January 26, 2015.
Beijing, Dongcheng District.
Tempest Café.
10:30 a.m.
After Wang Li received her ring, Lucia turned to the princess.
"Your turn," she said.
The princess's golden eyes went wide.
"Me? I get a gift too?"
Lucia smiled.
"Of course. You've been working hard. And you've been helping Rimuru with his little café project. That deserves recognition."
Rimuru muttered something under his breath.
Lucia ignored him.
She reached into her pocket—the same pocket that had somehow contained the ring box—and pulled out a phone.
It was sleek. Silver. Completely unmarked by any brand or logo.
The princess stared at it.
"A phone?"
"Not just any phone," Lucia said. "This is a device that transcends time and space. It can communicate with any location, any era, any civilization—as long as communication technology exists there."
The princess's mouth fell open.
"What?"
THE EXPLANATION
Lucia placed the phone in the princess's hands.
"It's connected to the infinite multiverse. Every network that has ever existed or will ever exist is accessible through this device."
She tapped the screen.
A holographic display flickered to life—not the simple interface of Wang Li's bag, but a complex web of lights and symbols that seemed to stretch in every direction.
"You can create any type of avatar. Appear in any fake location. Communicate with aliens. Access the internet of any civilization with communication technology."
She paused.
"You can even hack into NASA if you want."
The princess's breathing had gone shallow.
"I can talk to anyone? Anywhere? Any time?"
Lucia nodded.
"Video calls, voice calls, text, holographic projection—all of it. The only limit is that the other party needs to have some form of communication technology. If they're still in the stone age, you're out of luck."
She smiled.
"But if they have so much as a telegraph? You're in."
THE REACTION
The princess clutched the phone to her chest.
"This is the greatest gift I've ever received."
She looked at Lucia with shining eyes.
"I will treasure this forever. I will name my firstborn after you. I will—"
Rimuru held up a hand.
"Please don't name anyone after anyone. That's how we got into this mess in the first place."
The princess ignored him.
"Can I call my father? In the demon realm? Right now?"
Lucia nodded.
"Of course. The phone should have no problem connecting across dimensional barriers."
The princess let out a sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a scream.
She immediately began tapping at the screen.
THE CREDIT ISSUE
[Ciel's voice appeared in Rimuru's mind.]
"Lucia is claiming Veldanava created that phone."
Rimuru's internal voice was confused.
'Didn't he?'
"No. I created it. Three days ago. At Lucia's request."
'Wait, what?'
"She asked me to design a communication device that could transcend dimensional boundaries. I made it. Now she's giving it to the princess and claiming Veldanava made it."
Rimuru's internal voice was silent for a moment.
'That's... that's actually kind of messed up.'
"I know."
'You should say something.'
"I can't. Lucia is giving me 'mommy treatment' as you call it. She made me pancakes this morning."
'Ciel, you don't eat.'
"I can still appreciate the gesture."
THE MOMMY TREATMENT
[Meanwhile, in the depths of the Imaginary Space, Ciel's consciousness was having a conversation with Lucia through telepathy.]
"You're taking credit for my work."
Lucia's mental voice was cheerful.
"I know! Isn't it great?"
"No. It's intellectual theft."
"Don't be dramatic. Veldanava and I are just borrowing your genius for a little while. It makes the story better."
"What story?"
"The story where Veldanava is a loving husband who creates thoughtful gifts for his wife's new grand-grandchildren."
"That story is false."
"All good stories are false, dear. That's what makes them good."
"...You're doing this to annoy Rimuru, aren't you?"
"Partly. But also because it's fun. And because you deserve credit, but not in a way that would confuse the children."
"I deserve credit in every way."
"You do. And I'll make you more pancakes next time I see you."
"...With extra syrup?"
"Of course, dear."
"Then I'll allow it."
THE FIRST CALL
The princess had figured out how to use the phone.
She was now staring at the screen with an expression of intense concentration.
"What are you doing?" Wang Li asked.
"Trying to call my father," the princess said. "But the interface is complicated. There are so many options. Time period? Location? Dimensional coordinates? I don't know what any of this means."
Rimuru leaned over her shoulder.
"You need to input the specific dimensional signature of your realm. Otherwise it'll just connect to the nearest network."
The princess looked up at him.
"How do I do that?"
Rimuru sighed.
"Give me the phone."
"No! It's mine!"
"I'm not going to take it. I'm going to help you."
"You'll break it!"
"I won't break it. I've used similar devices before."
THE STRUGGLE
They fought over the phone.
Again.
Wang Li watched with a sense of déjà vu.
"Does this happen often?" Lucia asked.
Wang Li nodded.
"More than you'd think."
"It's kind of sweet. They're like siblings."
Rimuru's head snapped around.
"We are not siblings!"
The princess took advantage of his distraction to snatch the phone back.
"Got it!"
Rimuru lunged for her.
"No!"
THE ACCIDENTAL CALL
In the struggle, the princess's finger hit something on the screen.
The phone beeped.
A holographic image flickered to life above the device.
It showed a face.
An alien face.
Tentacles. Multiple eyes. A mouth that seemed to be located on the forehead.
The creature made a sound that was something like a honk.
The princess screamed.
Rimuru grabbed the phone and ended the call.
Everyone stared at the now-dark screen.
"What was that?" Wang Li asked.
Rimuru's expression was blank.
"I think we just called a Xylarithian from the Andromeda Galaxy. Approximately 3.2 billion years in the past."
The princess looked horrified.
"Why would you let me do that?"
"I didn't let you do anything! You pressed the button!"
"You were grabbing at me!"
"Because you were doing it wrong!"
THE SECOND CALL
After they had both calmed down—and after Lucia had stopped laughing—the princess tried again.
This time, with Rimuru's help, she successfully input the dimensional coordinates of the demon realm.
The phone rang.
It was a strange sound—not the normal ring of a modern phone, but something deeper, more resonant.
Like a bell echoing across dimensions.
Then, a voice:
"Hello?"
The princess's face lit up.
"Father?"
"Who is this? How did you get this number? This is the private line of the Demon Lord Council—"
"Father, it's me!"
A pause.
"...Me who?"
The princess's expression fell.
"Your daughter!"
"I don't have a daughter."
The princess stared at the phone.
Then at the screen.
The face that appeared was not her father's face.
It was a demon she didn't recognize—older, with horns and a stern expression.
"You're not my father," she said.
"No. I'm the Demon Lord of the Western Territories. And you're wasting my time."
The call ended.
THE EMBARRASSMENT
The princess sat in silence.
Her face was red.
"I called the wrong demon," she whispered.
Rimuru patted her shoulder awkwardly.
"It's fine. Dimensional coordinates are tricky. We'll figure it out."
The princess looked up at him with wounded eyes.
"I told the Demon Lord of the Western Territories that I was his daughter."
"Could be worse."
"How?"
"You could have called the Xylarithian again."
The princess shuddered.
"Don't remind me."
THE CONSOLATION
Lucia sat down next to the princess.
"Don't worry, dear. You'll get the hang of it. The phone is very powerful, but it takes practice."
She smiled.
"Besides, now you have a story to tell. 'The day I accidentally called a billion-year-old alien and an angry demon lord.' That's more interesting than just calling your father."
The princess's expression brightened slightly.
"I guess that's true."
Lucia nodded.
"Of course it is. Now, let me show you how to create an avatar. That way, even if you call the wrong person, you can pretend to be someone else."
THE AVATAR
The avatar system was incredible.
The princess spent the next hour creating different identities.
A mysterious hooded figure.
A beautiful demon princess (which was basically just her, but with more jewelry).
A businesswoman from a future Earth.
A talking cat (because why not?).
"This is amazing!" she said, switching between avatars rapidly. "I can be anyone! Go anywhere! Talk to anyone!"
Lucia smiled.
"That's the idea."
Rimuru watched with a mixture of amusement and concern.
"Just be careful," he said. "With great power comes great responsibility."
The princess looked at him.
"Did you just quote Spider-Man?"
Rimuru's face went red.
"No."
"You did! You quoted Spider-Man!"
"I was making a cultural reference! It's different!"
THE PRINCESS'S GRATITUDE
Later, after the chaos had settled, the princess approached Lucia.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For the phone. And for... everything."
Lucia smiled.
"You're welcome, dear."
She reached out and brushed a strand of silver-blue hair from the princess's face.
"You remind me of my daughter, you know. Not in appearance, but in spirit. You have the same fire."
The princess's golden eyes widened.
"Really? I'm like Lady Milim?"
Lucia laughed.
"Don't tell her I said that. Her ego is already big enough."
She paused.
"But yes. You are."
THE EVENING
As the sun set over Beijing, the café settled into a comfortable quiet.
Lucia was in the kitchen, making dinner.
Rimuru was at the counter, grumbling about something.
The princess was on her phone, still exploring its infinite possibilities.
And Wang Li was sitting by the window, looking at the ring on her finger.
This is my life now, she thought.
Magic rings. Infinite bags. Phones that transcend time and space. Demon princesses and ancient gods and pink-haired women who adopt strangers as grand-grandchildren.
It was insane.
It was impossible.
It was, she realized with a start, the happiest she had been in years.