Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Carissa remained silent, her eyes filled with a trace of regret.

Every martial artist, at some point, likely harbored a dream-a dream of roaming the world with a sword, stepping in to right the wrongs they encountered, and having people call them "heroes" wherever they went.

Carissa had often dreamed of such things as a young girl, especially when she had first started her martial arts training and seen a glimpse of her own potential. In those days, she had been proud and certain that she was destined for greatness.

In her dreams, she was a peerless warrior, slaying countless evildoers. Even when they begged for mercy beneath her blade, she would still say, "This is for the sake of justice in the world."

As she grew older, she realized that it wasn't that simple. Being a hero, dispensing justice on one's terms, was actually against the law. A heroine had no authority to enforce the law. She wasn't a member of the official courts or government.

Also, to kill someone, there must be solid evidence. Even if one had personally witnessed a criminal committing a crime, one still needed to provide proof to the authorities. After the authorities reviewed the case, if the sentence was death by beheading, it still had to be confirmed by the Supreme Court before execution.

It was a tedious process, with investigations and checks designed to prevent wrongful convictions. However, it also allowed those with power and influence to manipulate the system to their advantage.

Carissa remembered how Winona had once talked to her about it. Even if the crime was proven beyond a doubt, if the criminal's family had enough money, they could suppress evidence or discredit witness testimony. Whether the sentence was reduced or completely overturned depended entirely on the amount of money offered.

shattered Carissa's ideals. How could the

a long time. The law, Carissa insisted, existed to punish the wicked. How could it be

government's money came from the people's taxes. They were public

had even gone to ask

head and said, "Winona is right. But in truth, the

had been confused. "This is as good as it gets? That's a sad thing to

world is made up of human hearts. There is good, there is evil, there is selfishness, and there is hypocrisy. Everyone blames the state of the world, but few consider how

is the best world we can have,

moment before answering, "A bad world is one filled with endless war, with internal strife and external threats There will be natural disasters and man-made calamities, where people are scattered and displaced. The dead will pile up in the streets, and even

shocked. "Is that what war causes? But my dad

fights to protect his homeland and to reclaim what is rightfully the kingdom's. Sometimes, war is fought to prevent further war." Carissa hadn't understood then, but

Edgeview Estate, Yuvan's injuries

his ribs were broken and his leg was fractured. Though the wound on his abdomen was shallow and merely bled a little, it left him particularly weak. Ultimately, the injuries

physicians had examined him, including the one who had accompanied him on the trip, they agreed that his condition was grave.