Prologue

The Holy East Revlon Empire took up the eastern portion of what was once the Revlon

Empire, consuming much of the northeast area of the northern continent. Habahren,

this sprawling empire's capital, was right in the center. It was one of the largest cities

on the entire northern continent, with a population of around 80,000—a massive

circle in the middle of a vast plain, radiating out from Siguenza's impressive imperial

palace.

Back in the days of the unified Revlon Empire, before the split between east and west,

Siguenza had been built as a reinforced fortress. It was intended to support the empire's

efforts to annex more land to the east, which explained its rather ugly appearance. It

was, however, sturdily built, and looked rather imposing on the horizon.

The emperor who ruled this massive eastern empire was sitting in one of his studies,

deep within the confines of the palace. A glimmering—though not overly glamorous—

chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room beneath, the gloomy light

befitting the emperor's work.

At the back of the room sat a large, well-polished desk, and a chair reserved for the

emperor himself. The chair, like the rest of the room, was rather simple in design,

although the intricate carvings etched into the wood betrayed its true value. A young

man with deep-set gray eyes and a distinguished nose slouched in the chair, dressed

in a well-tailored military uniform. He wore his untamed reddish-brown hair in a

ponytail. The man's name was Domitianus Revlon Valtiafelbe, emperor of the Holy

East Revlon Empire, and rival to the Great West Revlon Empire in their struggle over

the northern continent.

The young emperor had fixed his scrutinizing gaze on the man directly across from

him, who was reading from a report.

"A large group of monsters without employ rings went on a rampage in the western

Karyu fort that held them. They descended upon the town like an avalanche, resulting

in significant casualties. Just before the monsters' rampage got underway, the massive

hydra Fumba captured earlier broke out of the fort and attacked the lord's castle,

killing him instantly. Fumba hasn't been seen since, and rumors suggest that this may

have been an act of rebellion on his part."

In stark contrast to the gravity of this news, the man grinned as he looked up at the

emperor. Domitianus furrowed his brow.

The man reading the report sported a large belly and a pathetic excuse for a mustache.

His flashy clothes, even more ostentatious than those of the emperor himself, gave him

the appearance of a well-to-do merchant. There was something altogether unlikable

about him and his irritating grin.

The man's name was Velmoas du Lyzehl. He served as the lord chancellor and

administrator of the Holy East Revlon Empire's political affairs.

Domitianus eyed Velmoas with suspicion as he mentally ran through the report he'd

just heard. "A rebellion by Fumba? He's nothing but a drunk and a womanizer. What

would he have to gain by standing against me?"

Velmoas' grin didn't falter. He simply shook his head slightly, as if to say, "How should

I know?"

Although a vein bulged in the young emperor's forehead, Velmoas simply turned his

gaze back to the report in his hand, and continued reading.

"It also says here that the rampaging hydra was killed by some… demon… that

appeared out of nowhere. Witnesses described it as a half-human, half-monster

covered in flames, resembling an old legend about a man sent to hell and consumed

by fire. The townsfolk are rather shaken up about it."

Domitianus pounded his fist on his chair's armrest and fixed his lord chancellor with

a steely glare. "That demon managed to tear apart my hydra?! Dammit! And we just

made a special employ ring for it, too! Without Fumba, we'll never be able to capture

anything that size again."

"Well, there's no sense in getting mad at me. It's not like I can do anything about it.

Anyway, a Hilk church was destroyed in the battle, and the church officials are

demanding money so they can rebuild it right away. Apparently, the locals are pretty

upset by the idea of a demon from hell burning down their church."

Velmoas looked back up from his report. Anger was no longer apparent on the

emperor's face; a sly grin replaced it. His expression clearly reflected his thoughts.

"Heh heh heh. So, that parasite religion that's been such a pain in the empire's ass was

burned to ash by the fires of hell? The gods have a sense of humor, after all. What

happened to the other monsters?"

"After the hydra died, the surviving soldiers conscripted some locals. They were

somehow able to suppress the rest of the monsters roaming around town. Things are

starting to settle down now, but it's only a matter of time until the townsfolk express

their anger over this whole situation." Velmoas eyed the emperor curiously as he

finished his report.

Domitianus's sinister grin only widened. "Let's drill it into the townsfolk that believing

in Hilk did nothing to protect them, and that a cursed sinner destroyed the church

itself. We can use that to breed resentment toward the church officials and decrease

the number of believers in the area."

"Are you sure? The church will surely fight back against any plan to wrest control from

them."

Domitianus snorted and leaned back in his chair. "This could be a great opportunity

for us to rid ourselves of the mold growing in our great empire. All those scoundrels

do is demand money under the table, in the form of alms, while preaching superficial

platitudes of love and freedom. Luckily, the Karyu region borders our territory. The

church officials probably think this will be a great opportunity to fill their coffers, but

by the time they notice there's no money forthcoming, it'll be too late."

Velmoas wrote a note along the margin of his report and bowed his head deeply. "As

you wish. I will carry out your orders at once."

"Continue the search for Fumba. Even if it turns out that he's dead, the Runeology

Cloister has finished making their employ rings. We might not be able to capture any

large monsters without him, but we can at least drum up an ogre battalion or something."

The emperor shifted in his chair and gazed out the window toward the Karyu region,

a sly grin spreading across his face as he contemplated what the future might bring.

***

Northwest of the northern continent lay the Great West Revlon Empire, the western

half of what had once been the Revlon Empire. Vittelvarlay, the massive capital city,

was located in the center of the vast domain. Tall buildings of beautifully polished

stone, broken up by expansive roads and parks, towered behind the city's massive

wall. The capital had a festive atmosphere, and was filled with people in all manner of

dress, walking, shopping, and chatting with each other.

At the capital's center sat the majestic Dyonburgh royal palace, so massive that it could

be considered a small city in its own right. In one corner of the palace was a grand hall,

where the people who controlled the Great West Revlon Empire's fate met. At the end

of this intricately decorated hall, Emperor Gaulba Revlon Selziofebs sat on a throne

which gave him a commanding view of the room.

Deep wrinkles creased Gaulba's forehead below his soft, delicately combed white hair,

which matched the long beard growing from his chin. His eyes maintained a sharp

intensity as he glared at the people below. Atop his head, he wore a gold circlet—the

imperial crown—its surface studded with all manner of precious gems. The emperor,

dressed in luxurious clothes befitting a man who ruled an entire empire, also wore a

rather displeased expression on his face.

As palace steward, Salwis du Ohst—the handsome man at the emperor's side—was

charged with assisting the emperor in his public and private affairs. The report he was

currently reading had caused the emperor's ire.

"Tisheng has been invaded by our enemies to the east, and has likely already fallen.

The enemy attacked with a company of monsters and humans. It's unlikely that the

Southern Imperial Army soldiers remaining in the region will be sufficient to handle

the threat."

After Salwis finished reading, the senators assembled in their seats erupted in a

chorus of shouts, the noise slowly spreading throughout the chamber.

"What's this?! Tisheng was left shorthanded, for what? So the Southern Imperial Army

could assist Wetrias? We must send Lieutenant General Keeling and the army back

south at once!"

"First and foremost, I want to know what this army is all about! I've never heard of

monsters and humans fighting together! Those bastards in the east must be nothing

more than filthy swine!"

"That's hardly important right now! Tisheng is essentially cut off from the world by

the deep forests surrounding the Siana mountain range. I want to know where this

attack came from! The routes running along Febient Marsh are barely large enough to

accommodate merchants, let alone troops—and in such a short time, at that! How did

they conceal their movements?"

"Tisheng was, without a doubt, shorthanded, so a smaller force would easily have

overwhelmed them. I'm sure they were defeated before they even knew what was

happening."

As he listened to the senators bicker among themselves, Emperor Gaulba maintained

an indignant expression before finally snorting in annoyance.

Salwis turned to the emperor, a look of concern on his face.

"The East hit us hard. But we can't move our forces from the Southern Imperial Army,

since they're guarding the border with the Delfrent Kingdom. To make matters worse,

Tisheng is surrounded by forest on three sides, allowing the enemy to dig in. We don't

even have enough troops stationed in the northwest to mount a rescue operation."

Emperor Gaulba listened intently, chin resting on his fist. He furrowed his brow and

let out a short sigh. "So, the monster invasion near Wetrias was a feint? They actually

planned to chip away at our forces to the south, and move on the port of Bulgoh? But

where did they even come from? As the senator said, it's hard to believe they went

through Febient Marsh. And we seeded the eastern Rhoden Kingdom border with

cultivation rune stones to draw in monsters and close off the route. You don't think

they used the monsters we drew in, do you?"

"It's a possibility. It's also possible that the eastern forces made their way through the

forests at the base of the Siana mountain range, although we haven't had a chance to

confirm that. However, if that's the case, then they must have had assistance. We

should put the city of Hartbahlk on notice, since it borders the forests to the east."

The emperor groaned, the wrinkles in his forehead deepening. He turned his gaze

back to the senators, still arguing among themselves. As the scene descended rapidly

into disorder, he picked up the elegant royal scepter lying at his side and thumped it

on the floor twice.

The crisp sound echoed throughout the chamber, immediately putting an end to the

senators' bickering. It plunged the room into a deafening silence, broken only by the

rustling of the men's robes.

Fixing the room with a steely glare, Emperor Gaulba rose from his throne slowly. "We

can't leave the east unchecked, or just give them the port of Bulgoh. We cannot cede

any more land to these barbarians. So, we will dispatch Lieutenant General Keeling of

the Southern Imperial Army back to Hartbahlk to recapture Tisheng. I want

Hartbahlk's soldiers to begin making preparations in advance of his arrival. We'll task

Lieutenant General Minzaya of the Northern Imperial Army with subduing the

monsters in Wetrias and the border town of Februent. He will also hire mercenaries

from the Soowin Kingdom to put pressure on Carrish on the other side of the bay. I

want you to send orders to the Western Imperial Army to increase the watch on their

western borders, and make sure that Asbania doesn't mobilize. That is all!"

The emperor fixed the room with another glare before thumping his scepter again,

eliciting a bow from all the senators. They made their way out with heads hung low,

each to carry out their respective orders.

When the five consul members seated in front of the emperor finished recording their

minutes, they also hurried out of the chamber.

Gaulba turned his gaze to Salwis. "Tell Lieutenant General Keeling that I want him to

capture the monster soldiers. We need to understand their technology, and look into

whether it's something we can use ourselves."

Salwis raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I doubt the Hilk will be too pleased with the

idea of employing filthy beasts. They'll almost certainly come straight to me with their

complaints." In spite of the wry grin on his face, the tone of his voice and his dramatically

slumped shoulders showed how Salwis felt about having this role thrust onto him.

Gaulba gave a light snort before dropping back onto his throne. "Hmph. Purity… filth…

none of that matters if it protects the empire. Besides, all those annoying little priests

are after is a bribe. Just throw some money at them and make them go away."

"As you say, Your Excellency." Salwis gave a sardonic grin before bowing deeply to the

emperor.

No one could see the rage that washed over his contorted face as he bent down low.