♠️ Chapter 20: Gold Slayer Reveal
The commander Eliot stood frozen, his eyes wide with a cocktail of shock and impotent fury. The sight was absurd, and the insult was shared by every Knight present. The sacred royal carriage, which they had personally scrubbed and guarded with fanatical devotion just to earn the Princess's favor, was being treated as a park bench by a "lowly" purple-haired Mage.
"Unacceptable," the Commander ground out inwardly. If it weren't for the crowd of indifferent adventurers, he might have slaughtered the Mage on the spot, believing the Princess would not only condone but reward the swift disposal of the impudent commoner.
He ripped his sword from its sheath, the steel hissing as it left the scabbard, and leveled the point at Cassian. His face was a mask of thunderous fury, veins throbbing visibly on his forehead.
This action immediately triggered the surrounding Knights, who drew their blades with a synchronized clamor and snapped into an attack formation. The adventurers, recognizing the shift from simple argument to a bloody confrontation with the elite Magic Knights, hastily stepped back.
"Oh, S**t, I'm trapped," Cassian muttered internally.
It's not just the front; I'm surrounded on all sides, he assessed, his gaze flicking between the determined faces and drawn blades. I could just jump off to get out of here, but I can't guarantee a safe retreat. These are Magic Knights, not regular City Guards.
"I had no idea that sitting on a royal carriage was a crime, but it does make me wonder why no one else does it. Maybe I should tell them that or maybe… His escape thoughts were cut short.
The Commander raised his sword, the tip aimed precisely at Cassian's chest.
"What in the seven hells are you doing up there, Mage?" he demanded, forcing his voice to remain level.
Furious as he was, he had to maintain a dignified, professional image. The Princess might be watching.
"Let me explain," Cassian said inwardly, a familiar sigh of resignation escaping his lips. Then, he spoke aloud, his tone casual and explanatory.
"Well, since our job is to protect those in the carriage and slay the God-level Beast, I decided to sit up here. In case we are attacked from above, I would be able to—"
The Commander had heard enough.
"Shut up!" he bellowed, cutting Cassian off with a sharp, explosive sound.
"Who do you think you are?!" the Commander yelled, his control finally fraying.
"You think you can just stroll over here, do whatever you like, whatever pleases you, and in your right frame of mind, you chose a royal carriage to put your filthy foot on? Who do you think you are?" He emphasized the last words, trying desperately to corral his volcanic rage.
SIGH.
Cassian sighed dramatically. He had no other choice but to give them what they wanted—an answer. A slow, sinister smile—the one he always reserved for dramatic reveals—stretched across his lips. This was the moment he had always secretly craved, a classic Main Character reveal.
"I'm The Mystic Mage," Cassian stated simply, his voice cutting through the tension.
GASP!
A collective, audible gasp swept through the crowds of adventurers. Shock plastered their faces as they stared at the purple-haired man claiming the title of the all-powerful Mystic Mage, The Gold Slayer. Murmurs immediately erupted from the crowd:
"Is that really him? He looks like a student."
"I don't know, but could that explain his unnatural 'lack of presence'?"
"Could he truly be the Gold Slayer? The one who faced the Golden Dragon?"
"In all my years as an adventurer, I've known not to judge a warrior by their looks, but I'm still not sure." The Spear User from before scratched his beard, his skepticism battling his surprise.
The truth was, many of them might have crossed paths with him once or twice. Cassian had been to countless places and gone on numerous missions for various guilds, often disguised or operating solo.
"Never heard of you," the Commander scoffed, though he momentarily faltered.
He recovered quickly, a sneer twisting his face. He adopted a final, deadly fighting stance.
"Now you die for your insolence."
Cassian calmly flipped a silver Card into his hand, ready to unleash a spell or, if necessary, make a quick-burst tactical retreat.
Right before the Commander could unleash the attack command—
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The sharp, measured sound of knocking echoed, stopping both Cassian and the Commander dead in their tracks. They turned to each other, confusion replacing fury.
"That sound is unusual. Where is it coming from?" Cassian thought, scanning the perimeter.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The knocking was heard once more, and to everyone's utter shock, it was originating from inside the carriage. Whoever was in it was knocking urgently on the door from the inside.
The Commander snapped his head toward the royal vehicle, his entire demeanor changing. The rage vanished, replaced by a sudden, abject fear. He immediately sheathed his sword, rushed to the carriage door, opened it, and ducked inside.
This was Cassian's perfect chance to escape and make a clean run for his life. Yet, he was consumed by curiosity. He had clearly registered the terror that flashed across the Commander's face when the Knight realized where the knocks were coming from.
"Curiosity killed the cat," he mused inwardly.
"But I can't help myself. What type of Royal is capable of instilling this much fear in an elite Magic Knight Commander?"
He didn't even recognize the Royal crest on the Carriage, yet it felt strangely familiar.
He turned to the Knights, who had frozen, their weapons still drawn, their faces a mixture of hate and unease. They were waiting for the order to attack, yet their training restricted them from striking without a clear command.
"I'm just happy they're not trigger happy," Cassian murmured, and gave them a small, amused smile.
The sight of his effortless smile only infuriated the Knights further, yet they remained locked in their positions.
The Carriage door opened once again. The Commander stepped out, trying desperately to mask the residual fear on his face with a bland, neutral expression.
"Okay, let's go," Cassian thought, holding the Card tight, expecting the Commander to issue the order to attack at any second.
"Leave him," the Commander said, his voice flat.
"What?!" The Knights exclaimed, a single voice of disbelief.
"Say what now?!" No one was as profoundly shocked as Cassian himself.
The surrounding adventurers erupted into a cacophony of confused murmurs.
"Sir, but we can't!" protested the Knight who had first spotted Cassian, unable to accept the insult to the Princess's carriage.
The Commander turned on him, a genuinely menacing aura of professional wrath radiating outward, chilling the other Knights and even some of the closer adventurers. Cassian alone remained entirely unaffected.
"Don't you dare question my order, ever again. Do you understand?" the Commander hissed, his voice dangerously low.
The protesting Knight immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head and shaking in the fright. The Commander had no outlet for the fury the adventurer had caused, and he would not direct it at his subordinate. He spun on his heel, mounted his stallion, and bellowed:
"Onward! Move out!"
Everyone began to move once again. Some couldn't take their gazes off Cassian, who, despite being spared, was more confused than relieved. He decided to file the event away for later analysis.
The Commander rode forward, his face a furious mask of barely concealed rage.
"How can that type of moron find favor with the Princess?"
That was the question that lingered, sharp and poisonous, in his mind as their journey resumed