The sudden appearance of Solomon startled Wanda, causing the shrimp dumpling she had finally managed to lift with her chopsticks to fall. She saw Solomon pulling a dazed-looking woman through the portal, one of the woman's shoes missing. Wanda could immediately smell the magic radiating from the woman—hazy visions of the moon, crows, and mist flashed before her eyes. Thanks to her basic magical education, Wanda could deduce which magical entity this woman was tied to.
The aura around the woman didn't disturb her—after all, Wanda was currently surrounded by a pile of immensely powerful magical artifacts while enjoying her meal. A two-headed snake with yellow and black stripes slithered nearby, occasionally trying to strike up a conversation, and the pale phantoms of three women drifted between the bookshelves. After the initial fright, Wanda had grown somewhat used to the bizarre phenomena around her.
"Where's Wong?" Solomon asked.
"He's in—wait, why are you wearing a new suit?" Wanda had already changed out of the women's business suit Solomon had once bought for her, opting instead for the gender-neutral short robe typical of Kamar-Taj. The suit and heels had been pure torture for a girl from an Eastern European village only recently adjusting to city life.
"I'm going on a date—I'm in a hurry. Remember to give this to Wong," Solomon said, speaking extremely fast. He folded a piece of paper densely covered in writing and handed it to her. He then pointed to the dazed woman beside him. "And she's going to be your neighbor for a while, living in the room next to yours."
"She got caught up in some conspiracy?" Wanda jumped, her mind immediately leaping to parallels with her own experience of being targeted by dark magical forces.
"Nothing like that. She...tried to cast a spell on a rock in the street to bring it to life," Solomon rolled his eyes. "She can't distinguish between the living and the dead anymore."
The woman, smiling vaguely, wasn't even looking directly at her. Wanda couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her. She could sense that, like herself, this woman had been forcibly chosen by a magical entity and infused with power—only this woman had been less fortunate, her mind shredded in the process. "I am the Lady of Calamity, servant of Magic," the woman said suddenly, her tone serene. "Do you not know that the souls of the dead and the living are the same?"
"See? This is what I mean. She's in a permanent state of breakdown. Normal psychiatric medicine won't help her—it's not a bodily affliction but a spiritual one," Solomon explained. "Her room has an anti-magic field installed to prevent her from casting spells randomly. Do not enter it without a very good reason."
"Is this the crazy woman who ended up in the police station?" Wanda asked, curious. "Does Kamar-Taj usually take in stray mages? Or do we...help magical folks in trouble?"
"Not really," Solomon replied, pretending not to notice the implication behind her words. "It's just that she's too crazy to function on her own, and we couldn't find a place willing to take her. To prevent her from causing a disaster, we had to temporarily house her here. Fortunately, she's not that dangerous—or else she would've been sent straight to the dungeon." He winked. "Maybe later she can get a job with Kamar-Taj—or become an eco-warrior and make speeches at the UN. But for now, her job is prophecy. That's important."
"I guess it is," Wanda said with a tinge of sadness.
After dropping off the woman, Solomon left without further delay. Wanda looked down at the paper in her hands, fought the burning curiosity to read it, and obediently stuffed it into her pocket.
"Solomon said this?" Wong asked after taking the folded note from Wanda, setting aside the tea snacks he had just bought. He opened the paper slightly, scanning some of its contents. "I'll find Master Hamir—he's my father, by the way. Looks like Solomon intends to use the Cosmic Cauldron to extract accurate fragments of prophecy, using this vague one as material. But using the Cauldron requires substantial magical skill; otherwise, you risk losing yourself in endless possibilities and cosmic knowledge. We'll need the Sorcerer Supreme's permission."
"When will I get to meet the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong?" Wanda asked eagerly. She had already pieced together Kamar-Taj's power structure through Wong's casual mentions. She knew only the Sorcerer Supreme had true authority over Solomon. "Solomon said I'm important—the Sorcerer Supreme might want to meet me." She gave a small burp. "But I've been eating for nearly a whole day and still no summons."
"The Supreme has their own plans. No one can interfere with that," Wong said, glancing at her thoughtfully. He pondered the real situation with the so-called 'Daughter of Chaos.' Many other mages believed Solomon had fully succeeded in mastering Wanda's power, using her condition to monitor Chthon. But Wong worried that Wanda's emotional attachment to Solomon had grown too strong—dangerously strong. Emotions were the most unpredictable element in magic. Wong feared Solomon might eventually get burned by his own fire, leading to catastrophe for everyone.
"Solomon wants you to start learning about the magical world," Wong added, steering the topic away before Wanda noticed his deeper concerns. "He said you've only lived in a small town so far and haven't seen the wider world. Kamar-Taj can't teach you every spell, but we can still educate you about the various magical schools. I'm sure Solomon never mentioned that course."
"Really? He told me to focus solely on my studies for now," Wanda said, startled. "He specifically said not to worry about that stuff yet."
"Uh... well, yes," Wong admitted awkwardly, realizing he had accidentally disrupted Solomon's plans. Quickly trying to patch things up, he added, "Solomon's a very considerate person. He just didn't want you to be overwhelmed. He mentioned your grades in 'Monster Identification' were excellent. I'm sure he'd be proud that you're eager to learn more within your allowed scope. Come on—I'll take you to Kamar-Taj's main archive. There are plenty of beginner-level books there on all the different magical traditions. And if the Sorcerer Supreme summons you, you'll already be nearby."
"Is it over?" Wanda asked.
"Yes," Solomon sighed deeply as he slumped into his seat, finally allowing himself a moment of relaxation after days of relentless missions. "This restaurant was Athena's recommendation," he said. "I've never been here before."
The server filled his wineglass promptly.
"I have," said Jeanne.
"So have I," said Bayonetta.
Solomon was briefly confused by the two women's quick responses. Jeanne chuckled softly, clearly amused by his bewildered expression.
"When you were away on business, your foster mother used to bring us here often," Bayonetta said, twirling her dinner knife playfully. "It was her way of compensating for how often you neglected us, little boy."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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