Regret weighed on T'Chaka's heart, though his expression remained composed.
As the king of Wakanda, the moment he allowed Nolan Locke to set foot on Wakandan soil, he had already prepared himself for the possibility of everything that had just happened.
In the end, this had always been a test.
A test of how strongly his people resisted opening up.
A test of whether the time was truly ripe.
Now, it seemed the answer was clear.
It was not yet time for Wakanda to fully engage with the outside world.
T'Chaka glanced at T'Challa.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, Wakanda would not establish open diplomatic relations anytime soon.
What he could do now was pave the road for his son.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, father and son had already reached Nolan.
Along the way, every Locke Technology robot deliberately avoided them.
"King T'Chaka," Nolan said calmly, "I regret to say that Wakanda shows considerable hostility toward outsiders. I've only been here a few days, yet I've already faced two so-called assassination attempts."
He emphasized the word "assassination."
The first incident could indeed be called an assassination.
The second could not.
This was a blatant, open attack.
An assault involving thousands of warriors, carried out in Wakanda's capital. Anyone would find it hard to believe that the king had no knowledge of it.
T'Chaka understood that better than anyone.
He sighed softly.
"I offer my sincerest apologies. Wakanda is not ruled by my will alone."
Nolan had already shown restraint by choosing his words. T'Chaka cast a complicated glance at W'Kabi.
W'Kabi was Wakanda's supreme military commander and someone T'Chaka had personally nurtured and trusted.
Yet even W'Kabi had reacted with such intensity.
"I'm afraid we cannot move forward with further trade relations," T'Chaka continued. "Regarding this assassination attempt, Wakanda will give you an explanation that satisfies you. But as for cooperation…"
Regret flickered in his eyes.
"I am truly sorry."
Those three words carried the weight of the king's final decision.
Diplomacy had failed.
The elders opposed it. W'Kabi opposed it. As king, he had reached his limit.
At that moment, W'Kabi suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Majesty!"
"I believe Wakanda needs to establish a channel of connection with the outside world. Opening full diplomacy with other nations is indeed too dangerous, and our people are not prepared. But we can begin with limited cooperation with Locke Technology."
His words stunned everyone.
T'Chaka froze.
So did T'Challa, who looked at W'Kabi with a strange expression.
"Do you understand what you're saying?" T'Challa asked.
"Just moments ago, our two sides were at war. That path to cooperation has already been destroyed."
He paused, then added quietly,
"And those who died were warriors of the Border Tribe."
W'Kabi's jaw tightened.
As Wakanda's highest military commander, he was also the chieftain of the Border Tribe. Those who had fallen were his own people.
By all logic, he should have been the one most fiercely opposed to Nolan Locke.
But he could not allow himself that choice.
He had already made one catastrophic mistake. He could not afford a second.
Taking a deep breath, W'Kabi said,
"The deaths of my people are my responsibility. But right now, I speak not as the chieftain of the Border Tribe, but as Wakanda's military commander.
Wakanda has isolated itself for too long. We must change."
He's lost his mind.
That was what nearly everyone thought.
Yet in T'Chaka's eyes, a glimmer of light appeared.
As king, he saw what others did not. W'Kabi's proposal aligned perfectly with his own thoughts.
He did not want to lose this opportunity either.
The only question was how to explain it to the people.
"I will not evade responsibility," W'Kabi said firmly. "I will atone for my mistakes through action. As long as I remain minister of defense, I will speak with the elders and explain everything to our citizens."
Turning to Nolan, T'Chaka said,
"I will reconsider the matter of diplomacy."
"And I hope this incident will not damage the friendship between us."
Nolan smiled and nodded.
Of course he did not mind.
He had lost only machines. And as the party that initiated the attack, Wakanda would ultimately pay a price far exceeding their cost.
If anything, Nolan was pleased.
He looked at W'Kabi with approval.
This man understood the situation.
Elsewhere, inside W'Kabi's residence, Erik Killmonger waited with anticipation.
This incident was his chance to gain access to the council of elders.
As a legitimate heir of Wakanda, their support would greatly increase his chances of overthrowing the current Black Panther and seizing the throne.
Still…
Killmonger frowned.
The battle sounded far too intense.
Something felt wrong.
While he waited, W'Kabi had already exposed everything.
"Erik Killmonger?"
T'Chaka stared at W'Kabi in shock.
He had never imagined that Killmonger was involved behind the scenes.
"So it was Erik Killmonger who incited you to attack Mr. Locke?"
"Yes," W'Kabi replied, nodding.
He glanced at Nolan and continued,
"He portrayed Mr. Locke as dangerous and claimed that dealing with him would be easy."
Anger burned in W'Kabi's chest.
He believed he had come to understand Nolan Locke to some extent.
Nolan was reasonable, patient, and powerful. None of that matched the intelligence Killmonger had provided.
W'Kabi now strongly suspected that Killmonger intended to provoke conflict between Wakanda and the outside world. Even if other nations were not directly involved, Wakanda would inevitably be thrown into chaos.
That man was dangerous.
"Arrest him," T'Chaka ordered coldly.
Killmonger had returned to Wakanda without notifying anyone. That alone was suspicious.
And T'Chaka knew he was not someone driven by goodwill.
Minutes later, the warriors who burst into Killmonger's home were filled with fury.
"This is the man who started the war. Seize him!"
Killmonger was utterly stunned. He tried to run, but there was no escape.
By the time Nolan saw him, Killmonger was bruised and battered beyond recognition.
T'Chaka spoke,
"Mr. Locke, Erik Killmonger is the instigator behind this incident. We now place him in your hands."
Nolan glanced at Killmonger, then at the furious warriors surrounding them.
A faint smile curved his lips.
"He is Wakandan. In that case, he should be dealt with by Wakanda."
Using Killmonger to reduce the price of cooperation?
Not a chance.
Nolan understood T'Chaka's intentions perfectly. Handing over Killmonger would have counted as an apology, lowering Wakanda's cost in future negotiations.
Instead, Nolan turned the situation around and left T'Chaka owing him a favor.
T'Chaka's mouth twitched.
A clever fox.
With this matter settled, Nolan and Wakanda returned to the negotiating table.
Even the elders, though still displeased, chose silence.
"Next, we discuss the terms regarding vibranium," someone said.
All other terms were negotiable. Vibranium was not.
T'Chaka stated,
"After discussion, Wakanda is willing to supply Locke Technology with thirty kilograms of vibranium per year at ten million dollars per kilogram."
Nolan fell silent for a moment.
That was exactly the same price Ulysses Klaue charged.
He looked at T'Chaka, whose expression did not change.
"Too expensive," Nolan said. "Vibranium is valuable, but not to that extent. And thirty kilograms is far too little. I want at least one ton."
T'Chaka's breath caught.
Did this young man even understand the difference between thirty kilograms and a ton?
"No one would accept ten million dollars per kilogram," Nolan continued. "At that price, Locke Technology gains no advantage from this agreement."
His gaze was sharp and unyielding.
T'Chaka turned to Shuri, who sat beside him.
As Wakanda's foremost genius, she spoke calmly,
"Vibranium is Wakanda's unique resource, and its research value exceeds that price. As for quantity, this was agreed upon by the elders. Perhaps future trades could gradually increase the amount."
A reasonable proposal.
But Nolan was unmoved.
"Half the price. Half the quantity. That's my bottom line. Without sufficient volume, meaningful vibranium research is impossible."
Wakanda refused.
As Nolan expected.
Three days passed. Three rounds of negotiations.
Nolan remained firm.
Five hundred kilograms a year was already his minimum. And that was only the first year.
On the fourth day, T'Chaka suddenly agreed.
Even Nolan was surprised.
But success was success.
With five hundred kilograms of vibranium secured, many possibilities opened up.
"Mr. Locke," T'Chaka said as they left the chamber, "I hope this cooperation brings Wakanda a new future."
Outside, Nolan encountered W'Kabi.
His expression was filled with quiet reflection.
This deal had been largely pushed through by him.
If diplomacy was inevitable, Wakanda needed a powerful and stable ally.
He believed Locke Technology fit that role.
Nolan nodded.
"I promise I'll do everything I can to make this partnership work."
W'Kabi truly was a good man.
With the vibranium trade settled, Nolan had no reason to remain in Wakanda.
Though Wakandan technology was advanced, it relied entirely on vibranium, a path fundamentally different from Locke Technology's.
It could inspire, but not be directly adopted.
Before leaving, Nolan hesitated and asked,
"Lord W'Kabi, besides the Black Panther, can anyone else consume the Heart-Shaped Herb and receive the goddess's blessing?"
W'Kabi frowned.
"No. That power belongs solely to the Black Panther."
"What a pity," Nolan murmured.
He already knew where the Heart-Shaped Herb was cultivated.
Studying it might still prove valuable.
Nolan never hesitated when it came to action.
Under Red Queen's control, microscopic nanobots quietly retrieved samples of the herb.
With all objectives complete, Nolan bid farewell to T'Chaka and T'Challa.
"I hope our cooperation endures," T'Chaka said solemnly.
"It will," Nolan replied. "Locke Technology has global influence. That influence will help Wakanda integrate into the world. But vibranium must remain secret for now."
T'Chaka sighed.
To be honest, he already felt a trace of regret.
Partnering with a private corporation carried risks.
But it was too late to turn back.
Nolan opened a portal.
On the other side lay his office.
Under the stunned gazes of the Wakandans, he stepped through.
T'Chaka turned to his son.
"T'Challa, you never mentioned that he possessed such power."
Teleportation.
Even Wakanda's technology could not achieve that.
After a moment, T'Chaka exhaled.
"It seems we made the right choice."
Back in his office, Nolan suddenly sensed a distortion in space.
His expression changed.
He rushed to the containment chamber holding the small sphere.
The temporal energy inside it was surging, on the verge of overflowing.
Nolan's heart sank.
Trouble was coming.
…