Chapter 512: Generals Of Velmora

Damian pushed his long black hair back from his face and leaned comfortably against his throne, allowing the tension created by the previous confrontation to settle before moving on. He reached into the sleeve of his robe and pulled out a small cigar parcel, opening it with practiced ease before taking out a single cigar.

Every eye in the courtroom followed the motion as he tucked the parcel away, placed the cigar between his lips and allowed the exposed end to ignite with a faint violet glow.

He took a deep drag, held the smoke for a moment and then released a thick plume into the air before letting out a heavy sigh. The simple act seemed almost mundane after what had just happened, yet nobody in the court mistook it for an indication that Damian had relaxed.

"I’m sure by now all of you know what happened in Cinderfall and you must have been informed while I made such a trip to such a dangerous place." Damian said, allowing his gaze to travel across the ministers and officials gathered before him.

Almost immediately, heads began nodding throughout the chamber. The news had spread rapidly through the capital.

"Good..." Damian said, taking another slow drag from his cigar. "That means I have no reason to touch that topic again. However, I will say something I noticed there. Velmora is lagging behind the rest of the demonic realm in terms of technology and innovations to a point where it’s awfully embarrassing."

The entire room shifted uncomfortably, but nobody dared refute him. The officials knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Clearly Lin Qui’s officials have been too busy struggling for power and amassing wealth for themselves, ignoring the development of the realm." Damian snarled, the irritation becoming obvious in his voice as he glanced toward the Kitsune, Nagen and Succubus officials.

Every one of them lowered their heads. None dared defend themselves because the evidence was all around them.

"God, I’m so happy I can finally watch them take their last breath tomorrow. Velmora can finally breathe a breath of fresh air." Damian let out another heavy sigh, almost as though the thought of their executions had genuinely relieved him.

Several ministers exchanged uncomfortable glances at that statement, but nobody challenged him. Damian adjusted his position on the throne and took another drag from his cigar before his gaze settled upon Jugo. He raised one hand and gave him a simple flick of his fingers, signaling for him to step forward.

Jugo immediately paled. For a brief moment, he looked around the courtroom as though trying to determine whether someone from his family had committed an offense without his knowledge. Nevertheless, Jugo obeyed and stepped away from his position, walking toward the throne until he stood beneath Damian’s gaze.

Damian blew a plume of purple smoke toward the ceiling before lowering his eyes to Jugo.

"Last night, your daughter did not only heal me with her unique technique, she also healed Fulgur and even detoxified him of the poison he was fed while in Cinderfall..." Damian said, and a faint smile appeared across his face as he noticed the tension slowly leaving Jugo’s body. "If your family is this skilled with healing, why hasn’t it taken over the medical institution of this realm?"

Jugo’s eyes widened with delight. "My daughter did?"

A small laugh escaped him before he quickly covered his mouth and coughed awkwardly, remembering where he was standing. He composed himself and bowed slightly.

"Eerm, sire... In the previous appeals made to Prince Lin, we tried to have him acknowledge our capabilities and take over the medical field in the realm, but our attempts were aggressively blocked by his wives’ clans who did not want us to gain any influence. As a result, several of our family members in the medical field were wrongfully slaughtered and the case was never properly investigated because the Kitsune clan had a grip on the Ministry of Justice. Because of that, we withdrew to our home and kept our abilities to ourselves." Jugo explained calmly, although there was a trace of old resentment beneath his words.

Buzz!

Damian’s expression immediately changed. The faint smile disappeared and his face became ugly as he slowly turned his gaze toward the officials of the three clans. They all shuddered deeply and lowered their faces.

Damian’s fingers tightened around the armrest of his throne, his knuckles becoming rigid as his anger rose. For a moment, it looked as though he might simply crush the throne beneath his hand, but he forced himself to remain still. He had already made his position clear. He would not punish everyone merely because they shared the same bloodline as criminals, but neither would he allow that bloodline to shield those who had abused their authority.

"By the time this investigation is over and the truth of it is revealed, I doubt your family will ever have what it takes to ever hold an official position in Velmora again!" Damian hissed at them.

The officials lowered their heads even further, unable to defend themselves. Damian’s cold gaze remained on them for another moment before returning to Jugo, and almost immediately his expression became calm again.

"The truth behind your clan’s persecution will be brought to light, and all those victimized by these entitled wastrels will be compensated for their losses." Damian said.

Jugo’s eyes trembled. He had spent years watching his family retreat from the political world because attempting to compete against the royal in laws had only brought death upon them. Now the ruler sitting before him was promising not only to expose the people responsible but to restore what had been taken from his family.

Jugo dropped to his knees and bowed deeply until his head touched the floor. "Thank you, your majesty!" he cried.

Damian calmly nodded, but instead of allowing the moment to end there, his body moved in a flash. In the next instant he was standing before Jugo, who barely had time to raise his head before Damian crouched and gently lifted his shark head from the ground. Jugo stared at him in confusion as Damian leaned closer, and a small dome of isolation formed around them, cutting their voices off from the rest of the courtroom.

The ministers could see them speaking, but none could hear what was being said.

"Now, will your family honor my request to use its gifts for the betterment of our realm? Once the crimes of these people are established and these clans are dealt with, I promise to strip them of the Viscount rank and bestow it upon your family and those who are truly deserving of it." Damian whispered.

Jugo’s entire body shuddered. Damian released him and rose to his feet as the isolation barrier shattered into a thousand fragments of violet light before disappearing completely.

Buzz!

Jugo slowly raised his face and stared at Damian with a mixture of shock and disbelief. He had never expected the promise of a Viscount rank, especially when Damian was still preparing to marry Ruby, Racheal and Hazel, whose families were among those being stripped of their influence.

"Do you really mean it, sire?" Jugo asked, his voice carrying enough disbelief that several people in the courtroom began wondering what Damian had said to him.

Damian simply smiled and nodded.

He turned away from Jugo and began walking up the staircase toward his throne.

"Everything will be earned through merit, and everything received without merit will be retrieved. Only then can many more demon clans submit to me, knowing they stand a chance of reaching the top, not just with the ties of marriage but through hard work." Damian said as he climbed the steps.

He reached his throne and turned around before sitting down, his eyes settling upon Jugo, who was still kneeling below. "That is the future of Velmora under my leadership."

Jugo immediately bowed again. "As you wish, sire. I’ll gather my clan and share this good news with them. I am certain they will be eager to serve your majesty in any way possible!" he declared.

Damian chuckled and nodded with a smile. Jugo slowly returned to his feet and walked back toward his position, but his gaze lingered on Damian for a moment longer than it should have.

He could finally understand why Alice had been so cold toward him after Damian took her away from their clan.

Lin Qui might have possessed a graceful demeanor and genuinely wanted peace for his realm, but his generosity had allowed his wives and their families to become reckless. He had given them authority without demanding enough accountability, and eventually they had mistaken his kindness for a right to rule.

’I should have a conversation with her and clear the air.’ Damian mumbled to himself as he returned to his position.

"Sire?"

Fulgur’s voice caught Damian’s attention and snapped him out of his reverie. Damian blinked once before looking toward the dragon standing on the staircase. The entire court was waiting for him to continue, and Damian gave a slow nod.

"I have also decided to make three new appointments, but not for civil officials. I’m talking about military officials." Damian began.

The atmosphere immediately changed. The ministers who had been relatively relaxed after the previous matter became tense once again. Military appointments were far more sensitive than ordinary administrative positions. Whoever commanded the army possessed the ability to influence the security of the capital, the movement of soldiers and the response to internal rebellion. Under normal circumstances, such appointments would have required the agreement of powerful military families.

"Did you find suitable candidates to lead your army?" Minister Talos asked.

Damian nodded firmly. "Send them in!"

The great doors of the royal court swung open.

Almost immediately, three figures entered the chamber, and several faces twisted with discomfort and shock.

The first was Yuji from the Dreg clan. His entire body was wrapped in black bandages, leaving only his eyes visible, while black robes covered whatever remained beneath them. A strange weapon resembling a scythe hung across his waist, and his silent presence alone was enough to make several officials uneasy.

Beside him walked a tan skinned man with a robust build and flowing black hair. He wore ancient Arab royal attire, carrying himself with the confidence of someone accustomed to command. Two scimitars were strapped securely around his waist. This was Kahlid of the Dijin clan, and unlike Yuji, his face was completely visible, revealing a calm expression that gave little indication of what he was thinking.

The final figure was a woman dressed in luxurious robes reinforced with light pieces of armor. Her pale face carried a beautiful smile capable of charming nearly anyone who looked at her, yet there was something dangerous beneath that beauty. She belonged to the Rakshasa clan, and her name was Lucy.

The entire court went silent.

The three figures were not unknown. Their bloodlines were well known throughout Velmora, and more importantly, all three were members of Amon’s clan. The same man Damian had ordered executed tomorrow.

Confusion spread through the courtroom. Several officials glanced toward one another, trying to understand how Damian had managed to recruit three people from the household of a man who was about to be publicly executed. Others immediately began wondering whether they had somehow betrayed Amon, or whether Damian had already offered them protection in exchange for abandoning him.

Yuji, Kahlid and Lucy ignored every stare directed toward them. They continued forward without hesitation until they reached the base of Damian’s throne. The three then bowed deeply, their expressions remaining confident.

Damian looked over them for a moment before speaking. "From henceforth, Yuji will serve as the Grand Marshal of my army, Kahlid will be my Great General, and Lady Lucy will serve as a General of the Velmora forces." His declaration caused another wave of unease to spread through the courtroom.

Damian’s gaze immediately swept across the assembled officials. "They have sworn their allegiance to me, so I will not tolerate any discrimination against them."

He shifted his attention toward Talos. "I expect you to help them organize our forces and war weapons in the capital ahead of the big day tomorrow. We already know the Order of Demons will strike during the execution, and I need my army ready to respond in kind when that situation arrives." Damian said.

Talos stepped forward, cupped his fists and bowed deeply. "As your wish, your highness."

Damian nodded firmly before rising from his throne. "That will be all for today."

He descended the staircase, and when he reached the three new generals, they immediately stepped aside and bowed respectfully with confident smiles. Damian’s expression softened into a small smile of his own as he walked past them.

Tomorrow, the execution would become far more than a punishment for Duke Darbin and his allies. It would become a demonstration of Damian’s authority before the entire Underworld.

The Order of Demons would be completely crushed tomorrow, right before the eyes of the world, and their influence in Velmora would finally come to an end.