My Soul card is a Reaper
Chapter 806 - 806: The Seat of Judgment

The throne hall of the Garcia Palace hadn't changed much.

Still impossibly vast. Still filled with golden light pouring from the arched skylights above. The marbled floor reflected their footsteps like water. Great banners of the six great clans lined the walls: Starlight, Haze, Garcia, Silver, Ash, and Night, each stitched in spiritual thread that shimmered faintly as Azzy entered.

But the tension in the air was new.

Waiting in silence ahead were thirteen figures: the six Clan Lords stood on the left side, and the seven Pavilion Masters stood on the right side in silence. Their robes varied, some practical, some ceremonial, but all bore their respective clan insignias.

Azzy walked forward steadily.

Affea walked beside him, one step behind and to his left. She said nothing, but her presence was steady. Perhaps, she was walking beside him. She appeared more regal now, contrary to her usual laid-back attitude.

As they reached the throne, Azzy paused, scanning the Pavilion Masters.

His gaze sharpened for a moment.

Of the seven, only three bore familiar faces. The others were new. Young, mostly. And all of them are in rank 7.

He hadn't scanned their soul realms before. Now, when he did it, he also found that five of the six clan lords were rank 8 Arcana Masters. Only Avia Night is a rank-9 Arcana Master.

He said nothing until he sat down. His frame seemed relaxed, but his eyes were clear and commanding.

As he settled into the throne, he spoke. "I see four new faces," he said softly, voice carrying easily in the silent hall. "Introduce yourselves."

One of the new Pavilion Masters, a woman with silvery hair tied in a low knot, stepped forward. She bowed low. "Your Majesty, I am Nyra Starlight, Master of the Yellow Pavilion."

Next came a broad-shouldered man with eyes like jade and a calm voice. "Kael Haze, Master of Blue Pavilion."

A young woman followed, strikingly poised, her golden-red robes flowing behind her. "Elyra Garcia, Master of Indigo Pavilion."

"Oh, a Garcia?" Azzy's eyes flickered for a moment.

Lastly, a quiet, sharp-eyed elder with silver brows bowed with military precision. "Ruvan Silver, Master of Orange Pavilion."

Azzy nodded to each in turn. "Thank you for your introductions. You may go back to your places."

As they stepped back, he leaned forward slightly, fingers laced together. "I've heard quite a bit about the changes in the clan," he said. "Some things from the former Monarch… and more from my sister, Affea."

His eyes sharpened. "And I have just one question."

His tone was calm. But the room felt heavier all of a sudden, like even the walls were listening.

Azzy's voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence like a blade. "Why has the Clan of the Forsaken not been implemented?"

The words echoed in the chamber.

Several of the Pavilion Masters tensed. Some of the older Clan Lords shifted uncomfortably. Their heartbeats spiked up.

Azzy continued, "It was a project I left behind seventeen years ago. A promise made to those abandoned by their bloodlines. A place for those exiled by their clans, those disowned for reasons beyond their control. A second chance for those who repented."

He glanced across the hall.

"I personally allocated them the territory vacated by the Blood Clan after their dissolution. That land was cleared. Sanctioned. Resources were prepared."

His voice dipped, still calm, but colder now. "Instead… I return to find the Blood Clan compound labeled forbidden. And the Clan of the Forsaken? It has yet to be founded."

He met the eyes of every leader in the room, one by one. "Why?" He asked.

The silence hung in the throne hall like a noose tightening.

Fortunately, it didn't last for long, as a voice finally broke through.

"After you left…" said Avia Night, Matriarch of the Night Clan. Her voice carried no apology or even an ounce of expression. "I brought it up with the acting monarch, your father, Lord Vesyrn. At that time, he promised it would be implemented."

She folded her hands behind her and continued. "But in the next high council meeting, the other clan lords spoke against it."

Her eyes slid to the side, toward the other lords, who now looked very interested in anything but eye contact. "Lord Vesyrn put it to a vote, and the decision was against in favor of 5-1. The policy was abolished as a result."

Several of the other Clan Lords gave her sharp glances. But Avia seemed like she didn't care. After all, she was the only one to acknowledge the policy despite the fact that the Night Clan had the most number of exiles of any clan, due to their rigid rules.

Azzy leaned back slightly in the throne. His gaze didn't move from her. "Fine," he said after a pause. "I gave my father the power of full authority while I was gone. That included the right to abolish any policy I had introduced. If I question it, that is the same as questioning my own authority."

Then his eyes slid slowly to the rest of the Clan Lords, who breathed in relief.

"But I do have a question. Why did you all oppose it when you accepted it seventeen years ago?" Azzy asked.

Once again, their breaths hitched.

No one answered again.

Azzy watched them for a moment longer, then gave a faint, humorless chuckle, "Yeah… I guess it really is respect out of fear, after all."

Affea stiffened beside the throne, her fists curling subtly.

Azzy continued, voice level but laced with cold clarity. "You thought of me as a seventeen-year-old brat back then, didn't you? Stronger than any of you, sure, but just a kid. A fluke. Someone who didn't know what he was doing. Not someone worth listening to."

The lords said nothing.

Azzy gave a small, dry exhale and shook his head. "I can understand those thoughts. I do. After all… just before that, I defeated a Demigod. Then I expelled three of the major clans from the village without giving you a detailed explanation."

He looked at each of them again, closer now. His gaze turned sharper as she continued. "I didn't ask. I didn't consult. I made a judgment, and it was final. Maybe you thought I was arrogant. But then again, you lacked the strength to fight me. So you played along until I was gone… and then you did whatever you wanted anyway."

He leaned forward again, resting one elbow on the armrest, gaze cool and unwavering. "Is that the case?"

Still, no one spoke.