Simple Is Best
"It was that very day that the Holy Relic split in two. Later, I learned that every ounce of power stored within it had been depleted, leaving it unable to function at all. So... as an emergency measure, I scrambled to procure a fake to take its place."
"...And when, exactly, was that?"
At my question, Phlux counted the days in his head before answering.
"Roughly... two weeks ago, I believe."
"And what if the barrier had collapsed in the meantime? What were you going to do then?"
The more I listened, the more absurd the whole debacle sounded.
So, let me get this straight. There was an underground black market operating quietly in this city. Hearing that an exceptionally dangerous item had surfaced at its auction house, he went to see it in person, only for the thing to detonate. Left with an irreversible affliction, he secretly stole the Holy Relic to cure himself, broke it in the process, and shoved a fake into its place?
"Fine. You were infected with demonic energy and couldn't seek the temple's help. But did it never occur to you to ask the Castrein Duchy for aid?"
"Your Imperial Highness."
Phlux shrugged.
"In your innocence, you might not know this, but there is a famous saying in the north: When a soldier slays demonic beast after demonic beast, only to turn into a monster himself, the Castrein Duchy will sever his head with their own hands."
"..."
"Granted, there may not be many in my exact situation, but what if they simply decreed, 'You are beyond saving, so die'? Was I just supposed to lie down and accept death?"
I pushed myself straight out of bed. Seeing me stride right up into his face, Phlux looked at me in bewilderment. I reared back my arm and slapped him across the cheek with everything I had.
Smack! The sharp crack rang out, leaving my palm stinging with heat.
"...What was that for...?"
"So you're telling me that just because you didn't want to die, you didn't give a damn whether the citizens of the city you've supposedly loved and governed were slaughtered? You wrecked the Holy Relic, made an absolute mess, and just swept it under the rug? Are you an utter bastard or what?"
Phlux's cheek twitched faintly.
"...I had no other choice. Unlike the Northern Barrier, the Southern Barrier never originally had demonic beasts—"
"And why, exactly, does performing the ritual with that fake put me in danger?"
"I scrambled to find a replica that copied only the Holy Relic's appearance, but... there was a problem with it."
"What kind of problem?"
Phlux's voice dwindled to a crawl as he answered.
"...I only found out later, but it turned out to be the same kind of artifact that was circulating in that black market auction. When I investigated after the fact, I learned that far from being a holy relic, if meddled with improperly, it acts as bait to lure demonic beasts."
My blood boiled listening to him. Unable to contain the fury surging through me, I shouted,
"Brilliant! Just brilliant! You couldn't even procure a proper fake! Then you should have recovered that piece of junk right then and there!"
As if scrambling for an excuse, Phlux spoke hurriedly.
"Time was far too short, and with the Offering Festival imminent, surveillance was excessively strict. And once things reached that point, I couldn't trust anyone inside the temple."
"So your brilliant solution was kidnapping me? If this was your plan, why didn't you find a way to contact me before I even arrived here?"
"The quarters inside the temple have the flimsiest security. If my current condition were leaked to my enemies, the leverage they would hold over me—"
"Here I thought the Empress was just throwing a petty tantrum to snub me, but honestly, that would have been a hundred times better."
I gritted my teeth, lost in thought.
This had never happened in the original story.
Originally, the Holy Relic used in the Offering Festival hadn't been such a crucial component. In reality, the most critical part of the ceremony was for someone possessing divine power to prove that power directly.
Perhaps that was why the Southern Barrier was still holding up fine for the moment, but... wait, what if it wasn't fine? Would swarms of demonic beasts come invading right this second?
"On top of that, after going to the trouble of kidnapping me, your big 'solution' is for me to smash the Holy Relic? I came all the way down here to conduct the Offering Festival! Do you honestly not know what kind of ruin I'd face if I broke the relic and wrecked the ceremony?"
"I heard that you are under the protection of House Castrein."
"You really are an irresponsible, infuriating jerk."
I ground my teeth. Squeezing my eyes shut for a brief moment, I called out toward the shadow lurking near the canopy in the distance.
"Hey. Come on out."
"Yeees!"
Debbie sprang from the corner with a bubbly chirp. Seeing her bound into view with light, bouncing footwork, Phlux blanched in horror.
"W-what? I was told there was no one beside her...!"
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"Well, they didn't look like they intended to physically harm Your Imperial Highness, and you just wouldn't wake up at all! Besides, if push came to shove, I could have slaughtered those clumsy guards and that young master all in one go, so I decided to watch how things unfolded first!"
"...Right. Well, I suppose I was the one who instructed you not to strike preemptively."
I let out a heavy sigh.
Debbie had literally been staying in the room right next to mine. No matter how porous the temple's security was, there was no way she wouldn't notice me being abducted next door. I had assumed she was lurking around somewhere, and sure enough.
"Fine. As you can see, I am under the protection of House Castrein. Aside from her, the Duke's second son himself accompanied me as my escort knight. So if I smash the Holy Relic during the ritual, all the blame falls squarely on me, everyone else handles the cleanup, and you get off scot-free without losing a single thing. Must be nice, huh?"
"I was prepared to die."
"Whether you die or not, you should take some damn responsibility before kicking the bucket! Do you have any idea who the culprits might be?"
"I managed to discover that certain mages were smuggling the artifact in question, along with the merchant guild that primarily handled it. However, the identities of everyone belonging to that merchant guild turned out to be completely fabricated... And when I tried to commission Hecate's Pub to look deeper into it, they refused, saying it was too dangerous..."
"Just what on earth does this Holy Relic even look like that you had such a nightmare finding a replica?"
Debbie answered in a chipper voice.
"Oh, that! Strictly speaking, it's called a 'Holy Relic,' but it's really just a ginormous special-attribute magic crystal capable of anchoring the core of the barrier! I overheard people talking about it during the Northern Barrier restoration project!"
"Doesn't the Castrein Duchy have heaps of those?"
"Not... heaps, but there must be... some? Maybe not?"
Debbie wore an uncharacteristically troubled expression. Still, if even the vaults of House Castrein didn't possess one, then there was no way on earth to obtain it! Which meant this whole mess was completely beyond my power to fix!
Adopting a whatever-happens-happens mindset, I asked about the situation.
"Is Lisianthus still at the temple?"
"Yep! Even though he's an escort knight, he's still a man, so the temple gave him quarters far away from Your Highness's room. Besides, if the second young master saw you getting kidnapped, he'd probably cave the intruders' skulls in and shatter the temple pillars on the spot! So I didn't tell him!"
Debbie beamed and stepped forward to hand me something. It was my familiar Emoticon Sword.
"You always take it wherever you go, so I brought it along just in case!"
"I'm... so, so grateful..."
I took hold of the blade with mixed feelings. From now on, I should really just tie the scabbard around my wrist before going to sleep. That would definitely be safer.
The sword in my grasp began to whine.
—Waaah, waaaah, Contwaaactoooor! Why is our path together so fraught with hardships?! ( Ĭ ^ Ĭ ) Why must our bond be tested day in and day out by so many cruel trials and tribulations?!
'Can I cure his condition?'
—Huh? Whaddya mean by 'his'?
'That guy over there. The one who smashed a Holy Relic because he didn't want to die, kidnapped an innocent person, and is now whining for me to take the fall.'
—Uh... ( ◑.◑)
The sword's voice turned distinctly reluctant.
—W-well, fundamentally, you wield the Power of Light, Contractor!（’◇’)
I had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was something else.
It made sense, considering how the variety of powers I could use expanded whenever I wore Gloriana's Insignia. Not to mention the sword's constant babble about my "master tier" leveling up. Even when it spouted grand claims about gods, the deity in question was the God of Light.
I seemed to recall hearing that if the Power of Light became overwhelming enough, it could overpower every other force and achieve virtually anything. Still, I doubted I had reached anywhere near that level yet.
'And?'
—Strictly speaking, almost no one in the temple can use what you can, Contractor! Whether it's the Pope or a High Priest, the most the God of Light has ever granted them is a mere branch of healing power! (⊙_ʘ) But you, Contractor, are the legitimate successor destined to inherit everything, so your baseline performance is on an entirely different level!
'Get to the point. What's the conclusion?'
—It's technically possible, but at Master's current stage, it's a wee bit...? ɿ(｡･ɜ･)ɾ
I fought down the ominous dread rising in my chest.
'What does "a wee bit" mean?'
—...You'd have to hold his hand continuously for him to recover? Like, all day long? For nearly a month?
'...'
—...
Struggling to remain calm, I questioned it in my mind. Phlux and Debbie stared at me strangely, wondering why I had suddenly fallen dead silent. I took a deep breath.
'...Why?'
—W-well, Master can currently only channel the Power of Light through me, so you can't transmit it directly! Which means you need physical contact to even begin purification, or else...
'I despise that guy, and above all, I already have a fiancé?! What possible excuse could I use to hold his hand?!'
—W-why are you asking me that...? (；◔д◔）
'Is that the ONLY way?!'
—Well, as the saying goes—strike while the iron is hot—you could just finish it all at once with something deep, passionate, and scorching hot! ( ಠ‿↼)
Thud!
When the sword suddenly went clattering across the floor, Phlux jumped in shock. I picked the weapon right back up and slammed it into the floorboards several more times. Seeing me grind the tip of the blade under the toe of my boot, Debbie tilted her head.
"Um, Your Imperial Highness? Is there something wrong with the sword?"
"It was dusty."
—Y-You asked if there was another way, so I just answered... waaaah! (88)
Listening to the sword sniffling telepathically, a single solution struck me.
In this world, simple was always best.