Damon had no idea what the guy was talking about but luckily the man continued to talk, explaining everything.

"I have more bad news. The Crescent Moon clan is also joining the attack. The other three clans are still currently neutral but I think there is more to it. If Blood Gods have finally made a move, then they wouldn't do it without adequate preparations. Most likely there should be another clan joining them."

Blood Gods huh? Damon kept his expression neutral, though internally he almost choked on the irony. He folded his hands loosely atop the table and nodded for the man to continue.

"The Frost Veil and Ember Court remain officially neutral… but their silence is unnatural. It is highly likely that one of them had joined the Blood God."

A ripple of unease spread through the hall.

A silver-haired woman leaned forward slightly. "If the Blood Gods have truly moved, then this is no mere border war. This is a purge. They are coming for our whole court. They are hellbent on taking care of all of us." She then let her gaze wander around the table.

Damon frowned. So that was it. This wasn't simply a military confrontation. This was a coordinated multi-clan destabilization. If the Blood Gods had acted openly, they must believe the throne was vulnerable.

Which meant… Either this ruler had recently shown weakness… Or someone had convinced the clans that he had. This combined with the way the silver-haired woman spoke, there should at least be one or more traitors sitting around the table. He was sure of it.

Damon tapped his finger once against the armrest. "It's fine. Let them come. We can handle it."

"Pah!" Someone scoffed. "Sure, we can handle it. We will handle it and then be on our way to our eternal slumber." Another person openly commented.

Damon did not say anything but the silver-haired woman spoke on his behalf. "Shut up, Fren. You are to respect his highness and respect this court. You cannot-"

"Oh spare me, Lysandra." The man called Fren did not even bother to rise. He leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed lazily over the other. "We are past formalities," he continued coolly. "If the Blood Gods have moved, then there is no point for these formalities, is there?"

His gaze slid slowly toward Damon. "Are you expecting me to stay and fight alongside this good for nothing prince and lose my life? What for? Did I ask him to live his life as a wastrel? Or did I assassinate the Emperor and the crown prince? Don't you dare point your finger at me! I have stayed loyal to this clan for centuries. I was born and raised here."

"I was born and raised here too," another voice rang out.

A broad-shouldered man in dark red robes pushed back his chair halfway. His armor-thread shimmered faintly as his temper flared. "We all were," he added. "We bled for this court. We expanded its borders. We crushed rebellions. And now we are told to march into certain annihilation because his highness neglected his duties?"

Fren seized the momentum. "Exactly," he said, spreading his hands. "This is not about loyalty. This is about survival." His eyes slid toward Damon again. "Maybe his highness should consider transferring his duties to someone else. Maybe then we might stand a chance."

The entire table immediately erupted into a heated discussion.

"Outrageous!"

"Transfer the throne? Are you mad?!"

"He has not even answered the accusation…"

"This is not the time for succession games…"

"If anyone is worthy of possessing that power, then it should be me. I have served this court for the longest. I have the most military accolades."

Damon silently listened to the chaos without showing any expression on his face. Thanks to the zero respect these guys showed for him, he was able to learn many things. The most important one being that they were currently under attack.

And the second most important one that the throne his character was sitting on held some sort of power. To clear this golden memory world, he probably needed to know how to use that power properly.

Also… where the hell was Necrogod?

Damon closed his eyes and tuned out of the chaos for a moment, reaching for the familiar bond between him and his follower. Coincidentally, he was able to sense not one but two. One was strong and very close to him while the other was weak, extremely weak but still there.

He tried probing the weak one first but he couldn't reach the other person. He couldn't even tell who he was trying to connect to. It was most probably Mark or Kate as they were the only two of his followers who had participated in the event along with him.

This was both good news and bad news. Good news was that Damon could potentially dive into the next world with both Necrogod and Kate or Mark. The bad news being they would have to somehow survive until he got to them. He really needed to hurry up.

Without wasting any further time he contacted Necrogod. "Give me a few minutes and I will explain everything to you." Came the immediate reply.

Damon frowned. It looked like things were a little complicated. He looked up and saw the silver-haired woman staring at him silently while the rest of the table were still arguing over the throne and who had the right to sit on it.

"Come with me." Damon stood up. He didn't look at Fren. He didn't look at the broad-shouldered war hero who had just volunteered himself as successor. He looked only at the silver-haired woman, Lysandra.

The hall doors shut behind them with a heavy thud. The noise of arguing nobles dulled instantly, swallowed by thick stone corridors. The palace interior was colder than the chamber had been. Lysandra walked half a step behind Damon.

"You are different today." She looked at him in puzzlement.

"Imminent death can do that to a person." Damon simply answered. "Let's talk about more important things. I need you to tell me everything you know about the power that rests with the throne."