Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 908 The Future King (Second Update)

In a sense, Salomon's crimson robes of hominids had become his formal attire. As his arcane skills grew, so did the number of magical items he created, making the robes increasingly ornate. Therefore, besides the custom-made suits Stephanie had prepared for him, this robe bearing his personal insignia also became a symbol of importance when meeting allies—though they didn't know its purpose, they assumed he wore either armor or this robe during major events, thus assuming it signified importance.

Stephanie told him this; otherwise, he would never have known that the Wakandas would think this way.

Following his usual routine, he would undoubtedly arrive in formal university attire to sign the contract after attending the college dinner. T'Challa had studied physics at Oxford, and he shared the same professor as Salomon. Salomon believed he would understand how long and tedious formal dinners in those old colleges could be. Therefore, T'Challa and Salomon had some things to talk about.

For example, complaining about how difficult it is to find the short essays and book lists assigned by professors in each class.

Science students have it relatively easy, since math, physics, and chemistry are majors that keep up with the latest research findings. But for students majoring in humanities, history, politics, and economics, constantly having to find out-of-print books published a hundred years ago is extremely difficult. Not long ago, Salomon saw more than one person on the forum complaining about not being able to find books before the start of the semester.

This was the topic of conversation between Salomon and the Wakanda royal family during their dinner, a routine task for Salomon. They discussed the space station's original inhabitants and crew, but focused on the upcoming speech in Wakanda. The current King of Wakanda, T'Chaka, valued the speech highly, but Prince T'Challa felt his father's decision was hasty, even reckless.

This kind of emotion should not exist in a person in power.

Despite lifting the vibranium embargo and exporting vibranium in exchange for resources and diplomatic support, T'Challa knew this decision, coupled with Wakanda's military deterrence, would garner international goodwill. However, vibranium was the foundation of Wakanda's industry and energy; selling off its industrial base for potentially ineffective international support was unacceptable to him. But as a prince, he couldn't openly veto the king's decision and could only try to find out why his father had made such a choice through private inquiries.

After Salomon left, the Queen of Wakanda first approached T'Challa. She pushed open his door and, without saying a word, waved away the royal guards responsible for protecting the prince. T'Challa, puzzled, asked why, but the Queen's will had to be obeyed, and the guards left the room without hesitation. Once only she and T'Challa were in the room, she handed him a report from the royal physician.

"This is impossible!" T'Challa gasped, his mouth agape in disbelief. "These symptoms couldn't possibly be in my father," he said. "If this were true, he couldn't be alive today. When did these symptoms begin?"

"This is vibranium disease, which occurred almost a year ago," the Queen of Wakanda said with utmost seriousness. "You learned about the legends of Wakanda's founding when you were young. Our ancestors were able to resist vibranium disease by consuming heart-shaped herbs, and those who failed to resist it became monsters. That's not mythology, but real history. Your father consumed heart-shaped herbs, so this shouldn't have happened."

"Father can take it again... We can begin to study the active ingredients of the heart-shaped herb. I've said it before, don't hide the heart-shaped herb in the temple, we can study, synthesize and produce the active ingredients."

"No, it's no use, T'Challa." The Queen shook her head. "The heart-shaped herb worked because of the Black Panther God's divine power. Your father's vibranium disease means he lost the Black Panther God's favor. I prayed day and night but received no revelation, and the royal ancestors refused to communicate with me. He's anxious, my child. He wants to immediately put Wakanda on the stage and leave you room to grow."

Although he heard his mother say that the true source of the Heart-Shaped Grass's power was the Black Panther God, T'Challa didn't believe it at all. He knew from childhood that the souls of all Wakanda kings would return to the Black Panther God after death, but as he grew older and gained more scientific knowledge, he now believed that the Black Panther God was merely a religious symbol used by the royal family to stabilize the people's faith and had no special significance. The Heart-Shaped Grass, a plant that grows in vibranium mines, was the key to becoming the Black Panther.

However, in order to appease his mother, he still asked anyway.

"Could it be because of our cooperation with the Immortal City?"

“No, the Black Panther God has expressed his support only on this matter, and the priests have conveyed his will to me.” The Queen reached out and gently stroked T'Challa's cheek. She couldn't help but choke up. T'Challa sighed and handed back the report from the royal physician. He gently embraced his mother. “I know, but I still think Father is being too hasty. This will cause us to lose the Immortal City as a steadfast ally. Father doesn't have as much knowledge in this area as I do; he's prone to making wrong decisions.”

"Then go and try to persuade him!"

"Mother, but..."

"Go! You are the future King of Wakanda!" The Queen wiped away her tears, her attitude changing instantly. A former royal guard, she had fought for the royal family many times before becoming queen, killing smugglers and spies on the border. Years of pampered life as queen hadn't extinguished the fighting spirit within her. Seeing her mother display the same expression she and her sister had feared since childhood, T'Challa swallowed his words. "You must show the attitude and wisdom befitting a king. Your father will accept your advice. He sent you abroad to study so you could see the world clearly; I believe he knows how important your advice is. If that old man doesn't accept it—"

The queen made a tapping motion, "—I'll go and tap his head to knock out all the stupidity inside."

"I really want Shuri to hear your opinion too," T'Challa couldn't help but laugh. "She's practically living in the Immortal City these days, maintaining our relationship with them. She must have something to say. I'll go ask her what she thinks first."

Because vibranium is of great significance to Wakanda, the Wakanda royal family places great importance on espionage. This makes it difficult for the Immortal City to conduct intelligence work on the Wakanda capital, and even the Immortal City's embassy is not easy to use for espionage. Salomon can hardly spy on anything happening within the Wakanda royal family without using magic.

However, he still summoned the will of the Black Panther God to inquire about the progress of the plan.

The little black cat with its round belly let out a burp, then lay on the desk and spoke in a mature woman's voice.

"I have kept my promise, Holy Son," said Bastet. "Now it is your turn."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)