In End Era 127, "Eight Fingers" Horace emerged victorious from his competition with several brothers and successfully ascended the throne as Starfall's sixth Supreme King. He became Horace I.
As the respected Prime Minister of the Kingdom and a political enemy who had been at odds with Eight Fingers for years, Duke Coke Cavendish flew into a rage upon learning that his daughter would be married off and sent to the North by the new king. Already loathing the king, he stormed away and returned to Emerald City, shutting his doors and refusing to receive royal orders. When the court officials urged him to put state affairs first, Duke Coke declared in front of them all, "Missing two fingers doesn't stop a man from eating."
Having been opposed and mocked by the Prime Minister shortly after his coronation, Eight Fingers King Horace lost all dignity and face, and his fury burned hotter.
In response, Horace I personally led an army out of the city and announced that he was going south "hunting." He advanced on every road, ferry crossing, and even sea route leading to Emerald City, surrounding the Cavendish Family. The ministers and princes urged him not to launch a war recklessly, but the king declared that he was not fighting—he was merely "beating an old wild boar."
When the news reached Emerald City, Prime Minister Coke first pounded the table in fury, then laughed three times. "Only people who can't even hold a sword hilt are afraid of fighting." He immediately sent his eldest son with the family banner to the Southbank Territory to recruit soldiers and prepare for war. Their slogan was the same everywhere:
Cavendish does not die by enemies.
The royal camp received the intelligence. Eight Fingers King, who had been eating, kept his expression