novelraw Chapter 24 : The Lion Declawed
Chapter 24 : The Lion Declawed
The arena stank of blood and sweat. Father knelt on the stone floor, his breath ragged, his blade lying just out of reach.
Revingale stood over him, chest heaving, his lips curling into a triumphant sneer. He turned to the balconies where the Emperor and nobles looked on.
But before he could gloat further, mana surged like a storm.
Selene descended the stairs, her silver hair trailing behind her, eyes burning with fury. The air around her warped, heavy, each step carrying the promise of death.
“You dared,” she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. “You dared use filth magic to cripple him further. I should tear you apart where you stand.”
Revingale flinched, but then his cunning smirk returned. He raised his voice for all to hear, even bowing slightly in mock respect.
“This duel was between Darius Valemont and myself. Lady Selene, if you choose to intervene—if you kill me and my family because your husband lost—then what does that say? Should we not then abandon the Empire and bow directly to you instead?”
A ripple of gasps ran through the chamber. Several nobles nodded, whispering.
“He’s right. She’s overstepping.”
“Even the Emperor cannot allow her to wield power unchecked.”
“If Selene acts now, she’ll be a tyrant, not a protector.”
Selene’s magic swelled, the stone beneath her feet cracking, but she froze as the Emperor finally rose from his seat.
His voice cut like iron. “Enough.”
The chamber stilled. Even Selene’s fury wavered under the weight of his command.
The Emperor’s eyes swept over them, lingering on Father’s broken form, then on Revingale’s smug face. “The duel has been witnessed. The verdict is clear. By right of victory, Lord Revingale is the new Sword of the Empire.”
Revingale bowed deeply, though his smirk never left. “I thank Your Majesty for your wisdom.”
Then, with venom in his voice, he pressed further. “And what of Valemont? Surely a lion that cannot hunt has no place among the pride. Strip him of his house and title—cast him down, as his weakness demands.”
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Selene’s aura flared dangerously, but the Emperor raised a hand.
“No.” His tone was final, brooking no argument. “Darius Valemont will not be stripped. His honor remains intact. But the Empire can no longer sustain a weakened banner.”
His gaze turned, solemn and sharp. “Thus, the Valemont family will be moved to the borderlands. There, you will live not as lords of court, but as stewards of the frontier.”
Gasps filled the air. To the nobles, it was as good as exile. To Father, it was mercy.
Revingale’s smirk faltered, if only slightly. He bowed again, masking his frustration.
Selene clenched her fists until her knuckles bled, her fury barely chained. Elara’s shoulders shook as tears slid silently down her cheeks.
And I, clutching Selene’s skirts, stared at the HUD blinking mercilessly in my vision:
[Status Update: House Valemont – Relocation Ordered]
[Glory → Exile]
The Lion had not only fallen.
His pride was taken, his den cast out.
And though Selene’s fury could have leveled nations, she could do nothing—not here, not now—without destroying everything.
The decline of Valemont had begun.
The house was too quiet.
No servants whispered, no lamps burned bright. The air itself felt heavy, as if mourning alongside us.
Father sat alone in the main hall, his sword resting across his knees.
The firelight flickered across his face, but he didn’t look at it. He didn’t look at anything. His shoulders, once broad enough to carry battlefields, sagged under the weight of defeat.
He hadn’t spoken since the duel.
Selene stood near the window, her hands pressed to the glass so hard it cracked beneath her palms. Her shoulders trembled, her jaw clenched. Magic pulsed faintly from her body, warping the air.
“I should have killed him,” she whispered, voice hoarse. “I should have ripped that snake apart before he could speak.”
“Elara.”
The sound of muffled sobs drew my eyes to the corner. My sister sat curled up against the wall, her training blade still at her side. She tried to hide her tears, but they slipped through her fingers, staining the floor.
“He was still Father,” she cried. “Even cursed, even weak, he fought like the Lion! And they dared—dared to cheat him! Why didn’t anyone stop it?!”
Her voice cracked, and she slammed her fist into the wood, leaving a dent.
Father finally stirred. Slowly, painfully, he lifted his head. His voice was quiet, but it carried.
“Elara.”
She looked up, eyes red, trembling.
He smiled faintly, though blood still lingered at the corner of his lips. “A Valemont doesn’t bow—not even to humiliation. Not even to treachery. Do you understand?”
Her tears didn’t stop, but she nodded fiercely.
Selene turned, eyes wet, fury cracking into sorrow. She dropped to her knees beside him, clutching his sleeve. “Darius… they took everything. Our title, our honor, our place…”
He raised a trembling hand, brushing her cheek. “They can take our name, Selene. But they cannot take who we are.”
I sat quietly at Mama’s side, too small to speak, but my HUD whispered truths no one else could hear:
[Darius Valemont – Vitality: Declining]
[Curse: Progressing (Severe)]
[Selene Valemont – Emotional Stability: Critical]
[Elara Valemont – Resolve: Strengthening]
I clenched my little fists.
I didn’t fully understand politics or titles. But I understood this—my family was breaking.
And I swore, silently, to the flickering HUD in my vision:
I won’t let them shatter completely. Not while I’m here.