Chapter 167 What A Spectacle
Corey’s chest tightened the moment Raven finished speaking.
If not for his forced self–restraint, he might have coughed up blood on the spot.
Even so, the hands hidden beneath his sleeves were trembling from sheer indignation.
Around them, the heads of various noble families exchanged complicated glances.
From the outside, it looked like Raven had thrown the man who tried to mediate a bone by “making peace” with Corey.
But anyone with eyes could tell–Raven wasn’t offering peace. She was pouring salt on the wound.
No one knew for certain if Corey had ever truly promised Caleb a nomination. But just minutes ago, they’d all heard him declare that as long as he remained in the military, Caleb would never set foot in the Hundred–Man Unit.
And now? Raven had just publicly declared Caleb the first official member of the unit- and even had the gall to say it was out of courtesy.
Was there anyone more shameless under the stars?
Caleb, on the other hand, looked like he’d just been struck by lightning–in the best way possible.
This… this surprise was too much.
Sure, earlier he had insisted on earning his place with merit, but that was because it was Corey offering the shortcut–not Raven.
He might grumble about Raven being an unrelenting Iron Queen, but deep down, he had nothing but respect for her strength and ruthlessness. Still, not once had he dared to hope she’d ever recognize him.
If he had known she might… he would’ve never accepted Corey’s offer so quickly.
Yet now, the very person he’d admired in silence had just handed him the golden key- publicly and unequivocally naming him as the Hundred–Man Unit’s first member.
This wasn’t just an honor. This was validation. Acknowledgment.
And it hit him harder than any battle. For a moment, he felt like shouting to the sky.
Meanwhile, Raven glanced at Corey, who looked like he was one insult away from passing out. Her lips curled ever so slightly with amusement.
She hadn’t meant to humiliate him, not really. All she wanted was for him to remember one thing–when you’ve sat too long at the top, you get complacent. And if you don’t learn to watch your step… a small stumble today could turn into a devastating fall
tomorrow.
Before the crowd could fully process what had just happened, a sharp, deliberate
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Chapter 167 What A Spectacle
round of applause rang out.
“Well, well,” someone drawled. “What an entertaining little family feud.”
All heads turned sharply toward the voice.
A young man in his early twenties stepped out from a shadowed corner, his dark robes rippling as he walked with calm, calculated arrogance.
As he made his way forward, he slowly loosened the black cloak draped around him.
“My teacher once said that if Vyrdenia could rise so quickly in just a few years, then surely there must be something special worth learning here,” he said smoothly, voice filled with mockery. “I thought perhaps the rumors were true–that Vyrdenia, while inferior to the Sunset Empire in most ways, still had some redeeming qualities. But after witnessing this ridiculous display between two so–called ‘senior commanders‘… I must say, I’m sorely disappointed.”
As he spoke, the cloak slipped from his shoulders–revealing a traditional long robe of
brilliant white beneath.
Gasps exploded from the crowd the moment they saw the uniform.
“Sunset Empire?!”
Instantly, the atmosphere shifted. The air turned sharp, tense, hostile. Dozens of eyes locked onto the young man, filled with unmistakable hatred.
Decades ago, the Sunset Empire had invaded Vyrdenia during its weakest years, slaughtering civilians and seizing land without mercy.
Even in more recent times, they remained Vyrdenia’s most relentless enemies on the interdimensional front lines.
If not for the Sirius Pack holding the outer border, the annual casualties at Sunset Empire’s hands would’ve easily reached hundreds of thousands.
To every citizen of Vyrdenia, the Sunset Empire wasn’t just an enemy–they were a curse. A stain. A wound that refused to heal.
“What the hell is someone from the Sunset Empire doing here?!”
“Who let him in?”
“Edric! This is your house! Your security let a Sunset spy just walk in?”
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