Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 308 International Students (First Update)

Salomon spent the night in his powerless apartment. It was a tough night, but with the Cheshire Cat and the homunculus for company, along with candles and books, the night wasn't too bad. At dawn, after washing with cold water and changing into clean clothes, he opened a portal and returned to Positano—Maya Hansen's vacation was almost over, and the Immortal City's library still needed her to organize it. Salomon granted her access to all the books; only she could open those magical books without being burned to ashes by the protective spells on them.

Furthermore, Mr. Finch also needed Samun Shaw's help, as two completely unrelated numbers had appeared simultaneously, and Mr. Rither couldn't handle them alone. Samun Shaw was somewhat disheartened upon hearing this news, as she genuinely enjoyed Salomon's employment services; after all, not every job was like this one, where she could complete it while sipping red wine and counting her money. She also liked the two witches, and after eliminating Salomon, the only male among them, they chatted quite happily.

When the sorcerer arrived at the inn room, he found her lying dazedly on the sofa with an ice pack on her forehead, clearly drunk. "You need to sober up, Ms. Shaw." Salomon helped Samun Shaw onto the balcony, letting the breeze dispel the smell of alcohol from her. Only Maya Hansen lent a hand—the witches had set off early to check on the ruins of Sun Island, which remained in ruins, still inhabited by the devout followers of the Ragnar Order. Only after confirming that the number of angels was unrelated to Sun Island could the witches feel at ease and continue their lives. The sorcerer gave Samun Shaw a vial of alchemical potion, temporarily binding her ethanol receptors with a special ingredient in the potion to alleviate her drunkenness.

"My God, how much did I drink?" The alchemical potion took effect quickly, and Samun Shaw groaned as he sat up from the balcony lounge chair, clutching his forehead.

"I can't answer that question." The sorcerer glanced at the bottles rolling around in the room, thinking it best not to reveal the truth. "Your work here is over, Ms. Shaw," he said. "Mr. Finch needs you. Keep the cash safe; I'll hire you again next time. I don't think Ms. Hansen would object to your protection."

"Give us more missions like this." Samun Shaw swayed as he stood up. "I promise I won't drink this much next time! Heh heh! I promise!"

"Ms. Hansen, help Ms. Shaw, we should be leaving. Oh, put up a sign saying no room service, I'll have the invisible servants clean this place. Get up, Samun Shaw, don't lean against the wall, Jesus needs you!" [John Reese's actor is also an actor in *The Passion of the Christ*.]

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"Ahem, all done with your work?" The Venerable One, holding the fan, asked Salomon, who was sitting below him, "When will the internet be back up? Many apprentices are almost in tears; they can't stand being without it."

"It'll be soon, Master. Mr. Finch has done most of the work, and as long as Stark doesn't cause trouble, a working firewall will be installed tomorrow." Salomon looked at the row of temple deacons sitting beside him. "Then we won't have to worry about spells being eavesdropped on. However, I still suggest not using your phone to take pictures of spellbooks; in the information age, it's hard to guarantee privacy."

"To be honest, this is a place for quiet contemplation. If the internet's down, so be it. We don't need it anyway," said Daniel, the sorcerer of the New York Temple, his thick white beard bobbing as he spoke. "I've already given my grandson a beating for posting a picture of a page from the Book of Vishanti online. Your Excellency, I think Kamar-Taj should completely ban cell phones and the internet. Those things are far too harmful to apprentices just beginning their magical studies..."

"Yeah yeah."

"Hey, young people are just so immature."

A large group of elderly men and women echoed Master Daniel's suggestion, only Mordo and Kasirius remained silent. They wanted to object, but these deacons were much older than them, and they weren't heirs like Salomon; they couldn't persuade them. Salomon turned around and saw the Venerable One looking at them expressionlessly—the Venerable One probably wanted to throw his teacup at these stubborn old men's heads. The Venerable One, over a thousand years old, was far more enlightened than these temple deacons who were not even two hundred years old.

"It's not that serious, Deacon," Salomon advised. "We just need to intensify the training. Otherwise, on the outer dimension battlefield, being unskilled is tantamount to suicide. Senior Brother Mordo and Senior Brother Kasirios would definitely be happy to increase the training volume of the apprentices."

"Hey, how could a young person resist temptation? Look at you, you're always glued to your phone..."

Salomon lowered his head, surprised that these centenarians had turned their attention to him.

"Alright." The Venerable One put down his folding fan. "A bunch of little fellows over a hundred years old, their ability to accept new things is actually not as good as mine. Salomon will be in charge of this matter. You can all go back to the temple to continue your work. Mordo, Kasirios, you stay. And you, Salomon, I have something to say to you."

"What happened, Venerable One?" After the other deacons slowly left the meditation room, their faces stained with age spots, dandruff, and the stench of intestinal rumbling and farting, only four people remained in the incense-filled room. Salomon was curious as to what the Venerable One wanted him to do while he stayed, as were Mordo and Kasirius; they still had work to do.

“It’s nothing serious,” the Sorcerer Supreme said. “You’re about to graduate high school, and I’ve already arranged your vacation. You’re going to study at the Asgardian library. There are no schools in Asgard; the birth rate of the Aesir and Vanir pantheons isn’t high enough to support one. They all receive a courtly education. As for schools for ordinary Asgardians, it wouldn’t make any sense for you; they only teach specialized skills. So, I want you to receive magical training from Frigga. This is something Odin and I discussed long ago. Mordo, Kasirius, who of you is willing to send him?”

"When are we going?" Salomon asked before anyone else could speak. "I still have a semester of classes and my final exam. If I go now, wouldn't all my previous efforts be wasted?"

"Of course, it will be after your exams, otherwise your adoptive mother will be unhappy."

Mordo and Kasirios exchanged a glance. They knew nothing about Salomon's "foster mother," and His Holiness had forbidden them from investigating her identity. Mordo guessed she might be a powerful witch, while Kasirios thought she was probably just an ordinary woman working in a secular business in Kamar-Taj. In any case, they were obeying His Holiness's orders and had not investigated Salomon's foster mother.

"I'll take him there, Your Excellency," said Cassirius. "The training of apprentices can be left to Mordo."

"Yes, Your Excellency, I believe this arrangement is best."

"Very good." The Sorcerer Supreme nodded. "Once Salomon's A-Level exams are over, you will send Kasirius to Asgard. Heimdall will open the Rainbow Bridge to ferry you there. Salomon, listen carefully: unless it involves the secrets of Kamar-Taj, you must obey all of Queen Frigga's arrangements for you. You may encounter some things you cannot understand, but that's alright; you will understand in the future."

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(End of this chapter)