Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1478 Pre-Battle Routine (Part 2) (First Update)

The Cheshire Cat sat on the corner of the table, staring wide-eyed at the argument that was erupting at the dining table.

It licked its gray fur with its barbed tongue, then tilted its round head back, squinted its eyes, and purred softly, as if someone were gently scratching its head. A few seconds later, it was back to its usual leisurely self, seemingly unaffected by the witch and Athena's verbal sparring. Seeing Laura Crawford subtly beckoning to it from the table, the chubby cat, with its 30-pound (approximately 13.61 kg) frame, leaped with surprising agility onto the female archaeologist's lap, nuzzling her chin with remarkable ease before returning its gaze to the hushed arguments of Bayonetta, Joan of Arc, and Athena.

Bayonetta always believed her old tricks from years ago would work, but Salomon knew exactly what she was planning. He had left the restaurant with Milia, but the Cheshire Cat remained as his spy—though using a cat as a spy required exceptional focus, as the Cheshire Cat was interested in everything. If left unchecked, the fat cat would jump onto the table and knock everything to the floor—Laura Crawford was oblivious to this; she only sensed the tense atmosphere at the table and, after exchanging a glance with Wanda Maximoff, decided to leave with the cat, leaving the three women with supernatural charms to their own devices.

Or rather, a witch.

However, the female archaeologist discovered that the strange smiling cat seemed unwilling to stay in her lap. Even Wanda Maximoff couldn't explain why the cat would give up petting and choose to stay in the restaurant. She could only conclude that cats have an innate sensitivity to magic and are drawn to places rich in supernatural elements. But when facing Laura Crawford, Wanda Maximoff simply pointed to the plate of salmon the Cheshire Cat hadn't finished eating, indicating that that was the real reason the Cheshire Cat didn't want to leave.

"War is about to break out." Athena's voice returned to normal only after Laura Crawford and Wanda Maximoff had left. She didn't like using metaphors, but certain things couldn't be shared with others—more precisely, things that shouldn't be known to outsiders. While she admired Laura Crawford, that didn't mean she would reveal secrets to the female archaeologist that ordinary people shouldn't know. "Fimbourne Winter has arrived, the Nine Realms are suffering, and Ragnarok will soon reach Earth. He must find time to deal with it… As far as I know, he also has the Lunar War and the Greek War to contend with. He has many to kill, girls; now is not the time for him to indulge in pleasure."

"I believe he has a way to handle it. He always does that, he's always prepared."

"Taking you to a remote island in the Southern Hemisphere for refuge isn't exactly preparation, Joan of Arc. Nuclear war isn't something that's easy to solve," Athena said irritably. In her eyes, although the witches were all in their thirties, they were undoubtedly naive girls. She didn't mention that Salomon was monitoring and planning to hunt down the Eternals. Compared to grand wars like Ragnarok, the existence of the Eternals wasn't a particularly urgent problem to solve. Moreover, there was the Inhumans of Attilan who needed to be dealt with; the latter possessed the technology, knowledge, and equipment he needed. Therefore, the lunar war would precede the war against the Eternals—and the investigation into the Skrulls was a much lower priority—Salomon wasn't going to wipe out the Skrulls on Earth anytime soon; that was a long process.

"Those three wars were only wars in the material universe. In the intangible realm, he will face far greater challenges. The war in the Sea of ​​Souls will truly make him shoulder the responsibility for the continuation of the human race. At that time, he will not be the boy you know; he will become a truly ruthless ruler, just as he should be. He is kind, and that responsibility will crush him. Your boy has such a soft heart." She reached out, beckoning the Cheshire Cat, which was trying to approach the slow-roasted brisket on the table, to come closer. "And the intensity of the upcoming wars will bring back fears far exceeding those of the Cold War to the human race. That is what he will face. He must not only defeat the monsters that try to destroy humanity and eliminate the weaknesses within humanity, but also awaken humanity's courage to explore space. It will be difficult, but he must do it."

Bayonetta tilted her head, not too surprised.

Athena certainly didn't know what information Salomon had revealed to the witches. The Sorcerer Supreme's fate and departure were already predetermined; it was a zero-sum game with Asgard, something the two witches knew perfectly well. They knew perfectly well the decision Salomon had made—the decision of a brave, selfless person. He had already consulted with the witches—or rather, persuaded them—Beyond the consultation, Bayonetta longed for a stable family environment, and Salomon could only promise to provide it to the best of his ability while accomplishing these things. "In that case, we should hurry," Bayonetta said, barely suppressing the urge to boast. She stood up, gripped the back of her chair, and patted Jeanne's shoulder. "After all, we don't have much time left. There are still two hours and fifty-four minutes until lunchtime; that's not enough time."

"Foolish girl, even more foolish than Aphrodite!"

"You could also say I'm more beautiful than Aphrodite," Bayonetta said with a smile, her eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue. I've killed those who called themselves gods, and so has he. The Shadow Witch's legacy is far more brutal than people imagine. If he's too soft-hearted, then I'll help him."

Athena raised her eyes and glanced at the Cheshire Cat on the corner of the table.

“If you want to know, I can tell you, things aren’t good in there,” Wanda Maximov said, her face somber. She wasn’t unfamiliar with clashes between witches and Athena, but this was different; it seemed there was an irreconcilable conflict between them. However, Wanda Maximov didn’t think the problem was insurmountable, because her teacher was currently in the living room, carrying Milia on his shoulders and walking around. Salomon had the ability to stop a conflict from erupting, and Wanda was confident that it wouldn’t be particularly difficult for him. “I don’t mind helping you take care of Milia,” Wanda said. “I don’t think Laura would mind either. Don’t worry, with Dinah with us, nothing will go wrong.”

"Don't worry," Salomon said with a smile.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. The conflicts between the witches and Athena were varied, and each time they would hiss and spit like an angry mother cat—this was a metaphor, not a statement; if he let those three women hear him say that, they would definitely turn their weapons on him—but they wouldn't let things get out of control. There were some things they had to argue about to a conclusion, otherwise the matter would never end. Sometimes, resolving the issue in the underground dueling arena wasn't an unacceptable option. They weren't middle-class people who thought goods would grow on shelves, or wealthy families who had been spoiled idiots by generations of wealth. Everyone here had experienced fierce battles and achieved final victory. Even Athena had personally experienced many battlefields that were nightmares for humans. Bayonetta with dual swords, Joan of Arc, and Athena with a spear wouldn't allow themselves to be harmed, much less leave scars.

"Don't worry too much," Salomon said, looking at Laura Crawford. "No one will get hurt."

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(End of this chapter)