Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 306 The Bay of Naples (First Update)

Standing atop the cliffs of the Bay of Naples and looking ahead, white boats dot the calm, indigo sea. Although it is not yet summer, the bright sunshine brings a gentle, warm breeze to the crowds.

Salomon stood on the balcony of a hotel in the town of Positano, halfway up the mountain. The cliff face was dotted with Mediterranean-style buildings with white walls and orange-yellow roofs, creating a picturesque backdrop against the lush greenery. Leaning on the rough stone railing, he took in the panoramic view of the semi-circular bay. To his left, the bustling, lively atmosphere of the Santa Lucia fishing port rose like steam from the sea, carrying a vibrant energy and a strange warmth that he could almost feel.

The air here seemed filled with melodious string music and languid relaxation. He saw seagulls, petrels, and grey-black cormorants gathering on the shore, slowly paddling their webbed feet as they leisurely glided between small boats. Looking to the left, facing the sea, the famous Mount Vesuvius lay dormant nearby, thin clouds lingering carelessly around its summit.

This giant volcano, born from the edges of the Eurasian, Indian, and African tectonic plates, is one of the most dangerous in Europe. However, its unique volcanic soil and suitable rainfall have fostered lush vegetation, and its wines are among the best in Naples.

For example, the glass of Taurasi red wine in his hand was from Campania. It was bursting with flavors of red cherry, black spices, menthol, and minerals. Although he couldn't quite discern the last flavor, that didn't stop him from having another glass. Bayonetta agreed with Salomon's taste, poured herself a glass, and went out onto the balcony to enjoy the drowsy afternoon breeze with Salomon—due to her geographical location, she had quickly reverted to her past tastes after regaining her memories. In the past, Bayonetta had grown up eating Italian food, and she had a certain knowledge of wine; in fact, almost all witches had some knowledge of these things.

There was only one exception: Joan of Arc. She never cared about what she ate or drank. In her youth, she focused solely on improving her combat skills and studying the secret arts of the witches, avoiding all pleasures. After being attacked by the sages in adulthood, she couldn't understand Salomon and Bayonetta's discussion about the quality of wine.

"Why are we here?" she finally asked, interrupting Salomon and Bayonetta's increasingly intimate conversation.

"Vacation, Joan," Salomon replied, turning and leaning against the railing. The internet here wasn't great, perfect for Mr. Finch to stay in until he finished his firewall work. Before this, the arcane mage had received several calls from unknown numbers, but he hesitated to answer, worried that the machine might actually find his original blueprints for the androids. He didn't plan to power any of the appliances in the apartment until Stark and Mr. Finch finished their work—even if the AI ​​wanted to talk to him, they'd have to be on the same level; he didn't want to be ambushed by a robot while walking down the street.

According to Mr. Finch's confession, his machine was designed from the outset to escape into the real world. Although this problem has been solved, no one can guarantee that the machine will not do so again.

Coming to Italy for vacation wasn't a rash decision. Bayonetta and Joan of Arc had come all the way from Italy while clearing out the angels, traversing central Europe. Therefore, the sorcerer who came to deliver food decided to stay for two days to see if the sudden increase in the number of angels was due to an anomaly at the former site of the Ragnar Order on Sun Island.

However, Bayonetta refused Salomon's help; such a small matter was nothing to her. She had always worked this way, even before Salomon appeared, and she still did. Therefore, she advised the sorcerer to enjoy her rare vacation, as she would handle the matters of Sun Island herself.

Arriving in Positano didn't mean Salomon was completely out of the machine's sight. Before the holidays, he was monitored every day on his way to school, and calls from unknown numbers started coming in around that time, which annoyed Salomon. The vacation also didn't mean Salomon had given up everything. The Sora Redwood Druid Order in the Immortal City needed Salomon's instruction. Few of the spells those casters had learned were spells that druids should know, and he needed to use some druid training materials he'd obtained from Balthazar to train them.

Even more troublesome was Maya Hansen's lab. Without informing Salomon, she took a pistol and killed several people—a minor incident caused by the cash. She was even reluctant to tell Salomon about it until he and Maya Hansen were shot while having lunch in Rome, at which point she finally told him everything.

Although the cash was cleaned by S.H.I.E.L.D., some bills still bore markings. Those eyeing the money weren't just Nick Fury and Salomon—Nick Fury was adept at hiding secrets, but unfortunately, his superiors weren't on his side. Through scattered clues, Alexander Pierce already knew Salomon had taken the money. He didn't even need to deploy Hydra agents; the veteran problem in the US was severe, and he could easily find several Marines to do the work for him. Half a million dollars was enough to buy a life—Hydra would handle the paperwork and transport the weapons, while a few Marine operatives would carry out the work. These people wouldn't even care about civilian casualties.

"So... this is why you brought this woman here?" Joan of Arc pointed to the woman sitting opposite her, sipping red wine. Maya Hansen simply shrugged in the face of Joan of Arc's question.

"And this one!" Joan of Arc pointed again to the woman standing in the doorway, wearing a black elastic vest and holding a pistol. Samun Shaw had been commissioned by the sorcerer to protect Maya Hansen, so she couldn't drink while on a mission and therefore didn't participate in the discussion about wine. She glanced back at Joan of Arc, then turned to look at the hallway outside the door.

"Weren't we here on vacation? Why did you bring two more women along!" Joan of Arc angrily grabbed a bottle of wine and shoved it into her mouth. After a series of swallowing sounds, she finally put down the half-empty bottle. Bayonetta looked at the sorcerer with a mocking gaze, wanting to see how Salomon would explain himself.

"It was just a side effect, Joan of Arc."

Samun Shaw and Maya Hansen cast surprised glances at the sorcerer. "Ms. Hansen happens to be in Rome because I placed the teleportation array there. Samun Shaw was also there after I finished my thesis, so I asked her to help out and act as Ms. Hansen's bodyguard when I'm not around," Salomon explained obliviously, unaware that Bayonetta and Joan of Arc's gazes were growing increasingly dangerous.

"Boss, you didn't ask me to protect you, right?" Samun Shaw assessed the situation. After receiving an affirmative answer, she patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "Great, I don't want to die with you."

"What are you talking about...?"

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(End of this chapter)