"Shen He, I'm very grateful for your help, but this also means we can only rely on you," Tony finally voiced his thoughts.
He had thought a lot about it last night. No matter how good his relationship with Shen He was, the huge disparity in their strength meant they were in an unequal state. Relying too much on one side wasn't a sustainable relationship.
He had once thought joining Chaldea could change this situation.
But now it seemed they couldn't truly join at all.
"Even without us, you could still solve the early difficulties," Shen He gently shook his head. "We intervened early on, but only to prepare for the final disaster. You've already overcome the initial disasters."
He now regretted making Chaldea stand as outsiders.
At the time, it was just to maintain mystery and increase the credibility of his words. He didn't think it would cause any divergence, since Thor could also be considered an outsider to them.
But now, it seemed different than he thought, because their involvement had become too deep.
It went so deep that it gave Tony and the others the illusion that they "couldn't leave Chaldea."
"Maybe, but how many people would be sacrificed in the process?"
As expected, Tony didn't dismiss Shen He's words.
"According to your predictions, the aliens will directly invade one of the world's largest cities without any warning. Even if we eventually stop the war, imagine how many civilians will be sacrificed, not to mention that everything has already changed. Who knows what will happen now? We need you."
Tony, who had come into contact with a larger world in advance, already felt a sense of crisis.
He wasn't a very secure person to begin with, or he wouldn't have created Ultron in the future. Now, Chaldea could be said to be the "barrier" in his heart, but the premise was that this "barrier" wouldn't suddenly disappear one day.
"Isn't this the reason we created this 'Chaldea Branch'?" Shen He couldn't help but say, "We said it before, this force doesn't just belong to us, it also belongs to you, Tony. Chaldea's purpose is to protect the Human Order. Strictly speaking, the establishment of this force has violated our consistent style, but it has only been supported by the headquarters under the reason of 'protecting the Human Order'."
To be honest, Shen He didn't want to be bound by the responsibility of saving the world.
It wasn't false that he was willing to save this disaster-ridden world, but it wasn't a responsibility. Even if he failed in the end, he wouldn't feel too guilty.
So, he didn't like the binding tendency that Tony was currently showing.
"Yes, yes, yes, that's what I want to say to you." Tony's expression became serious. "Don't interfere in the Civil War, don't save civilians, just protect the whole 'Human Order,' and regard the 'evil' of humanity as part of the Human Order. You've said it many times. Honestly, I can't understand it at all. You can do so much more."
"Hold on, hold on, I know what you want to say," Shen He raised his hand, his face full of helplessness.
The truth was just as he had imagined; Tony wanted to bind Chaldea, or rather, bind him here.
He also roughly guessed why. The day he suddenly disappeared gave them a sense of crisis.
But Shen He wasn't a hero. Moreover, the rewards from his activities in Toaru Majutsu no Index already showed that the Marvel world wouldn't bind him. Even if his travel cards ran out, once he drew a fragment of a certain world in the future, he could even take his Servants and completely leave the Marvel world.
However, if this matter isn't handled well, it might create a rift between him and Tony and the others.
"Actually..." Shen He murmured, "The crisis in the other world has already been resolved. We ended that war that could have destroyed the world, and as the person in charge, I got promoted."
"Promoted?" Tony was taken aback.
"That's right." Shen He nodded with a smile, "I'm now responsible for more worlds, and my benefits have also increased. I even have my own castle in the gaps between worlds. Your worries are actually unnecessary. We also have work performance. Even if something were to happen to me one day, Chaldea will send new employees over."
"Wait, you mean..." Tony also understood, "You guys are like administrative officials, one person in charge of one or several places, no, worlds?"
"That's how it is." Shen He shrugged, "After the war in that world was resolved, we erased most people's memories of us, and then left. Before the next crisis that humans can't solve on their own, we won't go back to that world. Even if we do, it'll just be for tourism. That's how Chaldea works."
The instance of the Toaru Majutsu no Index world does, to some extent, fit the image of Chaldea that he had boasted about before.
Shen He felt that, for the sake of his future plan to be a salted fish, it was indeed necessary to perfect the setting.
Tony didn't know what to say for a moment.
If Chaldea was a rigidly structured power, then they wouldn't be able to change anything.
But actually, his goal had already been partially achieved from the very beginning. He had come with the purpose of understanding more about Chaldea.
"Want to go take a look?" Shen He suddenly said.
"What?" Tony didn't react immediately.
"Go to my castle." Shen He smiled, "That place is considered my private territory. Strictly speaking, I haven't really invited you to my home to play before."
It could be said that apart from the hotel in Chinatown, the previous and subsequent residences couldn't be considered his own home.
"Sounds kind of nice, how do we get there?" Tony suddenly felt a strange sensation.
He was quite reclusive when he was studying because he was too smart, and basically didn't have anyone he could really talk to. Then, after inheriting Stark Industries, he didn't even have any real friends. Everyone around him was revolving around him. So, hearing Shen He say this, he realized that this was his first time going to a friend's house as an ordinary person.
"Wait a moment, I still need to pack some things. Right, call Steve, Coulson, Natasha, and the others over." Shen He looked very happy. "Also, buy enough food and alcohol. We'll have a party to celebrate my promotion."
"That does indeed need to be properly celebrated. I'll go notify them." Tony glanced at Shen He one last time and then walked away.
Shen He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. It seemed he had managed to get through it for now.
He and these heroes still had some subtle differences in their standpoints.
After thinking for a while in his mind, Shen He beckoned Jeanne and Violet to pack some things. Thinking about it, he just opened a "door" permanently in his room and then ran a network cable inside. If he planned to move and live in the castle, it wouldn't do to lose contact with the outside world.
So, when Tony and the others came to his room, what they saw was a dazzling door and the castle within.
"My God," Coulson couldn't help but murmur to himself, "I thought I'd seen too many incredible things, but reality always exceeds expectations."
"Actually, I'm more interested in asking if those maids are all yours?" Tony was incredibly jealous. "Don't tell me this is also one of Chaldea's perks. God, are you living like an emperor from ancient times? Why can't I actually join Chaldea?"
"Hahaha."
Shen He was laughing very happily, not hiding the smugness on his face at all.
After everyone truly entered the castle, what shocked them was still to come, such as the automatically suspended crystal lamps, exquisite and luxurious decorations, and a dining hall large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
Natasha had remained silent since entering.
Only after taking a wine glass and pretending to accidentally pinch the maid's finger did she confirm that everything here was real.
The subtle expressions on the maid's face were consistent with a normal person's reactions.
Chaldea was indeed an exceptionally mysterious and powerful force; Fury's caution was completely pointless.
Shen He saw Natasha's actions and a smile played on his lips.
No matter how luxurious the castle was, it wouldn't faze Tony or Steve much. But Natasha was different. Influenced by Fury, she always had some doubts about Chaldea's true situation. But now, she should have made up her mind.
"Everyone," Shen He took a wine glass from a maid and looked at the group, "I'm very glad to have met you all during this appointment. That's the truth. I'm just an ordinary person who was lucky enough to have the Master talent, while you are heroes who have emerged from among millions."
"Is this the Chinese way of being humble?" Tony walked over to Shen He with his own glass. "Shen He, shouldn't we say that it's our luck to have met you? Oh, God, I'm getting goosebumps from what I'm saying."
"So, Tony, do you understand how those who flatter you feel now?" Natasha quipped.
"I don't remember you ever kissing my ass, Miss Secretary," Tony retorted without hesitation.
"I don't think this counts as flattery," Coulson suddenly interjected, "Isn't it the truth?"
"Oh, Coulson."
As soon as those words were uttered, everyone else turned away, chuckling.
Clearly, their impressions of this "honest agent" had been refreshed.
"Hahaha, I like to hear that." Shen He, though slightly embarrassed by the praise, still had some composure. "I'll give you a raise, Coulson."
"Uh oh, 'humble' He is going to be spoiled." Tony quipped, then pulled up a chair and sat in front of Shen He. "He, can you tell us more about Chaldea? Honestly, it's just unbelievable. According to what you said before, this castle is located in the 'gaps of the world', right? Can we go to other worlds through it?"
The main show was here.
Shen He couldn't help but perk up.
This kind of deception, once you started, you had to keep doing it. Just sorting out the logic was exhausting enough.
But it was better than exposing the existence of the system.
"I can't explain the specific principle either, after all, I'm not a scientist." Shen He first avoided explaining the principle. "However, I can bring you, or even people from other worlds, here, but I can't take you from here to other worlds."
"Why?" Tony frowned, not quite understanding. "As long as the passage exists, why can't we go?"
The door from before was still there. Since it could bring people from other worlds, it should be feasible to bring them through that door to their own world.
"This is the rule of the world." Shen He, according to the planned setting, earnestly bullshitted. "Only specific people can travel between worlds. I just said, I was also fortunate enough to have the talent of a 'Master'. 'Master' is a group of people who can freely go to different worlds. Chaldea relies on this to protect the Human Order of various worlds."
"Then Miss Jeanne and the others?" Coulson couldn't help but ask, "Are they all Masters?"
"No." Shen He shook his head. "They are 'Servants'. They rely on a certain contract with the 'Master' to also travel through worlds, but the price is that they are restricted by the 'Master' to some extent. In addition, the contract is not so easy to achieve, it needs to meet strict conditions, and there is a large element of luck involved. Moreover, the contract is for life, so we are like family."
"Meaning." Tony understood, "Besides Masters and Servants, no one else can travel between worlds?"
"This…" Shen He hesitated for a moment, suddenly thinking of the Holy Grail appearing in the Toaru Majutsu no Index world, he didn't dare to be so definitive, "There's another situation, it's called 'smuggling', it will have a huge impact on the world. Among the world crises we've observed, many of them were caused by smugglers."
"That's a pity," Tony shook his head helplessly.
He had been hoping to truly join Chaldea, but it seemed he didn't have the Master talent, unless he could establish a contract with Shen He.
"This is also normal," Steve suddenly spoke up, "That's how the world is, Tony, you were a genius from birth, a billionaire. Some people are even gods from birth, but whether it's for better or for worse, we still have the possibility to change."
"Just like you, from a skinny little guy to a war hero admired by everyone?" Tony took a sip of his drink.
"So I cherish everything I have now, and I am also grateful for the trust the doctor had in me back then," Steve shrugged.
"Well, I'm also grateful to my father for making me a billionaire," Tony thought of Ivan Vanko.
That person who also had extraordinary talent, but because his father wasn't as amazing as his own father, he went down a path leading to the abyss.
Shen He also fell silent for a moment.
It wasn't as he'd said, that he was born with talent, that all the changes were because he had a system.
He turned and met Jeanne's gaze, her eyes filled with gentle warmth.
She had been watching him the whole time.
Although it was hard to say whether this change would ultimately be good or bad, Shen He also cherished everything he had now.
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