Marvel Magic Case Files.

Chapter 20 Aegis

Salomon was intrigued by Pegasus's life form, because the first thing that came to mind when he saw the small statue was a very famous summon.

The summoned creature was a good companion of a male drow elf ranger, who often roamed the northern lands of Faerûn.

That's right, that's Guan Haifa, a magical creature from the astral plane.

The so-called astral plane is a huge, boundless sphere, with a clear silver sky above and below.

Small amounts of solid matter may occasionally be found there, but calling the astral plane a plane is not quite accurate. In fact, the astral plane should not be called a plane at all; it is a purely spiritual world, the silver void between all planes.

Salomon held the statue up to his eyes, examining the intricate carvings closely—he was now almost certain that the so-called Pegasus was in fact a magical creature from the astral plane, and had little to do with the legendary Medusa and Poseidon.

He didn't know how Athena or the other Greek gods had captured the Pegasus from the stars, but he remained cautious.

Despite Athena's repeated claims that the Greek myths written by humans are far from the truth, if Athena really lent Pegasus to Bellerophon, then it is a fact that Pegasus threw Bellerophon from the sky, making him lame and blind.

After Salomon held the Pegasus statue in his palm, he bowed to Athena in thanks, and if judged solely by appearances, he did not slack off at all.

But Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, easily saw through Salomon's concerns. Leaning forward, she asked Salomon with a heavy, imposing air, "Aren't you satisfied yet?"

Salomon lowered his head even further.

At twelve years old, he was in the prime of his life, and Athena's clothing was far too loose. He glanced at it discreetly and then dared not look again, because it was indeed quite large, both in shape and size, and even in color.

Under the influence of his endocrine system, this scene was still too stimulating for someone his age; it was beyond his mental control…

"No, Your Highness, this gift has already surprised and delighted me greatly." Although his breathing became a little heavier, Salomon's thoughts remained clear, and his answer was still flawless.

Athena noticed the problem as soon as she lowered her head slightly, but instead of straightening up immediately, she moved even closer, compared to the ancient Greek decorations in the room.

Athena's clothing is closer to a hybrid of the clothing of Minoan Mycenaean women and native Greek women. She has a slender waist and wears a metal belt. Her lower body is covered with a conical, layered, exquisite and gorgeous skirt. However, in order to conform to the times, her upper body is similar to a smooth and spacious "kiton" [Note 1]. The only difference is that the shoulders are now covered with delicate ties instead of pins, and the material has changed from sheepskin to soft cotton.

As a member of the Greek pantheon that began to develop in the Cretan period, Athena had no psychological barriers to exposing her breasts. On the contrary, she liked to use them as her weapon because she believed that her beauty was worthy of admiration and pride.

And that was indeed the case; Salomon practically hid behind the sofa.

Although Athena is a virgin goddess, she never shies away from the admiration of men.

Moreover, compared to mere admiration, she preferred to be revered by heroes. Therefore, Athena would also raise young heroes, which is why she was known as the Mother of Heroes.

Perhaps in her eyes, Salomon was an excellent medal. If she were to raise him, Salomon might even become a great hero. A real man should fight hand-to-hand with a spear, not learn some effeminate magic.

While the Sorcerer Supreme was powerful, iron and blood were more suited to heroes. However, the Ancient One had already arranged Salomon's upbringing, and Athena was not allowed to interfere; otherwise, it would be pushing her luck.

Perhaps I'll have the chance to teach Salomon how to fight with a spear and shield?

Surely the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't refuse on this point? Athena's thoughts raced. She was now only thinking about how to get in touch with Salomon. After all, although she could smell the scent of the Dark Dimension on Salomon, she hadn't seen the expected crystallization reaction, which meant that Salomon had indeed withstood the test of the Dark Dimension.

How could someone like that not become a hero?

If Salomon knew Athena's thoughts, he might laugh out loud—he could never be a hero; he would only do what he was supposed to do.

He always dismissed the saying "with great power comes great responsibility" as nonsense. The truth is that with great power comes great responsibility. He would protect what he wanted to protect because of the power he enjoyed and the kindness shown to him by the Supreme Master.

Confucius once said, "If you are not in a position of authority, do not meddle in its affairs." Salomon intends to do the same. His focus will remain on events on the mystical side, and he will not participate in any mischief caused by the secular government—anyone who has seen the magnificent starry sky would never stoop to such petty scheming. Kamar-Taj's consistent placement of itself in a lofty position is not unfounded arrogance.

Athena seemed to have thought of something. She straightened up with a smile, stood up, and left the living room, leaving Salomon panting heavily in the living room.

A short while later, she returned, carrying a round object covered with sheepskin.

"This is my shield, Aegis," she said, extending her soft, white arm and placing the object in front of Salomon. "You should have heard the story of this shield."

When Athena suddenly pulled back the sheepskin covering the shield, Salomon couldn't help but close his eyes.

The story of this shield is so classic that anyone who has studied Greek mythology even a little knows that Athena's shield has Medusa's head embedded in the center, and anyone who sees this shield will be petrified, even the legendary beast Kraken.

"Don't worry, you're not a mortal. As long as you don't want Medusa's head to take effect, no one will be petrified."

Upon hearing Athena's voice, Salomon slightly opened his eyes and cautiously looked at the shield—a bronze shield with a slight golden hue, its round surface bearing four diamond-shaped markings, and in the center of the shield was a sculpture of a snake-haired woman's head, her face contorted in pain, yet her eyes remained closed.

"This shield is more than just a shield; it's both a shield and armor," Athena said with a smile. "It's also a way for me to show my affection for you, Salomon."

Poor Salomon blushed instantly.

This was the method Athena had come up with to satisfy her quirk—as long as Salomon took her shield in battle, everyone would know that Salomon was associated with her, and whenever Salomon performed heroic deeds and saw the enemy petrified by the shield, people would naturally associate it with Athena.

This is within the limits permitted by the Sorcerer Supreme. Both Mordo and Kaecilius in Kamar-Taj have significant personality flaws. Although a new Sorcerer Supreme has been chosen, he has not had time to mature. Therefore, the Sorcerer Supreme hopes that Salomon will become as powerful as possible.

This trip was very fruitful for Salomon. The two powerful magical items greatly enhanced his strength, ensuring his safety at least while he was still a low-level mage.

However, as a condition, he had to visit Athena's apartment frequently, at least once a month, because Athena had seen Salomon's behavior.

To become a hero, one must be able to remain unmoved by beauty! Athena intends to train Salomon in this regard, while also teaching him some artistic knowledge. In Athena's view, the abstinent Kamar-Taj has no artistic cultivation whatsoever.

This is force majeure, Salomon thought to himself, but it's really too much.

[Note 1] Clothing in the native Greek civilization was made by sewing rectangular pieces of wool or linen fabric together on both sides and securing them at the shoulders with pins.

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The character Aegis is not planned to appear; he said he is unavailable.

(End of this chapter)