Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)

Chapter 911

Rafael and Carissa were sitting in a private room on the second floor of a tavern not far from the city gates. The room offered the best view in the place. With the windows pushed open, they could see the entire area around the gates.

Since their schedule had always been fixed, Rafael had reserved this room in advance so Carissa would be able to see Dominic from there.

Carissa's gaze never left his face, her eyes hungry as if she couldn't get enough of him. She wanted nothing more than to rush down, throw herself into her grandfather's arms, and cry like she used to when she was little.

She would pour out all the grievances she had been holding inside, and her grandfather would gently pat her head, promising that anyone who dared hurt his little granddaughter would have to answer to him.

But now, all Carissa could do was stand on the second floor, watching as Dominic's horse was surrounded by the masses, listening to the deafening roars of support. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Her grandfather had aged. Really, truly aged.

In the past, even though his hair was graying at the temples, his spirit had been sharp and his will unwavering. When he returned to the capital, he could spar with her dad without even breaking a sweat.

Now, Dominic's hair was fully white, with hardly a trace of black left. The long journey had taken its toll, and while his commanding presence was still strong, the weariness was clear. He had also become much thinner. His once dark and full cheeks now looked hollow, the skin still the same color but the flesh underneath sagging.

That was the mark of old age. Her grandfather had truly grown old.

Dominic trudged forward through the crowd, moving slowly. At times, he raised his hand to thank people. Other times, he glanced anxiously at the Crown Guard, worried that they might accidentally hurt someone in the crowd as they drove people away.

It took nearly an hour before the procession finally reached the area below the tavern.

Originally, the Garrison Unit and the Capital Guard were supposed to help clear the way, but the crowd was simply too thick. What started as a few people pushing through had turned into an unbreakable wall of bodies. At first, there had been some space to move, but now, the people had formed a human barricade, surrounding Dominic for protection.

There had been some who tried to confront the Crown Guard, but they were immediately shouted down by others who insisted that causing trouble with the Crown Guard would only bring trouble to Dominic.

Gradually, the crowd began chanting their belief that the king would treat the old general fairly, as someone who had guarded the borders for so many years.

Eventually, the chants morphed into a steady roar, with everyone shouting "His Majesty is wise!" and "His Majesty is virtuous!"

The transformation had been so natural, it seemed effortless. An hour was long enough for those hidden among the crowd to turn the tide, shifting from initial anger and support to overwhelming praise for the king.

Among them was a man dressed as an ordinary civilian, whose voice was the loudest. He led the others, and it wasn't just his loud voice that mattered. The disguise had been carefully crafted-thanks to the skills of Claire and the others.

No one recognized them as members of Hell Monarch Estate.

In addition, Travis was originally from the martial world and had a rough, unrefined air about him. Even though he now served as a guard leader in Hell Monarch Estate, his roots still clung to him. With so many people around, it was impossible to identify anyone with certainty, even if someone tried to scrutinize the faces below.

The repeated chants of 'His Majesty is wise' seemed like a tribute to Salvador.

Once, this was the praise Salvador had most wanted to hear from the people.

But not today.

Now, it symbolized the people's expectations of how Salvador would handle Dominic. This expectation could only be met by a king known for his wisdom. That meant Salvador had no choice but to be lenient in dealing with the general.

Dominic finally lifted his head and saw Carissa.

The moment his eyes met hers and saw her mouth the word "Grandpa," his eyes, already bloodshot, couldn't hold back a single tear. The moment the tear fell, Carissa's tears broke free, streaming down her face.

He sighed. That child rarely cried, but when she did, it was never easy to comfort her. And now, with her tears flowing like that, who could possibly console her?

Dominic noticed the Hell Monarch standing beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. He was holding her tightly, projecting a calm and reassuring presence.

Good. Someone was there to comfort her.