Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 166: Dealing with the aftermath(2)

A line of five hundred soldiers marched steadily along the road to Confluendi, the rhythmic sound of their boots striking the frozen ground echoing through the cold winter air. The men moved in disciplined silence, their breath misting as they exhaled, forming small clouds against the crisp sky. 

Behind them, a procession of heavy carriages followed at a slower pace. Each was loaded with sacks of grain, rye and chests of silver, essential supplies to alleviate the brewing crisis in the lawless lands of Confluendi. The grain and rye , harvested in the autumn, had been stored for times of need, and now, it was more necessary than ever. @@novelbin@@

 As they neared the borders of Confluendi, the landscape grew more desolate. Empty farms with ruined crops and dilapidated houses lined the road, evidence of the chaos that had gripped the region after Lady Elyra's death. Villages had been picked clean, their inhabitants either fleeing into the wild or succumbing to violence and hunger.

''Things are worse than I thought," he muttered to himself, the cold air biting at his face. "Rykio said he'd managed to round up the refugees in camps in his last letter , so at least they're not scattered across the countryside anymore." That had been one relief—the chaos of people roaming freely, pillaging what little was left, had been somewhat contained. "But still..."Alpheo's jaw clenched, his breath escaping in a visible puff of frustration.

Shit had hit the fan too soon...

Despite Rykio's efforts, the damage had already been done in a startlingly short amount of time. Even after the siege of Confluendi had ended, the lawlessness had persisted. The roaming refugees, driven by hunger and desperation, had stripped the land bare. Livestock had been slaughtered, crops trampled, and homes abandoned as fear spread like wildfire. Rykio and his men had only recently corralled them into camps, but the damage was vast, far worse than the initial reports had suggested.