Her Graceful War Song

The battle raged on with a ferocity that turned the sky to dusk and the earth to mud. Blood, corpses, severed limbs, and agonized cries filled the air, suffocating Mount Whitemist in their wake.

Death came with the daylight, and the mountain was bathed in a thin, warm golden hue.

Rafael rode in, shouting for them to surrender and hand over Victor.

Victor shouted equally loudly, retorting that the people of Starhaven were treacherous. Once they laid down their weapons, only death awaited them. But if they fought on, there was still a slim chance of survival.

Yet, how could they hope to fight? The Starhaven forces were armed to the teeth, with six-barreled matchlocks capable of picking them off from afar.

It was a battle they could never win.

One by one, Victor's men fell, lifeless in the blood-soaked earth.

Victor raised his sword, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions: failure, death, despair.

Once, he had stood tall on the Southern Frontier-a hero among his people, his family's name soaring to new heights thanks to his victories. He was the pride of Sandoria, cherished and celebrated.

Now, everything he had gained from that land was slipping away, lost to the very land he had conquered.

He looked at Rafael, but the hand holding his blade had no strength left. Trembling, he could only point it weakly at his old enemy-there was too much unwillingness to accept reality in his heart.

In the end, Victor turned the blade on himself. Even with swords from all sides pressed against his neck, his blade reached his chin, cutting a thin line of blood.

Victor raised his head, locking eyes with Rafael, a cold fire burning in his gaze. "You cannot kill me. I will die by my own hand."

With those final words, he tilted his head back, the blade cutting deep into his throat. Blood poured out in a torrent.

Louis was the first to withdraw his blade. "You may choose to die by your own hand. It matters not to us. We only seek your head."

Above them, black crows and eagles circled, their wings blotting out the sky. Their cries were a funeral bell, foretelling the end.

As Victor's life slipped away, the last thing he saw was the darkness before him, filled with the sound of death.

Victor's head was severed with a brutal swiftness. The flow of blood had slowed, and the vast gaping hole in his neck no longer caused anger among the Sandoria soldiers. Instead, it was fear that gripped them. With no leader, struggling any further meant death-perhaps an even worse one.

-

They could barely fight anymore. They were too hungry and exhausted, and even breathing was difficult. Slowly, they began to drop their weapons, one after another. Surrender was their only option now. Perhaps as prisoners, they could gain a sliver of mercy.

An urgent dispatch was sent to the Starhaven capital, bearing word of their victory.

Before this, there had been no other report except for the previous urgent dispatch. No news had come to confirm whether the Hell Monarch had been found.

Many had already braced themselves for the inevitable defeat.

But then, a messenger rode in from the outskirts, bearing the report of victory. His shout of "A great victory for the Southern Frontier!" echoed through the gates, and the streets erupted in joy.noveldrama

People followed the messenger as they called out, their cheers carrying all the way to Royal Street. The dispatch was swiftly delivered into Jeremiah's hands, who wasted no time in presenting it before Salvador.

Salvador's hands trembled as he

tore open the long report, which recounted every detail of the battle He devoured it eagerly, almost greedily. When he finished, his heart burned with pride, a fiery heat spreading through his chest. He could not calm himself.

This victory had been hard-won, but they had done it.

He had done it.

Jeremiah also read the report, and with each line, his smile grew wider. He couldn't hide his delight.

"The Southern Frontier Army is invincible and unstoppable," he remarked.

His words were aimed at the Southern Frontier Army, not the Hell Monarch.

During the battle, Salvador had placed his faith in Rafael's success. But once the battle was won, his thoughts would shift elsewhere. much military merit on a

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person was best left unspoken-it wasn't something to bring up too often in Salvador's presence.

Salvador, feeling the weight on his shoulders lift, let out a long breath.

"Rafael says we've captured over a hundred of Sandoria's generals, and thousands of soldiers. The

Sandoria king has now sent envoys to negotiate, hoping we'll release the prisoners."

Jeremiah nodded. "Would you like the Hell Monarch to continue the negotiations, or should other emissaries be sent?"

A rare smile crossed Salvador's pale face, though it was tinged with ambiguity.

"Draft the edict-Generals Timothy and Louis will serve as envoys for the peace negotiations. The Hell Monarch shall return at once to receive his rewards. As for the Southern Frontier generals and soldiers, they will be rewarded according to their merits