The war in the East would continue, but everything had changed. Student conscription was ending as reinforcements poured in from the North and the Slatemark Empire. The Kagu family had led a massive, brutal campaign to win back Hwaeryun, the Eastern capital, from the vampires. It was a pyrrhic victory—they'd won, but at a terrible cost.
With the Vampire Monarch dead and Alyssara Velcroix nowhere to be found, the Eastern continent could finally push back the vampire tide. Two Radiant-rankers now protected the East, and normalcy might return to a continent that had slept peacefully for over 150 years.
Tonight's massive celebration banquet served two purposes: lifting everyone's spirits after the bloody victory at Hwaeryun, and welcoming Archduke Leopold Astoria from the Slatemark Empire.
The banquet at Hwaeryun was no ordinary affair. Archduke Leopold Astoria's presence elevated it to an event of tremendous importance.
