Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1430 Ignorance is bliss (Second Update)

Laura Crawford hadn't forgotten someone's existence; the alcohol she'd consumed wasn't enough to damage her brain and cause her to lose some memories. Excluding the eccentric prophetic woman, the breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea tables were all one person less than the previous night's party. Wanda Maximoff—she'd seen her on television and in the newspapers—the dangerous witch, the catalyst for the Sokovia incident, taken away by agents during a congressional inquiry into the Sokovia affair, and then vanished from the public eye, not even appearing in major events like the Avengers split or the Halle airport clashes.

At least they haven't appeared in public.

"I slept very well last night and didn't dream."

Wanda Maximoff hadn't consumed much alcohol at the party, so she woke up perfectly clear-headed for breakfast. However, instead of having breakfast at the manor with the witch, Laura Crawford, and others, she followed the Emperor early aboard the Pegasus-class assault transport, departing the manor to join her new mission while England was still bathed in the pale light of dawn. She enjoyed a limited-edition crew meal aboard the Pegasus-class assault transport. The previous night's peaceful sleep didn't allow her to relax now; she knew the purpose of the ritual she had undergone—the thirteen candles surrounding her bed had gone out sometime during the night, and when she drew back the curtains in the morning, the faint sunlight immediately caused the melted and solidified black candle wax on the floor to begin evaporating, defying the material properties of the physical universe. It was obvious to anyone that the ritual circle of candles had warded off nightmares, allowing her to sleep soundly all night.

"I want to know my test results. I think I should know, right?" Wanda's face glowed with a healthy rosy hue. Thanks to the potion-making techniques taught to her by the Emperor, those everyday drinks—which barely qualify as alchemy—had made her health far surpass that of most ordinary people. "I've seen the results."

Looking at Earth from the space station is a truly magical experience. No matter how many times she stands behind the armored porthole, gazing at the deep space and the planets that have given birth to humanity for hours. The porthole is located to the side of the giant desk. The half-meter-thick armored porthole blocks most cosmic rays. The polymer gaps in the middle layer of the armored porthole automatically adjust to control the type and intensity of light blocked, ensuring that the office maintains soft, non-glaring lighting when the space station is in the morning light, allowing those inside to naturally enjoy the beauty of space.

Next door to this office was Natasha Romanov's penthouse room, or more accurately, an adjoining lounge. The office wasn't located on the bridge; all the work there had been delegated to Tita, and he didn't interfere. Some might see this as the Emperor's favoritism, allowing the Sisterhood to control all air carriers and space stations, but it was actually a clever limitation, confining the Sisterhood's functions and uses to the planetary level, preventing it from becoming a tool of political power.

In fact, apart from the Imperial Guard and the Regent, only the Sorority Sisters stationed on the space station knew that he had come to the station. When he walked out of the helipad and down the corridor, everyone—from the space station's researchers and foreign journalists to other staff—assumed this man in a suit as an official or researcher. The Imperial Guard, responsible for security, entered from another helipad without attracting anyone's attention.

"The ritual went smoothly. All the spiritual entities that tried to disturb you were blocked and burned away by the ritual. You only need to replenish your spiritual defenses and remain vigilant at all times to restore your original health. Those things did not come from the outside but from within yourself. The ritual was equivalent to purifying your spirit, or rather, psychological therapy. Everyone experiences negative emotions; the purpose of the ritual is to guide and process them in a timely manner."

"Including you?" Wanda asked. "Do you also perform such rituals?"

The Emperor frowned, not intending to dwell on the matter further, nor to lie, and thus decided to change the subject. Wanda Maximov's mental state wasn't exactly good; she was prone to overthinking and assuming others had ulterior motives. He couldn't even directly suggest she take sedatives, only managing to stabilize her through rituals and her usual medications. An ordinary person interacting with her might constantly worry about her thoughts and abilities. "Aren't you going to see Pietro? In twenty-three minutes, his spacewalk training team will be passing by. If you'd like, I can let you join the training and experience spacewalking."

The emperor put down his pen and thought for a moment.

"All scientists who come to the space station need to undergo spacewalk and space medical training. Pietro's work is very demanding, and it has nothing to do with the superhero work he's always admired. I'm worried he'll become dissatisfied with this boring job. He'd probably prefer to be involved in law enforcement and fighting for justice, wouldn't he?"

“Pietro is having a great time here. While you can’t attend to such trivial matters, I assure you he won’t get bored with his job. He loves wandering around outside Skysword Space Station.” Facing the Emperor’s questioning gaze, Wanda Maximoff somewhat sheepishly recounted her past blunders. “Remember the magic you taught me at Skorat Castle? Flight, vacuum protection, radiation shielding… You taught me how to achieve the impossible through combinations of magic, which is why I call Pietro when I test spells.” She gestured animatedly. “I’ve taken him outside the atmosphere more than once. His yearning for space won’t be buried by this work, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

"It's a miracle that Pietro wasn't killed by the micrometeorite or got cancer."

Wanda Maksimov lowered her head, stood on tiptoe, and didn't look at anyone.

Because spacewalks are a crucial training exercise, the promotional videos shown on the space station emphasized the dangers of space. The Wanda of the past was completely unaware of this—which was understandable, given that she had just left Strucker Castle and was still a young woman with little education; the Emperor wouldn't have included such knowledge in his demanding teaching schedule, preventing her from understanding the challenges of space travel. Now, she knew how dangerous her past actions were. Ignorance breeds fearlessness. Without the protection of the atmosphere, the speed of micrometeoroids was far beyond her reaction time, and the cosmic radiation could potentially cause long-term damage, not to mention the carcinogenic effects of unfiltered ultraviolet radiation on the skin—the least of all the dangers of the void.

"I'll give Pietro a break. Take him to the space station's medical facility for a full medical checkup. I don't want him to develop cancer and die a miserable death in the future. Don't have your checkup at the space station; do it later when we go to the Immortal City." The Emperor extended his finger and sent a command to the Sisterhood on the data panel. Tita would arrange everything; he trusted the androids he had created. "You should also take a break. You have a room on the space station; you can stay here as long as you want. Do me a favor and call Hammurabi in from the doorway; I have a mission for him."

The Emperor came here to meet Agent Coulson and ask if he intended to lead his team into the mission. Even if reluctant, the Emperor believed he could persuade Agent Coulson and his team to fully commit to training. After all, everything the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had experienced since arriving at the space station had been preparation for the mission, which alone demonstrated that the Emperor's true purpose was not to seize power, but the survival of all humanity.

(End of this chapter)