Warrior Training System-Chapter 476: Orders from the Top

As Cassian stepped into Commander Naset’s tent, he realized everyone who mattered was already there.

Princess Aria stood near the table, calm and focused. Orlando was beside her, arms folded. Alix was there as well, along with Kaila and Janon—both sixth-circle warriors. There was one more presence Cassian recognized immediately: Aria’s right-hand man, a fifth-circle warrior whose aura was steady and sharp.

Looking at the group, Cassian couldn’t help but compare it to the cult’s forces on this battlefield.

At the top, the balance was clear. Naset matched Bishop Kirk in power. Orlando stood as an equal to Kirk’s father. The others in the tent roughly corresponded to the cult’s squad leaders. At the highest levels, neither side held a clear advantage.

The cracks appeared lower down.

Their side had far fewer ordinary human warriors. The same shortage showed among lower-rank mages and circle warriors. That gap was being held together only by the sheer weight of their mid-tier strength—nearly three dozen fourth-circle warriors, and well over a hundred in the third circle.

Cassian was still turning those thoughts over, wondering why he’d been summoned, when the quiet in the tent stretched long enough that it felt deliberate. Conversations tapered off. A few pairs of eyes shifted toward him.

He cleared his throat and broke the silence."I was told to report here?"

"Yes," Naset replied, nodding once. His tone was even, but direct. "We need to know what happened to Soldier Robert, Team Leader Cassian. We’ve received word that you were the last person seen with him before his... unfortunate demise."

’Fuck.’Cassian swore inwardly. This was exactly what he’d been dreading.

Lying outright wasn’t an option—not here, not with someone like Naset watching him this closely. A circle warrior at this level would catch a falsehood instantly. Cassian felt the weight of every gaze in the tent as he opened his mouth.

His jaw tightened, anger flickering across his face—not feigned, not entirely."He was killed," Cassian said flatly. "It happened while I was fighting an infiltrated spy."

A ripple of shock went through the tent.

Aria frowned slightly and spoke first. "I thought you said you didn’t know their identities."

"I didn’t," Cassian replied evenly. "I ran into them by accident. They were trying to lure a few soldiers out and squeeze information from them. Before I could disengage, they noticed me. One of them escaped—and that’s what triggered the cult’s attack."

It wasn’t a lie. Not really.Robert had died while Cassian was fighting a spy. The fact that Robert himself was that spy was a detail Cassian kept buried.

Naset studied him for a long moment, then nodded once."That explains it," he said. "But it appears you were mistaken as well. Robert was also a cult spy. Once he’d served his purpose, he was eliminated—likely to erase evidence and keep us in the dark."

Cassian felt a sharp jolt run through him.

’They already knew?’

The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Robert had eaten with them, fought beside them, laughed with them—and none of them had suspected a thing. Yet these people had. Or at least, they’d been close enough to suspect.

That realization was... frightening.

It meant the net of surveillance was far tighter than he’d imagined. If they’d been watching Robert this closely, then how much did they know about everyone else?

About him?

His mind raced.’Do they know about the war armor too?’

That was the real concern. Most already knew he was a Ven Dyke, that he was close to Princess Katherine, even about his Killing Domain. None of that was truly secret anymore.

But the war armor?

Only two people besides him knew about that.

Cassian kept his expression steady, but inside, his guard went up another notch.

Seeing the shock on his face, Aria let out a quiet sigh and spoke more gently.

"I know you’re feeling betrayed—and you have every right to," she said. "But having infiltrated the cult yourself, you should also understand this: if word spreads that a trusted friend, a fellow comrade, was a traitor, it would hit the army’s morale hard. We can’t afford that right now."

She paused, then continued, more firmly."That’s why we expect you not to reveal this—at least until the battle is over. And the reason only you were told is simple: we still need you as a spy."

Cassian’s brow furrowed.

"We’re sending you—and your team—back to Magisteria," Aria said. "From your report, your cover is still intact. We don’t want you risking that by staying on the battlefield."

Her gaze sharpened slightly."Especially considering how you fight. You weren’t exactly hiding your identity out there."

"But I want to fight here," Cassian said flatly.

He didn’t care if his cover was blown anymore. Part of him wanted it to be—wanted the cult to recognize him, to feel what they’d made others feel. And it wasn’t as if he was the only one capable of infiltration; their side had more than enough people who could play that game.

For a moment, everyone in the tent stared at him.

Then Naset spoke.

"You already are fighting," he said calmly. "Just not here." He tapped the table once. "By your own report, the cult is working on something away from the battlefield. That matters more than trading bodies in the mud."

Naset’s gaze hardened."We want you to continue that line of work—and, if possible, help bring other operatives into the cult as well."

"I can do more here—" Cassian started.

He didn’t finish.

The air around him suddenly felt heavier, like gravity had multiplied several times over. His throat went dry, his body trembling as pressure bore down on him—not an attack, just authority made tangible.

Naset’s voice didn’t rise, but it left no room for argument."That’s an order. Gather your team and depart for Magisteria immediately."

A brief pause.

"Refusal—or failure to comply—will result in punishment."

The pressure eased just as suddenly as it had come, but the message lingered. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Cassian straightened, jaw tight. For a heartbeat, it looked like he might argue again—but then he exhaled through his nose and dipped his head.

"...Understood," he said. Not obedient. Just controlled.

Naset studied him for another moment, then nodded, apparently satisfied."You leave within the hour. Take only what you need. Fewer eyes on you is better." He paused, then added more quietly, "This isn’t exile. It’s trust. Don’t waste it."

Cassian inclined his head. "I won’t."

"Dismissed," Naset said.

Cassian turned and stepped out of the tent, the flap falling shut behind him. The noise of the camp rushed back in—orders being barked, armor clanking, the distant, rolling thunder of the frontline.

The cold night air bit at his face.

He was angry—being forced to leave always rubbed him the wrong way—but with a slow breath, he let it out. This was how it was always going to end. If not for Robert’s betrayal, he would’ve already been on his way to Magisteria. From there, he’d reunite with Brigid and the others heading toward the Magic Empire.

Cassian rolled his shoulders, feeling the familiar hum of his Domain settle beneath his skin.

Fighting here would’ve been easier. Cleaner. No lies. No pretending.

But wars weren’t won by what was easy.