Magnus looked at the documents in Alaric's hands, then turned to him with a raised brow.
"So this is why you've been nagging me about Selene?"
Alaric nods.
Meanwhile, Selene picked up the papers and scanned through the terms and agreements. She read them out loud, detailing the profit split.
Her eyes widened in panic. She shook her head frantically.
"No way! I don't deserve this!" she protested. "I didn't come up with the idea, so I shouldn't get a share. You should sign instead, Alaric."
Alaric firmly refused.
"I wouldn't have even thought of this if I hadn't read the magazine you bought from your store interface. Besides, I'd rather not risk being punished by Miraqis and Vassior, the God of Trade."
Miraqis was a legendary merchant God, known for rewarding creativity and punishing those who stole ideas without proper acknowledgment. Vassior, the God of Trade, governed fair commerce and contracts—anyone who violated business ethics under his domain faced severe consequences.
Punishments ranged from:
Losing all wealth overnight A lifetime curse of misfortune in trade Even divine exile, barring the offender from ever making a deal again.
Selene winced.
"I see your point," she admitted. "But I still think you deserve the credit."
Alaric shook his head.
"No. The idea originated from you."
Selene sighed, giving in. "Fine, but just to confirm—this will only be a telecommunication device, right? Not like the mind-reading prototypes we have?"
She narrowed her eyes. "People, especially nobles, won't like the idea of their thoughts being eavesdropped on."
Alaric chuckled. "Of course. My friend and I already considered that. We'll keep it as a simple communication device."
Selene exhaled in relief.
But then, another issue surfaced in her mind.
Her reputation.
She was now infamous as a Cursed Child. Her name was dragged through the mud, and if her name was associated with the device, people might refuse to buy it.
Plus—she was only 12 years old.
Would anyone take her seriously?
Selene slid the papers over to Magnus.
"You sign it," she said.
Magnus blinked. "Me? Why?"
Selene met his gaze. "I'm a Cursed Child. No one would want to buy a device made by someone like me."
Magnus stared at her for a moment, then picked up the contract.
"…Fine," he said at last. "I'll sign it and stamp it when I get to my office."
Alaric frowned. " What made you agree all of a sudden? Wait a minute. Knowing you, you must be thinking of something. What is it?"
Magnus replied, "Because this could be useful for our future plans."
He leaned back, crossing his arms. "I didn't want to exploit Selene's knowledge or her store interface at first… but after everything we've been through these past two months, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the things from Earth."
Selene tilted her head, confused.
Magnus sighed. "In the game, the real Selene was used as a medium and framed for trying to eliminate Saintess Eri." He glanced at her. "So, let me ask you something—If a boy on Earth is falsely accused of stealing an expensive watch from his classmate, but in reality, the accuser was the real thief, what would he need to prove his innocence?"
Selene thought for a moment.
"Well… an eyewitness statement, proof that he was somewhere else at the time…"
She froze.
"...And if possible," she murmured, "a video recording of the real perpetrator stealing it."
She slowly turned to Magnus.
"...Wait. Are you planning to make security cameras?"
Magnus nods. "Something similar."
He tapped the contract.
"These telecommunication devices will be the first step."
Alaric nodded in agreement with Magnus's plan.
Selene, too, agreed, but as she thought deeper, her expression darkened.
"…The Church might not approve of this."
Magnus scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'll deal with those hypocrites when the time comes."
Selene frowned. "How?"
Magnus simply smirked. "You'll see when it happens."
She wanted to press further, but knowing Magnus, he wouldn't give her a straight answer. There was no point in begging him for details.
Instead, she turned to Alaric, shifting the topic back to the tea party.
"Can your friend make a prototype for the communication device?" she asked.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. "You're really in a rush for this."
"I have to be," Selene replied seriously. "I need to give one to Miranda. Simply going to her house won't be enough to make her leave, and it'll take a while to convince her. Plus, she's underage, just like me."
She clenched her fists.
"Once we give her the device, we can keep in touch and make sure she's safe."
Despite her determination, an uneasiness settled in her chest. She had no idea when Miranda would be attacked, why she was on that carriage, or where she was even going.
She had to act fast.
Magnus, sensing her urgency, nodded. "Already. You can go to that party. But I have some rules you need to follow while there."
Puzzled Selene asked, "What are they?"
He stood up and walked over to Selene, standing in front of her.
Then, in a firm tone, he ordered, "You will not be greeting guests at the entrance, even if you arrive early. Understood?"
Selene straightened. "Yes, sir."
"As my daughter, the Duke of Ravencroft's daughter, you will not be attending that party in plain clothes. You will be wearing jewelry. Do I make myself clear?"
"…Yes, sir."
"You will not dye your hair."
"Yes, sir."
"You are free to speak to whoever you want without anyone's permission."
"Yes, sir."
"You will not be serving anyone, cooking for anybody, or attending to no one's needs. Is that clear?"
Selene nodded at each point.
Magnus narrowed his eyes. "You will only buy one present for that brat, and it will cost no more than 50 small gold coins."
Then, his voice boomed across the room.
"And lastly—even if I drop dead and my body starts to rot, you will NOT be friends with that girl!"
Selene nods and saluted, "A..Aye, Captain!"
Magnus paused, momentarily taken aback, then, he sighed and crossed his arms.
"You know what, I'm going with you."
Selene's eyes widened. "Wait—what?!"
Both she and Alaric immediately tried to convince him otherwise.
"Magnus, you have too much work to do," Alaric reasoned.
"There's no need for you to come!" Selene insisted.
But Magnus slammed his hand against the desk. "You seriously expect me to stay behind after hearing what Selene said Victoria would do to Miranda? And after reading that letter?"
His red eyes burned with fury. "Over my dead body will I allow Selene to go alone."