Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 927 Teacher and Nanny (First Update)

It hadn't been long since the last time Trinity's mercenaries and their own armed forces were completely annihilated by the Immortal City's superior firepower. Many in the mercenary business still remembered the unfortunate client who had messed with someone they couldn't afford to offend, and thus refused Trinity's invitations. Therefore, this time, Trinity used a different name when recruiting mercenaries. This caused Immortal City agents to spend a considerable amount of time finding the hired mercenary group and the recruitment project, and then another considerable amount of time successfully infiltrating them. Given Trinity's secretive style, the mercenary group's operation was likely led by a front man. The Immortal City didn't expect to find any trace of Trinity's remnants through these mercenaries; they merely intended to provide intelligence for the First Secret Service of Fimbulwinter.

The Holy Trinity was not a powerful organization; the Immortal City easily wiped out its overt forces. However, given the possibility that the Holy Trinity was connected to Quetzalcoatl, Salomon secretly increased his level of seriousness towards the organization, as it might be linked to some mysterious forces.

Like Hydra, Trinity is very secretive. It is deeply intertwined with the financial world, but unlike the Freemasons, it does not set up cabins and award master titles everywhere. It has not established a society or created a school of thought at Columbia University. It is not like the White House lobby, whose behind-the-scenes financial backers are all from the same ethnic group. Instead, it chooses to hide among politicians, financial magnates, and academics.

The only certainty is that only the United States at that time had the fertile ground for Trinity to thrive.

It's highly likely that Trinity, like the Malik family and other conservative Hydra families, originated in Europe and migrated to America. They are also Catholics who expanded their power through rituals, blood ties, and marriage alliances. Currently, the true leaders of Trinity remain hidden behind the scenes, but their identities likely overlap with those of certain financial magnates and they are already on the Immortal City's assassination list; however, their full identities have not yet been fully investigated.

An organization that has lost most of its armed forces poses a significantly reduced threat to the Immortal City. Existing intelligence suggests that Trinity had intended to recruit Richard Crawford and Laura Crawford into the organization—Richard Crawford may have had contact with Trinity and provided much valuable intelligence; otherwise, Trinity wouldn't have sent an undercover agent to infiltrate his inner circle, namely Laura Crawford's stepmother, Anna. Subsequent investigations also revealed that the cause of death of Laura Crawford's biological mother was highly suspicious.

Now, this long-standing cold case has been handed over to the most talented detective he knows to investigate, and Salomon has provided Sherlock Holmes with a large amount of travel expenses to travel all over the world.

Sherlock Holmes' next stop is a company in India, his final assignment before reporting to Kamar-Taj, where he throws himself wholeheartedly into the perplexing case. In Victorian times, he might have had to travel by ship through the newly opened Suez Canal, enduring a month of arduous sea voyages to reach the then-British colony. But now he can fly, seizing the clues before they vanish—the only aspect of societal progress Holmes is grateful for.

Salomon wasn't sure if he knew how airplanes took off before this, and without John Watson, he might not have even known how to buy a ticket.

"These questions are perfect for afternoon tea conversation; they soften my brain, which has become as hard as concrete from reviewing documents." Salomon sipped his hot tea contentedly. On the table lay all the intelligence he had gathered so far regarding Trinity. Although it didn't mention the location of Trinity's headquarters or its personnel, he had already deduced most of it. Salomon began selecting those on the assassination list who might be behind Trinity, treating this as a pleasant mental massage. Later events proved that his deductions during this casual conversation were extremely accurate.

Germanic men, likely suffering from rheumatism, with blond or brown hair. They came from families with a history of incestuous marriages and had previously held titles in England or France; their families had experienced periods of decline; their family coats of arms once featured a seahorse, which was later removed; and they had been involved in the slave trade in New England. After this screening process, the number of names on the assassination list decreased significantly.

"I hope Laura Crawford is careful of leeches and mosquitoes in the rainforest," he said. "And ask Dr. Maya Hansen for me; I hope she's happy with the new experimental subjects. You know, I'll grant her every wish."

“That makes sense,” Stephanie added expressionlessly. “If you don’t mind, please take a look at the list of Skrulls compiled by Victoria Hand.”

"We still don't know how many Skrulls remain on Earth, Stephanie." After a period of processing, the Immortal City's underground server room finally finished its work. Suspicious lists and records of unusual behavior by those on the list filled numerous data storage devices, all requiring manual screening. It was foreseeable that this would be a lengthy process, unless Salomon personally joined in, using his extraordinary intellect to complete the task at lightning speed. However, faced with Stephanie's request, Salomon simply shook his head. "There are seven billion people on this planet; we can't possibly screen them all one by one. This is a long and protracted war. Our soldiers need to adapt to new enemies, new ways of thinking. I can't help everyone through this; I can only teach them how to fight. That's my purpose."

Even if this work will be delayed for a long time?

"You'll get used to it, my dear. Our soldiers still have a lot to learn. I'm a teacher, not a babysitter. If we can't even defend against the Skrulls, we can forget about achieving that grand vision." Salomon's tone was icy. "Treat it as an exam, except it won't test combat skills, but counter-espionage capabilities. Prepare for the future in advance, because the challenges ahead will be a thousand times more severe than what we face now."

Secret War Phase One: The First Ten Days

Skrull corpses and prisoners, stored in refrigerated containers, were transported into the Immortal City via an underwater tunnel train. Black-armored interrogators and soldiers of the First Secret Regiment of the Fimbulwinter stood side-by-side before the station, their eyes fixed on the staff of the bio-genetic laboratory as they unloaded experimental materials and interrogation subjects from the train. Only a few of these people knew what was in the refrigerated containers; the ignorant were utterly bewildered by the tense expressions of the First Secret Regiment soldiers. Even speaking was forbidden; any interaction was considered illegal.

If a living Skrull escaped from prison and infiltrated the ever-growing Immortal City, they would be as undetectable as a drop of water in the ocean, unless the intelligence services, the Royal Guard, or the monarch conducted a thorough search. The Black-Armored Inquisitors and the soldiers of the First Secret Regiment of Fimbulwinter were ordered to immediately detain all personnel involved in the transport operation if any Skrull escaped. All weapons were loaded, chainswords were poised for fire, the bio-genetic laboratory's material warehouse was reinforced with guards, and Dr. Maya Hansen was personally protected by the Royal Guard.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free—that was their order.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)