Chapter 79

THIRD PERSON’S POV The discontent spread like an infection. It spread in the hearts of the 120,000 reinforcements who had marched tirelessly across mountains, rivers, and rough lands to reach the battlefield. It began as murmurs among the lower ranks, quiet whispers were exchanged during night watches, but within three days, those murmurs had transformed into open resentment. “Eliza Valford,” one soldier spat, tossing a twig into the campfire. “Fifth-Rank Brave General? What exactly did she do to earn that?” The group of men sitting around him nodded in agreement. One of them, a veteran with scars tracing his arms, scoffed. “She’s only here because of her father and brother. That’s it,” he growled. “Her father’s a war hero, her brother’s a commander—so what? Since when does lineage make a general?” A younger recruit, barely in his twenties, hesitated before speaking. “But… I heard she trained under General Rourke. That has to count for something, right?” The veteran snorted. “Training