Her Graceful War Song

After the New Year, goods were to be sent out through the Pearl River, and the docks had begun to grow busy once more.

Southsea County was well known for its fine silks-luxurious, highly sought-after fabrics. In the past, merchants would always report to the authorities ahead of time when shipping such goods, and officers would be stationed nearby to keep watch, in case of thieves.

However, as there had been little sign of bandits over the past year or two, some merchants, wishing to save time, began skipping that step. Arranging for guards would take at least a day or two, which meant they would have to delay loading their ships.

Thinking there was no danger, they simply gave orders to load the goods straight away. But no sooner had the merchant ship left the bay than it was met by five or six tattered old boats. From them sprang a group of rough-looking men, who threw hooked ropes toward the merchant ship and began climbing aboard at

once.

At the same time, a small fishing boat pulled up swiftly alongside the merchant vessel. Onboard were only the boatman and two others-Elise and Selene.

The two young women were dressed in shabby clothes, disguised as common dockhands. They had been watching the docks for three or four days already. After hearing from Bertram that there had been reports of bandits stirring again, they had gone to the docks in secret to investigate.

Earlier, as the merchant ship was being loaded, Elise had noticed a few suspicious men keeping watch nearby. There were no soldiers present, and that alone made her suspect the thieves would strike. So, she rented a fishing boat and followed at a distance.

Now, seeing the pirates boarding the ship, she gave Selene a look. They leapt through the air together, using their Lightfoot Skill to land aboard. They thought the ship's crew would be caught off guard, but to their surprise, fighting had already begun.

Though the pirates were many, two of the men aboard the merchant ship were clearly skilled fighters. They were brave and fast, knocking down several pirates in a matter of moments. One of them was a young man dressed in black.

Elise and Selene quickly joined the fray.

The pirates were not highly trained, but used dirty tricks such as throwing lime powder, firing hidden darts, and the like. Such tricks might work on ordinary sailors, but not on the two women.

With a single swift movement, Elise dodged them all. She then noticed that the young man in black's movements were sharp and fast, his attacks clean. It was clear he had trained from a young age.

After taking down two of the pirates herself, Elise turned and froze when she saw the other skilled fighter.

It was Thomas!

When had he arrived? And how had he ended up aboard this very ship?

The sailors soon joined the fight. In no time at all, the pirates were either subdued or had fled. The young man in black gave orders to tie up the captured thieves, then lifted his head toward Elise.

But she had already darted to Thomas' side and exclaimed with delight, "Mr. Thomas, what are you doing here?"

He smiled and replied, "Your father sent me. And what about you-why are you here? I saw you leap aboard just now. Your Lightfoot Skill is quite something."

"Dad sent you?" Elise understood at once what had happened. As for his praise, she accepted it cheerfully. "My

foot Skill is indeed quite

good. My swordplay is even better."

Thomas let out a hearty laugh. "Just like your mother. Remarkable."

The young man in black was none other than Ansel. While seeing to the prisoners, he listened quietly to the exchange between Elise and Thomas. From just a few simple words, he was able to guess their identities.

Instead of feigning ignorance, he stepped forward with composure and bowed. "General Ansel Hargrove, at your service, Your Grace, General Farrell."

Elise studied the clear-eyed youth before her. She was not the least bit surprised that he had recognized them.

"So, you're General Hargrove. I've heard much of you," she said with a smile, looking him over.

"You flatter me, Your Grace," Ansel answered with modesty.

"Oh? And what exactly have you heard?" Thomas asked with a knowing smile, glancing over the young man.

Elise grinned. "I've made a few inquiries these past few days here in Port Liantra. Whenever I asked about General Hargrove, all the townsfolk sang his praises."

With a playful look, she turned to Thomas. "I'm sure you've heard the same."

Thomas gave a nod, then said to Ansel, "See to these men first. We'll speak further at the local authorities' office."noveldrama

"As you command," Ansel replied with steady poise.