The altar servers lay lifeless on the dirty ground, their bodies covered in thick, red blood. Their eyes became hollow, and their bodies turned cold and pale.
To the generals, especially Bho Thong, instead of feeling dread or disdain, they only laughed, as if they had no worries while inside enemy territory.
The most ruthless, brutal, and merciless army had already claimed its first victims.
---
Days passed. Roy sat quietly in his living room, stuffing a slice of pizza casually into his mouth, yet his eyes were narrowed, as if something troubling had settled in his mind.
Roy noticed that the altar servers who used to serve him were slowly becoming thinner in number. Day by day, fewer and fewer of those who were always at the holy ministry were seen; they had suddenly disappeared.
At first, he thought they were just resting. He had deliberately issued a decree that they should only serve him a few times per week so they could recuperate. After all, the altar servers consisted only of girls, and he could not tolerate such delicate bodies being tortured by hard work just to serve him.
Now, only a few remained in the throne room of the holy ministry. The only presence left was Yom Euni and a few altar servers who stubbornly refused to be separated from her side.
This truly troubled Roy. Seeing his important people suddenly disappear day by day deeply unsettled him.
He tossed the unfinished pizza aside and stepped through the mirror.
When he arrived, he saw Yom Euni's dreadful eyes. What was once radiant and gentle was now solemn and gloomy, her expression as dark as Roy's.
Yom Euni immediately bowed toward Roy, her eyes swelling with tears as she spoke.
"Lord Zudra," Yom Euni said, her voice breaking, "the altar servers serving the holy ministry have suddenly become fewer and fewer. I am afraid that something has happened to them."
Even though Roy had a peculiar temperament, he deeply cared for his people with the love of a parent for a child. When he realized his "children" were gone, something began to boil inside his heart.
Roy immediately went into action. He strode toward the city, through the nearby streets and alleys, then to the ministries, and finally to the military barracks.
Just as he was approaching the military training ground, he saw Bho Thong and the western army preparing to march toward the western kingdom.
Bho Thong saw the approaching figure. He immediately gestured toward his commanders with a slight blink. Seeing the signal, the generals immediately scrambled back inside their tents, as if trying to hide something that should not be seen.
Bho Thong stepped forward, preparing to receive Roy.
He approached with a gentle smile—the kind of smile that didn't seem to fit a battle-hardened general accustomed to life-and-death situations. It was the kind of look that would make any man deeply unsettled.
Roy frowned slightly as he studied the man's face; unease and suspicion crawled up his spine.
"Preparing to depart already?" Roy asked, his brows tightening as he stared at the general. His voice was calm yet cold.
Bho Thong laughed forcefully and answered in a low, unhurried tone.
"Yes, we have regained our strength now, we must prepare to march toward the western kingdom immediately."
"That is good," Roy said, a hint of suspicion visible in his tone. "Then I wish you good luck, esteemed general."
Bho Thong paused for a moment, as if a disturbing memory had suddenly clicked in his mind.
"Oh yes, I forgot to ask," Bho Thong said, his awkward face suddenly turning serious, as if about to say something no one would dare speak. "This city is very prosperous. Not only can you feed fifteen thousand troops, but you have also given us enough food to return to the kingdom."
Roy shrugged slightly, like a mischievous child caught stealing buns from a store, yet he immediately forced himself to stand straight—like a pillar that refused to fall even in a violent storm.
"What say you? Are you part of the western kingdom, or the south?" Bho Thong added, his voice low and cold.
Bho Thong's hand moved slowly toward his hilt. His eyes narrowed as he locked onto Roy's gaze, as if directly telling him that if he answered incorrectly, the consequences would be severe.
Of course, Roy had already concluded this. He was not a naive man who only thought about the present; he was always a step ahead.
"We are neither," Roy answered, his tone calm and gentle. "This city is where people who have suffered from the Great War can resettle and rebuild their lives."
"As you noticed, the outside world is already in ruins. Villagers have fled, cities have fallen, and the fear of death has taken over the people's hearts."
"So you are rebels?" Bho Thong concluded, his expression growing even more serious as he drew his sword halfway.
"We are evacuees," Roy replied calmly, stepping forward in one fluid motion and closing the distance between him and Bho Thong to only one inch.
Bho Thong fell silent—a silence so thick it could choke someone to death.
Then, without warning, he laughed loudly. His voice echoed across the fields, shameless and confident.
He extended his hand and tapped Roy lightly on the shoulder, his expression bright and clearly amused.
"You're right. There is no reason to kill people who only want to run from chaos, especially now that the war has escalated into something even we can no longer control," Bho Thong said casually. A calm, gentle smile had replaced his earlier serious expression.
"You clearly are an interesting gentleman. I deeply honor your character, young man." Bho Thong said with a soft smile.
The commanders who were also inside the military tent have already gathered outside with serious expressions.
After whispering to his commanders, General Bho Thong finally waved his hand lazily toward his men, and finally, the army moved out
Roy bowed slightly, offering a respectful salute, and watched as the army's fading figures disappeared into the distance, yet in his eyes, something unsettling had already surfaced into his mind, as if sensing something cruel that would later bring chaos.