Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 784 Self-Esteem (Second Update)

Athena's suggestion did not stem from her personal feelings. Perhaps, but no more than ten percent; the sorcerer was quite certain it wouldn't exceed that percentage, because if it did and he uttered it aloud, his beautiful foster mother would throw a spear at him, point forward.

Although Salomon didn't understand the nature of the unpleasantness between Hela and Athena, the wise goddess of war spoke the truth. The aging Allfather was indeed quite dangerous, and the danger only increased with time. Even the Sorcerer Supreme couldn't be certain what Odin would do for the future of Asgard, because there were too many possibilities, and some prophecies seemed quite terrifying and cruel. Athena had foreseen some of it, including the many contingency plans Odin had laid to deal with almost any situation, but even Odin had limitations.

That's Kamar-Taj, the safest magical place in the entire Material Plane.

The path of life can be predicted; a powerful prophet can chart a person's life trajectory as if guiding a plant, directing their growth in a specific direction. The Sorcerer Supreme and Athena bore the burden, meticulously educating Salomon while ensuring his development was free from any other adverse influences, even those that Odin, the equally powerful prophet, could not affect. This is why Athena initially opposed Salomon's plan to cohabitate with the witch, until they engaged in years of negotiations.

Salomon was created for a grand plan of rise, but there were no vacant niches in the galaxy.

Therefore, in this plan, a former galactic empire will step down from its original position, Asgard will be sacrificed, and the Aesir will serve as a stepping stone. This is a bloody plan, with countless conspiracies intertwined in the depths of the universe, and now the Allfather and Athena have finally revealed a part of it to him. Although Salomon has guessed some of the truth through his wisdom, the truth he knows is still somewhat different from the whole picture. Hela is Odin's attempt to coexist with the human race as an Aesir, using titles and power to escape Ragnarok. No one can guarantee that after Salomon refuses, Odin won't jump up and throw Gungnir at Salomon out of despair—don't think Odin can't do it. Apart from the naive Thor and Loki, no one familiar with the history of the rise of the Aesir would think that the Allfather is a kind old man; the blood on that one-eyed old man's hands is enough to flood an entire planet.

This was a carefully orchestrated conversation, designed to protect Salomon's pride and force him to accept the fact that he might need to hide. The witches knew beforehand, at least Bayonetta did.

"While I don't care about those plans, Miranda, the Venerable One, and I all believe you must understand your situation." She wrapped her arms around the sorcerer's neck, her aggressive aura vanishing in an instant like a thin mist under a clear sky. This proved that women are the most skilled actors in the world, their emotional shifts incredibly natural, and witches are among the best. Even while apologizing, Bayonetta maintained her pride and the manner of a witch, constantly teasing Salomon with soft whispers and gentle caresses.

"You're the man who's going to get me pregnant, just like you did half an hour ago." She took off her high heels, her long, lithe legs moving from the sofa armrest to the sorcerer's lap. "I absolutely cannot risk losing you. Understand, my little boy?"

“I’m not angry, and I don’t need to accept advice this way,” Salomon said with a smile. He kissed Bayonetta’s cheek and opened up to her with his emotions and thoughts, proving to her that he truly didn’t care about this little secret, that his heart was filled with warmth and love, just as he had always longed for. Although this action made him seem like the one apologizing, he didn’t mind at all.

"Then abandon your emotions, for a king must make many decisions against his own feelings. Holding onto emotions not only makes it easy to make irrational decisions, but it is also a form of mental torture." Salomon vividly remembered the words the Venerable had spoken. This conversation took place many years ago, when the Venerable spoke of how to become a qualified monarch, uttering the aforementioned statement. "We cannot have the leisure of the Aesir, my child. We must fight with everything for survival."

"But now is not the time," Salomon said to the Venerable One. "I think I will know when to give up."

The Venerable One nodded, saying nothing more. "Of course, I believe you will succeed."

"I know you mean well, and that's enough," Salomon said. "But next time I need more direct advice. Don't think of me as so fragile, dear witch."

Bayonetta let out a satisfied murmur, Joan clicked her tongue in displeasure, and little Lorna rolled her eyes before jumping off the sofa armrest to play with the Cheshire Cat and the barn owl.

"So you still have room to put on an act?" Athena scoffed. "Do you expect me to prepare rooms for you?"

Stephanie had just entered her Department of the Interior office when she received a call from her boss via an encrypted line. Before she could even begin reporting on the movements of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the previous day or on the matter of hiring Laura Crawford, Salomon spoke first.

"We need to keep the teleportation chamber fully powered today," he said. "I'm sorry, I need you to receive the arcane mages from Kamar-Taj for me."

"What happened?" Stephanie tensed up immediately.

In the instant Salomon paused, she considered several possibilities, but all were terrible. Whether it was Kamar-Taj taking full control of the Immortal City, or the exposure of the dark magic creatures in the Immortal City's dungeons leading to the arrival of sorcerers to imprison them, it all meant that Salomon had lost control of the Immortal City. She felt as if she had swallowed a block of ice, and then that sharp block of ice, along with stomach acid, surged up again, constantly searing her mind.

Salomon could hear her nervousness. Anyone on the other end of the line could hear it, her heavy breathing almost touching the microphone. "Don't worry, I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm sure things aren't that bad," he reassured Stephanie with a smile. "They're just setting up defensive spells for the Immortal City."

Why?

"The anti-teleportation spell I cast before only covered a portion of the buildings; they will help strengthen and expand the spell's range and type. As for why they would do that—"

"Tell me, my lord. I believe I have the authority to know this."

"—Before the Royal Guard is fully established, Kamar-Taj needs to find a way to protect my safety," he said. "This is an order from His Holiness."

"Who could threaten your safety, my lord?!" Stephanie swallowed hard. "We've poured a fortune into our intelligence services; they're capable of detecting any force that might threaten you. The Martian foundry has begun forging weapons, and your Titan project is in the planning stages. Even if the opponent is a damned sorcerer, the Immortal City has the power to destroy them, unless—"

"Unless the other party is no ordinary person, someone we must take very seriously," Salomon said. "Until the defense system is in place and a diplomatic agreement is reached, I must reduce my trips back to Europe. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, Stephanie; there's a lot of work that needs to be done in New York."

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(End of this chapter)