novelraw Chapter 697: The People Receive His Help
Chapter 697: The People Receive His Help
They made it back to Revoltown before darkness fell.
Lu Li went to the inn to inform the others he had found his companion. Sensing that their departure was imminent, the elder, Abidel, offered Lu Li and Anna his heartfelt thanks.
As they left the inn, they passed through the town square. The play appeared to be over; workers were already dismantling the stage.
Upon returning to Viscount Hamis's estate, they were warmly received by their host, who was already expecting them. The viscount had arranged a lavish dinner, a feast that would have been considered luxurious even before the Calamities began.
"It's so difficult to find good beef these days. I can't even enjoy it cooked to my liking—bloody rare," Viscount Hamis lamented in his distinct Wastelands accent, spearing a piece of medium-rare beef with his fork. "It's practically inedible." He clenched his jaw, chewing the undercooked steak as its juices dribbled out.
Viscount Hamis dabbed the corners of his mouth with a silk handkerchief and took a sip of red wine.
Despite his pronouncements, he was thoroughly enjoying his dinner.
It wasn't about the food, but the company: three exorcists, one of whom was a Spirit Exterminator.
Was there any place in Revoltown safer than his own estate?
Lu Li and Goulian ate in silence. Only Anna, shrouded in her cloak, left her silverware untouched."Is the food not to your liking? Please, don't hesitate. I can have the chef prepare something else for you," Viscount Hamis offered graciously.
"There are many hungry people beyond the walls of this house," Anna replied.
Viscount Hamis fell silent for a moment. Then, he turned to his new butler and called out, "Take fifty kilograms of sweet potatoes to the poor on the streets."
"The people will surely praise your generosity and compassion," the butler said, knowing just the right words for the occasion.
"No, it is the generosity and compassion of the lady exorcist," Viscount Hamis corrected, raising his glass in a toast to Anna.
Lu Li set down his fork and turned to the viscount. "Resources are growing scarce in Revoltown. Have you considered relocating closer to the coast?"
He had noticed Anna's distaste for the aristocrats feasting while commoners starved. It was a good sign.
"Scarce resources? No, Spirit Exterminator, you must be mistaken," the viscount's eyes narrowed to slits as a smug look crossed his face. "My cellars are stocked with enough food to last three or four months. Besides, the trade caravans arrive weekly."
"And the common folk?" Lu Li asked, his voice even.
Viscount Hamis hesitated for a moment before replying, "Food may indeed be a concern for them, but they are always free to leave."
After the rather unpleasant dinner, Lu Li and Anna returned to Goulian's room.
"You want to help these people, don't you?" Goulian asked once the door was closed, her gaze fixed on Lu Li and Anna.
"Revoltown is isolated. The people will run out of food soon," Anna said. "They'll have no choice but to leave or starve."
"By then, they might be too weak to leave." Lu Li's words silenced the room. "The nearest city, Storm Cape, is 130 kilometers away. People weakened by hunger would never make such a journey."
"Lu Li, I want to help them," Anna pleaded, her scarlet eyes filled with entreaty.
Lu Li couldn't refuse her. He nodded. "The only way to save them is to evacuate them to Storm Cape or Raintown."
He was more familiar with Raintown, but it was another twenty kilometers past Storm Cape—a distance that could prove fatal for the weak.
"I've been to Storm Cape," Goulian offered. "The conditions are harsh, but they have plenty of food. The town's leader would probably welcome new residents."
The only question was how to convince the locals to abandon their homes.
Most people are shortsighted, always inclined to hope for the best.
They struggle to see approaching danger, and even when they do, they convince themselves that disaster will spare them.
Many might perish on the journey from Revoltown, but if they stayed, their fate was sealed.
Then again, even reaching Storm Cape might only be a brief reprieve from death...
"We could free the town leader from his confinement," Goulian suggested. "He's on our side. With his leadership, carrying out this plan would be much easier."
The moment the words left her mouth, the door burst open. Four guards, led by Viscount Hamis himself, stormed into the room.
"I am so sorry to have overheard your conversation..." Viscount Hamis began with a theatrical sigh of regret. "But unfortunately, my dear exorcists, I cannot allow you to do this."
"You're going to arrest us?" Goulian demanded, stepping back cautiously, her hand hovering over her spirit pistol.
"Not at all. You are my cherished guests. You will simply have to... extend your stay at my estate." For Viscount Hamis, this wasn't such a bad outcome; at least the exorcists would remain.
"You are mistaken," Anna whispered. The pikes were suddenly wrenched from the guards' hands, levitating in mid-air with their tips aimed squarely at Viscount Hamis. "This is your chance."
The guards recoiled in terror. Only one, more loyal than the rest, tried to grab his spear back, but it was as if it were fixed in space, refusing to budge.
Staring at the sharp points aimed at his throat, Viscount Hamis broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately bowed low. "The House of Hamis submits to your will."
Viscount Hamis's swift change of allegiance made their plan much simpler. The viscount knew where the town leader was being held and was tasked with fetching him.
"Remember what I told you about dealing with Silence?" Anna asked Lu Li once the viscount was gone. "There are several followers of the Church of Silence in the dungeons. When the evacuation starts, we can use the chaos to slip down, free them, and pretend to be cultists. Then we can infiltrate the oasis where Silence resides."
Anna also shared another crucial piece of information with Lu Li.
The followers of the Church are able to make noise during the ritual of Silence.
Viscount Hamis returned shortly after. Having witnessed their true power, he didn't dare cross them again and safely delivered the bewildered town leader.
"I am Enva Ebilie, the leader of Revoltown... You were looking for me?" Enva Ebilie was in relatively good shape, though he looked gaunt from his long imprisonment.
"The other nobles' guards were also at the dungeon. I couldn't explain your plan," Viscount Hamis clarified.
Goulian went over to the town leader, Enva Ebilie, and explained their plan.
"This is precisely what I had intended to do," the town leader nodded gravely. "But I need to know the situation in town. If there's no food left at all..."
"It's not that dire," Viscount Hamis waved a dismissive hand, adding magnanimously, "And I am prepared to donate my entire stock of provisions."
It seemed the viscount had decided to throw in his lot with Lu Li.
The town leader, Enva Ebilie, was surprised by the viscount's change of heart but shook his head nonetheless. "It's not enough. There are at least twenty thousand people in this town."
"We can approach the other nobles," Goulian said. At her words, Viscount Hamis's expression soured.
"They won't agree," the town leader frowned.
"Oh, they will," Goulian replied, her voice full of confidence.