Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1432 The Countess's Dinner (Second Update)

Regardless of how Agent Coulson resolves internal conflicts, S.H.I.E.L.D. only needs to remain a barely adequate tool. After completing their month-long training, they will return to Earth to continue their past missions. Agent Coulson will also have to appease the new S.H.I.E.L.D. director appointed by Congress and help Latvinia block some crucial intelligence about the space station from Congress or the CIA. Although Agent Coulson explained that he was not a spy and would not help the Emperor carry out missions such as stealing the CIA's Eastern European agent list, there were other things he had to do besides directly participating in the intelligence wars between nations.

A weak explanation cannot stop the situation from developing, just as there have been countless previous attempts to justify and refuse.

Congress wants S.H.I.E.L.D. back, but only to obtain the vibranium storage device filled with secrets and to acquire the assets left behind by S.H.I.E.L.D. Only the Emperor wants nothing more than for S.H.I.E.L.D. to remain true to its duty. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s duty is to keep all dangers out of human society, and this is the Emperor's only requirement of them. If S.H.I.E.L.D. fails to fulfill its duties, it will become a complete liability, and the Emperor will no longer provide them with any protection.

When Agent Coulson inquired about the protection the Emperor had provided, unsurprisingly, he received no answer; clearly, this was beyond his intelligence authority. He was then ruthlessly evicted from the office, leaving with a few answers and even more questions, as usual. Danger was creeping closer. The Emperor, sensing the approaching threat, was busy setting traps, arranging surveillance, and ambushes, having no time to waste on S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson could only try to soothe his comrades' minds with his meager information, attempting to persuade, unite, and encourage them to continue along the established path.

The Emperor promised him that Enoch would be waiting for them at the Beacon Base, where he would obtain more information through the android. However, the soldiers stationed at the Beacon Base would not be withdrawn. Both the First Class Regiment and the Rangers bore the heavy responsibility of monitoring S.H.I.E.L.D. and ensuring their safety. If Agent Coulson refused to hand over Nick Fury's black box filled with secrets, the US government would definitely not let the current remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. off the hook. Deploying a sufficient number of armed personnel was the only way to protect their lives.

Coulson understood that he and his comrades were part of a complex web of plans, but his mind couldn't grasp schemes too elaborate or the distant future too far in the future. This inability to fully understand the situation disgusted Agent Coulson, like nauseating fumes accumulating in his lungs. He thought of Nick Fury's similar tendency toward secrecy—when everyone stumbles in the dark and only one can see the big picture—but disastrous consequences had proven this model unreliable; even Nick Fury couldn't escape deception and shortsightedness. He was deeply worried, yet he had to project an air of control to his comrades, just as he had always played the role: a reliable agent, a kind mentor, a loving father, and a wise leader.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team occupied only one page and three minutes of the Emperor's work for the day. Compared to working in the castle in Latvian capital, the advantage of the SkySword space station office was that it could avoid the hustle and bustle of people and officials at all levels, avoid meaningless petitions, negotiations, and threats, leave those troublesome social interactions to Victor von Doom, reduce its own presence and military deterrence, weaken the fear brought about by the Balkan unification war, and give the Regent the opportunity to redistribute the spoils through education and policies, and to heal the wounds in the hearts of the common people.

The Emperor was eager to know when the Regent's volatile temper would finally erupt, but Viktor von Dum continued to exercise restraint, explaining and negotiating with those far less intelligent than himself, balancing the already tense and bloody feud in the Balkans. To stabilize the officials who had been forced to submit, the Emperor needed complete control over them; therefore, he had a considerable number of spies and agents under his command.

"Countess Katarina Karkov." The noblewoman, her long, dark green hair styled in a bun, dressed in an evening gown and draped in black fur, bowed her head in respect to the Emperor. Compared to what Agent Coulson had seen, what she saw was not much different; the room's decor and furnishings remained unchanged, except that she was much closer to the Emperor. "I'm so glad you came. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Ms. Tita did a great job. I was just helping out a little; after all, those journalists and scientists aren't exactly difficult to deal with," the Countess said with a smile, her tone ambiguous as to whether it was praise or criticism. "Besides, Natasha Romanoff did most of the screening; I only needed to exchange a few words with them. Also, regarding Laura Crawford… my girls have already received the news."

The emperor glanced at her.

"I hope those newspapers will find a new owner. Even Murdoch only has one life, doesn't he?"

Even before the war, Countess Katarina Karkov had used her black market arms dealings to cultivate connections in Western high society, amassing fortunes through political and financial dealings in Europe and America, and even collaborating with the CIA on several occasions. She had initially believed her intelligence network would be dismantled during her house arrest, but to her surprise, it remained intact and even showed signs of expansion when she was reinstated, allowing her to begin working immediately upon regaining power.

Countess Katarina Karkov initially believed that the red-haired woman named Lorelei had taken over her intelligence network, but she soon learned that Lorelei was actually an Asgardian, not an Earthling, and had been carrying out secret missions for the Emperor for a long time. Later, she thought it was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow known for her beauty, but then she learned that the Black Widow had long since transitioned into a superhero, completely abandoning espionage. As for who had maintained those relationships for her, she had an answer in her heart, but some things had to be buried forever. She was wise enough to know what shouldn't be mentioned, like the ledger that recorded her dealings with high-ranking Western officials, which was now nowhere to be found.

However, she wasn't allowed to know much information. For example, she was completely unaware of the Emperor's secular identity, the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. undergoing training there, or the Maximoff siblings. It could be said that the Emperor's control over her was quite strict, but she didn't harbor any resentment towards it.

"I am very grateful for your invitation to dinner, Your Majesty." Countess Katarina Karkov bowed her head again. "The menu for tonight was decided jointly by Ms. Tita and me, and I hope you will enjoy the wines I have selected. I recently purchased a small winery in France and discovered a large stock of wines hidden within the walls. I would like to share these treasures with you."

Countess Katarina Karkov turned to look at the golden-armored guards behind her.

Hammurabi nodded slightly.

The Secret Order of the Guardians tested that batch of wine and found that none of it contained toxic substances. Therefore, when the dark glass bottles without labels were brought over, in addition to a thin layer of residual ash at the bottom of the bottles, there were also labels affixed by the Secret Order of the Guardians. The information on these labels showed the quality inspection report for the wine.

(End of this chapter)