Population Explosion
At dawn, the temporary camp outside the Fran City was already a scene of busy wrap-up.
Tents were dismantled one by one, supplies were packed and loaded onto trucks, and the last group of refugees, tenant farmers and miners who decided to seek refuge in Carnford gathered in the open space with their families, their faces a mixture of anxiety about leaving home and anticipation for the future.
Anna and Sarah, along with some other elderly, infirm, women and children, were seated in several simple but sturdy carriages.
These carriages were converted from the flatbed carts that Karl used when he led his team to Fran City to present the head of Sauron to the Count. Although the carts have been replaced, the packhorses pulling them are still the same few Northland horses that have been through the war and appear exceptionally steady.
The wheels turned slowly, and the massive procession began its journey north, toward Carnford.
Anna sat in the slightly swaying carriage, feeling the regular vibrations from the wooden planks beneath her, and her thoughts drifted back to a long time ago.
When she was a little girl, her family also had a horse-drawn carriage.
At that time, her father was a wealthy farmer in the village, owning a lot of land. That horse-drawn carriage was an important possession of her father, used to transport grain and occasionally take the family to town.
She vaguely remembered sitting in the carriage, looking out the window at the fields rushing past, and that feeling of peace and abundance.
But later, the kingdom's taxes became heavier year by year, and the family's fortunes gradually declined.
The carriage was sold first, followed by the land... Her brother was forced to do hard labor in town, and she was married off by her parents to Tommy's father in the next village in exchange for a meager dowry, which was considered to ease the burden on the family.
Although life after marriage was poor, her husband was hardworking and kind to her, so there was finally hope for the future.
Unfortunately, her good fortune didn't last long. Her husband died young from illness, leaving her and her young sons, Tommy and Sarah, to depend on each other for survival, and they were back on the brink of despair.
Thinking of this, Anna sighed softly, but then her gaze fell on the young figure riding on a gentle packhorse beside the carriage.
That was her son, Tommy.
Tommy's wounds had been carefully bandaged by his comrades, and he had also taken some Militia Potion provided by the Lord, which was said to have miraculous effects. Although his face was still a little pale, his spirits had recovered considerably.
At this moment, he sat upright on his horse, a short sword, a symbol of his status as a Carnford soldier, slung at his waist. His sharp eyes scanned the marching column, maintaining order.
In Anna's eyes, her son had never looked so majestic and full of manly spirit.
All the hardships seemed to have passed; her son had become successful, and their family had finally embarked on a path full of hope.
Sarah, on the other hand, had a completely different feeling. It was the little girl's first time riding in a carriage, and everything was new and exciting to her.
She would touch the rough floorboards beneath her, then peek out at the tall horses pulling the cart ahead, her little face full of excitement.
She even hummed a tuneless little tune she had learned from other girls in the village. Her cheerful voice infected some of the children on the bus and brought a relieved smile to Anna's face.
Tommy steered his horse closer to the carriage his mother and sister were riding in, leaned down, and asked, "Mom, are you used to riding in the carriage? Is it bumpy and uncomfortable?"
Anna snapped out of her thoughts, looked at her son's concerned eyes, and smiled as she shook her head, "It's a good habit. Having a carriage to ride in instead of walking is already much better than many other things."
She paused, gazing at the winding queue ahead. "How far are we from Carnford? We should be Carnford soon, right?"
"Yes, if all goes well, we should be able to see the walls of Carnford in two days." Tommy nodded confidently.
Just then, Sarah, clinging to the edge of the carriage, looked up at Tommy with longing and said, "Brother, brother! Riding a horse looks so fun! I want to ride a big horse too!"
Tommy looked into his sister's bright eyes and smiled indulgently, "Okay, when the group stops to rest later, I'll carry you up and give you a short ride, okay?"
"Really? That's wonderful!" Sarah clapped her hands excitedly, her laughter as clear as silver bells, echoing through the marching procession.
Looking at his mother's peaceful face and his sister's happy smile, Tommy felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility and satisfaction.
He gently spurred his horse back to the flank of the column, continuing to fulfill his duties as a Carnford soldier.
Two days later, when Karl led the last group over the final ridge leading to Carnford, the sight before him and all his companions stunned him.
At the foot of the mountain where the castle was originally located, there were only scattered houses and cultivated farmland, with a wide view that could be seen all the way to the edge of the distant forest.
However, now, looking out, from the foot of the mountain all the way to the distant plain, there are densely packed, haphazardly made shacks constructed from branches, rags, straw mats, and even mud!
Thousands upon thousands of shacks stretched out in one continuous line, like a layer of grayish-brown, wriggling moss covering the earth, with countless muddy paths worn into the ground winding through them.
The air was thick with the smells of people and animals, cooking smoke, and a smoky, musty odor characteristic of overcrowding.
The place was filled with a cacophony of voices: children crying, adults shouting, arguing, and occasionally the neighing of livestock, creating a dizzyingly loud background noise.
Even more shocking is that several hills near Carnford Castle, which were once lush and green, now look as if they have been shaved off. Large areas of trees have been cut down, leaving only bare stumps and scattered branches, obviously to build shelters and use as fuel.
"What... what's going on?" Karl reined in his horse, almost unable to believe his eyes. He knew he had brought back a large number of people, but the scene before him far exceeded his expectations; it was as if a refugee camp had appeared out of nowhere.
Company Commander Lyon rode closer, his face grave. "Sir, there are... far too many people! Our camp is probably surrounded."
"Let's go back to the castle first!" Karl composed himself and gave the order.
The group, especially the cavalry, had to traverse this overcrowded Shantytown Area with great difficulty.
Upon seeing this well-equipped team, the crowd cast curious, awe-inspiring, or expectant glances their way, spontaneously parting to make way for a narrow passage. However, the passage was so crowded that progress was extremely slow.
Lyon and his cavalry had to constantly shout and carefully control their somewhat frightened warhorses to prevent them from trampling people.
After finally traversing this "sea of shacks" and arriving at the castle located on a small hill, Karl discovered that even the open space surrounding the castle was filled with makeshift shacks.
The number of castle guards had obviously increased several times over, and they were nervously maintaining order.
Karl handed over the task of settling the troops to Lyon, then strode across the castle courtyard and headed straight for the office of the steward Edgar.
Pushing open the door, I saw Edgar buried in a pile of spread-out maps and ledgers. His once meticulously combed hair was now somewhat disheveled, his eye bags were heavy, and his face was full of fatigue and anxiety.
"Edgar!" Karl called out.
Edgar looked up at the sound of the voice and saw Karl. It was as if he had seen a savior, or perhaps the "culprit." He jumped to his feet, not even bothering to bow, his voice filled with an almost desperate urgency:
"My lord! You're finally back! I was just about to send someone to look for you on the road! What... what's going on here?" He pointed to the chaotic scene outside the window. "You said you'd bring back a group of refugees to replenish the population, but you didn't say... you didn't say there would be so many!"
He picked up a rough statistics booklet from the table, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement. "I've done a preliminary count, and the population that has arrived and settled in the area in the last few days alone is at least 27,000! And that doesn't include those who may still be on their way!"
"My lord, our original inhabitants of Carnford, including all those who can breathe, number only a little over five thousand! That's a fivefold difference!"
Edgar's voice was filled with bitterness and helplessness. "The existing houses, warehouses, and even stables are already crammed with the first group of people to arrive! We simply have no way to accommodate the later arrivals; we can only let them find open spaces outside the city to build temporary shelters."
"As you can see, they've almost cut down all the trees in the area! Food, water, sanitation, security... all these problems are piling up like mountains! Sir, with our current manpower and food reserves, we simply can't hold out!"