The Ultimate Commander Cassian

Chapter 2: Grand Ceremony

Three days later, the news of the peace agreement spread across the nation, capturing the attention of other countries. Walteria's war against Narman Empire attracted the attention of other countries due to its large scale.

Many were skeptical that Walteria could maintain peace in the nation.

The people of Walteria were pleased when they heard the war was over. They no longer had to worry about the Narman that often hurt innocent people.

A group of construction workers were taking a break while talking about the news started by the foreman.

"The war is over! We beat the Narman!"

The others responded enthusiastically.

"The Great Commander is really great! He can create peace that was thought to be impossible."

"But isn't it strange that the Great Commander doesn't appear much in the news?"

"I think I'm the only one who noticed. The news only mentions him successfully handling the war, but there's no explanation of his next move."

Everyone wondered where Cassian went after the war was over. The state had protected his identity to avoid enemy attacks since he had great power.

Only certain people had ever met him. People called him the Great Commander or the God of War since his real name was unknown.

The President planned a grand ceremony to honor the soldiers who bravely fought on the battlefield. But strangely, the Great Commander was not listed to attend the event.

While people wondered, Cassian returned to Lumithorn, his hometown, with only one pack and a blind stick. He made a call with excitement, but a cold female voice greeted him from the other side of the line.

"Who is this?"

Cassian smiled. "It's me, Cassian. The war is over, and I've returned to Lumithorn."

Perhaps surprised, the woman was silent for a moment before responding in an even colder tone.

"Yes, I have heard the news. I will send you an address. Let's meet here!"

The call was disconnected without warning, and a message with the cafe's location appeared on Cassian's phone screen. He did not have a good feeling about this.

It was Aveline Everhart, his wife. They were married three years ago on the wishes of Sawyer, Aveline's grandfather, who was terminally ill.

Sawyer was a general and Cassian's trainer. Knowing his life was short, he asked Cassian to marry Aveline. He believes his granddaughter will be safe with him.

But one day after the wedding, the Constitutional Emergency occurred, and Cassian convocated into the army, leaving Aveline alone. They never communicated during the war due to the impossible situation.

"Well, it's natural for Aveline to feel strange since we don't know each other well yet. This is the perfect time for us to get closer!"

Cassian remained optimistic. As Great Commander, his position in the military was the highest. He held absolute power, and with his influence, he asked people to help Aveline's business.

Now, his wife was a well-known businesswoman in Lumithorn. He could not wait to listen to her passionately talk about her business.

Arriving at the cafe, he still wore a pair of sunglasses and waited patiently. Soon, he heard two people walking towards him.

The once quiet café now buzzed with whispers as people secretly admired the beauty of the woman walking towards Cassian's table.

"Are you Cassian Valor?"

It was Aveline's voice. Cassian offered his best smile. "Hello, Aveline—"

"Why are you wearing sunglasses like that on this cloudy day?" The woman accompanying Aveline interrupted Cassian with a snort of annoyance. She was Isabella, Aveline's secretary. "That's too much!"

Cassian fell silent. The call abruptly ended, leaving him no opportunity to clarify the situation.

Aveline sat with regal poise, her brown hair flowing over her shoulders. Her sky-blue eyes gleamed with a confident gaze.

Her perfect posture and charm made her the most beautiful woman in the cafe. She examined her husband's appearance from top to bottom.

"Take off your glasses. They're distracting me," Aveline asked irritably, thinking Cassian was rude for not making eye contact with her.

Calmly, Cassian replied, "I lost my sight in the war."

Aveline was stunned, a feeling of guilt attacking her. She had no idea such a thing had happened to Cassian, as they had not kept in touch with each other during the war.

Just as she was about to speak again, Isabella interrupted her.

"I heard you were called to the army because of the emergency constitution. But you returned blind and without any rewards. Is it true that you went blind because of the war? I'm not sure."

Cassian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Mr. President will hold a ceremony to honor war heroes in the capital. But seeing you're here, you must not have contributed to the victory. How could you lie about being blinded by the war!"

Aveline initially thought Cassian was really blind from the war. But after hearing Isabella's words, her opinion of her husband changed.

All soldiers must attend the ceremony to honor their service. If Cassian did not get an invitation, it meant he did nothing during the war.

It was rumored that many soldiers escaped because they were afraid to face the war. They were not invited to the grand ceremony because there was nothing the country could give them.

Isabella grinned as she adjusted her glasses. She spoke again because Cassian did not respond.

"It's possible his blindness was caused by something else, but he used the war as an excuse to avoid shame!"

Aveline nodded, agreeing with her secretary. She expected Cassian to come to his defense and say that it was not true.

But seeing her husband's silence, Isabella's words made sense. Cassian should have been angry and offended if he contributed to the war. Instead, he looked as calm as if nothing bothered him.

"Did you really not get an invitation to the ceremony?" Aveline asked for confirmation.

Cassian nodded. What happened between him and Ronin was a secret. The President had asked him to live a quiet life without getting involved with the military again.

That was why he did not accept the invitation to the ceremony. Once he lost his eyesight, he was no longer the God of War that everyone respected.

"I told you he's just a loser pretending to be a war hero!" Isabella mocked with satisfaction.

Cassian frowned, not understanding why someone else was in his meeting with Aveline. Although Isabella had been rude from the start, he tolerated it out of consideration for his wife.

But the longer Isabella went on, the more outrageous it became as he remained silent. He questioned Aveline, "Why did you want to see me at this cafe? We can talk at my house."

Aveline appeared hesitant to explain to Cassian, but Isabella quickly threw a stack of papers onto the table.

"Get on with it. Aveline wants to divorce you!"