Siege Camp

Victor saw what Belger was holding and felt a stir in his heart. He looked up at the fleet in the river, then said to Belger, "Knight Belger, seize another ship. I want to see exactly what's inside!"

"Yes!"

At Belger's shout, the soldiers immediately gathered. They surrounded a ship where the fire was weaker, stood directly in the river, and began splashing water onto it.

Fortunately, the fire on this ship was not too fierce either. With everyone's efforts, they successfully put it out half an hour later.

More than half the cargo on the ship had already burned away. Fortunately, Belger personally led men aboard to clear away the ashes and found a sack of cargo at the bottom of the ship that had not yet caught fire.

Belger used every ounce of strength he had to drag the extremely heavy sack to shore.

Standing nearby, Victor drew a sharp dagger from his waist and stabbed it into the sack without hesitation.

With a ripping sound, the sack was forcibly slashed open with a long gash.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, what should have poured out in a stream of golden wheat grains was instead a pile of grayish-white wheat husks!

Victor grabbed a handful of husks and squeezed them. They felt light, which did not match the way Belger had dragged the sack earlier. Victor continued cutting it open and saw several stones buried deep inside, wrapped in wheat husks.

Knight Belger had been watching from the side. Only after Victor stopped did he ask, "Viscount Victor, the fleet has almost completely burned. Should we keep putting out the fires?"

Victor glanced at Belger. "Have everyone come ashore. Forget the ships. Start some fires and let everyone warm themselves up first!"

Belger hurried off to direct the troops.