“Pretender! You are te!”

  “Hi to you too, stupid prince,” I muttered under my breath, gng around. The area was tranquil, with nature untouched… Yet.

  I’ll make you a proper imperial nd!

  “Hm, you sound sad. Why?” my ring chimed in with its annoyingly regal tone. Great. First Jerry, now this prince. Am I assembling a colle of talking accessories with a knack for psyalyzing me? I couldn’t help but giggle at the absurd thought.

  “What’s so funny?” The prince said, clearly fused by my rea.

  “Well…” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “One frierayed me. Two, actually.” I paused, the weight of what Ian did trying to overwhelm me before I pushed it aside. “But Lucas? I five him. He did it out of love, misguided as it was. The sed one…” I shook my head, f the thought away. “Not worth discussing. He doesn’t deserve the airtime.”

  Switg topics, I raised an eyebrow at my ented ring. “By the way, did you have dimensional ste?”

  “Of course I did! I roper dimensional mage,” the prince decred haughtily. “Don’t get your hopes up, though. It’s empty, pretender. You ’t steal more.”

  “Oh.” A sly smile crept ay face. “I think I will steal more. Don’t worry—I just o figure out the yout properly. We should have at least five mio loot.”

  There was a brief silence as I mentally restructed what I could remember of the imperial treasury’s yout. The vault was no joke. Still, I could work fast when needed.

  “Thief. Pretender.” The ring’s voice was dripping with disdain. “I really should’ve ahe sn more before ending up on your finger.”

  “You really should’ve,” I quipped, my grin widening as I pictured the Emperor's face when they’d realize I’d raided their vaults.

  Okay, I think I got this.” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, fog ily oe area of the imperial treasury. With that, I could almost feel the a entments woven into the space, crag faintly like static. “I just hope you work over their wards.”

  “As much as I don’t approve of your shameless thievery,” the prince drawled, sounding as offended as ever, “I must crify. My magic was legendary—sometimes even more. No ward ever prevented me from entering. Stealth, however… that’s another questioirely.”

  “Great. Love the fidence.” Before he could unto another self-righteous monologue, I activated the spell.

  In an instant, the world blurred around me, dissolving into shimmering motes of light.

  When it reformed, I was standing in a dimly lit underground vault. The air was cool and smelled faintly of old stone and polished wood. Rows of shelves stretched into the shadows, each lined with bags in rge quantities—some pin, others embroidered with intricate golden patterns. A faint hum of magigered in the air, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

  I sprioward one of the shelves, eyes locked on a particurly ornate bag with gilded csps and shimmering blue fabric. The craftsmanship was unmistakable—imperial property.

  Jackpot.

  Grinning, I snatched it up and hugged it to my chest. “This… This is an imperial property.” I could barely tain my excitement, my voice almost giddy. “I always wao—”

  BANG!

  A loud, eg crash reverberated through the vault, cutting me off mid-sentence. My heart leapt into my throat as the sound bounced off the stone walls, amplifying its ominous tone.

  “Oh,” I muttered, tightening my grip on the bag. “I guess our five miarts now.”

  The prince didn’t respond, but I could practically feel his smug sileno doubt he was thinking something like I told you so, pretender.

  Whatever.

  I had a bag full of imperial goodies, and I wasn’t doh my looting. I yanked open an with the excitement of a child on their birthday—only to stare at its tents in plete disbelief.

  Cobblestones. Actual cobblestones.

  “What the—why would anyone need ented cobblestones in a treasury?!” I hissed, tossing them aside with a fliy wrist. I reached into an, my fingers closing around something small and hard.

  Seeds.

  Just… seeds.

  I threw my head bad let out an exasperated groan. “Oh, fantastic. Cobblestones, seeds… vital stuff. Just not vital to me.” Frustration g my nerves as I rummaged deeper. More mundane junk followed: lengths of rope, preserved herbs, some gleamial tools—great for running an empire, terrible for a thief.

  “e on, e on, something useful!” My voice echoed off the stone walls.

  After a minute of frantic searg, I randomly turned an upside down in sheer desperation.

  k. kkk.

  Gold s. Glorious, shimmering, imperial-minted gold s spilled out, raining down onto the stone floor like an overdue jackpot.

  “YAS!” I almost shouted, my grin wide.

  One of the debts covered.

  I quickly stuffed the s bato the bag, stripped its strap down to fit snugly on my belt, and resumed the hunt.

  “I ’t believe you were serious,” the prince’s voice rang in my head, spiked with something dangerously close to actual offense. “Using a legendary artifact for… simple robbery.”

  I tossed aside an of mundane supplies—more cobblestones, seriously?!—and dove for the one. My fingers ed around its fiher straps, and when I ope, golden rods gleamed back at me, stacked ly like a dragon’s hoard.

  “AAAH!” I squealed in triumph, uo tain myself. “Now my win is in the books! Mother try all she wants, but I’ll fight her, and I WILL WIN!” The rush of success surged through me like pure adrenaline. Slinging the heavy bag onto my belt, I grinned and added, “By the way, don’t you know the differeween robbery and theft, you ugly ring?”

  “Who are you calling ugly?!” the prince’s voiapped, now fully offended. Perfect. Just where I wanted him—flustered and annoyed.

  Good. Keeps him busy.

  N to warn enemies.

  I darted forward, ign his grumbling, aered the chamber. My breath caught in my throat for a moment.

  I’m here again.

  Illuminated by soft, ented light, the space was lined with pristials, eae supp an artifact that screamed rare and dangerous

  Each pedestal had a unique design, refleg the artifact it dispyed. One had a glowing crystalline orb, radiating a faint blue aura that sent chills down my spine just by looking at it. Another held a silver staff with a headpiece shaped like a crest moon, pulsating with a rhythmic hum—probably a high-level staff.

  Beside it, an aome y open, its pages turning zily on their own as if invitio learn the forbidden imperial spells.

  No way; too hard.

  “Jackpot,” I muttered under my breath, heart rag. I could almost feel the power radiating from each artifact, tangible and thi the air, like standing too close to ari.

  “Pretender, don’t even think about it,” the prince warned, sensing my iions. “These artifacts are—”

  “Perfee!” I interrupted cheerfully, already eyeing the pedestal. “They’ll look fabulous in my growing colle.” My gaze settled on a pair of ented daggers, quickly reag for them.

  A sudden crack of thunder echoed through the chamber, and before I could react, a bolt of lightning arced out from the pedestal and struck me square in the chest.

  [Lightning struck you for 40 damage.]

  Dazzling pain shot through every nerve in my body, like fire and ice colliding in a violent storm under my skin. My muscles spasmed involuntarily, and I staggered back, gasping as my heart pounded wildly in my ears.

  “Great,” I muttered through ched teeth, clutg my chest as a tingling numbness lingered in my arms. Quickly casting a healing spell, I felt the soothing warmth spread through my body, dulling the pain. One cast wasn’t enough—I had to cast it again before the burniion faded pletely and HP recovered.

  Satisfied that I wasn’t about to keel over, I gred at the offending artifact. “Seriously? That thing just zapped me for looking at it?”

  The prince’s voice came through, dripping with a mix of disdain and amusement. “Pretender, you are lucky to be alive. That was a defensive ward. Touother without caution, and it may be your st theft.”

  “I know…” I grumbled, rubbing the spot where the lightning had hit, the ache still lingerih my clothes.

  I turned my attention toward a nearby staff, its crest-shaped head gleaming ominously uhe ented lights. Sparks of residual energy crackled faintly around it, dario e closer.

  “This is not fair,” I pined out loud, pouting as I eyed the room full of treasures I couldn’t just grab without getting zapped into oblivion.

  At the same time, I caught the faint sound of shouting eg through the underground chamber. My ears perked up, the noise growing louder as it bounced off the stone walls—harsh voices barking orders. Footsteps—many of them—rushed closer, the cttering eplified by the narrow stone corridors. The distinct metallic k of armuards’ boots made my stomach twist.

  “Uh-oh,” I muttered, casting a quice back toward the entrance.

  “They’re entering the treasury.” The prince’s voice sounded smug enough to make me want to punch a ring. “It appears your five minutes have expired. gratutions, pretender—you’ve earned yourself a personal escort to the imperial dungeons.”

  I forced myself to stay calm despite the growing dread. “e on, prince, you know I just teleport away,” I said, feigning nonce.

  “You . A day after the st use. Are you sure it has been a full day since your enter with the sn?” His tone oozed with smug superiority, like a cat that had just ered a mouse. I could practically feel the smirk radiating off the damn ring.

  “Ah…” That was all I could manage as cold realizatio in. I ched my jaw and tried to activate the teleportation spell anyway.

  Nothing.

  Not even a flicker of mana responded.

  “Pn F!” I shouted, paniow fully repg my earlier calm fa?ade. Without wasting another sed, I sprioward the se I had mentally beled the clothing area.

  There, draped over a pedestal, was a long bck cloak embroidered with faint silver patterns—a piece clearly designed for imperial nobility. It shimmered slightly uhe dim light, looking far too expeo be worn by a on thief.

  Good thing I’m not a on thief, right?

  I snatched the cloak and threw it on, fastening it hurriedly around my neck. Its fabric was surprisingly light but had a luxurious feel, like something spun from ented silk. I pulled the hood low over my face, casting shadows over my features.

  “They ’t see me as the Charlie!” I hissed, adjusting the cloak to hide my distinctive armor.

  The priill smug, added, “A wise choice—though, I must point out, if they catch you, cloaked or not, you’ll still be thrown into the dungeon.”

  Ign his ent, I tightehe belt holding my newly gained golden rod bag and whispered, “Alright, Pn F is in motion… Now, time to sneak out before I’m paraded around as Rimelion’s most wahief.”

  Footsteps grew louder, and the shadows of approag guards stretched across the stone floor.

  I tried to be as unassuming as I could, but the guards were smarter—or at least more thh—than I gave them credit for. They spread out like a , blog every hallway a I could see.

  My pulse quied as I realized sneaking out wasn’t an option.

  “Okay, Pn Z then!” I whispered to myself, shrugging off the cloak aing it fall dramatically to the floor, leaving my armor and royal-esque outfit fully visible.

  “What is Pn Z?” the prince asked, his tone practically vibrating with amusement.

  Instead of answering him, I spotted a group of guards further down the hall and immediately raised my hand in an exaggerated wave to get their attention. “HEY! I saw him!” I yelled, trying to el every ounce of authority I’d ever seen in an imperial figure.

  I straightened my posture, puffed out my chest a little, and threw in an indignant gre food measure. “He ran that way!”