Pure, Unadulterated Fabrication
I knew full well that Bibi’s childish lisp was a calculated weapon of high-level emotional extortion. Why else would someone living her second life talk like a two-year-old toddler? It was weaponized guilt: Look how small and innocent I am. You’d have to be a monster to betray my sweet little hopes!
In any case, Bibi admitted that she had sneaked back into the subterranean garden behind my back, dragging an escort along. When I scolded her for doing something so perilous, she brazenly retorted that she’d gone fully decked out in magic crystals with guards more than capable of beating demonic beasts to a pulp. Long story short, the central entrance leading underground had refused to open.
Of course, one could argue it had failed to open because Raymon had smashed the place to pieces when rescuing us, even if temporary repairs had been made since. Yet no matter how much people avoided the area due to the danger, the Empire had a very long history. For an anomaly to suddenly occur now meant that specific conditions had to have overlapped.
Me + Bibi = Central entrance of the Maze Garden opens.
Just Bibi = Central entrance stays firmly shut.
In that case, the missing variable was clearly me.
Back then, the center of the garden had split open even though I was lingering near the outer rim. I deduced the trigger had to be one of two things: the imperial direct bloodline, or that Emoticon Sword that kept calling me its Contractor. Which was why I had simply stood back and watched Brian sprint headlong into the Maze Garden.
“A-A-Aaaargh!”
The moment I timed my step within the effective perimeter, the ground gave way beneath Brian, sending him plummeting into the depths below. Seeing that confirmed it: the cause was definitely the latter.
No matter how dangerous the area was, there was no way direct members of the imperial family had never crossed the center of the Maze Garden across centuries of history. For this anomaly to happen out of nowhere, specifically in this generation...
“...I really do need to scrub that sword’s image clean.”
It had to be because of me, right?
Just what on earth was this Contractor business that threw the entire imperial palace into such disarray? If I were holding the sword right now, I could have just interrogated it myself.
“All preparations are complete, Your Highness.”
I gave a shallow nod to the man bowing before me. He was an operative assigned as my temporary bodyguard by the Castrein Duchy.
I needed Castrein’s muscle for this scheme. It felt a little absurd that I was already spending one of the favors I had barely just earned, but I didn't hesitate. Favors were meant to be cashed in; let them sit too long and they turn to trash. So I had borrowed Gloriana’s Insignia for a short spell and requested their cooperation in this performance.
Now, the direction and staging were everything.
Brian would be scrambling for his life in the Underground Maze, chased down by that golden demonic beast. And the trapped beasts lurking in the subterranean depths would be swarming in droves.
The magic crystal in my temporary guard’s hand flickered.
That was the signal.
Taking a deep breath, I bolted forward and threw myself into the chasm yawning at the center of the maze. This was my second time willingly leaping down here. As Gloriana’s Insignia fluttered against my shoulder, a faint, soothing warmth seeped through the fabric.
“S-S-Save meee! Aaaargh!”
Prince Brian’s terrified shriek echoed through the cavern. A parasitic waste of human skin to whom I wouldn’t grant the title of brother even out of hollow courtesy.
I had genuinely debated whether it would be cleaner to just let him die here. Greedy yet utterly incompetent, he was a carbon copy of the current Emperor—and the very wellspring of Imperial Consort Cleo’s arrogance. He wasn't particularly bright either; in the original novel, while he caused all sorts of trouble, his notoriety didn't really peak until the later parts.
Ah, right. Completely ignoring their age gap, he had aggressively and repulsively courted Bibi, only to get thoroughly humiliated. Even though he had a fiancée at the time!
“D-Don't do this... Uwaaah... Mother... K-Knights... Is nobody there?! Is there really no one?!”
Still, the Emperor doted on him excessively. Considering that this entire staging had been orchestrated by me roping in both the Castrein Duchy and the Empress, the political fallout if the idiot actually died would be catastrophic.
It was far better to scare the living daylights out of him, shatter his public reputation, and call it a day. The beast growled, stalking closer to Brian, who had already pissed himself in sheer terror and was clawing desperately against the damp wall.
Now was the moment.
I grabbed the Emoticon Sword, which I had asked Raymon to smuggle down and place in this exact spot. Hummm, hummm, hummm! The frantically vibrating blade answered me immediately in my mind.
—Contractor-niiim!!!! ＼༼ɷ༽/ !!!!!!! Contractor-nim! I missed you, Contractor-nim! Strange men and women dared to touch me, dared to covet me...! ...H-Huh? Contractor-nim! Connection to Gloriana’s Insignia verified! A temporary Master Succession Ceremony has been established, unlocking Grade 2.5 functions! Would you like to proceed with the formal Master Succession Ceremony~?
Do you really have no sense of timing?! No!
—Understood, skipping! (̵̵́╹ᴥ╹)̵̵̀!
Clutching the real steel in my trembling hand, I asked internally,
Can you adjust your weight?
—Ah, with your current grade that should be imposs... Wait, it works?!(๏_๏) For the Contractor only, weight reduced to one-tenth! Additionally, extra features are available!
List the Grade 2.5 features, quick!
—Yes! Holy Light feature added! Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Effective area: 5-meter radius! Emits sacred light to drive all nocturnal creatures, winged pests, and demonic beasts out of the area! ✧٩(ˊωˋ*)و✧ Command word: ‘Shine!’
Splendid. Originally, I had planned to create special effects using magic crystals, but if I had an inherent skill, I was certainly going to use it.
While I gathered my thoughts, the beast opened its maw wide and lunged toward Brian.
Having completely given up, Brian shut his eyes in terror and curled into a miserable ball on the stone floor.
Time was running out. At my signal, the operatives lying in wait activated the magic crystals. Suppressed by the sudden pulse, the demonic beast howled in frustration, unable to touch Brian.
Someone frantically waved a note scribbled in pencil above the opening to catch my attention.
Perfect. That was my cue!
“Haaaaah!”
I charged forward with blade in hand. The beast writhed in agony as the pressure from the magic crystals intensified. Naturally—it was a temporary anti-beast suppression barrier generously sponsored by House Castrein!
If Brian had opened his eyes, he might have noticed something was off, but he stayed deathly still.
Did he faint with his eyes shut...? Well, even better for me.
The clamor of voices drew near.
“Brian, Brian! My baby, are you safe?!”
“What are the Royal Guards doing?! Go in this instant! My son, my son is down there!”
Right on time!
I hurled myself toward the demonic beast.
“Shine!”
Flash!
Flash!
FLASH!
“Graaaaooowl!”
The golden wolf beast groaned, squeezing its eyes shut and flinching back. Great, now if I just dramatically subdue it...!
Right at that moment, an unfamiliar voice rang out.
[Existence of Contractor ‘Titania’ confirmed.]
My grip on the hilt tightened instinctively.
[Gloriana’s Insignia — Direct contact confirmed.]
[Power of Horus unlock available.]
I didn't know what it was, but if it was there, I was using it.
“Release!”
The instant I shouted, a colossal torrent of radiance poured forth, swallowing the demonic beasts that filled the underground chamber.
“Aaaah!”
“Eeeek!”
“W-What is that?!”
The audience had arrived right on cue, and chaos erupted all around. The light was so blinding that even I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut for a moment.
Fwoooosh...
A gentle breeze stirred.
When I opened my eyes, the beasts were crumbling away from their extremities, rustling and dispersing into ash as though incinerated by solar radiance.
And watching the entire spectacle with a slack-jawed, stunned expression was the Emperor, flanked by Consort Cleo, whose face had gone pale as a corpse as she stared at Brian.
Behind them stood the Royal Guards, imperial knights, soldiers, and high priests, all frozen in petrified shock.
My accomplices—the operatives sent by House Castrein—were disguised as imperial knights who had supposedly rushed down to slay the beasts, seamlessly blending into the crowd without drawing the slightest suspicion.
And behind the Emperor’s retinue, Raymon stood waiting quietly.
Suddenly, our eyes met.
For a brief second, I forgot the situation entirely and caught my breath.
I had always thought of those golden eyes as frozen shards of ice.
Yet the gaze he fixed upon me now burned with a heat so strikingly close to worry that it seemed to melt right through him.
Why? Why is he looking at me with such turmoil? Because I wielded an unknown power?
I tore my eyes away from Raymon and gathered my wits.
Even after the other beasts had crumbled into nothingness, the golden wolf beast dissolved ever so slowly, scattering like dry sand right before the tip of my blade after everyone’s vision cleared.
Watching this scene unfold, the Emperor spoke in a trembling voice.
“Ti-Titania... Had you not yet awakened? What... What is the meaning of all this?!”
“Imperial Father!”
Lifting the blade with an expression of solemn, unblemished reverence, I declared:
“This sacred sword has called upon me, waking me from my slumber!”
It was the majestic beginning of pure, unadulterated fabrication.