The morning after the press conference, the sunlight visited the seaside cottage on time as usual.
The sound of the waves was rhythmic and constant, and the salty breeze blew through the half-open window, brushing against the potted herbs with small white flowers that Minerva had just planted on the kitchen windowsill.
When Artoria walked down the stairs, the aroma of breakfast had already filled the air.
The charred aroma of whole-wheat toast, toasted just right; the oily fragrance of the slightly curled edges of the fried eggs; and the crisp sweetness of fresh orange juice.
Minerva stood at the stove with her back to her, wearing that light blue shirt—sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her smoothly lined forearms.
She was carefully using a pair of long-handled tongs to lift bacon strips out of the frying pan one by one, draining the excess grease, and then arranging them in a near-perfect fan shape on a pristine white bone china plate.
The morning light outlined the edges of her silver-white hair and her straight back; her focused posture made it seem as if she were calibrating a precision instrument rather than preparing breakfast.
'Morning, Minerva.' Artoria sat down at the dining table, her voice carrying the laziness of having just woken up.
'Good morning, Artoria.' Minerva did not turn her head, but her movements with the bacon tongs did not pause for a second. 'Breakfast will be ready in thirty seconds. The vitamin C content in today's orange juice is 12% above average, so I recommend drinking it first.'
'Yes, yes, Health Supervisor.' Artoria smiled and picked up the glass of bright orange juice; the temperature was just right.
She picked up the remote and turned on the living room TV, lowering the volume.
The morning news anchor spoke quickly, and various images flashed across the screen—the crowds still gathered outside Stark Industries headquarters, charts showing the volatile stock market, and the repeatedly played clip of Tony saying, 'I am Iron Man.'
Almost every channel was discussing 'Iron Man', analyzing his technology, impact, and the legal and ethical issues.
Then, inevitably, the screen cut to the clip of the reporter from the Daily Bugle asking questions at yesterday's press conference, and the close-up of Tony responding about 'the magic girl Aerith'.
The host's voice carried a hint of teasing: '...Mr. Stark not only admitted that he is that mysterious armored warrior, but he also brought us a fairytale-like subplot—a young female friend named
Aerith
who knows
magic
. Stark claimed that this friend provided key assistance when he was in danger and even possessed the ability to
heal wounds
. Although Stark himself was serious, the word
magic
undoubtedly added a surreal layer to the whole event. Currently, there is no independent evidence or footage to confirm the existence of this Ms.
Aerith
, and the Stark Industries spokesperson has not commented further. Netizens have already started a creative craze, and topics like #FindingAlice and #Stark'sMagicGirl are trending on social media...'
Artoria looked at the various 'magic Girl Aerith' images photoshopped by netizens on the screen—some had halos and held light swords, some wore exaggerated Lolita dresses and waved star wands, and there were even ones where she and Iron Man were photoshopped onto comic book covers—she couldn't help but rub her forehead and sigh softly.
Sure enough, once things get involved with Tony Stark and words like 'magic', they slide towards strange directions at the speed of light.
'The speed of public opinion fermentation matches the expected model, but the entertainment-oriented trend exceeds initial estimates.' Minerva's voice sounded beside her; she had already perfectly placed the two breakfasts on the table and sat down opposite Artoria.
Her optical sensors calmly 'watched' the TV screen. 'Explaining unconventional abilities as
magic
and letting it be rapidly deconstructed and turned into entertainment by popular culture is, to a certain extent, an efficient strategy for confusion and dilution, which can effectively reduce the pressure of serious-level threat assessments and systematic investigations. However, the negative effect is that your image may be solidified within this... insufficiently rigorous cognitive framework.'
'As long as no one actually comes to find me to
spar with magic
while holding a magic wand, it'll be fine.' Artoria cut into her fried egg, the golden yolk flowing out. She dipped her bread in it and popped it into her mouth; the taste was as good as ever. 'Besides, the
magic
Tony mentioned is already practically like real magic to current Earth technology. Let them guess. Compared to this...'
She put down her knife and fork and looked at Minerva: 'After yesterday's press conference, was there any special
movement
? I mean, non-entertainment related.'
Minerva nodded. Her fingers tapped in the air, and a pale blue holographic screen that only the two of them could see unfolded above the dining table, listing encrypted data streams and monitoring summaries.
'Within seven hours after the press conference ended, S.H.I.E.L.D. launched three low-intensity, broad-spectrum passive detection waves at this area, attempting to scan for abnormal energy residues or communication signals, all of which were blocked by the concealment field and my anti-detection protocols.'
'Agent Coulson's personal encrypted line attempted to call your unregistered number once at four in the morning, but left no message.'
'Stark Industries' Jarvis system, under the direct authorization of Tony Stark, sent a non-public, detailed copy of legal documents to one of our backup encrypted data channels last night. The content includes the entire evidence chain of all discovered illegal activities by Obadiah Stane, as well as an outline of the internal audit and compliance reforms that Stark Industries is about to launch.'
'The postscript is:
Just in case, and to satisfy your curiosity. PS: Potts said thank you, she invites you to have afternoon tea when you are free, formally.
'
Artoria raised an eyebrow. Tony, that guy, is certainly straightforward when it comes to dropping evidence. With this in hand, at least on some levels, they are on the same side as Tony,
insiders
who share some secrets. Potts' invitation also conveyed a sincere sense of gratitude.
'Anything else?'
'Deep web space monitoring detected at least seven highly covert data crawlers from different sources that, in the past twelve hours, have started cross-referencing all public and semi-public abnormal event reports, medical miracle records, urban legends, and supernatural research archives from the past five years globally, using keyword combinations like
Aerith
,
healing
,
white light
,
female with long staff
. The algorithmic signatures of three of these crawlers are related to several known multinational pharmaceutical groups, private military companies, and a
Paranormal Phenomena Research Association
registered in Switzerland.'
'Additionally, three targeted information streams with vague sources and unclear intentions were detected attempting to penetrate the civilian network interface on the perimeter of the cottage, all of which were guided to a harmless virtual sandbox.' Minerva's report was clear and calm. 'Threat level assessment: Currently, these are all low-intensity intelligence gathering activities; no direct hostile intent or signs of preparing for actual action have been detected. It is recommended to maintain the current alert level and continue observation.'
'It seems the title of
magic Girl
has attracted quite a few curious butterflies, and flies.' Artoria drank some orange juice, her tone unsurprised. Tony pushing her to the forefront was bound to have these consequences. But as long as they didn't cross the bottom line, she didn't mind being observed. Sometimes, being put in the light allows one to see the shadows in the dark better.
Breakfast continued in peace. Artoria turned off the noisy TV, and only the slight clinking of tableware and the sound of waves remained in the living room. The sunlight grew warmer, spilling over Minerva's silver-white hair tips and her calm profile.
'What's the plan for today?' Artoria asked after finishing the last bite of bacon. Life had to go on; she couldn't stop her own rhythm just because of ripples from the outside World.
'According to the schedule, this morning we need to organize the basement, classifying and packaging the previous experimental waste and old components that are no longer needed for subsequent safe disposal.'
'In the afternoon, the physical books on astrophysics and quantum biology you ordered last week are expected to arrive. Also,' Minerva paused, her optical sensors turning to Artoria, 'you previously mentioned wanting to try starting a small herb garden on the east side of the terrace. I have already prepared the soil and seeds. The lighting and humidity conditions are suitable today; if you are interested, we can begin the initial soil preparation and sowing.'
Her arrangements were always like this, methodical, properly incorporating necessary housework, Artoria's hobbies, and learning needs, full of a grounded sense of life. This allowed Artoria's heartstrings, which had been slightly tightened by external attention, to completely relax.
'Sure, let's do as you say. Organize the basement first, then wait for the books, and plant herbs in the afternoon.' Artoria stood up and stretched. 'By the way, some of the things in the basement are quite heavy, so I'll have to trouble you.'
'This is my duty, Artoria.' Minerva also stood up and began to neatly clear the tableware. 'Besides, handling those metals and composite materials does not constitute a burden for me.'
Her tone was flat, but Artoria could feel a faint, almost imperceptible 'willingness' beneath that flatness. This was not a programmed response, but more like a... natural reaction. The 'heart' given by Mother Earth seemed to have grown a little more in these trivial, warm daily interactions.
In the morning, they were busy in the basement and storage room. Minerva was responsible for moving and sorting heavy objects; her strength and control precision made this work exceptionally efficient and safe. Artoria was responsible for recording and packing some smaller precision components and materials.
Lunch was a simple chicken salad sandwich. In the afternoon, the books arrived on time. Artoria sat in a rocking chair by the living room window, flipping through those thick, ink-scented professional books, occasionally lost in thought, occasionally using a pen to record something in the notebook beside her. Minerva sat quietly at a desk not far away, processing her never-ending stream of information monitoring, but kept the keyboard clicking sound to a minimum.
When the afternoon sun became soft and no longer scorching, they went to the terrace. Minerva had already prepared several rectangular planting boxes filled with nutrient soil mixed according to scientific proportions, with small bags of basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme seeds neatly placed next to them, along with small trowels and a watering can.
Artoria crouched down, grabbed a handful of deep brown soil, and felt its loose, fertile texture. 'You even prepared the soil?'
'I performed an optimized substrate ratio based on the growth habits of these herbs and local climate data, and added slow-release organic fertilizer.' Minerva also crouched beside her, handing her a small trowel. 'I will provide guidance on sowing depth and spacing.'
They began to work. Artoria used the small trowel to dig shallow sowing furrows, while Minerva used her incredibly steady fingers to place the tiny seeds one by one at precise intervals. Their movements were not fast, but very tacit. The sunlight spilled onto them, warm and cozy. The sea breeze blew, carrying the scent of fresh soil from the planting boxes.
'You know, Minerva,' Artoria said softly while carefully covering the soil,'sometimes I feel that, planting herbs like this, reading books, waiting for you to make delicious food, watching the stars together at night... days like this, it feels like I could live them for a lifetime.'
Minerva's fingers, which were placing seeds, paused imperceptibly for 0.1 seconds. Her optical sensors turned to Artoria's lowered, focused profile, the sunlight dancing on her long eyelashes.
'In database definitions,
a lifetime
is a time concept based on the lifespan of carbon-based organisms, full of variables and uncertainties.' She stated calmly, and then, her tone underwent an extremely subtle change, as if trying to understand a deeper meaning, 'But if what you are referring to is the desire to maintain the current state pattern, then, from logic and the deduction of my core protocols, ensuring the long-term stable existence of this state is my highest priority goal. Planting herbs, obtaining ingredients, optimizing the living environment, ensuring your safety and health, observing celestial movements... these behavioral patterns are highly consistent with the ultimate goal.'
She seemed to feel that the expression was not precise enough, and added, her voice a little softer than usual: 'Also, data shows that when performing these tasks, several of your physiological pleasure indicators and emotional stability coefficients are at high levels. This... is very good.'
Artoria raised her head and looked at her. Minerva's face still had no expression, but those optical sensors were glowing with a soft blue light in the sunlight, reflecting Artoria's own shadow and the blue sky behind her. There were no flowery words, no profound philosophy, but these two simple, unadorned words 'very good', based on data and logic, made a certain place in Artoria's heart become incomparably soft and secure.
'Mm, it is very good.' She smiled and nodded, continuing the work in her hands.
The herbs were planted and watered. The two stood side by side on the terrace, watching the sunset slowly sink toward the sea level, dyeing the sky and the sea into a brilliant golden red. The outlines of the distant city began to light up, and the hustle and bustle of another World had just begun. But here, there was only the wind, only the sea, only the steady breathing of the person beside her and a reassuring presence.
At night, before going to bed, Artoria finished washing up and sat at the vanity, combing her long hair. Minerva walked over, naturally took the comb, stood behind her, and began to help her comb it. Her movements were gentle and skillful.
'Artoria,' Minerva suddenly spoke amidst the sound of the comb passing through her hair, 'today's peripheral information monitoring shows that the military blockade in the Puente Antiguo area of New Mexico is still continuing, but encrypted communication traffic had an abnormal surge in the evening. At the same time, observatories and satellite monitoring stations around the World detected brief, inexplicable aurora phenomena and electromagnetic disturbances, the source of which seems to point to... outside Earth.'
Artoria's hair-combing movement paused slightly. Mjolnir... the time of Thor's exile seemed to be getting closer. And that gaze from the Universe that came with the arrival of the God of Thunder.
'Understood.' She said softly, 'Continue to observe. For now... we are just spectators.'
'Understood.' Minerva combed the last strand of hair smooth and put down the comb.
They slept in each other's arms as usual. In the familiar warm embrace and the steady sound of a 'heartbeat', Artoria drifted into sleep. Minerva's optical sensors glowed faintly in the darkness, quietly watching the peaceful sleeping face of the person in her arms. At the same time, deep in her core, countless threads were still silently running, monitoring the night sky, monitoring the distant desert, and monitoring this World that was gradually becoming no longer peaceful.
Outside, the galaxy was vast. Some ripples had already spread, and some storms were gathering in the distance. But at least at this moment, this cottage on the sea cliff remained the most peaceful and warm point in the eye of the storm.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the fanfiction has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 or more chapters in advance over on my patreon: patreon.com/FTLGenBen
Also every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone, Thanks.