Chapter 29: Heart Shaped Herb

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Heart Shaped Herb

"I’ll be Wakanda’s most reliable friend."

Daniel smiled as he said it.

’Here it comes.’

King T’Chaka thought to himself.

’Now he’s finally making his request.’

Daniel had just finished demonstrating his strength.

And it was terrifying.

Wakanda had no way to stop someone like him.

The king had to admit he was tempted.

If Daniel became Wakanda’s ally, then Wakanda would gain a layer of protection every bit as powerful as the energy shield surrounding the nation.

Just imagine it.

If Wakanda ever faced a crisis, all Daniel had to do was lend a hand.

With the power he had displayed, he could deal with almost any threat imaginable.

If a person like that stood on your side, it was reassuring.

If he stood on the enemy’s side, it was enough to make anyone lose sleep.

T’Chaka had already made up his mind.

As long as Daniel’s demands weren’t excessive, he would do his best to satisfy them.

If it didn’t seriously damage Wakanda’s interests, he would agree.

Need people?

He’d provide people.

Need money?

He’d provide money.

Need resources?

He’d provide resources.

This was someone who absolutely had to be befriended.

Under no circumstances could he be made an enemy.

The thought alone made T’Chaka uneasy.

What if they rejected Daniel’s request?

What if Daniel happened to be the petty, grudge holding type?

The image of someone like him deciding to hold a personal vendetta against Wakanda made the king shiver internally.

T’Chaka always preferred planning for the worst-case scenario.

And the conclusion was simple.

Daniel was not someone he could afford to provoke.

The man was terrifying.

What exactly could stop him?

His status as King of Wakanda?

His identity as the Black Panther?

T’Chaka subconsciously glanced down at his slightly rounded stomach.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

’Can I even fit into the Black Panther suit?’

The thought made him feel even less secure.

Where could he hide from someone like Daniel?

Nowhere...

There wasn’t a single place on Earth that would truly be safe.

Build a Vibranium bunker?

Lock himself inside forever?

That might not work either.

Hadn’t everyone just witnessed a Vibranium spear fail to even scratch Daniel’s skin?

Even if a Vibranium fortress could withstand his attacks, the people inside would probably die from the impact alone.

The man had nearly deformed Wakanda’s energy shield with his fists.

How much force did that require?

One thought remained in T’Chaka’s mind.

’We absolutely must stay on good terms with him.’

The king stepped forward with a warm smile.

"You are Wakanda’s most honored friend."

Spreading his arms, he approached Daniel.

"Any request from a friend will be considered."

Daniel didn’t refuse.

The two men shared a brief embrace.

Standing nearby, Carol almost rolled her eyes.

The change in attitude was unbelievable.

A moment ago, the king had been skeptical.

Now he looked like he wanted to adopt Daniel into the royal family.

And what surprised her even more was Daniel himself.

Wasn’t her little brother supposed to be straightforward and honest?

Since when had he become so good at political maneuvering?

After the hug, T’Chaka smiled broadly.

"Go ahead, my friend."

"Whatever you need, I will do my best to fulfill it on behalf of Wakanda."

Daniel didn’t bother dancing around the subject.

"I want the Heart-Shaped Herb."

The smile on T’Chaka’s face immediately stiffened.

"This..."

He looked troubled.

Daniel almost laughed.

’Old man...’

’You’re really good at acting.’

Did the king seriously think he didn’t know?

Daniel had already seen the cave.

An entire cave filled with Heart-Shaped Herbs.

Wakanda had no secrets from him.

Not even a single one.

With his vision, what couldn’t he see?

T’Chaka rubbed his hands together and paced thoughtfully.

He looked as though he were making an incredibly difficult decision.

Finally, after several moments, he let out a long sigh.

"You are my friend."

"Wakanda does not disappoint its friends."

"I will arrange for the Heart-Shaped Herb to be delivered to you."

He sounded very reluctant.

Then he paused.

"Although..."

The king looked at Daniel.

"It doesn’t seem like the herb would be of much use to someone like you."

"This isn’t for me."

Daniel pointed toward Carol.

"It’s for her."

T’Chaka nodded dramatically.

"Oh!"

"I see."

"Now it makes sense."

In reality, he’d already figured that out.

Someone as powerful as Daniel hardly needed the enhancement provided by the Heart-Shaped Herb.

Still, despite Daniel’s suspicions, T’Chaka wasn’t entirely pretending.

He really was troubled.

Throughout Wakandan history, the Heart-Shaped Herb had been reserved exclusively for the Black Panther.

It was a sacred tradition.

The herb was one of the foundations of Wakanda’s political stability.

Only the kingdom’s protector was allowed to consume it.

Now he was about to give one to an outsider.

Convincing the Tribal Council and the elders wasn’t going to be easy.

This wasn’t some ordinary plant.

This was a symbol of royal authority.

A cornerstone of Wakandan tradition.

If anyone else had walked into the palace and demanded a Heart-Shaped Herb, they would have received a laser blast instead.

The only reason this conversation was happening at all was because Daniel’s existence placed a tremendous amount of pressure on everyone involved.

"The ritual for consuming the Heart-Shaped Herb is rather complicated," T’Chaka said.

"As it happens, my son T’Challa has reached the age where he will soon undergo the ceremony himself."

He looked at Daniel.

"Why don’t we allow Miss Carol to participate in the ritual alongside my son tomorrow?"

Daniel had no objections.

He nodded immediately.

"Sounds good."

Meanwhile, Carol stood there completely lost.

Heart-Shaped Herb?

What was that?

From the sound of it, the plant could somehow strengthen her body?

Before she could ask further questions, Daniel spoke again.

"I have one more small request."

For once, he actually looked a little embarrassed.

After all, if he was being honest with himself, he’d essentially flown into Wakanda, demonstrated overwhelming force, and pressured the king into giving him what he wanted.

It felt a little like bullying.

"A small request?"

T’Chaka smiled.

"Please, go ahead."

At this point, he’d already agreed to give away a Heart-Shaped Herb.

His mental defenses had reached maximum durability.

"It’s about my clothes."

Daniel scratched his cheek.

"You’ve seen how fast I can move."

"My clothes don’t survive very well."

"I was wondering if I could get something a bit more durable..."

"A Vibranium suit."

T’Chaka interrupted before Daniel could finish.

"I’ll have someone take your measurements."

"Then we’ll make you a Vibranium suit."

Daniel blinked.

That was faster than expected.

T’Chaka barely cared.

Vibranium?

He had plenty of Vibranium.

Compared to the Heart-Shaped Herb, this request was easy.

For a moment he’d thought Daniel was about to ask for something truly outrageous.

This was nothing.

Daniel’s eyes lit up immediately.

"Really?"

"That’s fantastic!"

This time, his excitement was completely genuine.

The issue of his clothing had been bothering him for ages.

Every time he flew too fast, his clothes ended up destroyed.

And replacing them wasn’t cheap.

Daniel was poor... really poor.

He didn’t have endless money for new wardrobes.

Thinking about his finances immediately put him in a bad mood.

What a cruel world.

If circumstances were different, he should have been a billionaire by now.

Returning to reality, Daniel quickly added.

"Oh, right."

"One thing."

T’Chaka looked at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"The suit needs a cape."

Daniel said it with complete seriousness.

The king froze for a second.

Then he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha!"

"Of course."

"You can participate in the design process yourself when the time comes."

"Absolutely."

Daniel nodded immediately.

Even if T’Chaka hadn’t suggested it, he would have insisted.

He wanted a heroic suit.

A stylish suit.

Not one of those dull gray Black Panther outfits with the cat mask.

A superhero costume needed to be impressive.

It needed to stand out.

It needed presence.

It needed aura.

Otherwise what was the point?

Only something truly magnificent would suit him.

After discussing a few additional details, T’Chaka checked the time.

"It’s getting late."

He stood up.

"I’ll have someone escort both of you to your rooms."

"We can discuss everything else tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

Daniel agreed immediately.

At this point, he found the king far more pleasant to look at than before.

After giving a few final instructions, T’Chaka bid farewell and left.

Escorted by two Dora Milaje warriors, Daniel and Carol were taken to a luxurious suite.

The room was enormous.

Elegant furnishings filled every corner.

Modern amenities were everywhere.

Everything about it screamed wealth.

Daniel could only sigh.

As expected of one of the world’s biggest hidden rich guys.

Of course, Wakanda wasn’t the only one.

The guy with the hammer counted as one.

Tony Stark definitely counted too.

Daniel had already been keeping both of them on his mental list.

Sooner or later, he was going to make a fortune from somebody.

The moment they entered the room, Carol finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Daniel."

"What exactly is the Heart-Shaped Herb?"

Daniel sat down and gave a simple explanation.

"It’s a special plant found in Wakanda."

"After consuming it, a person’s physical abilities increase dramatically."

That was all he said.

He deliberately kept the explanation short.

Because once Carol started asking questions, she could keep going forever.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work.

"What about Vibranium?"

She immediately asked another.

Daniel sighed.

"Do you know Captain America’s shield?"

"Of course."

"The primary material used to make it is Vibranium."

Carol nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh."

Then her eyes brightened again.

"So that means..."

Before she could continue, Daniel immediately cut her off.

"Carol."

"Hm?"

"I’m tired."

"Oh."

"Let’s get some sleep."

He pointed toward her.

"You’re getting enhanced tomorrow."

"Having a good night’s rest is probably important."

Carol opened her mouth... closed it... then opened it again.

In the end, she swallowed all her questions.

He had a point.

Tomorrow was important.

And it really was getting late.

"Alright."

"Good night, Daniel."

"Good night."

The room finally fell quiet.