Marvel: Trading with Worlds

"Godfather?"

"Well, you could say that's one way to explain it to the outside world. I'm your father's personal friend. Here, eating some chocolate frogs might make you feel better."

When James Marcus's name was mentioned, Alicia seemed to think of her father again, and her eyes turned red. 

Kain, who was not particularly skilled at comforting children, pulled out some snacks from the wizarding world and placed them on Alicia's bed.

The animated chocolate frog immediately caught her attention.

As for whether chocolate might affect Alicia's physical condition, it wasn't a concern. The repair capabilities of the Extremis virus serum far surpassed those of the T-virus. 

Even severed limbs could regrow over time, so repairing her aging disease was trivial in comparison.

 However, because of her young age, Kain had no choice but to inject her with the perfected Extremis virus serum to save her life. No matter how weak she was, her body could handle it.

"Godfather, is this really chocolate?"

Alicia's sadness began to fade as her attention shifted to the chocolate frog. She had just been choked earlier by a strange-flavored bean that, unfortunately, tasted like booger.

"This is real chocolate," Kain assured her. "Now, get some rest. Before long, I'll completely cure your illness and make you healthy again."

With a wave of his hand, the snacks in front of Alicia floated to the table beside her. A small stream of water rinsed her mouth clean, and a gentle force nudged her onto the bed. 

The quilt nearby floated up and tucked her in.

These magical gestures were enough to fulfill Alicia's fantasies about wizardry. She also noticed something similar to a magical agreement appear before her, detailing a promise to ensure her healthy growth. 

The wording felt familiar—her father often said a prayer for her every night before bed.

Feeling reassured, Alicia finally relaxed.

After Kain left the room and the lights dimmed, Alicia lay quietly in bed. But after a while, she suddenly sat up, tiptoed out of bed, and crept over to the table where the snacks were piled up. 

She had just tasted a honey-milk-flavored bean and wanted to try her luck again.

This time, her bad luck persisted. She accidentally ate another bean that tasted like booger, scrunching up her face in disgust before spitting it out. 

Disappointed, she climbed back into bed and fell asleep.

Kain, meanwhile, paid no attention to what was happening upstairs. Before leaving the room, he had cast a protective charm over Alicia. 

Tomorrow, he planned to give her one or two defensive alchemical accessories, which would essentially guarantee her safety.

Not to mention the dozen or so people downstairs.

When Kain descended the stairs, he glanced at Wesker and the group Isaac had sent. Every one of them was under the Imperius Curse. 

When Isaac arrived in the morning, Kain intended to deal with him similarly.

Wesker and Isaac were both Alicia's enemies. Once Alicia grew up, Kain planned to leave them to her discretion. 

For now, though, they would stay alive. Isaac would be useful for developing artificial intelligence programs, and Wesker could handle some dirty work.

Kain addressed the group: "Your task is to protect Alicia. You may die, but she must live."

"Yes," they replied in unison.

People under the Imperius Curse have no sense of self; they exist solely to obey the caster's orders unconditionally.

After issuing his instructions to the cursed individuals, Kain went to James Marcus's study. 

He expected to find materials James had left behind and intended to use them to learn more about the Umbrella Corporation.

Some files on the computer were encrypted and inaccessible, but Kain was able to extract useful information: Umbrella's corporate structure, personnel data, and various reports.

"As expected of a global conglomerate monopolizing multiple industries," Kain muttered to himself. "Over three million employees—and that's just the recorded ones. Satellite aerospace, biotechnology, defense, military industries..."

There was a mountain of material to sift through, far too much to read in a single night. Umbrella's scope of research and development was immense. 

Even acquiring just half of its technology would propel the Pent Group to rapid growth, expanding its reach into multiple fields.

For now, however, Kain couldn't access most of Umbrella's technological assets. He would have to wait until he became the de facto chairman of the company before slowly transferring all of Umbrella's innovations to his own control.

"Why destroy such a powerful organization when it can be repurposed?" Kain mused, shaking his head. He shut down the computer and settled in to wait for Isaac's arrival. 

If things went as expected, Isaac would first try to take Alicia to formalize guardianship through notarization. After that, he would likely oversee James Marcus's funeral.

The night passed quickly. Kain continued reviewing Umbrella Corporation's materials, familiarizing himself with the operations of the massive multinational monopoly he was about to take over.

In the morning, Alicia came downstairs, rubbing her eyes groggily. She had woken up earlier than usual, and after confirming that the magical snacks on the table were still there, she felt a sense of relief.

However, when she saw Wesker and the other guards downstairs, Alicia felt a pang of fear. Wesker, in particular, gave her chills. 

There was something cold and terrifying about him, and she remembered that he had been in the house the day her father had his accident.

"Come here, Alicia," Kain called.

….

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