The Valkyrie Returns and Slays (Raven)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

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"Ahem... Raven, listen, Brigadier General Grayson's getting old, and, uh, he's not all there anymore. I'll say sorry for him," Lorne said, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward grin.

Then he even added. "And to make it real clear I'm totally against that stupid idea he had, I'm giving you a promotion."

"As of today, you're the military's fourth general!" he announced, his voice loud and firm.

The place burst into chatters.

The moment Lorne's words landed, it was like a shockwave hit everyone right in the head.

For a second, they thought they'd heard wrong.

The fourth general? Their minds buzzed with disbelief.

Vyrdenia's three current full-on generals were legends-people who'd fought hard

and spilled blood for the country's pride.

And in all of Vyrdenia's history, no one had ever made general before fifty.

But here was Lorne, handing the title to a girl barely past her teens.

He wasn't kidding-he was really doing this.

Next to Raven, Eddie just gaped at her, his jaw hanging loose.

He'd come from Regalhold to "lend a hand," full of himself and ready to play hero.

He'd thought he was the hotshot riding in to save the day-that's how he pictured it.

Yeah, Valhalla master, lieutenant general, whatever, he'd sucked it up and dealt with it.

But now they' were saying she was shooting up to a general rank he could only dream of? His head couldn't handle it.

Someone like that needing his help-he almost cracked up at the thought.

And since he got here, he hadn't done a thing.

Raven to run, he'd

dog among his buddies, wearing that pride like

right then, he felt tiny.

she'd done, he-a guy who came to

his grandpa to forget

scheming about calling her lieutenant

the badge Raven tossed in Rex's face earlier-assumed Raven was maybe a major general,

now Lorne was saying Raven was a general, just like

military general, just the four

Jennings family would throw a whole welcome bash for- big dinner, fancy

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16:22 Mon,

Chapter 31

written Raven off as some nobody from a nowhere town. The ridiculousness of

how she'd acted, she felt like a total

now,

blinked out of

like a slap across his

down to colonel, and Lorne shot back by making her

was a straight-up insult,

plank, Rex turned and glared at Raven, his resentment practically

nineteen-year-old snagging a general's spot was already too

hit the military's top tier at that age? He couldn't

position he'd never even let himself imagine,

wouldn't let her take that general spot-he promised himself

as just a lieutenant general, she could

if she locked in that top rank, unless she pulled some treason-level stunt or messed up big, no one could touch

earlier threat. Throwing all caution out the window, he leaned forward, his

before Lorne could shut him down. "Look, every general in Vyrdenia represents the military-and, the whole

nineteen-year-old girl in that role, they'll think our military's a

stared him down, his sharp

just annoyed-it

mouth shut,

gone smoothly-perfect timing, all lined up. He'd had at least a decent shot at

to this clown, that chance was toast, and Lorne was mad at himself for letting it

stubborn Raven could be. Once she said no, that was that-no

third go at asking