Chapter 485: Putting On A Show

The next morning, the royal court of Velmora was packed to the brim. Ministers and officials filled their usual positions, but the atmosphere was noticeably different from the previous sessions. Damian had personally demanded the presence of nearly every important figure in the palace, including his girls, the Grand Chamberlain, and several nobles who normally had no reason to attend a routine morning court. None of them knew exactly why they had been summoned, and after the events of the previous night, none of them were foolish enough to question the order.

Hazel, Ruby, Racheal, Mary, Rah, Kor, Alice, William, and the others stood among the officials rather than near the throne. Seeing they had been instructed to take their places like everyone else, caused more than a few confused looks when they entered the hall.

The tension from the previous night had not completely disappeared either. They still remembered the messengers who had arrived at their residences demanding the fragments of the fox pendant. They remembered the fear in William’s voice when he explained Damian’s order and, more importantly, the consequences he had threatened if anyone refused.

What value did an ancient law have to someone who might not live long enough to see the next sunrise?

Bam!

The massive doors of the royal court burst open, and every conversation within the hall immediately died.

Damian strode into the room with Loth following closely beside him. He looked noticeably different from the prince who had walked through those doors countless times before. His usual royal attire had been replaced with black and crimson ceremonial robes that hung heavily around his body, their dark fabric making his pale complexion stand out even more.

His hair had been allowed to fall freely over his shoulders rather than being tied back, swaying lightly behind him as he walked. His lips and fingernails had been painted black, complementing the darkness of his attire, but it was his eyes that unsettled the people watching him the most.

They were pitch black.

There was no visible warmth in them, no trace of the exhaustion or frustration that had followed him through the previous day. Damian looked rested, but somehow colder. The officials instinctively lowered their gazes as he walked past them, while his wives remained silent. They could still remember the conversation in the carriage and the anger Damian had shown when they opposed his decision. None of them had forgotten the look in his eyes when he said that even Velmora itself could be replaced if the realm became an obstacle to his survival.

Damian climbed the steps toward the throne and took his seat without acknowledging anyone. Loth moved quietly to the side, while Damian rested one arm against the armrest and slowly glanced across the court.

His gaze passed over every noble house, every minister, every official, and finally his wives.

Several people flinched.

"LORD ASTAROTH HAS ARRIVED!!!!"

The thunderous announcement of the eunuchs outside immediately drew everyone’s attention toward the entrance. Several officials exchanged tense looks.

Seconds later, the doors were pushed open once again.

Astaroth entered the royal court with the same calm confidence he had displayed during their private meeting. The red and blue demons who had accompanied him the previous night followed behind him, their eyes carefully observing the room. The moment Astaroth stepped inside, however, he immediately noticed the oppressive atmosphere.

Something had changed.

The people standing beneath the throne looked tense, but it was not the ordinary tension of a court awaiting an important political decision.

Astaroth’s eyes briefly narrowed as they landed on Damian.

"So he has already started making preparations," he thought.

The elder demon slowly approached the throne before cupping his fists and bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to finally meet you."

Damian gave him a dry nod, his expression not changing in the slightest. "Why are you here?"

The bluntness of the question caused several officials to glance nervously between the two men, but Astaroth simply smiled.

"On behalf of the Council of Elders, I have come to formally request that you release Duke Darbin. Such an esteemed figure should not be put to death over a crime as small as negligence."

The court fell silent and Damian’s gaze remained fixed on him.

"Who rules Velmora, the council or me?"

Buzz!

The question struck the room like an invisible shockwave.

The two demons behind Astaroth frowned, while several ministers instinctively held their breaths. Even those who supported Damian could feel the danger behind the question. If Astaroth answered incorrectly, the confrontation could turn violent immediately.

Astaroth’s smile did not disappear.

"You do, of course, Your Majesty."

"Then relay my message to the council," Damian said coldly. "The execution will carry on as planned in six days. But as a sign of good faith, I will return his headless corpse to the council so you can give him a burial worthy of his title, because he will get none here in Velmora."

The venom in Damian’s voice caused several people in the court to shudder.

The red and blue demons immediately looked toward Astaroth, their expressions darkening. Even Damian’s ministers were shocked by the brutality of the statement. It was one thing to refuse the council’s request. It was another thing entirely to promise the council the severed headless corpse of one of its most important dukes.

But Astaroth only smiled.

Slowly, his eyes became colder as crimson energy began leaking from his body. The pressure of a powerful dragon immediately filled the room, causing the weaker officials to stumble backward.

Damian’s response was immediate. Dark purple energy slowly rose from his body.

At first, the two auras remained separate, pressing against each other from opposite sides of the hall. Then they collided and the entire royal court trembled violently.

A deep draconic roar seemed to echo from Astaroth’s crimson aura, while the eerie howl of a fox answered from Damian’s darkness. The sound was not physical, yet everyone within the court felt it inside their bones. Outside the palace, citizens stopped what they were doing and turned toward the royal court as the pressure rolled through the capital.

Several windows cracked as the floor beneath the ministers’ feet trembled. Some of the weaker officials were forced to support themselves against nearby pillars.

Astaroth stared directly at Damian, his crimson presence continuing to clash against the purple darkness surrounding the throne. "I hope Your Majesty does not regret this decision."

Damian leaned forward slightly, a mocking grin spreading across his lips as his black eyes remained fixed on the elder demon.

"Regret is for the weak, and as you can see, I am far from that."

Astaroth grinned viciously.

"Very well."

The pressure around his body disappeared almost instantly, and Damian’s aura withdrew as well. The court collectively released the breath it had been holding, although no one dared speak.

Astaroth turned around dramatically and began walking toward the exit. The two demons immediately followed behind him, though both glanced over their shoulders one last time.

The moment Astaroth stepped outside, the doors behind him closed heavily. He descended the long staircase leading away from the royal court with his hands folded behind his back, his expression thoughtful. The red rhino beast pulling their carriage remained lying nearby, its enormous wings folded against its body as it watched the three demons approach.

Astaroth stopped halfway down the staircase. His two subordinates immediately stopped behind him.

The elder demon turned his head slightly and looked over his shoulder toward the royal court.

"He’s already making a move," he muttered, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "He’s decisive. I’ll give him that."

"My lord, we cannot let this slide," the red demon said with frustration. "No one should be allowed to speak to the Council of Elders like that, especially not its leader."

Astaroth waved him off and continued descending the stairs. "Do you know what determines the victor of a battle?"

The two demons exchanged confused looks. They quickly bowed.

"Enlighten us, my lord."

Astaroth chuckled softly and raised his hand, holding up two fingers. "The first is not strength or skill. It is the willingness to win."

His expression slowly became more serious.

"Whoever has the mental resolve to do whatever it takes to win will almost always overcome the person who keeps searching for reasons not to cross a line."

He lowered one finger.

"Strength and skill come after that."

The two demons stared at each other, still struggling to understand why their lord had suddenly decided to give them a lesson about war after being openly insulted inside another prince’s royal court.

Astaroth reached the carriage and stopped in front of the door. Before entering, he looked back toward the massive royal court one final time and a small smile slowly spread across the elder demon’s face.

"Find the best guesthouse in the city and rent it for three months. We will be staying here for a while."

The two demons looked at him in surprise.

"My lord?"

Astaroth’s eyes flashed with interest as he opened the carriage door.

"I’m eager to see how far this prince is willing to go for victory."

The two demons immediately cupped their fists.

"Yes, my lord!"

Astaroth entered the carriage, but the smile remained on his face. He leaned back inside the carriage as the doors closed behind him.

Whether Damian would rise and become the first True Demon Lord in thirty thousand years or destroy himself trying to achieve it no longer mattered.

The show had already begun and Astaroth had no intention of leaving before he saw how it ended.