Her Graceful War Song

The battle raged on all day, leaving the soldiers drenched in blood and sweat. As the sky darkened, the Westhaven army finally withdrew from the inner city. However, the city's walls and gates had been badly damaged. They no longer stood strong enough to keep the enemy out.

Though they had retreated for the night, the Westhaven soldiers would surely return at dawn. It was only the cover of darkness that forced their retreat. As they left, they didn't take the bodies of their fallen soldiers. Instead, they poured oil over the corpses and set them aflame.

It wasn't just the dead Westhaven soldiers that burned in the fire, some fallen Victory Pass soldiers were caught in the blaze too. Dominic hurried to save as many as he could, unwilling to let his comrades turn to ash alongside the enemy.

But the flames spread quickly, fed by the oil, so he only managed to rescue a few bodies. Most were burnt beyond recognition, their faces and features lost to the fire. It was impossible to tell who was friend and who was foe. They had no choice but to bury them all together.

After the battle, Wyatt wanted to find that brave young soldier he had seen fighting so well. When he couldn't find that person, he guessed the soldier must have been sent to help bury the dead.

Indeed, Carissa and others were tasked with that grim duty. She was no stranger to burying soldiers, but for many of the others, it was their first experience. Their hearts struggled to accept the horror of it all.

Not even Barrett, who had not been on a battlefield for some time, could escape the heavy weight upon his spirits. Together, they dug a large pit for the fallen. Carissa saw Barrett and Aurora nearby, but the man didn't recognize her.

The flickering firelight revealed charred bodies piled high. Their faces were unrecognizable and their clothes had fused with the burnt flesh, filling the air with a harsh smell of smoke and blood. When the pit was ready, they began lowering the bodies in. Some desperately tried to identify their own, hoping to separate Victory Pass soldiers from the rest.

Carissa watched quietly, then heard Aurora say, "Stop looking. Let's finish this quickly so we may rest."

Carissa looked up and saw Barrett searching through the pile. Aurora was following behind him, holding his arm.

"We left the capital together. Now that they have fallen, I want to see if I can find anyone I know," Barrett said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

"What good is it to recognize them? They will be buried here all the same. It's a waste of time and accomplishes nothing. Identifying them won't bring us any honor; it only slows us down. We must work quickly. Tomorrow will likely bring another fierce battle," Aurora replied.

"If we find them, we can dig a new grave and separate them from the rest. Your cousin was lost too. Don't you want to find him?" Barrett asked.

"Once on the battlefield, we must all be prepared to die," Aurora answered. "Barrett, it is good to care for others, but there is a time and place for such feelings. Right now, what we need most is rest. And truly, it is unreasonable. We've come all this way as reinforcements, and then we are given these petty tasks? We are not common soldiers."

.n

Though she spoke with authority, hint of complaint lingered in her voice. After all, she had been praised by the queen dowager. To be treated as a mere soldier seemed beneath her.

Some who heard her words grew annoyed.

"Whether we find them or not is one thing. But the effort itself is what matters," one man retorted sharply.

"Getting emotional is useless. If you have time for that, you should spend it preparing for tomorrow's battle," Aurora answered coolly.noveldrama

"What? Useless?!"

The man stepped forward angrily, ready to argue. But Aurora flipped him clean over her shoulder and tossed him straight into the pit.

Standing at the edge, she looked down at him and coldly said, "Now tell me, are you useless or not?"

Violet saw this and moved to stop her, but Carissa held her back firmly. "Let it be. Finishing the task is what matters."

When Barrett heard Carissa's voice, he turned to look at her. The sweat had washed away the dirt and ash from her face, revealing a pale, clean complexion.

Barrett blinked in surprise and blurted out, "Lady Sinclair?"

Violet, Cynthia, and Carissa all wore men's clothing to hide their identities. Hearing Barrett call her friend by that title, Violet's face.

darkened. "Who are you callin net

lady? Be gone and mind you own business."

Aurora glanced at Carissa and Violet before turning back to Barrett with a slight smile. "What lady? Your eyes must be deceiving you. Now, let's finish the work quickly."