Chapter 479: The Great Migration

Damian had one arm wrapped around Hazel and the other around Racheal as they sat pressed against his sides, while Ruby comfortably occupied his lap with absolutely no intention of moving anytime soon.

The carriage gently swayed as the Hellfire Nighthawk carried them through the darkness above the Underworld, but inside the luxurious cabin, the atmosphere was closer to that of a celebration than a secret journey to meet representatives of the council. Ruby held a large jug of wine above Damian’s face while everyone else watched with childish anticipation.

"Are you ready?" Ruby asked with a mischievous smile.

Damian narrowed his eyes drunkenly. "Why do I feel like I’m about to regret this?"

"You agreed already," Hazel said.

"I don’t remember agreeing to anything."

"That’s because you were drunk when you agreed."

Damian pointed a finger at her. "That sounds like manipulation."

Racheal laughed against his shoulder. "Just drink."

Damian sighed dramatically before leaning his head back and opening his mouth.

Ruby immediately tipped the jug forward.

Wine poured into Damian’s mouth as his eyes widened, his body instinctively jerking from the sudden flood of alcohol. Hazel tightened her grip around his shoulder to stop him from moving away while Racheal laughed so hard that she nearly spilled her own drink.

"Wooooozaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Rin screamed as the last of the wine emptied from the jug.

Everyone immediately joined him.

"Wooooozaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!"

The inside of the carriage exploded with laughter, clapping and drunken shouting. Damian’s face had turned visibly red as he coughed violently, one hand grabbing Ruby’s arm while the other covered his mouth.

"What the hell was that?!" he coughed before bursting into laughter.

Ruby proudly raised the empty jug over her head as though she had just accomplished something extraordinary. "Victory!"

That only made everyone laugh harder.

Damian leaned back against the cushions, breathing heavily while Ruby settled comfortably against his chest and lazily rubbed his shoulder. The warm sensation of alcohol spread through his body while the voices of the people around him filled the massive carriage.

For the first time in what felt like forever, his mind was not filled with strategies, assassination attempts, rebellions, gods, inheritances or the endless pressure of having the lives of millions resting on his shoulders.

Initially, he had been against everyone traveling together for such a serious matter. He had considered it unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Looking at them now, however, Damian could not help but admit that if he had these people around him more often, perhaps he would not spend so much of his time drowning in his own thoughts.

Maybe he had been carrying too much alone.

"Sire..."

Aawwwwwwwwwwnnnnnn!

The entire carriage groaned simultaneously.

William sat at the far corner with a black file resting in his hands, flipping through its pages while everyone else glared at him. He remained completely unmoved by their annoyance. His posture was as perfect as ever, his monocle resting neatly against one eye despite the fact that everyone around him was visibly intoxicated.

"Really?" Damian complained as he made a face he probably would never have made while sober. "Even here?"

"Of course, sire," William replied calmly. "You are God, and every action you make warrants a reaction from some of the most powerful beings in the universe. It is my duty to keep you updated regardless of where you are."

"Fuck you!" Rin screamed.

The fox grabbed a goblet with both paws and threw it toward William. The goblet missed him by several meters and struck the wall.

William did not even blink.

"Your accuracy appears to have deteriorated."

"I am drunk!"

Rin’s eyes widened in outrage as the others burst into another round of laughter. William calmly flipped to the next page of his file as though none of them existed.

"News of your plans to execute Duke Darbin and Amon has been making rounds even beyond the walls of your realm."

The laughter gradually faded.

Damian leaned back while Ruby continued rubbing his chest, but his brows slowly rose as he stared at William.

"So?"

"We have received reports that large numbers of demons from various realms and clans are making their way toward Velmora as we speak."

The drunken haze around Damian’s eyes weakened slightly. He slowly pulled his arms away from Hazel and Racheal before leaning forward.

"Like how many are we talking about?"

William glanced down at the report.

"Three million at the very least."

The atmosphere inside the carriage changed immediately and Damian’s expression hardened.

Hazel slowly straightened herself while Racheal put down the chicken thigh she had been eating. Ruby shifted off Damian’s lap and sat beside him, her earlier playful expression disappearing. Even Rin stopped smiling.

Three million demons did not simply move across realms without a reason. The number alone was enough to make anyone suspicious.

"We can’t let that many people enter the capital without restrictions," Rah said from across the carriage. "There will obviously be enemies hiding amongst them. The Order of Demons would be foolish not to take advantage of this."

Mary, however, slowly shook her head.

"It’s not that simple."

Everyone turned toward her. She rested her chin against her palm as her expression became thoughtful.

"The execution of a Duke has been announced. Duke Darbin is one of the twenty four Dukes of Hell, and even his enemies will want to witness what happens. The announcement has naturally attracted observers, nobles, mercenaries, spies, opportunists and ordinary demons who simply want to see whether Damian truly has the courage to go through with it."

Damian listened silently.

"If we chase everyone away," Mary continued, "it will be interpreted as fear. The moment people believe you are afraid to let others enter your own capital, they will begin questioning whether you are truly confident in your ability to control Velmora. And once people begin doubting the strength of a prince, everything else becomes unstable."

Rin slowly nodded and Hazel did the same. Ruby and Racheal exchanged thoughtful looks.

Mary was right.

The Underworld was ruled by strength. A prince could be kind, generous or intelligent, but if the people beneath him believed he was weak, loyalty could disappear overnight.

Damian tapped his fingers against the armrest.

"What else?"

Everyone looked at him. Even William briefly raised a brow.

Three million unknown demons were moving toward his realm, and Damian’s reaction was to ask for the next problem.

William adjusted his monocle.

"Well, killing those two humans triggered a mass migration of humans across your realm. We have reason to believe their destination is Aurelios."

Damian remained quiet.

"This is causing considerable unrest throughout the Underworld," William continued. "Many factions see it as an indication that you are preparing to enter direct conflict with Pride."

Damian’s expression barely changed. He reached toward the table, picked up the half smoked cigar he had abandoned earlier and placed it between his lips.

"What’s so special about it?" he asked as the tip lit itself with a faint violet flame. "I’m not the only one who hates him, so I shouldn’t be the only one who does this."

William looked at him.

"Well, you will be shocked to find out that you are."

Damian slowly raised his eyes.

"What?"

To his surprise, Mary nodded and Damian slowly removed the cigar from his mouth.

Mary leaned forward.

"Across the Underworld, humans are probably the most protected race. They can enter most realms, conduct business, settle disputes and even involve themselves in local politics with far fewer restrictions than demons of rival factions."

Damian stared at her.

"Why?"

Mary looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious.

"Because the moment you kill one of them, there is a very real possibility that you will see the sun crashing into your capital in the middle of the night."

Damian’s expression froze and Mary continued.

"Sol has retaliated against attacks on humans so brutally that most rulers simply decided it was not worth the risk."

William nodded.

"Over time, it became an unspoken rule. Humans were largely left alone. If one of them committed a crime, they could be punished, but killing them without an overwhelming justification is considered extremely dangerous. Many rulers simply prefer not to involve themselves."

"What the hell... Is the Underworld filled with wimps or what?" Damian blurted out in a mixture of genuine shock and disbelief.

The carriage immediately erupted into laughter. Even William’s lips twitched slightly.