The workers didn't need to be told twice. They abandoned stations immediately, the sound of their retreat echoing through the hall as they fled toward safer areas of the castle.
"You can't be serious," the Third Tier ambassador said, his tone carrying disbelief. "You're evacuating because one messenger claims to have seen a Soul Warden? This is paranoia. Weakness! The Third Tier doesn't bow to rumors and..."
"The Third Tier can do whatever it wants," the clan master interrupted, his voice carrying finality. "But the Iron Soot Clan has survived for three hundred years by recognizing real threats and responding appropriately. A Soul Warden claiming the lower floors is a real threat!"
He turned to face the ambassador directly, his nine-foot frame making the crimson-skinned demon look almost small by comparison.
