Her Graceful War Song

At the break of dawn, the large procession set out for Orivenia.

Carissa didn't feel much regret in leaving. After all, they would pass through Victory Pass on the way back, and she would have the chance to meet with her grandfather and his family again.noveldrama

Once they had left Victory Pass, the road grew rougher. Many sections were full of deep potholes or had been intentionally damaged, making it difficult for the carriages to move forward.

However, Kendrick was determined not to ride a horse again. Even after days of rest, his legs were still sore from the relentless friction of the saddle. Walking was manageable, but sitting on horseback?

That was pure agony.

So, despite having earned his merit at Victory Pass for establishing an orphanage there, Kendrick insisted on traveling by carriage. When the wheels got stuck or the path became too treacherous, the Mystic Army soldiers dismounted and pushed the carriage forward, inching their way through the difficult terrain.

Fortunately, the roads had been cleared between the two kingdoms, and they were able to use the routes that had been established for such purposes. Had they needed to cross the high mountains, Kendrick's noble rear end would have surely suffered greatly.

As they entered Orivenia territory, the officials and soldiers of Orivenia were there to greet them and escort them toward Fawnrun City.

Apart from the translator, everyone else from Starhaven was visiting Orivenia for the first time.

While it was still a border city, Fawnrun City was clearly in worse shape than Victory Pass. The streets were lined with dilapidated buildings and ragged beggars, and the faces of the common folk were marred with sorrow and worry.

Carissa was a little surprised. Despite the war between the two kingdoms, it seemed odd that Fawnrun City had been so badly affected. The conflict hadn't reached this far, at least not directly. Even though Barrett and Aurora had passed through here before, causing the massacre in the nearby villages, the damage should have been limited to that area, not the entire city.

It wasn't until they arrived at the guesthouse in Fawnrun City that Carissa learned from one of the escorting officials that the devastation was not merely from the war. During the previous battle between Leroy and Victory Pass, Leroy's forces, struggling with supply shortages, had resorted to raiding Fawnrun City for provisions.

At that time, Leroy's situation was not much better than Victor's. Few in the then Westhaven supported the war, and the abdicated king, despite his title, lacked the strength to lead effectively. The war had been driven more by personal bravado than anything resembling strategy.

When it was heard that Leroy had perished in battle, his body had never been retrieved. Instead, it had been discarded in a mass grave. It was clear that the people and officials of Fawnrun City harbored a deep hatred for him.

The roads became a bit easier to travel after leaving Fawnrun City, though they were still not as smooth as the roads of Starhaven.

Along the way, many of the local Orivenia citizens watched the Starhaven delegation pass by. Some gazed with curiosity, while others looked on with hostility and disdain.

After years of conflict, with wars flaring up and dying down only to reignite, and now with the incident involving the former Westhaven's crown prince Arthur, the people's feelings toward Starhaven were far from friendly.

On the third day after leaving Fawnrun City, the envoy settled for the night at a relay station in Haverbrook. It was there, under the cover of darkness, that they were attacked by assassins.

The assailants came swiftly, their numbers overwhelming-34 in total. They were all dressed in black, with cloth masks covering their faces, leaving only their cold, murderous eyes visible.

Carissa had remained vigilant throughout their journey. Even after they had settled in the inn, she never let her guard down. Despite the large number of assassins, she was not caught off guard.

Violet protected Kendrick and the other officials while Carissa, Michael, and Travis led their people into battle. Orivenia's guards also joined the fight to fend off the assailants.

The assassins were formidable. Their martial arts skills were advanced, their techniques intricate, and their ability to adapt quickly was remarkable.

Though Carissa and her

companions were skilled in combat, the majority of the Mystic Army were not experts in this kind of

high-level fighting. They were better

suited for large-scale battles;-

against such highly

assassins, they were at

disadvantage.

This left Carissa and her group on the defensive. They couldn't fully engage in combat, only managing to protect themselves while

occasionally knocking down a few assassins. However, they didn't deal fatal blows, and the assassins could still escape.

Fortunately, the assassins didn't linger after realizing they were not making

progress. Soon, they all disappeared into the night.

Carissa didn't issue any orders to

pursue them. They were in

unfamiliar territory, and chasing blindly into the night could lead to ambush or

an

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worse. But as she watched the assassins disappear into the shadows, she noticed something troubling-the Orivenia guards had deliberately left gaps in their defense, allowing the assassins to escape smoothly.

Thaddeus Maxwell, the commander of the Orivenia guards, seemed to have noticed this. After addressing the immediate aftermath, he began a thorough investigation.