"This is the gift and responsibility I bestow upon you," Solomon said as he removed the Ring of Intimidation and placed it atop Ola's head.
Wearing this magical item meant Ola could no longer wear her helmet, but she didn't mind. For the artificial soldiers of the heavy weapons squad, any piece of equipment capable of weakening enemies in close quarters was vital. All the more so when the gift came directly from their Creator himself. Even if it had no practical use, it would still be revered as a sacred relic within the Sisterhood. Ola frequently turned back to wink at the other girls, then pointed at the magical ring atop her head. The envious stares from the others nearly pierced the blood-red visors of their helmets.
Commander Tita had told all the girls that they were the Monarch's daughters, and everything the Monarch did for them was a form of love. In the minds of Ola and the rest of the squad, Solomon bestowing magical equipment was the clearest proof of his affection. In order to win more of the Monarch's favor, every fighter in the Sisterhood would fight with all her might, hoping to catch his eye.
This was the Creator's blessing, and the girls were willing to risk their lives to receive it. Solomon, well aware of the homunculi's unwavering loyalty, didn't think much of it. Their personalities were naturally prone to extremes, and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to apply such zeal to devotion.
The heavy weapons squad didn't actually carry only heavy weaponry—a setup like that would be a disaster on the battlefield. The standard squad consisted of a captain wielding a longsword and an explosive pistol, and four troopers equipped with explosive assault rifles and fragmentation grenades. The so-called heavy weapons squad was a modification of that model, adjusted according to status and operational needs—Ola had swapped her chainsaw sword for a power longsword and her explosive pistol for a plasma pistol. Two squad members carried heavy explosive machine guns and ammo packs, while the remaining two wielded flamethrowers. It was a flexible configuration, suitable for responding to threats at any range and perfect for fulfilling their "protect the Monarch" mission.
If they had followed Commander Tita's full security protocol, they would've added five more troopers armed with melee weapons and shields to form a full battle unit. But Solomon found that too excessive for a minor mission. Rightfully so—regular firearms could barely scratch the black paint off their powered armor, creating only tiny pockmarks at best. The girls' counterattacks were fierce and blazing. The burning wrecks used as barricades nearby, and the acrid black smoke rising into the air, served as proof.
"Girls, we're done here," the arcanist said, pointing to the sky. "Contact the assault transport ship and go have a proper meal at the restaurant I bought. After that, return to headquarters."
"But…"
"Don't worry, my daughters, I won't run into any danger." Solomon barely held back from saying "I don't need your protection." He always treated the homunculi with gentle care, making every effort not to hurt their feelings. Especially since every one of them was only about 5'7" to 5'11" in height—in Solomon's eyes, they were just adorable little girls. "I just want to take a walk," he said. "I promise, there won't be any violent incidents."
"That's not the reason—Ms. Tita told us to keep an eye on you so you don't sneak off to Hollywood and sleep with a movie star!"
"What the hell? That's a thing? Who's spreading that rumor about me sleeping with actresses?" The arcanist suddenly thought of a possibility. "Has Tita been to the witches' apartment recently? Did you hear her talking to any of the witches?" The girls all shook their heads, claiming complete ignorance.
"Do as I say, girls," Solomon said with a smirk. "Go on now, don't make Daddy angry. And if it really was Tita who spread that rumor, I swear I'll spank her ass redder than a baboon's!"
Ola burst into giggles. Until the assault transport ship arrived, the girls whispered to one another, completely unrecognizable from the fierce, frenzied warriors who had just stormed through the neighborhood like demons born of fire. "At least tell us where you're going next," Ola said in a playful tone as she boarded the ship. "Otherwise, Tita will tan my hide before you ever get to hers. You know how rough she can be!"
"It's the witches' birthday soon. I'm just going to buy some jewelry as a gift."
"As long as you're not caught sleeping with a movie star, it's fine."
"I said it's a rumor!"
"I said it's a rumor! I have absolutely no connection with any Hollywood actresses! I like Gal Gadot because my girlfriend also has long legs!" Solomon swore repeatedly, then opened the black jewelry box he had just bought. Inside was an intricately crafted Tiffany necklace, designed with 18K gold vines and thistle flower motifs, adorned with leaf-shaped diamonds. He had pre-ordered the piece six months earlier as a birthday gift for Bayonetta—but it looked like he'd have to give it to her sooner than planned. Jeanne's gift had yet to be chosen, though he was eyeing a tassel diamond necklace featuring 23 carats of step-cut diamonds and 62 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds. The handcrafted platinum tassels had a dynamic, asymmetrical beauty.
"So you brought me here to pick out jewelry… for your girlfriend?" Natasha Romanoff felt like a balloon swelling with flammable gas, sitting beside Solomon in the lounge area. And Solomon, the guy holding the torch, showed absolutely no awareness that he was about to cause an explosion.
"Do you know what it means to bring a woman to a jewelry store?"
"To pick out jewelry."
"And then?" the spy said, her voice as calm and cheerful as if she were delighted by the store's dazzling display of gems. But any man with common sense knew not to trust a woman's words at face value. Solomon blinked. In his eyes, Natasha Romanoff's aetheric body sparked with red lightning—but it radiated inward, not outward. The arcanist immediately understood her thoughts. Honestly, this was way more effective than any guidebook on understanding women's subtext. Words could be misunderstood, but even if Romanoff had trained her mind to treat lies as truth, her aetheric body never lied.
"I got you a gift too," Solomon said quietly, pulling out his phone to message the Tiffany flagship store manager he knew. "I didn't get a chance to give it to you on Halloween. I figured you wouldn't want anything too flashy," he added, "so I got you a pair of platinum diamond earrings. Look, the manager already brought them over."
"You really didn't lie?" Agent Romanoff asked with a smile. She had already noticed Solomon's sleight of hand—his spycraft was far too amateurish to fool her. Still, she didn't want to burst this little soap bubble yet. Watching the boy she'd known since he was young squirm and blush as he tried to lie was a rare treat.
"Of course, of course! Go ahead and see if you like it."
"I got you a gift too," she said. "Also from this store."
"What?" Solomon was genuinely surprised. From his perspective, there was no way Romanoff could've known they'd end up at Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue, let alone have something prepared in advance.
"A TIFFANY CT60 Limited Edition Annual Calendar 40mm watch, Ms. Romanoff," the manager said, opening the box to show the timepiece she had ordered. Solomon was stunned—he hadn't expected Natasha was being serious.
"I'm a spy, big boy. I knew your order details ages ago," Natasha Romanoff said with a smile. "This is my gift to you. Try it on."
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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