Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1415 Routine Inspection (Two Chapters Combined)

Elena Rodriguez was somewhat incredulous.

As one of the newest and most unskilled members of the team, Elena Rodriguez hadn't read any materials related to the Avengers. While Daisy Jensen was learning, she was stealing weapons from corrupt Colombian police and military personnel for protesters; and by the time Daisy Jensen became a relatively competent field agent, she had just been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Throughout, Elena Rodriguez had little opportunity for formal education, and she didn't quite believe anyone could be faster than her—except for that giant in the golden power armor. However, Elena Rodriguez later maintained that it was just an accident that caused her to be knocked unconscious in the power armor, and that nothing was truly hurt except her pride.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please do not delay."

Pietro Maximov tiptoed towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. team of agents through the maintenance tunnel of the space station's armor, like a ballerina from Swan Lake. This flippant attitude stemmed entirely from his confidence in his own abilities—as he had told the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, his career was now complete after the Avengers split. He was constantly bombarded with calls and visits from various U.S. intelligence agencies and their subordinate units, who were either threatening or bribing him. Under these circumstances, Pietro Maximov had no choice but to accept the new job offered by his blood relative, Wanda Maximov.

This job was that of an extravehicular activity (EVA) safety officer on the Skyfire space station, much like a swimming pool safety officer in the summer, and occasionally also involved assisting with the maintenance and inspection of the space station's armor—it wasn't exactly easy. This wasn't unacceptable to him; after all, in his mind, both Wanda and the Emperor were family, and there was nothing wrong with accepting help from family. Agent Coulson awkwardly swung his arms, hopping and skipping under the artificial gravity to Pietro Maximov's side. "I didn't expect to see you here. I even did a search after the Avengers split," he said. "Now you siblings are working for him?"

"Hmph! Earth isn't exactly a great place these days; there are always people trying to take things from us. Don't they know we have nothing to begin with?"

"Now he's taking something from you too, Pietro." Soldiers armed with precision-guided laser rifles stood twenty meters away, their muzzles pointed at the clumsy spacewalking novice. Agent Coulson knew the soldiers would hear him, but he didn't care anymore. "You're using your special abilities to work for him, isn't that what you've been avoiding all along?"

Pietro grinned, the two small projection lights inside his helmet illuminating a row of white teeth. In the distance, several engineering walking mechs, each about three meters tall—a versatile type of walking mech, thanks to its modular design and low cost, allowing for numerous modifications for both engineering and combat—were transporting armor materials to a location requiring repair. Part of Pietro's job was to cover for these projects, retrieving armor materials that had accidentally slipped out of control. His method was to be tethered around his waist, run over, jump, and be pulled back.

A standard-sized ablation armor plate for a space station is extremely expensive because, after acquiring the space station, the Emperor planned to expand it into a small void dock, orbital logistics station, and orbital fortress, as a replacement until the space elevator was completed. Therefore, an armor plate intended to last for hundreds of years is almost the pinnacle of Martian materials science, a product designed from the atomic arrangement, each piece worth as much as a Stark suit of armor without any added value.

This is not a job that requires specialized knowledge.

Pietro adored working away from desks and computers, even if it meant wasting his mathematical talent. For him, the calories burned using his abilities were roughly the same as those burned thinking about math problems, and he insisted the latter would make him fat. Just as Wanda Maximov was under surveillance, Pietro Maximov was no exception, though he was unaware that, despite his work not being part of the space station's standard staff, he still had a superior—the Byzantine remnants from the lost city of Kit, as Jacob's people, trained in the icy wilderness of Siberia, were all assigned to the ranks of junior officers, with the best becoming disciplinary officers. Pietro's superior was a regimental disciplinary officer stationed in the space station's auxiliary corps; all his activities were reported to this officer, who then relayed the reports up the ranks until they finally appeared on the desks of the Regent of Latvinia and the disciplinary officer general, Jacob's daughter, Sofia.

Pietro Maximov only knew that he received psychological counseling every week.

Every crew member stationed on the space station undergoes a psychological evaluation to ensure their ability to withstand the solitude of deep space. Meanwhile, psychological books and experiences related to space travel and spacefaring are being gradually compiled. Some of the scientists invited to the space station by the Emperor are psychologists, and the psychologists of the Immortal City will collaborate with them to conduct in-depth research on the psychological changes humans experience after arriving in outer space. However, the scientists of the Immortal City will not share all research projects with the outside world, as one project focuses on transhuman psychology, and Pietro Maximov is a subject of study in this project.

When the first lander, laden with cargo for Mars, arrived at the airport, Regent Victor von Dum specially invited many foreign ambassadors to visit. Even with international tensions with Latvia, no one would miss a lucrative opportunity that was obvious to everyone. The investment in the space elevator skyrocketed, and there was virtually no need to worry about future funding.

Only the approved investors knew that Latvia now possesses a space station. Many of the scientists among the spies were there to verify this information, to ascertain whether Latvia had indeed established a factory on Mars, and whether the space station could continuously receive industrial goods from Mars. More importantly, Latvia's industrial transformation and path to industrialization was unprecedented, and communication with Mars was crucial to all aspects of Latvia's high-end manufacturing industry. Regent Viktor von Doom relied on this model to curb the absurd inflation in the Balkans, rather than resorting to privatization like neighboring Turkey to salvage its economic data.

Although financial capitalism is not something that Latvia can currently manipulate, it is not difficult for the Regent and the Emperor to plunder valuable currency through financial capitalism. The semi-intelligent silicon-based psychics of the Immortal City are enough to manipulate the relatively backward network data of the entire Earth, and the sophisticated financial products that are parasitic on the digital world and interconnected are a cake that the Regent and the Emperor can enjoy at any time.

“You don’t understand, Agent Phil Coulson.” Pietro Maximov took a few steady steps back as if walking on Earth, seemingly refusing to continue the pointless exchange. “All trainees, please line up in front of me according to your numbers. We are about to begin the first lesson,” he said. “I want to warn you, watch out for micrometeors. They don’t feel good when they hit you. If you want to be pierced by an outer space bullet, then keep doing your thing! You’ll see what unfortunate souls who get pierced by micrometeors look like in the medical bay!”

“I have to admit, Pietro’s a real scare freak.” Wanda couldn’t help but laugh, seemingly recalling her blood relative’s exaggerated gestures and threats. “He hasn’t told the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents anything about the space station’s shield. It reminds me of the times he used to tell stories to those kids who were also homeless on the streets. He occasionally goes to the Immortal City Academy to see them, but all the instructors forbid it; they all claim those kids are still being reshaped.”

"I hope he's happy on the space station."

“He was very happy, Professor,” Wanda Maximoff said with a smile. She realized the Emperor was avoiding certain topics, but she didn’t mind; after all, she couldn’t guarantee she knew all of the Emperor’s secrets. “He told me his job was similar to that of a lifeguard at a swimming pool, the only difference being that the space station’s visitor volume was always in the ‘off-season,’ but thankfully he didn’t rely on the number of visitors to make money.”

"I'm glad he's maintaining an optimistic attitude." Salomon poured Wanda another half glass of red wine. Enjoying wine in the living room was a kind of unwritten rule within the estate, but those rules were rituals that Dinah had tried to establish in her spare time to distinguish the estate owner from other social classes. The estate owner didn't care at all; only the guests would relish it. "I'm also glad you answered my call to come to the estate."

“I would never miss a moment to enjoy dinner.” Wanda Maximov took a sip of Salomon’s reserve red wine. Even with her coursework, she didn’t consider herself able to distinguish good from bad wine, but she had to admit this one suited her taste perfectly. “A semi-dry red wine. Forgive me, this is the limit of my palate; my tongue isn’t sophisticated enough to discern the origin of a wine. Is there anything I can help you with this time?”

"Of course, you're already a qualified wizard, but this isn't about helping out; it's a routine check. Kamar-Taj isn't suitable for rituals." This praise made Wanda feel a sweet taste on her tongue. Salomon extended his hand, and the snake bone staff he had given Wanda appeared out of thin air. The upper half of the giant snake's spine was completely fused with steel, while the lower half of the bone swayed gently as if alive. The snake skull at the top of the staff, inlaid with a giant ruby, was projecting an supernatural light. "You know, I warned you before I even began your training because your exceptional talent makes your soul more vulnerable to attack than others."

As Salomon spoke, the crimson light emanating from the snake skull gradually intensified, and the white vertebrae seemed to come alive, coiling around his arm. The staff recorded the spells Wanda had cast, and he was examining them.

"How are you progressing on your witch's path?"

“I saw my mother’s phantom again, and she said something to me,” Wanda brought up the question that had been bothering her. “I’m pretty sure my parents’ souls have entered the Sea of ​​Souls, where they’ve returned to their primordial spirit; she can’t possibly appear again. I performed an exorcism, but it didn’t work. Have you read my journal?”

"Yes, I read your blog every day, Wanda."

Salomon handed the heavy snake-bone staff to Wanda, who barely managed to take it with both hands and immediately used magic to levitate it, otherwise it would most likely have crashed onto the expensive marble floor. The white spine that had tried to hook onto Wanda's arm swung erratically in the air for a moment before stopping, drooping dejectedly, like a dog's tail that had been misplaced.

"I don't think this is a serious problem. Perhaps your longing for your family is shaping an image of your mother in the Ether Sea. Your spiritual strength is comparable to the combined strength of hundreds of millions of ordinary people, so nothing is surprising. While you're staying at the manor, we'll be able to figure out whether those are the dead you created or foreign ghosts. Don't worry, we'll definitely be able to solve all the problems."

Salomon acted like a typical therapist, except that he was dealing with a problem no therapist in the world had ever encountered. Wanda Maximoff's mental health was a top priority on his list of concerns. Through repeated calls and activities, he was able to accurately monitor Wanda's thoughts, ensuring she wouldn't develop uncontrollable problems. "That's why magic is so dangerous, that's why I repeatedly warn you to be careful. But don't seek answers in the Aether Sea; that crude, raw, unprocessed etheric energy will only destroy you."

"You told me about this."

"An important warning can never be too much. Of course, you're probably starting to think I'm being long-winded." Salomon downed his glass of wine in one gulp. He and the witches had consumed eight bottles of top-quality red wine during afternoon tea, and to entertain Wanda Maximoff, he'd have Dinah choose another one Wanda might like. Salomon was now considering expanding his wine cellar; he felt that less than a thousand bottles wouldn't be enough for their daily consumption of wine, which they treated like drinking water. "Beunita and Jeanne are delighted to meet you, and they'd like to invite you to join their hunting expedition."

"Then why can't I see them now?"

Salomon then gave a meaningful look.

"After afternoon tea, they always have to change into clean clothes," he said. "I think you'll like those scented candles used for the rituals."

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(End of this chapter)