Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 415 The Price of Ideals (Second Update)

Salomon, well-versed in "A Brief History of Torture," possessed a clear understanding of how punishments were carried out, especially the various instruments of torture used during witch trials. This was not only because he understood the witches' spells for summoning instruments of torture or the erotic gadgets that evolved from them, but also because during the so-called "Age of Reason" (1600-1700 AD), while science made rapid progress, punishments also evolved from simple medieval duels, oracles (immersing the defendant's hands in boiling water or gripping a red-hot iron), Viking blood eagles, and burning at the stake to instruments such as boots, yokes, leg irons, and witch's daggers.

Salomon's punishments for Lorelei were, to some extent, more humiliating. He improved upon the punishments of the "Age of Reason" and added some of the perverse pleasures of modern people, creating punishments that Lorelei did not want to suffer—punishments created by modern people that were extremely humiliating, and even enjoyed by some—such as being forced to kneel on the ground in an extremely humiliating manner by being pressed against a metal frame, exposing her private parts to the executioner, or some kind of torture that slightly tormented her private parts.

If Lorelei refuses to study, she will suffer this punishment directly. The Asgardian physique means that many direct forms of torture are ineffective, but it also means that she can endure more humiliating punishments without fear of physical collapse.

In comparison, the dungeons of Asgard were far better; it was merely solitary confinement without any torture. Lorelei now regretted not returning to Asgard with Sif. But this feeling was fleeting, replaced by a surge of ambition.

The sorcerer's disregard for Lorelei's allure meant he was denying the Rhine's daughter's enduring talent. In the eyes of the sisters Amora and Lorelei, the more capable a man was of resisting their powers, the more exceptional he was. After voice, touch, and kisses proved ineffective, Lorelei was willing to offer herself to Salomon. But what she desired was to gain control of Salomon, to seize power, not this utter degrading humiliation. This was something she refused to accept, for it meant becoming Salomon's tool for lust and his slave.

Although Salomon had no interest whatsoever, Lorelei, who prided herself on having seen all the men in the world, believed he did. Therefore, Lorelei was extremely conflicted—she wanted to use this opportunity to get close to Salomon and try to control this man who dared to face the thunder of the Allfathers, yet she didn't want to be subservient to him and lose her own dignity.

Therefore, she made a condition to Salomon.

"Whatever your plans are, only you can possess my body," she said. "This is our game. If I succeed, I will be your queen; if I lose, I only want to be your slave. You can use me as a tool for your lust, but you must give me a chance to turn the tables. Otherwise, I'd rather endure torture than let you learn anything from me."

Salomon smiled and agreed to Lorelei's terms, and even signed a contract with her.

This contract relieved Lorelei, but little did she know that it was also one of Salomon's steps to destroy her mind.

Torture before a mental breakdown is insufficient to extract truthful information, but forced learning—a horrific form of mental torture—is an even more terrifying punishment. Especially since Salomon hadn't returned the clothes to Lorelei, Lorelei was forced to undergo endless learning under a spellcaster with exceptional mastery of the Pink Book. This kind of torture, which directly destroys the mind rather than the body, is far more horrifying than knives and needles.

All of this is simply to acquire the experience and technology of Asgard in building large fleets, something humanity currently lacks. Perhaps time will allow humanity to bridge these gaps and catch up with those races that have been technologically ahead for tens of thousands of years, but time waits for no one. Those extraterrestrial beings, whose layers of understanding are beyond human comprehension, will not stop to wait for human development, nor will those alien races that intend to conquer humanity wait for the day when humanity grows up to share the universe with them.

Salomon was willing to give anything for this; that's how he was taught from childhood.

"I will become your queen," Lorelei declared confidently. "You said your ambitions extend beyond this, so I will share in your glory and power. I will receive the reward I deserve for my efforts, as you promised me."

"There's only one spot available, and you're not the only one who's booked it," Salomon said with a light laugh.

Every person, every god, and even the father of all gods has his own plans for this position.

Athena wanted to find him a contemporary Helen, but she temporarily relented due to Salomon's insistence and agreed to the existence of the witch; the Allfather wanted to push Hela to his side to peacefully evolve Midgard; Bastet even wanted to push the Wakanda royal family to Salomon because the Queen of Sheba was black.

But now I am the one in control. The era of peace is coming to an end, and my era is about to begin. As for who will share my power, that will depend on your power struggle.

Although it feels great to have the Asgardian royal family under his thumb, the Allfather is still alive, and Salomon has to sit back and relax, eating salmon and chanterelles to recover his legs from the long hours of shopping, while waiting for his time to come.

"You want Lorelei, no problem, but I don't want you to quarrel with Hela over a pet." The Allfather didn't meet with Salomon; instead, the more mild-mannered Queen Frigg intervened and persuaded Salomon. Queen Frigg considered Lorelei a "pet," not a person, because the Daughters of the Rhine had repeatedly disrupted the court and stolen secrets, so Queen Frigg naturally didn't treat them well.

"I understand that you can get feelings from her that Hela doesn't have, but it's not worth getting angry at that old man because of her." Queen Frigga was clearly unaware of the deeper purpose hidden behind Salomon's gentle mask, and instead made excuses for Salomon on her own.

"I also said that his punishment for you was too severe, but I didn't expect you to actually stand up for it. But it's alright, as long as you don't take that woman's side. Hela has a strong personality, so you'd better be considerate of her temper, otherwise she'll kill Lorelei. Even if she kills Lorelei, you don't need to be angry. As long as Hela agrees, you can have as many women as you want—but I know you won't. You're just bewitched by that enchantress. I believe you'll make your own judgment."

Salomon readily agreed. If his purpose in spying on Asgardian technology were exposed, the relationship between Kamar-Taj and Asgard would reach a stalemate. To draw an analogy, it would be like the US eavesdropping on its European allies, only to discover that European countries were also eavesdropping on the US—the consequences of that are self-evident.

Therefore, Salomon could only endure this misunderstanding and the mocking gaze of the Sorcerer Supreme. The Sorcerer Supreme, of course, knew Salomon's true intentions, but this did not prevent him from teasing his disciple.

"It's fine if you have a child with that witch, but have you thought about how you're going to respond to her?"

"Teacher, you know perfectly well that this is not true."

"This is the price you pay to achieve your ideals," the Sorcerer Supreme said with a smile. "You can't possibly be unable to bear this stain, can you?"

"I can afford it, because my purpose will yield even greater benefits," Salomon said. "The Asgardians will find Lorelei in the wilderness, though she won't be called by that name or look like that. She will work for me and receive fair compensation."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)