"Gwak!"

The man dropped like a sack of stones, my strike landing clean at the back of his neck. He didn't even have time to groan before he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Of course, that one hit blew my stealth right out of the water. My mana veil flickered once—then shattered completely.

But I didn't panic.

After all, I'd prepared for this.

I reached up, feeling the cold steel of the helmet hiding my face and couldn't help but let out a quiet, satisfied hum. "Good thing I brought this."

No time to waste.

I grabbed the carriage handle and yanked the door open.

"Who—mmph!"

Before she could finish, I covered her mouth with my hand.

"Shh," I whispered, pressing a finger to my lips.

Princess Anna's eyes went wide, confusion and alarm flashing across them. The sound of clashing blades echoed outside—the guards were holding off the attackers, but it wouldn't last long.

If she screamed now, we'd both be in trouble.

Her entire body stiffened under my grip. I could feel the tension in her shoulders, her breathing quick and uneven against my palm. For a moment, I thought she might try to fight back—kick me, bite me, something.

But she didn't.

Instead, she froze… staring straight into my helmet's slit, as if trying to see the face behind it.

"…?"

That reaction caught me off guard. No struggle, no scream—just silent shock.

Why wasn't she resisting?

'Is she… scared?' I wondered, loosening my hand slightly.

Her gaze didn't leave me. Even with half her face hidden by my hand, I could see the faint tremble in her eyes.

That could be it.

No matter that she's the Imperial Princess—at the end of the day, she's still just a student.

Maybe she's frozen in fear right now. The thought crossed my mind as I glanced at her trembling shoulders.

If that's the case, it might be easier to move her.

I quickly removed my hand from her mouth and grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her out of the carriage before things got worse.

But then—

"Fire Ball."

"…!"

Her voice, calm and composed, cut through the chaos like a blade. My instincts screamed, and I ducked without thinking.

A searing wave of heat grazed my cheek.

Then—

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the air, followed by a piercing scream from behind us.

"ARGHHH!!"

The stench of burning cloth filled the air. I froze mid-step, still clutching her wrist. My mind blanked for a second, stunned by what just happened.

When I turned, Anna was staring right at me.

Even though my face was hidden under the steel helmet, it felt like her eyes cut right through it—as if she could see me.

Come to think of it… the Princess was a second-year student—one year above me.

She'd learned more, experienced more.

And that magic just now—

That wasn't a normal Fire Ball. The output alone was absurd. The air around us still shimmered from the residual heat.

'Is she… stronger than me?'

The thought slipped out before I could stop it. Maybe I didn't need to interfere after all.

With Anna's level of control, she could've probably handled this entire ambush on her own.

But that didn't matter now.

I could still hear shouting and the clash of blades outside the carriage. We didn't have time to hesitate.

Feeling her sharp gaze still fixed on me, I tightened my grip on her wrist and pulled.

"Move," I said, my voice muffled under the helmet.

She didn't resist this time.

Without another word, we rushed out of the shattered carriage together.

*

The sounds of battle in the distance slowly began to fade, swallowed by the night.

The clash of steel, the shouts, even the neighs of the frightened horses—all of it grew quieter until only the faint hum of the wind remained.

Leaving that chaos behind, I walked through the dim backstreets with the princess in tow, my mind spinning.

None of this made sense.

The attack, the ambush, the fact that I had ended up pulling the Imperial Princess out of that mess—it all felt surreal.

But what confused me the most wasn't the situation itself.

It was her.

'Why is she following me so obediently?'

From the moment I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the wrecked carriage, she hadn't resisted once.

No demands. No questions. Not even suspicion.

She had immediately cast magic at the attackers earlier, which proved she wasn't some helpless noble.

She clearly knew what she was doing—and yet, here she was, following a stranger in a metal helmet through a dark alley without a hint of hesitation.

If anything, she looked calm.

Almost too calm.

"Excuse me," she said suddenly, her voice soft but steady.

"…?"

I stopped walking and turned slightly, my visor catching the faint glow of the streetlamp.

Anna tilted her head, her golden hair gleaming faintly beneath the moonlight. Her eyes—sharp, calculating—met mine without fear.

"Where exactly are we going?" she asked.

For a moment, I said nothing. Speaking might risk her recognizing my voice.

So instead, I simply raised my hand and pointed ahead.

In the distance, through the mist and scattered shadows, stood an old mansion.

Its walls were weathered and cracked, half-hidden by overgrown ivy. The faint outline of magic wards glimmered across its gates, flickering weakly like dying embers.

That was my destination.

Her brows lifted slightly as she followed my gesture. "There?"

I gave a short nod.

Anna studied the mansion for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. Then she smiled faintly—a small, knowing curve of her lips that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"You really don't talk much, do you?"

If she only knew who she was talking to, that smile might not look so composed.

I said nothing, just turned back toward the road and kept walking.

Her footsteps followed soon after, light and measured, echoing softly behind me.

The streets were silent again—just the two of us, a masked stranger and the Empire's princess, walking through the sleeping capital toward a place that reeked of secrets.

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