Time soon passed, and with the awakening of their abilities, the next part of their journey was particularly eventful.

No bandits, no monster attacks, no cultists, for a while, Damien even had begun to imagine if such peaceful times could last forever.

Now ten days later, the carriage rumbled to a halt on the outskirts of Gravestone.

Unlike their arrival six months ago, when the town was bustling with merchants, adventurers, and the chaotic noise of a border trade hub, the silence now was deafening.

"Something is wrong," Lyra whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for the empty air where her Phantom Bow would materialise.

Damien peered through the carriage curtains.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in a bruised purple hue.

Usually, this was the time when the taverns opened, and the nightlife began. But the streets were empty. Shops were boarded up.

The only movement came from patrols of heavily armoured guards, guards who weren't wearing the local militia crest, but the Royal Army insignia.

"Martial Law," Damien noted, his eyes narrowing. "The Empire has tightened its grip."

"Young Master, look," Isabelle pointed to a wooden notice board near the town gate.

It was plastered with layers of paper, but one poster dominated the rest. It featured a rough sketch of a silver-haired man with a jagged scar, Theron Voss.

[WANTED: THERON VOSS & ALL VOSS KIN]

[CRIME: TREASON, DEMON WORSHIP, GENOCIDE]

[REWARD: 10,000,000 GOLD - DEAD OR ALIVE]

Damien stared at the poster. Seeing it with his own eyes hit harder than hearing it from Aelinor.

'genocide? Those bastards, I'm sure they pushed my dad to the edge before he made this decision'

Muttering inwardly, both from the original novel and interacting with him in real life, Damien knew that his father wasn't one to do something like this without absolutely needing to

These empire bastards probably did something unforgivable.

"We can't enter through the main gate," Damien said, pulling his hood low to hide his silver hair. "They are checking IDs. If they see me and sense Voss' mana, the alarm will go off instantly."

"We'll go to the Fortress," Leona grunted, adjusting her new gauntlets. "That's where Barnaby and Cipher should be."

"Agreed. Alfred, take the side road. Let's see what they've built."

…................

[The Former Slaver Fortress]

The carriage navigated the back roads, avoiding patrols until the looming silhouette of the Slaver Fortress appeared against the night sky.

It looked different. The broken gate Damien had ordered Isabelle to smash six months ago was repaired, reinforced with black iron and strange, glowing runes. The walls were higher.

But what surprised Damien most were the guards.

Standing at the entrance were not humans, but Demi-Humans. A Wolf-kin with a scar across his snout and a towering Bear-kin holding a massive club.

"Halt!" The Wolf-kin barked as the carriage approached. "This is private property of the Golden Coin Merchant Guild. Trespassing is not allowed."

"Golden Coin?" Damien raised an eyebrow. 'Barnaby gave it a nice name. Great!.'

Thinking of this, he stepped out of the carriage still wearing the Elven Cloak given by the Queen, his face hidden in shadow.

"I'm looking for the manager," Damien said calmly. "Tell his saviour is here."

"The Manager sees no one," the Bear-kin growled, stepping forward to block the path. "Leave, or we break your legs."

Leona, seeing a fellow beast-kin threaten her lord, let out a low growl. Her Berserk Aura flared, a red mist leaking from her armor.

"You want to break legs?" Leona stepped down, the ground cracking under her boot. "Try it, teddy bear."

The guards flinched. They sensed the difference in power instantly. This wasn't a normal beast-kin; this was a predator.

"Wait! Stop! You idiots!"

A panicked shout came from the top of the wall.

The massive iron gate creaked open, and a chubby figure in a silk robe came running out, panting heavily, followed by a shadow that seemed to glide over the ground.

Barnaby and Cipher.

"Boss! Boss, you're back!" Barnaby yelled, waving his hands frantically at the guards. "Stand down! Are you blind? That's the Owner!"

The guards froze, looking from the terrifying Leona to the calm silver-haired boy.

Cipher appeared next to Damien in a blur of motion, bowing deeply. "Young Master. We knew you would come back soon; however, we didn't expect you so soon."

"We made good time," Damien smiled. "It seems you've been busy. Demi-human guards? A merchant guild? Not bad."

"We have much to report," Cipher said, his voice low. "Please, come inside. It isn't safe out here. The Inquisitors are sniffing around every shadow."

….............…

[Inside the Fortress - Command Room]

The interior of the fortress had been transformed. The cages were gone, replaced by warehouses stacked with crates. The torture chambers were now offices. It looked less like a prison and more like a headquarters.

Damien sat at the head of the table. Isabelle, Lyra, and Leona stood behind him. Alfred stood by the door, invisible to the untrained eye.

Barnaby was sweating, wiping his forehead with a silk handkerchief.

"Boss, it's been chaos," Barnaby started, his voice trembling slightly. "Ever since the... incident... at the Capital, the whole Empire has gone mad."

"The Voss Family incident," Damien said, his finger tapping the table.

"Yes," Cipher took over. "The official story is that Theron Voss summoned a Demon God to assassinate the Emperor. The Capital was destroyed. The Voss Manor was obliterated by the Royal Army and the Guild Association."

"Lies," Damien said calmly. "But effective lies."

"The Second Prince has declared martial law," Cipher continued. "He is purging anyone connected to the Voss family. Nobles, merchants, even distant relatives. They are being rounded up and executed publicly in the squares."

Isabelle gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "Executed?"

"It's a witch hunt," Lyra muttered, her face grim.

"Boss," Barnaby leaned forward. "The economy is crashing. People are terrified. But... that's good for us"

"Desperate people buy information. They buy protection. The Black Thread, or the 'Golden Coin' as we call it publicly, has grown massive. We have eyes all over the city!"

"Adding to the freed slaves from before, we have a lot of hands on deck"

"Good," Damien nodded. "We will need those hands."

He looked at his two subordinates. They looked terrified, not just of the Empire, but of the situation.

"Barnaby. Cipher," Damien said softly.

They looked up.

"You're wondering why I'm not surprised. You're wondering why I'm so calm despite the empire being in so much chaos."

He stood up. He reached up and pulled his hood down, revealing his silver hair and piercing blue eyes.

His shadow mana flaring right behind

The room went silent.

Barnaby's jaw dropped. Cipher's eyes widened.

"About that," Damien smirked, the Golden Dragon Aura flaring slightly, making him look like a king reclaiming his throne.

"I'm actually a Voss. In fact... I'm the current heir, to be exact."

He leaned over the table, his smile widening into something predatory.

"So, gentlemen. What are you going to do?"

For these two who he had not given the contract gem to, their next reaction would decide if they were worthy to join him or be eliminated on the spot.

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