“Pretender! You are late!”

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

I’ll make you a proper imperial land!

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

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

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

Switching topics, I raised an eyebrow at my enchanted ring. “By the way, did you have dimensional storage?”

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

“Oh.” A sly smile crept across my face. “I think I will steal more. Don’t worry—I just need to figure out the layout properly. We should have at least five minutes to loot.”

There was a brief silence as I mentally reconstructed what I could remember of the imperial treasury’s layout. 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 annoyed the sovereign 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, focusing intently on the storage area of the imperial treasury. With that, I could almost feel the ancient enchantments woven into the space, crackling 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 clarify. My magic was legendary—sometimes even more. No ward ever prevented me from entering. Stealth, however… that’s another question entirely.”

“Great. Love the confidence.” Before he could launch into 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 large quantities—some plain, others embroidered with intricate golden patterns. A faint hum of magic lingered in the air, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

I sprinted toward one of the shelves, eyes locked on a particularly ornate bag with gilded clasps and shimmering blue fabric. The craftsmanship was unmistakable—imperial custom property.

Jackpot.

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

BANG!

A loud, echoing 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 minutes starts now.”

The prince didn’t respond, but I could practically feel his smug silence. No doubt he was thinking something like I told you so, pretender.

Whatever.

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

Cobblestones. Actual cobblestones.

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

Seeds.

Just… seeds.

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

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

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After a minute of frantic searching, I randomly turned another bag upside down in sheer desperation.

Clink. Clinkclinkclink.

Gold coins. Glorious, shimmering, imperial-minted gold coins 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 coins back into the bag, stripped its strap down to fit snugly on my belt, and resumed the hunt.

“I can’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 another bag of mundane supplies—more cobblestones, seriously?!—and dove for the next one. My fingers wrapped around its fine leather straps, and when I opened it, golden rods gleamed back at me, stacked neatly like a dragon’s hoard.

“AAAH!” I squealed in triumph, unable to contain myself. “Now my win is in the books! Mother can 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 difference between robbery and theft, you ugly ring?”

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

Good. Keeps him busy.

Not trying to warn enemies.

I darted forward, ignoring his grumbling, and entered the next chamber. My breath caught in my throat for a moment.

I’m here again.

Illuminated by soft, enchanted light, the space was lined with pristine pedestals, each one supporting an artifact that screamed rare and dangerous

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

Beside it, an ancient tome lay open, its pages turning lazily on their own as if inviting me to learn the forbidden imperial spells.

No way; too hard.

“Jackpot,” I muttered under my breath, heart racing. I could almost feel the power radiating from each artifact, tangible and thick in the air, like standing too close to an electric storm.

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

“Perfect for me!” I interrupted cheerfully, already eyeing the nearest pedestal. “They’ll look fabulous in my growing collection.” My gaze settled on a pair of enchanted daggers, quickly reaching 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 clenched teeth, clutching 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 burning sensation faded completely and HP recovered.

Satisfied that I wasn’t about to keel over, I glared 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. Touch another without caution, and it may be your last theft.”

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

I turned my attention toward a nearby staff, its crescent-shaped head gleaming ominously under the enchanted lights. Sparks of residual energy crackled faintly around it, daring me to come closer.

“This is not fair,” I complained 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 echoing 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 clattering echo amplified by the narrow stone corridors. The distinct metallic clink of armored guards’ boots made my stomach twist.

“Uh-oh,” I muttered, casting a quick glance 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. Congratulations, pretender—you’ve earned yourself a personal escort to the imperial dungeons.”

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

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

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

Nothing.

Not even a flicker of mana responded.

“Plan F!” I shouted, panic now fully replacing my earlier calm façade. Without wasting another second, I sprinted toward the section I had mentally labeled the clothing area.

There, draped over a pedestal, was a long black cloak embroidered with faint silver patterns—a piece clearly designed for imperial nobility. It shimmered slightly under the dim light, looking far too expensive to be worn by a common thief.

Good thing I’m not a common 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 enchanted silk. I pulled the hood low over my face, casting shadows over my features.

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

The prince, still 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.”

Ignoring his comment, I tightened the belt holding my newly gained golden rod bag and whispered, “Alright, Plan F is in motion… Now, time to sneak out before I’m paraded around as Rimelion’s most wanted thief.”

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

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

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

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

“What is Plan 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 channel 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 glare for good measure. “He ran that way!”