The dense fog that came with the rain, brought an unusual coldness alongside, gradually encroaching the view outside.
Tapping and rustling sounds of raindrops enveloped my senses, the rush and unevenness clouding my mind as it gave a false sense of satisfaction.
Each time i sat to think, the seasons flew by but each time I braced to work, time stood stagnant.
It was an irritating observation to think about.
Two days had passed since Dragar arrived, jeers and cheers ringing throughout the conference hall endlessly, as wine was poured and stories shared.
What had started out as a business interaction, ended up being a festival for relaxation.
But finally now, they had decided to settle for actual business, dragging me along in the process.
The room we sat in was dimly lit, with candles introduced at almost every top corner, giving off brilliant incandescent light.
Although the sun was up, the radiance didn't interfere with the light borne from inside the room.
"Milo, can you tell his highness what the invention is about"
I turned to stare, a lingering feeling of disobedience almost preventing my actions. Tanya was still gleaming with a smile even after she spook, probably counting the time that passed in silence.
Unlike normal times, she was clothed in a rich official uniform; a green single breasted suit with a red emblem on her shoulder signifying her position as mayor.
Although she had no cap on, her hair was tied neatly behind her head, giving it a short stacky appearance.
I shrugged.
"It would be a better presentation, if you could see it. I wouldn't want to bore you with the lengthy creation process, your highness"
He was staring closely at me, his gaze marked by doubt at what I had offered. I pushed back on my seat, standing up almost immediately after, as I walked towards the door.
A tug first, then a pull as the face of the guard turned to stare at me.
With a wave, I beckoned on him to prepare the device we had made arrangements for earlier.
He bowed shortly before leaving, a gawky gait dominating his movements.
Shrouded in the clouds, the luminance of the sun had now rescinded completely, causing the vibrant candle lights to double in their intensity.
I walked back towards my seat, trying to evade eye contact with Dragar as I sat down.
There was no classical music playing in the background or any form of entertainment in view to help us through the silence, so we just sat there, still and quiet until someone decided to start up a conversation or I would cough awkwardly.
"My daughter tells me that you're the third son of Lord Romelis?"
Dragar the first to break the silence, didn't seem astounded by my status, in fact he wasn't even concerned about ninety percent of what he said.
Rather, his interest might've laid with the fact that his daughter had spoken about someone.
'And I wonder why that would be concerning?'
"Rightly so, your highness"
Another awkward silence fell again.
It would be foolish to act polite about his observation, since he didn't even care nevertheless.
A soft tap reached my ears, happening only once as if the interrupter didn't want to impose on the residents any further.
"Yes!?"
The muffled tone from behind the door did very little to provide identification but Tanya permitted the entrance anyways.
The guard which I had sent out, walked in straightaway, as his legs jiggled in fear.
I hadn't noticed earlier, but the face of the guard was marked by tender juvenility, showcasing why he felt afraid to even speak or in fact, actually enter the room.
His thin frame was masked carefully by the armor he wore, padded from shoulder to knee to make him appear dependable enough.
His eyes hid a sort of reverence for the two dignitaries seated opposite each other, cowering as he proceeded further.
It didn't seem strange to me though, probably because I wasn't born of this world and saw the order of it's system in another light.
There's was a green pillow beneath his open palms, with the two orbs placed carefully on top.
Rather than the orb, I stared at his fingers. Entrails of his fingernails, hosting dirt as they clung to the pillow.
The thought of what would make someone so busy as to neglect hygiene, remained elusive for even my mind to process.
"Thank you Zezer"
Tanya waved as he dropped the objects, placing her finger underneath the glass frame above the orbs, as she flipped it over gently.
The transparent globes glistened in the illuminated room, reflecting a pseudo opalescent glow from different angles.
Dragar leaned forward, examining the merchandise thoughtfully before sharing his thoughts.
The rich timbre of his voice sounding deeper each time he spoke.
"So, how does it work young lad"
I shifted calmly on my seat, before getting up to make for a better demonstration and possibly show admirable etiquette.
Like a magnetic field, the top of the orb pulled frantically at my outstretched palm before shimmering as I made contact.
I could feel traces of my mana being zapped from my body lightly, before returning back in a repeated process that lasted for about five minutes.
"This orb matches the mana fingerprints of its first user with another designated mana fingerprints, connecting it across to that fingerprint in whatever location it might be.
Simply put, if I was to register this orb as my own ICO (instant communication orb), i would need the mana fingerprints of another person to communicate with the orb, then each time I feel like sending a message, I just select their own fingerprint and send a signal to it."
My lengthy explanation finally ended, defeating the whole purpose of a demonstration.
Although it was not as easy as I described, the explanation helped me sum up how exactly it worked without causing confusion.
It was easier designing the orb that way, since mana fingerprints of each person was as distinct as their own fingerprint.
During my gap year as a geek, I had taken up a one year challenge course to study programming and got awfully good at it, developing multiple apps and writing various codes for low level gaming AI, years after.
'You could say I fell in love with the craft'
Using that knowledge and with the help of Sundra's eye, I was able to successfully write the code for the orb's algorithm faster than Shruwid could muster.
Although incomplete, it was still effective enough for Shruwid to replicate and eventually, finish the orb's design which he had been working on for years.
"So if I simply just do this...."
I removed my palm from the orb, lifting it as I gestured for Dragar to repeat the process. His eyes shown in delight the moment the orb glowed once more, as bits of his mana swirled around inside the globe.
I handed the other orb to him carefully, with the pillow so I didn't touch it.
After replicating the previous actions, the orb was finally ready to establish it's first connection.
"I'll start then"
I took a few steps back, pointed the glass orb forward, then rubbed the face, feeling my mana interact with Dragar's residing mana, before initiating the spell.
His face appeared on my orb, and mine in his as the look of astonishment from Tanya's eyes rattled me. Almost like she couldn't believe it was actually successful.
"You really are something else Milo, you know that right"
I was confused at how surprised she was, trying to wrap my head around how she could invest capital on something she didn't believe could possibly work.
'You all really don't know the value of money huh'
"So when do I meet the person responsible for such an outstanding invention"
There was a pompous look on his face, like a man bragging about himself.
He looked towards me, then turned to Tanya hoping to get a quicker response from her.
'Shit, he didn't even consider it could've been me?'
I began to wander what my entire presentation must have been to him.
"Unfortunately, the artificer who created it isn't present in Ethos. He's a traveling mage who offers services for the Targetus empire."
That was obviously a lie.
But Tanya knew Dragar would stop prying since the empire was mentioned. A shrewd tactic that she was fond of- playing people without their knowledge of it.
"Then how do you mass produce this"
Dragar was clearly not contempt with her excuse, casting a wittingly cunning smirk at her.
"I had him sign an exclusive contract to provide me with the first hundred products"
That was also a lie.
It was unfair to call it a contract when only one party benefited from the deal, but that was the kind of relationship they had.
Shruwid, unable to pay for his stay at Ethos and literally anywhere, was approached with an offer by Tanya for a lifelong visa, in exchange for her earning a whooping seventy percent share in anything he created.
"I feel for you Shruwid, I guess we both fell for her con...."
In this world, dwarves were a hundred percent guaranteed cashback on deals like that, as it was near impossible for them to not live up to the expectations when it came to craftsmanship.
The rest of the conversation after that was accompanied with laughs of contempt and agreement.
Just looking at them smiling as they shared a handshake, made it hard to tell who the predator and the prey was.
*******
"Ahhhhhh...."
I had never felt as tired as I felt presently, the strain of the hectic day revealing itself in my thumping head.
After the meeting with Dragar, Tanya asked me to rush back to the city hall and sign off four orders for the beastkin king.
Upon reaching my hell, I stumbled upon the miscalculated levy of a shipment, bound for the Orcheon trading company and had to start correcting over a hundred copies manually.
It was absurd how my situation was not interpreted as child labour at this point.
"I can't believe I live and work with a sociopath"
Natasha came in while I was still groaning, bringing me lunch as she stared at my troubled face.
Like a meme character, I arose from where I laid, springing back to life at the sight of food.
"What would I do without you Natasha"
The heat from the freshly baked bread almost drove me to tears as I dipped my fingers in the bowl containing chicken soup, feeling the brunt of the mild heat, sting both my finger and tongue.
The low roaring of a crowd not too far from my window, alerted me as I stopped before thoroughly eradicating the dish in front of me.
There were guards surrounding the front lawn, cheering and applauding at two individuals at the center of their gathering.
I peered closely, catching a glimpse of Mark's dull short silver hair, dangling as he pulled off his vest, preparing to challenge Beltros.
The urge to eat was dominating, very much so, but a sudden urge now overtook me as a smile crept on my face for no valid reason, but I simply rode with the trend, feeling the expectations within me build up.
"This should be fun!".