The walk back to the Imperial Capital was silent.
Imperial soldiers formed a protective perimeter around their group, but everyone kept glancing at Damien. Not with fear exactly – more like they were reassessing what they thought they knew about the minor noble from a regional kingdom.
The man who'd single-handedly slaughtered over a hundred demons in one night.
Seria walked on Damien's left, her mind clearly working through what she'd witnessed. The sheer number of corpses, the variety of killing methods, the evidence of sustained combat over hours. Her hand occasionally twitched toward him, then pulled back, as if she wanted to check if he was real.
Elara occupied his right side, her healer's senses extended. She'd already examined him for injuries – found dozens of cuts and bruises, all relatively minor considering what he'd faced – and was monitoring him with clear concern.
Neither had spoken since they'd left the forest.
