CH350 Security of Rune-Tech

***

"Necessary?" Zora asked.

"Hmm…" Alex nodded. He casually pulled her closer, slipping Zora's leg over his thigh so she sat snugly in his embrace. "We needed to see how far we could go. I needed to know how proprietary and unique my Rune-Tech products really are."

"Speak clearly, Alex." Zora caught his wandering hand, which—as usual—couldn't stay honest.

"Security," Alex stated simply. "Before I go all in—creating different Rune-Tech products for the Palace and the subsidiaries we'll soon establish—Haggleworth suggested we test the products' security from different angles. The Coinage Moonstone just happened to be the perfect product for such testing, since every major organisation has their eyes on it."

Realisation dawned on Zora.

"So that's why Haggleworth came up with that nonsensical story about a powerhouse who gave him the Coinage Moonstone," she said.

"Yes," Alex nodded. "But before we get to that—did Haggleworth really say it was a powerhouse who gave him the Coinage Moonstone?"

"He did." Zora nodded.

Alex frowned.

"Can you remember his exact words?" he asked.

"He said the person who gave him the Coinage Moonstone terrifies him more than the people in that room full of the continent's powerhouses. He also said this person wasn't at the Legendary rank."

"Oh, so Haggleworth didn't lie. That's a relief." Alex exhaled. "If he had, we would've had to pull the plug on the operation—at least one person in that room would've spotted the lie."

"What are you talking about? Isn't that exactly the same as saying the person who gave him the Coinage Moonstone—you—is stronger than the Legends in the room? Isn't that a lie?" Zora pressed.

"No, you've got it wrong, Zora." Alex smiled. "He said I terrify him more than the people in the room. Now, while I can't say why he feels that way, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm stronger than they are.

"Likewise, saying the person who gave him the Coinage Moonstone isn't at the Legendary rank isn't a lie either. It's actually the truth. After all, I really am just an intermediate rank."

He chuckled softly. "Without technically lying, Haggleworth worded his statement in a way that exploited your—and everyone else's—confirmation bias.

"The first statement anchors a subconscious link between fear and power. Then, when he adds the second statement, your mind naturally concludes that the person he's speaking about must be stronger than the Legends present."

Alex laughed quietly.

"He manipulated us?" Zora stared, stunned.

"He did," Alex confirmed with a chuckle. "Words can be a far more dangerous weapon than a sword. A sword needs power and technique to wield, but words? Anyone with skill can use them. A skilled orator—regardless of their power rank—can cause the death of a Legend with nothing but words."

Alex sighed softly.

He remembered his previous life. Time and again throughout history, the most dangerous people were never those with the greatest martial strength. They were the orators—the politicians, diplomats, priests, and public figures—who, with mere words, changed the course of nations and history itself.

If he had the time, Alex intended to master speechcraft as well. After all, it was difficult to lead people effectively if you weren't good with words.

Unfortunately, as always, his time was limited.

'Then again,' he mused, 'rather than learning from a book, it might be better to learn from experience—by actually speaking to and leading people.'

He shook the thought from his head and refocused on Zora.

"As for why Haggleworth did that, there are two reasons. First, we wanted to gauge the Empires' and the continental powers' reactions. How much effort and resources would they commit to tracking down this non-existent mysterious figure? Dark Water's Alpha is already setting up the necessary clues. From their response, we'll be able to predict how desperate these powers will be to uncover the creators of the different Rune-Tech products we'll release in the future."

"Second," Alex continued, "was to create a false persona that shields me from the products. By planting the idea that the creator of the Coinage Moonstone is an above-Legend powerhouse, no one would ever think to look my way—a mere intermediate rank. That's another layer of security. Once more groundbreaking Rune-Tech starts appearing, this alias will take the fame—or the blame—for it, leaving me free to go about my life undisturbed."

Zora stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head.

'This isn't the first time he's done something crazy—and it certainly won't be the last. I really should stop being surprised.'

"I get that you wanted to trick the continental powers," she said, "but did you have to take the risk with their Legends?"

"Of course," Alex replied casually. "It's quicker and more believable because we targeted their Legends."

Zora sighed. She understood that much herself.

"I know what you're worried about, but it was a calculated risk," Alex reassured her. "Even if it somehow failed, the fallout would've been manageable. At worst, the Golden Palace would've taken a slight hit—but it's better to take that hit now, before we've invested everything into the Palace, than later when it's fully matured."

Their close posture helped ease her worries.

His steady heartbeat against her ear gave her a comforting illusion—that everything truly was under his control.

Just to tease her, Alex's hands began to roam mischievously again.

Zora pinched him sharply in response.

"Ahh!!" Alex yelped dramatically, making Zora chuckle despite herself.

She pulled him back in, and they returned to their comfortable cuddle, the earlier tension slowly fading into warmth.

"Besides that," Alex continued, "there's something else I wanted to test—the security of my products."

He shifted slightly, his fingers absently tracing patterns along Zora's arm.

"One of the biggest pillars of growth for the Palace is its monopoly on the Rune Phone. Many people have realised this, and according to Dark Water's reports, they've been trying to crack its structure and reproduce it.

"While all these wannabe counterfeiters have failed so far—since we haven't seen a fake Rune Phone on the market—it still makes me wonder if my Greater Runes and Rune-Tech products are truly as uncrackable as I believe."

"I see…" Zora murmured. "So that's why you placed the Coinage Moonstone before the great powers. They have the best minds, resources, and tools available. If even they can't crack it, then no one else likely can."

"Exactly." Alex nodded approvingly. "Most of the people trying to replicate my Rune Phones are small-time players in the grand scheme of things. The major powers haven't bothered, since they still see them as trinkets—useful but not worth the effort.

"The Coinage Moonstone, however, is different. The great powers have already sunk obscene amounts of gold and resources into developing a truly portable and spacious interspatial device. The Coinage Moonstone embodies their ideal of that artefact. I'm certain they'll pour everything they have into trying to unravel it."

Alex paused briefly before shaking his head.

"No, it's not a question of if they will—they already have. The fact that the Empires and the Merchant Union allowed the Tri-Association Alliance to win the auction is proof enough. It means they've already begun pooling resources behind the scenes."

He leaned back against the couch, eyes narrowing slightly as he explained.

"The Tri-Association Alliance is, at least on paper, a neutral organisation made up of craftsmen from all five Empires. In theory, that makes them the most qualified to uncover the Coinage Moonstone's secrets as they can draw from the resources and manpower of every Empire. For the Empires, this arrangement ensures no single nation gains a monopoly over such a valuable technology."

Zora nodded thoughtfully. "As you said, if this alliance can't crack it, then no one likely will."

"Precisely." Alex's tone was calm, almost amused.

Despite the logic of his words, his expression betrayed a different truth. Zora caught the faint, confident smile curving his lips—the look of a man who already knew the outcome.

"You seem very sure your work won't be unveiled," she observed.

"I'm not just confident," Alex replied, his voice steady and certain. "I have no doubt."

***

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