“So, let’s begin!”

  I grinned, my voice ringing through the chamber, filled with the same energy as someone about to kick off a festival rather than du imperial ceremony. Lo gave a small nod to the guards by the doors, who immediately moved into a.

  The heavy wooden droaned open, the hinges letting out a faint creak, and they marched in. Alma led the way, her posture fwless, the very embodiment of a leader fed in discipline.

  Uhm… I picked her at random. Why is she so petent?

  Behien soldiers walked in a formation. No, not walking, but marg, each step measured, their boots striking the stone floor in unison, sending a faint reverberation through the air. Their armleamed uhe magic torchlight, a striking silvery-green, the same as I saw earlier.

  So, across their backs, inscribed into the upper half of their curved pauldrons, was a bold engraving of a snowfke crest, the icy silver stark against the deep green.

  The room was silent, save for the measured footfalls as they took their pces, f a semi-circle before the throne.

  As if guided by an unspoken and, they all dropped to one knee, heads bowed in synized respect. A slow, anticipatory hush swept through the chamber. All eyes were on me.

  Oh… damn.

  I had been so caught up in their entrand their dispy that my mi bnk. Lo’s quill hovered dangerously over her notes, as if ready to scribble down whatever disaster was about to leave my mouth.

  I swallowed.

  Then, by sheer force of self-preservation, I opened my mouth. “Let me wele… my new personal guard!” ly the formal decratioing a noble appointing their most trusted warriors, but hey… I got words out.

  I exhaled, squared my shoulders, and tried again. I could practically hear the imperial attaché internally busting somewhere behind me, so I at least had to make an effort.

  I took a slow breath and lifted my . “You have stepped forward, not as mere soldiers, but as my chosen shield—sworn to protect, to uphold, and to stand unwavering in the face of what es.” I caught Alma’s slight nod of approval, barely noticeable, but it gave me fideo tinue. “With your bdes, my will shall be enforced.”

  I could almost feel NightSwallow smirking in the crowd at that one, but I ig. “With your armor, my throne shall remain unbroken.” Alright, I was on a roll now. The days spent in the imperial pace weren’t in vain. I took oep forward, my gaze l over them.

  “Rise. As the first of my personal guard. As the ones who will stand at my side.” Slowly, in perfeison, they stood. “And, for the record… If any of you try to stab me, I will personally make sure it’s the worst mistake of your life.”

  Laughter broke out, and I cpped my hands together. “Alright! I want to grant you-”

  I didn’t eveo finish my words before the heavy creak of the doors interrupted me. The room stilled, heads turning toward the entrance just as Lisa rushed in, ed in flowing ceremonial robes that looked eoo extravagant for someone who had just barged into my event te.

  Katherirailed right behind her, her steps quieter, but no less hurried. “Are we te?” Lisa’s voice rang through the chamber. I let out a long sigh. They didn’t dee to e. They were just te, probably because of that not-a-dragon.

  Protocol dictated that I was supposed to ighem pletely, as if they did, but holy? That was b. So I simply her, and said, “Yes, Guildleader Lisa. You are te.”

  A few chuckles rippled through the crowd. But Lisa, being Lisa, just fshed me a winning smile and joihe line of other attendees, entirely unbothered. As she moved, my eyes locked onto Rob in the crowd, who had vely found something iing to look at on the floor.

  “Your stand-in was causing problems,” I announced, my voice carrying through the room. A few more murmurs, a few knowing grins were exged, but I didn’t wait for a response. I turned back toward Alma and my personal guards, letting the momele.

  Now, back to business.

  “As my personal guards,” I began, projeg my voice, “you have been grahe best ons and armor avaible. But to show my gratitude…” I let the words linger, shifting slightly as I reached into my iory. “I bestow upon the leader of my guard this on.”

  I had found this sword during my pletely legitimate, definitely-not-unwful tour of a coastal armory. It wasn’t some a relic meant to gather dust in a Twir vault. It was funal, well-fed, and would serve Alma well.

  I pulled the sword from my iory, and it materialized ience, solidifying in my grasp with a faint pulse of magic.

  The bde was battle-ready, its steel a deep, burnished gray, fed with folded yers that shimmered subtly uhe magic torchlight. The crossguard curved slightly upward, its edges engraved with faint ruhat pulsed with a soft, silvery-blue glow and the hilt was ed in blue leather, ensuring a firm grip.

  “Let this be a sword that protects me from now to eternity!” I ged. The words felt awkwardly theatrical, but unfortunately, these things had to be said for the system to—

  The sword fshed.

  A brilliant surge of light pulsed outward, ing around the bde like a whispered promise of power. The system aowledged the bond. I grinned and turned baa, who was still kneeling before me.

  “Rise…” I paused, gng at the sword’s new he description flickered before my eyes. What? For a moment, I sidered giving her another one, but eh, what’s done is done. I let out a breath and finished, “Rise, Alma, my High Warden!”

  Alma stood smoothly, her movements as disciplined, but I caught the slight tightening of her jaw, the glint of pride in her eyes. I handed her the bde, sharing the details of its stats with everyone in the room.

  Why not boast a little?

  [High Warden’s Sword]Quality: 5-epicATK: 30-35Restri: High Warden of Princess CharlieInfo: Sg, scaled to a level 12The name had ged, so had the crest. The system had made it official. Alma tightened her grip on the swiving a brief, sharp nod before stepping bato formation, now fully ted in her role, the personal guards spreading through the room, but she stayed close to me with pride in her eyes.

  I tilted my head, satisfied, then cpped my hands together. “Alright! Who’s ?”

  Lo let out a small, nervous cough, then scurried toward me, her quill clutched as she whispered, “Lady, now the royal pany.”

  I g her, then at the expet crowd, and fshed her a quick grin. “Ah, sure.” Turning back to the gathering, I csped my hands together, making sure I had their full attention. “Apparently, it’s now time for the royal pany!”

  A few chuckles flew around the crowd, but I tinued, lifting the part Lo had practically shoved into my hands. “We’ll gh the list of people who have preliminarily agreed.” I waved the paper a little. “But hey, no pressure. I won’t be f you to accept! If you want to go your own way, there’s no bad blood between us.”

  I let my gaze sweep over them, my smirk just a little mischievous. “But!” I dragged out the word dramatically, gng down at the list, and—

  I gasped.

  Lo actually flinched. I flicked my gaze back to the crowd, my tone shifting into something b on sdalized amusement. “You’ll be missing—twenty pert! That’s how much of an experience boost you get if you join the pany!”

  A ripple of murmurs broke out instantly and a few people in the crowd visibly tensed, exging gnces, some muttering in hushed tones. I could already see the math running in their heads. Then I added, just to twist the knife further, I finished with, “the guild gets ten pert, on top of yuild’s one.”

  Pyers shifting uneasily, whispering to each other, mentally weighing their choices. And then, slowly, my stare slid toward Rendo. And that bastard smiled at me. Smiled. A slow, knowing, smug-as-hell smile.

  I shivered.

  Before I could say anything to wipe that look off his face, I turned back toward the rowdier crowd and Lo. She handed me another part with a very carefully prepared speech—because, clearly, she didn’t trust me to keep things formal.

  As she did, she whispered something to herself, but I caught it. “You got this!” Then she inhaled, and, in what was, for Lo, practically shouting, she announced, “Let me introduce Tramar!”

  I blinked.

  Who?

  A man in a flowing blue robe stepped frinning at the mention of his name. He dusted off his sleeves, walking toward the throh an easy fidence, his hood still drawn over his head. Wait a mihat robe. That posture. I narrowed my eyes.

  The moment he reached the steps, he pulled back his hood, revealing short blonde hair and a cheeky smirk. “Long time no see.”

  Oh. Him. I blinked again, reition clig into pce. “Uh. Yes. It’s been… a few days.” I recovered quickly, straightening. “Tramar, the fire mage.”

  His grin widened.

  “Do you accept to honor the pany’s rules? To fight in the name of…” I hesitated, gng briefly at Lo, who ractically glowing with excitement. She was already nodding, mouthing ‘kingdom’ at me. I sighed a with it. “To fight in the name of the kingdom with honor?”

  “Yup.” ation. He nodded with a boyish grin.

  Well. That was easy. I had nothing prepared for him. Somehow I fot he existed, just a vague memory of him helping Katherine fight that Bl, which was definitely not something I wao relive right now.

  Still, I had a ton of gear sitting in my iory in a junk pile. Okay, while it wasn’t some grand relic, it was still better than most things avaible I picked… On my travels. “Alright.” I put the paper down, mirr his grin. “As a gift for joining us, and as long as you stay—”

  I swiped through my iory, sing for something that fit.

  Something good for a mage.

  Something worthy of a proper sendoff.

  Something that would make a statement.

  “—I will give you this.” And with a fliy wrist, the item materialized, glowing faintly in my palm. “Uhm…”

  It wasn’t the best-looking thing ever. It was a magic hat, but a faded, pointy old thing, its once-deep blue fabrioatchwork of fraying seams and mismatched repairs. Stubbornly bent at the tip, it had haphazardly sewn patches in various colors that cshed horribly, making it look like a discarded souvenir from an etric wizard’s closet.

  The edges curled unevenly, worn from years of , while a faint st of dust a g to the material. Despite its shabby, thrift-store appeara hummed with faint magical energy, though whether in defiance or sheer spite was anyone’s guess.

  [Picky hat]Quality: 4-exceptionalEffect: +2% magic powerInfo: Picky hat doesn’t like you.I grimaced at the thing, then hurled it at Tramar before anyone else could see it. “Here. Yours now.” o share the info s—this wasly a ing achievement in magical artifacts.

  Tramar caught it effortlessly, eyebrows raised in mild amusement, then, without hesitation, plopped it onto his head.

  And then… The transformation hit like a spell cast in reverse.

  The fraying seams stitched themselves back together. The old fabric deepened into a rich, midnight blue, abs the light with a subtle, velvety sheen. The ohetid at the tip straightened, f a proud, elegant arch, while faint golden embroidery unraveled along the brim, delicate yet intricately woven in looping are symbols.

  Tiny gems flickered ience along the band, glinting softly like starlight, and the hat—no longer just an old, battered relic—settled into pce like it had always beloo him.

  “Huh?” I turo Tramar, my brow furrowing. “Do… you like it?”

  He opened his mouth, and then immediately shut it, as if words failed him. Instead, his hand flicked, and the system window popped up in front of everyone of us, shimmering faintly in the air.

  [Picky hat]Quality: 4-exceptionalEffect: +15% magic powerRestri: Eeleim Royal panyInfo: Picky hat loves you.I squi it. The +2% magic power it had before was nothing special—a mild boost, a polite nod of usefulness at best. But now? Now it was ridiculous. A 15% boost to magic power? Even legendary-tier artifacts would be gd to tie that number.

  Across the chamber, Lisa let out a ugh, arms crossed as she tilted her head toward us. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, her voice more amused than envious. “Magic power is applied before all the other bohat’s broken!”

  She wasn’t wrong. That meant Tramar’s raw spell damage would now be multiplying every other modifier he had—turning what should’ve been a modest enha into legendary damage.

  And Tramar k.

  With zero hesitatiourned on his heel and pranced, yes, pranced, back to where he had been standing before, his movements exaggerated, deliberate, absolutely obnoxious. He made sure everyone saw the way the hat caught the light, how the golden embroidery shimmered, how the gem-encrusted band reflected a subtle, enting glow.

  A few pyers in the crowd grumbled, someotered “show-off,” but most just ughed, shaking their heads. Lisa was ft-out grinning, arms folded as she leaoward Katherine and whispered something that made the tter stifle a giggle.

  Tramar did not stop until he was ba his inal spot, settling into a casual stah an air of feigned innoce, as if he hadn’t just spent aire thirty seds basking in his own magnifice.

  I sighed, ping the bridge of my nose so hard I might as well have been trying to erase reality. “Okay.” I turo the list in my hands, resolutely ign the smug aura radiating off Tramar like an overcharged bea.

  “Who’s ?”