Within the Griffith empire, there were three kingdoms ruled by the three great Dukes of the land. The first kingdom was Valtheris, ruled by Duke Hail, the only Duke without magic in the entire kingdom.
Lanker Village was within La Gris City, the territory of the Ross family and also one of the numerous territories that belonged to the Hail.
The Hail family were the ones who replaced the Ross family over half a millennium ago. It was a supernatural family of werewolves that had proven themselves to the empire in numerous situations.
At first, they were considered worthy allies and the empire's defense against the supernatural world. Over time the relationship between the two improved to the point where they were invited into the kingdom and given the title of Duke.
Now the Ross family served directly under them.
Astravia was the name of the second kingdom, ruled by Duke Light. The Light family was known for their extraordinary affinity towards the light element.
Duke Light was one of the four Cardinals of the holy church and the empire's connection to the divine church. He was a key figure in the Griffith Empire and his worth was no less than that of Duke Hail.
Finally, there was the Thalrune kingdom, home to the famous Stonehammer family. This ancient family had existed since the early days of the empire and Damon was familiar with them.
This family was known for its highly skilled forge masters, alchemists, crystal smiths, and rune smiths. Anything that involved the creation of items relevant to the world like potions and magic weapons came from them.
This family was the wealthiest and oldest family in the empire, rumoured to be even wealthier than the Royal family. Their connections were vast, stretching beyond the empire and involving other races.
They were the most powerful of the three Dukes and if there was a higher noble position beyond the Duke level they would have attained it already.
The Festival of the Radiant Heir took place every five years. It was a celebration where all noble family children had to compete in various tests of skill, intellect, and power. The event was a grand spectacle that drew nobles from across the land, as it not only celebrated the prowess of the noble heirs but also reinforced the status of their families.
The purpose of the event was to showcase the next generation of nobility and their skills. It was also aimed at fostering rivalries and alliances between noble houses. To many, it was just an opportunity for each family to demonstrate their power and the strength of their lineage.
While it has always been a glorious event for the top noble families, it was hell for the lesser families. The event was another opportunity for their heirs to take a beating and be told why they were of a lower noble bloodline.
The festival took place in all three kingdoms of the empire, making sure no one was left out.
Glaring at the ancient walls of Valtheris Kingdom Damon couldn't help but reminisce about the past. This city was once the capital of the empire, the first foothold that was built by the human race during that century, and the Ross family were its guardians.
If Damon hadn't died during that era, he was certain the Ross family wouldn't have fallen this badly.
Sigh!
Damon let out a heavy sigh before looking at those in the carriage. Blink was seated like a statue next to Damon while Lord Ross and Cedric Ross chatted away merrily about stupid things Damon didn't want to know about.
The family seemed so relaxed and excited because they had Damon as their representative.
'If I didn't join their family I would have been charging them heavily for my services. Lucky bastards.' Damon cursed.
{For a deity you are really impatient. It's sad seeing the mighty God of Death getting irritated because he doesn't wait in line like others for a security check.} The voice countered.
Damon was only annoyed because their carriage was one of ten carriages waiting in line for a security check-up. Each carriage carried a noble family banner, but that wasn't enough to get them into the Duke's territory without proper searching.
After an hour, their carriage was finally allowed into the city, and they drove straight to one of the most popular inns in the city.
Pride Inn…
This Inn was owned by the Hail family and was the best in the city. As an Inn owned by a Duke family it was massive, literally a well-guarded castle.
It provided the best cuisines in the Kingdom, and a steady information inflow about everything and anything going on at the time. Most importantly, it provided quality protection.
As long as one stayed in the Inn all through their stay, they had nothing to worry about even if the entire city was burnt to the ground.
While there were normal beasts and Magic beasts, the most feared monsters in this world were supernatural beasts. Damon once had an army of dark beings in his past life and even created a group known as the Palace of the Dead.
He has vampires as his closest generals, fox spirits, basilisks, and everything dark lurking in this world. The Hail family played a major role in the defeat of his undying army.
In the end, they reached Damon and killed him.
The Palace of the Dead was at the peak of Blood Mountain, located at the center of the continent, surrounded by the great empires. After his death, the group lost its leader and disbanded when its core members went into hiding.
Blood Mountain was now the headquarters of the holy church. This realization infuriated Damon, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
Knowing his core members they must be waiting for his return. Damon believed that some of them would be crazy enough to hide within the territory of the Hail family.
Sometimes the safest place is within the enemy's stronghold, where they least expect you to be.