Elias moved like a shadow birthed from vengeance and death itself. And despite so many wounds on his body he moved with such ease and elegance with his shoulders squared and face upright. The chains of the chests clinked gently as they swung slightly with each step. The blood dripping from his arm stained the path behind him, but he didn't falter.
The guards parted without being asked. He passed them like he owned this place. The traders stepped back in disbelief, horror, and awe.
"By the gods…"
"How is he walking…?"
"Those chests, those are the same ones!"
Velmore stepped forward instinctively, his throat suddenly dry. "What.. what happened to you?" he asked, not out of concern, but confusion, anger, and dread. "Where were you?"
Elias looked at him with a knowing smirk that made Velmore uneasy. "There was an ambush," he said in a low but audible voice in the stunned hush. "A few assassins from the dark world tried to kill me and get the gold when I passed the forest."
The traders exchanged horrified glances. But they did not notice how Velmore stiffened. "Was it an ambush? How unfortunate."
"They thought a few blades would be enough to get rid of me" Elias said, dropping one chest on the marble floor with a heavy thud that echoed in the large hall making all of them flinch in their place, "I made sure none of them left breathing."
The second chest landed beside the first with another metallic crash.
"And I still came. But I think I am a bit late. I hope you would not hold me accountable for it. Would you?"
The court attendant, who had just rushed in, looked breathless. "Baron Elias, the court is ready. Shall I—shall I call the magistrates?"
"Yes," Elias replied without looking at him. "Let them bear witness."
The traders, who had been so certain of his failure, now stood as pale as ghosts. All their doubts melted in the face of Elias's unyielding presence. The gold inside the chests was no longer the point, it was who had brought it, how he had brought it, and what it meant.
Velmore's heart raced. His trap had failed. The boy had walked through the best assassins alive and had even succeeded to bring the gold. If the traders sign the contract, he would lose all the power of the project. More than that, he had to accept his failure in front of this bastard. His grip on his cane tightened. He could not accept this result.
Elias turned slightly, meeting Velmore's eyes with a gaze that could have carved stone.
"Make sure," he said slowly, "that your men are better next time. These barely made me sweat."
Velmore's face twitched, but he forced a look of confusion and offense onto it. "Better men? What are you insinuating, boy?"
Elias didn't flinch. He let the silence stretch for a beat longer before responding. "Are you going to act like it had nothing to do with you, Lord Velmore? You are smarter than this performance. You really want me to explain it here, in front of the royal court, with these witnesses?" His voice was calm, but it held a dangerous edge that could burn others without using fire.
The traders and nobles turned their eyes to Velmore with wide, startled expressions. No one had ever dared to accuse him directly even when he had committed crimes. No one had ever dared to name him in public. But could it be that Velmore had tried to sabotage their deal to devour the Crestford estate?
Velmore's mask of superiority cracked just a little. He chuckled with a humorless look but it was forced. "Are you accusing me of sending assassins?" He laughed again, louder this time, hoping the noise would distract from the sweat forming at the base of his neck. "Preposterous! Absurd! Do you want us to believe in your word? I have been a respected member here for a long time. We do not even know if you were really attacked? Perhaps you have used pig blood to rub all over your body so that you can accuse a respected lord of attempted murder?"
"I didn't accuse," Elias said, tilting his head. "I simply asked if you would send better men next time or if they were going to be fools like this time? But if you insist on claiming the accusation for yourself, I would not stop you." he let the rest hang as he shrugged mildly.
The implication sent a ripple through the courtyard. One of the nobles, the one with the golden rings, gasped. "Wait, are you saying Lord Velmore truly…?"
"Do you think it's a coincidence?" Elias cut in, his voice rising ever so slightly, just enough for everyone in the court to hear. "I was ambushed when I was coming with the gold. Except all of you who even knew that I would be in the woods and would have so much gold with me. I was only attacked after we finalized a contract that left him with no power, no influence, and no leverage. Convenient, isn't it?"
"You dare?" Velmore growled. "You dare throw such baseless accusations at me in public?"
"You think I didn't recognize your men?" Elias asked as his eyes hardened. "I know that the black world organization only commissions from the nobles that offer a good amount. Who among all of you have the privilege to hire them here? I should have known you would be too arrogant to hire someone outside your own kennel."
The traders turned their stunned gazes on Velmore again, eyes narrowing with shock and disbelief.
Velmore took a step forward with a red blotchy face. "You lie! You want to defame me in public, Baron Elias? Then you will face the consequences!" He turned, pointing dramatically at the court scribe who had just entered. "Take it down! I am filing a formal claim against Baron Elias for defamation of a noble house and slander before royal witnesses!"