Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 671 The Moral Debate Between Reason and Sensibility (Part 2) (Second Update)

Steve Rogers strongly disagreed with Cassilios's approach.

The atmosphere tensed again, and the girl in the power armor even began to pull the trigger. He knew that if he made the slightest move, none of the agents behind him would survive. Salomon's private armed force possessed an unyielding loyalty; they were all androids created by Salomon using magic, each possessing strength far exceeding that of a super soldier. These girls always carried out their master's orders with unwavering and fanatical resolve, which also meant they would not hesitate in the slightest when executing. While the arcane mages of Kamar-Taj could be communicated with, these girls were completely unresponsive to any advice from others.

Even with guns and blades at his fingertips, Steve Rogers refused to compromise. He absolutely could not allow the agents behind him to be harmed, believing that even if they were contaminated, the Avengers should be responsible for their detention and treatment. The situation remained deadlocked. "Enough agents have died today," he said. "A full-strength special forces team has been sacrificed in vain; this cannot happen again."

"You should know the consequences of your choice, shouldn't you?" Kasirius asked curiously. "Some of the agents behind you haven't been contaminated; they can survive because we only care about the lives of the contaminated. Steve Rogers, when you vehemently condemn the tyranny of Kamar-Taj, why don't you look at your own hypocrisy? Evil saves lives, while good squanders them—don't you find that ridiculous?"

Captain Rogers hesitated, glancing back at the agent. He blinked wearily, as if he possessed the soul befitting his true age. This exchange of distrust utterly disgusted him. He had already abandoned part of his initial plan, but he had to bring Tony Stark back; both the Avengers and Stark Industries needed him. Falcon patted him on the shoulder and nodded, indicating he didn't mind. The agents who had accompanied them aboard the Sky Helicarrier gave the same indication.

It is well known that the United States treats veterans as a accumulating liability. Despite establishing various departments and enacting policies to protect veterans' rights, the US government always finds ways to save money that should be given to veterans, cutting its share from veterans' welfare expenditures. Every year, veterans end up on death row, accounting for 10% of all death row inmates; of the 21 million veterans, over 1.2 million lack health insurance, and over 50,000 are homeless; the annual suicide rate among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is 29.5 per 100,000, 50% higher than the civilian suicide rate, with most of them exhibiting substance abuse. Most veterans recruited by the Avengers are elites; under Agent Maria Hill's vetting process, few are deemed unqualified, possessing top-tier physical fitness, mental state, and professional competence. [Generally speaking, these individuals are likely to receive invitations from Langley (CIA headquarters). While it's possible that some CIA and FBI agents might be among these veterans, Agent Hill recruited them to reassure the US government.]

While many of these veterans were drawn by Captain America's name and the salary offered by Iron Man, it's undeniable that they were deeply moved when they saw their superior, God's righteous man, and pure hero so protective of them. These professional soldiers had grown up listening to Captain America's stories, and when the hero displayed the qualities of their childhood fantasies, a sense of need overwhelmed them. If guns weren't pointed at their heads, they might have even raised their fists to support Steve Rogers. Even so, their expressions proved they were willing to die alongside Captain Rogers—at least most of them were.

"I admit it's hypocrisy," Captain Rogers said, seemingly encouraged. He turned to look at Cassirios, "but I don't think you'll ever understand, magician."

"You have one last chance to be examined. If you turn and walk away, we'll find the corrupted one in their sleep."

"Don't even think about it. We will not abandon anyone. That's what soldiers are for. Besides, life is not something that can be quantified."

“I’ve had enough of these philosophical discussions, and I don’t care what you think. The rules must be followed.” Cassirios shrugged, feigning indifference. He stepped back, as if to avoid the impending splatter of blood. He said to the helmeted Sorority officer, “Let’s begin!”

Salomon was unaware of what had transpired on the Sky Carrier, as his work was temporarily on hold. He believed Agent Victoria Hand and Stephanie could handle the aftermath. If he had to deal with all the subsequent troubles, it would be better not to have recruited these subordinates at all. Of course, he wasn't completely abandoning the Immortal City's operations; after the attack, he reviewed several documents on his phone, including procedures for disposing of the monster remains.

Prior to this, the Immortal City had no experience dealing with large-scale biomass; the only useful experience came from the SHIELD agents' work recovering the Chitauri debris. Compared to the less hazardous Chitauri debris, the biomass of the giant worms was far more dangerous. Agent Hand's approach was brutal. She planned to use fire-resistant buoys to cordon off the area, then dump fuel onto the enclosed sea surface, completely eliminating the biomass contamination through combustion.

This method was far more convenient, thorough, and less likely to attract trouble from the US government than environmentally friendly methods like sending oil slackliners, as proposed by Shuri. To persuade Salomon, representatives from the intelligence and research departments argued heatedly in a conference call; Salomon could even hear their fists clenching—these two were respectively an agent of Hand and Princess Shuri's deputy, who hadn't been able to board the ships but were directing operations from the base. Salomon unhesitatingly chose Hand's method, which allowed the three air carriers to activate stealth mode, pass through the portal, and return to their respective cruising routes before the US military aircraft arrived. Now was not the time to go to war with the US; he didn't even have the manpower to activate the spaceships, making it impossible to wage war against a superpower.

His hasty return to New York with Wanda wasn't just to capture the prophetess who ran barefoot out of Kamar-Taj Sanctuary; that was merely a side matter. The changes in the vampire corpses had already proven to a considerable extent that other cults were involved. The book "The Secret of the Worms" that James Boone had obtained was riddled with errors. His main purpose was to return to research and investigate which cults recorded in Kamar-Taj specialized in the [worm summoning spell], and whether those cults had resurfaced. There was even the possibility that a true mastermind was orchestrating the resurgence of a certain cult, and then facilitating James Boone's acquisition of that spellbook.

Investigating these materials required a great deal of work and the assistance of a group of highly skilled sorcerers, as only those with sufficient expertise were qualified to read those long-forgotten books. Until he found the results, he remained concerned that the other party might directly target Wanda. Therefore, he deliberately brought Wanda to the New York Sanctuary, arranged a room for her there, and attempted to hang a two-pound amulet around her neck as a way to prevent a distant curse.

"I just went to eat some dried duck with tangerine peel! How was I supposed to know that crazy woman would run off on her own!"

"Go and bring that prophetess back yourself. Find the one you lost yourself; I have other things to do." The sorcerer turned and tossed the young mage aside. The hem of his crimson robes had turned grayish-white from being swept across the dusty stacks of books. This was the deep library of the Kamar-Taj New York Sanctum, a secret place not open to lower-ranking deacons. To protect every single page, powerful magic was permanently fixed to each bookshelf, some several stories high. Salomon sneezed—not just because of the dust. The temperature here was high enough to freeze an ordinary person to death within minutes; apprentices could only access the books by having them carried by the librarian.

"You even brought a girl home!"

"Shut up!"

"I'm going to tell the Sorcerer Supreme! He'll tell the witch!"

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)