"My name is Rose Oriana."
"Huh? That name sounds familiar. Isn't that the name of a princess from some country?" Alhaitham murmured as he scratched his chin in thought.
He stared at the little blond girl before him. A trace of recognition flickered in his mind. Thanks to his near-perfect memory, aided by a magical trait of not forgetting, he quickly recalled where he'd seen this face before.
Yes—he had seen her on a certain confidential document, one related to high-level political figures. She was listed on a marriage waiting list. The girl in front of him was none other than Her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Oriana Kingdom.
But… why was a princess from a prestigious kingdom out here, tied up and abandoned in the wilderness? Something like this could very well spiral into a major diplomatic crisis if not handled carefully.
"Thank you… thank you so much for saving me. I was kidnapped by some bad people. They said they were going to sell me to someone. I was so scared…" Rose said, her small frame trembling as she clutched the hem of her torn dress.
"I see. So they kidnapped a princess, then tried to smuggle her across the border to sell her off. Tch, what a bunch of hopeless fools," Alhaitham muttered coldly as he glanced down at the now-lifeless bodies of the criminals.
His eyes narrowed. Honestly, he regretted letting them die so quickly and painlessly.
Due to certain experiences from his previous life, Alhaitham harbored a deep, instinctual hatred for human traffickers. If given the chance, he would have much preferred to make them suffer before delivering judgment himself.
"Well, congratulations. You're safe now."
"Thank you, thank you so much. Also… your sword skills just now… they were incredible! They were more beautiful than any art I've ever seen!"
"Haha, you've got good taste. You're truly worthy of being the princess of the Kingdom of Art," Alhaitham chuckled.
The kidnapped little princess's eyes sparkled with admiration. The swordsmanship Alhaitham had displayed earlier had been like a performance of ethereal elegance—each strike so precise and refined it felt less like combat and more like an art form, purified and perfected to the extreme.
Rose had been completely mesmerized the moment she witnessed it. Even her terror and trauma from the kidnapping had been momentarily forgotten.
Alhaitham, on the other hand, felt his chest warm slightly. Though he was no stranger to praise, especially from adults or enemies begrudgingly admiring his skills, Rose's pure and sincere admiration felt different. It was... endearing.
Reaching out with a small smile, he gently patted her golden hair. "Let's get you back home. Your father and mother—the king and queen—must be worried sick about you. Please be more careful in the future. The pain a parent feels after losing a child is worse than any torture."
"Yeah! I will! I promise!"
Even though they looked about the same age, Rose seemed like a little sister in front of Alhaitham's mature and composed demeanor. It was a strange but heartwarming dynamic.
"Hmm… Oriana is a bit far from here. Not unreachably so, though. Let's just use continuous transfer," he said, raising his hand to conjure a shimmering portal in the air.
"Wait! Before that, can you at least tell me your name?"
"My name?" Alhaitham grinned behind his mask. "That's a secret. Just think of me as a passing card player."
Since he was wearing his signature mask, there was no need to reveal his true identity. Not to a sweet little princess who wouldn't pose any threat.
"The mysterious ramen swordsman passing by…"
Rose's eyes sparkled like stars, clearly impressed. A child might find that name whimsical and cool, but an adult would probably think it was embarrassingly childish.
Without another word, Alhaitham stepped through the portal with Rose, vanishing from the scene in an instant.
In less than a few minutes, the two of them arrived at the majestic Oriana Kingdom—known as the Kingdom of Art. Its architecture, shaped like sculpted marble masterpieces, and flower-adorned plazas spread across the landscape like brushstrokes on a canvas.
"Incredible! This is... this is the real royal magic!" Rose gasped. "Please, I want to introduce you to my parents! You must come to the palace and—"
But as she turned around, the masked boy who had rescued her was gone.
She stood still, momentarily stunned, blinking at the empty air.
If not for the vivid image of his sword dancing in her memory, she might have thought this had all been just a fantastical dream.
"I know we'll meet again someday. And when that day comes... I'll be ready. I'll ask Father to let me learn swordsmanship right away!" she whispered with a face flushed in excitement.
This day—this unexpected, thrilling adventure—had changed her. It was the most exhilarating day of her life thus far.
…
Meanwhile, Alhaitham opened another portal and returned to the original location.
"The farther the distance, the greater the consumption," he muttered to himself as he stepped out onto the bloodstained ground once again.
Teleportation magic was powerful—perhaps even the most versatile type of magic. As long as he had physically been to a place before, he could return instantly. But teleporting to unknown or unseen places was limited to his visual range, and even then, it consumed a significant amount of magic power.
Still, it was worth it.
Compared to other spells, space manipulation had almost no counter unless one had special detection or anchor magic.
But naturally, such power came at a price—and the price was magic exhaustion. Thankfully, Alhaitham was not lacking in mana at the moment.
"Hmm? Wait… Where are the gold coins?"
His eyes scanned the area, and he blinked in surprise. He had planned to collect the gold coins dropped by the thieves and donate them to a nearby orphanage, like he usually did.
But all of them were gone.
"Don't tell me… Lao Liu?"
There was only one person he could think of. That old fox always had a knack for swooping in and grabbing loot after others did the hard work.
As if on cue, a cheerful humming sound broke the silence.
"Hmph~ Hum hum~ What a lovely haul tonight. Those thieves had quite the hidden stash. With this, my funds as the great Shadow Operative will grow exponentially. Hah, how exciting~"
Alhaitham sighed and crossed his arms as he turned toward the voice.
Sure enough, emerging from the thieves' stronghold was a boy around his age, dressed entirely in black. He wore a ridiculous sack on his head with two crude eyeholes cut out. Over his shoulder was a bulging sack of jingling gold coins.
He looked exactly like a cartoonish burglar straight out of a storybook.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes met in perfect silence.
And at that very moment, they both thought the exact same thing.
[This person is definitely suspicious. Wandering around at night, dressed like this, and carrying a sack of loot? He's clearly up to no good.]
Neither spoke, but both acted.
"Clang!!"
The stick in Alhaitham's hand met the dark sword of the masked thief. The moment their weapons clashed, an immense pressure rippled out like a shockwave. Trees swayed violently, and the lifeless bodies nearby were flung several meters away.
"Oh? You're strong!" they both exclaimed in unison.
Each was surprised that the other had withstood such a powerful opening strike.
"Who are you?" Alhaitham demanded. "State your name!"
The boy struck a dramatic pose and declared proudly, "Hmph! I am a passing fashion thief killer!"
"…Why does that sound strangely familiar?" Alhaitham narrowed his eyes.
It was the same absurd style of naming he himself had used with Rose earlier.
Was this guy… copying him?
Before any witty retort could be made, both fighters lunged toward each other again, blades clashing, footwork precise and lightning-fast. Their battle began in earnest, sword strikes weaving a symphony of deadly finesse under the moonlit sky.
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