Chapter 16
Wait, could it be that the weird dream I had yesterday—the one where that mysterious rice cake asked if I wanted to ‘contract’ with it—actually meant something?
Had some crucial memory vanished into thin air while I was in a coma? I tried to stay calm as I asked.
“…When exactly did I make a contract with this ‘Belobog’ person?”
-Since you haven’t completed the ‘Master Initiation’ yet, your security clearance is too low for me to tell you! (,Ծ_Ծ,)!
“What exactly is this Master Initiation?”
-It’s a virtual reality scenario designated for breaking the barrier seals, arranged by Lord Belobog! If you succeed, you’ll reach Security Level 1 and become my master. After that, once you undergo the rest of the Master Initiation through the ‘Insignia of Gloriana’! Ta-da! Your final security level will become 0, and you’ll be granted full authority over the powers bestowed by Lord Belobog!
“…And what is this virtual reality scenario for the barrier seals?”
The sword replied in a chipper voice.
-It reproduces the situation in your consciousness from when Belobog’s first contractor, Alcarianus, established the so-called ‘Northern Barrier’! You just need to set up the ‘Barrier’ and succeed in sealing it!
Forget it!
That’s a story from the time of the First Emperor and the four—no, five heroes. Is it insane?
Even back then, the greatest heroes of the age gathered to put on a desperate, earth-shattering struggle, even summoning a god just to create that barrier. Even if it’s virtual, what am I supposed to do about it!
I came to a swift conclusion.
I’ll just be the nuisance who hands the demonic sword over to the Duchy of Castline!
I’ll just tell them never to use it and leave it rot in a storehouse.
So what if I owe them a bit or they misunderstand me more. It’s better than dying!
“It was fun meeting you for a bit, but let’s never see each other again. Goodbye!”
-Ah, p-please don’t give up, Contractor! I-I didn’t mean you have to challenge it alone! You can take on the challenge with companions of the five elements and other supporters!〣(ºΔº)〣
I narrowed my eyes at those words. This brat is just spouting more frustrating nonsense.
“Your contractor has no friends! No companions! No family—well, no, basically none!”
Perhaps finding it impossible to ask someone screaming in a fit of rage, ‘How did your life end up like that?’, the sword expressed its pity through emoticons.
-A-A-Aaaah…. (இ﹏இ`｡)
“More importantly, what happens if I fail the Master Initiation? Do I die?”
-W-W-Well, not exactly… but…. Um……. (;´・`)>
The sword hesitated, sweating bullets. I asked back in a cold voice.
“But?”
-…Y-You’ll be trapped in the space within your subconscious and won’t be able to escape… until… you succeed…(;•͈́༚•͈̀)….
“That’s worse than death! What kind of sword runs a scam like this! You didn’t even explain that! You just went ‘Would you like to undergo the Master Initiation’ the moment I grabbed the hilt?! You really are a demonic sword!”
At my rage-filled shout, the sword vibrated with a whiny hum as if it were being treated unfairly.
It was louder than a pager in a coffee shop.
-B-But since your physical body remains in a state of suspended animation during that time, strictly speaking, it’s not death….
“Have you ever heard of brain death?! Why make me a vegetable instead of just letting me die cleanly!”
This sword has been spouting nothing but useless words for a while now.
Feeling my gaze grow colder by the second, the sword wailed desperately.
-C-Contractor, you’re so mea-aan!｡ﾟ( ﾟஇωஇﾟ)ﾟ｡! B-But with great power comes great responsibility! That’s why this test is absolutely necessary…!
“Mean? My life is mean for suddenly being burdened with something like you! I’m returning this great power, so take it back! Let’s break up!”
-I-I’m a versatile and cool sword! Contractor, you’ll regret it if you don’t keep me by your side! ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚
Regret? As if using emoticons makes it any better. You’re a bigger scammer than a loan shark taking compound interest!
I was about to snort, but just in case, I rolled my brain for a moment.
“Then while I’m giving you a chance, go ahead and brag about your usefulness. Otherwise…….”
That’s right, it’s a sentient sword.
If it can send things like emoticons directly into the head of the contractor holding the hilt, it’s practically human.
Besides, even if its true nature is a demonic sword, it was a blade famous enough for the Imperial Consort to secure it herself.
Lest the blade rust or gather dust, it must have been handled with extreme care by a dedicated attendant.
So, a threat like this should work!
I glared and pointed a finger at the sword.
“…It’s summer! I’ll bury you in a pile of laundry full of the servants’ socks that haven’t been washed for over a week!”
-Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!
The sword let out a visceral scream inside my head.
It was so horrified that it didn’t even use the emoticons it never missed when it was whining.
Well, it makes sense.
Most of the servants living in the Imperial Palace wear uniforms. While they have to be careful to keep the clothes visible to their superiors clean, small things like socks are just sent to a collective laundry service every ten days.
In other words, a mountain of socks sits there until the next laundry day. And it’s not winter; it’s summer!
Even after just a day or two, those socks would reek!
“If you won’t accept even that, next is the food waste pit, and after that…….”
The terrified sword answered as fast as a machine gun.
-No, my benevolent and beautiful Contractor! I shall obey your words!
Right. As a human being, I didn’t want to go all the way to the final stage—the latrines—either.
I nodded as the sword meekly admitted defeat and bowed down.
“And turn off those emoticons while I’m being nice. They’re distracting.”
-Yes….
The sword sniffled.
-Hic, hic, you’re so mean…. I even learned this stuff from another world just to look good to you, Contractor….
“Dropping you into the sock hell.”
-You wanted to know my functions, right?! I have the ability to read the simple thoughts and emotions of others, a so-called ‘Navigation’ function to know the geography and the location of people nearby, and a ‘Demon Beast Encyclopedia’ function that covers all the weaknesses, core locations, and characteristics of demon beasts! Once you become my full master and can unleash 100% of my power, many more functions will be granted!
“Oh…. That actually is useful…. Unfortunately…….”
The sword snapped back.
-Why is it unfortunate?!
It really is a waste!
These are all stats that the Duchy of Castline could put to great use! Especially something like the Demon Beast Encyclopedia!
But in the original story, everything went fine until the happy ending even without a weird scammer emoticon sword like this, so it should be okay.
I put the sword down without any lingering regrets. The voice mumbling in my head became as small as an ant’s.
-C-Contractor? Contrac….
Bzzt. As I set the sword down, a sound like an electronic device being turned off echoed, and the voice vanished completely.
I wrapped the cloth that had originally been there tightly between the hilt and the scabbard and tied it back up.
No matter how much the maids ignored Titania, they wouldn’t dare mess with a gift sent by Imperial Consort Cleo herself for the Young Duke of Castline.
Almost as soon as I placed the sword back on the luxurious box it came in, someone knocked on my door.
Judging by that polite knock….
“Come in.”
“I greet the noble Imperial Princess Titania. His August Majesty the Emperor has invited you to a banquet this evening.”
“Tell him I will attend with a joyful heart and great pleasure.”
“Yes, I understand.”
It’s a servant sent by the Emperor.
I glanced out the window. Following yesterday, the weather was quite nice. Since it was the season when the sun stayed up late, it was still bright, but it was already past 3 PM.
Breakfast at 8, lunch at 12, dinner at 6—those are the formal meal times of the Imperial Palace.
For a female imperial family member who had much to prepare and dress up for, an invitation sent only three hours before the meal was close to saying, ‘Go screw yourself.’
In fact, if such an invitation had been sent between the Imperial Consort and the Empress, it would have been a declaration of war.
But this is the Emperor.
Is he trying to dampen my spirits like this as a reprimand for a princess who fought with the ‘Mad Dog of the Castline Family’ and wrecked part of the palace?
“…As if.”
If he had at least paid enough attention to the princess to give her the cold shoulder, her personality wouldn’t have turned into such a mess.
I barely managed to smooth over my expression, which was threatening to turn cold. Instead, I pulled the bell cord with a face that looked overjoyed.
Since they likely saw the Emperor’s servant come by, they’d arrive faster than light.
Sure enough, unlike usual, Mary and Sarah arrived panting in less than ten minutes. I smiled brightly at them.
“I’m going to see Father this evening! Bring out the prettiest dress, quickly, quickly!”
“Of course, Princess.”
“You will be the most beautiful princess in the Empire!”
Leaving myself to the hands busily grooming me, I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
It was time to go see this body’s family for the first time since waking up.
