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"Yes" The reporter in the blue tie adjusted his tie to reduce his nervousness and started. "Is this weapon developed by the Golden Empire Group? Or is it a joint effort with the US government?" Asked the blue tie reporter.

Lust smiled, "No, It's not a weapon. In fact what you perceive as a weapon that has been used last night is just an experimental model of a large-scale mining laser that was developed by Astral Technology Corporation. This mining laser was designed and built and developed with the use of interstellar mining in mind.

What you saw in the footage is the mining laser that uses its full power after bypassing all of its safety protocol and overloading it with energy that is far beyond its capacity." Answered Lust.

Another hand went up, and Lust nodded gracefully, signaling for the reporter to ask his question.

"Ms. Harrington, many experts believe this... device could potentially destroy a moon. Mining tools shouldn't have that kind of power, should they? Are you absolutely sure it's not a weapon?" The reporter's question seemed to teeter on the edge of accusing her of lying, yet he couldn't bring himself to be direct about it, as if his own words were being restrained.

Lust smiled, understanding the underlying skepticism in the reporter's question. "I appreciate your perspective. However, let me clarify. First, this mining laser, though powerful, can only be fired once with the power you saw on the footage.

Second, the extraordinary power displayed was due to an intentional override of all of its safety protocols, pushing it far beyond its intended use," she explained calmly.

"But isn't that just..." The same reporter attempted to voice a stronger question, intending to imply that she might be whitewashing the situation, but he hesitated. Her presence seemed to soften any confrontational intent, making it difficult for him to challenge her directly.

"Perhaps an analogy would be helpful," Lust continued, a touch more assertive this time.

"Imagine a home gas stove, stripped of all its safety mechanisms. What happens when you light the burner? An appliance designed for culinary delights transforms into a dangerous bomb. Do you see how context can alter the purpose of an invention? The same principle applies to the mining laser."

The reporter seemed mollified by Lust's explanation, his initial skepticism replaced by a thoughtful silence. As she finished, another hand shot up – this time, a woman's.

"Ms. Harrington," the female reporter began, her voice sharp with intellectual curiosity, "you mentioned this being an interstellar mining laser prototype. However, if I recall correctly, Astral Tech just completed their space station in orbit. Isn't this a bit of a leap? Are there any secret developments we are unaware of?"

Lust's smile remained radiant. "An excellent question," she replied. "As a representative of Liberty House and the Golden Empire Group, I don't have access to Astral Tech's top-secret projects. However, I do know they've developed underwater mining lasers for in-house resource extraction. What we witnessed last night was a prototype based on their underwater mining technology.

As for their next step, I believe they're aiming to initiate an interplanetary resource development project, potentially focusing on extracting Helium-3 from our moon,"

Lust's revelation sent a wave of murmurs through the room. The atmosphere shifted noticeably. Gone were the hushed whispers of weapons and threats; the reporters and specialists were now buzzing with the exciting prospect of interplanetary resource development.

The focus of the press conference did a complete turn around. Questions concerning the weapon and potential U.S. aggression evaporated, replaced by a fervent buzz around the possibilities of interplanetary resource development. Investors, sensing a gold rush of unprecedented proportions, scrambled to formulate plans.

To their collective shock, however, they discovered that all shares of Astral Tech were unavailable for purchase. The company remained entirely under the ownership of Daniel Emberweave.

This revelation only intensified the allure of Astral Tech in the eyes of investors and millionaires worldwide. Imagine the possibilities! Helium-3 readily available from the moon, along with a treasure trove of rare minerals previously unattainable – the future seemed limitless.

With such prospects dangling before them, some investors are even considering resorting to kidnapping Daniel and forcing him to make his company public!

— Meanwhile, at Hightower HQ —

Inside the opulent office of Golden Scale, a setting that befits his status as a Hightower Grand Councilor, Golden Scale watched the press conference in silence.

His emotions were inscrutable, hidden behind his robe. All that was visible was a nod of approval and a low, resonant voice indicating his agreement with this method chosen by Envy or perhaps Greed, to conceal the truth of magic like this.

— Meanwhile - The luxury hotel near fort Somner —

Back in his room, Daniel watched the news with a mixture of awe and suspicion. Lust's performance had been nothing short of mesmerizing. She'd effortlessly deflected skepticism, redirecting attention away from sensitive details and towards the tantalizing prospect of interplanetary resources.

This, in turn, effectively shielded the truth about magic and disarmed any potential UN scrutiny directed at the U.S. Yet, a nagging doubt gnawed at Daniel.

It all seemed... too easy. Shouldn't those tenacious reporters be digging a bit more deeper? Were they truly silenced by Lust's beauty, unable to muster the courage for tougher questions?

Envy, observing Daniel's face through the video call, recognized his internal conflict. "Wondering if it's a bit too convenient that Lust managed to pacify that pack of wolves so easily, aren't you?" she inquired.

Daniel swiveled his chair, meeting Envy's gaze on the laptop screen. He nodded, his curiosity piqued. There was definitely something more to this than met the eye.

Envy let out a chuckle and smile, before she revealed. "That's thanks to Lust's power. Her power as the Witch of Lust is the power to magically influence the thought of the listener without magical ability to think what she wanted them to think."

Daniel, curious and somewhat skeptical, asked, "So, you're saying she can just command those reporters to forget about sensitive matters and focus on what she wants them to? Isn't that akin to 'Word of Power' magic?"

Recalling his encounter with the powerful Golden Scale Enforcer, who could render Daniel's weapons useless with just a word, Daniel pondered the potential implications.

"No," Envy replied, shaking her head. "It's not the same as the Word of Power. Lust's power lies in her role as the Witch of Lust. Word of Power can manipulate reality to a certain extent based on the user's words, but it requires face-to-face interaction and has limited reach. The more people it affects, the weaker its influence. Lust's power works differently."

Envy paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing, "In terms of raw power, Lust's ability to compel thoughts is weaker and only affects those without magical abilities. However, the scope of her influence extends to anyone who hears her voice, even without seeing her face.

This can be incredibly useful when the Hightower needs to conceal certain truths during escalating situations like this."

Understanding dawned on Daniel. He finally grasped why Lust appeared nonchalant and carefree most of the time. It all made sense now – her power made her an invaluable asset in situations like this. In fact, Daniel mused, having Lust as a spokesperson for his company could smooth over many issues, including the scrutiny from the UN regarding his technology and company.

However, Envy interjected, her voice laced with concern. "Just a word of caution, Daniel," she began.

"Whatever your plans are, don't rely on Lust too much. She's the type of person who easily gets carried away on the feeling of indispensability, and it can inflate her ego. Remember, I don't want a repeat of her... bad habits.

Let's just say it took considerable effort to put her back in her place last time." Envy winced, the memory of Lust acting up making her feel like she's about to have an aneurysm.

"That bad, huh?" Daniel inquired, a sliver of doubt creeping into his voice.

Envy shuddered dramatically. "Oh, trust me, you wouldn't want to see her acting up. The last time she did, she acted like the world was her personal fiefdom. She even demanded the Queen of the United Kingdom to grant her the title of Duchess for her 'services.' Thankfully, Greed intervened and cut off all funding for her film company, nearly bankrupting it. Otherwise, things might have gotten... messy.

Let's just say, upon meeting you, she might have entertained the notion of becoming your personal queen, demanding nightly 'services.' Refusal, of course, would have resulted in some very persuasive 'encouragement' from her powers. People might have found themselves convinced you were a scumbag, or worse, romantically interested only in fat and ugly old men."

"Damn..." Daniel muttered, the scenario sending a shiver down his spine.