CH350 Security of Rune-Tech
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"Necessary?" Zora asked.
"Hmm..." Alex nodded. He casually pulled her closer, slipping Zoraâs 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, whichâas usualâcouldnât stay honest.
"Security," Alex stated simply. "Before I go all inâcreating different Rune-Tech products for the Palace and the subsidiaries weâll soon establishâHaggleworth suggested we test the productsâ 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 thatâs 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 thatâdid 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 continentâs powerhouses. He also said this person wasnât at the Legendary rank."
"Oh, so Haggleworth didnât lie. Thatâs a relief." Alex exhaled. "If he had, we wouldâve had to pull the plug on the operationâat least one person in that room wouldâve spotted the lie."
"What are you talking about? Isnât that exactly the same as saying the person who gave him the Coinage Moonstoneâyouâis stronger than the Legends in the room? Isnât that a lie?" Zora pressed.
"No, youâve got it wrong, Zora." Alex smiled. "He said I terrify him more than the people in the room. Now, while I canât say why he feels that way, that doesnât necessarily mean Iâm stronger than they are.
"Likewise, saying the person who gave him the Coinage Moonstone isnât at the Legendary rank isnât a lie either. Itâs 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 yourâand everyone elseâsâconfirmation 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 heâs 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 oratorâregardless of their power rankâcan 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 oratorsâthe politicians, diplomats, priests, and public figuresâwho, 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 werenât good with words.
Unfortunately, as always, his time was limited.
âThen again,â he mused, ârather than learning from a book, it might be better to learn from experienceâby actually speaking to and leading people.â
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 Empiresâ and the continental powersâ reactions. How much effort and resources would they commit to tracking down this non-existent mysterious figure? Dark Waterâs Alpha is already setting up the necessary clues. From their response, weâll be able to predict how desperate these powers will be to uncover the creators of the different Rune-Tech products weâll 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 wayâa mere intermediate rank. Thatâs another layer of security. Once more groundbreaking Rune-Tech starts appearing, this alias will take the fameâor the blameâfor it, leaving me free to go about my life undisturbed."
Zora stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head.
âThis isnât the first time heâs done something crazyâand it certainly wonât be the last. I really should stop being surprised.â
"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. "Itâs quicker and more believable because we targeted their Legends."
Zora sighed. She understood that much herself.
"I know what youâre worried about, but it was a calculated risk," Alex reassured her. "Even if it somehow failed, the fallout wouldâve been manageable. At worst, the Golden Palace wouldâve taken a slight hitâbut itâs better to take that hit now, before weâve invested everything into the Palace, than later when itâs fully matured."
Their close posture helped ease her worries.
His steady heartbeat against her ear gave her a comforting illusionâthat everything truly was under his control.
Just to tease her, Alexâs 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, "thereâs something else I wanted to testâthe security of my products."
He shifted slightly, his fingers absently tracing patterns along Zoraâs 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 Waterâs reports, theyâve been trying to crack its structure and reproduce it.
"While all these wannabe counterfeiters have failed so farâsince we havenât seen a fake Rune Phone on the marketâit still makes me wonder if my Greater Runes and Rune-Tech products are truly as uncrackable as I believe."
"I see..." Zora murmured. "So thatâs why you placed the Coinage Moonstone before the great powers. They have the best minds, resources, and tools available. If even they canât 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 havenât bothered, since they still see them as trinketsâuseful 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. Iâm certain theyâll pour everything they have into trying to unravel it."
Alex paused briefly before shaking his head.
"No, itâs not a question of if they willâthey 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 theyâve 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 Moonstoneâs 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 canât crack it, then no one likely will."
"Precisely." Alexâs 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 lipsâthe look of a man who already knew the outcome.
"You seem very sure your work wonât be unveiled," she observed.
"Iâm not just confident," Alex replied, his voice steady and certain. "I have no doubt."
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