Solomon in Marvel

For the witches' gifts, Solomon had custom-ordered Blancpain ladies' watches. 

Bayonetta's watch was rose-themed, while Jeanne's featured fleur-de-lis motifs—each design corresponding to their unique magic affinities. 

Both watches incorporated lunar and Wiccan elements. 

Since Blancpain had once crafted a timepiece for Queen Marie Antoinette, Solomon deemed these watches worthy of the witches. 

After the guests departed, Bayonetta transformed into a massive black panther, pouncing on Solomon and pinning him down on the couch. 

She then gave him a long, deliberate lick across his face. 

This was probably the most passionate expression of gratitude Bayonetta was capable of—if anyone expected her to say "thank you" directly, they'd be better off hoping she'd just shoot them instead. 

The Cheshire Cat was utterly shaken. 

As an intelligent feline, it still could not comprehend why its mistress had turned into a giant cat just to steal its job. 

The dumb cat leaped onto the couch, letting out soft whimpers, and repeatedly rubbed its head against Solomon's neck, desperately trying to reclaim its position as the household pet. 

"You idiot." 

Bayonetta gave the Cheshire Cat a light smack on the butt. 

"Get off him already. Do you even realize how heavy you are?" 

Ignoring the short-haired cat's protests, the witch yanked the 30-pound feline off Solomon's chest. 

"You jumped straight onto his torso—like a goddamn mortar shell! And let's not forget—" 

"You just ate an entire bowl of Christmas tuna freeze-dried snacks, you walking turd factory!" 

"By the Abyss, how much do you even weigh?!" 

---

"Our Eleventh Countess has publicly declared her grand ambitions!" 

That morning, after finishing breakfast, Solomon casually opened the newspaper handed to him by the maids, scanning for interesting stories in the otherwise dull world of human affairs. 

Whether it was the absurdities of politicians or tabloid Sun girls, everything fell within his reading interests. 

And today, Lara Croft just happened to be on the front page. 

Following her adventure in Yamatai, Lara publicly announced her next expedition. 

Since her last journey had resulted in the death of explorer Conrad Roth, and given that the Dragon's Triangle was still shrouded in perpetual mist, many minor news outlets labeled her a fraud. 

Conspiracy theories ran wild, and in London's social circles, Lara Croft was the subject of endless speculation. 

As a titled noble, her every move was scrutinized by the public and aristocracy alike. 

And given her beauty and wealth, people delighted in projecting their worst assumptions onto her. 

"Why bring this up all of a sudden?" 

Bayonetta, casually snacking, didn't even pause to pop another bite into her mouth. 

Drinking in the morning was nothing unusual for a witch—alcohol wouldn't get them drunk anyway. 

"Because..." 

Solomon slid the newspaper over to her. 

"Because the Countess came to me for advice." 

"Clearly, she has inherited her father's obsession with the mystery of immortality." 

Many nobles had long regarded the previous Earl Croft as mentally unstable. 

So it was no surprise that Lara was following in his footsteps. 

"Another mad Croft! That's the headline." 

"I don't recall us subscribing to gossip rags?" 

Bayonetta glanced at the paper. 

"We get every newspaper." 

"Dana arranged it. The owls deliver them." 

Solomon shook his head, smugly. 

"I came up with this idea. The androids keep a whole flock of owls as pets on the rooftop." 

The witch snorted in disdain. 

Despite being a spellcaster, he was obsessed with the childish magic tropes from storybooks. 

She had no idea what was going on in his head. 

"So, what exactly did Lara ask?" 

"Or is she just inviting you on a date? You into petite women?" 

"That is slander, Bayonetta." 

Solomon pulled out his phone. 

"Lara asked me if true immortality exists." 

"She mentioned a Syrian prophet and believes I'm an expert on the subject." 

"I doubt the Croft heiress will give up easily—so I gave her an honest answer." 

"She's going to Syria?" 

"That's just her preliminary assumption. But she strongly believes it's possible." 

"She also asked me not to disclose her whereabouts." 

"I have to admit, the Croft girl is relentless." 

Solomon's fingers tapped against the bronze-inlaid table, signaling that he had just made a decision. 

To emphasize his point, he even opened some of the files Lara had sent him. 

"Jeanne, the national hero of France." 

Solomon snapped his fingers. 

A thick tome thudded onto the table. 

"Not you, Jeanne. It's still breakfast time." 

"There were even immortality rumors about Jeanne d'Arc." 

"She was shot in the neck, bled out, and somehow returned to battle, unscathed." 

"She jumped from a tower in Rouen, which is now called the Jeanne d'Arc Tower, and survived without a scratch." 

"Compared to Lara's other examples—Rasputin, the Holy Grail of King Arthur, the Fountain of Youth—this one actually sounds plausible." 

"But the most important figure here is that Syrian prophet." 

Solomon continued, 

"According to the Ancient One, the Holy Grail legend is nothing like what people think." 

"This is just the tip of the iceberg from the previous Earl Croft's research into immortality." 

"I have a feeling that Lara's prophet might actually be connected to me." 

"It's a sign from fate—still unclear, but clear enough." 

"Arcanists of the Vishanti lineage, who specialize in truth and prophecy, have a keen awareness of their own destiny." 

"You sure that's not just an excuse?" 

Jeanne rolled her eyes. 

"I swear it's not." 

Solomon transferred a sum of money to Lara Croft's bank account. 

"Of course, this isn't all." 

"I've invested in her expedition." 

"She's desperate for a sponsor—her last medical bills were outrageous, and maintaining her manor isn't cheap." 

"Right now, Lara is basically broke." 

"So I lent a hand—when she returns, our household will have a new collection of antiques!" 

Though he joked, Solomon wasn't lying. 

He had felt the tremor of fate's threads in this matter. 

That afternoon, upon returning to Kamar-Taj, he planned to use the Cauldron of the Cosmos to trace the karmic fragments of this event— 

To discover his true connection to this immortal prophet. 

"Of course, Lara shouldn't be chasing old immortality legends." 

Solomon smirked. 

"She should be questioning what happened to herself." 

"She told me she was impaled in Yamatai—yet she didn't die." 

"I doubt any normal person could survive such an injury." 

"Even Rasputin and Jeanne weren't that resilient." 

"Are you saying Lara Croft isn't normal?" 

Bayonetta's interest piqued. 

"Perhaps." 

Solomon smiled. 

"Perhaps Lara represents humanity's courage and spirit of exploration." 

"We know nothing yet." 

"But once I meet that prophet, he'll tell us everything."

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