"Merka, reality isn't that simple."

"The Thirteen Disciples are not rewarded based on merits."

"You also need to possess the corresponding strength."

"You..." Maria broke out in a cold sweat, as she hadn't expected Merka to come up with such a difficult demand right at the beginning.

"I do." Merka interrupted Maria and immediately replied, "I obtained the war goddess relic, the Twisted Wand, from Erisburg."

"Even so, do you still think I have no combat power?" Upon hearing this, Maria felt as if she had been stepped on the tail like a cat and almost jumped out of her seat.

"What... What?!" Realizing her momentary loss of composure, Maria quickly regained her composure, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "Where is the Twisted Wand?"

Merka shook his head and said indifferently, "No, that's my bargaining chip. I won't let you see it."

"But if you agree to my conditions, I will fight for you when we go to war with Oedipus."

"If you don't agree, I might consider running away with Turing as a strategy."

"What do you think?" Maria narrowed her eyebrows. If she couldn't see the Twisted Wand, she didn't know if it was worth continuing to invest in Merka.

But soon she felt relieved. Maria believed that since Merka already knew the name "Twisted Wand," it meant that Merka had at least seen or knew about it from Oedipus.

The probability of Merka obtaining the Twisted Wand was not low, and it would be even better to give him a title to consolidate Turing. Why not?

After all, a disciple was just a title.

"Fine, I agree to that." Maria nodded and continued, "Is there any other condition?"

Merka suddenly burst out, forcefully pressing his hands on the table, staring at Maria with a serious expression that almost appeared menacing.

"Never, ever lie to me again!"

"You and your disciples, if I ask anything, you must tell me everything, completely and in detail!"

"Do you understand?"

Maria's lips trembled slightly, feeling that Merka now was completely different from the little boy she had brought out of the orphanage back then.

What a self-inflicted wound.

Maria thought with a headache.

Ever since Merka was abandoned by his biological parents and taken in by Joan and raised in the orphanage, Maria had never truly paid attention to this boy.

She had kept him around back then, continuing to let him use Joan's relics solely because the boy had a certain level of attractiveness, making him suitable for her plan of seducing Turing and sowing discord between Turing and Oedipus.

If there was any emotional factor, it would be compassion and care.

Impossible!

In the long ordeal and battles of wits with Oedipus, Maria's once compassionate sentiments had completely worn away.

She now only has one thought.

That is to destroy the inhuman monster Oedipus and restore the ruling power of Acadia to humans.

This is also a way to atone for the sins of those predecessors who opened the research institute.

But she now deeply feels that the chess piece, Merka, which was originally expendable to her, has unexpectedly grown wings.

"Ah..."

Maria sighed, not getting angry at Merka's sudden impoliteness.

It's all because she has been too gentle with her subordinates on weekdays, which leads to her lack of authority. Anyone dares to be disrespectful to her, which is the difference between her and Oedipus.

But in return, Maria's power group is also more united than Oedipus'.

Probably...

"I understand, okay, I will tell them about this."

Maria nodded again, this request was just a verbal agreement anyway.

"And, I want a mechanical divinity that belongs to me."

"Don't you already have quite a few mechanical divinities?"

Maria was taken aback, amazed that Merka knew so much.

This boy seems to have truly mastered many trump cards that she didn't know.

"I didn't expect you to even know about mechanical divinities... your trip to Erisburg seems to have enriched your wings quite a bit."

"But I hid all the mechanical divinities in the most hidden place in Lachésis, I can't give you one for now."

"Alright, a month later, I'll bring one for you."

"What about you, in the meantime, please spend more time with Turing for me, okay?"

Merka agreed.

"Okay, I will do that even without you asking."

Maria breathed a sigh of relief, then turned her pen in her left hand.

She asked tentatively.

"Alright, do you have any other requests now?"

"No, there is one more."

Merka didn't blush or feel embarrassed. He knew that he couldn't be thin-skinned in negotiations at this time.

"What... what else?"

Maria couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and cautiously asked.

"I want an advance payment of 800,000 in salary."

After Merka finished speaking, Maria pondered for a moment, looked up and down at Merka, and didn't say anything for a while.

In her impression, due to his miserable childhood, Merka has always been a person who seeks simplicity and is content. It's suddenly asking for money, there may be some changes.

But it doesn't matter, problems that can be solved with money are not considered problems.

"That is easy to solve... but why do you suddenly want so much money?"

Seeing Merka looking a bit awkward and struggling to come up with a reason, Maria didn't pursue further.

"Never mind, it's up to you."

Carelessly tearing off a piece of paper from the notebook, Maria swiftly wrote her name and the amount, creating a simple check.

She lightly enchanted the paper, leaving her own magical fluctuations on it.

"I've signed for one million for you, go to room 109 downstairs to claim reimbursement from the finance department."

"Remember to spend your money wisely."

Merka looked at the paper handed to her and paused for a moment, then took it silently. Having been deeply scarred by poverty since childhood, Merka could never fully grasp the horrifying reality that such a large sum of money was on just a small piece of paper.

The world of the Acadia nobility and the Curseborn was worlds apart.

"Oh, I see..."

Holding the paper blankly, Merka said goodbye to Maria and walked out of the office as if she had lost her soul.