Around the dining table, chairs were arranged neatly, their backrests decorated with exquisite tribal totems, making them both beautiful and comfortable.
All around the banquet hall hung the national flags of Wakanda and tribal Banners; the totems on the flags stood out prominently under the illumination of the lights.
From the ceiling of the banquet hall hung a massive crystal chandelier, and it was also equipped with a high-tech holographic projection system that projected Wakanda's scenery, tribal dances, and historical culture, creating a lively and grand atmosphere.
The Wakandan guards, dressed in neat battle uniforms and holding Vibranium spears, stood in formation around the banquet hall, guarding its security while adding a sense of majesty and solemnity to the evening gala.
The warriors sat around the tables, laughing and talking loudly, toasting each other, and singing ancient war songs.
Thor sat at the center of the table, holding a massive mug in his hand; the Wakandan warriors had found it specifically for him, as ordinary cups simply couldn't hold the volume of alcohol he wanted to drink at once.
He had already drunk an unknown number of cups, his face flushed with a red glow, but his eyes remained bright and clear, without a trace of drunkenness.
"Good ale!" He slapped the table, making the dishes rattle.
"This Palm Wine is even better than Asgard's Mead!"
A Wakandan warrior sitting next to him—a burly, bald woman with chest muscles as massive as two small mountains—raised her glass and laughed heartily.
"The way you drink is just like the warriors of our tribe! Have another!"
Okoye, the Captain of the Wakandan Royal Guard.
She wore a suit of red armor, with Vibranium bracers on her arms and gold rings around her neck that shimmered under the lights.
She wasn't wearing her combat gear tonight, but her explosive muscles and her hearty laughter made it clear at a glance that she was not a woman to be trifled with.
Thor clinked glasses with her, and they both drained their drinks.
Loki sat beside Thor, elegantly holding a small, delicate glass and taking small sips.
He wore that dark green shirt, his hair combed meticulously, forming a sharp contrast with the rugged Wakandan warriors surrounding him.
Yet he didn't seem out of place, as he would occasionally smile and nod to the Wakandan women nearby, saying a few complimentary words in his magnetic voice, causing them to cover their mouths and giggle.
Wanda and Pietro sat at the other end of the table.
The two sat very close, shoulder to shoulder.
Wanda held a glass of red juice, squeezed from some kind of berry native to Wakanda; it was sweet and sour, and she sipped it slowly.
A plate piled high with food sat before Pietro, and he was devouring it at an incredible speed.
"Wanda, this roast meat is delicious!" Pietro said indistinctly, his mouth stuffed full.
"Try some!"
Wanda glanced at him, picked up a piece of roast meat, and took a bite.
Her eyes widened slightly; it was indeed delicious—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the flavor of the spices permeating the meat, leaving a lingering aftertaste with every bite.
"Not bad," she said.
Pietro grinned and grabbed another piece.
Wanda watched him eat with such joy, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
In the HYDRA Base, Pietro had never eaten like this.
He always ate quickly, not out of enjoyment, but because he never knew when the next meal would come.
When he ate, his eyes would always scan the surroundings alertly, like a wild rabbit ready to bolt at any moment.
But now, sitting in the Wakandan banquet hall surrounded by strangers, his body lacked that tense, ready-to-sprint posture.
He was just eating, like an ordinary young man, gulping down delicious food.
Wanda looked down at the glass in her hand; the deep red juice shimmered with a jewel-like luster under the lights.
Perhaps this was what a "normal" life was like.
Tony sat next to T'Chaka, and the two were talking in low voices.
A glass of wine sat before Tony, but he had barely touched it; his attention was on the young woman beside T'Chaka.
Shuri, T'Chaka's daughter and Wakanda's Chief Scientist. She looked to be in her early twenties, with sharp short hair, wearing a high-tech silver-gray jumpsuit and several glowing Vibranium Bracelets on her wrists.
Her eyes were large and spirited, and she spoke with the kind of fervor characteristic of a scientist.
"Mr. Stark," Shuri pointed to a structural diagram on the holographic projection.
"Your arc reactor's design concept is very similar to our Wakandan Energy Siphon Technology. Look here, the energy output curves are almost identical."
Tony leaned in for a closer look, his brow furrowing slightly.
"It is indeed very similar. But I've never seen this structure in any literature."
Shuri smiled.
"Of course you haven't. This is technology unique to Wakanda. Centuries ago, our ancestors discovered the energy properties of Vibranium and used it to build the national Energy Grid. Your arc reactor was only invented in recent decades, but our Energy Siphon Technology has been in use for hundreds of years."
Tony's lip twitched; he didn't like being outperformed, but he had to admit that Wakanda's technology was indeed far ahead of the outside world.
"Miss Shuri," Banner sat on Tony's other side, pushing up his glasses.
"What about your AI technology? I noticed you don't seem to use artificial intelligence at all?"
Shuri shrugged.
"We don't use it. Because it's unsafe."
She glanced at Tony, not saying "like a certain someone's Ultron," but the implication was clear. Tony pretended not to notice.
Banner continued to ask, "Then what do you use to manage such a large Energy Grid?"
Shuri raised her wrist, and the Vibranium Bracelet lit up with a blue light.
"We use this. The inherent intelligence of Vibranium itself. Vibranium isn't just a metal; it has memory and sensitivity, capable of responding to external stimuli. We simply use it as a living material rather than creating an intelligence independent of it."
Banner seemed to realize something.
"So your technology is developed based on the properties of Vibranium, rather than having a concept first and then looking for materials like we do."
Shuri nodded.
"Correct. That's why we don't have issues with 'AI going out of control.' Because Vibranium will never betray its Master."
Tony took a sip of his drink and said nothing.
Shuri looked at him, a hint of playfulness in her eyes.
"Mr. Stark, don't be sad. Although your technology is outdated, it still has some highlights—like your portable suit design, which I quite like. Perhaps we can collaborate in the future?"
Tony put down his glass, a smile spreading across his face.
"Collaborate? Sure, but it would have to be a project that interests me."