Chapter 511: Punishing Entitled Clans

The entire court fell silent at those words, and dozens of disturbed expressions appeared across the faces of the assembled officials. The smile that never seemed to leave Damian’s face made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.

Some of them would have preferred to see him lose his temper. At least then they could tell themselves that his anger was temporary and directed only at the Kitsune official who had spoken out of turn. But Damian was not angry. He was smiling, and everyone who had spent enough time around him had learned that his calmest expressions were often the ones that preceded the worst consequences.

"Are you saying that a position in my court exclusively belongs to one clan?" Damian chuckled lightly.

The Kitsune official’s face tightened, but he still cupped his fists and bowed respectfully, apparently believing that the traditions established during Lin Qui’s reign gave him enough authority to defend his claim. "Yes, your highness!" he answered.

Several officials immediately lowered their gazes. A few exchanged brief glances before quickly looking away. Nobody wanted to be associated with the statement now that Damian had questioned it directly.

The smile on Damian’s face widened further as he leaned slightly forward on his throne and regarded the official with genuine curiosity. "On what merit?"

The official’s expression froze. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He searched desperately for an answer, perhaps hoping to invoke tradition, bloodline, seniority or the authority of Lin Qui, but none of those things actually answered Damian’s question.

Merit required achievement, loyalty and service. His clan possessed status, but status was precisely what Damian was questioning.

"Are you trying to tell me that the Kitsune clan that took part in the coup that nearly took Lin Qui’s life, even after he had bestowed ministerial and official positions across your clan, is deserving of a permanent position in my court?" Damian asked, his voice gradually losing its jovial quality.

The warmth disappeared from his tone, leaving something colder underneath it.

The official immediately lowered his head, suddenly aware that every word he spoke could make his situation worse. Damian continued before he could even attempt a defense.

"Are you saying that the same Kitsune clan, whose clan member have once again chosen to join hands with another Prince to launch another coup attempt, but this time targeted at me, is deserving of a permanent position in my court?" Damian hissed, his violet eyes narrowing as faint crimson light began to pulse beneath his eyelids.

Buzz!

The entire courtroom seemed to shudder beneath the pressure radiating from him. Nobody needed an explanation for what was coming next.

Damian rose from his throne and descended the staircase with measured steps, his smile still present but now carrying an unmistakably sinister quality. The Kitsune official remained bowed, trembling as Damian approached. When Damian reached him, he seized the man’s hair and pulled his head upward until their eyes met.

"Are you telling me the same family that was greedy enough to slaughter Lin Qui’s most trusted allies to take their positions after he died is deserving of a permanent place in my royal court?" Damian asked.

Cracks began spreading across the skin around his eyelids, thin black fissures crawling outward as faint crimson light seeped through them. Abyssal flames erupted from his free hand, twisting silently around his fingers without touching the floor or anything nearby.

The official’s entire body began trembling. He stared into Damian’s violet eyes for several seconds before slowly shaking his head.

"Sire, don’t judge the loyal few by the disloyal actions of others," he mumbled, desperately attempting to separate himself from the crimes committed by members of his clan.

A cold grin spread across Damian’s face. "And what exactly have you done that makes you worthy to adopt the term loyal in my presence?" Damian hissed viciously.

The official’s lips parted again, but nothing came out. His mind raced through years of service, trying to find even one accomplishment that could justify his position, yet every answer he considered sounded pathetic compared to the sacrifices Lin Qui had made and the threats Damian had faced.

He looked toward the other Kitsune officials, then toward the Nagen and Succubus clan representatives, silently hoping that one of them would intervene on his behalf. Instead, every one of them lowered their heads.

They understood the situation better than anyone. Their families were in the same boat.

None of them had accomplished anything exceptional enough to justify the privileges they had accumulated within the royal court.

Their positions had been inherited through family connections and preserved through their status as Lin Qui’s in laws. Under the old system, that had been enough. Under Damian’s rule, it was becoming a liability. Other clans had watched these families accumulate influence for over a thousand, and many of those clans had been forced to endure their arrogance, political manipulation and abuse of authority simply because they were connected to the royal family. Now, for the first time, someone sitting on the throne was openly questioning why they deserved any of it.

Damian’s fingers tightened in the official’s hair before he suddenly threw him aside. "You people have mistaken generosity for weakness for far too long."

Swoosh!

The Kitsune official was hurled across the courtroom, his body spinning uncontrollably before he struck the ground near the massive entrance doors. He rolled several times across the polished floor before finally coming to a stop.

Several guards instinctively shifted their weight as though preparing to assist him, but none dared move without permission. The official groaned and attempted to push himself upright, only to realize that every eye in the court had turned toward Damian.

Damian’s gaze shifted toward Loyd, who immediately straightened.

"Your first duty will be to investigate all the crimes of the Kitsune, Nagen and Succubus clans from the time of Lin Qui. Every atrocity they have committed will be answered for, and all the families who fell victim to their greed will be compensated heftily from their clan fortunes!"

The reaction was immediate. The officials belonging to the three clans visibly paled, while several representatives from other families struggled to conceal their excitement. Some had personally lost relatives, businesses, positions or influence because of these powerful clans during Lin Qui’s reign.

Others had spent years swallowing their resentment because challenging the royal in laws had been politically suicidal. Now Damian had effectively given them permission to bring those grievances before the Ministry of Justice.

Loyd stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Yes, your majesty!" he declared without hesitation.

Damian then shifted his gaze toward Talos, the Minister of War. Talos had been watching silently from his position, and the faint satisfaction on his face became more apparent when Damian addressed him.

"Due to their past history of treachery and their continuous show of disloyalty and disgusting entitlement, I have decided to ban all members of these clans without official positions from the capital, especially in these worrying times when I am besieged by several enemies. I cannot trust these people not to take sides with my enemies for personal gain, so I cannot allow them to share the same capital as myself."

Talos immediately bowed. "Understood, sire. I’ll carry out your wishes as you have commanded!" he declared, his voice firm and his expression noticeably satisfied.

The officials of the three clans finally broke. One after another, they dropped to their knees, some with tears beginning to form in their eyes as they realized that their comfortable existence inside the capital was coming to an end.

"Show mercy, sire!" they pleaded, their voices overlapping as they bowed repeatedly toward Damian.

Damian did not respond. He simply turned away from them and walked back toward his throne, his expression returning to its usual calm smile. He ascended the steps and settled himself properly against the throne before looking down at the kneeling officials with nothing but disdain. He had no desire to slaughter them merely because they had inherited the sins of their families, but neither did he intend to allow their bloodlines to remain protected by privileges they had done nothing to earn.

"From henceforth, every position your clan will attain in this court will be attained through merit. If you want more, you will have to work for it. Lin Qui’s generosity only fostered a dangerous entitlement in your hearts. I will kill that entitlement. Now get up and return to your posts. We have much to discuss."

The officials remained frozen for a moment, but none dared challenge him again. Eventually, they began rising one after another, helping the fallen Kitsune official back onto his feet before returning to their respective positions.

Their movements were subdued, their earlier confidence completely gone. The court itself had changed in those few minutes. Everyone understood that Damian had just dismantled a privilege that had existed for generations, and he had done it without ordering a massacre.

Fulgur watched the proceedings from his position on the staircase, his arms folded loosely across his chest. A satisfied nod eventually escaped him as he observed Damian return his attention toward the rest of the court.