Chapter 432: Royal Police
Damian took another deep drag from the cigar before slowly lowering his hand. The purple smoke rolled from his lips as he held it for a moment, allowing the silence of the courtroom to settle around him. William immediately stepped forward and raised a small silver ashtray beneath his hand. Damian tapped the cigar against its edge, letting the ashes fall neatly into it before handing the cigar back toward his lips. Then, without saying a word, he raised one hand.
The effect was immediate.
The arguing ministers fell silent one after another until the enormous courtroom became completely still. Every gaze turned toward the throne. Some ministers leaned forward slightly, eager to hear Damian’s judgment, while others remained tense, their minds already racing through the possible consequences of whatever decision the young Prince was about to make.
Amon and Duke Dabin were perhaps the most attentive of them all.
They had both been almost certain Damian would seize this opportunity to cripple their faction. After the previous day’s confrontation over the legions, followed by an assassin from the Damika Clan appearing inside the Violet Palace, the circumstances could not have been more favorable for the Prince. If Damian wanted to remove them, this was the perfect excuse.
Damian slowly looked across the court before speaking.
"Ally or foe, wealthy or poor, strong or weak... everybody deserves a fair trial."
The words were delivered calmly. Yet they struck the court harder than a proclamation of execution could have.
Several ministers stared at him in disbelief. Amon’s eyebrows rose slightly, while Dabin’s expression remained frozen for a moment before his eyes narrowed with interest. Neither man had expected this. Damian had every political reason to condemn them, yet he had deliberately chosen to restrain himself.
Lady Lilith was the first to recover.
She stepped forward, her expression filled with urgency as she cupped her fists. "Your Majesty must not allow your enemies to perceive hesitation or weakness. The people are waiting to hear your judgment. We must not delay!"
Minister Malakor immediately approached with a firm nod. "I agree, Your Majesty. We already know the culprit is from the Grand Chancellor’s clan. What other evidence do you need?"
Damian stared at the two ministers for several seconds before resting his chin against his palm. Then a vicious smile slowly spread across his face.
"So if a treasonous crime is ever carried out by a member of your clans, I’m justified in having you all executed immediately without trial or investigation?"
The question landed heavily and Lilith froze.
Malakor’s mouth remained slightly open, while Sargathis, who had been standing beside him, suddenly became very still. The three ministers exchanged brief glances as they realized the trap Damian had laid before them.
Everyone in the Royal Court had ears.
Every word spoken within these walls could eventually be repeated, twisted and used as political ammunition. If they agreed that belonging to the clan of a suspected criminal was sufficient reason for immediate execution, then the same principle could be used against them one day. Even if Damian never touched them with it, another ambitious minister might.
"Sire..." Malakor’s voice had suddenly become much more cautious.
"It’s a yes or no question." Damian interrupted him.
The three ministers exchanged another nervous glance before slowly turning back toward the throne. The confidence they had displayed only moments ago was gone. One by one, they reluctantly shook their heads.
"No, Sire."
The words came without their earlier conviction.
Amon and Duke Dabin exchanged a brief glance of their own. Neither could hide their surprise. They had expected Damian to defend himself politically, but this went beyond that. Considering how their relationship had begun, neither had expected him to offer them even this much protection.
Damian leaned back slightly.
"There will be an investigation," he declared. "But this investigation will not be handled by the Ministry of Intelligence. It has become clear that its head has political interests that could influence the outcome."
The atmosphere changed once again and several heads snapped upward.
Hazel’s mother had been standing among the officials of the Ministry of Intelligence, and for the first time since the court began, her composure visibly shifted. The accusation had been delivered without Damian even naming her directly, yet everyone knew exactly who he was referring to.
The ministers were still processing the fact that Damian had refused to exploit an assassination attempt against his enemies when they realized what he was doing next.
He was going after his own in laws.
Damian continued before anyone could interrupt.
"For this purpose, a temporary institution called the Royal Police will be established. Kon of the Kosak Clan will head it, and its members will be personally handpicked by me. That way, the investigation process will not be influenced by personal bias or existing political loyalties." Damian’s gaze swept across the courtroom. "What do you say?"
Thud!
Lilith stepped forward, her expression completely dazed.
"You can’t, Your Majesty!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Damian’s expression changed.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes flashing with a threatening violet light.
"I can’t?"
The elderly woman flinched.
Only then did Lilith seem to remember exactly who she was speaking to.
The stories surrounding Damian had always been difficult to separate from exaggeration. But now they were no longer hearing stories about what he had done in some distant realm.
The servants and guards who witnessed the final moments had described the assassin as terrified, claiming that by the end he looked more like a victim than an executioner.
And that was perhaps the most frightening part.
The assassin had belonged to the Damika Clan. He had been a powerful being capable of infiltrating the Imperial Palace itself. Yet Damian had made him scream.
This was the Prince who had returned from another realm carrying a reputation that could make even members of the Damika Clan tremble.
"You can..." Lilith finally muttered, her voice noticeably smaller as she lowered her head.
Damian’s expression relaxed.
Grand Chancellor Darbin and Amon stepped forward together, cupping their fists before bowing deeply.
"We are pleased to hear Your Majesty has arrived at such a wise decision," Amon said.
"Rest assured, my clan will cooperate fully with the Royal Police to uncover the truth behind this incident," Duke Dabin added.
Damian nodded in satisfaction, a small smile forming on his lips.
This was precisely what he wanted.
He had been searching for an opportunity to bring the Kosak Clan directly into the Royal Court, and now the assassination had handed him one. Kon would be given authority, but more importantly, Damian would have an institution whose loyalty began with the throne rather than with one of the established factions.
The more supporters he brought into the court, the more room he had to maneuver. The more institutions answered directly to him, the less dependent he became on the old powers that had governed Velmora in his absence.
Meanwhile, Lilith, Malakor and Sargathis remained frozen in place, their minds racing.
They remembered exactly what Darbin and Amon had said during the previous court meeting. Damian had not acknowledged the existence of his in laws. He had instead singled out the Shaki and Talus families, rewarding those who had openly shown their willingness to support him.
At the time, they had believed it was simply an oversight. Now they were beginning to understand.
This child really did intend to turn his blade against his own in laws.