Chapter 12: Homeless
The earthquake had gradually subsided, but as the villagers looked at their former homes reduced to rubble, they couldn't help but collapse in tears. Many still wanted to rush back and retrieve whatever valuables they could, but were stopped by He Changlong's loud warning. The main shock had just ended, and aftershocks were likely to follow, bringing second or even third waves of destruction. Going back now was as good as suicide.
However, the villagers were not inclined to heed the special task force's words, though, due to the team's reputation from the Alutes Battle, they dared not act rashly. Wang Dahai directed his team members to bring water and rations from the car to distribute to the starving villagers.
After a while, the villagers became restless, and complaints about Wang Dahai and his team grew louder. Finally, under the villagers' urging, a young man in a luxurious robe stood up. He looked at the special task force members with a disdainful expression and asked, "Who are you to confine us here?"
"Who does this guy think he is, acting all high and mighty?" Wang Dahai asked Lena with a tilted head.
"That's List,"Lena whispered back. "He's the village priest, assigned directly by the Church of Light. He's supposedly powerful, but I don't like him!"
Apparently, List held a great deal of authority among the villagers, as many stood up in agreement, demanding the special task force let them return.
The task force tried to reason with them, but List interrupted, "Aftershocks? Nonsense! I believe these disasters were brought upon us by heretics like you. The goddess of light sent this punishment to punish you all. You should leave; you're not welcome here!"
With List's declaration, the villagers became even more agitated, shouting for the task force to leave. Zhao Yang, Murong Xue, and others were losing control of the situation. Lena rushed over to help calm the villagers, only to be pushed to the ground by one of them, who cursed, "Filthy outsider, heretic, are you in league with these green-uniformed people?"
Sitting on the ground, Lena looked hurt, her lips trembling as she struggled to speak. Wang Dahai couldn't bear it any longer and helped her up, suppressing his anger as he addressed the villagers. "Alright, if you insist on going back, I won't stop you. But let me warn you: if there are aftershocks, you'll have to face the consequences yourselves!"
He then told Zhao Yang and the others, "Fall back. If they don't appreciate our efforts, no need to stand here and get caught in the middle."
With that order, the task force members retreated quietly. Led by List, the villagers headed towards Cedar Town. As List passed Wang Dahai, a hint of malice flickered in his eyes, fleeting but noticed by Wang Dahai.
A portion of the villagers remained behind, however. Upon inquiry, Wang Dahai learned they were followers of Elder John, the town chief, who was an old friend of Gandalf. When John saw that Gandalf had no intention of leaving, he wisely chose to stay. Unlike the Church of Light's followers, these villagers were not members and had long been at odds with them.
Wang Dahai then asked John what his plans were. John, gazing at the ruins of his hometown with tear-filled eyes, said that their ancestors had lived in Cedar Town for generations, but now, with their home gone, their only hope was to migrate to the city-state of Annatin nearby, hoping the lord there would take them in.
Wang Dahai asked why, as the town chief, John hadn't tried to stop the villagers from leaving. John shook his head and replied that his position was purely symbolic; real power had long been held by List and his followers, and he and the other non-believers had always been ostracized.
The Church of Light, how impressive, Wang Dahai thought with a smirk, recalling List's venomous gaze as he left.
At that moment, another violent tremor shook the ground from the direction of Cedar Town. An aftershock had struck, seemingly stronger than before, as even Wang Dahai's group, far from the town, felt the earth tremble.
Despite his usual opposition to the Church of Light, John was now concerned for the villagers who had returned and wanted to organize a rescue. However, Wang Dahai stopped him, insisting that heading back now was still too dangerous.
Gandalf also advised his friend, "These green-uniformed folks mean no harm. Let's trust them for now. As for those who went back, they made their choice; it's not on anyone else."
John could only sigh and relent. After a long wait, the tremors finally subsided. As John was preparing to lead a team back to aid those affected, a large group came stumbling from the direction of Cedar Town.
It was the villagers who had run back, led by a now-dust-covered List, looking entirely different from his former self-assured demeanor. When List passed Wang Dahai, he glared at him, full of resentment, to which Wang Dahai responded by casually raising his middle finger, confusing List, who walked on with his head held high.
John, though of a different faith, still felt compassion for his fellow villagers and quickly organized those left behind to help the survivors. John then proposed migrating to Annatin, saying its benevolent lord would likely accept the refugees. The villagers readily agreed, even List raised no objections.
Then, John approached Wang Dahai, asking if his team could help escort them to Annatin, as the route was long and full of bandits. Wang Dahai hesitated, glancing at his teammates. Cheng Lin, Murong Xue, and the others all signaled they'd follow his lead, and even Lena looked at him with big, hopeful eyes.
Scratching his head, Wang Dahai called He Changlong to connect with command and reported the situation to Zhang Tianya, who, after a brief consideration, approved the request. The only condition was that Wang Dahai's team assess the Annatin situation thoroughly and, if possible, meet with its lord to convey the task force's goodwill. A formal agreement would be ideal.
Accepting the mission, Wang Dahai relayed the order to his team. Cheng Lin remarked that Commander Zhang seemed serious about establishing roots here. Building relations with a noble like the lord of Annatin would certainly benefit their operations in St. Roland, as they were still unfamiliar with the land.
Wang Dahai nodded but reminded everyone to stay vigilant, given the unknown attitude of Annatin towards the task force.
Li Momo chimed in, "Relax, boss. With these locals'fighting power, if their 'mighty lord'has any funny ideas, we'll knock him right off his throne."
Once the plan was finalized, Wang Dahai told John they'd escort the villagers, but on the condition that everyone follow orders.
John agreed and relayed Wang Dahai's terms to the villagers, who complied without complaint, though List's face was sullen as he muttered something under his breath.
With the team's help, the villagers returned to the ruined town to salvage what belongings they could. Fortunately, a few horses had survived the earthquakes, and they were hitched to carts to carry the remaining goods.
After two quakes, only about 200 people were left in Cedar Town. Wang Dahai wanted to reserve the carts for children and the elderly, but List and his followers protested. List declared that the soldiers'vehicles were "infernal chariots"from the Abyss that would consume their souls, leading the villagers to refuse the ride, leaving Wang Dahai exasperated but helpless.
In the end, the villagers chose to walk, with only Lena and Gandalf riding in the soldiers'vehicle.
As the migration began, Gandalf shared that Annatin lay 500 kilometers south of the Alutes Highlands, a major city-state with about 100,000 people and known for its timber and fur supplies.
"500 kilometers," sighed Wang Dahai. In his home country, that would only take a few hours, but here, seeing the slow-moving line of villagers, he couldn't help but smile wryly.
Night eventually fell, revealing two moons in the sky, astonishing Wang Dahai's team. The twin moons cast a mysterious glow over the land, turning night into something akin to a silvery day.
When they reached a small river, Wang Dahai called for the convoy to stop and set up camp for the night. The men pitched tents while the women prepared food. Just as everyone was settling down, a deafening roar echoed from the distant mountains, freezing them in terror.
Cheng Lin raised his binoculars, his expression turning grim as he handed them to Wang Dahai. Taking a look, Wang Dahai gasped, "What the hell is that?"
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