As a scientist, Tony immediately became excited. It had been a long time since he had felt this kind of thrill in the field of science. Even when developing new suits of armor, he had never been this energized.
Soon, the aircraft landed on the royal-exclusive landing platform. A group of female guards had already been waiting.
T'Challa stepped off the aircraft. The guards standing on both sides saluted him in unison. Every one of them was a woman, all with shaved heads—their appearance identical to Okoye's.
"Queen Ramonda. Princess Shuri."
Nakia stepped forward and bowed to the Queen and Shuri.
Queen Ramonda reached out to steady Nakia.
"Nakia, it's so good to have you back."
After that, Lucas and Tony came forward. The moment the guards noticed outsiders, they raised their weapons and aimed them at the two of them.
Because of vibranium, Wakanda was extremely xenophobic. They had no intention of letting the outside world learn what Wakanda was truly like.
"Lower your weapons."
T'Challa raised a hand and gave the order.
The guards complied, lowering their weapons, though their gazes remained wary as they watched Lucas and Tony.
"Am I really that unwelcome?" Tony pouted. "I'm Iron Man, you know."
Wherever Tony Stark went, he was usually the center of attention. Yet in Wakanda, he had somehow become a detainee instead.
Lucas smiled but said nothing.
At that moment, Shuri suddenly rushed up to Tony and grabbed his hand excitedly.
"Tony Stark! Wow—so it really is Tony Stark! Where's your Iron Man suit? Hurry, take it out and let me see it!"
Her enthusiasm was completely at odds with the image of a princess, but clearly, everyone present was already used to her lively personality. After all, the throne would pass to her brother—she was free to do whatever she liked.
Tony froze, then turned to look at Lucas.
"See? Your 'Iron Man' title isn't completely useless after all."
Lucas chuckled teasingly. Shuri herself was a technology fanatic and had always been deeply interested in Iron Man's armor. In fact, when designing T'Challa's new Black Panther suit, she had even referenced certain details from Iron Man's armor.
"Oh, right—forgot to introduce myself," Shuri said cheerfully. "I'm Shuri. T'Challa's my brother."
Her straightforward, lively personality made it impossible not to like her.
"Enough," T'Challa said, stopping Shuri just as she tried to drag Tony away. "We can talk later. For now, I'm taking them to see Father."
Under the escort of the royal guard, the group headed toward the palace.
Along the way, Tony was repeatedly stunned by Wakanda's level of technology. The palace alone was far more advanced than Stark Tower, leaving him in awe.
They soon arrived inside the palace. In the grand hall, King T'Chaka sat upon the central throne, with several elders seated beside him.
"Father, I'm back."
T'Challa crossed his arms over his chest and bowed. Everyone around him followed suit—except for Lucas and Tony.
Tony, arrogant as ever, would never bow to anyone. Lucas didn't either. As someone from another world, the belief in equality from his previous life made it impossible for him to perform such feudal gestures.
Queen Ramonda naturally took her seat beside the throne. Shuri stood obediently behind her—though her eyes darted around restlessly, clearly unable to sit still.
"T'Challa, are you hurt?"
T'Chaka's voice was aged, yet powerful—nothing like that of a frail old man.
"Are these your friends?"
T'Chaka looked at Lucas and Tony behind his son. He recognized them immediately. While Lucas was virtually unknown, T'Chaka had watched the Battle of New York—via satellite—start to finish.
With Wakanda's technological capabilities, even S.H.I.E.L.D. could not detect their satellites. And even if someone noticed a satellite passing overhead, who would ever suspect Wakanda? To the outside world, Wakanda was still nothing more than a poor agricultural nation.
The scene of Lucas transforming into Ramuh had deeply unsettled even T'Chaka. Wakanda's technology was indeed formidable, but he had no confidence that it could rival a being who commanded thunder itself.
He then looked at Tony Stark.
This was a man he knew very well—constantly featured on the front pages of global tabloids. A classic playboy. And the title of "Iron Man" had elevated him to an entirely new level.
T'Chaka held Tony Stark in high regard for his promotion of clean energy. Wakanda itself had risen through the use of clean energy, and T'Chaka understood its advantages better than anyone.
Seeing his son return with these two men, T'Chaka already had a general idea of the situation. Though he didn't yet know Tony's true intentions, Wakanda only had a few things capable of attracting someone like him—technology and vibranium. And during the Battle of New York, T'Chaka had clearly seen Iron Man's vibranium armor.
"Have seats prepared for our guests."
With a wave of his hand, two guards brought over chairs.
Lucas and Tony sat down without ceremony. If you could sit, why stand? Neither of them was the type to stand on formalities.
Despite the age gap of over a decade, the two had become good friends largely because they were alike in many ways—most notably, they were both thick-skinned and overly familiar with everyone.
"You've traveled a great distance to Wakanda," T'Chaka said calmly. "This isn't merely a sightseeing trip, is it? You came for vibranium."
He went straight to the point. Vibranium was the only thing that could truly tempt Tony Stark.
Tony didn't bother hiding it. He had come to buy vibranium, not steal it.
"Yes. I want to purchase some vibranium for research."
T'Chaka nodded. His猜测 had been correct.
Stark Industries was famous worldwide—even Wakandans knew of it. In the past, Stark Industries had offered aid to Wakanda at a United Nations conference, but T'Chaka had refused. Wakanda had never accepted assistance from any country or organization—there was no need.
"You already possess a vibranium suit," T'Chaka said. "Is that still not enough?"
He did not ask about the source of Tony's vibranium. He already knew—it was from the batch stolen by Ulysses Klaue.
"It's not enough," Tony replied. "Vibranium has an extremely high melting point, and once it's formed, it's incredibly difficult to re-melt. I want more for further research."
As someone who had personally witnessed the process of smelting vibranium, Tony understood its properties well. Small amounts mixed into other metals—like Captain America's shield—were manageable. But pure vibranium was another matter entirely. At present, Stark Industries simply did not possess the technology to repeatedly re-smelt it.
"Vibranium is not for sale," T'Chaka said firmly. "What you obtained before was stolen by a villain. I'm afraid I cannot help you."
He rejected Tony's request outright.
Vibranium had never been allowed to leave Wakanda—this was a rule passed down through generations. Moreover, vibranium was the material of the Black Panther armor and a symbol of the royal family. It was absolutely forbidden from being exported.
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