Chapter 06: Back to the palace

The cloaked man stumbled backward as Cassandra’s sharp blades of ice pierced his minions. Yet, despite that, an eerie sound echoed through the clearing—the man was laughing.

"Haha..."

As he stopped, he slowly reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

Kael, maintaining a cautious stance, ground his teeth together in sudden fury.

How…? I am certain he was banished from the kingdom!

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, trying to recognize the man beneath the disfigurement. Roughly half of his face was a ruin of severe burns, exposing raw, angry red tissue.

"How disgusting," Cassandra said, her voice entirely flat and unbothered. "Could you put your ugly hood back on?"

"Why? Should I do that? It is a sign that reminds me how the Kingdom betrayed my trust and how..." He glanced at Kael. "...how that little bitch gave me something I can never heal from."

Cassandra followed his gaze, then looked at Kael while shielding him, feeling the mana gathering around the man.

"Tell me, do you know who he is? It seems that, more than anything, he is angry at seeing you here."

"His name is Gibson. He served as a royal guard and was responsible for collecting taxes in the Vermillion Slums. On top of that, he humiliated the slum people, abused his power, killed for his own amusement, and raped women. Alicia's father stood up to protect them and..." He paused, lowering his head before continuing. "Now I see why he hates the Kingdom... if I'm not wrong, then..."

"Yes. Those burn marks were given by Alicia when she was trying to protect her father."

Cassandra took a stance, about to attack.

"Don't move an inch. If you do, I will not guarantee your safety."

"Wh—"

As she used Flash Step, a booming sound echoed through the area. He covered his face as dust flew from the impact.

Panicked, Gibson raised his hand and started chanting a spell, ending it with an eerie smile.

"Umbral Grasp!"

Cassandra stopped in the middle of her dash. A black mana circle started forming above her head.

"Your time ends here, loyal dog of the Kingdom..."

Dark mana balls erupted from the circle, flying rapidly toward her as she covered herself with the sword she was holding.

Boom!

As the balls struck her, explosions erupted, sending dust flying everywhere. With each successive hit, the impact grew stronger until the area where she stood was completely engulfed in dust.

"Bwahaha...! So now, it is your turn—"

He turned toward Kael as blue lightning waves appeared from within the dust.

"Huh...?"

Before he realized it, his vision started dropping as he looked at Kael. His head fell to the ground, his vision blurred, and then everything went dark.

What just happened?

Confused, Kael looked toward the dust-covered area as Cassandra's voice came from within.

"It seems I still need some training."

The dust slowly drifted away as she returned her sword to its sheath. Turning toward him, she walked over.

"That was kind of—" Kael was cut off by her words.

“Now that the threat is gone...” She looked him dead in the eye.

“Huh…? What are—"

Before he could finish, she kicked his knee. He dropped to one knee before she pinned him to the ground, his face rubbing against the dirt.

"Hey! What are...!" he screamed in pain.

"Before Valerius brought you here, I was bound not to raise my hands against you. But now you are under no authority. I hereby take you into custody for pilferage and attacking royal carriages."

She dragged him away, locked him inside a cell, and handcuffed him.

"Now you are in your rightful place," Cassandra said as she walked out. The guards bowed as she left.

"There goes my luck! Now I really have to spend my life in the Kingdom's cells..."

On the other hand...

"It feels kind of weird to me..." Alicia chuckled awkwardly while looking at the uniform she wore—a white uniform with shoulder armor and wrist armor, along with a blue robe.

"You don't have to worry. You look good," Valerius complimented her.

"Hehe... well, it's kind of weird. A few hours ago, I was the one fighting against the knights, and now I'm one of them."

"That's true. Well, for now, you can rest. Ask her if you want anything," Valerius said, pointing at the maid beside him.

The door handle turned as Cassandra came in. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Alicia.

"You..."

Seeing her reaction, Valerius changed the topic.

"Cassandra, where did you go? I heard you were fighting someone."

"Just cleaning the trash and putting things in their rightful place." She closed her eyes as her hands rested behind her head.

"I see. Anyway, let's go. Alicia, rest here. We will continue your training from tomorrow onward."

"Yes... Valerius... I mean, Captain!"

"Haha... You can call me Valerius as well. Well, rest well."

They all exited, leaving Alicia alone in her new room.

Alicia seemed excited as she jumped onto the bed, feeling the soft cushions beneath her. She looked around as everything shone like glass—curtains, expensive paintings, tables, and decorative vases.

"This is really not a dream... It feels like a dream come true to me...."

She whispered to herself as dejected words slipped from her lips.

"I was hoping Kael would join me to see how beautiful everything is beyond the slums..."

In the hallway...

Valerius walked ahead as Cassandra followed him.

"So, you really decided to choose her as your shadow, huh?" Cassandra said flatly.

"Well, during my training with her, I saw some potential in her magic. If we polish her skills, she might become a Vermillion Crown like us."

"But it seemed you were more interested in her friend. I thought you would choose him instead..."

"I would have, but without his willingness to join, I would never force someone. Anyway, what about you? As you know, we Seven Vermillion Crowns each need a shadow, but judging by you, I don't think you're considering it."

"Well... the last person I chose—” She paused, her voice heavily dejected, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I don't mind being a shadowless knight."

"Hmm."

He respected Cassandra's decision as they entered a room filled with relics. They walked toward the center and looked at a glass display where the same knife Kael and Alicia had stolen during the carriage heist was displayed on a stand.

He asked one of the scholars in the room,

"So, were you able to discover this relic's power?"

"No, sir. It is still a mystery to us. We tried many things, but it remains nothing more than a rusted, blood-tainted knife."

"I see. Continue your research, and let me know if you find something."

"Yes, sir."

With that, they both exited.