Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 952 The Regent's Position (Second Update)

Doing silly things does help relax the mind and body. Although the consequence was that Salomon slept on the sofa for a week and Bayonetta would only kiss him after he washed his face fifty times a day, Salomon was still very happy. The witch eventually forgave this idiot who could only smile foolishly after doing something stupid.

After that, in his work, he reverted to being the efficient and pragmatic monarch of the Immortal City—the responsible figure Viktor von Dum described. To the lower-ranking staff in the internal affairs and intelligence departments, this was the image of the monarch of the Immortal City. In the eyes of some who had participated in the Battle of Finnbowent, this image was further enhanced with fantastical elements, such as descriptions of a gleaming, large man.

However, for senior executives like Stephanie and her secretary Diana Lister, especially female employees, they often received exquisite little gifts from Salomon. Stephanie believed these were byproducts of Salomon's practice in crafting magical items—unfinished enchanted trinkets. Simply put, they were scraps, probably because a magic circle's lines were misaligned, preventing enchanting. After all, there was no specialized software or printing tools for drawing magical PCBs, and besides, crafting these things was a hobby, like cooking, so Salomon wasn't particularly serious about it.

Anyway, he can afford those cheap materials; only precious metals like gold and silver require a small expense.

Constantine, as Salomon's Royal Guard, was fully aware of what had happened that day, but he didn't interfere. His job was to serve the monarch, and he would agree to whatever Salomon did—it was an action policy written into his DNA. However, he couldn't comprehend the monarch's emotions, because genetic alchemy had completely erased most of the Royal Guard's emotional needs. Even if they retained independent personalities, only the desire to serve the monarch and complete the tasks assigned by the monarch gave them a sense of mission. In Salomon's words, completing a mission made the Royal Guard feel like cartoon birds were happily circling overhead and making a nest on their helmets.

Constantine sighed deeply after hearing the monarch's analogy; he had no idea what it meant.

The reason for adopting gene alchemy is to completely prevent the Royal Guard from being corrupted by the outer dimensions.

Once the genetic alchemy is complete, no magic can affect the Royal Guard's spirit. To extradimensional energy and energy beings, the Royal Guard's soul is as indestructible as a refined block of vibranium. The Royal Guard's soul and spirit are designed to be tireless, robust, and durable tools; corrupting a Royal Guard is as difficult as washing away the atoms one by one from a large block of vibranium with a tap. To achieve this effect, one must first endure the dual torment of mind and body brought about by genetic alchemy; only one in ten thousand can withstand it.

Constantine personally oversaw the pre-operative procedures for the children on the list. Even during the preparations before the gene-alchemy began, two boys did not survive. The Extremis virus could put genes in a state of constant readiness for adjustment, but the process was extremely painful, and many adults died from unbearable suffering, let alone the two children.

Although Constantine couldn't remember what he was like before the genetic modifications, he believed he was likely the first surviving test subject because the monarch said his ability to complete the modifications was "a predetermined event." He had no idea why the monarch was so certain he would survive, and when he asked, Salomon chose to remain silent.

This was unusual, as Salomon rarely kept secrets from Constantine. However, Constantine wasn't overly concerned; uncovering these secrets wasn't his mission.

His mission today was to meet Wanda Maximoff in Los Angeles and inquire about the progress of the Ghost Rider mission. Scarlet Witch had dragged this out for far too long, and even his sovereign couldn't allow Wanda to continue delaying—the Immortal City wasn't a spontaneous organization like the Avengers; missions couldn't be changed according to personal whims, and even Wanda Maximoff, as the sovereign's apprentice, couldn't violate the rules. If Wanda failed to complete the mission or wanted to change the mission objective for some reason, Constantine would carry it out, because he was the sovereign's unwavering will.

However, he still carried some non-lethal weapons on his assault transport boat and anti-gravity jet motorcycle.

For example, the electric net gun can release a high-voltage current capable of stunning an adult elephant in an instant; there's also a gravity weapon developed using Dark Elves' gravity technology, which can push targets away and keep them at a certain distance from the user. These are all experimental models, because the Immortal City mostly only needs lethal weapons, and occasions requiring non-lethal weapons are as rare as some endangered animals.

However, not everyone was as calm as Constantine. When Stephanie learned of the changes in the power structure of the Immortal City, she nearly fainted from overwhelming emotion. She had no idea why Salomon had appointed Victor von Doom as regent, placing that person—in her words, "someone who appeared out of nowhere"—in charge of the entire system when he was unable to exercise power in the Immortal City. She had originally thought that person would be herself, because the Malik family had played a significant role in the development of the Immortal City, and she was Salomon's most trusted assistant. This was not only a challenge to her power but also a threat to the Malik family's position.

When she walked straight to Salomon's desk, intending to demand an explanation, Salomon stopped what he was doing and invited her to sit on the sofa. He poured her a glass of red wine, gestured for her to take a sip first, and then sat down on the sofa opposite her, his movements gentle. "You haven't escaped the influence of the Malik family. To be precise, it's the influence of your father, Gideon Malik."

"What does this mean?" Stephanie frowned, her tone filled with displeasure. "The Malik family has already offered up Hydra; isn't that enough to warrant their trust?"

"So, are you determined to sacrifice the Malik family for the Immortal City?" Salomon asked softly, raising an eyebrow as he took Stephanie's hand.

Stephanie seemed to choke on her own.

Salomon didn't press further. Instead, he moved to sit beside her. "I know this is difficult, so I understand your hesitation. I know making such a request is harsh, but you must understand that there are no eternal alliances in this world. The Malik family is growing increasingly powerful. If one day the Malik family, due to conflicting interests, takes a path contrary to the Immortal City, you must make a decision to avoid irreparable damage. If necessary, you must issue the order to kill your own family members, because you are the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not a feudal vassal. Although this may not necessarily happen, no one can predict what the future holds. I understand you, Stephanie. You love your family, but the job of regent requires ruthlessness. If you want this job, it means your mind will suffer horribly. I don't want you to suffer, Stephanie."

"So, is Viktor von Doom cold-blooded and ruthless enough?"

“He’s a ruthless man who’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He even betrayed Kamar-Taj to find a way to save his mother, enduring relentless pursuit until the Sorcerer Supreme intervened. He survived, and that’s the problem. The Sorcerer Supreme valued a certain quality in him, which is why he didn’t kill him,” he said. “I need Victor von Doom, okay?”

"Alright." Salomon put his arm around Stephanie's shoulder. Under such a gentle approach, Stephanie couldn't care less about who should become regent. After all, everything the Malik family had now was given to her by Salomon, and she couldn't make any decisions against him. "However—" she drawled, until Salomon looked into her eyes, "—as long as I live, the Malik family will not betray the Immortal City, I promise you."

"That's so thoughtful." Salomon smiled, concealing his disagreement. "You can take the day off today. Want to watch Constantine's mission live? Maybe there'll be a duel between the Royal Guard and Ghost Rider. I'm sure that'll be exciting."

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(End of this chapter)