Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 429 The Witch's Little Trouble (Second Update! Please Vote!)

Maya Hansen felt that Salomon hadn't returned to his original self. She tried to wipe away the sorcerer's disguise with a handkerchief, but Salomon had concealed that inhuman coldness very well. The anchor of this world still held him captive, and he enjoyed this warm pull from the witch, from Athena, from the Venerable One—a necessary condition for him to regain his humanity. Maya Hansen was one of them.

With the female scientist's help, Salomon staggered to his feet. He took a handkerchief and slowly cast a spell, cleaning the dark brown bloodstains from the cobalt blue fabric with the simplest of tricks. "I don't want you to leave me, Maya. You are the most important part of my plan," he said. "If my deal with the dark gods has been misinterpreted as a lack of trust in you, I'm sorry."

"That's enough, no need to talk about this anymore." Her face was cold as she helped Salomon, who was a head taller than her, out of the stone chamber. High Priestess Mariana Stern, as a spellcaster, keenly sensed Salomon's difference. When the arcane glancing at her unintentionally, she felt as if she were facing a blazing star. Then, that star gradually receded into the distance, becoming a distant, flickering celestial body, but she felt the surrounding air was as cold as the silent universe, warmth leaving her.

"Mary," Salomon called her by her nickname, "Tomorrow I will summon all members of the Sora Redwood Druid Order. I will begin teaching you the most profound magic. Your only task is to use the knowledge you learn from me to assist Lady Maya Hansen, and perhaps also to look after that goat?" He looked at Maya Hansen, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he nodded. "Yes, that's right, and that damned goat that always tries to bite my shoes."

"We will, my lord! Including that goat!" Mariana Stern nodded excitedly. This day had finally arrived. Whatever had happened before, after repeatedly carrying out Salomon's orders, the Sora Redwood Druids had finally gained his trust, and they could finally access the secrets of profound magic. Mariana trembled with excitement—since the druidic lineage was lost, all the spellcasters of the Sora Redwood Druids had grown weaker and weaker, and now, as High Priestess, she could finally revive this order that had endured for over a thousand years.

"Would you like to take a walk with me, ma'am?" Salomon smiled at Maya Hansen. The deal had taken a heavy toll on him; his eyelids grew increasingly heavy. "The destination is my office."

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The witches weren't in the apartment; only a cat and a Phoenix were there. Maya Hansen was also there, tasked with looking after the arcane mage who desperately needed rest. Salomon's condition hadn't improved at all after drinking two cups of espresso in her office; in fact, she felt even more tired. She could only ask Salomon to open the portal before she fell asleep.

She even helped Salomon get a leave of absence.

Merton College requires students to engage in at least 40 hours of academic research per week, and Salomon, with his intelligence, had long since achieved academic results beyond those of the average student. Therefore, when Salomon applied for sick leave, his college tutor readily granted it.

"Go to bed and sleep somewhere away from the sofa." Maya Hansen shoved Salomon into the bedroom, urging him to change his clothes before he fell asleep. After making sure Salomon was snuggled up in the covers and not a single toe was sticking out, the female scientist made another phone call and, incidentally, pulled the Cheshire Cat off Salomon's face when it jumped onto the bed. As for Phoenix, who was perched on the edge of Salomon's bed, Maya Hansen didn't interfere, because Phoenix seemed quite well-behaved.

"Where's your girlfriend?" She looked around but didn't see the witches. "Where did they go? I couldn't get through to them on the phone. When are they coming back?"

"The Japanese Dragon Triangle," Salomon yawned. This time, the witches' business trip wasn't for official business in Kamar-Taj, but because of the pact between the Umbral witches and the female demons of the Abyss. A large part of the witches' power came from these pacts; by signing contracts with demons, they gained the right to summon them, most notably Lady Butterfly and Lady Styx, powerful figures in the Abyss. The witch named Himiko had used a secret technique to leave her soul in the mortal realm, attempting to find a way to resurrect herself. The witches had to stop her—at least outwardly—to fulfill their pact with the demons and return Himiko's soul to the Abyss.

But a contract is one thing, and actual execution is another. Witches can shirk their duties, or be unable to fulfill the contract due to unforeseen circumstances such as distance or time constraints. However, Bayonetta and Jeanne still decided to go to the Dragon Triangle in Japan to check things out, so Salomon first bought a small yacht (and filled it with gas) and took them there. Only after doing all this did Salomon begin his own work.

"What are they doing there?"

"A fight? Maybe."

"Alright, I'll take care of you for a while then." Maya Hansen shrugged helplessly. "I contacted a doctor; you've lost too much blood, and I think you need professional advice from a doctor."

"No need, we can't call a doctor. You know my DNA is top secret, right?" Salomon buried his chin in the blanket. "My caregivers are here."

"Where?"

"Master, I smell blood. What's wrong?!" Dina, dressed in a bright yellow off-the-shoulder summer dress and white shorts, rushed into the bedroom after receiving a telepathic call. Behind her followed several androids in force-feedback power armor, their steel wings gleaming heavily on the floor. However, they were all carrying various cold drinks, somewhat out of place with their power armor. Some androids were even more anxious than Dina; they hurriedly squeezed into the bedroom, crowding around the large four-poster bed. The more impatient androids, like Catherine, were already preparing to draw their longswords and slash at anything that displeased them.

The sudden influx of androids took Maya Hansen by surprise. She knew Salomon was creating androids, but she was completely oblivious to their armaments, so she had no idea who those helmeted, female powered armor-clad individuals were. Aside from Dinah, she didn't recognize a single android.

Salomon didn't waste any words. He pointed at the female scientist and said, "Maya Hansen, highest level of protection."

"Yes, Master." Diana nodded anxiously. "Anything else?"

"Also, inform the Venerable One so that he need not worry."

"I've got it."

"Remember to inform Bayonetta and Joan of Arc. Oh, and Athena too, I might have to miss one of my spear-throwing practice sessions."

"I will, Master!" Diana was on the verge of tears, while the androids huddled around Maya Hansen. They had no intention of delaying orders; all commands from Salomon were executed immediately. This was a bond that came from the soul, one that was both overly loyal and overly fanatical.

"besides……"

"?"

"And another thing, I'm not dying, I just want to sleep... Do you know how much this scene resembles the unfilial children waiting to divide the inheritance after the old nobleman dies? Especially this four-poster bed! Hurry up, hurry up, I want to sleep." Even as his eyelids were about to close, Salomon didn't forget to make sarcastic remarks.

"I'll stay here with you, Master!"

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(End of this chapter)