Wakanda Cannot Be Without a King

At dawn the next day, the Wakanda warriors, having drunk their fill of enemy blood, returned in triumph, their bodies laden with spoils. Since they weren't a cannibalistic tribe, the spoils were quite ordinary: mercenary identification tags, tribal ornaments, or even just a tooth.

Defeating an enemy force many times larger than themselves was a great victory in Wakanda's history, and every warrior rejoiced, feeling honored to have participated in the battle.

But they soon discovered a problem: the king was gone!

Unable to find Azzuri, the elders were both alarmed and furious. They hurriedly gathered men to search for him, but to no avail. Later, after questioning the tribe's warriors one by one, they obtained an important clue: Azzuri, dressed in Black Panther attire, had gone to fight the enemy with Dora Milaje.

The elders breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Perhaps Azzuri had commanded a great victory and was in a good mood, so he went off to have children. After all, he was accompanied by six female warriors, and the surrounding area was beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains, and there was no queen guarding him closely.

As for why they haven't returned all night... isn't that obvious? There are six Dora Milaje, so even for the sake of face, they have to delay for a while.

Day three!

Elders: Your Majesty, that's enough. Some things aren't better the longer they take.

Day 4!

Elders: Your Majesty, we know you care about your reputation, but this is just too fake!

Finally, on the afternoon of the fourth day, a loud bang echoed in the sky. When the Wakanda soldiers heard the sound, they could only see a black dot disappear into the horizon.

Then, a parachute descended from the sky, with a package attached to it.

The soldiers looked at each other in dismay. After the parachutes landed, they opened the packages, and their expressions changed drastically.

"Quick! Hand the things over to the elders..."

Wakanda's capital city—Benin Zana!

In the royal council hall, the elders of the four tribes gathered together, with Queen Nanali presiding over the meeting in Azzuri.

The four elders whispered among themselves, their expressions varied—some worried, some watching the spectacle, and some secretly delighted. Queen Nanali took in their expressions, and her heart sank. The situation was dire; she might not be able to control it.

Nanali took a deep breath, maintaining her queenly composure, and asked, "Elders, what are your thoughts on this extortion letter?"

The ransom note was written by Russell's men, and included VIP photo album of Azzuri worth 998, demanding that Wakanda cede a piece of land and grant them the right to mine Vibranium veins.

If you disagree, that's simple: spread the photos all over African countries, especially Wakanda, and distribute them like a carpet, making sure everyone gets three sets.

One set is for collection, one set is for appreciation, and the last set is for preaching, which means it is specifically lent to others.

The four tribal elders could not understand the deeper meaning of giving each person three sets of equipment. They only knew that it was a malicious humiliation of Azzuri, because of his status as king, and that Wakanda would also be disgraced.

"..."

No one answered Nanali's question. The four elders each had their own thoughts, and seeing that the others were silent, they also remained silent.

"Now that things have come to this, let's think of a way to rescue His Majesty the King!" Nanali sighed upon seeing this. "The warriors of the Golden Tribe have already begun the search and rescue operation, but we still don't know where the thieves are. The manpower of just one tribe is simply not enough to cover the entire border area of Wakanda. We hope that everyone will contribute their efforts and work together to rescue our King."

"..."

"Elders, Wakanda cannot be without a king!"

There was still no response. Nanali was getting a little anxious. It wasn't that she was afraid that Azzuri really had three sets of photos. After all, this threat seemed like a joke. What kind of kidnapper would be so bored?

What she feared was that if she didn't respond for a long time, Azzuri would be killed, and that would truly be the end of the world.

"That's right, Wakanda cannot be without a king!"

At this moment, the elder of the White Ape Tribe spoke up. A hint of joy flashed in Nanali's eyes, but the Elder White Ape's next words made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

The Elder White Ape slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Wakanda cannot be without a king, but it can be without Azzuri!"

"Elder White Ape, what do you mean by this?"

"What do you think you're doing, daring to utter such outrageous words!"

"His Majesty the King led us to a crushing defeat of the invaders; how can we lose him?"

The other three elders immediately shouted angrily and joined forces to denounce Elder White Ape. They all puffed out their beards and glared, looking every bit the patriots with unwavering loyalty.

Nanali watched the four of them arguing silently, her face ashen. When they had demanded the search for Azzuri, these people hadn't uttered a word. Now, with the throne mentioned, they'd all become loyal subjects, their ugly behavior utterly repulsive.

Bang!

Elder White Ape slammed his fist on the table, his gaze sweeping contemptuously over the three elders. "Stop behaving like this. We all know what you're thinking. Can't you act like men and stop hiding your true feelings?"

These words made the three elders blush. It was a golden opportunity. Anyone who didn't have an idea at this moment would be a fool. But they were all people of status. If word got out, would they still have any reputation?

"Elder White Ape, you..."

"What do you mean, 'I'? You don't dare to say it, so is it wrong for me to say it for you?"

Elder White Ape chuckled, surveyed everyone present, and declared loudly, "The enemy is using Azzuri to blackmail our Vibranium, but they have no idea that Wakanda has existed for generations to protect Vibranium, and we will never yield to it!"

"Elder White Ape, watch your words! How dare you address the King by his name?" Nanali rebuked him sharply, her face ashen.

"If Azzuri is truly the king, he should be even more willing to sacrifice himself for his country and protect the Vibranium from being lost." Elder White Ape snorted coldly. He carried the banner of ancestral precepts, representing righteousness, and no one could criticize him.

"You..."

"Enough! What are the five tribes of us who formed Wakanda for? Don't tell me you don't know. No matter how important Azzuri, can he be more important Wakanda?" The Elder White Ape frowned, pulled a photo from his pocket, and slammed it on the table. "Besides, I will never approve of a king who brings shame to the kingdom's honor."

In the photo, Azzuri is pinned to the ground in a split position, surrounded by several grinning, muscular men.

Nanali's face turned pale. The photo was too shocking. She couldn't find the right words to defend herself and could only stammer, "The King... the King was forced, by those despicable thieves..."

"That's enough. I'll call you Your Majesty one last time. Now, stop with your feeble explanations!" Elder White Ape picked up the photograph, placed it in front of everyone, and pointed to the corner of the photograph's edge. "Look, what's this?"

Everyone stared intently, their expressions strange. Even Nanali felt a sense of helplessness, unsure of what to say.

In the corner of the photo, a strikingly handsome Black Panther intrudes, staring coldly at Azzuri. Its half-exposed golden eyes are filled with disdain, indifference, and arrogance. In short, its gaze is brimming with contempt, devoid of any sympathy or pity.

Black Panther: (╰ェ╯)

"See that? Even the Black Panther God Bast, Azzuri worships, has abandoned him. What right does he have to be king!" Elder White Ape held up a photo of someone doing the splits and said in a loud voice, "Azzuri has been abandoned by the Black Panther God. He is a sinner, a sinner who has brought shame to the country."

Elder White Ape wields the blade of faith, rendering all opposing opinions utterly ineffective. In this tribal alliance where faith reigns supreme, those abandoned by the Gods have no place to stand.

"Gentlemen, our council of elders has no power to depose the king, but for the sake of the nation, for the sake of our ancestral precepts, and for the sake of our faith, we must force Azzuri, this sinner, to abdicate." Elder White Ape spoke passionately, urging the three elders to unite with him and fight for the future of the nation.

The three elders looked at each other, and under Nanali's ashen face, they nodded emphatically. "Elder White Ape is right, Azzuri is no longer fit to be king."

"Everything for Wakanda!"

With a single, decisive move, the four elders excluded the Golden Tribe and deposed Azzuri from his throne.

Elder White Ape could no longer contain his excitement, and his face lit up with joy. "I said before that Wakanda cannot be without a king, and I believe the three of you have no objection to that?"

"Of course, we must decide on the next king as soon as possible."

"That's right. We must get the new king on the throne before the thieves make their move, so as to minimize his influence. We must not let his disgrace bring shame to Wakanda."

"So, who is your choice?"

After Elder White Ape finished speaking, the hall fell silent once again. The three elders kept their eyes straight ahead and remained silent unless others spoke.

"Since everyone has their own ideas, let's see who has the best skills!" Elder White Ape sneered inwardly and strode out of the council hall.

The three elders also left one by one, and after deposing Azzuri the throne, no one looked at Nanali again.

"We can't let them run rampant; we must ransom the king..."

On a hill some distance from the Wakanda border, several trucks formed a circle, and soldiers stood guard in small squads, protecting the camp in the center.

Russell sat on a leather chair with a big golden knife, Black Panther lying at his feet who only knew how to show off, Bucky standing on his left, and Natasha and Yelena standing on his right.

Azzuri, looking pale and sickly, stood in the center of the tent. Russell hadn't treated him badly; aside from disarming him, he hadn't even been handcuffed, demonstrating full respect for a monarch. Furthermore, a separate tent had been set up for him, and six female guards had been crammed inside. As long as he didn't leave, he could do whatever he wanted.

Azzuri looked pale because he had suffered mental trauma. The tragic experience that night left a deep shadow on his heart, and he had not yet recovered.

"Your Majesty, I heard you need to see me?" Russell tilted his head back, Yelena happily stepped forward to massage his shoulders.

Azzuri's expression hardened, his previous dejection vanishing. "Regarding Vibranium, I can make a deal with you. Let me make it clear first, granting you a piece of land and mining rights is absolutely impossible."