Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 142 Quietly Crawling Towards You (Second Update!)

"Hello, little puppy."

Salomon led the dog to the spot where Natasha had been, trying to let it smell the place. The dog was lucky to survive only because it was a mongrel, not a purebred bloodhound; otherwise, Salomon would have skinned it to use his bio-location magic.

For this "spell," Salomon also paid the price of two British sausages—these emulsified high-fat offal tubes aren't particularly expensive, as local British sausages contain 32.5% fat, 6.5% pork skin, 20% water, 10% breading, 5% seasonings, colorings, and preservatives, and only 26% meat—mainly cartilage, head, offal, and mechanically deboned meat scraps removed from the animal by steam.

The dog was quite content and eager to help Salomon. It said it would follow Salomon if he added some butter and helped it get rid of fleas. Don't ask how the sorcerer knew; Kamar-Taj also had a collection of druidic spells, and Salomon had copied the complete ritual into his spellbook. The sorcerer agreed to the stray dog's request and named it "Jones," because Salomon hoped it would lead him to his goal.

Jones led the sorcerer into the street, sniffing as he followed two tire tracks. The sorcerer frowned; he believed that even if Natasha had been subdued by the witch, she couldn't have been taken away so openly in the street, and the royal army certainly didn't have that capability. Therefore, the reason Natasha left the surveillance location was worth considering. The sorcerer now leaned towards the conclusion that she had left on her own; Agent Romanov wouldn't have done this unless it was absolutely necessary.

But this contemplation didn't stop Salomon from following the dog until Jones arrived at the courthouse. Salomon was astonished that these Puritans had actually put down their work to continue watching the newly captured witch. This was a thought the sorcerer couldn't comprehend, for these people's minds were consumed by ignorance and superstition, their reason long since banished. Judge Cotton Mather, seizing the opportunity, launched an open-air trial, interrogating the "witch" in front of everyone—if this reality were expanded further, historically, a wave of witch trials would have swept across New England, only stopping when it reached the Governor's wife.

Compared to previous trials, this one, while not as widespread due to external factors, was far more brutal. Coulson's desperation to save lives, coupled with Titus's disappearance, solidified Cotton Mather's belief in the existence of witches. As for Matthew Hopkins, the witch trials were more than just a business; they were a passion. He was enthusiastic about using "wizard watchmen"—instruments studded with needles and knives—to search for traces of demonic possession on witches.

Salomon suddenly realized something was wrong. While trying to calm Jones, who was wagging his tail frantically, he recalled the information he had read: Matteo Hopkins had died in 1647; it was now 1692. This meant that Matteo Hopkins shouldn't be here at all. As far as Salomon knew, Matteo Hopkins had spent most of his time traveling through Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, and other counties in East Anglia, not the New World.

Unless this Matthew Hopkins was a new addition by Randolph Carter, he was definitely connected to Nyarlathotep, but Randolph wouldn't cause him any trouble, so only the latter possibility remained. The sorcerer quickly had his dog lead him to Natasha's trail. He found the four witches—Bridget Bishop, Susanna Martin, Alice Parker, and Margaret Scott—in a carriage near the courthouse. They were shackled and imprisoned in a wooden cage with spikes on the roof of the carriage. Every time they tried to climb out, they were stabbed and bled profusely by the wooden spikes.

They cried out in the cage, but only received curses from the onlookers.

The sorcerer couldn't approach the carriage because it was surrounded by seven royal soldiers armed with dog-chained flintlock pistols. He looked around but couldn't find Natasha. Perhaps she had followed the captured witch here, or perhaps she had been bewitched and arrested by the royal soldiers. Salomon led the dog to a corner and, with all his might, described Natasha to Jones, then sent the dog to check the prison wagon—the result was bad; Natasha wasn't there. Unless they found Natasha alive, no other news was good.

Salomon sighed and patted the dog's head. Unless the dog transformed into a Bloodhound, he wouldn't be able to cast the spells he needed. Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind him and grabbed the arcane's arm. Salomon turned around and saw a bearded man in black grabbing him, trying to pull him aside.

"Natasha?" Salomon concluded after comparing their heights.

"It's me," she said. "It's not safe for women to walk on the streets these days. I saw you go to the surveillance location..."

"F*uck! Next time, make sure to let me know in advance about something like this! You have no idea how worried I am about you!"

"I also left a mark." Natasha didn't even turn her head. "I'm a spy, I won't be caught so easily."

"But I'm not a spy. I thought it was just a scratch left by a drunkard. Even a dog couldn't find you, how did you manage that?" Salomon followed Natasha to a narrow gap between houses, far from the bustling crowds, where only one person could pass at a time. Natasha had figured out the streets of this town in a single day, and she knew some of the buildings better than some of the locals.

"Perfume, produced by S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Okay, so what did you find out?" After making sure no one was listening, Salomon held down the puzzled dog, intending to hear what Natasha had to say.

"Matthew Hopkins..."

"I know that," Salomon nodded. "He's long dead; this isn't him."

"I saw him teaching witchcraft, and he went to the four girls' house!" Natasha said. "He's a wizard! Do you have any information that tells you Matthew Hopkins isn't actually dead? I'm not just following the girls, I'm following him too."

Salomon was quite certain that besides himself and Randolph, there were no other male spellcasters in the town. Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him, a possibility that sent chills down his spine—Nyarlathotep had countless avatars! He could very well be any person, any creature, any object, or even any natural phenomenon. If Randolph Carter hadn't added the character Matthew Hopkins, Matthew Hopkins might even be one of Nyarlathotep's avatars.

With this in mind, Salomon made a plan. He intended to ambush Matthew Hopkins directly on his way home, rather than aimlessly searching for the Dark One in the forest. If he truly was Nyarlathotep in disguise, then Excalibur could surely destroy him, and Salomon would have accomplished half of his goal.

However, there is still a problem that urgently needs to be solved, because Natasha's discovery seems to have gone a little too smoothly. Isn't Matt Hopkins worried that the girls will identify him? Or is he confident that he can turn the girls' testimonies into a smear?

"What are you thinking about?" Natasha noticed the sorcerer looking at her strangely and couldn't help but ask. But Salomon asked a different question.

What is the thing you regret most?

"Why are you saying this?" Natasha's eyes widened, quite puzzled. "Don't tell me you've been bewitched by a witch."

"You must prove you are you," Salomon said, pointing his wand at Natasha, who was dressed in disguise. "Answer the question."

"are you serious?"

"Answer the question, but don't say anything else."

"Okay, I..."

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(End of this chapter)