Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 368 Myth or History? (First Update! 3841000 votes)

"So you're saying there are supernatural forces in this world, and Thor is a god, not an alien?" Laura Crawford seemed to accept this statement very readily. She didn't clamor and pull out a magazine to point out the nonsense printed on glossy paper to refute Salomon. Her excellent upbringing made her listen quietly. She also knew that Salomon's words were much more credible than those in magazines and newspapers.

Although what Salomon said was completely unrelated to her upcoming itinerary, Laura Crawford's innate and boundless curiosity wouldn't let her overlook any detail. One of the reasons Salomon came to see her was to fulfill a promise he had made. He had promised Laura Crawford that he would answer her questions about history, but he had been delayed last time because he was busy with other matters.

Laura Crawford's questions were quite tricky, repeatedly teetering on the edge of the Kamar-Taj Archives' top-secret boundaries. These included, but were not limited to, the origins of Asgard, the veracity of historical accounts of certain famous wizards, and even details of the Salem witch trials, as she believed that more recent history might have provided further material. To answer her questions, Salomon could only succinctly cut out certain secrets and offer a vague reply.

Predictably, Laura Crawford wasn't entirely satisfied with Salomon's ambiguity, but Salomon wasn't lying; he just hadn't said it aloud. After Salomon's explanation and warning, Laura finally accepted his statement and abandoned her investigation into certain supernatural events.

Of course, Salomon didn't think his warnings would work. Even if Laura didn't go to Salem, she would still get involved in various supernatural events, and Salomon always felt he might end up working overtime a few times. Besides, he hadn't come to Laura Crawford just to answer questions; he also wanted to obtain an invitation to the antique auction through this future archaeologist.

Bayonetta had always said the house needed a touch of culture, so Salomon planned to buy some antiques at auction to display at home, and London had a much wider selection of antiques than New York—Salomon had already warned the Cheshire Cat that if it dared to knock over anything, it would be locked in a cage and starved for days. The Cheshire Cat licked its paws dismissively and grumbled as it walked away.

Several days have passed since the Dark Elves' arrival, and although the wizards of Kamar-Taj have gradually returned to their homeland from the dimensional rifts and the city of Sephiroth, Salomon's work is far from over. Like Laura Crawford, many have developed an interest in Norse mythology since the Dark Elves' arrival, and some have even demonstrated their fervor through their actions.

Coulson's team, who had recently been sorting through the wreckage left by the Dark Elves' invasion, told Salomon about the incident, but the arcane mage sensed that Agent Coulson seemed relieved. Sorting through the wreckage had taken them a considerable amount of time; everything related to Dark Elves and Asgard, from large warship fragments to a single bolt, was sealed in S.H.I.E.L.D. crates—lined with black foam padding and lead coating to ensure no harmful radioactive material would leak.

After Agent Coulson rambled on for a while, Salomon couldn't help but quip. "It's nice to have a professional around, isn't it?" he said. "But I still don't understand what you mean, Agent Coulson."

"According to Fitz's research, the spectral characteristics of that thing match those of Thor's hammer."

"You mean, that thing has the magical aura of runes, is that what you mean?"

"Perhaps," Agent Coulson hesitated, having no idea what magical auras were. Fitz, standing beside him, seemed about to interject; he was very interested in classifying the spectrum of magical characteristics, which might help them identify the supernatural threats they would face in future missions. Agent Coulson praised the idea, but thought the classification work could wait.

"After a 3D reconstruction scan, we successfully created a model of that thing," Fitz said. "It looks like a cane, exquisitely crafted and perfectly sculpted. By the way, I did the 3D model of that thing."

"Who knows? Maybe this thing is Thor's nail... I mean, if Thor has a hammer, he must have nails, right?" Skye brought her face close to the screen, filling all the images Salomon could see. "I have a guess, but others don't quite agree. I think someone summoned this thing with magic."

"So we consulted you and several experts on Norse mythology," Agent Coulson said. "I'd like to ask you to work with that expert and help us research this."

"Really? Should I open the door for you?" Salomon glanced at Laura Crawford, who was chatting amiably with Professor Elliott Randolph. Before Agent Coulson could express his surprise, Salomon pushed open the office door and smiled at Agent Coulson standing outside. "I saw the news; Oslo is in an uproar," the sorcerer said. "So I brought along an acquaintance of Professor Randolph. It was just a coincidence; I was visiting London at the time."

"Hello, Agent Coulson." Professor Elliott Randolph and Laura Crawford stood up to greet the new guests. With Agent Coulson's team, the once spacious office suddenly felt somewhat crowded. "Please come in. I didn't expect so many guests today," Professor Randolph said. "This is Laura Crawford, I think you both know her. This is Salomon Damonette; his purpose is the same as yours—we've all seen the news."

"Actually, we all know each other. Miss Laura Crawford was one of the experts who helped us identify alien artifacts after the Dark Elf invasion, and Mr. Salomon Damonette was one of them as well." Agent Coulson covered for Salomon without batting an eye. "Having you all here would be a huge help to us."

Fitz put down his briefcase and took out a plastic 3D model that was only half-finished. Professor Randolph and Laura Crawford immediately crowded around, but Salomon remained unmoved. He glanced at it and continued to stand there, as if his black suit was some kind of hard armor that made him unable to move.

“Incredible.” Professor Randolph took the model and examined it closely. “Judging from these runes, this must be a section of the Berserker’s Staff. Let’s take a look… This myth dates back to the late 12th century and is about a powerful warrior from Asgard.” Professor Randolph opened his book, drawing everyone’s attention to it. The book contained a full-page illustration depicting a figure in armor, holding a staff, standing atop a mountain.

"A soldier in the berserker army."

"Soldiers of the Berserker Army?" Fitz asked at the opportune moment.

“Yes, a powerful army,” Professor Elliot Randolph replied. But then Salomon, who hadn’t seemed inclined to speak, interjected. “The berserker army is a legion of commoners,” he said. “You might know how medieval nobles fought, right? The berserker army was the nobles’ conscripted soldiers. But slightly better than on Earth, Asgardian conscripts didn’t have to carry farm tools to the battlefield, and Asgardians were even issued armor.”

"Yes." Professor Elliot Randolph glanced at the smiling sorcerer. He had initially assumed Salomon was just a young man who had come because of his reputation; he'd encountered many such people. Since Thor's arrival, his specialty had become incredibly popular, with countless students signing up for his classes.

“I didn’t expect you to know so much about Asgard,” Professor Randolph said. “Your description of the berserker army is absolutely correct, and the analogy to medieval conscripts wouldn’t be wrong either. Excuse me, but where did you learn all this? I remember Miss Crawford saying you just got accepted into Oxford…or are you a Rhodes Scholar?” [Note: Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to outstanding young people from around the world who are “brave, courageous, compassionate, and possess leadership qualities” to study at Oxford University.]

"No, sir." Salomon's next words nearly made Agent Coulson and Professor Randolph jump up, "I learned that during my court education under Queen Frigga."

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(End of this chapter)