Chapter 126

126.

After engaging in a brief conversation with Erika, Zelbin Cromwell’s stiff expression softened.

It seemed that even the last trace of doubt had been completely erased, as he now surveyed the fallen wolf pack on the ground with a much more relaxed demeanor.

We left the White Beast and the wolves near the city gate and headed toward the plaza.

Following Zelbin’s guidance, I glanced around casually, but it quickly became clear that the state of the townsfolk here was far from good.

Although the soldiers defending the castle wall appeared to be in fine condition, most of the non-combatants were gaunt and emaciated, much like villagers suffering through a famine.

“Are they still able to maintain control?”

The difference between combatants and non-combatants was glaringly obvious. There must have been a differential in the food rationing.

This isolated city. No escape.

And yet, the dangers from the outside remained ever-present.

In this situation, the key resources are the knights and soldiers defending the city.

If the castle walls are breached, monsters and beasts will run rampant through the city. Hence, concentrating resources on the knights and soldiers to ensure at least a minimum level of safety is inevitable.

The problem lies in the fact that as the situation becomes more entrenched, dissatisfaction is bound to accumulate…

“A rebellion would be all but impossible.”

Setting aside for a moment the idea of attacking the forces guarding the city…

Initially, a civilian uprising simply can’t succeed. There were still functional knights in Yelkin. If the townspeople were to rebel, the knights would undoubtedly swing their swords in the name of restoring order without hesitation.

After all, just beheading a few would quell the unrest. As a bonus, it’d reduce the number of mouths to feed, achieving two goals with one action.

Of course, there’s also the possibility of the townsfolk, prepared to die, swarming in large numbers to overwhelm the knights. A mob of enraged civilians could potentially overrun them, taking over the food warehouses in the end.

However, even if they managed to eliminate the knights and advance towards the Lord’s Castle, all the citizens who participated in the rebellion would be executed. There were still mana Manifesters in Yelkin.

‘…Hmm.’

Helpless rage ultimately turns inward.

And if the Dark Cultists infiltrate that anger, who knows where it might lead…

If stealing food isn’t possible, what else could be done?

“Reduce the number of mouths.”

By decreasing the population, one can secure more rations. Thus, you kill your neighbor and take their share.

Swoosh—

When I silently shifted my gaze, a few residents who caught my eye quickly hid themselves.

Covering windows, barricading doors, they showed clear signs of being wary of outsiders. The brief look in their eyes was unsettlingly hostile.

Actually, reducing their numbers through mutual violence isn’t a good option.

Who benefits the most when residents turn against each other? The lord of the food, Zelbin, of course.

Fewer mouths won’t necessarily mean more food for those left. The same amount will be distributed, with only the portion that used to escape being saved.

“Well, we came in the nick of time.”

In the end, it all comes down to the lack of food.

The city is isolated with no way out.

And these two problems are something we can solve.

“…This is Yelkin’s central plaza.”

Zelbin’s polite voice broke me out of my thoughts.

Yelkin’s plaza was a vast empty space, devoid of decorative features like wells or fountains. In one corner, a group under a tent was distributing meals, and the residents gathered in small clusters, carefully sipping the rations from their bowls.

“What is that? …Surely not?”

“Goodness gracious.”

The voices of Nia and Erika, filled with horror, reached my ears.

Both of their faces were twisted in distress, and following their gaze, I understood why.

An endless plume of black smoke.

The acrid smell of burning wood filled the air, mingled with a haunting scent of roasting meat.

In the towering flames reaching the sky, something blackened and charred could be seen.

A massive post had something horribly burnt attached to it.

“Person. Is it…a public execution?”

I’ve seen something like this a long time ago.

This is an execution stake. The figure tied to the post was already a charred corpse.

The footsteps of our group entering the plaza stopped.

“…Lord Cromwell.”

“What matter is it? My lady.”

“What is that?”

“Exactly what you see, an execution stake.”

Hearing Zelbin’s answer, Erika’s face paled.

Aside from the blazing execution stake in the center, there were several bonfires scattered throughout the square, some with unidentifiable meat skewered next to them.

The residents, while sipping their thin soup, would turn the pieces of meat roasting over the fires, their eyes filled with eager anticipation. Watching this, Erika covered her mouth in shock.

‘Oh no, surely not.’

I think I can guess what crossed Erika’s mind when she looked at the residents with trembling eyes before sharply turning her head away. Her voice, tinged with a bit of anger, addressed Zelbin.

“Lord Baron Cromwell of House Zelbin, as a descendant of Devalleta, I must ask: have you crossed the line?”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

Erika took a step forward. The imposing figure made Zelbin take a step back, and Arthur approached her with a stern expression.

“The inquiry from the northern lands, Lord Cromwell. The knight of Winterwood is witnessing this scene. Answer without hesitation.”

“Did you permit cannibalism? Have you truly transgressed forbidden conduct?”

“No, wait, both of you—”

Clearly, there was some sort of misunderstanding.

I tried to mediate immediately, but it seemed my words were drowned out as they kept pressuring the bewildered Zelbin.

“Suddenly, why the judgment of the north? What… cannibalism?”

Zelbin’s eyes widened.

He quickly glanced around at the execution stake and the townsfolk before loudly exclaiming with a distorted face and flushed complexion.

“T-this… What nonsense! Cannibalism? Would the lord ever allow such a thing?! Never! I oppose it! I strongly oppose it!”

Flaring up, Zelbin shouted, which startled both Erika and Arthur.

Regardless of their reactions, Zelbin unleashed something he had been suppressing, speaking freely and unrestrained.

“The ones eating the town’s people were the Dark Cultists we executed ourselves! Those wicked ones infiltrated the city, sowed discord among the citizens, butchered them, spread lies, and consumed them!”

“Eh? Wha? So, the meat being roasted on those bonfires is…”

“The corpses I killed and distributed!”

By the time he finished his explanation, Zelbin’s body was visibly trembling. It seemed his anger had hit a boiling point, causing him to lose his composure, and his tone steadily changed as he spoke.

“…”

I silently watched this farce play out before shaking my head.

Zelbin and Erika.

Well, I understand their feelings given the situation.

Just in case, I checked the meat being roasted on the bonfire, and as Zelbin said, the townspeople were roasting horse meat. Nia, with her glasses, carefully studied the meat and confirmed it as such.

And,

Although it was masked by the acrid smoke, there was a subtly unpleasant scent mingled in. Following the trail of this smell led to the execution stake. The blackened corpse attached to the stake was indeed that of a Dark Cultist.

Glimmer.

A small insignia lit up.

Myna had also growled like an angry Pomeranian since stepping into the square. With the authentication from the Goddess and Myna now complete, it was time to mediate again.

“Okay! The Goddess confirms that the one tied there is a Dark Cultist. And, this scene might look like a cannibalistic fest to the common eye! But it’s just a misunderstanding. Let’s stop turning red in the face, shall we?”

“…I apologize, Lord Cromwell. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“…If you understand, that’s all that’s needed. I also got carried away, which isn’t dignified. I apologize.”

They must have had their minds weakened from prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.

Zelbin managed the city’s ceaseless survival in isolation.

Erika carried the sense of responsibility as a Devalleta, the memory of her sister’s life, and the endless wandering through the snowstorm.

The north often sees the appearance of monstrous aberrations, so they would likely have been repeatedly exposed to their emanations.

If they were ordinary people, one might expect that they would’ve broken down long ago. But despite being non-Manifesters, they maintained their sanity. That shows an incredible mental fortitude.

Clap!

Clapping my hands with a small infusion of mana, all eyes turned toward us.

Continuously dwelling on bleak and negative stories only breeds despair, does it not?

It’s now time to shift to brighter, more hopeful narratives. That’s why I came to the north.

“Nia! It’s about time. Reveal it!”

“Alright, got it!”

Smiling slyly, Nia seemed to have caught on to my intention and answered brightly, then setting down her bag. As she opened the cover, a pitch-black void was revealed inside. Swinging her staff in a circle and then striking the ground,

“Ah, the bag’s producing crates!”

“There’s more than just one! They keep coming!”

From the small bag, crates, two or three times larger, kept popping out one by one. The wondrous and terrifying sight had everyone exclaiming in shock.

Regardless of the commotion from the crowd,

Nia pulled out the crates that had been pre-sorted, and just as the final crate emerged, she closed the bag again.

“Huff. Release complete! Hey, you!”

“Me, sir?”

“Yes. Open one of those crates.”

“Wh-what?”

The man’s eyes widened in shock and his body trembled.

As if to emphasize that we didn’t care about his fear, Nia aimed her staff, prompting him to hastily, almost violently, pry open the box’s lid.

“T-this! This is…!”

The scene turned silent in astonishment.

With everyone’s attention focused on the crates, the man gasped loudly, then suddenly broke into a bright smile and shouted.

“Meat! It’s meat! Unbelievable… Is this… Oh! This is alcohol!”

On hearing the man’s shout, people rushed toward the crates en masse.

The contents of the crates that had emerged from the bag were quickly revealed, and the previously silent square of Yelkin echoed with fervent cheers.

“Hooray! Hooray!”

“We’re saved! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Whaaaat! Why does the north insist on carrying such heavy burdens… Gyaah!”

After casually waving to Nia, who was being enthusiastically cheered, I turned my body with composure.

Zelbin, staring at me with his mouth agape as if it was unhinged. Smirking slightly, I began.

“It’s supplies. Enough food to last at least a month if we eat heartily.”

“S-supply? Then all of this…!”

I silently nodded, and Zelbin slumped down helplessly. Behind his defeated laughter as he traced the sign of the city, I observed the people.

The expressions of those carrying the heavy crates were as bright as those of Solorun’s residents.

After hardship, happiness arrives, doesn’t it?

Even if it’s only a brief moment of joy, that’s more than enough. The remaining issues can be solved calmly, allowing the north to return to its former self.

Mobile supply depot, supply to the gateway city, completed!

*

After the unexpected supply situation in Yelkin had come to an end,

We engaged in conversation with Zelbin at the Lord’s Castle.

Upon hearing Zelbin explain about the snowstorm, holy artifacts, and the Dark Cultists as well as the corrupt trees, his facial expression tightened.

Unlike Solorun, Yelkin already had Dark Cultists operating within, deeply embedded among the population, making it a great ordeal to even identify them.

Unless it was a heinous ritual or a cannibalism scene that was uncovered,

They could easily pass as ordinary neighbors and were therefore difficult to detect.

Considering the snowstorm affecting the interior of Yelkin, it signified that there was likely an issue with the holy artifact stationed in the church.

The threats within needed to be eliminated for the future,

So we all brainstormed with our heads together in an effort to resolve the scattered problems—

“…Please leave it to me. Dealing with the Dark Cultists is my specialty.”

Morna, who had been sitting with a sly expression since entering Yelkin, suddenly stood up.

Following her request, Zelbin gathered all the residents to the plaza.

In the bustling square filled with the townsfolk, Morna loudly declared as she raised her pendant.

“In the name of the Sun Goddess, Sora! The wicked fiends shall be purified by the light! Dieeee!!”

The dazzling white flash erupted from the pendant and engulfed the square.