Inside Chai Kan's castle, the Second Prince's anxiety stood in stark contrast to the tense situation in the eastern grasslands.
Some were preparing for war, others were looking for business opportunities, and still others were assessing the threat. The entire empire had been thrown into turmoil by Henry's rise.
But what of John, the loser in this war that shook the empire? What was he doing?
Count John's face was a picture of wretchedness. He sat slumped on an exhausted warhorse, a hint of despair in his eyes.
He had once been the master of Odoche, the glorious symbol of the Hoyland Clan, yet now he had been reduced to this. Though he felt anger, what filled his heart more was fear.
Henry's army, like a sandstorm or a plague of locusts, had drowned everything he had in blood and fire.
And Henry himself... John felt he would never forget the sight of Henry's black armor for the rest of his life.
