CHAPTER 309: CHAPTER 308 - GROUP DISCUSSION.

The survivors in the lab were saved.

Raven and Siris, who had noticed those survivors whimpering in their cells, had freed them.

Of course, they were a bit confused at the survivors’ intense fear toward them, but they didn’t look too deeply into it.

They freed them, saw them meeting up with Hector’s soldiers, and then, they left the scene without a sound.

After all, they hadn’t done it for the credits.

However, that had all happened a day ago.

Right now, Raven and Siris were back in the Cradle.

Raven, for the first time since he had taken up the Vice-Patriarch’s position, wasn’t sitting on the Patriarch’s seat and doing some paperwork.

Raven was in the hall of the first-year professor’s wing, lounging on a comfy sofa that looked more like a cotton throne.

He looked calm, but the faint crimson glow in his eyes betrayed his mood.

However, he was still somewhat happy, as he could finally step away from all that paperwork.

Randolf, like Raven had guessed before, was now managing all the paperwork.

Still, Raven wasn’t alone in the hall.

Clara was pressed against his left side, her head resting lightly on his shoulder, serene as ever.

On his right, Selena sat upright, her posture perfect, parchment in hand, the glow of a strategist.

Siris was perched behind him, half-standing on her chair like a cat, her fingers lazily twirling strands of Raven’s hair while she hummed tunelessly.

At his feet, Lia knelt with her head pillowed on his lap, playing absentmindedly with the hem of his cloak as her quiet presence remained warm and steady.

It was a scene that would have sparked jealousy in kingdoms, yet here it was, treated as if it were normal.

Across from the five of them, the rest of the group had gathered around the war table.

Graye was sprawled in her sleek armor that hugged every curve, tapping her gauntleted fingers against the wood while smirking at Raven whenever he glanced her way.

Jessy sat properly, her arms crossed, studiously ignoring how close the four girls were to Raven.

Rufus had a piece of parchment half-unrolled, staring at it upside down, while Alex sat with his boots on the table until Nibbles smacked him with a nut from across the room.

As it always happens in situations like this, Omni’s voice drifted lazily in Raven’s mind, smooth as ever.

"Boss, you sittin’ there like a mob king with his harem generals. You gotta admit—it’s a look."

Raven didn’t answer. But the corner of his mouth twitched.

Selena cleared her throat, commanding attention like a queen at court.

"I’ve finished compiling the list of noble houses." She spread the parchment across the table with elegant precision. "As expected, the nobles who have been in contact with the Vaise family have chosen to fight the war with us. However..."

Then, her blue eyes hardened. "There are many who have chosen the demons instead. Some even started instigating their citizens to pick up arms, saying that the Kingdom was manipulating them, as the real demons were us."

Graye slammed her fist down, rattling the table. "Cowards! Should’ve expected it. Give them a blade, and I’ll lop their heads clean off. That’s all they deserve."

Jessy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Graye... you say that about everyone."

"Because it’s true!" Graye beamed, puffing out her chest in her armor. "Anyone who betrays Raven deserves the pointy end of my sword."

Selena ignored the interruption, her tone clipped.

"But the troubling ones are here—" she tapped her quill against a third column, "—the neutrals. They claim they will not take sides. Even now, when the demons push openly at our borders."

Raven’s brows furrowed. His voice was calm, but the words carried coldness. "There are still some trying to play the neutral card, huh? Even when everyone knows that this is a do-or-die situation."

Siris snorted from behind him, twirling another lock of his hair. "Maybe they think if they crawl low enough, the demons won’t notice their throats."

"Or," Clara murmured softly, "they’re waiting to see who wins before they commit."

"That’s worse," Raven muttered. His hand brushed Lia’s hair absently, his gaze locked on the names. "People who won’t stand until they’re forced aren’t allies. They’re parasites."

Omni chuckled in his mind.

"Careful, boss. That’s how you start makin’ lists of who to whack first."

Raven’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "...Maybe that’s not such a bad idea."

Lia tilted her head up from his lap, her voice quiet but firm. "If you want... I can ask the trees to listen. They might know what those families are doing in secret."

Selena actually gave her a rare, approving glance. "That would be useful."

Jessy leaned forward, arms on the table. "We should be careful, though. If they’re pretending neutrality while feeding information to the demons, it’ll be harder to expose them. We’d need proof before we move."

"Proof?" Graye scoffed. "I can smell treachery. That’s proof enough."

"Graye, you once accused a merchant of treason because he didn’t compliment your armor," Jessy deadpanned.

Graye gasped, scandalized. "It was treason! My armor deserved praise! It is something Raven brought for me!"

The group groaned collectively, but the tension was lowered. Even Raven’s frown eased.

Then Selena folded the parchment with finality. "We’ll deal with the neutrals soon enough. For now, there’s another matter."

Her gaze sharpened, directed at Raven. "Cluckles and the panther you sent into the Expanse... they’ve yet to return."

That silenced the table.

Even Nibbles stopped mid-nut toss, dropping it with a tiny thunk. He scrambled up onto Alex’s shoulder, holding up a small wooden sign he’d painted with quick strokes.

"Chicken & Kitty are missing. Send a search party?"

Raven had received reports that the corrupt beasts were showing strange behaviors again. They were all retreating, as if they didn’t want to engage in fights.

Even those who were known to be bloodthirsty had ignored the humans.

This had alerted Raven, as something like this had never happened before.

That was why both Cluckles and the panther, who were the ones who could sneak around the Ashen Expanse without getting caught, were sent.

Seeing Nibbles’s note, Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It’s been, what, two days? Cluckles is usually back by now. He’s a punctual chicken. Reliable. Noble. A real... poultry patriot."

Rufus groaned. "Please stop."

But Raven didn’t joke. His eyes narrowed. "If something happened to them in the Expanse..."

Lia reached up, placing her hand on his arm. "They’re strong. They’ll come back. But if not... then we’ll find them."

"Damn right we will!" Graye slammed her gauntlet down again. "If anyone laid a hand on our chicken or kitty, I’ll burn their whole family tree!"

Jessy muttered, "You’re terrifying when you talk like that."

Selena closed her eyes, her tone calm but resolute. "The Expanse has grown unstable since we left. If Cluckles and the beast are delayed, it may not be by chance."

Siris, who had been content to play with Raven’s hair, suddenly leaned down, her voice low and amused near his ear. "Don’t worry, Raven. If our chicken’s dead, I’ll just stab whoever did it until their whole bloodline begs for mercy."

Omni chuckled darkly.

"Boss, you’re sittin’ in a room where the chicken has more fanatics than most kings."

Raven exhaled slowly, his crimson eyes flickering. "...If they don’t return in the next two days, we’ll go searching for them."

That decision seemed to steady the group.

Graye grinned, Rufus nodded, and Alex and Nibbles exchanged a dramatic salute. Even Selena allowed herself a faint smile, while Clara squeezed Raven’s arm gently in quiet support.

The room had just begun to relax when Rufus suddenly let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

"You know... we’re all panicking about a chicken and a cat, but nobody’s noticed Jake is missing."

That earned him a round of blinks.

Alex scratched his head. "Well, to be fair... Jake’s so quiet most of the time that when people are talking, they kind of... forget he’s in the room."

Graye tilted her head. "...Wait. He’s not here?"

"Duh," Jessy groaned, rubbing her temples. "Did you really forget that he left a day ago with his father? They’re guarding Velric while enjoying some father-son time."

At the mention of the new king, the mood shifted again, tension seeping back in.

Selena’s quill tapped against the table. "That’s right. There was already an assassination attempt. If Velric falls so early, the entire kingdom will splinter."

"Exactly what the demons want," Clara murmured.

Raven leaned back, crimson eyes glinting faintly as his lips pulled into a sharp grin.

"Then it’s about time we reminded them—" his gaze swept over the group, "—they’re not the only ones who know how to cut throats in the dark."

Omni purred in his mind.

"Boss, that’s the spirit. Time to play their game—and play it better."

Raven’s grin only widened as he knew that it was time for them to deliver a significant blow to the demons.