Chapter 327: Chapter 326 - Aftermath of the attack.
The next evening, in the royal palace.
The chamber was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the sinking sun that slanted through the tall windows.
Shadows clung to the corners like silent sentinels, and in the center, Jake lay unmoving on a wide bed, his chest rising and falling faintly.
Raven sat in a chair beside him, elbows on his knees, hands clasped loosely.
The shadows seemed to bend toward him, like even the darkness acknowledged the weight he carried.
But he wasn’t alone, as Selena sat opposite, her expression calm, almost smug, but her blue eyes softened whenever they strayed toward Jake’s still form.
Then there was Velric.
He stood before them, stiff and pale, his fingers twitching as though he wanted to wring them but knew better than to fidget under Raven’s gaze.
His crown gleamed faintly, but to Raven, it looked more like a shackle than a symbol.
After all, the only reason he was allowed to wear that crown was because they needed someone other than Selena to wear it.
"Let’s start with the neutral faction," Raven said at last, his voice low, the kind of tone that left no room for hesitation.
Velric swallowed, nodding quickly. "Yes. They’ve... shifted. After this attack, there’s no neutrality left. They’ve branded themselves the anti-demon faction—or the Royal and Vaise faction, if you prefer the formal name."
Seeing Raven nod, the king continued, "However, they are far from being stable. They need time to recover from the deaths of their family heads. They need time to conduct funerals and then appoint the heir in line as the new leader."
Raven hummed before his eyes narrowed. "What about the Colombore house?"
Velric grimaced. "In shambles. With both the Marquise and Benoit gone, the house is tearing itself apart. Although they are mourning right now, soon they’ll have to choose."
"Who do you think will rise?" Raven asked Selena, who tilted her head, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"I think it will be the Marchioness. She is said to have a strong mind," replied Selena before adding, "But since she will be new, it will take her time to get everything under control. She’ll need some time, and in that time, she—"
"—She’ll be vulnerable," Raven finished for him. His tone carried no doubt.
"Strong mind or not, it won’t help against a demon. They’ll definitely try to strike her." He turned to Velric, his eyes sharp. "So, assign Vaise elders there. Trusted ones. If her grief blinds her, they’ll catch what she misses."
Velric bobbed his head. "I’ll see it done."
A moment of silence passed, broken only by Jake’s faint breathing.
Finally, Raven leaned back, shadows sliding off his shoulders as he exhaled slowly, noticing Velric’s tense shoulders. "Don’t worry about the demons. Now that they know that we are more capable than they knew, they will try to come up with new plans, so before they can, we will strike."
Selena’s lips curved faintly, predator-sharp. "The group is already moving. Now, before the demons could devise another plan and act on it, they would realize that they had already lost all the support they had hoped to receive from the humans."
They planned to move and assassinate the nobles of the demon side. Or more like, they were already doing it.
With six demon generals experiencing a true death at Raven’s hands and four dying by Jake’s hands, the demon side had lost ten generals.
That meant that they probably didn’t have many demon generals left—if there were any left, that is.
Except Raven, Selena, and Jake (who was only here because he was unconscious) weren’t out there, killing someone. The rest were already killing people.
After all, this was a race—one that was against the time.
They had to do as much damage as they could before the demons could organize themselves.
As things stood, they were the ones who were winning.
The only thing they had to focus on was the winning streak.
Velric, hearing those words, nodded, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders, as he had been worried about another attack like that happening.
He certainly didn’t want to see something like that again.
For a while, the room fell still. The silence wasn’t oppressive—merely heavy, like the pause between thunder and lightning.
Raven’s gaze lingered on Jake for a moment longer before he shifted it to Velric.
"You’re doing well."
Velric blinked. "What?"
Raven’s crimson eyes locked on him, unblinking. "I didn’t expect much. Honestly, I thought you’d stumble. But you didn’t. After the attack, you stepped forward. You steadied the capital. You turned what should’ve been a massacre into proof. Proof that even with all their strength, the demons couldn’t touch a single citizen here."
As Raven had said, when the people were in panic after the fight, Velric had stepped up.
After that, he gave a speech telling everyone how this was the worst and most unexpected attack they had ever faced. Even the enemies they saw were the strongest of the demonic army.
Yet, when faced with the worst conditions, the Vaise group still won.
Velric told the citizens how the Vaise won despite having everything against them, and that showed how safe everyone was as long as the Vaise stood.
With his words, he not only calmed the situation but also boosted the morale of every soldier who was going to fight in the war.
Everyone now thought that they would win as long as they had the Vaise on their side.
It was to the point that even Selena was impressed.
She crossed her legs, her smirk faint but genuine for once. "He’s right. You handled it better than I thought you could. Almost makes me reconsider tormenting you."
Velric’s breath caught.
His lips trembled before he quickly lowered his head, silver hair hiding his face. His shoulders shook, ever so slightly.
Raven said nothing. He didn’t need to.
Because when Velric finally raised his head, eyes wet, his voice broke in a way that revealed everything he’d kept locked away since the crown was forced onto him.
"...Thank you."
For the first time, his words didn’t sound like something a slave would say to his master, but as if he were a man who always wanted to be acknowledged and was finally able to.
After Velric’s words, however, the chamber went quiet, only the faint crackle of torches and Jake’s shallow breaths breaking the silence.
Then, Jake stirred.
It was subtle at first—the twitch of a hand, the faint shift of his chest—but Raven caught it instantly.
Selena’s head turned, blue eyes sharpening as she leaned forward. Velric froze where he stood.
Jake’s gray eyes fluttered open, heavy with exhaustion yet sharp beneath the haze.
Slowly, with the stubborn composure that seemed carved into his bones, he sat up straight against the headboard. His gaze met Raven’s instantly, locking without wavering.
The room stilled, as though even the shadows were holding their breath.
"You did well," Raven said at last, his voice low but steady. "If you hadn’t done what you did... things would’ve been far worse than we could’ve guessed."
Jake said nothing. His stare didn’t falter.
Raven exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "That’s what my mind says. But if I speak from my heart..."
His crimson eyes hardened. "You should’ve let the others die if it meant keeping your extra life. Now, if you die again—it’s for real."
Jake’s jaw tightened. Silence pressed like a weight before his lips parted. "...I’m sorry."
Raven groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Damn it, that’s not what I’m asking for. Don’t apologize. Just don’t do it again."
Jake gave a small nod.
But Raven’s eyes narrowed. He knew that look—the quiet steel behind Jake’s gray gaze. It wasn’t compliance. It was resolve. He’d do it again if the situation called for it.
Raven rubbed his temple, muttering under his breath, "This won’t do."
Then, he raised his hand.
Dark light pooled in his palm, swirling like tar and lightning, condensing until it sharpened into the intricate form of a seal. The air grew colder, the glow casting jagged shadows across the chamber walls.
Selena’s brows arched, curiosity flickering as she wondered why Raven took that out.
Jake’s eyes narrowed in confusion, but he didn’t speak—he only watched.
Velric, however, went pale. His knees nearly buckled as recognition hit him, the crown trembling faintly on his head.
Because he knew what that was.
The slave seal.
And the fact that Raven was summoning it meant one thing.
He intended to use it.
The seal pulsed in Raven’s hand, black light licking across his fingers like fire that burned without heat. He turned to Jake, his voice flat but heavy, every word striking the air like iron.
"This is the only way I can think of to stop you," he said. "You keep throwing yourself away, thinking it’s fine if it saves someone else. But listen carefully, Jake—just as much as the people you care for matter to you, you matter the same to them. If you die, it’s not salvation. It’s another wound we’ll never heal."
Jake’s gray eyes held his.
For a long moment, the chamber was silent—no sound but his faint breath and the distant cry of crows outside the window.
He could see it in Raven’s gaze: this wasn’t a threat. Raven would put that mark on him whether he fought or not.
Jake let out a low sigh, the tension in his shoulders falling away. Slowly, he lifted his hand and pushed it forward, palm out. "...Do it."
Raven didn’t hesitate. He pressed the seal against the back of Jake’s hand. Shadows seared across his skin, burning a black sigil that glowed once before dissolving into his flesh.
Jake flinched as something deeper than pain rattled him. It wasn’t his body—it was his soul. A lock clicked shut inside him, firm and unbreakable.
Raven’s crimson eyes glowed as he spoke the only command he would ever give.
"Jake Vaise—you are never to sacrifice your life. For anyone. Live. That’s my order."
The mark sank fully into Jake’s hand. The chamber dimmed again, leaving only silence behind.