"All right, there shouldn't be any problems for the time being once we reach this area."
With those words, Artoria〔Alter〕finally came to a stop.
"Phew... phew..."
"Hah... hah..."
"Are... are we saved...?"
The Mountain People and refugees also stopped one after another, panting heavily as they stood there. Their faces still held traces of disbelief and dazed confusion, and they had yet to recover from the fierce battlefield they had just escaped.
Before long, however, one sob after another began to ring out.
A sorrowful atmosphere spread through the group.
"This..."
Mash, who was also breathing slightly heavily, could not react in time at the sight.
"..."
Luo Zhen looked around at the sorrow filling the area. He said nothing, merely letting out a quiet sigh.
Artoria〔Alter〕, however, swept her cold gaze across the surroundings.
"The joy of surviving a disaster and the despair of being betrayed erupted at the same time. It's only natural that things would turn out this way, isn't it?"
That was exactly what had happened.
The refugees were delighted to have survived the catastrophe, yet disappointed and despairing over the cruelty of the Holy City. With joy and sorrow mingling together, they could probably express what they were feeling at that moment only by shedding tears.
The Mountain People, understanding this, comforted the refugees beside them one by one. They even began searching for the injured and caring for the elderly, women, and children.
Everyone had just given their all to escape with their lives. Even the well-trained Mountain People had struggled to keep up with Artoria〔Alter〕's merciless pace. For a group of ordinary refugees to keep up with the main force and escape successfully without leaving a single person behind was already extremely fortunate. They probably had no strength left now.
Of course, the