Chapter 434: A Chat With Lin Qui
Damian’s eyes slowly opened, and the familiar sight of the flower garden greeted him once again. It had been a while since he had last come here, although he could hardly blame himself for it. Ever since awakening in the Underworld, his days had been consumed by one responsibility after another, and even his nights were rarely his own.
There was always something to learn, someone to meet, some political problem waiting to be solved, or some new threat demanding his attention. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, however, there was nothing immediately demanding his attention.
He lifted his gaze toward the sky and found a single full moon hanging above the garden. Damian stared at it for several seconds, allowing the soft moonlight to settle over him. Something about it reminded him of Earth. It was a simple sight, almost meaningless compared to everything he had seen since arriving in the Underworld, yet it gave him a strange sense of peace.
He took a slow breath and looked around the familiar garden before finally turning toward the man seated upon a large piece of rock nearby.
"You really left me with a lot of trash to clean up." Damian said.
Lin Qui could only smile bitterly. He had clearly expected that complaint sooner or later.
"Unfortunately, there is no escaping it. You are basically ruling people who believe you shouldn’t be ruling and can steal your mandate simply by killing you and taking your inheritance. Worse, they would probably have the majority of the realm’s support if someone bold and capable actually stepped forward to make the move."
Damian’s expression darkened immediately. "And you can’t kill them because they are irreplaceable, but they can kill you."
Lin Qui nodded with a resigned smile. "Unfortunately, that’s the situation. The Underworld can only be ruled through strength and support. To thrive here, you either need to know how to make deals, or you need to be strong enough to make everyone kneel before you. Ideally, you should have both."
Damian sighed and spread his hands helplessly. The more he learned about Velmora, the more ridiculous its political structure seemed. On Earth, at least, there were supposed to be institutions designed to prevent the ruler from simply being murdered by whichever faction happened to become stronger. Here, it seemed the entire system was built around the assumption that everyone was constantly looking for an opportunity to kill everyone else.
"My wife’s parents. I’m thinking of getting them killed." Damian said directly.
Lin Qui stared at him for a moment before chuckling and slowly nodding. He could understand the sentiment, even if the casual way Damian had announced it made it sound like he was discussing removing an unpleasant piece of furniture.
"Is there a reason why you would take such an extreme route?" Lin Qui asked.
"Their family members have ambition. They definitely won’t let their demotion go lying down. Rather than wait for another coup and give them the opportunity to strike first, I’ll just kill all of them and their supporters." Damian shrugged indifferently, as though the solution were obvious. "It would be better if they fall into a situation where I can execute them for treason. If not, I’ll have to deal with them in a more subtle way."
"True." Lin Qui couldn’t deny the logic.
If Damian could actually pull it off, it would probably be better for the realm in the long run. But that was easier said than done. These were not ordinary nobles who could simply be removed from their positions and forgotten. They were clan patriarchs and matriarchs who had existed for centuries, with generations of influence built behind them.
Still, Lin Qui knew Damian well enough to understand that once the young fox decided someone had become a genuine threat, simply telling him to ignore the danger would accomplish nothing.
"But I’m curious. What will happen if I can’t regain control of my court in three months?" Damian asked.
The question had been bothering him for a while. Everyone seemed to treat those three months as though they were the most important deadline in his life, yet no one had properly explained what would actually happen if he failed to meet it.
Lin Qui’s expression turned amused. "If you don’t regain control of your court, you will never be coronated, obviously."
Damian abruptly sat upright and stared at him in stunned disbelief.
"Wait, what?"
"Of course." Lin Qui chuckled. "The Fox Seal that grants access to the main mechanisms of Velmora is currently in the hands of the nobles as a whole. As long as they possess it, they possess the primary authority of the realm. They can continuously delay your coronation and retain that authority for themselves."
Damian’s expression slowly changed.
"Wait. What the hell is this mechanism you’re talking about?"
Lin Qui calmly looked at him, seemingly surprised that Damian had not already figured it out.
"I’m talking about the vault connected to your seat of power. From there, you can gain access to all the realms and planets that I and your predecessors conquered. You can access the systems established there and, most importantly, gain the power of faith generated by those worlds. Since the authority is currently in their hands, they are the ones benefiting from it."
Buzz!
Damian shot to his feet. For several seconds, he simply stared at Lin Qui.
Only now did he remember.
He had not heard a single prayer since arriving in the Underworld.
At first, Damian had naturally assumed it was because he had lost. His people had been imprisoned. It made sense that the connection had been severed.
But what about the other worlds?
What about all the planets Lin Qui had conquered before his death? What about the civilizations that were supposed to recognize the Fox Throne and worship the bloodline that ruled over them?
Why had he not received even a single prayer?
Why had he not felt the slightest trace of faith?
Damian’s face slowly hardened as the implications finally settled into his mind.
"Yes." Lin Qui nodded, confirming the realization. "The seat of power is where you establish a direct link to all of that and much more."
Damian stared at him for several seconds.
"Alright. I’m killing all of them." Damian decided in a heartbeat.
This time, there was something far more important involved.
His entire realm was essentially being held hostage by a group of nobles who had somehow managed to seize the keys to the throne itself.
Lin Qui sighed.
"Don’t make hasty mistakes, young fox. You are on the right track. Stick to your original plan."
Damian’s expression twisted with frustration. He wanted to argue, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized Lin Qui was right. Charging into the court and slaughtering everyone who stood in his way might feel satisfying, but it would create far more problems than it solved.
With a defeated sigh, Damian slowly nodded.
"Fine."
The garden fell quiet again.
For a moment, Damian simply stood beneath the moonlight, staring into the distance as he contemplated just how much work remained ahead of him. He had spent only a short time in Velmora, yet every answer seemed to reveal another problem hiding underneath it.
Then, suddenly, another voice began to resonate through the garden.
"Babe, wake up. We are here."
Damian’s eyes opened.