A few minutes passed before the carriage screeched to a halt in the center of the Grand Plaza.
Ixion peeled back the curtain just enough to look out at a hundred faces staring in awe at the carriage.
It wasn't every day a noble revealed themselves…
After all, most of them were hated.
If the people saw a chance to kill one, they'd do so no matter the consequences.
Of course, Ixion was much too strong for the common man to even dream about killing him. And any foolish enough to actually try would have their soul shattered.
Ixion heard a muffled man outside.
"Miss, you can't park your carriage here…"
Ixion adorned his handsome face with a wicked grin as he leaned back, lifted his boot, and slammed it into the door, sending it sailing from its hinges and off into the side of a building.
People screamed in fear as they dove away, and the stone wall crumbled, but their fears were quickly traded for silence the moment they laid their eyes upon the source of destruction.
Ixion looked at the crowd, too scared to meet his eyes, with an amused expression as he slid the chest off the seat and held it firmly in his hands.
Looking to his right, he saw the driver's seat empty, Zabaniyah having disappeared in the chaos, and a very confused patrolman who looked absolutely terrified when he saw whose carriage it was.
With a shit-eating grin on his face, Ixion ordered the stupefied patrol.
"Watch the carriage while I'm gone."
The young man responded, sounding like he was having a seizure.
"A-a-a-a-a-a-a–a-a-a-a-a-a-a-as you wish."
Ixion turned his back to the knight and toward the market square of the Grand Plaza; each step was heavy and caused the cobblestone under his feet to depress and shift.
"What are you all looking at?"
Ixion stood proudly in the middle of the square, but none were brave enough to respond.
The novelty eroded quickly, leaving behind a constant unease; citizens watched in secret, instinctively diverting themselves from the king's passage.
Only the most daring would even glance at the king directly...
Ixion continued his slow march through the plaza.
The Grand Plaza, which as the name suggested, was grand!
It was roughly 129 meters by 94 meters, and anyone with enough money could rent out an area to set up a vendor stall.
Of course, Duke Marlowe had not been lying when speaking about how far the value and use of coin had fallen. Where once before every plot would be rented out, half of the space went unused, usually.
People simply couldn't afford the price to set up shop there, and, even if they could, it was unlikely they'd make the deposit back.
However, since the Praxian Caravan had arrived, bringing a mass of foreign goods, the square was quite lively today as vendors tried their luck to capitalize on the influx of people who'd be visiting.
Ixion took a deep breath, inhaling the incense of foreign spices. His eyes settled on a beautiful beastwoman trader, part of the Praxian Caravan.
When she noticed his gaze, her entire body shivered, and her furry tail stiffened.
'Ah, perfect…'