Chapter 431: Duke Dabin’s Defense
The next morning...
Aurelios, Golden Palace.
Sol’s laughter erupted across his royal court, rolling beneath the towering golden arches and echoing through the enormous chamber. Several humans stood in a line before the throne, dressed in elaborate ceremonial robes with calm smiles resting comfortably on their faces.
Their posture was respectful, but there was none of the instinctive fear that demons displayed whenever they stood before Sol. Their shoulders were relaxed, their expressions composed, and some even exchanged amused glances as the conversation continued.
Only around Sol did they feel completely safe.
"They tried to assassinate him on his first day awake? That’s what you get for playing demon ally."
Sol laughed again, his voice booming through the court, and several ministers immediately joined him. Their laughter came naturally, encouraged by the amusement on their ruler’s face. Only Leo, who was lying lazily beside the throne, seemed completely uninterested in the spectacle. He barely lifted his head before yawning and stretching his body against the polished floor.
"If you hate his relationship with demons so much, why haven’t you spoken about it to him?" Leo asked lazily.
He rested his head against one arm and glanced toward Sol without the slightest concern for the stunned expressions appearing around the court. .
"I mean, you even let him call your name in vain to defend the Blood Demons. It’s kind of giving mixed signals."
The laughter immediately died.
Sol’s ministers stared at Leo, then slowly turned toward their ruler. The same question had crossed their minds before, though none had been foolish enough to ask it aloud.
Why had Sol not demanded that Damian choose between humanity and the demons?
Why had he tolerated Damian openly speaking in defense of demonkind?
More importantly, why had Sol simply allowed Damian to invoke his name in defense of the Blood Demons without immediately retaliating?
Everyone within Aurelios understood the ultimate objective. The inhabitants of the Golden Realm did not merely want to defeat the other Princes. They wanted to conquer the realms of the Underworld and eventually wipe out every demonic life form.
So why was Sol allowing Damian to present himself as an ally of the demons?
Sol’s smile widened when he saw the realization spreading across their faces.
"If he were like me, everyone would immediately raise their guards against him. Then we’d be looking at a two versus five situation."
Sol leaned comfortably against his throne, his expression becoming increasingly amused.
"But if he shows strong allegiance to demons, some of them may even choose his side when we begin destroying their realms. They’ll cling to the hope that he will eventually be the one to stand against me."
The ministers’ eyes widened.
Of course.
The demons had been desperate for a savior for generations. They had constantly searched for some figure powerful enough to oppose Sol, and Damian had been turned into that figure almost effortlessly. His reputation, and his willingness to protect demons had made him an obvious candidate for the role.
Why destroy that illusion when it could be useful?
Sol was not merely allowing Damian to become the demons’ supposed Messiah.
He was feeding the delusion.
"And what if he actually stands against you?" Leo asked.
The question came so casually that several ministers glanced at him in disbelief.
Sol’s expression did not change.
"He dies too, of course."
The amusement disappeared from his voice completely.
"The actualization of making this universe a human exclusive universe is a goal more important than the life of any individual."
Sol’s gaze swept across his court, his eyes carrying an absolute conviction that left no room for negotiation.
"Nothing has changed. Nothing will change."
Silence followed his declaration.
There was no hesitation in his voice. To Sol, Damian was not an exception. He was merely another piece on the board.
Meanwhile, within the Violet Palace, the morning court session had already begun.
"HIS MAJESTY HAS ARRIVED!"
The enormous doors swung open, and Damian marched into the Grand Courtroom with Chamberlain William following closely behind. The ministers immediately lowered themselves in greeting, but Damian did not acknowledge them. His expression remained cold as he crossed the vast chamber, his footsteps echoing against the polished floor.
The attendants stationed throughout the royal palace remained deliberately separated from the political structure of the realm. They were servants of the Crown, but they were not ministers, governors or political officials. That distinction existed for a reason.
Court attendants and eunuchs had been created as a separate institution precisely because those closest to the Crown could easily become too invested in the ruler’s personal interests and lose sight of their loyalty to Velmora as a whole.
The arrangement was almost ironic.
The institution surrounding the Crown had been deliberately designed to limit the Crown itself.
The ministers lowered their heads.
"May Your Majesty reign for ten thousand years!"
Damian ignored the greeting completely.
He climbed the elevated platform and settled into his massive throne, his body sinking comfortably into the cushion surrounded by the raised tails of the nine tailed fox.
William stepped forward without being instructed and opened the cigar box he had brought with him.
Damian pulled one free.
A flicker of purple flame appeared at the tip of his finger, instantly igniting the cigar. He placed it between his lips and took a deep drag, filling his lungs before slowly throwing his head backward and releasing a thick plume of purple smoke into the air.
The ministers remained kneeling and Damian stared through the smoke.
"It’s not even been a day since I recovered, and my own ministers are already plotting my demise." He lowered his head, his violet eyes slowly moving across the court. "The thought alone is really driving me crazy."
Several ministers lowered their heads even further.
Damian’s gaze eventually settled upon Grand Chancellor Darbin, who remained kneeling with his head lowered and his hands cupped respectfully before him.
"Grand Chancellor." Damian’s voice became colder. "Do you care to explain why a member of your clan was sent to take my life?"
The atmosphere changed instantly and faces twisted throughout the royal court.
Some ministers looked genuinely horrified. Others struggled to conceal their excitement. A few seemed almost disappointed that Damian had survived the attempt at all. The expressions were so varied that Damian could practically read the political divisions of the entire court from their faces.
Talk about a toxic work environment.
Strangely, Grand Chancellor Darbin himself appeared completely unmoved by the accusation. He calmly cupped his fists and bowed lower.
"Your Majesty, I have been set up. Please investigate and uncover the truth before making a decision."
Damian’s eyes narrowed. Before he could respond, Lady Lilith abruptly rose from among the ministers, her frail body shaking with fury.
"Bastard! You send an assassin to end His Majesty after he makes his intentions of sending your troops out of the capital, and this is all you have to say?!"
Her accusation immediately ignited the court. Malakor and Sargathis jumped to their feet and cupped their fists toward Damian.
"Sire, give the word and we will have this treasonous swine banished from Velmora!" Malakor demanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. They are too dangerous to remain close to the throne. All of the Damika Clan and their forty four legions, alongside their faction allies, must be banished if Your Majesty’s safety is to be secured!" Sargathis declared.
Amon stepped forward before the accusations could escalate further. He cupped his fists and lowered his head slightly toward Damian.
"Your Majesty, think about it for a moment. Why would Duke Darbin make such a bold attempt at your life immediately after our altercation in court? Why would he go as far as to kill the old man who fed you?" Amon’s voice remained firm as he addressed the throne. "Clearly, someone has orchestrated these events to drive a wedge between us and lead to our expulsion."
Damian’s eyes widened slightly.
For a brief moment, silence fell across the courtroom.
The possibility had already occurred to him, but hearing Amon articulate it forced him to consider the situation from another angle. The assassination had happened immediately after the confrontation over the military. Then the old man who had helped him had been murdered and somehow the assassin was actually a member of Duke Darbin’s clan.
It was almost too convenient. He doubted the Duke would really be that stupid and careless.
Before Damian could speak, an official standing behind Lilith abruptly broke the silence.
"Bastard! Even now you are not repentant!"
"Give the order! We will drag them outside and murder them for their crimes!"
"You dare speak to the Minister of War like that?!" another official thundered.
The courtroom exploded.
Curses and threats collided across the enormous chamber as officials from opposing factions shouted over one another. Some demanded the immediate execution of the Damika Clan. Others insisted the accusations were nothing more than an elaborate scheme designed to destroy their faction.
Ministers began pointing fingers, voices rose into furious arguments and several lower ranked officials desperately tried to remain silent while the political battle erupted around them.
Damian simply watched. His cigar remained between his fingers as purple smoke slowly curled around his face.
Despite the chaos, he could not deny that Duke Darbin and Amon’s argument made sense.
If Darbin truly wanted him dead, why would he send an assassin from his own clan immediately after publicly clashing with Damian over the very issue that could cost him his military power? It was almost as though someone had deliberately arranged the circumstances so that Damian would have no choice but to suspect them.
And that was the part that bothered Damian most.
He had already learned that the Crown did not possess absolute control over Velmora. Every major faction had its own interests, armies and methods of exerting influence. If someone could manipulate events around him and successfully guide his decisions by controlling what information reached him, then his enemies did not need to defeat him directly.
They only needed to make him destroy his own government.
Damian’s expression gradually hardened.
Perhaps the assassin really had been sent by Darbin or Perhaps the Chancellor was lying.
But if neither possibility could be proven yet, acting blindly would be exactly what whoever orchestrated all of this wanted.
Damian slowly took another drag from his cigar and stared down at the ministers fighting beneath him. He had spent his first day trying to take control of Velmora.
Now he was beginning to understand that the more terrifying problem was figuring out who was actually controlling the information reaching him.
And if someone was already manipulating events to influence his decisions, then the assassination attempt might not have been an attempt to kill him at all.
It might have been an attempt to make him pull the trigger himself.