Chapter 549: Mark Of A True Master

Damian walked out of the royal court and descended the long staircase with the same calm expression he had maintained throughout the meeting, while Shin and Malachi followed closely behind him. The moment they reached the ground, however, Damian suddenly stopped and turned around, catching both young demons completely off guard.

They nearly walked into him before stopping themselves. Damian looked between them for a moment, his purple eyes carrying a seriousness neither had seen during the court session.

"That was your first lesson... Never show weakness. Not even to perceived allies or you run the risk of being exploited and killed." The words immediately startled both of them, but Malachi reacted first.

"Sire, you are not confident about dealing with the Prince of Gildreach?" Malachi asked, unable to hide his concern.

Damian chuckled softly and turned away from them. "How can I be confident of defeating a God?"

The answer left Malachi speechless.

Shin’s brows narrowed beneath his blindfold as he considered Damian’s words. "But you don’t seem worried either."

Damian nodded and began walking again, forcing the two to quickly follow. "I spent barely over a year when I gained this power. In that one year I fought Bathin, the Order of Moses under the Commandment of Piety, Duke Haborym, the Kasok family, the Prince of Envy’s assassins, the Prince of Greed’s forces, my in laws Hagrid, the Prince of Wrath’s demigods, and even the Prince of Wrath... Even if the sky is collapsing and there is nothing I have the means of stopping, I will just stare at it and accept death graciously... It will be a great relief from all this pain and suffering."

Damian shrugged as he continued down the path, speaking about death with such casual acceptance that it unsettled both of his disciples.

Shin and Malachi exchanged disturbed glances. Before Damian’s arrival in Velmora, news of his exploits had reached them steadily, each new victory making his name more famous throughout the Underworld.

To everyone watching from a distance, Damian was the unstoppable Prince who continued crushing enemies far stronger than himself. He was someone they could depend on, someone who always seemed to have another card hidden away whenever disaster struck.

This was the first time either of them had heard the story from Damian’s perspective.

To him, there had been no glorious rise to power. There had been a human thrown into a world he knew nothing about, surrounded by creatures stronger than him, forced to fight again and again simply to survive. The victories had come with wounds, betrayal, loss, and pain that nobody outside his inner circle could truly understand.

"That must have been scary," Malachi muttered.

Damian glanced over his shoulder, and for a moment a small smile appeared on his face.

"If the fight against the Prince of Gildreach claims my life, don’t feel sad or anything. I had it coming. Just submit to your new Prince and move on with your lives. I’ll be at peace then." He said it without bitterness, almost as though he were discussing an inevitable possibility rather than his own death.

As he finished speaking, his gaze shifted toward the road ahead where the royal carriage was approaching the palace. The large carriage rolled toward them before slowing to a stop, and Lucy immediately stepped out, holding the door open while bowing respectfully.

Damian looked toward William, who was seated beside the coachman, and gave him a faintly amused look.

"Do you see why I chose to fly? It saves time." William could only offer a helpless expression before Damian entered the carriage.

Shin climbed in after him, while Malachi and Lucy took the opposite seats. The carriage began rolling forward shortly afterward, its wheels moving steadily along the palace road.

Damian leaned back against his seat and noticed Malachi looking around the luxurious interior with barely concealed awe.

The young Fledgling examined the finely crafted wooden panels, expensive fabrics, polished fixtures, and intricate magical formations embedded into the carriage as though he had never imagined himself sitting inside something like it.

Damian watched him for a moment before turning toward Lucy.

"Lucy, I would appreciate it if you take it upon yourself to train my second disciple until after my coronation." Lucy’s eyes widened slightly. "Yes... Yes, your highness!" She was clearly stunned by the order.

Her gaze immediately shifted toward Malachi, and she examined him from head to toe as though trying to understand what Damian had seen that she had somehow missed.

This was a Fledgling who had only recently reached the Lesser Demon realm. He possessed no famous bloodline, no unique trait, and no remarkable cultivation. From Lucy’s perspective, training him would normally be a poor use of her time and the Prince’s resources. Yet she had learned enough about Damian to know better than to question his decisions openly. If he had chosen Malachi, then there was undoubtedly a reason.

After traveling for several dozen minutes, the carriage finally reached the palace. Damian stepped out immediately with Shin following beside him. Lucy was in the process of getting down when Damian suddenly spoke.

"Take Malachi and leave for the city. He wants to see his home and his grandfather’s resting place. Bring him back safely after that."

Malachi froze inside the carriage. The request struck him harder than he expected because he had spent almost no time processing Olaf’s death since arriving in Velmora. He had been escorted directly into the capital, placed into the royal guard, and brought before Damian without being given the opportunity to return home or mourn properly.

He had kept those emotions buried because there had been no room for them, yet Damian had somehow seen through him without being told.

Malachi slowly stepped out of the carriage and lowered his head.

"Thank you, your highness." His voice carried more emotion than before.

Damian simply nodded, making no attempt to turn the moment into something larger than it needed to be. Lucy stepped back into the carriage with Malachi, and the two soon disappeared down the palace road.

Damian remained standing where he was until the carriage turned the corner and vanished from sight, leaving only himself, Shin, and William outside the palace entrance.

Shin watched Damian for a moment before speaking. "You are strange... I can’t understand you. I have seen you execute people ruthlessly, but you are also very kind in unexplainable moments."

Damian shrugged and began walking toward the palace doors. "Light and darkness, two different sides of the same coin, just like good and evil is part of my nature."

Shin remained silent for a moment, staring at Damian’s back with genuine surprise before quickly increasing his pace to catch up with him and William.

As they approached the palace staircase, Damian suddenly spoke without turning around.

"I can also tell you are interested in the Damika clan. I saw the way you looked at Loki."

Shin blinked in surprise. He had only stared at Loki for perhaps a second or two during the court session, yet Damian had noticed even that.

"You are scary," Shin muttered.

William immediately glanced toward the young disciple. "All the Princes are scary, young master."

Shin briefly looked at William before returning his attention to Damian. "I’m just curious about my inheritance. As we both know, I wasn’t trained in the way of the Damikan fighting style."

Damian stopped halfway up the stairs and looked over his shoulder at him.

"Contact Loki and have him get Shin a skilled Damikan tutor." Damian said to William plainly.

William’s expression immediately became concerned. "But sire, after the tragedies that befell their clan because of you, do you think it’s safe to bring any of them into the palace?"

Damian’s face remained completely unchanged except for one raised eyebrow.

"I live in this palace, do I not? The real question is, is it safe for a Damikan to act recklessly under the watchful gaze of this God?"

William’s face immediately paled as the implications sank in. He remembered exactly who he was speaking to. This was the same man who had killed a Damikan Demi God assassin within seconds and left him screaming for help before death claimed him.

Whatever concerns William had about the Damika clan were insignificant compared to the danger they would face if they actually tried something.

"I will do as you asked, sire." William bowed immediately.

Shin smiled sheepishly beside him, clearly pleased that Damian had taken his interest in the Damikan fighting style seriously. Damian resumed climbing the stairs, but before they reached the palace doors, he added another warning.

"Just make sure you don’t leave the palace grounds with your new instructor no matter what. And you, William, I expect you to monitor the sessions and make sure he is not lured outside the palace."

Shin and William exchanged a brief glance before answering together, "Yes, your majesty!"