Making the Commoners Identify the Person
He never would have guessed Princess Solana would skip the beatings and insults. Instead, she locked him in a prison cart and paraded him through the streets of Argent for a good old-fashioned public shaming.
The stares of the common folk felt like a thick swarm of ants crawling all over him.
Some gawked with curiosity, others with disgust.
Many just hurled insults. Every hushed whisper and pointed finger was like a tiny cut, slicing away at what was left of his pride.
This was way worse than any torture, no physical pain, just an inescapable public humiliation that, in the span of thirty minutes, completely shattered his will.
He lunged at the bars of the cart like a madman, screaming at Princess Solana, who was trotting along on her little donkey just ahead. "Princess, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Panting, he didn't even wait for her to get closer.
"I swear, I don't know who hired me! I'm just a hired gun from the martial underworld. I work for cash. In my line of work, you don't ask who the client is, you just make sure they pay. Jobs get posted to The Crimson Veil through intermediaries, and we take the ones we want.
All they told me was to kill the Marquis of Stonehaven in the Great Dungeon."
The Onyx Guard standing nearby were stunned. A little stroll around town and the guy just... confessed?
What was the point of all the interrogations, torture, and endless persuasion they'd perfected over the years? Did any of their hard work even matter? The guards fell into a deep, collective existential crisis.
Cassidy, however, heard the confession and wasn't impressed. "You say you're a hitman. Where's your proof?"
The question seemed to catch the man off guard, but he quickly fumbled in his collar and pulled out a black iron token. The words 'The Crimson Veil' were engraved in tiny letters along the edge, and the back featured a menacing black eagle sigil that looked plenty sinister.
"This is the token for The Crimson Veil," he explained. "The rule is that clients never show their faces. They just send messages through go-betweens. We pick our missions, and after we're done, we use this to collect payment."
Vaughn, who was standing nearby, took the token and glanced at it. "Princess, there is an assassin organization in the martial underworld called The Crimson Veil. They're known for their secrecy. This token matches the descriptions."
Cassidy shot the prisoner a look of pure disdain. "What kind of useless hitman is this?" she thought. He couldn't even outrun her. Who could he possibly assassinate?
The assassin was practically vibrating with rage. If it hadn't been for this bizarre princess, who had zero internal energy but could somehow run faster than anyone he'd ever seen, he would've been long gone. The Imperial Court, for all its competence, would never have caught him.
Vaughn's gaze was just as contemptuous. He couldn't figure out why a professional killer, after a failed mission, wouldn't just escape and wait for another chance. Why would he waste his time chasing a princess through a dozen streets?
The assassin was speechless. He desperately wanted to explain that he *had* tried to escape, but he'd run into a lunatic who was faster than a ghost and who kept provoking him and getting in his way just for the hell of it.
He had never felt so wronged in his entire life.
Cassidy was a little disappointed to have caught such a pathetic hitman. She was just about to ask Vaughn what he knew about The Crimson Veil and if he thought they could take them down when a sudden chill shot up her spine. Two malicious glares locked right onto her.
Her survival instincts, honed to a razor's edge during the apocalypse, screamed at her.
*Danger. Someone wants me dead.*
She immediately snapped her head up, her eyes scanning for the source. She locked eyes with a man in the window of a restaurant across the street, his glare pure venom.
Cassidy's eyes widened. She raised her voice, pointing directly at the man in fine silk robes. "Vaughn, surround that private room! That's an order!"
Vaughn followed her finger and saw the Third Prince standing there, his face dark and grim.
His heart hammered in his chest. Without a second's hesitation, he waved his hand, and the Onyx Guard behind him swarmed the restaurant, surrounding the private room in a flash.
There was no evidence, and surrounding a prince was treason.
But Vaughn knew if he didn't play along, this little troublemaker would cause an even bigger scene, maybe even grab a bow and kill the Third Prince herself.
That would be a much bigger mess to clean up.
Cassidy led her people, storming up to the third floor and straight to the private room. Angry shouts immediately erupted from inside.
"Vaughn Garrison, you've got some nerve! You surround my private room? Have you no respect for a prince? Are you tired of living?"
Vaughn's expression was calm, his posture ramrod straight.
He gave the Third Prince a slight dip of his head, but his tone was unyielding.
"Your Highness, please calm down. I mean no offense. The Princess is investigating a case under imperial decree, and the Capital Inspection Bureau is simply performing its duties. I hope you'll cooperate."
"Cooperate?" The Third Prince laughed like it was the funniest joke he'd ever heard.
He and his men blocked the doorway, his eyes dangerously sharp.
"I'm here, enjoying a meal. How am I obstructing your investigation? You're investigating a case, and it somehow leads you straight to me? What is this Capital Inspection Bureau, anyway? It's just some throwaway job my father the Emperor gave that girl,
and you're already treating it like a royal decree, acting like you own the place."
Standing at the doorway, Cassidy's mouth twitched as she listened to him drone on about being a prince.
*Tsk, which one of my brothers is this?*
Without a second thought, she pushed past the person blocking her way and walked right into the room. She had sensed two murderous glares moments ago. She could pin one on the prince, but the other one had to be in here.
The Third Prince was so focused on holding off the Onyx Guard that he was caught completely off guard when Cassidy shoved him aside. He could only watch as she and her entourage swaggered inside.
Cassidy scanned the faces in the room. She couldn't immediately tell who the second hostile gaze belonged to, so she lifted her chin and ordered, "As-Desired, bring a brush and paper. Write down the name of every single person in this room. Don't miss anyone."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the room fell dead silent.
Every face in the private room turned ghostly pale.
To put it nicely, they were having a little get-together with the Third Prince.
To be blunt, it looked like a prince was colluding with the sons of court officials.
If word of this reached the Emperor, they'd be demoted and reprimanded at best.
At worst, their entire families could be implicated. No one could afford that.
A cold dread washed over the Third Prince.
The Crown Prince was in poor health and no longer a threat.
His other brother, the second prince, was caught up in the Stonehaven scandal and couldn't even protect himself.
He thought his moment had finally arrived.
Officials who had once been impossible to sway were now letting their sons attend his banquet, a clear sign that the political winds were shifting.
And just as he was about to win them over, Vaughn had to show up and surround his room like a madman.
He watched the brush in the maid's hand move rapidly across the paper. When she didn't recognize someone, she'd just ask one of the Onyx Guard for their name.
He couldn't stand it anymore. Scrambling forward, he lunged, trying to snatch the list from As-Desired's hand.
Startled, As-Desired quickly hid behind Reid and Jed, the brush in her hand moving even faster. Beside her, Auspicious was counting heads, making sure not a single person was missed.