Stephanie entered the witches' apartment once again, though this time she wouldn't be staying long.
These days, Solomon conducted most of his work remotely, and she was here only to handle a few specific matters and urgent incidents. For example, the construction permits for the Malick family's ancient castle in Gloucestershire, England, had just been finalized. The demolition crew had already begun initial clearing, but the castle's basement was completely inaccessible without the use of heavy machinery.
There was also the issue of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Fitz and Simmons, who, after completing quarantine and medical evaluations, were now cleared for release. Stephanie needed to know whether Solomon would permit them free movement. And then there was the question of any potential deals between Solomon and Agent Coulson—were there concessions the Immortal City was expected to make? Other pressing concerns included the astronaut Will, the fate of the monolith, and a series of handovers involving S.H.I.E.L.D. It was all a headache—if S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't sitting on something Nick Fury had once secured that could potentially threaten the entire world, Stephanie wouldn't even bother dealing with those overcautious bureaucrats. Until they figured out just how many dangerous objects S.H.I.E.L.D. had hidden through the "Slingshot Program," and until Nick Fury's entire cache of secrets had been revealed, even Solomon had to ensure S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't get him killed.
Especially since S.H.I.E.L.D. still had a time travel mission to complete—at least until that was over, they all had to stay alive.
Alive, at minimum. Solomon made no promises about the integrity of their limbs.
There were also matters like bulk commodity procurement and the Mars materials funding request.
But the most important matter was the result of Stephanie's negotiation with General Hale. Following the negotiation, Hale would be aiding the intelligence division, but Stephanie still wanted to know what position Solomon intended for Ruby. Hale wanted a commitment from Solomon—if Ruby's situation wasn't handled properly, then the entire set of negotiation terms could fall apart.
She didn't stay long. Before leaving, she urged Solomon to make a prompt decision and consider the permission levels for both Hale and Ruby. In truth, there wasn't much to consider. Solomon had already decided: General Hale would have limited access and be restricted to single-line contact, while Ruby would be housed within the Immortal City as a hostage.
Stephanie shot him a glare and left without another word.
"What's her deal?" Solomon asked.
"I lack mind-reading abilities, my lord," Constantine replied honestly.
The Royal Guard had no magical aptitude—ultimately, this was because Solomon had used his own genome in perfecting the Royal Guard's design. While absorbing the genetic wisdom gifted by the Earth Mother, he selectively chose fragments suited for the Royal Guard. This mysterious genome, designed by the Earth Mother, was originally intended to prevent Solomon from being corrupted—it allowed him to generate magic without refining his life force.
Still, Solomon always felt the Earth Mother had gone a bit overboard. Just a few gene fragments had given the Royal Guard resistance to astral energy. But that wasn't entirely surprising—after all, the Earth Mother had spearheaded the first God-Slaying Movement. To prevent her creations from repeating that tragedy, she had to build in safeguards. Even Solomon himself had needed the Earth Mother's and Maya Hansen's help to fully understand what he really was.
Honestly, Solomon often joked that he was a magical hotpot—some chaotic blend of mystical leftovers.
The extreme exclusivity of the gene fragments made the Royal Guard impervious to both the physical and mental influences of astral energy—but it also rendered whatever natural magical talents they had effectively unusable. As with all things, there was a tradeoff. Solomon had granted them formidable physiques and high-tech armor that covered most needs—minor spellcasting could be overlooked. In fact, it was this very magical immunity that Solomon most valued. It was the key to ensuring that his most powerful warriors would never betray him. A flaw, but also a strength.
He faintly heard the witches calling and slipped on his slippers to investigate.
"Don't forget to buy some Provence herbs," Bayonetta called out, sending Solomon off to the store for spices. She beckoned Constantine, and the Royal Guard dutifully lowered his head as he walked past, careful not to scrape the luxurious crystal chandelier with his spiked helmet. Standing over three meters tall and clad in power armor, he didn't exactly fit in the apartment, so he typically waited outside—subject to the Sisterhood's teasing.
"Take Constantine with you," Bayonetta said to Solomon. "Otherwise, who knows how long you'll be gone once you step outside."
"I'm just going for a stroll around Manhattan. I'll be back before dinner," Solomon replied. "I need to check on the excavation progress in Clinton. Too many workers are slacking off—at this rate, I don't know when we'll finally unearth the dragon skeleton."
"Oh? Anything else?"
The witch narrowed her eyes teasingly as she saw Solomon trying to sneak behind the Royal Guard.
"And I need to deal with some legal paperwork for the holdouts," Solomon added, producing a file from Nelson & Murdock. He had promised additional compensation to some tenants, but Matt Murdock clearly wasn't equipped to handle those who were simply looking to squeeze more money. As a result, excavation had been on-and-off, with people constantly jumping into the construction zone demanding further payouts.
"I've already offered plenty of compensation, but some people still want more."
"And?"
Constantine sidestepped slightly, careful not to step on the Cheshire Cat darting around the dining room.
Solomon shot him a nasty glare, but Constantine pretended not to notice.
After all, this was domestic business, outside the scope of the Royal Guard's duties. And since the Royal Guard bore fragments of the Sovereign's own genes, in a sense they were his children. Even if Bayonetta pointed at his forehead and scolded him, as long as she didn't make military decisions, Constantine had no grounds to object.
Dana passed by the Royal Guard cheerfully—she was delighted to see someone else who could order the brute around.
"He's too conspicuous, Bayonetta. A Royal Guard showing up among civilians will cause a panic."
"You're still forgetting something important, Solomon," Bayonetta said with a sly smile. "Don't forget to invite Wanda Maximoff over for dinner. I already called her—just a few minutes ago—and told her you'd be picking her up. I've arranged everything for you. You're welcome."
Solomon had no idea when Bayonetta and Wanda became close enough for dinner invitations. But since she had already invited her, he had no choice but to follow through.
"Don't forget the Provence herbs, darling."
Solomon slipped on his shoes, waved his hand, and set out with the Royal Guard and a synthetic bodyguard. Since he was going to Wanda's apartment, bringing his security detail wasn't out of place—though in the event of actual danger, it was hard to say who would be protecting whom. As for the other matters—most could be delegated. All it took to resolve the legal impasse was a check, but before signing, Solomon might have to fire a few rounds into some windows, just to remind people not to test his patience.
No one would really be that foolish.
At least not Matt Murdock—especially since Solomon had already done it before telling him.
(End of Chapter)
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