The summons came mid-afternoon, delivered by an Imperial Guard with an expression that suggested he’d rather be anywhere else.
"Lord Valcrest. General Markin Blackthorne requests your immediate presence at military headquarters. Regarding last night’s... incident."
Incident. That was one way to describe it.
Damien dressed in formal clothing – not quite military uniform, but close enough to show respect for the venue.
Seria and Elara were both occupied with their own duties – Seria coordinating with the city guard, Elara meeting with Church officials – so he went alone.
Military headquarters was in the center of the Imperial Capital’s military district, a fortress of grey stone and martial efficiency. Guards checked his credentials at multiple points, each one studying him with the same reassessing gaze he’d been getting since the forest.
He was led to a conference room where General Blackthorne waited along with four other individuals.
Three wore the distinctive armor of Imperial Guard mages – elite battle mages who served as the Emperor’s personal military force. The fourth was a woman in robes that marked her as a high-ranking military intelligence officer.
"Lord Valcrest," General Blackthorne greeted him, gesturing to a seat. "Thank you for coming promptly. I believe you know why you’re here."
"The demon attack last night," Damien confirmed, taking the offered seat. "You want my report."
"Among other things." The General’s expression was carefully neutral. "These are Captain Veyra, Lieutenant Kross, and Sergeant Tyrus – " He indicated the three Imperial Guard mages. " – and this is Colonel Isara Venn from military intelligence. They have questions about what occurred in that forest."
The three mages were studying Damien with expressions ranging from professional interest to barely concealed hostility. Damien recognized the look – people who’d decided he was dangerous before hearing a word from him.
"Walk us through the events," General Blackthorne requested. "From the beginning."
Damien kept his report clinical, factual. Following a lead that turned out to be a trap. The demon ambush. The extended combat. The eventual victory and dawn arrival of imperial forces.
He carefully omitted any mention of the Archdemon, the philosophical discussion, or the trial’s true purpose. Just presented it as a tactical situation he’d survived through superior combat skills.
"Over a hundred demons," Captain Veyra said when he finished. Her tone was skeptical. "You’re claiming you killed over a hundred trained demon soldiers in a single night. Alone."
"I’m not claiming anything," Damien replied evenly. "I’m reporting what happened. You can count the corpses."
"Oh, the corpses are real enough," Lieutenant Kross interjected. His expression was openly hostile now. "What we’re questioning is how exactly you managed it. That’s not normal combat capability for a minor nobility of a minor kingdom, Lord Valcrest."
"I’m a skilled combatant," Damien said. "The demons underestimated me. Fatal mistake on their part."
"You use shadow magic," Sergeant Tyrus repeated, making it sound like an accusation. "Magic that looks remarkably similar to what demons themselves use. Dark, corrupting, fundamentally wrong."
Damien kept his expression neutral despite the irritation rising. "Shadow magic is a recognized discipline. Unconventional, yes. But not demonic."
"Isn’t it, though?" Captain Veyra leaned forward. "You manipulate darkness, create constructs from shadow, use techniques that drain light from your surroundings. Those are all hallmarks of demonic power, not legitimate battle magic."
"The Church has certified my magic as non-demonic," Damien said, which was technically true – Elara had examined his powers and declared them manageable, if not exactly blessed. "High Priestess Lightbringer herself has vouched for my methods."
"The High Priestess who’s romantically involved with you," Lieutenant Kross said with a sneer. "Forgive us if we question her objectivity."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"Careful, Lieutenant," General Blackthorne warned.
"With respect, sir, someone needs to say it." Kross didn’t back down. "This man uses powers that look demonic, operates outside normal military structure, has connections to the very demons we’re fighting, and we’re just supposed to trust him because the Emperor says so?"
"The Emperor’s word should be sufficient," Colonel Venn said quietly. Her first contribution to the conversation.
"The Emperor can be deceived like anyone else," Sergeant Tyrus added. "Demons are clever. They infiltrate, they manipulate, they corrupt from within. How do we know Lord Valcrest isn’t one of them? A demon wearing human skin, using our own resources against us?"
Damien felt his shadows stirring in response to his irritation. He forced them down, kept his voice level. "If I were a demon, I wouldn’t have killed a hundred of my own kind last night."
"Unless it was theater," Captain Veyra suggested. "Sacrificing pawns to establish credibility. Demons are patient. They play long games."
"You’re suggesting I orchestrated an attack on myself, killed a hundred demons as performance art, all to... what? Gain the Emperor’s trust that I already have?" Damien let his skepticism show. "That’s an elaborate theory with no supporting evidence."
"The evidence is in your magic itself," Lieutenant Kross insisted. "Darkness. Corruption. Power that shouldn’t exist in human hands. You might not be a demon, but you’re using their methods. That makes you just as dangerous."
"Lieutenant Kross makes a valid point," Sergeant Tyrus added. "We’ve seen what demonic corruption does to people. Starts small – just a little dark magic here, a shortcut there. Before you know it, they’re thralls. Puppets dancing on demonic strings. How do we know you’re not already compromised?"
Damien was getting tired of this. He looked at General Blackthorne. "Sir, is there an actual purpose to this meeting beyond letting your mages question my loyalty?"
"They have legitimate concerns," the General said, though his tone suggested he didn’t entirely agree with the intensity. "You’re using unconventional methods that resemble enemy capabilities. Given the demon infiltration we’re investigating, that creates natural suspicion."
"Natural suspicion is understandable. Baseless accusation is less so." Damien met each mage’s gaze in turn. "I’ve demonstrated my effectiveness against demons. I’ve cooperated with imperial authority. I’ve placed myself at the Emperor’s disposal for this investigation. What more do you need?"
"Proof you’re not corrupted," Captain Veyra said. "Submit to magical examination. Let imperial mages test you, verify that you’re not under demonic influence."
"No."