CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER 316 - HOW TO SAVE EVERYONE.

Raven didn’t want Marquise Colombore to die. That wasn’t a part of his plan.

He wasn’t planning on killing any of the neutral nobles, as they hadn’t done anything wrong. They were merely people who didn’t want to fight because this fight had nothing to do with them.

Yes, they were ignorant for thinking like that, but ignorance didn’t warrant death.

He was going to brand them all with his personal slave seal, and although it made him no different than the demons, he wasn’t trying to make them his eternal slaves.

He was merely trying to ensure that he wouldn’t get betrayed when the war started in earnest.

Now, however, things had taken an unexpected turn.

As said before, he didn’t want Marquise Colombore to die, but now that he was dead, he couldn’t deny the profits it would bring him.

With that one death, Raven would gain people who would be willing to fight the demons along with him and would be loyal to the cause.

There was no doubt that he would lose some of the neutral faction nobles, as not everyone would decide to fight for the right cause, and some might turn to the demons, but it didn’t matter.

He already had another plan underway—one that would mess up the whole demon faction.

But before that move, Raven had to ensure the safety of the nobles who supported him.

So, without thinking much, he returned to the capital and gathered his group for a meeting.

Now, the meeting hall inside Velmoria’s royal castle was silent, save for the faint drip of wax from the candelabras.

Raven leaned back against the high seat, crimson eyes half-lidded, his presence heavy enough that even the stone walls seemed to bow beneath it.

The kidnapped nobles were gone—returned to their homes unconscious, each one lying carefully in their own bed.

By now, they would be stirring, touching their temples, wondering if the memory of being dragged into a nightmare chamber had only been the product of some fever dream.

Raven had decided that he wouldn’t need to enslave them anymore.

It was then that the silence was broken.

"They’ll wake thinking it was nothing more than a bad dream," Selena said calmly, her fingers tracing the rim of her goblet. Her voice was smooth, but her eyes—blue as still waters—glinted sharp with calculation. "Doing it before they regained their consciousness was the best bet."

Velric, the king, shifted uncomfortably on his throne. His knuckles were white against the carved lion heads of the armrests.

The mere presence of Raven and Selena was enough to make him sweat—both of them could make him feel excruciating agony with a flicker of will.

So, he didn’t dare interrupt.

"But," Clara added, her voice steady, always the balancing force in Raven’s storms, "the problem isn’t their panic. As Raven said, it’s their safety. Not just theirs, but also the other nobles who are willing to fight the demons."

Jessy, sprawled on her chair, rubbed her chin. "Demons know where they live, so it won’t be hard to kill them like they killed Marquise Colombore. We can’t be everywhere at once."

Jake gave a small nod. "We’re only ten." His deep voice rumbled low, thoughtful. "Eleven, counting Nibbles."

The squirrel on Alex’s shoulder snapped his tiny paw open. A sign unfolded between his claws in neat handwriting: "Don’t underestimate me, peasants."

Graye giggled, her armor glinting faintly in the firelight. "Honestly, Nibbles might count more than half of us combined. But Jake’s right. The demons will keep picking them off if we scatter."

Hearing all that, Rufus raised his hand.

"Go ahead," Raven nodded.

"Why don’t we use the Vaise family’s elders right now? We have more than sufficient elders to guard every noble in the kingdom."

Rufus’s question made everyone frown, as it was true. They could do it.

Raven, however, shook his head.

But before he could speak, Jessy replied. "The Vaise family is strong because they are a group of strong men gathered together. If a demon were to attack, they would all jump on it."

Seeing that every eye was on her, she straightened up a bit. "If we were to scatter the Vaise elders, then we would merely be giving the demons a chance at the strongest family’s forces."

Raven nodded as he saw everyone finally understand the severity of the situation.

"Yes." He leaned back in his seat. "We can’t use our family. They are the last defense of the kingdom when the war begins."

Silence followed. The weight of the problem pressed against them like the humid heaviness before a storm.

Then, unexpectedly, Alex raised his hand.

Everyone turned, and before Raven could tell him not to say anything—

Alex blinked. "Uh... It might be a dumb question, but I still want to ask: why don’t we... bring them all here?"

The chamber stared at him.

Selena tilted her head, incredulous. "You mean... every noble who supports Velmoria against the demons? Inside the castle?"

"Yeah." Alex shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "Like, if we can’t protect them out there, just... keep them where we can. One place. Easy."

The silence thickened. Then, unexpectedly, Omni’s tattoo flared along Raven’s hand, the sword’s amused voice spilling out.

"Yo, that’s so stupid... It’s genius. Kid’s onto somethin’, boss."

Clara’s brows lifted. Siris leaned forward, dagger twirling in her fingers, bloodlust gleaming in her grin. "Yes. Keep them all together. If demons come, we slaughter them in one place."

Lia stroked a small vine curling around her wrist, her voice soft but oddly bright. "Plants would like it too. Easier to protect a single garden than a hundred scattered weeds."

Graye clapped her armored hands together, sending an echo through the hall. "Alex, that’s actually brilliant!"

Velric nearly shot out of his throne. "W—Wait! The nobles... in my castle? That’s absurd! The royal castle isn’t an inn for anyone to—"

Raven’s gaze snapped to him. The king’s words died in his throat, his jaw locking as if unseen talons had closed over it.

"It’s desperate," Raven said quietly. "But desperate times call for desperate measures. If they stay here, they would be protected and watched."

Selena smiled faintly. "Besides, Your Majesty... the castle will finally serve its purpose: sheltering Velmoria’s heart, not just its crown."

Velric swallowed hard when he heard her say, ’Your Majesty.’

He wanted to argue—but with the weight of Raven’s crimson eyes and Selena’s icy presence crushing him, he only managed a shaky nod.

Rufus leaned back with a laugh, shaking his head. "Leave it to Alex. Dumbest ideas always end up being the smartest."

Alex puffed his chest, grinning proudly. "Hey, sometimes dumb saves lives."

The chamber quieted again, but the atmosphere had shifted. The plan was absurd and unorthodox—but it was also unshakably solid.

The nobles would be gathered. Protected.

Then, any demon foolish enough to strike at Velmoria’s castle... would be walking into the lion’s den.

Raven’s crimson gaze swept over his companions, then the trembling king.

"Good. Then it’s decided."

...........................

The next morning broke with a sky the color of ash, the kind of dawn that promised storms before the day was done.

In the capital, the Vaise family’s network moved with invisible precision. Couriers in plain garb vanished down alleys, cloaks hiding the crests stitched on the inside of their collars. Whisperers slipped through taverns, hands brushing across tables to drop sealed letters into waiting palms.

A ring of crows, bound by small charms of light, circled above the city, each bird carrying fragments of coded parchment to distant estates.

Within hours, every noble who had already pledged to stand with Velmoria against the demons would awaken to the same message:

’Gather at the Royal Castle.

Your loyalty will be rewarded with safety.

And your strength will become Velmoria’s shield.’

No names were signed, only the seal of the Vaise family, etched in blood-red wax.

That alone was enough to ensure obedience.

Inside the castle, Raven stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. He could already see the ripple effect—the stirrings of carriages being prepared and the rise of dust on the roads beyond the capital walls.

The nobles would come. They had to.

Behind him, Selena approached, the light catching in her silver hair as her voice cut through the morning hush.

"The neutral faction is said to be holding a meeting right now. What do we do about them?"

"Ignore them for now," Raven said, eyes narrowing at the horizon. "But as soon as it is decided how many of them will be moving to our side, we will move. Immediately."

Clara joined them from behind, her presence as calm as always. "And if they turn to the demons?"

Raven didn’t answer immediately. His gaze shifted to the towers, where the Vaise elders stood watch like carved statues of stone and steel.

"That," he said at last, voice low, "would be the last decision they would make."

Selena and Clara exchange a glance, knowing that at least two or three houses were going to lose their heads.

Below, the courtyard filled with the first carriages—banners of minor houses fluttering, armored guards riding in wary silence.

It was a noble who was closest to the capital, and he came not alone but with his family.

Confusion and suspicion would no doubt greet the summons, but it didn’t matter. Once they were inside these walls, safety or a cage would no longer be theirs to choose.

"Looks like we would need new rooms," Clara muttered, as she could tell that every noble would come with their family.

Raven leaned forward, rubbing his chin. "Call for all the earth mages we can gather and start the construction."

"Alright."

Clara left with those words, and Selena, watching the palace’s courtyard, had her lips curved faintly as she watched the nobles arrive. "One lion’s den, just as Alex said."

Raven’s crimson eyes hardened as he smirked. "And when the demons come... It’ll be their grave."