A week later, the Imperial Capital spoke of nothing else.
Rumors had spread faster than any official report.
In taverns, in markets, in noble corridors, and even within the churches, everyone repeated the same question.
Was he human… or a demon?
Some claimed that Lusian had destroyed an entire city by himself. Others spoke of shadows devouring soldiers and black beasts tearing through streets soaked in blood.
Most did not even know the truth.
They only knew the result.
The City of Peace had vanished.
And for the people, that was impossible to understand.
—Those people were peaceful…
—It was a sacred city…
—They say he even killed priests…
—That monster wiped everything out…
The versions changed every day.
But the fear kept growing.
And the Heralds took advantage of that immediately.
Although they knew the truth about the cult and the rituals hidden beneath the city, they did not care much.
Because beyond the tragedy… they had found an opportunity.
To get rid of Lusian.
Meetings began to be held behind closed doors. Nobles, high-ranking religious officials, and imperial representatives discussed the same topic over and over again.
Because fear was always easier to manipulate than truth.
And while the Empire slowly began to turn Lusian into a monster…
he remained locked away with Elizabeth, watching as the demonic miasma slowly advanced within her body.
The great throne hall was filled with a tense silence. Empress Naira stood upright, her fingers interlaced over the golden back of the throne. Every movement of hers was measured and elegant, but in her eyes burned something far more calculating.
Beside her, the Heralds observed Lusian with cold, judgment-filled gazes, like predators waiting for the exact moment to strike.
Lusian advanced slowly. Each step seemed to drag the weight of the last few days.
Umber's death still burned within him like an open wound, a void that no victory could fill. And above all was Elizabeth: unconscious, fragile, and with that darkness still moving within her body.
The fear was still there, silent and constant.
Was she still truly herself… or had the ritual already left something irreversible?
—Duke Lusian —Naira finally said.
Her voice was soft, almost delicate, but the power behind each word was impossible to ignore.
—We have observed your unusual effectiveness. Your method of action was decisive and intelligent.
She paused briefly as she studied him closely.
—Even admirable.
Naira's gaze never left him for a single moment, and Lusian felt a chill run down his spine. There was something dangerous in the way she spoke, in how she leaned slightly toward him, mixing authority, admiration… and something far more personal.
—However… —she continued, softening her voice even more—, a man like you also raises an inevitable question.
She slowly descended the throne steps.
The Heralds watched in silence, tense, but none dared interrupt her.
—To what extent can someone like you be controlled?
Naira stopped in front of him.
The distance between them had become too small.
—Sometimes discipline requires more… intimate methods.
The Heralds did not hide their discomfort.
One of them stepped forward, unable to remain silent.
—Duke Lusian —he said coldly—, the destruction of the City of Peace cannot be ignored. Thousands died. Your indiscriminate use of force has spread fear throughout the Empire.
His eyes hardened.
—How do you expect us to trust you after that?
Another Herald spoke immediately after.
—The rumors are already spreading. Some call you a savior. Others… a monster.
The third made no attempt to soften it.
—Even the gods themselves could demand judgment for such a massacre.
Lusian remained silent.
But his hands slowly clenched until his gloves creaked.
Umber's image appeared in his mind.
The final beat of his core.
Darkness retreating for a moment inside the temple.
And then Elizabeth.
Unconscious.
Fragile.
With that corruption still moving beneath her skin.
The weight in his chest became unbearable.
For the first time since the battle, he felt true exhaustion.
As if everything had begun to collapse at once.
Lusian kept his composure. His dark eyes swept across the audience with calculated coldness as the hall remained silent. Every word he spoke was measured. Every gesture contained.
—I did not make random decisions —he said firmly, without raising his voice—. Every person I eliminated had already given their loyalty to the demonic cult. The City of Peace had remained intact for decades while entire regions fell to attacks and disappearances. It never asked for help. It never suffered damage. It never allowed real investigations. That alone was already enough to suspect.
A councilor swallowed before responding.
—That… that is still not absolute proof. How can you distinguish an ordinary citizen from a cult member without making mistakes?
Lusian looked at him for a few seconds before replying.
—By their actions. By the marks engraved on their bodies. By the corruption in their auras. By the way they reacted to demonic mana. Signs you either never detected… or never wanted to detect.
The murmur spread through the hall.
Some nobles looked away. Others began whispering among themselves. Even several guards seemed uneasy, caught between the horror of the massacre and the evidence found within the city.
—If I had waited for authorization from this court —Lusian continued—, the ritual would have ended. Elizabeth would be dead. And you would still be calling a city built on human sacrifices "sacred."
The words fell like a slab over the hall.
The Empress remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
—Even so, your actions destroyed an entire city and broke Imperial law —she said calmly but tensely—. Why should we trust you will not act the same way against our own citizens?
Lusian did not respond immediately.
The silence grew uncomfortable.
His gaze lowered slightly, as if the memory of unconscious Elizabeth still stood before him. When he raised his eyes again, the coldness had returned.
—Because I do not kill innocents.
Pressure from his aura swept through the hall.
Not as an open threat.
But as an unavoidable truth.
—But if another place hides what that city hid… —he continued slowly— then I will do exactly the same thing again.
Several nobles paled.
One of the councilors even stepped back without realizing it.
The Empress watched him in silence. And for the first time since the trial began, she understood something the rest were only beginning to grasp.
Lusian was not justifying himself.
He was warning them.
—Because my only objective —he finally said, with a voice as firm and sharp as steel— is to protect the princess. And I will destroy anything that tries to harm her.
Silence spread across the entire hall.
Even the Heralds, whose authority rarely wavered, exchanged silent glances, carefully weighing every word they had just heard.
Empress Naira exhaled slowly before slightly lowering her head.
—Then, Commander Lusian —she finally said—, until Elizabeth awakens and we fully understand the consequences of the ritual… you will remain in command of the royal army.
She paused briefly.
Her gaze became more serious.
—But understand this: every one of your actions will be carefully observed and judged. The Empire will not tolerate abuse of power or unjustified executions within our borders.
Lusian slightly inclined his head.
He did not argue.
He did not respond.
He knew perfectly well that this appointment was not a reward.
It was a chain.
They were giving him absolute authority while trying to keep him under constant surveillance.
When Lusian was about to leave, the Empress slightly raised her hand.
An elegant gesture.
Firm.
Enough to stop even someone like him.
—I want to speak with you in private.
The Heralds exchanged uncomfortable looks, but none objected to the order.
Naira waited until the hall began to empty before speaking again.
—So… you really are a man capable of going to any extreme.
Her posture remained impeccable, fingers interlaced behind the throne, gaze fixed on him.
—Your efficiency… and your loyalty are exactly what this Empire needs right now.
Lusian did not respond.
Naira watched him for a few more seconds, studying that heavy presence that seemed to fill the entire room even in silence.
—The Empire needs someone capable of protecting what the gods abandoned long ago.
Her eyes hardened slightly.
—And you have proven to me that you can do it.
Then she slowly descended the throne steps.
—There is something I need to ask you, Lusian.
Footsteps echoed softly as they both left the main hall.
They crossed long corridors bathed in the light of sunset until they reached the elevated gardens of the Imperial Capital.
From there, most of the city could be seen.
Roofs covered in new vegetation.
Trees growing between ancient structures.
Flowers rising even between cracks in stone.
The Empire was still alive.
Tired.
Wounded.
But alive.
Naira stopped at the edge of the terrace.
She did not look at him when speaking.
Her attention remained on the city.
—There.
She pointed to a partially destroyed tower, now covered in white lilies.
—My father died there.
Lusian remained silent.
—He defended this city with his own hands.
Naira's voice remained calm, but beneath it lay an ancient exhaustion.
—There were no Heralds. The gods did not respond. The heroes had not yet appeared.
Her fingers slowly closed around the stone railing.
—And yet… he stayed.
The wind slightly moved her hair.
—A magical beast breached the walls. He could have escaped… but he chose to die protecting this Empire.
Lusian glanced at her.
For the first time, he did not see the Empress.
He saw a daughter who never had time to grieve.
—That day everything changed —Naira continued—. I went from being a protected child… to someone forced to hold an entire Empire together as it began to collapse.
She took a deep breath.
—I have seen nobles conspiring to weaken me. Heralds manipulating wars. Entire provinces losing faith in the crown.
Her voice lowered slightly.
—And I could not stop it.
Finally, she turned toward him.
There were no tears.
Only exhaustion.
—Maybe there will be no emperor after me.
Lusian held her gaze in silence.
He knew the truth behind those words.
He knew the gods' plans.
He knew what would eventually happen to the Empire.
Naira stepped closer.
There was no seduction in the gesture.
Nor hesitation.
Only determination.
—That is why I need to ask you for a favor, Lusian.
The distance between them narrowed slightly.
—One I cannot ask anyone else.
Her gaze did not waver.
—I need to ensure the continuity of the Empire.
A brief pause.
—The Empire needs a strong heir. Someone who does not depend on the will of the gods… nor on fragile Heralds.
The wind passed through the terrace in silence.
—Because this Empire will die without one.
She took a slow breath, letting her words settle.
—Heroes are useful for winning wars —Naira said while looking at the city— but not for building empires.
Lusian remained silent for a moment before asking calmly:
—And wouldn't a hero be more useful for that?
—Divine Blessings die with them. Their children are born normal… or worse. —Her fingers slowly brushed the stone edge— Heritable power works differently.
She finally looked at him.
—The mother defines how much power the child can withstand. The father defines what type of power will be inherited. That is why noble lineages existed long before heroes… and will continue after them.
Lusian understood where this conversation was heading.
—A bad pairing can destroy entire generations —Naira continued—. Incompatible elements. Broken affinities. Children without mana. Magical abortions. My family has spent centuries avoiding that.
Her gaze hardened slightly.
—Imagine a human. An omega without divine blessings, like your mother… she held Lusian's gaze only for a moment, but looked away upon seeing the sadness cross his eyes at that memory.
Lusian clenched his teeth. He understood too well what she was asking.
Naira noticed it, and her voice softened slightly:
—I am not asking for love. Nor loyalty. Nor your life. I am asking… to prevent my father from having died for nothing. To ensure this Empire does not disappear. And in return…
She stepped closer. Not with desire, but with purpose.
—I will support you in everything you need. Troops, artifacts, gold…
Lusian lowered his gaze. His heart burned, torn between Umber's memory, Elizabeth's unconscious body… and the responsibility weighing on his shoulders.
Naira, without moving, added in a whisper:
—I am not doing this for me, Lusian. I am doing it for everyone.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
When he spoke, his voice was deep. Broken, but firm.
Naira exhaled a faint sigh.
—I will wait for your answer.