TVMS 46

CHAPTER 46…..

He was literally moving like a ghost.
To everyone else, the phantom thief was completely invisible.

But how did I see him?

Because of that.

My gaze fixed on his chest.

I could see the distorted mark there, as if space itself had been warped—
a holy stigma, the emblem of God’s chosen, the source of his divine power.

And my eyes could pierce right through it.

So I saw it clearly: a mist flowing from the stigma, wrapping around his body,
like some living, strange cloak.

It concealed his face completely, making him unrecognizable,
and at the same time camouflaged him so perfectly
that he blended into his surroundings like a chameleon.

If not for the light of the stigma, I wouldn’t see even this much.
To others, he would be utterly invisible.

Even if Aldensis and Jikren saw him,
they’d probably just register him as some unfamiliar person.

So divine power can even do that…

Without the sound of footsteps or the rustle of clothes,
he walked toward the hall.

The glow of the luminous stones on the ceiling
made his outline slightly clearer than before.

His clothes are different—of course they are.

Black leather wrapped his entire body without a gap,
no cumbersome ornamentation,
showing the shape of every muscle beneath.

Compared to the flowing white robes and scripture in hand
he usually wore,
he looked like an entirely different person.

That faint sense of danger his holy attire used to only hint at
was now revealed without restraint.

This must be the real him.

Fortunately, the violet eyes of this predator
were quietly scanning the front, unaware of anything else—
including the fact that I was watching through my mysterious sight.

In the silence, he reached the exhibition hall.

“Hm.”

I barely heard the sound before his hand flashed.

The next moment, light so intense it dimmed the luminous stones
drew a shining arc through the air,
leaving afterimages in its wake.

Even from this far away,
it felt like the light was scorching my retinas.
I narrowed my eyes.

A whip of light?

So that’s the weapon he uses.

A trade secret no one had known until now.

A whip suited him—especially in that leather.
And it was powerful.

It seemed to float lazily,
but its speed and force were tremendous.

With a whoosh,
he swept it across every corner of the hall,
sending a fierce wind rushing through.

Checking to see what Aldensis and Jikren hid here?

Last time I’d left the training arena with Ruelian,
I’d lied, telling him the princes had hidden a Rank-10 golem inside.

Judging by that inspection, he must have heard me.
Or someone told him.

When he finished, he swept the whip once more,
light flooding every crack and crevice.

A cautious man.

But too bad for you.

Nothing was hidden there—
the space itself was the trap.

No matter how skilled you are,
if you’re human, you can’t detect it.

Draconic incantation magic—
their private language, their cheat skill—
lay outside the very bounds of human perception.

“…”

Ruelian examined the area as carefully as he could,
but found nothing.

He knew the princes had prepared something,
yet here and now, there was nothing he could confirm.

With a faint pop, the light whip vanished.

His gaze turned to the Ice Crown.

I tensed.

Once the trap activates, I’ll be summoned right into that space.
Better be ready.

I was thinking that when—

…?

Ruelian disappeared.
Then, suddenly, he was standing right in front of the crown.

It was as if he had skipped through space in a single leap,
landing instantly.

Perhaps because he moved faster than the trap’s curse could react,
it didn’t trigger.

He outpaced the trap’s activation?

I could hardly believe my eyes.

Bathed in the crown’s pale glow,
he wasn’t looking at the crown itself—
his gaze was fixed on the notice attached to it.

Maybe because I could see the stigma,
a sharp thought came to me from beyond the swirling mist:

—Was this his doing?

Ruelian wanted to confirm it.

Who’s “he”?

I didn’t know,
but I did realize something:

He’s chasing someone.
And maybe his work as the phantom thief is tied to that.

From beyond the mist came a strong, unyielding will.

This persona he had carefully crafted while leading a double life—
he was here partly to protect its legend,
but that wasn’t the only reason.

My maids had forged the notice so well
that even the man himself had been caught by it.

—Was this his work?

Ruelian had no choice but to come here
when no one else was around, to see for himself.

What kind of story lies behind this?

His gloved hand grasped the notice.
Those violet eyes, burning coldly, bored into it—
until his expression suddenly changed.

—Fake!

At that instant—

The air split with a series of sharp cracks.
Countless crimson blades appeared in midair.

The trap had finally sensed its cursed target.

Ruelian’s lightning-fast entry had caused a momentary delay,
but now it unleashed a barrage of lethal attacks.

And at the same time…

“Commencing summoning.”

Wrapped in light, dizziness hit me—
space itself began to twist.

From afar, I felt the roar of noise and the tremor of shockwaves.

Inside the trap, chaos reigned.

As the crimson blades rained down like missiles,
Ruelian’s whip lashed out,
shattering every last one.

Crash!

Dozens of blades flew apart in pieces.

Jikren had been wrong—
Ruelian’s power surpassed even a Rank-10 golem.

With unbelievable strength and reflexes,
he dodged or destroyed every attack.

But…

In the space cleared of shards,
more crimson blades bloomed from the air.

The entire place was a whirlwind of killing intent.

“Hah…”

Realizing it would never end,
Ruelian turned to escape—
but of course, he couldn’t.

The curse’s grip pulled him back into the trap.

“…”

Frustration flickered across his face.
Then the whip in his hand began to glow white-hot.

His eyes burned,
hair whipping in the wind from the weapon’s power,
black-cloaked flames swirling around him.

He was ready to settle this.

And then—

Thud.

The space shuddered.

And in the exact center—
I appeared, between Ruelian and the blades.

“…?”

For the first time,
shock appeared on the face that had been calm even before this deadly trap.

“My lady?”

And the blades fell.

I carried no curse—
this space wouldn’t attack me.

Still, I flinched—

“Huh?”

Suddenly, my body lifted off the ground.

“…?”

It took me a beat to understand—

Ruelian had leapt forward, shielding me with his back,
pulling me to safety.

When I came to my senses,
I was wrapped in his cloak, rolling on the floor with him.

My eyes went wide with surprise.

First, because I was someone he had no reason to protect—
a dangerous nuisance to him—
yet he hadn’t hesitated for a second.

Second—this was smaller, but—
I could have been crushed or kicked in the chaos,
yet he’d held me in such a way that I was completely safe.

It was like being a fragile egg,
perfectly protected inside an iron case.

I’m seeing him differently now…

But there was a price.

Coming forward to rescue me instead of defending himself
meant he would take the hit.

Oh no…

From where I was held,
I could clearly see his arm—
and the long tear in his sleeve.

“I don’t know what these things are…”

Ruelian’s violet eyes glanced down at me.
For a moment, I thought I saw cold resolve there.

“…but this is all happening because of my mistakes.
I’ll get you out alive, my lady—so don’t worry.”

His curt, clipped words brought me back to my senses.

He thinks I got caught in the trap while protecting the crown.

I barely managed to open my mouth.

“That’s not—”

Right in front of me floated the wand to modify the magic circle.

I need to grab that…!

I tried to sneak my hand out from under the cloak—
but his grip tightened.

“Endure it, even if you hate it.
This isn’t the time. I know what you think of me…”

Even in this emergency,
I felt a little jab of guilt—
because all I’d been thinking about
was how tight his clothes fit,
and how his breath was practically touching my face.

He seemed completely unaware,
focused only on protecting me—
so every sensation, every breath, reached me unfiltered.

“Just bear it.”

His other arm swept once,
scattering the crimson blades falling toward us.

“For now, endure.”

The view cleared—
but only for a moment.

An even greater number of crimson blades
began pouring down,
defying the laws of space.

“What—?”

Ruelian’s eyes widened in shock.

In that gap,
I managed to snatch the wand.