Chapter 656: Fame
Rusbella, a city in the kingdom, stood where two rivers met. It was the most important transport hub in the kingdom's west, where many shipments traveling by land and water converged.
With the kingdom now at war, Rusbella's importance stood out all the more, being both conveniently accessible and close to the front lines. Reinforcements from across the kingdom and all kinds of war supplies gathered there.
More and more people were also making their way there, including refugees from fallen cities at the front and powerful figures from cities that had yet to fall.
Old Pisiri's group of a dozen or so refugees had first reached Mikro, but the heavy atmosphere of war there made them feel deeply unsafe. In the end, they simply used the high-value coins Riva had given them to take a boat straight here.
Everyone knew Rusbella was a vital city that had never fallen throughout its history. His Majesty would never allow it to be lost, so it was relatively safe here.
In truth, not many refugees actually managed to escape the fallen cities, but together they still made up a considerable number. Nearly twenty thousand refugees had now come east to Rusbella. Those who could not find work here had no roots or support and could not survive in the city for long; they could only live in the refugee settlement on its outskirts.
Old Pisiri and the others were among the lucky ones. Thanks to his excellent cooking skills, Pisiri easily took on the job of head cook at a dockside tavern, freeing its owner from his misery in the kitchen and bringing a welcome treat to its patrons.
Several women and children worked as helpers in the kitchen and serving area for extremely low wages.
The younger, able-bodied