An inconspicuous restaurant in London currently played host to several intelligence officers of different nationalities. Centered within their vision was a golden apple sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Each sat tensely and eyed the object with a mixture of curiosity, fear, and greed.
These officials all represented different governments and intelligence agencies. And all had the common desire to snatch the apple so that their government could study it. As sensible individuals, however, they knew they would never succeed. At least, not when they were in the heart of the UK and on such short notice.
But even this rational understanding, while initially enough to make them stay their hands, wasn’t enough to check their desires. In the end, a brawl erupted as each vied for possession of the apple
At MI13’s underground base Mr. A, using the nation’s satellite cameras, witnessed the Celtic god leap up and speed towards Buckingham Palace. He anxiously dialed his phone and ordered the Queen’s guards to double down on their defenses before turning back to the wall of surveillance monitors.
At the moment all he could do was pray that the situation did not devolve further. After all, Christ was currently walking the Earth, right? But from the corner of his eye, he noticed something strange unfold on one of the screens.
One of the screens displayed the interior of what looked like a restaurant. And in it, multiple intelligence operatives were fighting tooth and nail for a golden apple. Even his own country’s officers were involved in the tussle, and he could only sigh at the disgrace of the situation.
“What are those people doing?!” he shouted
“W-we don’t know what happened, sir. After seeing the apple, everyone went crazy.”
A scholar who had been observing the monitor wiped his sweat as he responded. He hesitated for a moment and continued, “There are no records of golden apples in Celtic mythology, but they are famous in Greek mythology. Although there was no exact description of its usage, it prompted the Trojan War.”
“This apple, perhaps, has the effect of increasing people’s greed.”
Hearing the scholar’s explanation, Mr. A sucked in cold air. He could not help but say, “Why would the god give such a valuable thing to the restaurant owner as meal money? Could there be some kind of conspiracy?”
“No, I don’t think this is any… The Fairy Queen had constantly been eating them to no detriment. Perhaps for mortals, it might be different, but for those two, golden apples might as well be snacks.”
Another scholar couldn’t help but mutter. This conclusion shocked everyone, but they had complex expressions.
Just a random fruit eaten by the gods could cause an uproar among mortals and even cause a war. The difference between gods and mortals seemed clear.
“We absolutely cannot let this golden apple be taken away by other countries. That thing belongs to Britain. This is the land of Great Britain and we are its owners. Quick, send some people to retrieve it. Right, make sure they don’t use firearms. Only batons.”
With such a mysterious item to research, they could not let it land in the hands of other countries.
Mr. A was also quite sensible. After seeing the elite intelligence officers lose their minds, he ordered the backup to not bring any guns. If they suddenly went crazy and fired guns, a small-scale war would probably erupt in the heart of London.
A golden apple had caused the Trojan War in Greece, luring countless heroes and gods to fight against each other. Although not as magnificent as the mythological account, dozens of national intelligence officers around the world fighting each other was still a rare occurrence.
“And be sure to arrest all those intelligence officers.”
It just so happens that all of these countries’ intelligence agents jumped out on their own. This helped MI5 and MI6 a lot. Mr. A was suddenly a little exuberant. Being able to clear out foreign spy networks in one swoop was a blessing in disguise.
But when he thought of Buckingham Palace, he frowned again.
….
……
In Westminster, the symbol of Britain’s royal family stood the Buckingham Palace. The military had all surrounded the palace and placed it under martial law. Many soldiers busied themselves with patrols. The royal family and housekeepers living in Buckingham Palace also carried out large bags.
The Queen, the Prince, the Crown Princess, the little princes and princesses of Britain were gathered here. In this chaotic scene, the older members of the royal family were at least knowledgeable and calm, while the younger princes and princesses were pale with horror.
Not all the royals lived in Buckingham Palace, but the Queen had been afraid that the Celtic god would direct his anger on her offspring, so she called back all family members in London and neighboring cities to take refuge in the palace.
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was just five years old and was crying. The heavy and irritable atmosphere of the surroundings stressed her out and filled her with fear. Even if she was a princess, she was still a five-year-old girl. In this frightening atmosphere, she could only bawl out.
Prince William and his consort worked together to comfort their daughter. At this time, no one paid them any mind. Everyone was already busy enough and her crying made the tense atmosphere even worse, causing them to want to scold her.
“Hide that painting properly. It’s a real painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s one of humanity’s treasures.”
As one of the strongest empires of the previous era, Britain had amassed countless famous paintings and antiques all over the world. Although many of them were displayed in the British Museum, a part of them belonged to the royal family and was displayed in Buckingham Palace.
The royal family feared that this collection would be destroyed with the arrival of the god, so it wanted to preserve as many of them as possible.
“Buckingham Palace is likely to be finished…”
The aged Queen sighed at the thought of the incoming events. Perhaps this was a test from God?
“Mother, it just so happens that Buckingham Palace needs to be renovated inside out. If it’s ruined, it’s ruined.”
The eldest son of the Queen approached and consoled her.
“Renovated?”
The Queen shook her head and smiled. As the longest-reigning monarch of Britain, she quickly calmed down and joked, “The royal family had long been unable to afford to renovate Buckingham Palace. When it rains, the ceiling even leaks. If it’s all destroyed, the royal family would not have the money to build it up again. Even if the government decides to fund it, Buckingham Palace would have nothing to do with us anymore.
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Crown Prince Charles went silent. For the Japanese royal family, the government would help fund the repairs to the royal residence, but for the British royal family, they had to use their own money to repair the palace. This was the reason why parts of Buckingham Palace were open to visitors. The profits helped them accumulate money for repairs.
If the government pays for the renovation and reconstruction, it would be equivalent to using taxpayers’ money. Then, Buckingham Palace would then belong to the government and not the royal family. Leaving them with no qualifications to live there.
“You and your father live wastefully. I already told you, we should work together to overcome difficulties…”
The Queen chatted on and Crown Prince Charles could not help but laugh.
At this moment, a butler quickly came to the Queen’s side and whispered a few words. She turned to the rest of her family and said, “All right. Let’s get going.” The Celt had arrived and so they needed to move faster.
She took one final look at the palace grounds and began to make for the exit
However, the royal family’s movements were a step too slow. A loud boom echoed from the entrance of the palace as a person fell from the sky and landed there.
“What’s happening?”
“Did the Celt attack?”
“Guards, guards!”
“……”
Buckingham Palace immediately descended into chaos. These princes and princesses who lived in an era of peace creed wailed as they saw the soldiers running forward.
“Quiet. All of you keep quiet. You are all part of the royal family of Britain. Do not lose the face of the royal family!”
The Queen was truly someone who had experienced World War II. At this time, she wouldn’t allow the family’s prestige to diminish.
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