Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 887 The Academy System (First Update)

Salomon held little Lorna's hand tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, she would dash off and disappear without a trace.

As mentioned before, Salomon doesn't hide his actions from his potential followers, so little Lorna insisted on seeing the children Salomon was helping. However, Salomon wouldn't allow her to appear directly in the children's homes, but rather observe them through the network in his office and the cameras installed there. "Malnutrition, illness, fear, language barriers. According to the previously established procedure, we should now reduce their psychological stress." Salomon dimmed some of the window screens so little Lorna could see the image on his office computer screen, "So we released sedative gas through the ventilation ducts. Although the dosage was small, it was enough to soothe their blood vessels and nerves, preventing them from being scared to death."

"Simple and direct, but effective." Little Lorna nodded. "So, what are your plans afterward? Who is this woman?"

"Ah, Ms. Romanov, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly!"

“I have to do something before you throw these kids into the lab!” Natasha Romanoff pushed open the door and sat down across from the oak desk. The Immortal City's operation had no secrecy, so it was perfectly normal for Natasha Romanoff to use her privileges to find out, and Salomon wasn't too surprised. “You made things difficult for NATO, but I didn't expect you to abduct people,” she said. “This is far more radical and daring than establishing colonies in Africa. Hello, girl.”

Romanov looked at Salomon with a questioning gaze, asking why there was a minor there.

"Don't mind her, she's not one of those children who are protected like a marshmallow."

The girl angrily shook off Salomon's hand, but the sorcerer didn't care; a little rebellion and emotional instability during puberty was perfectly normal.

"Let me repeat myself. I freed them from hunger and fear, I gave them the right to live and the dignity due to humankind, and I will educate them with whips and books, so that they will shoulder the mission of the future of the human race. I can say the same even if Steve Rogers comes. If Tony Stark thinks his Avengers can solve all problems, let him see the disastrous consequences his military-industrial complex has created with its greed. If I could, I'd like to pour flamethrower fuel into their ears to cleanse their brains; I believe it would do them a good thing."

"Where are these children's parents?"

"I don't think they'll need their parents much in their future lives, and they won't even remember them," the sorcerer stated frankly about his atrocities. "The potions produced in the biological lab will allow them to erase their foolish and worthless past and then fully immerse themselves in their studies. The Immortal City will become a safe haven, which is far better than letting them become fools who, after failing to complete prenatal education, praise gods, pull triggers, and kill heretics. You guessed it, they will have their individuality erased and become loyal, steadfast, and dutiful superior humans, pursuing the freedom of their race rather than the foolish freedom of their individuals."

Clearly, Natasha Romanov could not accept this approach, as the Immortal City's actions reminded her of the Red House. However, the only thing she was certain of was that the Immortal City's establishment was not for personal gain, which was the only thing that gave her some solace.

"The Immortal City will establish an academy system to select students through military training and cultural courses." The sorcerer pulled out a three-hundred-page document from his drawer and handed it to her. "This is the curriculum. The curriculum is progressive and extremely scientific. After graduation, these children will be absorbed into various departments of the Immortal City, where they will play a role in their areas of expertise."

"Latin, military training, and a few art classes?"

Salomon nodded.

"The academy's teaching will be extremely rigorous, unlike the lax atmosphere of public schools, and corporal punishment will be permitted. They will receive the best teachers and the finest equipment, and their lives will be dedicated to the benefit of all humanity. They will become steel and guns. I know you're going to bring up heroism again, but the truth is that so-called heroes are just ordinary people who step forward."

"Don't you ever think about what you've done?" the agent said helplessly. "Your every move could affect the fate of thousands of people, just like what you're doing now. I'm not denying your actions, but you seem so anxious, as if something terrible is about to happen, preparing by any means necessary. This isn't the thinking of an ordinary person, Salomon. I really can't judge whether your actions are good or bad."

"I don't need anyone else's opinion, Natasha."

Upon hearing Salomon's words, little Lorna, who was standing nearby, let out a sneer.

"But you're right about one thing: disaster is imminent, and I must do everything in my power to ensure the continuation of the human race. It's my duty, and I won't be afraid of bearing the fate of millions. I've never called myself a hero; I'm just a human being, and the future is definitely not just my responsibility. I need everyone to contribute their strength." The sorcerer glared at the girl who tried to undermine him. "This is a fundamental difference in our beliefs. This isn't something that can be explained by 'we've done our best,' but by 'we must win.' If the Avengers oppose my approach, believing they can shoulder the fate of all humanity with a weak spirit, and preferring humanity to surrender rather than resist by any means necessary… then I will address that issue first. We cannot afford to lose, and the Avengers have no right to represent humanity in giving up resistance. I think that's clear enough."

The air fell silent as little Lorna, legs crossed, contentedly flipped through the tedious ledgers of the Immortal City.

That topic was now closed. Natasha Romanoff didn't want to waste time discussing sociological issues, nor did she want to provoke Salomon's anger and make him turn around and wipe out the Avengers. "So what's this piece of paper?" she asked, picking up a printed sheet of paper from the table. "Did you recruit those kids just to make them part of the Immortal City?"

The paper, which had been placed on the table just minutes before, was densely covered with individual identification numbers and gene comparison results.

"It's just a routine medical check-up," Salomon said, avoiding the topic and instead snatching the paper away.

These are the genetic test results of those children conducted by Maya Hand and her genetic laboratory, comparing them with remains that Salomon had collected from various graves to trace the children's ancestors. This was actually preliminary work for creating the Praetorian Guard. The first Praetorian Guard, Constantine, possessed Macedonian blood. While bestowing his power upon him, Salomon also incorporated certain excellent qualities of a monarch into his character. After all, the Praetorian Guard was created not only as a weapon, but also as assistants conveying his will and advisors providing advice.

He needed more Royal Guards to carry out the missions, so whenever the Immortal City found children of suitable age, they would have their genes sequenced to find suitable children for gene alchemy. Natasha was able to see the first Royal Guard's infant form only because the manufacturing process was still in the experimental stage at that time, and she didn't know that the golden-armored giant who always followed Salomon was actually that boy—through the Time Stone and the killing training on alien planets, Constantine's age was actually over two hundred years old, and Salomon, who accompanied him in the training, couldn't accurately count his age due to time acceleration and time travel.

He has abandoned his specific age and considers himself still twenty-one, although the actual number is far more than that.

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(End of this chapter)