Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 693 Deep Father-Daughter Bond (Second Update)

The internal investigation into the mole within the Immortal City has temporarily come to an end. While Dr. Whitehall was indeed involved, the primary cause was discontent within the Hydra Conservative Party towards Salomon. The Malik family's leadership didn't rely solely on faith—secret societies with cult beliefs were numerous in European history, even giving rise to the fictional demon Baphomet. These secret societies largely evolved into modern international financial organizations, political alliances, financial magnates, and military-industrial complexes—organizations powerful enough to influence the world order.

If Gideon Malik hadn't used his influence to lead those established families to continue amassing great wealth in his youth, even the rigidly hierarchical Hydra would have eliminated the Malik family. Now, the Immortal City is undergoing rapid development, and even though Salomon doesn't care about worldly money, it's still linked to certain resources he needs. This has resulted in some of the more commercially successful Hydra families not making money as quickly as before, failing to reach the levels promised by Gideon Malik. According to the interrogators' findings, this part of Hydra also rejects the monarchy of the Immortal City, attempting to secretly sideline Salomon and implement a parliamentary system within the city.

Salomon was not particularly surprised by these people's thoughts.

Capital has always abhorred autocratic monarchies, whose absolute power, which overrides all commercial interests and can decide life and death with a single word, is extremely detrimental to all commercial activities. However, overthrowing a monarchy does not mean that capitalists will make progress, because after accumulating enough wealth, these people want to become endowed, return to the feudal manor system, take all the fruits of labor, and use loans and high prices to turn laborers into serfs in a practical sense.

The company is the land, the bank is the steward, and the serfs are constantly indebted to the landowner, forced to labor endlessly to repay ever-increasing debts until death. This is the reality in Europe and America. So-called urban white-collar workers are no different from homeless people on the street. When their credit fails and they can no longer borrow money, they become homeless. Welfare is used to erode their will, turning them into spherical beings reliant on supermarket shuttles. Besides this, there are racial politics, women's rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and other means to incite them to fight amongst themselves, preventing the serfs from uniting and turning their anger against the ruling class. Allowing capitalist forces to control power ultimately leads to a return to serfdom, where ordinary people have to pay for even a breath of fresh air, and where social productivity is lower than that of a dictatorship with a brilliant, immortal monarch.

This is the ultimate goal of those secret societies in modern society: to become the ultimate producers, to create a system where multiple monarchies coexist, primarily driven by the pursuit of wealth. Salomon had infiltrated this group and witnessed firsthand how utterly foolish they were—he couldn't fathom what kind of incompetence could allow a life of social status and wealth acquired without labor to be so utterly unsuccessful. Allowing these people to continue their actions would only lead to humanity's eventual demise on Earth, making leaving the solar system a distant and unattainable dream.

Tita was unknowingly influenced by these old foxes' subordinates, which led Salomon to completely change the sorority's system. Now all prospective members must undergo seclusion, and the sorority has also organized a force that constantly examines itself and resists corruption.

"I will resolve this, Your Majesty!" Stephanie's face flushed with anger, for this incident meant she had failed in some way. She hurriedly flew back from Moscow in a Quinjet, even forgoing the vacation Salomon had granted her. She dared not take a vacation now, fearing that its end would signify the end of Salomon's trust. The arcane mage granted her request to return to work in the Immortal City after a moment's thought. By the time she arrived, it was already the next day. The heads of the Hydras who had contacted Dr. Whitehall had been personally severed by Salomon, their flesh removed and bleached, then stuffed into miniature anti-gravity engines and mechanical claws, floating above the bookshelves as skull decorations and tools. Stephanie could even faintly hear the screams emanating from the skulls, their eye sockets burning with azure flames. Victoria Hand was still investigating how these people had contacted Whitehall through coded messages, but Stephanie's help was indispensable.

Secret societies often use codes to indicate the presence of their own people, a practice common worldwide. However, the rules for these codes vary significantly from one secret society to another. Hydra's codes and Freemasonry's codes are entirely different systems. To uncover how Hydra contacts Whitehall, Stephanie must reveal Hydra's internal code rules. Stephanie believes this is a test of the monarch's renewed trust. She argues that if the monarch truly wanted to know, he would directly confront the traitors or threaten Whitehall's survival, rather than going through the roundabout process of requesting the Malik family's assistance—this is the monarch's last chance, the subtext being that the Malik family must completely subdue all conservative Hydra members.

"Give me a squad, and I will resolve this issue once and for all," she repeated. "My father will still consider how to unite them, but it seems the Malik family has given us enough opportunities. Now the Malik family represents your authority, and you must punish them. I will wipe those families out completely and bestow their wealth and status upon you."

"And while you're at it, take care of that annoying CIA." Salomon waved his hand listlessly, and the pristine white skulls floated to Stephanie's side. "These are your assistants," he said. "From now on, the heads of sinners will become tools, or be transformed into mechanical servants of Malbus. Let them shed their last drop of blood for the Immortal City, without exception."

After Stephanie left, looking ashamed, Salomon greeted the next person to enter the office.

He seemed very agitated because some of his subordinates were going too far and were causing him a lot of headaches.

"Stop this pointless act of atonement, Tita." Before Tita could speak, he abruptly interrupted her, waving his hand. "I've already forgiven you. I still need you to lead the Sorority. Going into battle without armor is unforgivable; it's a waste of the original purpose I set for you. Do you really think dying in thin clothing will atone for your sins? I need you to work harder to ensure the Sorority's purity, do you understand? I don't want rituals; I want real efficiency!"

Dita kept her head down, refusing to speak. Her behavior would undoubtedly be considered impure within the sorority, and even though she was Salomon's appointed commander, she would be secretly condemned by the other homunculus, putting immense psychological pressure on her. She had put aside her work, spent a long time alone in her room repenting, and used painful whipping as a means of self-punishment.

She had bandaged her wound before even reaching the office and used incense to mask the smell of blood, preventing the monarch from discovering what she had done. She knew this was forbidden, as the sorority's faith was conducted in secret, as the monarch abhorred deification.

"Yes, my lord."

"Come here, girl." Tita hesitated for a moment, then cautiously stepped forward. Salomon stroked her short white hair. "I love you both, Tita. You are all my daughters. Don't blame yourself. You still have a lot to learn. This is just a small mistake, which is better than making the same mistake again, isn't it?"

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)