"I~? I'm just~ a traveler~ that's all~~"
The masked woman giggled softly, her voice so intoxicating it seemed to brush directly against the heart. Every word she spoke came out in strange, lilting tones — drawn out and oddly hyphenated, as if she were deliberately speaking in riddles.
"Traveler?" Angelina frowned, her elven ears twitching slightly in suspicion.
Beside her, Ya'er crossed her arms with a snort. "Oh, come on. Who are you fooling? You're from the Central Region, aren't you? Don't think I wouldn't recognize you. One of the famous Twelve Star Saints of the Central Magic Empire wouldn't just wander around the continent pretending to be a tourist — and you just 'happened' to come to the Kingdom of Ross? Yeah, right."
The masked woman chuckled again, sounding pleased rather than offended. "Oh~ my~ little sister~ is so clever~~"
Ya'er rolled her eyes. "Clever? You didn't even bother to change your outfit. That robe and mask of yours are famous. You look exactly like—"
Before she could finish, Angelina quickly covered Ya'er's mouth, pulling her close.
"Don't be rude," she whispered sharply. Then she turned back to the mysterious woman and said calmly, "You are Saint Tianluan, aren't you? One of the Twelve Star Saints."
The masked woman tilted her head in amusement. "Ah~ so~ it was~ that~ obvious~"
Her voice was like silk — broken, melodic, and dangerously charming.
Angelina nodded. "It's said that the voice of Saint Tianluan carries magic itself, capable of bending minds and swaying hearts. Among the Twelve Star Saints, only one woman can speak like that."
Her tone softened, awe flickering in her eyes. Every magician across the continent had heard of Saint Tianluan — the sole female among the Twelve Saints, a legend among mages and an icon to young women everywhere.
As an elf and a magician herself, Angelina had always admired her. It was her dream to one day reach that same level — the level of a Star Saint Mage, someone whose magic could change the world.
Saint Tianluan laughed lightly. "Ahh~ fame~ isn't always~ a blessing~"
Her voice floated through the air like a warm breeze.
But admiration was one thing — trust was another. A Star Saint didn't travel halfway across the continent for no reason.
Angelina straightened, her expression turning serious. "Forgive my bluntness, Saint Tianluan, but why have you come to the Kingdom of Ross?"
The woman didn't answer immediately. Instead, she smiled beneath her mask, the corners of her lips almost audible in her tone. "The~ Kingdom~ of Ross~?" she murmured, slowly drawing out the words.
Her eyes glimmered faintly behind the golden-etched mask. "But I remember~ someone~ like you~ the golden hair~ the eyes of emerald~ You're from Golden Essence City, aren't you? The elven princess of Kiswell Kingdom."
She lifted a slender, pale hand and gently pinched Angelina's cheek. "So cute~ for a princess~ playing diplomat~ among mortals~~"
"I— I…" Angelina froze, her face turning pink.
"I want you to stop touching her!" Ya'er snapped, stepping between them. She stuck out her tongue at the Saint defiantly. "Come on, Your Highness, let's go. Don't waste time with weirdos."
Angelina hesitated but allowed herself to be pulled away. She knew Tianluan's reputation — the Star Saint was known for her teasing nature and unpredictable humor. She rarely got angry, no matter how disrespectful someone acted toward her.
Behind them, Tianluan's voice floated after them like honey dripping from glass.
"Ahh~ so this~ is the kingdom~ I've been looking for~ the mortal realm~ that feels~ like home~~"
The playful tone carried an undertone of something else — curiosity… and perhaps longing.
Angelina's face grew warm. Why does she sound like that… and why is she looking this way?
And then, without warning, Gavin Ward's face flashed in her mind. She turned bright red from ear to ear.
Tianluan chuckled knowingly. "Little princess~ don't worry~ I swear~ on my star~ and my name~~"
A faint glow appeared in front of her as she raised her hands gracefully.
"I will~ not cause harm~ nor chaos~ in this Kingdom~ of Ross~~"
A glowing magic circle appeared, shimmering with ancient runes. Threads of light spun outward, wrapping around her like a chain of gold.
It was the Oath Lock, a sacred and binding spell that only Star Saints could invoke. It was unbreakable — a promise that not even death could dissolve.
Angelina stared at the glowing sigils with relief. "A Ten-Mile Oath… that means she's serious."
If Saint Tianluan truly meant harm, she wouldn't have invoked such a spell. The tension in Angelina's chest finally eased.
Maybe she really did come in peace.
---
Later, the three of them walked side by side toward Los City, the capital of the Ross Kingdom. The roads were bustling, filled with carriages, mechanical trucks, and even a few steam-powered carts.
Saint Tianluan followed silently, her strange robe flowing like mist. Yet none of the passers-by seemed to notice her — as if some invisible magic erased her presence from their minds.
She stopped for a moment beneath the towering city gates, gazing up at the soldiers stationed above.
"So~ this~ is the capital~ of the Kingdom of Ross~~" she murmured softly.
From the high walls, rows of armed soldiers stood alert. Their uniforms gleamed, their eyes sharp. On their backs hung 98K rifles, their barrels polished to a mirror shine.
Mounted along the battlements were MG42 machine guns, and every fifty meters stood a pair of 14.5mm dual-purpose heavy guns — weapons that looked both fearsome and strangely foreign.
The Ross soldiers patrolled in tight formations, armor shining under the sun, their discipline unmatched.
Saint Tianluan's golden eyes widened slightly behind the mask. "Even~ I~ can't see~ how these~ weapons~ function~"
She could feel the hum of energy in the air — but it wasn't magic. It was something else entirely.
"Such~ inventions~ this mortal kingdom~ has truly~ surpassed imagination~" she whispered to herself.
Angelina and Ya'er led the way through the city. Angelina still didn't entirely trust the Saint, even after the oath. And Saint Tianluan, despite her calm demeanor, seemed to be studying everything around her — the electric streetlights, the humming machinery, the sheer modernity of this human city.
When they reached the inner gates, Angelina turned to the guards. "Inform His Majesty Gavin Ward immediately. A member of the Twelve Star Saints has arrived in Los City."
The soldiers blinked in shock. "A… Star Saint?" They didn't really understand what that meant, but their training told them one thing: report immediately.
Within minutes, the message reached the palace.
Meanwhile, the soldiers at the gate tightened their grip on their rifles, glancing warily at the elegant woman in purple who stood motionless beneath the walls.
They didn't know who she was — only that her presence made their instincts scream.
Inside the royal palace, Gavin Ward received the report.
"Your Majesty," a messenger said nervously, "one of the Twelve Star Saints of the Central Magic Empire… she's come here. She says she wants to meet you."
For a few long seconds, Gavin said nothing. He just stared at the messenger, expression unreadable.
Then, with a slow exhale, he muttered—
"Bring out the nuclear bomb."
The room went dead silent.
"E-excuse me, Your Majesty?"
Gavin looked up calmly, eyes gleaming. "You heard me. I said bring out the nuclear bomb. If one of the Twelve Star Saints shows up uninvited, I'm not taking chances."
The officers nearby paled instantly.
One of them stammered, "Y-Your Majesty, but we haven't even completed the final testing—"
"Then test it now," Gavin replied coldly. "We're not dealing with ordinary mages. A single Star Saint can erase a city if they want to. I won't risk the Kingdom of Ross."
As he spoke, the ministers and engineers in the war council chamber exchanged horrified looks. The idea of a nuclear bomb — a weapon capable of vaporizing an army — had been theoretical until now.
But now, the order had been given.
The guards rushed to secure the underground vault where the prototype rested — a massive steel cylinder surrounded by magic suppressors and anti-interference fields.
Meanwhile, outside the city, Saint Tianluan gazed toward the palace walls, a faint smile playing beneath her mask.
"Oh~ my~ this king~ reacts~ quickly~~" she whispered to herself, clearly amused.
Her golden eyes glimmered. "Let's see~ just how far~ your mortal kingdom~ dares to go~~ Gavin Ward~~"
The wind swept through Los City, carrying both tension and the faint hum of power — the kind of silence that comes before a storm.
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