Chapter 22 Hope for the Future!
Leaffall City.
When the first batch of believers was safely sent away, the priests of the Half-Elf Church returned to Leaffall City with plenty of food. A new atmosphere was brewing in this long-trapped city. The food the priests brought back was abundant, including not only high-quality wheat from the south but also plenty of salted meat, smoked meat, and salted fish. Surprisingly, there was an abundance of meat, and many civilians received some fish, marking their first taste of meat in a long time.
Soren estimated that there was no shortage of fish.
Modo was located on a fish migration route, and anyone who had witnessed a school of fish migrating would understand how spectacular that scene would be. As for salt, that was not an issue; Soren found it laughable that a seaside area could lack salt. Originally, he intended to create something akin to fish floss, but due to pressing matters, he set that aside for now.
As time passed, the winds in Leaffall City began to change, and more and more civilians hoped to leave this dangerous place.
Because the food in the city was running low.
Without the retreat of the Half-Orcs, they could not cultivate. Consider the finances of an ordinary civilian—surviving natural disasters is already difficult; if war affected them, it would be utterly devastating.
The number of believers was increasing.
The priests were actively mobilizing civilians to leave, and more and more people were affected, leading to an increasingly strange situation in the city.
………………
In the grand hall.
Many nobles gathered here, while outside, many were unable to fill their stomachs, yet here there was an abundance of food, even fine wine.
Nobles and civilians lived in two entirely different worlds, with far too many conveniences stemming from their power.
“Have they really defeated the Half-Orcs?”
Above the hall, a cold-faced man watched the others. He slowly said, “I never expected they could even repel Eugene! At this rate, that rabble may easily be swayed!…”
An older man glanced over and slowly said, “I wonder if we can ask them for help against the Half-Orc army?”
One middle-aged man shook his head and said, “That would be difficult.”
“Since they intend to relocate the believers, it’s obvious they plan to abandon this place. Otherwise, they wouldn’t give up on the Church’s property. Convincing them to fight against the Half-Orcs seems unlikely.”
The Church naturally had its own assets.
Farmland, temples, real estate, and so on; the Half-Elf Church was so decisive in giving it all up, showing no intention of staying here.
“Should we stop them?” one person said in a low voice.
The old man turned and glared at him, scolding, “Foolish! Are you suggesting we start a war within the city? Besides, most of those they are taking away are civilians, many of whom are the elderly, weak, and women—totally devoid of combat capability.”
“The army is still under our control.”
“As long as the army doesn’t lose anyone, our strength isn’t diminished. Those civilians are merely a burden, unnecessarily increasing food consumption.”
“The army must be secured!”
“No soldiers must be allowed to leave. Let them take the elderly, weak, and women if they want.”
Everyone present fell silent.
They couldn’t go to war with the Church, nor could they openly stop them; after all, a deity stood behind the Church, and the situation in Leaffall City absolutely couldn’t afford to provoke a deity further. In this situation, they felt restrained in everything they did. They could only secretly engage in small maneuvers. Although the priests of the Church were still unable to use divine techniques, they were still high-ranking warriors, wielding significant influence in Leaffall City, and any direct confrontation would unravel the situation.
At this moment.
A middle-aged man clearly dressed as a Druid stood up. He slowly said, “If it’s just about sending civilians to safety, it may not be a bad thing. After all, it’s difficult for us to repel the Half-Orcs in a short time. Autumn is about to arrive, and we’ve already lost a lot of farmland; keeping these civilians here would only increase our burden.”
“If they leave, the food could be saved for our warriors!”
“Lord Earthwalker has already responded. As long as we can hold out until June, Lord Earthwalker will come to our aid!”
Earthwalker?
Upon hearing the words of the middle-aged Druid, the nobles present couldn’t help but stand up in surprise.
“Really?”
“Is Lord Earthwalker truly willing to help us?”
“That’s wonderful!”
Excited voices erupted.
The middle-aged Druid looked at the others present and nodded, saying, “Not long ago, Lord Earthwalker led the Druid Order to seek something important, and he is about to return. He is a kind and generous elder and certainly won’t stand by while the Half-Orcs ravage our lands. As long as Lord Earthwalker is willing to intervene, we will definitely defeat Eugene’s Half-Orc army.”
Earthwalker.
One of the most knowledgeable and powerful Druids!
It was difficult to ascertain his exact profession level, but he had been in the Legendary Domain for hundreds of years.
He was the leader of the Druid sect’s “Earth Doctrine,” residing deep within the Elven Forest, rarely involving himself in ordinary matters. However, the current situation in Leaffall City seemed to have prompted him to consider lending a hand. There were quite a few Druids born within the Half-Elven community, and they held a voice within the Druid Order. It appeared that the Elves were not inclined to send troops to assist, but if the Druid Order was willing to help, that could prove even more useful than Elven reinforcements!
………………
Days passed by.
The first batch of believers was quickly sent away, and the pirate fleet returned to the vicinity of Leaffall City.
Soren’s plans were proceeding smoothly; he only had to concern himself with taking away his believers, having no intention of involving himself in other matters. The first batch of believers saw over five thousand sent away, and the second batch was expected to be much larger. According to the Church’s recent statistics, over twenty thousand civilians were willing to leave with them. These were civilians who already adhered to the Church, easily accepting the will of the deity. Those who chose to remain were mainly the wealthy landowners unwilling to leave their homes.
Civilians had already lost everything amidst the chaos of war.
Yet these people were reluctant to give up their land. Even if it was occupied by Half-Orcs, if they could repel them, they could reclaim everything.
The Noble Council requested a batch of food from Soren through the Church, and after some consideration, Soren agreed to their request.
Nearly a month had passed.
The arrival of the Year of Turmoil was drawing nearer, leaving him with just seven months before the Saint’s Cataclysm would fully erupt. Soren did not wish to waste too much time here. The Church’s believers were transported in three batches. The fleet he mobilized was sufficient, and with Fury Sand Island as a transit point, transporting such a large number of people posed no issues.
………………
A gentle sea breeze blew towards them.
Warships docked at the pier of Fury Sand Island, and a dense crowd disembarked from the ships, while nearby, a contingent of military personnel maintained order.
“Sister! Slow down!”
George helped a young woman down from the deck, in her arms was a young child, who appeared bold with a round face. The little one looked around with wide, dark eyes, showing no signs of fear.
Finally back on solid ground.
Many around them wore joyful smiles, and the voice of the priest directed them to rest here for a while before continuing their journey. They did not know where they were headed. However, they felt no panic about the future, as if an invisible force was calming their souls, filling them with hope for what lay ahead. A portion of the priests from the Church accompanied them, still unable to use divine techniques, but their medical skills could resolve many troubles.
Along the way, they could see many fierce-looking pirates, yet these pirates did not disturb them at all.
Order prevailed.
Both sides appeared to be delineated by an invisible boundary. They were merely travelers, not intending to linger here for long. On their path, they saw many law enforcement officers, a group of tough individuals; occasionally, some audacious individuals attempted to provoke them and were quickly punished with more than ten lashes.
Fury Sand Island had a prepared camp.
Many were temporarily settled here, and after resting for about two days, more batches were sent away.
At this time.
What they encountered was no longer just pirates; the ships that would take them to their destination had turned into merchant ships.
They truly belonged to a merchant fleet.
George tried to chat with the ship’s guards and easily learned about their origin. The ones responsible for transporting them were the merchants from Shipwreck Bay, who typically engaged in overseas trade with the islands. This time, they were summoned by Lord Soren to transport these refugees to Modo City. These merchants could waive one year’s tribute after delivering a batch of people, and now many merchants from the Southern Coast were assembling fleets, with some planning to completely waive three years’ tribute.
Lord Soren was known for keeping his word!
Since this lord had made a promise, he would certainly abide by it. The whole deal involved just a simple trip to transport people, causing little delay to them, and yet the benefits were enticing.
Along the way.
The merchant guards treated them well; if anyone fell ill, there would be a physician to assist them. These departures were all recorded; in case of emergencies, the merchants would be responsible.
George inquired about Modo City.
When the merchant guards mentioned it, admiration lit up their faces; they said it was a prosperous place, with merchant ships continuously coming and going, and the law enforcement was much better than in other areas. There were many stories about the place, such as the presence of a miraculous fertilizer, which even attracted priests from the Agricultural Temple; furthermore, even slaves there could earn freedom through hard work, with reports that some slaves had received land as a reward for their diligence.
And so, time passed day by day.
There were many curious individuals like George, and they were drawing closer to Modo City!
………………(To be continued ~^~)
