CHAPTER 288: CHAPTER 287 - THE CHAMBER OF HUMILIATION.

The grand hall of the palace was empty now—no courtiers, no guards, no attendants. Just Raven’s group, sprawled across plush sofas like they owned the place.

Well, in a sense, they did.

The only one not sitting was Velric.

The new self-appointed king knelt in the center of the polished marble floor, hands raised straight above his head like a child being punished. Sweat dripped down his brow, but he dared not lower his arms.

"Hey, yo, my man," drawled Omni, Raven’s sword, its tattooed form glowing faintly on Raven’s hand. "You know you look like one of those scarecrows farmers put up in fields, right? Damn, all you missin’ is a bird on your head."

As if on cue, Nibbles scampered across Alex’s shoulder, leapt, and perched atop Velric’s head.

The squirrel struck a regal pose, tail high.

Alex pumped his fist. "BEHOLD! The Royal Mount for the Demon Sniffer!"

Graye burst out laughing, nearly doubling over in her armor. "Pff—oh gods, it’s perfect! King Velric, reduced to Nibbles’s personal steed!"

Velric’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t move, as he knew that his dignity was already ash.

"Don’t wiggle," Clara said sweetly from her sofa, resting against Raven’s shoulder. "If you drop him, I’ll make sure you hear phantom squirrels chittering in your ears for a week."

Velric swallowed audibly. "...Yes, Ma’am."

Selena, ever composed, sat close on Raven’s other side, her hand draped lazily over his.

She smiled faintly, the kind of smile that would have comforted anyone else. On her, it only promised sharpened steel. "Mm. At least he follows orders better than most dogs."

"I’ve seen better dogs," Siris muttered, sprawled sideways with her daggers out, twirling them absentmindedly. "At least dogs bite. This one just whines."

Velric trembled slightly but said nothing.

He had to endure this, or he might experience it again—that head-splitting pain, making him almost lose his mind.

It was something Raven brought out of the air—a demonic head-like seal.

The guy didn’t even hide it, explaining its functions to everyone while Velric was there.

But thanks to that, Velric knew that the moment he said yes, he would become Raven’s slave.

So, he had tried not to say it.

Tried.

His effort, however, was useless when three girls, one with bloodthirst in her eyes, one with the power to vibrate him out of existence, and one who was twirling her dagger, as if telling him that the more he resisted, the more fun she would have.

He resisted as long as he could—that is, if a few seconds could be called long.

The moment he had said yes, he had felt a seal branding on his soul, marking it permanently.

Since then, even a rebellious thought causes his head to feel like it would explode.

The pain was so intense that the first time, he had gone unconscious, fumes leaving his mouth while his body twitched uncontrollably.

But it was the same head-splitting pain that woke him up again.

It was then that Raven had told him that he merely needed to stop having those rebellious thoughts.

Since then, Velric had been relieved of the pain, but the fear had been etched into his soul.

Just thinking about those few minutes made a shiver run down his spine.

Lia, sitting across the room, folded her hands primly on her lap. "I somehow pity him. This posture isn’t good for his circulation. Raven, love, must we make him do this?"

Her soft voice was motherly, almost scolding, and although it made a few brows wriggle, none of them said anything.

They had all grown accustomed to this new change.

Lia’s personality had somehow changed since she had joined Raven’s harem.

No one knew how it happened.

Maybe it was something that was supposed to happen.

It was also possible that she had matured after getting into a relationship.

Or, she merely wanted to change her personality to be more fitting for her profession.

Whatever the reason may be, she now acted like a healer who cared for all life.

Of course, she wouldn’t stop Raven from killing anyone. She would even support others if they tortured someone, but since Velric was now their pet, she wondered if it was fine to do this.

Raven leaned back into the sofa, utterly relaxed, arms draped around Clara and Selena, while Siris now sat on his lap, hugging him. "Mm. It’s to build his character."

Lia sighed. "You’re impossible."

Yet her lips quirked up when Raven gestured for her to come closer.

Unable to resist him, she walked forward, now sitting on the ground as her head rested on his lap.

As she did, one of his hands came down to brush a strand of her hair away from her face.

She melted instantly, cheeks coloring.

Graye groaned loudly. "Ugh, Lia, you like it when he’s impossible. Don’t pretend."

"Shut up!" Lia snapped, her ears burning.

Rufus clapped his armored hands together, his nano-suit flickering faintly. "Okay, okay, but jokes aside—boss-man, the nobles won’t show tonight. You scared the piss out of them. They know Nibbles will sniff them out."

Jessy nodded, arms crossed. "True. So what’s the plan? Empty chairs? A dramatic squirrel sitting on the throne?"

"That’d be badass," Alex said instantly. "Nibbles the Supreme! Long may he reign!"

Nibbles squeaked approvingly, puffing up his chest.

Raven smirked. "No, that’s exactly the point. They won’t show. Which means they’ll run. And when rats scatter..."

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "...that’s when you catch them."

A silence fell, sharp and heavy.

Jake finally spoke, his deep voice quiet but firm. "Shadows always move when light shines. We’ll be waiting in the dark."

Selena’s shadow rippled, twitching like a living pool beneath her feet. "And when they come crawling out of their holes..." Her eyes glowed faintly gold. "...my pets will devour them."

Clara laid her head against Raven’s shoulder, her voice soft and serene. "We’ll be the nightmare behind their fear."

"Nightmare, party, same thing." Graye cracked her knuckles, purple fire sparking to life around her fists. "I can’t wait."

Siris giggled, resting her chin on Raven’s shoulder, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Blood will flow~"

Then she raised her head and stared into Raven’s eyes. "Why don’t you leave the killing part to me? I’ll be delicate."

Everyone stared.

"You’re never delicate," Jessy deadpanned.

"I can be," Siris huffed. Then her smile turned sharp. "Sometimes."

Velric finally risked a whisper. "...You truly intend to bait them?"

Raven’s gaze flicked to him, sharp as a knife. Velric instantly straightened his arms higher, Nibbles squeaking angrily at the movement.

"Not intend," Raven said flatly. "Already did."

Omni chuckled in his low, streetwise drawl. "Ayo, boy, the trap’s set, cheese is laid, rats about to come gnawin’. All we gotta do is snap the jaws shut."

The group fell into a hum of anticipation.

Plans layered beneath plans.

Meanwhile, Raven leaned back again, ignoring the anxious king kneeling in the middle of the floor.

His hand rested casually in Selena’s. Clara snuggled closer into his shoulder, Lia shyly pressed her head on his lap, and Siris purred contentedly with her head still on his neck, giving occasional licks like a cat marking her territory.

The air in the hall was filled with equal parts tension, plotting... and the quiet, simmering affection of those bound to Raven in ways deeper than loyalty.

The night would be bloody, and the kingdom would shake.

But before the build-up could rise higher, Nibbles sneezed atop Velric’s head, then squeaked indignantly, as if declaring the obvious.

Others shook their heads, but Alex’s gaze turned serious.

"It’s a sign," he said, making every head turn to him. "Nibbles is the demon sniffer. He would never sneeze without a reason, as he has the power to sniff trouble."

Before anyone could say anything, he added, "Something is happening somewhere. It is something we must know, but we don’t."

The moment Alex said that, everyone groaned. Even Nibbles held his head as if saying, ’This guy’s the one who’s impossible.’

Alex, the red flagger, had spoken.

So, even if Nibbles’s sneeze meant nothing, now, something wrong would happen.

Or maybe it was already happening.

It was then—

A sharp knock-knock-knock echoed across the grand hall.

Everyone’s head snapped toward the tall double doors.

Then, slowly, every head swiveled back toward Alex.

The lava boy shrank in his seat, hands raised defensively. "Wha—hey, don’t look at me like that! I didn’t do anything! This is a coincidence!"

Nibbles squeaked, slapping his tiny paw against his own forehead.

Omni’s laughter crackled out of Raven’s arm. "Bruh, you cursed this whole palace the moment you opened your mouth."

Raven didn’t even sigh. His gaze slid lazily toward Velric, still kneeling with arms raised. "Go. See who it is."

Velric didn’t hesitate. He all but scrambled to the doors, threw them open—

Then froze.

A woman stood there. She had shoulder-length brown hair and sharp brown eyes. She was dressed plainly, but her posture screamed forced discipline.

"...Sinclair," Raven drawled, one brow arched. "Slave number one."

Her eyes flicked instantly to him, and though she bowed her head, there was no mistaking the flicker of resentment. "Master."

"Come in," Raven said, his voice smooth and unhurried.

He knew she still didn’t like working for him, or more like, calling him master, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

She was his slave.

Like a slave she was, Sinclair obeyed at once, her boots tapping softly against the marble.

Her gaze swept across the room—pausing when she saw Velric kneeling.

Raven smirked. "Ah. You haven’t met. Sinclair, this is slave number two. Velric."

The color drained from her face. "...The new king is your slave?"

Velric winced.

"Yep," Raven nodded.

Both of them were his slaves, and this was their first meeting, but there was one difference between them.

The seal used on Sinclair was one of the Vaise family’s ancient relics, while the one used on Velric was a peak mortal-grade item.

Sinclair’s slave seal could be erased by any level ten mortal, but Velric’s seal wouldn’t vanish unless a god were to step in.

Of course, Raven was also planning on using the eternal seal on Sinclair, but that was after listening to what she had come here to tell him.

Sinclair, who was gawking at Velric, shook her head, as her shock only lasted a heartbeat.

She had come here to deliver serious news.

She clenched her fists, forcing herself steady, and dropped to one knee before Raven. "Master—I didn’t come to gawk. There is news. Urgent news."

Everyone leaned forward, their expressions varying, but one of them had a different reaction.

Alex swallowed hard, visibly shrinking. "Please, please don’t say it’s bad..."

Sinclair looked directly at Raven.

"There has been a coup in the Vaise family. The patriarch has been overthrown."

The hall went silent.

Even Velric’s breath caught in his throat.