Chapter 504: Returning To Velmora

"I can’t believe you didn’t murder at least half of them!"

Rin growled furiously as they stepped out from the other side of the Stone Gate, his small paws buried in Damian’s long black hair as he repeatedly tugged on it from the comfort of Damian’s shoulder.

His face was twisted into genuine irritation, as though Damian had personally offended him by sparing an army that had just attempted to kill them.

Damian merely rolled his eyes and continued walking, completely unfazed by the fox spirit’s complaints.

"Relax, those people will spread words of my benevolence, and should the opportunity rise where they see that mad dragon as unfit to rule them, they know they can run to me," he explained calmly, though Rin clearly had no interest in accepting the reasoning.

The fox continued pulling his hair while muttering under his breath, seemingly determined to punish Damian for his decision through sheer annoyance.

Behind them, Loth couldn’t hold back her laughter as she watched the ridiculous sight, while Fulgur and Loyd exchanged brief glances from the side, both of them still trying to understand the strange dynamic between the Prince and his spirit beast.

For Fulgur especially, the sight was almost surreal. This kind of laughter and casual familiarity was not something one found in Cinderfall.

Under Kaizer’s rule, even the smallest gathering of demons carried an underlying tension because the Dragon Prince was almost perpetually angry, and his spirit beast was hardly any better. It was a menace that would sometimes go on rampages without restraint, leaving Kaizer’s officials scrambling afterward to send compensation to the families whose homes had been destroyed or whose possessions had been crushed beneath its fury.

Fulgur had witnessed enough of it to know that the atmosphere surrounding the Crimson Throne had gradually become one of fear rather than loyalty. Demons remained in Cinderfall largely because of the threat posed by Sol.

If the human ever decided to act on his promise to destroy all demons, Cinderfall would likely become the safest realm in the Underworld, or at least that’s what everyone believed.

Now, however, Damian had entered Cinderfall, infiltrated its territory, destroyed two legions at the gate, dismantled one of its most respected military formations, killed the Twin Dragons of Wrath and rescued Fulgur right from under the noses of Kaizer’s forces before escaping through a hidden route.

The image of Cinderfall’s invincibility had been shattered in just two days. Fulgur could already imagine the consequences. Rumors would spread through every noble house, every military barracks and every marketplace. Kaizer’s enemies would become bolder, his supporters would become more cautious, and those who had once believed that challenging the Crimson Throne meant certain death would begin wondering whether that was still true.

Kaizer’s influence across the Underworld was definitely going to take a nose dive from here.

The moment Damian and the others fully stepped away from the Stone Gate, however, the conversation died as an enormous gathering came into view. An entire royal court had assembled before the gate, officials and ministers arranged in orderly rows with their heads lowered, while behind them stood ten full legions of Velmora’s soldiers in complete formation.

The soldiers were armed and ready, their armor reflecting the faint light surrounding the gate, and the sight immediately made Damian slow his steps.

"WELCOME BACK SIRE!!!" The collective roar shook the surrounding area, causing Damian to blink in surprise as hundreds of voices echoed across the courtyard.

His tired eyes swept across the assembled forces before settling on the ten legions, and his expression slowly changed as the memory of the 31st Regiment returned to his mind. The God Slayer Army had been unlike any military force he had personally encountered in the Underworld. Their coordination, specialized arrays and disciplined formations had forced him to exert considerably more effort than he had expected, and Commander Krov had demonstrated the kind of military competence Damian desperately needed.

If he could somehow bring that man back to Velmora and place him in charge of military affairs, Damian suspected he would have very little to worry about concerning the state of his armies.

’All have to meet that man to deal with this problem.’ Damian inwardly frowned.

"Sire, you are hurt!" Mary’s voice immediately pulled Damian’s attention away from his thoughts.

She had stepped forward alongside Hazel, Racheal, Ruby, Alice and Rah, all of them staring at him with varying degrees of shock. Only now did Damian notice the state he was in.

Dried blood covered portions of his face, staining his pale skin and dark clothing, while the enormous wound in his abdomen had not completely closed and continued to bleed slowly.

The expressions of the women immediately hardened with concern as their eyes moved between his face and the wound, and even Alice, who was usually far more guarded around Damian than the others, couldn’t hide her surprise.

"He decided to take on the God Slayer Army to get a feel of what the Order of Demons invasion would look like... It’s nothing serious," Rin responded from Damian’s shoulder before Damian could answer.

His tone made the entire explanation sound almost casual, which only made the women stare at him in disbelief. Hazel’s eyes widened, Racheal’s mouth parted slightly, Ruby’s expression became rigid, and even Rah and Mary looked genuinely stunned. Alice stared at Damian as though she were trying to determine whether Rin was joking.

Everyone familiar with the Underworld’s military forces knew the reputation of the Crimson Palace’s 31st Regiment. Even they would not casually go against that squadron. The God Slayer Army had earned its name for killing demigods in less than two minutes. It was enough to make most nobles think twice before provoking them.

"I’ll patch you up if you allow me," Loth offered from behind them, her voice gentle as she stepped closer.

Damian briefly looked over his shoulder at her before turning his attention back toward the people gathered before him. He did not answer immediately, but the fact that he did not reject her was enough for Loth to remain nearby, prepared to treat him the moment they had privacy.

The women noticed the exchange, and although none of them commented on it, several pairs of eyes lingered on Loth for a moment longer than necessary.

The officials and ministers remained kneeling throughout the exchange, their heads lowered as they waited for Damian to acknowledge them properly. Damian looked over the enormous gathering and immediately felt the exhaustion weighing on him.

He had not slept or bathed in two days, had crossed into enemy territory, fought his way through multiple forces, rescued Fulgur, escaped through an underground tunnel system and then fought five legions at the Stone Gate. The last thing he wanted was to spend the next several hours listening to formal greetings and navigating court politics.

With a small flick of his fingers, an invisible force swept across the courtyard and lifted every kneeling official from the ground at once.

"I’m tired now, there is no need for all of these formalities," Damian said with a yawn, covering his mouth with one hand as he looked across the court.

"I’ll fill you all in on everything that happened tomorrow in court. As for now I need to rest and have a chat with my guests," Damian continued, his eyes briefly settling on Fulgur and Loyd before he turned toward the waiting carriage.

The officials immediately bowed again, this time without being instructed to kneel. "Yes, sire," several voices answered together, though Damian was already walking away.

The massive carriage waiting nearby was unlike an ordinary vehicle, its dark frame reinforced with metal and demonic inscriptions while a gigantic Hellfire Nighthawk stood before it.

William stood beside the carriage door and immediately stepped forward when Damian approached, opening it before bowing deeply.

"Welcome back, sire." William did not dare meet Damian’s eyes, particularly after seeing the blood covering him, but Damian merely gave him a casual nod before stepping inside.

Fulgur entered after him, followed by Loth and Loyd, and once everyone was seated the carriage began to rise into the sky. The Hellfire Nighthawk spread its massive wings, generating a powerful gust that swept across the courtyard and forced several nearby robes and banners to flutter violently.

Within moments, the carriage was climbing above the grounds, leaving the assembled court staring after it.

They had expected their grand welcome to please Damian. They had wanted him to return to a display of loyalty and strength after entering the most dangerous territory in the Underworld, but it just backfired. Their celebration had suddenly become little more than an obstacle delaying his rest, and the realization left several officials standing awkwardly.

Racheal watched the carriage disappear into the distance, her expression gradually tightening as her attention shifted toward Loth’s position inside it.

"He keeps her close," Racheal said with a frown, her tone carrying obvious displeasure.

Mary approached from the side and nodded firmly. "Of course. She’s a lesser demon that isn’t a noble and doesn’t even have a family to back her up. If you gave him enough reason to trust you, he wouldn’t have to keep her so close all the time."

Racheal, Hazel and Ruby immediately turned toward her with sharp glares, clearly displeased by the bluntness of her words. Mary, however, seemed completely unaffected. She simply chuckled and walked past them, treating their annoyance as though it were nothing more than background noise.

However, after taking several steps, Mary suddenly stopped. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder, her expression becoming considerably more serious.

"Remember our positions will be official in two months. Don’t do anything to screw it up simply because of your emotions. Or someone else might just snatch the throne of queen under your noses!" Her words immediately struck a nerve.

Buzz!

"You!" Racheal growled angrily, her fists tightening as she stared at Mary.

Hazel and Ruby also looked irritated, but Mary merely smiled faintly before continuing on her way.

Meanwhile, high above the palace grounds, the carriage continued through the sky toward the Violet Palace. Fulgur sat near one of the windows, watching Velmora spread beneath them.

The realm looked peaceful from above.

"Everyone outside fears you. Including your women," he observed quietly.

Damian glanced at him for a moment, but there was no surprise in his expression. He leaned back against the carriage seat, allowing his body to relax now that the battle was behind him.

"We will talk about it in details when we get back," Damian said with a shrug, his attention drifting toward the carriage window as the lights of the palace slowly grew larger in the distance. Fulgur studied him for another moment before looking away, realizing that there was far more to the Prince of Velmora than the terrifying figure the rest of the Underworld had been told to fear.