Chapter 90
Within three days, all 120,000 reinforcement troops were angrily discussing one thing: Carissa had been granted the title of Fifth-Rank Valor General without notable achievements, relying solely on the prestige of her father and brothers. Aurora encouraged the soldiers to continue complaining.
“If she wanted to ride on the military achievements of her father and brothers, she should stay in the capital and enjoy her life of luxury. Why does she need to come to the battlefield and steal our merits?”
“We risk our lives to protect the country, for honor and achievement. She did nothing and still got promoted to Valor General. How unfair!”
“The marshal is known for strict military discipline, rewarding and punishing without bias. Yet, he showed favoritism, giving such a big promotion to Lady Sinclair for nothing? What's the point of fighting and killing on the battlefield? The enemies we kill might end up as her achievements.”
“The Southern Frontier urgently needs support. We’ve trudged through snow, rain, and wind, with many soldiers falling ill. We marched day and night to reach the front lines without rest.”
“General Yates endured her old injuries to conserve medical supplies, fearing there wouldn’t be enough at the front. She suffered so, only for the marshal to scold her upon arrival and accuse her of jealousy. He even handed command of the Mystic Army to a divorced woman. If word gets out, wouldn’t it be the biggest joke in Starhaven?”
“Exactly! General Yates made decisive contributions at Victory Pass with only three hundred soldiers. Yet, she’s still only a Fourth-Rank Tactical General, while Lady Sinclair, elevated by the marshal, is a rank higher.”
“Why do we go through such hardships? Ultimately, we’re just stepping stones for others.”
These rumors and grievances caused extreme dissatisfaction among the reinforcements. Even within the Mystic Army, some were indignant, finding it unacceptable to be led by a woman with no achievements or virtues. However, they didn’t dare voice their discontent. Rafael had put Carissa in charge; they had to obey. They could only harbor their resentment silently.
But when Carissa began training with the troops, most were uncooperative and looked at her with contempt. Carissa and Violet had been busy planning the training schedule, unaware of the circulating rumors.
Confused by the Mystic Army’s lack of cooperation, Carissa paused training and asked Bun and others to investigate. The findings infuriated Violet and the others.
“This is outrageous! I’m Violet Spencer, a lady from a prestigious Ebonflow family and an apprentice of the renowned Inferno Guild. How dare they call me Carissa’s maid!” Violet exclaimed, slamming her palm on the table.
Cynthia, equally furious, ranted, “I’m an apprentice of the Crystal Bloom Guild and was appointed battalion commander by the Hell Monarch himself. Now, they say I’m your foot-washing maid!”
Bun, also angry, added, “Apparently, I’m your attendant, along with Rod. They say when you relieve yourself, we must stand guard and prevent anyone from approaching.”
Carissa was dumbfounded. “That’s absurd!”
“Of course! They also say you’ve never earned any military merits, that the marshal promoted you because of your father and brothers. They claim other generals’ achievements were credited to you. They’re shouting about their dissatisfaction and threatening to report to the marshal.”
Violet snapped her whip, her expression icy. “Aurora’s soldiers started this. They called you a decorative pillow—pretty but useless.”
“Damn it! When we attacked the city, you were the first to destroy the crossbow machines, then opened the gate, leading three thousand men to defend the supply depot. They wouldn’t have full bellies now if it weren’t for you. The food they brought could only last a few days.”
Cynthia added angrily, “Who does Aurora think she is? She’s just a troublemaker! Let them complain to the marshal. We’ll see what good it does them.”
(The final line, "BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you," appears to be unrelated and was removed.)