CHAPTER 167: HOUSE DORIAN
The message left the Domain before the flames settled.
Not through sound.
Not through transmission arrays or carrier beasts or any of the ordinary methods lesser houses relied upon.
The moment the Marquis released her authority from Erasmus, the fire beneath the throne had already begun changing, condensing inward before splitting into countless thin crimson threads that disappeared directly into the fabric of the realm itself.
A summons.
One that bypassed distance entirely.
The elders standing below the throne understood what that meant immediately, and for the first time since Erasmus arrived, true unease spread across their expressions because messages of this level were never sent lightly.
Not unless the balance between Houses had already begun shifting.
The old woman at the half-step Domain stage slowly lowered her gaze.
The heat around her skin still trembled faintly from the earlier clash, yet compared to the thought now forming in her mind, that backlash no longer mattered.
A dead World Seed realm had evolved.
And worse..someone had hidden its existence long enough for it to begin devouring other realms unnoticed.
That alone implied a scale of secrecy capable of bypassing the surveillance of Marquis Houses themselves.
Which meant one thing.
Either a higher House was involved.
Or something had already grown beyond their control.
—
The Marquis remained seated upon the throne of crimson flame for several moments before her gaze shifted toward the gathered elders below.
"Elder Vael."
The old woman immediately stepped forward, lowering her head slightly.
"My Lady."
"Seal this chamber."
The words descended calmly, yet the entire Domain reacted violently to them as countless streams of fire surged across the skies above, weaving themselves into massive burning formations that began locking the realm layer by layer.
"No one enters," the Marquis continued. "No one leaves. Not even transmission echoes are to pass through these walls without my authority."
The surrounding elders stiffened.
That level of lockdown was reserved for war.
Or treason.
The Marquis' eyes swept across them slowly.
"And hear me clearly."
The heat throughout the Domain deepened.
"If even fragments of today's discussion reach another House before I permit it… I will personally erase the bloodline responsible."
Silence.Absolute silence.
No one doubted her.
At the Domain Expansion stage, exterminating an elder family was not difficult. Entire cities could disappear overnight beneath a fully unleashed Domain.
The elders lowered their heads immediately.
"We understand."
The Marquis waved her hand once.
The Domain folded.
One by one, the elders vanished into streams of crimson light before disappearing from the chamber entirely, leaving behind only four figures beneath the endless sea of fire.
The Marquis.
Erasmus.
Frigga.
And the woman who had remained behind the throne since the beginning.
The atmosphere changed instantly after the others disappeared.
Quieter,Sharper.
Frigga's expression darkened beneath her blindfold as she stared directly at the Marquis without restraint, the pressure around her body fluctuating violently despite the difference in cultivation between them.
The Marquis noticed.
"Correct your gaze, little one."
Her voice carried neither anger nor warmth.
"I am not punishing your brother."
Her eyes shifted briefly toward Erasmus before returning to Frigga.
"I am containing information that could destabilize every Marquis House within the northern territories. Surely even you understand the difference."
Containing information?
Erasmus laughed.
A low Tired,Mocking laugh
Containing information?
Erasmus laughed.
The sound echoed strangely inside the burning Domain as he slowly lifted his head, blood still dripping from the chains embedded through his shoulders.
The Marquis' eyes narrowed.
Yet before she could speak, Erasmus turned his gaze past her.
Toward the woman standing silently behind the throne.
"Go on, he said softly. Aren't you going to say anything… sister-in-law?
The chamber fell silent.
Several miles away, the crimson flames shifted uneasily across the Domain walls as though even the realm itself understood the weight behind those words.
The woman's expression tightened faintly.
For the first time since entering the chamber, her composure cracked.
Only slightly.
But Frigga saw it immediately.
Saw the hesitation in her eyes.
Saw the guilt.Then it vanished.
Just as quickly as it came.
"Erasmus," she said quietly, "please try to understand. We are only trying to..
"Do not speak to me about understanding
His voice cut through hers instantly.
The temperature inside the Domain dropped.
Every elder had already left, yet the pressure inside the chamber somehow became heavier than before.
Erasmus slowly forced himself upward.
The chains binding his body tightened violently in response, crimson fire digging into his flesh as blood ran freely down his arms.
Yet he still stood.
The Marquis' pupils contracted slightly.
Because he should not have been able to move.
Not under full Domain suppression.
Not while restrained directly by her authority.
Yet Erasmus took a step anyway.
Then another.The chains screamed.
Flames exploded across his skin.
Still,he walked.
Frigga's fists clenched tightly beneath her sleeves as she watched him stop directly before the woman.
Only inches separated them now.
"You speak of caution, Erasmus said quietly, "while my brothers die on the battlefield protecting this house.
The woman's breathing grew uneven.
"You speak of containment while elders sit comfortably behind walls debating whether the danger is worth acknowledging."
The chains dug deeper.
Crimson fire spread across Erasmus' chest and neck, enough heat to reduce Manifest cultivators to ash instantly.
He ignored it.
"To think," he continued softly, "that the moment my brother died… you finally stopped pretending.
The woman's lips parted slightly.
But no words came out.
Frigga looked between them silently.
Then slowly..her gaze shifted toward the Marquis.
And for the first time since Erasmus arrived…something cold appeared in her expression.
Erasmus noticed.
A faint smile touched his face before he finally turned away from the woman.
His eyes settled on the Marquis seated upon the throne of crimson flame.
"You wanted honesty?
The flames around the Domain pulsed violently.
Erasmus smiled wider.
"Well…His voice lowered.
"I suppose now I know exactly where this family stands.