Preparing to Leave

The people inside the castle were in a state of panic, but Baron Klow did not make things difficult for them. He gathered everyone together and announced that he would be leaving. He dissolved all their contracts and let the castle servants decide for themselves. He would not stop anyone who wished to leave with him, nor would he force anyone who did not.

Most of the castle servants chose to leave, and the baron generously gave them some travel expenses, considering it payment for all the years they had worked for the castle. Only a small number of people who had no ties or who were completely loyal to the baron chose to leave with him. They were mainly the castle guards and the promising candidates selected for the Breathing Method. Baron Klow handled the castle's final affairs in an orderly manner.

As for Ashlyn, Leila, and Mia, they had no choice but to leave. As nobles of the castle, they would certainly be purged by the Saladin Kingdom. Given the beauty of the three girls, it was not hard to imagine what would happen if they were discovered by the Saladin army.

Over the past two days, Green had also learned the details of the route. Judging from the Saladin Kingdom's strategic intentions, it would certainly first occupy the territories on both sides of the roads by advancing along the rivers. Therefore, the first thing they needed to do was get away from the rivers.

The baron planned to have the convoy head north at top speed, entering the Vissas Plains before changing course toward the Maslow Alliance's largest port, Ellendal Harbor.

As for why they were not fleeing toward the capital of the Lodin Kingdom, it was because the road to the royal capital would certainly pass through Duke Lothan's territory. The baron's domain was trapped between Duke Lothan and the Saladin Kingdom's army, leaving them with no choice but to head north. That would also take them farther from the rivers flowing south.

Every war between the Saladin Kingdom and the Lodin Kingdom sent many refugees into the Maslow Alliance. Although the Maslow Alliance refused to admit refugees, it warmly welcomed nobles carrying great wealth. As long as they could safely reach a port in the Maslow Alliance, the matters that followed would actually be much simpler.

In just two short days, the Saladin Kingdom's invasion had already had a tremendous impact on the entire Lodin Kingdom, and vast numbers of refugees passed through Baron Klow's territory.

The refugees' faces were filled with fear and exhaustion, their eyes hollow and bewildered. From time to time, they looked back at the road they had come from, their gazes brimming with reluctance to leave. The war between the Saladin Kingdom and the Lodin Kingdom was bound to drag ordinary civilians into it. These commoners could neither read nor write and knew little about the outside world. With nowhere to go, they could only continue toward the Lodin Kingdom's royal capital, hoping to find Sanctuary there.

Green stood atop the castle and watched the slowly moving mass of refugees, letting out a quiet sigh.

The fate of these refugees would probably be anything but good. The royal capital would never allow them inside. There might well be Saladin spies mixed among them, and to ensure the capital's safety, the refugees would be kicked from one territory to another like balls, struggling to survive in misery. The Saladin Kingdom also needed these refugees to keep moving, using them to disrupt the internal situation of the entire Nordin Kingdom.

After two days of sorting and arranging, most of the valuable things inside the castle had been loaded onto the carriages.

Green had very little to prepare, and Old Green had nothing much to bring either. The entire carriage was loaded with food and water.

However, the carriage itself had been completely transformed. To prevent accidents or a breakdown along the way, Green had replaced every worn-out part, reinforced it specially, and thrown out everything unnecessary to make room for more food and water.

As the sun neared the horizon, the entire sky looked as if it had been set ablaze. The blood-red clouds foretold the slaughter that was about to unfold across the land. In the castle's training ground, more than a dozen carriages stood in neat rows. They varied in size, but all had been wrapped up tightly, making it impossible to tell what they contained. Several horses stood nearby, with the castle guards mounted on them. The others stood beside the carriages. At a glance, the entire group numbered nearly a hundred people.

Os, the captain of Baron Klow's guards, stood outside the city wall with Green and the baron. As the main guarantee of force for this journey, the importance of the three of them went without saying.

Standing atop the city wall, the three of them waited for the final news. Baron Klow had dispatched scouts long ago to investigate the movements of the Saladin Kingdom's army.

"Captain Os, I heard that you once visited the Maslow Alliance. Could you tell me about it?" Green quietly asked the guard captain while standing atop the city wall.

Wearing heavy armor and possessing an exceptionally burly build, Os had been gazing outside the castle with a deeply troubled expression. After hearing Green's question, a trace of reminiscence appeared on his face.

"Yes, I once went to the Maslow Alliance, but that was more than a decade ago, back when I was still in the army. I was fortunate enough to make a trip to Allendale after receiving a mission to transport supplies." A hint of nostalgia flashed across Os's face.

"Green, do you know? The Maslow Alliance is completely different from us. The Lodin Kingdom and the Saladin Kingdom are both centered around their kings, whereas the Maslow Alliance is governed mainly by the Council. Every order has to pass a collective vote by the Council before it can be implemented. Some orders are even rejected. It's completely different from our side, where the king stands supreme.

"Ellendal Harbor in the Maslow Alliance is incredibly prosperous. Countless cargo ships conduct trade there every day, and the city is far larger than our royal capital." Os grew more animated as he spoke, waving his hands to illustrate the great ships he had seen at Ellendal Harbor.

"Commerce there is extremely advanced. You can buy anything, and goods from the Lodin Kingdom and the Saladin Kingdom can be seen everywhere. There are even goods from other overseas nations. There are no nobles in the entire country. Those with higher status are the councilors or the top merchants. After we get there, I plan to open a fencing hall and teach people swordsmanship." As the conversation deepened, Os even revealed his own plans. "It is definitely a place suited for development."

"The Maslow Alliance is actually very powerful. Knight Apprentices can be seen everywhere in the streets, and there are plenty of Formal Knights as well. You could even say they far surpass the Nordin Kingdom and the Saladin Kingdom. Yet I don't know why the Maslow Alliance has never expanded outward. The Saladin Kingdom and the Lodin Kingdom have also never launched a war against the Maslow Alliance. Even during wartime, when the Maslow Alliance sells supplies to both the Saladin Kingdom and the Lodin Kingdom, neither country has any objections."

"That strange?" Green's curiosity was piqued. According to Os, the Maslow Alliance seemed to be an especially transcendent existence. The baron had also been drawn in by Os's words and turned around to listen carefully. Although the baron's status was higher than Os's, he had never been to the Maslow Alliance either.

"According to this route, it will take us about half a year to arrive. The main reason is that we have to avoid the Saladin Kingdom's army. We need to head north first and reach the Visas Wasteland. The journey in between should be relatively easy. The real problem is the Visas Wasteland. Water will be a serious issue there, but we can prepare enough in advance, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"The main concern is that we may encounter bandits in the Visas Wasteland. As the only route to Ellendal Harbor, the wasteland has a great many bandits who frequently rob passing caravans. There are many nobles fleeing this time, making it an even greater feast for those bandits. Still, with the three of us present, it shouldn't be too serious a problem. Green, your archery will pose a tremendous threat to those bandits. Bandits aren't desperate killers; once they suffer losses, they'll retreat quickly."

Green frowned. It was not because of the bandits, but because of the large-scale noble convoys. According to Os, there would probably be a great many nobles of every rank fleeing. On the wasteland, they would have to watch out for more than bandits—they would also need to beware of convoys belonging to other nobles of the Lodin Kingdom. With no one to restrain them, stealing other people's wealth could allow them to live better lives in Ellendal.

Green voiced his thoughts, and solemn expressions appeared on Baron Klow and Os's faces as well.

"Your concern isn't unfounded, Green. Afterward, when we come into contact with other nobles, we must keep our guard up."

The three of them began discussing how to arrange the convoy after entering the wasteland.