CH357 Continental Information Network (CIN)

***

"I take it you already know who I am," he said calmly, "and have some expectation of why I've asked you here today?" Alex asked.

Alpha nodded. "It's impossible not to know you, Young Master Alex Fury. Your performance at the Grand Auction has the entire continent talking." A soft smile tugged at her lips.

Alex chuckled lightly.

It made sense. He'd become the centre of attention after that night—leaving the auction hall with two stunning women on each arm, both of them princesses and remarkable figures in their own right.

He was certain he'd become the envy of countless men across the continent.

"As for why I'm here," Alpha continued, her tone calm and composed, "since it isn't about my loyalty, I assume it's for another mission. Likely regarding the growth of Dark Water moving forward."

Alex smiled knowingly. "Looks like you've already built a profile on me—my interests and personality."

"Understanding the hand that moves us, and preparing to act in its direction, is the duty of any Intelligence officer," Alpha replied smoothly. "If I can't read my superior's intent, how could I possibly provide the information you need?"

Alex tilted his head slightly. "Aren't you afraid I might turn against you—if I think you've become too perceptive about me?"

Alpha's response was immediate, unwavering. "Don't use who you don't trust, and don't doubt who you use. Those are your words, Master." She met his gaze firmly. "As long as you continue to use me, I'll never fear being discarded."

A faint grin spread across Alex's face.

Then, without warning—

[Dominion] [Regality] [Domination] [Subjugation] [Limitless]!

The office's atmosphere shifted. Power surged out of Alex like a silent storm. Each concept of his True Name pressed down on Alpha.

Despite her level as a Great Mage, she still felt it. The weight of Dominion, the authority of Regality, the suffocating demand for Domination and Subjugation—all empowered by conceptual nature of Limitless.

It wasn't enough to cripple her… but still, she felt it.

A bead of sweat formed on Alpha's temple. Just as it began to roll down her flawless cheek, the pressure vanished.

Alex leaned back, the corners of his lips curving upward. "So," he asked, tone light, "did I pass?"

Alpha blinked, briefly stunned. Then a wry smile formed on her lips. "Yes, Master. You pass." She rose gracefully, bowing with both hands clasped before her. "I'll do everything in my power to bring your plans to fruition."

Alex nodded in approval and motioned for her to sit again.

"Good. Let's get to the point," he said. "I called you here to discuss my plans for Dark Water."

Alpha became solemn, her expression sharpening as she focused entirely on his next words.

"I envision Dark Water as a massive web—an expansive information network—stretching across the entire continent," Alex began, his tone calm yet brimming with intent. "With this web, nothing should happen without Dark Water knowing.

"From something as mundane as an unknown child of a nameless household taking a dump, to something as monumental as an Empire preparing for war… I want Dark Water to know everything that happens on this continent."

Alpha's expression flickered for a moment. The scale of that mandate was beyond anything she'd anticipated. Still, her posture remained composed and her professionalism, unbroken.

"May I ask toward what goal, Master?" she said carefully.

"For now—nothing." Alex leaned back in his chair. "I just want it to exist as a central archive—an ever-expanding repository of information gathered from every corner of the continent. An archive I can access whenever I need it, even years from now."

Alpha frowned slightly. "Forgive me, but I don't understand. It's impossible for any individual—or organisation—to effectively digest such an immense pool of data without a clear, predefined purpose."

Alex smiled faintly. "You're not wrong. But that doesn't mean there isn't a way to make it useful."

He tapped the surface of the desk twice.

With a soft hum, the table transformed—runes flaring briefly to life before settling into an elegant circuit of blue and gold.

"This," Alex said, "is a portal station to the Arcane Library of the Golden Palace. A customised variant, slightly different from the standard version that went up for auction."

Alpha's brows rose.

"OmniRune," Alex commanded, "bring up all sales records linked to the Elarion Empire."

The table's surface shimmered as data began to flow like liquid light, forming lists of trade sales across its holographic display. Within moments, the entire trade history of the Golden Palace filtered itself into neat columns.

"Now," Alex continued, "filter for transactions involving Mana Stones. Limit to shipments heading to the Imperial Capital. Exclude those tied to the Elder Council and the Imperial House. Identify the largest patrons of the Palace by wealth spent, item variety, and total trade volume. Cross-reference their purchases—and highlight both the strongest and weakest supporters of the Palace."

His words flowed like a spell.

And the table—OmniRune responded.

In less than ten seconds, millions of records were compressed, refined, and condensed—until only two names remained glowing on the display.

Alpha's eyes widened.

She'd watched entire archives worth of merchant data reduced to two names through nothing more than Alex's spoken commands.

"You—"

Even without him explaining, she already understood. His earlier statements, this demonstration—it all came together.

Alex smiled knowingly. "I take it you understand."

Alpha exhaled slowly, regaining her composure. "Can all Arcane Libraries… do this?"

Alex's eyes flashed.

"Very good question." He smiled faintly before shaking his head. "No. There's no way I'm stupid enough to give this capability to others. Their variant might have the same large storage capacity, but they can only call on one dataset—or book—at a time. Filtration and sorting functions are minimal, barely worthy of being called automatic."

His voice deepened with conviction.

"This function will belong only to our organisation."

Alex met Alpha's gaze, his tone turning grand and visionary.

"I envision a world where information becomes both power and currency. And with this device, we'll become the most powerful force in that field. However, to reach that point, we'll need to acquire information and feed it into the system. That's where Dark Water comes in. All of this is useless without you and your people."

"I understand, Master," Alpha said with a firm nod.

She turned her attention to the magic table, her expression thoughtful.

"If we're going to cover the entire continent, it'll cost a lot—both upfront and in ongoing expenses."

"I'll have the Palace Head prepare a sizeable fund for you," Alex replied. "It should at least get you started."

"In that case, it's best we start small," Alpha said after a moment's thought. Then, a hint of curiosity crossed her features. "Can I try it?"

Alex smiled. "Yes. You've been granted access."

"Bring up the map of the continent," she commanded.

The magic table hummed in response, projecting a detailed map of the continent into the air above its surface.

"We'll first set up decentralised branches in every Imperial City," Alpha said, pointing to each capital on the map.

To her surprise, each location she touched lit up with a faint glow. On impulse, she traced a line between them, connecting the capitals in a spreading network. The lines shimmered and locked into place, and her eyes widened in delight.

'She's going to get addicted to this,' Alex thought knowingly, watching the affection in Alpha's gaze as she studied the magic table like a child with a new toy.

"Once this first… web is formed," Alpha continued, deliberately using Alex's earlier phrasing, "we can expand to other major cities, including the capitals of every fiefdom. From there, we'll spread to every city across the continent. Once every city is covered, we'll be able to operate in every town and settlement –nook and cranny—of the continent."

Alpha continued to draw on the map as she spoke, her movements growing more fluid with every gesture. She was quickly becoming comfortable with the magic table's interface.

"If I may offer a suggestion," Alex said, leaning forward slightly, "you should consider operating each branch of the web independently—as separate organisations. All we'll need from them is to forward any gathered intel to a specific Rune ID. Once sent, the data will automatically be collated into Dark Water's Arcane Library."

"Wonderful!" Alpha's eyes sparkled with delight. "If that's all it takes to consolidate information, we can conceal our true structure even further—almost down to the individual level."

She paused, her excitement rising. "Rune Phones are becoming so common now that it's actually rare not to have one. This makes it much easier for our agents to report in without drawing suspicion."

Her body trembled slightly as she spoke, her face glowing with fervour.

Alex recognised that look immediately—it was the same expression he'd seen on Pinchcoin and Haggleworth after their first meeting with him.

'Great,' he thought wryly. 'Another fanatic for the club.'

Alpha then began questioning him about the Rune Database's limitations and security measures. To Alex's surprise, she suggested several effective safeguards that he hadn't considered—measures that made perfect sense in this world.

After all, mental manipulation techniques and spells were real threats here, unlike in his previous world.

The meeting stretched on for nearly an hour, and by the time it ended, the sun had already climbed above the horizon.

"This is Udara," Alex said, introducing the woman who had been quietly observing at the side. "From now on, she'll be in charge of my household's security—a mandate that includes Intelligence operations as well. You'll report to her as you would to me. I trust that won't be an issue?"

"Not at all, Master," Alpha replied with a faint smile. "On the contrary, I'm happy to serve alongside a fellow countryman."

Satisfied, Alex nodded, signalling the end of their meeting.

Alpha rose to her feet, preparing to leave, but paused mid-step as something came to mind.

"Master, you should be wary of Alric Wastelander," she warned. "He's been seen meeting with the heirs of the Machholt and Reichart Houses since the auction. The only connection between those three families… is yours, sir."

Alex's eyes narrowed.

"I don't think they'll make a move within Enclave's Dragonspine territory," she added cautiously, "but it's still worth keeping an eye on."

"Understood," Alex said grimly. "Keep me updated if you find out more."

Alpha bowed and exited the room.

Left alone, Alex walked to the window, gazing out over the waking city below.

"Alric… what are you planning?" he muttered under his breath.

—

Leaving the Chairman's office, Alpha strode down the corridor until she reached Haggleworth's door. She knocked once before stepping inside.

"How did it go?" Haggleworth asked the moment she sat down.

Alpha smiled faintly. "I can see why you speak so highly of him. The Palace Master is… interesting."

***

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