Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 821

On the day of the assessment, Carissa ordered that all leaders of the Mystic Army, even if they were just captains, had to be present unless they were on duty.

At first, Alistair thought this was a direct dig at him. After a long rant about Carissa to his wife, he finally stepped out the door.

Women could be so petty! With someone as small-minded as Carissa in charge of the Mystic Army, who knew how many troubles were going to arise in the future?

When he arrived at the Capital Guard headquarters, he quickly learned that the day's assessment wasn't just about him—it was tied directly to the Civil Department's evaluations.

That realization made him nervous.

He had offended Carissa. If he performed poorly today, he could face penalties like a salary deduction or even a demotion. If he had known, he would have prayed more before leaving the house and sought blessings from his ancestors.

Barrett was also there, but he wasn't participating in the assessment since he had just taken office and wasn't required to undergo evaluation yet. Having witnessed Carissa's skills on the Southern Frontier battlefield, Barrett knew that Alistair stood no chance against her. Alistair could only hope to survive a few exchanges.

Carissa wasn't in her official uniform today. Instead, she wore a blue brocade attire and a crown, exuding a scholarly air instead of an authoritative one.

Standing on the stone steps of the training grounds, she called out, "I will personally assess you today. Feel free to show me everything you've got. The deputy commanders must last at least 50 exchanges under my hand. If you can't, you'll all face special training. The other captains need to last 20 exchanges, and if you can't manage that, you'll face special training as well."

Her voice echoed clearly in everyone's ears. Some people laughed, while others furrowed their brows. Those laughing clearly had never witnessed Carissa's martial prowess, while those frowning included Alistair, Barrett, and a few other deputy commanders.

Lasting fifty exchanges against her was impossible.

In other words, attending this special training was unavoidable.

"I've also arranged for your special training instructor," Carissa said, casting a cold glance over the crowd. Once everyone fell silent, she called out for Violet.

When everyone turned, they were surprised to see a beautiful woman in red.

She was here to be their special training master? A woman?

Violet gestured for a chair to be brought out to the front. With a graceful sweep of her feet, she settled into the seat, her posture casual yet haughty.

She scoffed inwardly. She was here to accept apprentices today.

Naturally, Alistair was not pleased. He asked, "Commander Sinclair, you just said you would personally assess us. Are we supposed to take turns fighting you?"