Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1600

But then again, I had to say—girls like me were quite popular with young gentlemen.

At Meadow Ridge, many a lad had taken a fancy to me. Those boys just growing their first bit of stubble would shyly pass me love letters, one after another. I never read a single one and tore them all up right in front of them.

At the time, I hadn't yet sorted through the logic behind my old vow. In my heart, those two words—never marry—still loomed large.

So, yes, I knew I was being cruel when I ripped up their letters in front of them. But I was sorry—not for the act, but for what it meant.

As a girl who had sworn never to fall in love, I had to be ruthless. I couldn't let them hold onto even a sliver of hope. Better they shed a few tears now than fall too deep and suffer heartbreak later.

Even when they pouted and claimed the letter was for Cari and not for me, I remained unmoved.

Ha! Not even men yet, and already they were learning the tricks of playing hard to get.

At Meadow Ridge, my best companions were naturally Cari, Bun, Thia, and Rod. Oh, and for a time, Thia's senior joined us in our games. But he later left the mountain to travel the land and help the weak. Thia said he was nursing a broken heart.

Those youthful days were simple, with no strange troubles, only joy in the wild hills and the aches from martial arts training.

At first, I didn't know Isaac, who was Cari's fifth senior in the guild, very well. After she and I made peace and became friends, I began to see more of him.

Looking back now, I had to say that he rather put on airs. While the rest of us spoke only of martial arts—swordplay, footwork, dagger forms, and the like—he alone would open a folding fan and begin reciting poetry, showing off his fine words.

At Meadow Ridge, there was only one person who could recite poetry with a fan in hand and look the part—Kyle. Gentle, learned, and polished, he seemed as though he had stepped straight out of a novel.

Isaac was merely imitating him, and not very well.

Still, he often went down the mountain and brought us back all sorts of oddities. He would also go to the theatre and return to tell us the stories. Tales of strange happenings, amusing events—we loved hearing them all.

To convince me, Sage Conrad summoned several of my seniors to vouch for it. They all said the same thing—that Isaac wasn't a decent man, and I ought to stay away from him.

Now, I loved stories most of all, and whether the storyteller was Isaac or someone else, I still wanted to hear them. So, I went to the others and asked just what sort of women Isaac had gone to see.

I heard many tales, and of course, I went straight to Cari and Thia, telling them everything. Everyone was terribly shocked. Cari wasn't sure it could be true. She asked whether I might have unjustly accused her senior.

But it turned out I hadn't. In less than a month, all of Meadow Ridge knew that Isaac's favourite pastime was visiting those very places.

Cari told me that Sage Everett had tied him up and given him a proper beating; Isaac's howls could be heard throughout the Pathfinders Guild.

A man with such poor conduct? Best I kept my distance.