Chapter 179

To strike first is to seize control. Only by acting ahead of one’s opponent could one truly suppress them.

Yuwon, who had lived his previous life as an assassin, knew this better than anyone—and that was precisely why he moved before his enemies did.

On the morning after Yuwon had used Hastings to make his move, a violent disturbance erupted within the Imperial Army Military Camp.

It began in the tent of a superior officer, where a Centurion from one Imperial Army unit burst in.

“C-Captain! This is serious! Since last night, the soldiers’ conditions have been abnormal!”

“What is all this commotion at the crack of dawn? Do you even know what time it is?”

The Captain, whose deep sleep had been interrupted, frowned as he questioned him, but the Centurion did not shrink back and continued with what he had come to report.

“My apologies. But given the situation, I had no choice but to intrude. While performing my duty as the duty officer last night, I noticed an unusually large number of soldiers going to the latrines. I found it suspicious and kept an eye on them, and it seems they may have suffered some kind of mass food poisoning.”

“Food poisoning…? Even in this heat, all water is boiled before consumption, and ingredients are selected and re-selected until only those without any issues are used. There’s no way. Aren’t you mistaken?”

“No, sir. I wouldn’t be here like this if it weren’t serious. If you come out and see for yourself, you’ll understand how severe the situation is. I don’t think this is something we can dismiss as a problem affecting only a few soldiers!”

“Fine, fine. Let’s go. Good grief… it’s five shi in the morning, what is all this….”

Moved by the Centurion’s urgency, the Imperial Army Captain grumbled as he left the tent to inspect the soldiers. It was still before sunrise, deep in the early dawn.

Just as the Centurion had said, groans of suffering were erupting all across the Imperial Army Military Camp.

“Ugh… ugh… someone… w-water….”

“Urk—!”

Overnight, soldiers whose cheeks had visibly hollowed out wandered about in search of water, while from the other side came the sounds of retching. Only then did the Captain realize the gravity of the situation, his complexion turning pale.

“They were all perfectly fine just yesterday… how could this suddenly happen…!”

The symptoms varied widely—abdominal pain, vomiting, and other digestive disorders, progressing to dehydration, dizziness, chills, and fever.

Just the previous night, the Imperial Army had shown no signs of trouble at all. Yet now, as if a plague had swept through, the overwhelming majority were crying out in pain for one reason or another.

Confronted with the scene before him, the Captain, now fully awake, spoke in a trembling voice.

“…They struck first.”

“They… sir? You mean… the enemy?”

At the Centurion’s question, the Captain nodded slowly.

“We need to go to the Commander of Ten Thousand. We must clearly report what you and I have seen and heard. This isn’t some mere food poisoning. I thought they’d stay holed up inside their fortress like turtles, but they… dared to launch a preemptive strike. Pull yourself together. This is truly war now.”

The two camps had stood facing one another, quietly pointing swords without crossing them. But now, it had become real combat. The entire Imperial Army was thrown into turmoil by Yuwon’s seizing of the initiative.

Thanks to swift responses, the news spread rapidly up and down the chain of command, reaching even the leadership of the Imperial Army. In response, the high command hastily convened to discuss countermeasures.

“I know that many of you here believe the illness afflicting the soldiers is the enemy’s doing. But is that truly the case?”

“What kind of wordplay is that? Are you seriously claiming this is just food poisoning caused by a change in water?”

“To be honest, yes. From a common-sense perspective, doesn’t this seem impossible? That they could orchestrate something like this without us noticing at all.”

“General, do you truly believe this makes no sense? There wasn’t the slightest sign until yesterday. And yet, overnight, eight out of ten soldiers showed symptoms. How could that possibly be natural? The enemy clearly played a trick.”

“So you’re saying the enemy somehow poured a massive amount of poison into the river we use as our drinking water? While breaching the strict defenses guarding it?”

A commander who had consistently insisted this was the enemy’s doing immediately countered.

“Strict defenses… you’ve put it well. Yes, strict defenses indeed. Against ordinary humans, that is.”

“Ordinary humans?”

“Yes. Ordinary humans. But what if the opponent isn’t ordinary?”

“…Not ordinary humans?”

“We must remember this. The Shadow Raven of the House of Reqil—who vanished forever after the house was exterminated—has reappeared and is now guarding the Fifth Prince. You all know this well. Where is the Fifth Prince’s maternal family from? Reqil. And since everyone here has come this far trusting in a sword at their side, I don’t need to explain who the Raven of Reqil is.”

It was already an open secret among the nobility that even the Aphahiel Imperial Family’s secret organizations had been modeled after the Ravens of the House of Reqil. At the mention of the Raven, the Imperial Army leadership collectively fell into silence.

“Hm… the Raven… It’s true that what we’ve heard may have been exaggerated like legends, but still… if it’s the Raven….”

The name of the Raven of Reqil carried terrifying weight. Even those who had insisted this was nothing more than a mild illness refrained from further rebuttal, falling silent, and within that atmosphere, the decisive blow was struck.

“If the Raven were determined to infiltrate, what then? Do you believe the troops currently guarding the river could even notice them?”

No one answered. Everyone knew the answer, and so no answer was needed. Yet even in that heavy atmosphere, one commander gathered the courage to voice an opposing opinion.

“…Do you all truly believe the Raven exists?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If such a powerful individual truly existed, wouldn’t there be more than just rumors? Certainly, when the South split into traitorous factions supporting Pro-Aphahiel and Valaris, there was a lot of talk about the Raven appearing throughout the South. But in the end, wasn’t all that amounted to the killing of a dozen or so soldiers, including conscription officers? That much is something everyone here could do.”

Just as the matter was tilting heavily toward blaming the Raven and the enemy, a renewed counterargument shifted the atmosphere. It was a reasonable and logical doubt.

“Now that you mention it… perhaps we’re panicking prematurely over the hollow reputation of the Raven.”

Just as the discussion was about to return to square one, the Supreme Commander Colbus, who had remained seated at the head of the table in silence, finally spoke.

“The Raven… most likely exists.”

At those words, all eyes in the chamber turned to Colbus.

“…!”

“Supreme Commander, do you have something in mind?”

Colbus knew himself well. He was not the type of general suited to commanding intelligence warfare. From the beginning, he had only ever learned to wield a sword.

That was why, even after assuming the position of Supreme Commander, he tended to speak sparingly. Yet now, he had chosen to raise a grave matter of his own accord.

“Yes. On the day I failed, due to my own inadequacy, to slay the Fifth Prince, there was someone present with extraordinary skill. I believe that individual may have been the Raven. That person was unquestionably powerful enough to live up to the name of the Raven of Reqil. If they acted directly, the troops guarding the water source would never have noticed.”

At last, the moment came when the Raven’s existence was all but confirmed. A single thought flashed through the minds of all the Imperial Army commanders.

‘Fifth Prince Yurion Aphahiel… just what kind of man is he, that the Raven, erased from history, would….’

All who harbored that question would soon learn its answer. Whether they wished it or not. War would tell them.

At the same time, on the opposite side, within the Valaris Castle, Yuwon stood atop a lofty spire.

Casually perched on a railing that made one dizzy just to glance at, Yuwon let the wind brush against him as he gazed toward the distant Imperial Army Military Camp.

From that distance, people looked as small as grains of sand—but to Yuwon, everything was clear.

“…”

At that moment, a light breeze seemed to stir beside him, and Hastings appeared at his side, his entire body cloaked in black.

“My lord. This one is Hastings.”

“Ah. Yes. You’ve worked hard.”

Hastings offered a brief salute and stepped up beside Yuwon.

“The effect seems to have been quite fast. However… it appears the effect is somewhat different from what I had anticipated.”

Hastings was speaking of what had occurred in the enemy’s camp. Yuwon replied in an even tone.

“Yes… I suppose so. Were you disappointed that it wasn’t what you expected?”

“Disappointed? Not at all. That would be unthinkable. It’s just that… if this lowly one may add something presumptuous, I do understand your intent, my lord, but you know well that they won’t retreat with just this, do you not?”

At Hastings’s words, Yuwon drew a bitter smile as he replied.

“Hastings. Of the hundred-thousand-strong army over there, how many do you think stand on that battlefield out of genuine loyalty to Gion?”

“This one… does not know.”

“Yes. Of course you wouldn’t. I don’t know the answer either. Just like the soldiers defending Valaris, they too are someone’s children, fathers, and husbands. That’s why I did this. If I could win without fighting, I wanted to do so.”

Yuwon had always been unflappably composed, as far as Hastings knew. Yet today, only deep sorrow colored his voice. Sensing Yuwon’s sincerity, Hastings fell silent.

‘So that is my lord’s wish—to save even one more life… He says he cannot become a Sage King because of the blood already on his hands and the blood yet to be spilled, but my lord was born with the qualities of one. Had my lord ascended the throne as planned, none of this would have happened… The heavens are truly heartless. Why must such trials befall our empire, burdening this man with such anguish….’

A cruel reality. As Hastings folded his complex emotions deep within his heart, Yuwon slowly spoke again.

“Hastings.”

“Yes. Please give your command.”

“Do you think I made a mistake?”

“How could I ever harbor such thoughts toward you, my lord? I merely resented the heavens for failing to understand your profound intent.”

At Hastings’s reply, something about it amused Yuwon, and he smiled.

“The heavens… resenting the heavens, huh… I don’t believe in such things either, but today, I feel like blaming someone—anyone….”

With those words, Yuwon turned his gaze upward toward the sky. Whether it understood his heart or not, the sky was exceptionally clear.

At that moment, suspicious movements were detected within the enemy’s camp—movements that looked as though they were preparing for battle. Noticing this, Hastings urgently called out to Yuwon.

“My lord. The enemy over there…!”

“Ah, yes. I know. Gion isn’t the type to just take a beating and stay still. I thought he’d start moving around now.”

“What do you mean by…?”

Hastings asked again, utterly unable to grasp Yuwon’s meaning, but Yuwon merely wore a faint smile in response. It was a smile that suggested everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.

“It seems the guests who seek me will be arriving soon. I should go out to welcome them.”

If poison had been used as a warning, then now it was time for Yuwon himself to step forward and instill fear. He was not afraid of seeing blood—he had simply tried to see as little of it as possible. That was why he chose fear.

‘I must fight more cruelly and viciously than anyone… Just for today, whether it’s the Heavenly Slaughter Star or the rebirth of an Evil God, I’ll become whatever is needed.’

Who would want to fight an Evil God? Yuwon intended to carve fear into his enemies—personally, with his own two hands.

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