Chapter 19: Lack of Presence
"Where did you come from?!" Commander
Eliot yelled, finally acknowledging Cassian's presence by reflexively leaping backward.
"What? I've been here the whole time," Cassian replied, feigning confusion.
Everyone nearby—the mages, the healers, the attackers—was equally shocked. None of them had seen or noticed him until the Commander reacted.
"Hey, Knight," Cassian said, getting the Commander's attention. He then turned and pointed at one of the mages.
"He was the one who called you a chicken."
The mage's eyes went wide, and he couldn't deny it.
Commander Eliot, however, couldn't care less about the insult now; he was utterly fixated on the purple-haired mage before him.
Such a lack of presence, he thought frantically. He could be an assassin sent to kill our guest! He immediately dismissed the thought, noticing Cassian's genuinely clueless expression. Who am I kidding? Even if he was, no one would face the Princess head-on and expect to survive, especially not with her personal guard in there.
A cold sweat broke out on his brow. Such silence, such lack of presence... an assassin-level skill, and yet the mage himself is clueless about his unique ability. Such power without knowledge... Who is this guy?
The Commander slowly lowered his sword back into its sheath and walked forward, forcing his panic down. The frightened look on his face shifted to a stern, professional expression.
"Forgive me, Mage, for making such a mistake. You have my deepest apologies," the Commander said, his tone strained but formal.
"Oh, okay, that's fine," Cassian replied, still acting innocent. He turned and stood beside the other mages, who remained deeply wary of him.
Cassian's internal thought: That was a close one. Acting clueless about a deliberate action always works like a charm.
The attention was overwhelming. The other adventurers, including the mages, all had their eyes fixed on him.
Too much attention, he grumbled inwardly. But no matter. FADE will re-activate once their attention is averted from me.
The Commander cleared his throat, snapping the groups back to attention.
"Back to where we were. Seven Attackers, four Healers," (The Commander paused to look at Cassian and then back at the others) "and four Mages.
After the final count, one of the Magic Knights sitting at the front of the carriage took the reins and signaled the start of the journey. The adventurers and knights began walking, following the carriage.
Their attention was now elsewhere, and Cassian's FADE skill activated once again. He was relieved. The constant gazes and whispers were exhausting, and he was grateful that none of the adventurers had recognized him, which would have ended the peace and quiet he craved.
Cassian glanced around at the formation—the adventurers walking alongside the carriage, and the knights marching on both sides. He was not impressed.
Sloppy, he thought.
Their job is to guard and protect whoever is inside that carriage. In a case where the creature ambushes us, especially if it attacks from above, these knights won't be able to defend effectively.
Boredom took over. He looked at the carriage, and with everyone unaware of his presence, he leaped straight into the air. No one noticed the sudden, vertical movement. He fell back down, landing as gently as a feather on the roof of the royal carriage. He sat down, comfortable, yet entirely unobserved—well, almost everyone.
A knight marching on the right side of the carriage turned his head over his shoulder, and his gaze snagged on Cassian.
"Oh, an attentive one," Cassian thought, as his eyes met the knight's.
Cassian's FADE technique was docile and easily broken when someone focused their attention on him. The knight stared at Cassian for a moment, and his eyes widened in sheer terror as he realized who—and where—the purple-haired man was.
"Commander!" the knight screamed, drawing his sword and instantly grabbing the attention of the other knights and adventurers.
The Commander immediately pulled the reins of his stallion, bringing the entire column to a sudden halt. He dismounted and turned toward his panicked subordinate.
"What is it, Soldier?" he demanded.
"Sir, there's someone on the carriage!"
At that moment, the Commander raised his head, followed by everyone else. The sight of the purple-haired adventurer from before, seated comfortably on the roof of the sacred royal carriage, made the entire crowd gasp.
"Oh boy," Cassian muttered inwardly, a dull expression settling on his face.
"This can't be good."
None of them were as shocked and furious as Commander Eliot himself.