fury, it was enough for Coulson to understand Salomon's identity and current situation. But these facts were still a bit too shocking. Salomon wasn't some kind of power enhancer, but a magician. They weren't living 300 years in the past, but in an abnormal reality. The real residents of Salem were still fast asleep.

These news took Coulson some time to process. "My rational side wants to say that all of this can be explained scientifically," he said, "but for now, it's better to listen to what you have to say. I'll definitely go to church next time; hopefully, I'll make it in time."

“This is strange,” Salomon interjected. “I only started hunting Abigail Williams after she escaped from her seal, from New York to Salem, until we got to this situation. I have reason to believe that the anomalies here are caused by her; if not, then nothing else can be explained. Agent Coulson, have you noticed anything unusual about Abigail?”

"She acted like an ordinary country girl, full of love for this small town and longing for the big city, and very devout. She showed no signs of being the kind of person who would cause a riot." Coulson shook his head. "If you're going to accuse her of being a witch… I'm sorry, I don't agree with that idea for now. And your theory also suggests that this might not be reality, or rather, not our reality. The Abigail Williams here might be completely different from the historical Abigail Williams; at least, there's no such monster in reality."

"And what about Titusa?" Salomon asked Natasha about her subject of observation. "That black girl is another key figure in the Salem trial; she was also one of the people who triggered the trial."

“Normal, perfectly normal,” Natasha said. “Although her cooking wasn’t very good, that’s not something I should say badly about her. On the contrary, while we were dining together, she kept praising the host’s erudition and tolerance. She didn’t show any resentment towards anyone or any superstition about witchcraft, which is completely different from those conservative and superstitious Puritans you mentioned.”

"Are you sure?" Salomon retorted. "Maybe she can fool you, if she really isn't normal. And she's a Voodoo believer, hasn't she mentioned that?"

"There are 212 micro-expressions that can tell if someone is lying, and she didn't mention Voodoo at all," Agent Romanov said, tearing into a piece of beef jerky. "And I know all about them, little boy, I'm the best agent."

"Madam, you're in charge." Salomon nodded. "Then the suspicion points to one person."

“Randolph Carter,” Agent Coulson continued. “Leaving aside his enthusiasm for us, historical records indicate that Abigail Williams was the niece of Pastor Paris in town, and Titus was a slave in the Paris household, not Randolph Carter's. In fact, the trial was solely due to a hallucinogenic reaction caused by ergot diacetamide in ergot fungi, which is actually LSD, a hallucinogenic substance successfully synthesized in 1938 by Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann. Ergot dancing was extremely common in the Middle Ages. On July 24, 1374, dozens of German villagers gathered around the Rhine River and hysterically danced in the streets for hours, days, and some reportedly for months…”

"Thank you for your explanation, Professor Coulson of the History Department." Salomon waved his hand, stopping Coulson's explanation. "In the original history, this trial was indeed triggered by ergot and fanatical Puritans, but Abigail Williams was indeed a witch in the original reality—that's an undeniable fact. I've felt her magic. But this time, we're not facing the original reality, but an abnormal reality. Abigail Williams might be something far more terrifying. Does anyone have a good idea? If you ask me, since this anomaly won't affect reality, why don't we be more direct and eliminate Abigail Williams? Once we lose the key point, all the conspiracies will surface."

"No! Absolutely not!" As expected, Agent Coulson was the first to object. "Since we can't confirm that Abigail is the one who caused the anomaly, I won't allow such a brutal solution. I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent; my mission is to protect civilians, not harm the innocent. I refuse to do the wrong thing for the sake of the right outcome. This is my principle, and it won't change just because I've come to three hundred years ago, nor because this reality won't affect our world. I won't allow this to happen until the investigation is complete, absolutely not!"

Salomon and Natasha exchanged a glance. The arcane mage knew Coulson was a member of the Lawful Good faction, and that his reasons for joining S.H.I.E.L.D. were completely different from Natasha's; he chose this path because of his own beliefs. Therefore, Salomon had no intention of persuading him; it was unnecessary, because Coulson would make the right choice if forced to.

"But you need to understand, we might be facing something you can't comprehend. Not just you, it might be something even I can't comprehend." Salomon sighed. "If the facts are clear, and it comes to the point where it's absolutely necessary, I don't want you to stop me, Coulson. You're a good man; I'll handle this."

"I can too," Natasha said. "I don't mind carrying more burdens; I'm used to it."

The atmosphere in the room seemed to become somewhat heavy. After a long while, Coulson finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "You're only fifteen, Salomon Damonette. I've seen your file. I don't know what you've been through, but what happened in Colin Town has already demonstrated your choice. But you're still a minor. Leave this to me. If the situation requires it, I know what I should do."

“Alright, now that we’ve reached an agreement, we can proceed with the next step of the investigation,” Salomon said. “I have a vague recollection of the name Randolph Carter, or rather, he’s a very famous person. But I can’t judge whether he’s the one based on that name alone… Agent Coulson, I need you to observe Randolph Carter, paying particular attention to whether he mentions any place names you don’t recognize, like Ussa or Elek-Vada. If not, bring him a cat.”

"Why?" Natasha asked in surprise. "Is it like the legendary Barbayaka, where wizards all have a black cat as an assistant?"

“If he is indeed the Randolph Carter I know, then he’s a huge cat lover. If his identity is confirmed, then I can roughly guess his purpose,” Salomon said. “You don’t understand the magic system of sorcerers; casting spells requires borrowing money. I… Randolph Carter is very likely here to collect a debt. I may have unintentionally incurred some bills I can’t pay. Or perhaps that’s not quite right; I’m just the one who inherited the debt.”

"You mean, all of this might have something to do with you?" Coulson asked curiously. "What do you owe us?"

"I don't know either, maybe it's my soul?" Salomon held out the ring on his left pinky finger to Coulson. "I already owe a lot. This ring is my IOU. When I die, the demons and devils of the lower planes will fight tooth and nail for my soul. This Mr. Randolph Carter might have to take a backseat. Belial isn't going to give up so easily."

"So how are we going to resolve this? Go straight to confirm Randolph Carter's identity, then when you go to pay off your debts, notify the other creditors and let them fight over ownership of your soul?" Natasha clicked her tongue. "Even though demons and devils sound weird, it's the only way right now, isn't it?"

"Assuming my assumptions are correct, that he is indeed the Carter I believe him to be, and that I can still summon demons here. If I have time, I will attempt to summon a demon, but if the targeted spell fails... let's take it one step at a time," Salomon said. "Agent Coulson, I need you to speak with this Mr. Carter and tell him about your adventure. If this Mr. Carter isn't the one I know, we'll need to investigate the reasons behind all of this."

"Are you sure? Even if I abandon secrecy, I don't have much to say," Coulson said. "I can't exactly tell people in the 17th century what a Quincy is, can I?"

"I'll write, you tell." Salomon took a roll of blank parchment and a quill pen from his dimensional bag. "Before I learned magic, I read all the biographies of Kamar-Taj sorcerers like novels. I'll adapt those stories and write a few adventure stories. I'm sure you can memorize them, Agent Coulson."

"I never thought I'd have to memorize an article for another day. It's a feeling I miss. I'll do my best." Coulson loosened his tie, as if trying to relax. He had encountered far too many unbelievable things today.

"And what about you and Natasha?"

"Tomorrow morning, we're going to investigate in town and the forest, and we also need to buy some clothes for Agent Romanov. Don't worry, I have some gold on me. If the massacre begins, Romanov will likely be accused of witchcraft because of her beauty, especially since we're still outsiders. Don't be surprised, Natasha, you Orthodox Christians might not understand, but that's how the Puritans are. Given that you're now my comrade, if they want to send you to the gallows, I'll kill them."

"Thank you for your kindness, little boy." Natasha smiled and winked at Salomon. "But I'm not some weak girl. Don't underestimate me. You can't beat me without using magic."

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(End of this chapter)