My Idle System

Inside a grand office, where Christian sat leisurely, amusement clearly glinting in his eyes, four desperate people… no, three desperate people and one android stared at him, waiting for an answer.

But Christian didn't respond right away.

He let them stew a little longer in their anxiety.

Let the pressure rise.

One might wonder at the reason for his calm — for the easygoing air he carried, even now.

Especially when he, of all people, was the one always trying to avoid entanglement with large, powerful groups…

And this time, he was about to go head-to-head with one.

An ancient family. A strong one.

One that even had vague ties to a smaller outsider group.

And yet, here he sat, seemingly unbothered.

Was it because he was close to the second stage now?

Partially, yes.

But that wasn't the main reason.

The real reason?

He had already spoken with Vincent.

Well — not him directly, but through Eva.

Either way, they had reached something resembling an alliance.

Eva wanted the Infintel Company. But instead of pushing into conflict, she had cut a deal with them.

Would they betray him later?

Was that part of their plan?

Christian, curious about whatever method Eva — and his sister, now under her influence — planned to use to take over Infintel, had asked.

He hadn't gotten a satisfying answer.

Still, he intended to push Infintel to the front during the coming conflict — let it absorb some of the pressure for him.

It was a risky move.

But one he could afford to make.

And with that thought… his attention finally returned to the present.

The room.

The silence.

The four people still waiting.

He looked at Zero — that begging gaze in his eyes, so sincere it was almost amazing to see on an android's face.

It was like he was on the verge of tears his mechanical body couldn't shed.

Christian's heart finally leaned — just slightly.

He decided to stop dragging it out.

But instead of saying anything, he raised his hand and made a simple gesture toward Alpha.

She stepped forward.

And from the bag they brought with them, she took out three papers —

Or rather — ancient pages.

Each one engraved with a distinct magic circle.

Christian held them in his hand, casually waving them as he looked at the three.

"These are magic contracts. Three of them," he said.

"The clauses are simple — confidentiality and loyalty."

Then his tone sharpened.

"Do you want to sign them and walk out of this room alive?"

"Or would you rather be silenced — so my existence can remain hidden?"

"Make your choice."

With the ultimatum laid bare, silence fell again.

Zero looked at his "friends."

His head lowered even further, his shoulders slightly trembling.

He looked ashamed — not because he was the one giving the threat, but because he had dragged them into this situation…

And even now, he couldn't help them.

Christian naturally noticed.

And the smile on his face widened ever so slightly.

Because no matter what Zero was — no matter how cold or artificial he was — this proved he was holding onto something like emotion.

But did Christian really plan to kill them if they refused to sign?

Actually… no.

Even if they chose not to sign the contracts, he didn't plan to kill them.

His current plan was to imprison them — at least until he found a reliable way to secure their silence by other means.

Because despite everything, he still wanted to keep his pawn — Zero — hidden.

Especially now, with Christian stepping halfway into the public eye through his deal with the Infintel family…

And the coming conflict with the Drevane family.

It was better to have some piece no one knew about.

In truth, wasting three precious magic contracts on them was a move he only made for Zero's sake.

Because he knew — if Zero escaped alone, these three wouldn't last long.

They'd die soon after.

So if anything, they should be grateful.

That was the truth.

But Christian didn't plan to explain any of that.

Let them think whatever they wanted.

The only one that really mattered — the only one truly worth the investment — was Zero.

And with this experience?

Christian felt certain: he would improve.

He would learn from this failure.

He was bound to.

"I'll sign it!" Mina suddenly said.

Her voice was shaky, but clear.

She became the first to agree.

And Christian, watching her, briefly wondered if this was the power of love.

Before long, Miles clenched his fists and followed her.

"I'll sign too," he said.

That left only one.

Jonathan.

Everyone's eyes turned to him.

He stood stiffly, jaw clenched, and the frustration in his expression was obvious.

Christian watched him, clearly amused.

If he had to name the one he trusted the least among this group, it would be Jonathan.

So there was absolutely no chance he'd make an exception for him.

"You piece of shit — why are you still staying silent?" Mina snapped.

Her voice was sharp now, unable to hold back her fury after everything.

And so, Jonathan, under the weight of their stares — and with no hope of gambling on his pathetic combat ability — finally gave in.

"…Fine. I'll sign it."

With that, Christian gave a small nod to Alpha.

She stepped forward and handed each of them a contract.

They tried to read it — but quickly realized it was written in a language none of them understood.

In the end, they had no choice.

Begrudgingly, they pricked their fingers, letting blood well up, then pressed their thumbs to the parchment.

One by one, each page began to glow faintly…

Then dissolved — the light fading as it was absorbed directly into their bodies.

Christian gave them one final warning:

If they ever broke the terms of the contract — if they opposed it in any way — it would mean death.

And with that, he dismissed them.

The rest of the instructions — where they were going, how their appearances would be changed, and how Zero could reveal his identity as an android if he wished — were all delivered to them through Iris.

Now alone with Nina and Alpha, Christian's demeanor finally relaxed.

His posture eased, and the heavy presence he'd carried just moments ago faded into something almost childish.

"What do you think about the previous… situation?" he asked, voice light, almost playful.

"Did I seem like a big boss?"

Nina, pretended like she hadn't heard anything.

But Alpha?

Her eyes sparkled.

"You were brilliant, Master!" she said with almost too much enthusiasm.

And then… she kept going.

Showering him with praise for five minutes straight, her gaze shining like a fangirl meeting her idol.

Eventually, Christian had to stop her with a raised hand.

He couldn't deny it — her compliments were satisfying, and her overly loyal personality… kind of entertaining.

But even so…

There was something strange about it.

He couldn't help but feel that behind all that praise, there was no soul.

Something about her reactions felt hollow — like they didn't truly come from within.

Alpha, like Iris, displayed a vivid personality.

But somehow, it still lacked something compared to Zero — who, ironically, was the one acting most human.

And once again, Christian found himself wondering about the difference.

Alpha and Zero weren't so different in design.

In fact, Alpha's specs were just slightly superior.

So what made the gap?

Was it… the number of humans Zero had interacted with?

Maybe… Christian thought to himself.