Marvel Magic Case Files.

Chapter 83 A peaceful soul is not a good thing

"I don't know any Sherlock Holmes, but Stephen Strange is an extremely talented man. Perhaps his magical talent is not as great as yours, but he possesses a vision that ordinary people cannot have, a vision that neither you nor I possess," said the Sorcerer Supreme. "I have already arranged his education, and he will eventually become a qualified Sorcerer Supreme."

"Teacher, didn't you tell anyone else about your plan?" Salomon asked. "They don't know what the Holy Spirit means, nor do they know how great a leap forward it is for the soul to materialize. But as long as they are human, they will recognize physical activity as life, and once physical activity stops, it means death. They will be saddened by your departure."

"It was inevitable. I couldn't continue to bear this burden. The world needs progress, and I'm just a stepping stone in that progress. If my death could make Strange a worthy Sorcerer Supreme, I would do it. But you know, the death of the body and the death of the soul are different, aren't they?"

When the Venerable spoke of her death, her expression showed no embarrassment, but rather as relaxed as if she were discussing what to have for dinner. With a sense of anticipation that her prank was about to succeed, the Venerable said, "I'm looking forward to seeing how happy Strange will be when I appear before him in the future. He certainly won't be angry that I tricked him with my death."

"If he finds out what the Holy Spirit is by then, the touching scene you're hoping for won't happen," Salomon said helplessly. He hadn't expected the Venerable One to be so fond of joking. "However, I do think that Strange at that time might not have access to this knowledge, and he might mistake you for a Halloween ghost and cast a spell to exorcise you, just like the annual Halloween ritual of exorcising ghosts."

"Want to bet a slice of apple pie?"

"If you can still eat at that time, I agree."

"Only now have I realized something," the Sorcerer Supreme said, changing the subject. "In Kamar-Taj, almost everyone has lived in human society, even the children of the arcane families. They grew up in ordinary society before deciding whether or not to become arcane. Only you, Salomon, from birth, have received daily education from this old man, and besides me, there's Athena—all of them are beings who have lived for countless ages."

I'm starting to wonder if I've been too ahead of your time in educating you. Of course, I'm not referring to magical education, but rather education in your worldview. Mordo and Kasirius's objections are indeed valid; you can't afford to carry such a heavy emotional burden at this stage.

People in the mundane world are often polluted by various thoughts. This is not because of some extradimensional bacteria parasitizing the soul, but because most ordinary people are exposed to all kinds of information from birth. From schools, from parents, from friends, and even from social media, various desires ignite a person like a torch, making him emit the light and heat he should have. But what follows are all kinds of desires: wealth, glory, beauty, status. Only these serve as fuel to keep a person burning, and this has been the case from ancient times to the present.

That's why I ask my apprentices to seek peace of mind. The problem is, your soul has been perfectly calm from the start. When you were little, I even thought you had autism. I can't see what you crave; your only desire is to explore magic, but it's less of a yearning and more of a curiosity—you don't even know how to manage your desires. You have a lot of money, but I've never seen you spend much outside of missions. Buying a secondhand bicycle isn't an expense, eating out with the King isn't a big deal, and the snacks in the fridge aren't much either.

I thought that letting you meet Bayonetta would improve things; she's so captivating. But I see no affection for her in your eyes. I don't think it's because she's five hundred years older than you. You know your life will extend beyond that. Tell me, Salomon, do you fear death because you have attachments to this world?

"I..." Salomon was speechless. He didn't know how to answer, because inexplicably, he felt no great fear of death, but rather a sense of peace. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have been able to discuss death with the Sorcerer Supreme. After all, there was a difference in their age and experience. Salomon didn't rule out the possibility that these ideas were instilled in him by the memories within the Stigmata, but those involved are often blinded by their own perspective, and he always believed that these were his own thoughts.

Seeing that Salomon could not answer, the Sorcerer Supreme continued.

"Everything you do is within the rules; I've never seen you do anything outside the rules. You've put your emotions below them, which is both a good thing and a bad thing, because no rule in the world is perfect, not even the rules of Kamar-Taj, the ones I set. You can sacrifice others and yourself without hesitation to accomplish something, yet you can't judge whether it's good or bad, right or wrong. That's where you fall short of Strange; he has the determination to break the rules and do the right thing."

You don't need to learn from him, and you can't. Your sympathy for the Collins family and Ceresa is one of the few times you've shown your true feelings. That's good, because it shows me that you haven't completely lost your human emotions.

While I am quite pleased that you have followed the rules I set, I do not wish for your soul to age as prematurely as mine. Young people should enjoy flowers and wine. Salomon, where do you place yourself? A sorcerer, or a young man?

“But I feel fine as I am,” Salomon said, frowning. “I don’t even feel any desire other than exploring magic, and the corresponding physical stimulation is only because my body is developing. I don’t need luxury cars and fine wine, nor do I need wealth and status; I just find those things annoying.”

The Sorcerer Supreme remained silent, his conflicting expectations weighing against each other, but ultimately, the more accommodating side prevailed—though only temporarily. He said, "That is your problem, my dear disciple. I wish you were a human being, not a vessel for the Stigmata. You need the diverse emotions of humanity, to have your own desires, whatever they may be. Not like me. That would cause you too much suffering."

"I don't feel any pain at all, teacher. At most, I feel a little uncomfortable when making choices," Salomon said. "If you think there's a problem in my relationship with Bayonetta, it's because I think we have plenty of time and there's no need to rush."

"That's the problem, Salomon. You're completely oblivious to it." The Sorcerer Supreme sighed. "I think that besides studying magic in Kamar-Taj and art with Athena, you need a normal life. Going to school shouldn't just be for exams. How many classmates do you know? Bayonetta and Joan of Arc need a rest, so you can enjoy a normal life for a while, away from fighting and killing. Perhaps a beautiful young woman can change your mind."

"You're forcing me to conform to ordinary society, teacher," Salomon said. "You know this won't change anything."

"Who knows?" the Venerable One said, "but for now, it seems that Kasirius is quite happy to send you to school."

Indeed, among all the people who were most enthusiastic about Salomon attending school for ordinary people, it was Cassirios. When Salomon saw him again, he almost didn't recognize the man in front of him. He was wearing a pressed brown suit, his short hair was neatly styled, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine. His previous bitter and resentful look had completely disappeared.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time." Kasirius smiled as he folded a handkerchief and tucked it into his left breast pocket, the white handkerchief forming a perfect triangle. Mordo, standing beside him, was equally satisfied. He and Kasirius had long believed that the Venerable One's education of Salomon had been too advanced; it was time for Salomon to experience a normal life. Before joining Kamar-Taj, Mordo was a nobleman, and Kasirius was an ordinary married man with children. They understood how important a normal life was, and that immersing a young boy in a bizarre magical world all day was not beneficial.

"Although you passed the CE exams (the entrance exams for Year 8 in the UK), you haven't attended any classes. You're already fourteen years old, but you've never attended any GCSE courses," Kasirius said. "I also have a car, which His Holiness approved for purchase, and it has British plates. Don't worry, I've given up drinking since coming to Kamar-Taj."

"I'm not going to go to those full-time private schools, so you can forget about it," Salomon said, glaring at him. "Don't even think about it."

----------------

"Yes, Mr. Cassirios, as Salomon's guardian, you should understand that this is inappropriate." There were two chairs in front of the school desk, where Cassirios and Salomon sat quietly, their faces expressionless, accepting the questioning from Principal Mrs. Serville.

"Our school has no dress code, and wearing rings is a private matter, but leaving a ring on someone's face is another matter entirely," Mrs. Serville said firmly, slamming her hand on the wooden table. Salomon's shroud had transformed into a regular dark coat—a magical effect that temporarily altered the garment—but the three Vishanti Rings and Belial's Demon Summoning Ring were things that couldn't be concealed.

Everything started off very well. When Salomon, who hadn't been seen for a long time, first appeared at the school, Mrs. Severn was overjoyed, because there were many subjects that home education couldn't replace, even though Salomon's grades were excellent. The problem was that humans are social creatures, and many people would show discomfort when faced with a sudden outsider.

Salomon's appearance differed somewhat from that of the Saxons of England, but his good looks still made him popular with most of the girls. Although Salomon would greet them politely and then stop talking to them, this behavior aroused the hostility of some boys in the class who were going through puberty.

Salomon wasn't interested in this childish squabble, but they still wanted to teach him a lesson while he was in the bathroom. So, naturally, Salomon shoved their heads into the toilet, but no magic worked. These guys usually liked to bully classmates and attract girls' attention because of their size (for their age), a common behavior among teenage boys. In precocious Western countries, this behavior has evolved into ubiquitous school bullying.

"I've never seen you so agitated when they bullied the other students, Mrs. Salomon," Salomon said impatiently. "I was very careful; they didn't break any bones, they didn't even need to go to the infirmary, they'll just be in pain for a few days at most. That's a lesson for them."

“I fully agree with my ward’s legitimate self-defense.” Cassirios stood up, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. The oppressive aura emanating from his expressionless face made Mrs. Servell involuntarily pull away. “I think you should reprimand those students who don’t like to follow the rules, not my ward. For something like this to happen under your supervision, I think I can find a place to file a complaint. There are many human rights organizations in London; I’m sure I can find a few.”

"I..." Mrs. Serville was speechless with astonishment.

"I think we should go." Cassirios buttoned the second button of his suit jacket again. "Tomorrow, I'll take Salomon to school on time."

It wasn't until they left the school that Cassilios could no longer maintain his stern expression and burst into laughter.

"Kid," Cassirios stretched out his arm and put it around Salomon's neck, "you haven't really been to school if you haven't gotten into a fight. But I have to say, you did a good job, you just needed to teach those punks a lesson. Next, you should find a female classmate and have a relationship, then your life will be complete."

"You know perfectly well I'm not interested in that stuff," Salomon said with a helpless expression. "Look, ordinary people's lives are completely out of place for me, so why send me to school?"

“If that’s what His Holiness thinks, then we’ll do it, without asking why,” Cassirios said. “I saw that guy named Yuri’s face. Your uppercut was beautiful. Now that you’re a man, want some beer? Tell me how you fight; it’ll be a great story.”

"Don't tell anyone."

"If I tell anyone I let you drink, the police will find me." Cassilios raised his fist. "It's a deal."

"It's a deal." Salomon's fist slammed into it.

I need 4000+ votes, but I'm too lazy to split them up.

Thank you to reader 20170125221147543 for the 5000-point reward.

Thank you to reader Yanzhai for the 500-point reward.

(End of this chapter)