Deep inside the military barracks, soldiers and new recruits were tasked with dismantling the assembled tents the Western army had recently used.
Together, they formed a bustling scene that could only be described as utter chaos—yet it was disciplined and, more importantly, controlled.
Five new recruits were casually taking down the tarp of a large tent, clearly the one Bho Thong and his commanders had occupied. Inside were strange, large wooden barrels they had left behind, yet the soldiers did not know what was in it, so they did not pay it much attention.
At first, they ignored them. They dismantled the tent with practiced ease—untying knots, folding the tarp into neat squares, and pulling the small wooden pillars from the ground. They hauled the gear back to the military logistics tower, where all supplies were perfectly stacked.
Yet, as they were about to deliver the dismantled tent, one recruit was suddenly distracted by an awful smell lingering from one of the strange wooden barrels.
"Hey, do you smell that?" the recruit asked curiously, sniffing the air like a predator that had suddenly caught the scent of prey.
Another recruit approached him, still carrying a neatly folded tarp, imitated the recruit and curiously sniffed the air as well, yet his face suddenly twitched violently as he odor reached his nose.
"Yeah, something does smell bad. Where is it coming from?"
Then, almost at the same time, they turned their heads toward the wooden barrels. Bewilderment visible in their eyes as red liquid was casually dripping onto the ground, painting the brown earth a dark crimson.
Just as the saying goes: curiosity killed the cat.
They approached the wooden barrels with cautious steps, their faces twisting in disgust as the awful odor grew stronger.
"What's in these barrels? Why do they smell so bad?" the recruit asked, pressing his sleeve against his nose.
With loud gulps, they pried open the lid with a wooden stick, and the scene instantly froze them in place.
A rotting corpse was tightly stuffed inside the wooden barrel, its skin as pale as paper, its body soaked in blood.
The two recruits stumbled backward, shock immediately crawled into their spines as they fall to the ground with loud thuds, then scrambling up and ran frantically toward the military ministry.
Sor Sogon sat casually at a wooden desk, his expression calm and undisturbed as he reviewed logistics and supplies. Just as he was pondering military priorities, the thunder of boots echoed through the hall.
Rak Mhan burst into Sor Sogon's office with a terrified expression, his face covered in cold sweat and pale as if he had seen a ghost.
"This is bad," Rak Mhan said urgently, his voice echoing across the office like thunder, immediately shattering the peaceful silence.
Sor Sogon frowned deeply, his calm demeanor instantly evaporating.
"What is it?" Sor Sogon asked sharply.
"Altar servers were found dead inside the Western army's tents—dozens of them, including soldiers."
Sor Sogon's face turned horrified. Cold sweat poured down his face like a dam that had been burst open by a flood.
"What!?" he panicked, his earlier composure replaced by utter urgency.
Soon, the military barracks was surrounded by curious soldiers; hundreds of armored figures dotted the scene like trees on a high mountain.
When Roy heard the report, he was instantly enraged. He smashed the ground in anger, the impact shaking the entire land with such strength that it sent boulders and earth flying into the air, creating a massive crack in the ground as if an earthquake had split the world open.
When Yom Euni received the news, she broke down, crying loudly. Roy tried to comfort her with a gentle voice, yet even he was so consumed by fury that he accidentally crushed a stone pillar with his bare hands.
Roy forced himself to calm down, but when he arrived at the site, the scene reignited his fury like a matchstick tossed onto a mountain of dry grass.
The ministers were no less enraged, yet they also felt guilty for the deaths of the innocent victims. They were the ones who had suggested letting the Western army in; it was their voices that had influenced Roy's decision.
Roy let out a soft sigh and quickly reassured the ministers, telling them it was not their fault. He explained that they had only meant to offer benevolence and do the right thing—it was the Westerners who were at fault for abusing that kindness and returning gratitude with a heinous crime.
With those words, the ministers' hearts were eased, yet the feeling of responsibility still lingered in their minds.
"Those bastards will surely pay!" one minister muttered angrily, tears swelling in his eyes as he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Sick savages! They dare kill our people when we offered them kindness?" another minister added, their voices overlapping like a silent, rising wave.
Roy's mood was just as dark. He was already planning how to punish those responsible.
He turned his head toward Sor Sogon and Rak Mhan, whose expressions were equally gloomy.
When Roy faced the two ministers with the expression of someone about to deliver a heavenly decree, they sharpened their gaze. Their attention was absolute, their eyes burning with visible traces of fury.
"All military units in the military ministry," Roy said coldly, his tone low and piercing, "prepare for war."
Sor Sogon and Rak Mhan saluted immediately, shouting orders to the soldiers with such urgency it felt as if the world might shatter if they were too slow.
And so, and military ministry bustled into a scenery where laziness or timidness has become a luxury they could no longer afford.
Roy sprinted back to the Holy Ministry, his figure a blur as he traveled at near-light speed.
He strode into the ministry hall, where Yom Euni sat beside his stone statue with a cold, hollow, and depressed expression.
Right beside Roy's statue stood the Armor of Divine Wrath, radiating absolute divinity, standing proudly on the side as if it did not concern itself with civil or military problems.
Roy donned the seven-foot armor, gripped the Black Templar's great blade, and promised Yom Euni that he would purge those responsible.