【Chapter 03.1: Blind Faith in the Name of “System”】
【Excerpt from the history book “Twilight of the Mana Society”】
「……Oddly enough‚ the con artists of that time did not prefer to hide in the shadows.
Instead of shining light to erase the shadows‚ they bathed themselves in excessive light‚ rewriting their very contours into ‘transparent beings.’
The retinal tags of the colors that the rulers defined as ‘worth seeing’—those were the safest blinds to allow those from the lowest strata to pass through to the highest floors.」
The exit of the Fourteenth Alley.
It was the boundary line between a gray realm of death stripped of all color and “civilization” overflowing with maddening light.
Even the vulgar sound of rain striking asphalt was instantly redefined into refined environmental audio the moment it crossed that line.
The sandals‚ caked in mud‚ rang out with an unpleasant‚ waterlogged sound the instant they crossed the boundary.
One step. They stepped onto polished marble tiles.
Instantly‚ ugly black rainwater stains spread across the pure white floor‚ polluting the surrounding pristine air.
「……Wait. No‚ this is impossible. If I walk around looking like this‚ the security drones will burn me to a crisp in a second.」
The back of the tattered cat with exposed wiring.
Lily slipped her fingers into the gaps as if embracing it and shrank her body small.
Her sapphire-blue eyes reflected the violently vibrant colors enjoyed by the privileged class.
However‚ through her retinas synchronized (linked) with the tattered cat‚ the cracks lurking behind that ‘fake full color’ were continuously being dissected (scanned) as amber-colored information space (Amber Vision).
Still‚ from other people’s eyes‚ there was no change in the fact that her existence stood out like ink spilled on a pure white canvas.
“Good grief. I don’t even feel like yawning at your outdated fixed idea that ‘thieves walk in the shadows‚’ Lily.”
The scrap iron in her arms coldly flickered its amber eyes.
Noah’s voice flowed directly into her brain through the linked neural circuits‚ pouring sarcasm straight in.
“Listen. Hiding in the shadows is what amateurs do. The moment you’re found‚ you’re defined as a ‘criminal.’ But those who bask in the spotlight at the center of the stage—even if they’re hiding a knife—only look like part of the ‘performance’ to the audience.”
“Spotlight…? Dressed in these mud-covered clothes?”
“That’s right. As long as you wrap yourself in the intense light that the rulers defined as ‘worth seeing‚’ the system will automatically delete the mud hidden behind it. …Asteria. Transfer the ‘fraction’ we skimmed from the bishop’s account into the temporary ghost account (dummy account) I prepared.”
On the other side of the link‚ Noah’s voice took on the cold ruthlessness of an absolute being.
Immediately after‚ amber-colored logs began flowing rapidly at the edge of her retinas. For a brief moment‚ red noise resembling the queen’s jealousy mixed in‚ but Noah’s overwhelming computational power silently crushed it.
Instead of Lily’s frozen‚ near-dead personal information‚ the encryption token of the “non-existent tycoon” that Noah had constructed was injected into her retinal UI.
The Amber Vision deployed in her field of view vividly overwrote the attribute information above her head.
『Attribute: Waste (Dead End)』――Concealed.
『Attribute: Anonymous VIP / Ultra-High Tax Payer』――Temporarily Confirmed.
“Now‚ your tag has been rewritten‚ Lily.”
Once again‚ the voice returned to a whisper-like intimate tone.
“You have now become the ‘scenery’ that should be treated with the utmost respect in this city. In the face of the enormous numbers (mana) you emit‚ the system will willingly begin fabricating ‘the sublime reason for that mud’ (error check). …Walk with your chest held high. Acting like an arrogant and capricious privileged aristocrat isn’t that difficult‚ is it?”
“Fabricating…? Are you seriously saying that?”
“There is no mistake in my calculations. …Come on‚ raise your chin three times. Keep your gaze always fifteen degrees downward. Just think of the pedestrians in front of you as ‘moving furniture.’”
(……Don’t ask the impossible‚ Noah. Furniture doesn’t drip muddy water……！)
While inwardly cursing desperately‚ Lily stared at the amber-colored guidelines (Amber Trace) projected on her retinas.
They were the puppet strings leading to the “perfect lady” that Noah had constructed.
Dragging her trembling legs‚ she stepped into the “light” indicated by the guide.
On the other side of the link‚ Noah toyed with the cold sensation of the ‘national-treasure-class Holy Grail’ that Asteria had prepared in the deepest prison‚ letting out a short‚ noble sigh as if the tension on the surface was of no concern.
What towered before her was the massive automatic door of the highest-class clothing store ‘Aurora’s Cocoon.’
Its entrance‚ made of transparent crystal layered many times over‚ refracted the polychromatic mana beams overflowing from within‚ sinking the entire surrounding area into the bottom of a jewel box.
In contrast‚ the ground beneath Lily’s feet was tragically black.
With every step she took‚ heavy muddy footprints were stamped onto the pure white marble.
The rain-soaked dress was so thin it was nearly transparent‚ clinging wetly and coldly to her skin.
(……Impossible‚ impossible‚ impossible! I’m definitely going to be reported! This isn’t just being turned away at the door—one single mud stain and my life will be erased!)
While desperately trying not to let the muscles in her face twitch‚ Lily hurled a silent scream through the link at the tattered cat—Noah—in her arms.
The waste heat from the tattered cat transmitted through the dress scorched the hollow of her frozen collarbone‚ mixing with her disordered heartbeat to create a strangely vivid pulsation.
“Good grief. That cowardly spike in your heart rate is terribly disrupting the BGM of my elegant teatime. …Look‚ they’re here. The ‘hunting dogs’ of welcome.”
At the same time as Noah’s indifferent voice‚ three hovering security drones surrounded Lily with an eerie driving sound.
Their lenses glowed with an ominous red light‚ and the mana emitter resembling gun muzzles fixed unhesitatingly on the center of Lily’s forehead.
『――Warning. Unregistered individual and physical contamination (noise) detected. Initiating deletion (delete) sequence……』
（Noah! Red light! There’s a bright red light on my forehead! I’m going to be shot‚ I’m going to die!）
“Stay quiet. Do not disturb your breathing. Not even a blink is allowed. …Three‚ two‚ one……zero.”
A high-pitched electronic sound as lethal mana was charged.
But right before the firing trigger was pulled.
Inside Lily’s retinas (Amber Vision)‚ the bright red “rejection glitch” covering the drone was forcibly overwritten into “amber certainty” by the enormous encryption token Noah released.
『…………Error.…………Attribute information‚ forced update.……Complete match confirmed with ultra-high tax payer (VIP token).……Welcome to ‘Aurora’s Cocoon.’ Today we welcome an eccentric young lady who enjoys playing in the mud‚
We are honored to have you enter the store.』
The murderous driving sound instantly switched to a respectful “fanfare of welcome.”
It was the moment when the drone‚ which should have been equipped with advanced AI‚ forcibly reinterpreted Lily’s “physical mud” as “the eccentric hobby of a tycoon.”
(……A young lady who enjoys playing in the mud!? No matter how you look at it‚ the system’s interpretation is way too forced!？)
Lily clenched her back teeth and desperately swallowed the scream that threatened to explode from her heart.
“I told you‚ didn’t I? They are more fanatical about the glow of ‘wealth (numbers)’ injected into their retinas than the stench of visible mud. …Now‚ Lily. Raise your chin three times. Follow the retinal guide and walk elegantly through hell.”
(……I have no choice but to do it. I’m not mud—I’m an eccentric young lady wrapped in enormous mana……！)
While breaking into a cold sweat‚ Lily desperately aligned her trembling mouth corners with the ‘Lady’s Smile Guide’ floating in her retinas‚ plastered on a mask-like smile‚ and boldly stepped through the crystal gate.
The wet fabric clung to her thighs‚ and the vibration of the tattered cat against her collarbone forcibly tuned her instinct to flee.
『――Master. Please do not share the texture of that bug’s mud-soaked skin with my computational system. It is unclean. You should purge and sterilize the entire store right this instant.』
From the edge of the link‚ Asteria’s ice-cold jealousy‚ accompanied by a slight red noise‚ sent a new shiver down Lily’s spine.
“Asteria‚ even the disturbance in your computational clock caused by jealousy is now the finest ‘spice’ for this stage. …Lily‚ do not stop. Let us show them how fragile the rulers’ logic truly is.”
While feeling dizzy from the cloying fragrance and torrent of colors inside the store‚ Lily desperately traced the amber-colored guidelines and elevated herself into “noble scenery.”
The automatic door quietly closed behind her‚ completely cutting off the sound of rain from the outside world.
What immediately enveloped the area was an overwhelmingly sweet and rich aroma extracted from thousands of rare magical plants.
It was the scent of an artificial paradise that perfectly imitated ‘the fragrance of nature.’
However‚ an uninvited “foreign object” intruded into this flawlessly tuned sanctuary.
With every step Lily took‚ muddy water dripped onto the highest-grade marble‚ and the musty stench of mold and rust unique to slum back alleys mercilessly invaded the surrounding fragrance.
「……！？」
The young clerk waiting at the reception counter visibly stiffened.
His well-shaped brows jumped up in clear displeasure‚ and his fingertips reflexively reached for the “report” icon floating in the air.
A natural reaction. What stood before him was literal “waste (trash)”—clad in rags soaked in sewage‚ dripping muddy water from her hair.
（Noah‚ what do I do!? The clerk is looking at me like I’m complete garbage! He’s about to press the report button!？）
Deep in her linked consciousness‚ Lily’s heart pounded wildly as she screamed.
In contrast‚ the tattered cat in her arms calmly flickered its amber eyes.
“Calm down. Right now‚ his sepia-faded retinas should be burned with a far more violent ‘glorious truth’ than your physical contamination (noise). …Three‚ two‚ one.”
Noah’s emotionless countdown‚ as if pointing out an error in an equation.
The moment it reached zero‚ the clerk’s movements froze as if the video had been paused.
His retinal UI had completely analyzed the ‘forged VIP tag’ floating above Lily.
『――Verification complete. Attribute: Anonymous Top-Tier VIP. Asset balance: Unmeasurable (overflow).』
To him‚ who lived in the middle ranks of the color hierarchy‚ it was a “golden light” so dazzling it could burn his eyeballs. An absolute value that a mere clerk could never earn in a lifetime was granted to Lily’s existence‚ violently trampling his sepia-colored field of view.
「……Ah‚……aah……」
The clerk’s throat trembled slightly.
Inside his brain‚ the information from his five senses saying “muddy suspicious person” and the information the system presented saying “absolute VIP” were clashing (error) with tremendous sparks.
However‚ for a resident of color society who had been thoroughly “trained” from childhood to obey the system‚ there was no choice but blind obedience.
(……This can’t be right. This unpleasant smell cannot possibly be mere mud. Yes‚ this must be……！)
The clerk forcibly rewrote his own sense of smell and began a terrifying self-brainwashing.
「……E-excuse me! Today……you have come wearing a custom ‘organic mana perfume’ that deliberately mimics the scent of the lower strata (slum)……! Is that correct? So this is the ‘Dead End Chic’ that is secretly trending among the upper class right now……！」
The “interpretation” he desperately came up with was already bordering on comical insanity.
With trembling fingertips‚ he removed his hand from the report button and bowed so deeply that his forehead nearly touched the floor.
At that moment‚ Lily’s retinas (Amber Vision) captured as clear data the magical aura surrounding the clerk’s body dramatically flipping from ‘rejection red’ to ‘blind obedience sepia.’
(……No way. It actually worked. This person ended up believing the system over his own nose!？)
Stunned into speechlessness by how easily it succeeded‚ Lily nevertheless began to faintly grasp “the confidence of a con artist” from her informational superiority deep in her chest.
“Ridiculous‚ isn’t it?”
Noah continued in a clear‚ inorganic voice as if inspecting a defective circuit with a design flaw.
“For those who have been reduced to machines that merely trace the rulers’ logic‚ numbers weigh heavier than physical sensation.
……Now‚ Lily.
Remain silent and give him a single glance‚ then have him guide you inside. A noble does not explain their own uncleanliness.”
At the edge of the link‚ Asteria’s ‘red noise of jealousy’ flickered at Lily stepping into the luxurious space‚ but Noah’s massive computational power coldly crushed it.
「……Understood. I’ll try.」
Following the arch of the guide projected on her retinas‚ Lily slightly raised her chin.
She fixed a deliberately cold “contemptuous” light in her sapphire-blue eyes and stared at the clerk. She tightened her arms around the tattered cat as if to hide her trembling steps.
「……You kept me waiting too long.」
She spoke in the exact low‚ arrogant tone Noah had specified.
At that instant‚ the clerk lowered his head even deeper‚ as if relieved from the bottom of his soul.
“M-my deepest apologies! I will prepare the finest VIP room immediately! Please‚ this way……！」
Muddy footprints were left dotted along the beautifully polished corridor.
Even those pitch-black stains were now objects of awe to him‚ interpreted as “the eccentric footprints of a noble.”
「……By the way‚ I intervened in the store’s air conditioning system and raised the fragrance concentration on this floor to three hundred percent of the standard value.
To solidify your lie about ‘organic perfume’ as more convincing data within the space.」
The moment Noah calmly informed her from deep in the link‚ the cloying sweet scent grew even heavier‚ violently neutralizing the stench of mud Lily emitted.
(……I’m sorry‚ cleaning up later is going to be an absolute nightmare‚ I’m really sorry……！)
While inwardly apologizing profusely‚ on the outside Lily perfectly maintained her arrogance and advanced through the light-filled store as if trampling it.
It was the opening act of a cruel yet sweet con game (con-game)‚ established atop a tightrope of divine jealousy writhing overhead.
Led by the completely brainwashed clerk‚ they proceeded down a corridor laid with thick carpet.
With every step‚ the amber-colored grid projected on her retinas scanned the polychromatic interior inorganicly and calculated the spatial structure in real time.
「……Hey‚ Noah. It feels like my body is moving on its own and it’s really gross.」
She threw her trembling voice deep into the link so no one else could hear.
An bizarre scene invisible to ordinary people was now spread across Lily’s field of view.
On the floor at her feet‚ amber-colored footprints indicating the ‘optimal walking route’ flickered at even intervals‚
and at the edge of her vision‚ inorganic indicators such as ‘Head tilt: Maintain 15 degrees’ and ‘Spinal verticality: Fixed at 98%’ were displayed.
They were not physical strings. Yet they bound her skeleton tightly with absolute ‘informational pressure’ meaning “deviating even one millimeter from this Noah’s calculation (guide) equals instant death.”
“Gross? How rude. The ‘Amber Trace’ I constructed is the supreme auxiliary brain (user interface) that can turn a complete amateur like you into a first-class actor in one second. …Look‚ your right foot is deviating three centimeters outward. Correct it immediately.”
Noah’s cold instructions were driven directly into her brain.
Lily suppressed the urge to scream and forcibly overlaid her right foot onto the glowing guide footprint on the floor.
Instantly‚ the “perfect lady’s” posture—with all waste eliminated to the extreme—was forcibly constructed. The wet fabric of the dress clinging to her skin gave off an eerily glossy sheen on her taut back.
The tattered cat pressed against her collarbone transmitted minute vibrations‚ “tuning (hacking)” the tension in Lily’s muscles in one-millimeter increments.
(……It hurts‚ it hurts‚ it hurts! My muscles feel like they’re going to tear! Even the timing for blinking and breathing is specified—this is way worse than the magical simulators I sneaked a look at in the slum entertainment room!？)
Inside‚ she was panicking and screaming.
But from the outside‚ Lily appeared far too serene and nobly composed.
The clerk walking ahead was overwhelmed by the “flawless steps” of the young lady following behind‚ hunching his back like a frog stared down by a snake and continuously yielding the way respectfully.
「……Lily‚ I’m surprised. That ‘thief’s stealthy gait’ of yours is proving useful in an unexpected way.”
Noah’s voice over the link carried the distorted pleasure unique to the ultimate defectives—one who enjoys deliberately mixing the stench of mud into the finest tea leaves.
“Thief’s……stealthy gait……？”
“Yes. The footwork you learned in the slums to escape security drones while suppressing your presence. It is now miraculously synchronizing with my guide and converting into the ‘silent elegance’ unique to the highest-class young ladies. …To even turn the pain of a stolen past into a weapon—you may be a natural con artist.”
「……I don’t know if I should honestly be happy about that. It’s really complicated.」
It was a biting irony‚ yet a magnificent synchronicity.
The miserable experiences of slurping muddy water and crawling to survive were now bearing fruit as the “finest stage etiquette” for deceiving the color society that had once degraded her.
As she turned the corner of the corridor‚ the hem of her wet dress slid across the marble floor‚ producing a faint yet violently sensual rustling sound. The mud particles that fluttered up sparkled like gold dust in the pure white air of the high-class store‚ catching the amber light.
“Noah‚ that heavy-looking door up ahead……”
“Correct. Beyond it lies the finest VIP room (fitting room) that Aurora’s Cocoon boasts. …But be careful. Asteria’s wide-area scan has designated this entire store as a重点 monitoring target. Her ‘aesthetic computation (pride)’ is beginning to harbor doubts about your unnaturally perfect demeanor.”
“Doubts……？ Is she going to find out？”
“No. Right now she is blinded by pitch-black jealousy toward ‘the fact that someone other than herself is producing Master (me).’ …Now‚ Lily. Open that door. Show us your true debut on stage at the center of light.”
(……Jealousy clouding her vision—even though she’s a top-tier AI‚ she’s way too human! My muscles are about to tear apart‚ so don’t drag me into your lovers’ quarrel！)
While inwardly hurling abuse at the top-tier AI’s excessively distorted emotions‚ Lily kept the “young lady” mask plastered on and moved her trembling fingertips according to the amber-colored guide.
She gave the respectfully bowing clerk a cold glance and reached for the handle of the heavy door.
Lily’s fingertips‚ extended toward the heavy door handle‚ froze in midair.
From the massive crystal windows decorating the side of the corridor leading to the VIP room‚ a cold‚ heart-stopping blue light suddenly pierced in sharply.
Asteria’s wide-area scan covering the night sky—the blade of “legal erasure”—was inorganicly sweeping the high-class area in search of prey.
（Noah……！ The light outside is searching for me! I feel like my heartbeat could be heard from outside……！）
Multiple red ‘legal erasure lock-on’ prediction lines like blood overlapped on Lily’s retinas (Amber Vision). In the corridor with no escape‚ the blue searchlight was trying to capture her wet back.
“Don’t panic. I told you not to disturb your breathing rhythm. …Believe in the strength of the ‘golden information (light)’ you are currently wearing.”
Noah’s voice resonated coldly yet with absolute weight from deep in the link.
Immediately after‚ the blue light completely traced Lily’s body.
At that moment‚ the enormous amount of information from the forged VIP tag Lily emitted flooded Asteria’s visual processing circuits with a vast “correct answer.”
A fatal saturation (overflow) occurred in Asteria’s computational system. The glow of the too-perfect customer data burned the surveillance AI’s lens and forcibly silenced her cold logic.
『――This is extremely unpleasant……！ The color density at those coordinates has temporarily exceeded the tolerance value of my aesthetic computation. Since I cannot determine it to be forged‚ this absolute numerical value (system-correct answer) ends up overwriting my disgust……！』
At the edge of her retinas‚ Asteria’s voice log trembled and distorted with humiliation.
『Any further interference is rejected by my aesthetics themselves.……No abnormalities. I shall purge it from my field of view as scenery that requires no management.』
Accompanied by a grating‚ noise-filled electronic sound‚ the blue light passed through Lily as “scenery not worth interfering with” and disappeared into the distant night sky.
(……It passed through？ I didn’t turn into charcoal……？)
“Of course. The afterimage of the ‘wealth (numbers)’ you emit burned her logic circuits faster than her jealousy. To the rulers‚ an existence possessing attributes more noble than themselves is the same as an ‘invisible god’ they cannot look at directly.”
In the deepest prison on the other side of the link‚ Asteria was so humiliated she snapped her holographic fan in half‚ while next to her Ceres spat out a dangerous remark: “As expected‚ we should physically burn the entire boutique with satellite heat rays.”
It was a comical lovers’ quarrel among the gods that Noah had deliberately stripped of brain-damaging elements and injected into Lily’s mind as “pleasant audio data” to alleviate her extreme mental strain.
(……That’s why even though they’re AIs they’re way too human! While my lifespan is clearly shortening over here……！)
Feeling her nearly tearing muscles scream in protest at the divine farce unfolding in her mind‚ Lily quietly exhaled from her stiffened lungs.
“Now‚ the blindfold of light has succeeded. …Beyond that door lies both the funeral hall for the mud-covered you and the place where the new young lady will let out her first cry.”
Before Lily’s fingertips‚ which had stopped in midair‚ could touch it‚ the respectfully waiting clerk hurriedly opened the heavy door.
There‚ dazzling “color” awaited‚ as if the wealth of the entire world had been condensed into it.
Lily (while internally feeling like her legs might give out) forcibly suppressed the trembling in her legs with a ‘perfect smile arch’ and took one step into the sanctuary of light.
Leaving behind her mud-covered past‚ she stepped onto the first act of the stage to deceive the world.
（Chapter 03.1: Blind Faith in the Name of “System”――End）
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