Leonardo was surprised to say the least. Whether it be the forthright attitude with which she gave away her name, or the suddenness of the request itself — he found it unexpected how quickly she changed. The girl had been all but wallowing in fear and misery an hour earlier, yet now her aura shone like a star.

At first, he was just playing around to pass the time as they returned home and to distract them after he was a douche to them. Now, he gave the matter some additional consideration and found it plausible.

If he were to properly explain his ‘techniques’, the malnourished siblings might just make it out of Malta alive. Something that cost him nothing could turn out to be the saving grace they needed to turn their fate around.

‘That ought to settle their karma imbalance.’

Rooted in place, Leonardo stared emptily at them. It soon became apparent that his gaze was too distant to be studying them, yet they ignored the discomfort and remained silent, choosing not to break his unsettling trance for fear he would reject them or get angry.

In truth, Leonardo’s thoughts strayed entirely from the topic at hand. His eyes dimmed emptily and his perspective shifted. He seemed to see a blurry web, stretched endlessly like a cosmos.

In this obscure void, he perceived a few soul lights flicker in the distance. Oddly, they seemed to intimately resonate with Leo. He vaguely interpreted each light as someone he knew closely, with the web between them likely representing karmic bonds.

Studying the abstruse nebula, he tried to identify each star among them, only to realize there were too many he couldn’t account for. He barely had ties with the kids at the orphanage, which numbered less than 25.

Then there were some people he interacted with on the market, but there should be no ties to speak of. There was naturally Chimente’s family. Three indistinct blurs flickered on and off by his side — clearly the sultan’s offspring. Whether he accepted their proposal and became closer, or severed the tie and let them disappear from his web, it all hinged on his next decision.

Yet, amidst the stars, there were unknown, distant flickers that made no sense to him. Unlike the clear bond he had with Yuki, there was another just as bright, yet it was shrouded in a veil of mystery. He tried to breach it, yet to no avail.

Only a remote sense of longing assailed him, overflowing through his entire being. It seemed very important to him, yet clearly it was out of reach. It seemed to be the tightest bond he had with anyone, but it also seemed to not exist — yet.

“Li’er…” A tear slid across his cheek, much to the puzzlement of Fino and the siblings. Unbeknownst to Leo, he muttered a name with such sadness and infectious longing that it could not possibly originate from a child.

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Fino finally grew worried and shook Leo, startling him out of the realm before he could explore the bond fully.

“Oh,” he grunted softly in plain acknowledgment, before sinking back into that feeling that was now escaping his heart. He relished it, both the warmth that suffused his soul, and the biting coldness that threatened to envelop him once his beloved was gone. Or worse still, the thought that he might never feel it again.

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Shifting his expression, he tried not to ponder the oddity — yet to no avail. His heartbeat accelerated out of control and in spite of his training, he couldn’t regain control over its rhythm.

Normally, Muchen’s memories trickled in like blurry dreams in the morning. He struggled to interpret them and it took time and effort just to understand the surface of it. He never associated with the old man or the life he lived. This was the first time he ever ‘felt’ something resonate so deeply in him, and he was unsure how to confront it.

He was utterly confused by what he was feeling. Even Sana’s request was already tossed to the back of his mind as he walked briskly back to Valetta, anxious to get away and meditate on it.

The princess didn’t press the issue either, though she was disappointed at being ignored. She didn’t understand why her question caused Leonardo’s state of mind to shift so much, and frankly regretted it a little.

This little ten year old, despite seeming cheerful and well spoken, was clearly a psychotic killer. She didn’t quite know what to expect, and could only follow silently and pray they reached the shanty quicker so they could part ways.

Contrary to her expectations, Leonardo stopped just a few yards outside the shanty’s entrance.

“I have given it some thought, and I shall accept your request. Though, I feel the need to make things clear.

“Your status as a princess means nothing to me, and it should no longer mean anything to you either. Abandon it. Utterly forget you are anything but a thief.

“If you can do it, then set aside whatever misguided pride you might have rooted in your bones. If you are willing to pay heed to my words, I will do my utmost to ensure you and your brothers reach adulthood in relative comfort.

“That much I can promise. As for what happens after, fate’s weave will make clear over time.”

Turning around, his gaze deepened. He stared at them directly, and for a moment Sana was sure he could somehow see right through her. Her aura flickered and became indistinct, as if a conscious effort on her part to hide herself from being seen. It lasted for but a few moments, but Leonardo caught it clearly and his curiosity was sparked anew.

‘Oh? She might have an affinity for Animus if she were to awaken… Great potential for sure.’

Even as he pondered her prospects with delight, his austere gaze remained pinned on them until the royals lowered their heads in unison.

“Fret not. I will give you some time to consider fully. Whether you follow me or not, I frankly don’t care.”

“That said, since I am to spend time and effort sowing karmic seeds, I might as well go big. I have a task for you three— nay, four. You shall join them, Fino.”

“Ah?”

Ignoring Fino’s dumbfounded look, he pondered for a while then ordered naturally as if he was already their leader.

“In the following seven days, I want you to roam Valetta and inform every desolate urchin and bastard in there… Gather them at the North Gate on Sunday at dusk.”

“Younger or older, thieves or beggars. Be it a girl or a boy, Italians or Arabs, it matters not.

“You find them and tell them to follow.

“If they are willing to trust you and to search for a better path, then you need merely tell them I can offer a chance to leave their misery.”

Pleased with his cult-master demeanor, Leonardo shook his head with a wry smile then slid back in the darkness, completely forgetting that poor Fino was in his responsibility.