One month had passed since the Coalition Army withdrew from the state of Qi.
The war that had shaken all of China had finally reached its conclusion.
The invasion that history would later remember as the greatest crisis Qin had ever faced had ended.
Six nations.
An army assembled with the sole purpose of crushing Qin.
Yet...
Qin had survived.
The flames that had threatened to consume the kingdom had been extinguished.
The banners of the Coalition Army had disappeared from Qin's lands.
But the price of survival had been enormous.
Countless soldiers had fallen on the battlefield.
Generals who had carried the fate of their armies had gambled their lives.
Citizens who had never held a sword before had taken up weapons to defend their homes.
And among those who fought...
There were those whose names would forever be carved into Qin's history.
Now...
The kingdom would decide how those achievements would be rewarded.
At Kanyou the Royal Palace of Qin…
The central court of Qin was filled with an unusual atmosphere.
Normally, this hall was where political matters were discussed.
Taxes.
Territories.
Diplomacy.
The affairs of governing a kingdom.
But today...
The atmosphere belonged to the battlefield.
Standing within the great hall were the commanders who had stopped the Coalition Army.
The greatest generals Qin possessed.
Moubu.
Mougu.
Tou
Choutou.
Kanki.
Ousen.
Duke Hyou Ren.
And the commanders who served beneath them.
Every official present understood the importance of this day.
This was not merely a ceremony.
This was the moment when Qin would declare to the world...
Who were the men that saved the kingdom.
The doors of the court opened.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
The king of Qin entered.
Immediately, everyone lowered themselves.
"Your Majesty."
Ei Sei walked toward the throne.
He looked at the generals before him.
Men covered in scars.
Men who had carried impossible burdens.
Men who had refused to surrender even when defeat seemed certain.
After sitting upon the throne...
Ei Sei spoke.
"We shall now hereby commence the reward ceremony."
The entire hall became silent.
"Before anything else..."
"I wish to give my deepest gratitude to everyone gathered here."
"One month ago..."
"Qin faced a crisis unlike anything before."
"The combined armies of six nations marched upon us."
"Their objective was simple."
"To destroy Qin."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
"Many believed Qin's survival was impossible."
"Many believed our kingdom would fall."
"But those predictions were proven wrong."
"Because the people of Qin stood together."
"And because the commanders standing before me led them."
Ei Sei looked toward the military commanders.
"Especially..."
"The eight generals who commanded Qin's armies throughout this war."
"Moubu."
"Mougu."
"Tou."
"Choutou."
"Kanki."
"Ousen."
"Duke Hyou."
"And Duke Hyou Ren."
"Their contributions were the greatest among all commanders."
"If even one of these eight men had been absent..."
"The result of this war may have been completely different."
A murmur spread among the officials.
Because nobody could deny it.
Each of these men had played a critical role.
However...
Ei Sei's expression darkened.
"There is one matter that must be acknowledged."
"The eight generals who fought for Qin..."
"One of them will not stand here today."
The hall became silent.
"Duke Hyou."
The name echoed.
Even the younger commanders lowered their heads.
Duke Hyou.
The man who charged forward like a raging fire.
The man who never allowed fear to control him.
The man who continued advancing even when death stood before him.
Ei Sei closed his eyes.
"As king..."
"I regret deeply that such a warrior was lost."
"His final battle demonstrated the very spirit that represents Qin."
"Duke Hyou's name shall forever remain within the history of this kingdom."
After a moment of silence...
Ei Sei continued.
"Now..."
"Regarding the rewards."
"To rank these eight generals based purely on merit would be an impossible task."
"Every one of them performed deeds worthy of the highest recognition."
"Therefore..."
"Except for one individual..."
"The remaining seven shall receive the same honor."
"The Special Grand Award."
The court immediately reacted.
The Special Grand Award.
A reward rarely given.
A reward reserved for those whose actions went beyond normal expectations.
Even the veteran officials understood its meaning.
These men had not simply won battles.
They had saved Qin.
But then...
Shou Hei Kun stepped forward.
"There is one reason why one person has been excluded from the Special Grand Award."
Everyone looked toward him.
"Because..."
"Even among these eight extraordinary generals..."
"There exists one individual whose achievements are simply beyond comparison."
The hall became quiet.
"The number one merit of this war."
"The first and greatest award."
"The highest honor Qin can bestow."
Shou Hei Kun turned toward the gathering of generals.
"Duke Hyou Ren."
"Step forward."
As Duke Hyou Ren stood in front of the court.
Immediately, countless eyes focused upon him.
Some were filled with surprise.
Some with admiration.
Some with disbelief.
Even among the generals and officials present, there were those who had never fully understood the scale of his achievements.
Because the reports had been scattered across different battlefields.
Han Army Defeat.
Zhao Battlefield.
Chu Battlefield.
Siege of Sai.
Qi Invasion battlefield.
Each battle had seemed impossible.
But when placed together...
The true scale became clear.
Duke Hyou Ren walked forward and knelt.
Shou Hei Kun began reading the official record.
"During the Coalition War..."
"Duke Hyou Ren's forces achieved victories that changed the outcome of this conflict."
"First..."
"His army general, Ri Yue..."
The court immediately became attentive.
Many already knew the name.
But hearing it officially announced was different.
"Personally defeated and killed Sei Kai."
"The commander-in-chief of Han."
"Because of this loss, Han's army suffered a devastating collapse and was effectively removed from the Coalition invasion."
The officials whispered.
A commander-in-chief.
Killed.
By a single general.
"But that was not her only achievement."
"At Kankoku Pass..."
"Ri Yue personally slew Zhao general Rihaku."
The reaction became stronger.
Rihaku.
A renowned Zhao commander.
Defeated.
Again by Ri Yue.
Many generals glanced toward her.
A warrior capable of standing beside Duke Hyou Ren.
Shou Hei Kun continued.
"However..."
"Duke Hyou Ren himself achieved feats equal to those of his general."
"During the Zhao battlefield..."
"He personally defeated and killed Zhao general Sonsei."
"Following this victory..."
"He advanced toward the Coalition headquarters."
The hall became tense.
Because everyone knew what came next.
"Duke Hyou Ren entered the heart of the Coalition Army."
"And there..."
"He killed Shun Shin Kun."
"The prime minister of Chu."
"One of the man responsible for forming the Coalition."
"The leader of the Coalition armies"
The entire court erupted.
Even officials who had expected great achievements were shocked.
Killing a general was one thing.
Killing the man who created the invasion itself was another.
"And his campaign did not end there."
"Duke Hyou Ren pursued into the Chu battlefield."
"Wereby..."
"He defeated Jinou and Goumasho."
"A renowned strategist and general."
"During these battles..."
"His general Mo Yun personally killed Beiman."
"Another general and strategist of Chu."
But Shou Hei Kun stopped.
His next words carried even more weight.
"However..."
"All these achievements..."
"Still do not represent his greatest accomplishment."
The court became silent.
"The greatest achievement of Duke Hyou Ren..."
"Was the battle of Sai."
Everyone remembered.
The city.
The despair.
The final defense of Qin.
The moment when all hope seemed lost.
"The walls of Sai had been breached."
"The defenders were exhausted."
"The people were preparing themselves for death."
"Zhao believed victory was already guaranteed."
"But then..."
"Duke Hyou Ren arrived."
"He defeated Zhao general Shinseijou."
"And then..."
"He faced the strongest warrior Zhao possessed."
"Hou Ken."
The entire court froze.
Hou Ken.
The Zhao Three Great Heavens.
The man who had killed Ouki.
The warrior who had stood above countless battlefields.
The man who represented the peak of martial power.
"Duke Hyou Ren..."
"Personally beheaded Hou Ken."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the greatest generals present had no words.
Because everyone understood.
This was an achievement that belonged in legends.
Shou Hei Kun finally finished.
"After saving Sai..."
"Duke Hyou Ren continued pursuing the Coalition Army."
"He participated in the final battles against the Coalition forces in Qi."
"Throughout this entire war..."
"His actions repeatedly saved Qin from destruction."
"Therefore..."
"As Chief of Military Affairs..."
"I acknowledge Duke Hyou Ren's achievements."
"Duke Hyou Ren."
"You shall receive the First and Greatest Award of this war."
The royal decree was announced.
The lands of Ryuujin and Shunjin shall be granted to Duke Hyou Ren.
He shall receive 5,000 units of gold.
And 30 units of treasures.
For a moment...
Nobody spoke.
Then slowly...
The court erupted into acknowledgement.
Not celebration.
But respect.
Because everyone knew.
This reward was not excessive.
It was necessary.
The remaining generals received the Special Grand Award.
They were promoted two ranks in nobility.
Granted 3,000 gold.
Ten treasures.
And lands from Qin.
The Mountain King Yotanwa was also rewarded.
For her arrival at Sai and the salvation of Qin's final defense.
She was granted the rank of Dai Jouzu.
Along with thirty treasures.
And finally...
The citizens of Sai.
The ordinary people who stood against an army of tens of thousands.
Their courage was officially recognized.
Every citizen who fought was granted two additional ranks of nobility.
The ceremony ended.
But the discussions throughout Kanyou had only begun.
Because one question remained.
"Just how great was Duke Hyou Ren?"
Many generals could not answer.
Because his achievements were beyond comparison.
But another name was always mentioned alongside him.
Ri Yue.
The woman who killed Sei Kai.
The woman who killed Rihaku.
The woman whose battlefield record alone could have earned her among the highest honors.
One official quietly remarked:
"If Duke Hyou Ren did not exist..."
"Ri Yue's achievements would be enough to make her one of Qin's greatest generals."
And that statement was not an exaggeration.
The Coalition War had ended.
But history had witnessed the rise of a new legend.
A new generation of monsters had appeared.
And standing at the center of it...
Was Duke Hyou Ren.
The man who inherited Duke Hyou's flames.
The man who carved his name into the age of warfare.