35 CONTRACT MAGIC

"Ms. Sarah? Are you alright?" asked Nico

"Ah! yes, I did hear tales of people being summoned to this world, but I would not have believed to have a living myth sit right in front of me." Sarah snapped out of her daze, as she could not believe that Gus was someone who only exists in children's storybooks.

"I apologize, Ms. Sarah. I didn't mean to hide anything from you. I just felt that it was just not the right time for me to explain my current situation." said Gus.

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Gus poured them a hot brownish drink in their Mugs.

"This hot, bitter drink is called coffee. In a way, it is like tea, but instead of using dried tea leaves, we use fermented, roasted beans from a certain plant," explained Gus as he places milk and sugar beside the hot steel kettle, filled with coffee.

"Please drink it little by little, and feel free to add sugar and milk to adjust according to your tastes," said Gus.

"Mm... This is quite an experience. It's intimidating at first because of its bitterness, but the more I drink, the more it tastes better. I believe I will have my coffee without milk and less sugar next time." said Nico.

"I think I will need to add more milk and sugar..." Sarah puts even more sugar in her mug.

"You will eventually appreciate its' bitterness once you drink it more often," Gus explained.

"Mr. Nico, can you explain to me in detail what Contract Magic is?" asked Gus

"You see, Inventors and Innovators are hindered from presenting their ideas and inventions in fear of plagiarism. That is why the Merchant guild created Contract Magic, a long time ago. It is a method of making a vow with the Gods themselves, and then magically reinforcing that pact. Breaking the contract carries consequences for the one who violates it. This is one of the core missions of the Merchants Guild. Ideas and Inventions can propel human civilization forward thus making it more prosperous for everyone. The guild will not allow actions that will inhibit the civilization's growth."

Nico pulled out a Blank Magic Contract and indeed it seems to emanate a magical aura within it.

"Anyone can create a Magical contract. What makes the Merchant contract different, is that our contract has higher levels of security magic applied to it. It cannot simply be bypassed, replicated or tampered with." said Nico as he puts away his contract.

"So, I'm assuming you are presenting to me a product that can change the course of this world?" Nico said jokingly.

"I was hoping it will change the lives of the young ones," said Gus.

"Will they sell, Salt and Sugar in your stead?" Asked Nico curiously.

"No. It's too dangerous for them to possess such things for now. What I have is something safer for them to sell to the public." Gus took out two wooden, rectangular boxes, with grids careful carved on top. As he opened the box, there seem to be steel figures inside.

"Are these horses, Gus? And these other pieces look like castles?" Sarah meticulously observed the beautiful pieces in her hands.

"Is this a game?" asked Nico. The Craftsmanship of the wooden box is simple, yet sensible.

"This game is called chess."

Simply, each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each piece type moves differently, with the most powerful being the queen and the least powerful the pawn. Nico made sure to remember how each piece moves by writing it down on a piece of parchment.

The objective is to "checkmate" the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, while supporting each other. During the game, play typically involves exchanging pieces for the opponent's similar pieces and finding and engineering opportunities to trade advantageously or to get a better position. In addition to checkmate, a player wins the game if the opponent resigns, or, in a timed game, runs out of time. There are also several ways that a game can end in a draw.

Back on Earth, Chess has been popular with nobles of Medieval times. It is believed to have originated from northern India during the 6th Century A.D. Chess was introduced to Europe during the mid to late 10th Century. Europe simply changed the pieces according to their army's structure so the public will be able to familiarize the game better.

Nico and Sarah started a chess match and played against each other. Gus guided them throughout their gameplay. Nico won his first match, by cornering Sarah's King with his Rook and Queen.

"Don't you think that this will sell well?" asked Gus.

"I guarantee this will sell well amongst the nobles," answered Nico.

"Nobles do love exclusivity, so I plan to create intricately carved chess pieces. Rather than have the standard shaped chess pieces, the Noble medieval set edition, is carved to look like actual kings, queens, knights, bishops, pawns, and rooks. To hold the beautiful chess pieces, I plan to make an accompanying chessboard made of marble. I also wish to release a cheaper version for the commoners to enjoy as well." said Gus, while he crossed his arms and hold his armored chin.

"If there are no other questions and concerns, please designate Ms. Sarah Stillwater as the innovator of this game. Once the children reach the age of majority, then she can either share or transfer the game's rights to them as well," said Gus.

"Gus! This... this is too much! I really can't take your idea for myself!" said Sarah. Gus remembered that Sarah did have a great sense of pride.

"Sarah, it's alright. Being a monster myself, I cannot own anything at all by law! Besides, this game was not mine, to begin with anyway." answered Gus.

"He is right Sarah, it would be easier for Gus if you accept his offer. And since it's for the children's welfare, I will personally cover the cost of production for this game, while I split my profits 50/50 with the Orphanage. I won't even charge commission anymore." said Nico.

Gus grinned on the inside. Once again, he managed to get the best deal he could from Nico by using the children as leverage.

"Then it's settled! Sarah will be the innovator until she decides to share or transfer her ownership to the children. Then, Mr. Nico shall solely hold the rights to sell chess. Are you certain other people won't sell our game?" asked Gus.

"They won't even dare to try once the contract is finalized with the Guild. People are aware of the dire consequences by violating Contract Magic. You have my word, Mr. Gus." answered Nico.

"By the way, what is that other wooden box, Gus?" asked Sarah.

"Oh, this? This is a game exclusively made for the children. I still owe them an adventure back in the living room, you see," said Gus.

Assuming nothing goes wrong, Gus' plans are moving along pretty well. Now that he figured out a way to help Sarah and the Orphanage, Gus can now focus on completing his System's Mission. A week is almost over, and there is still a lot to be done.