Chapter 38.1

In the past few days, a great multitude of refugees have poured into the territory of the Golden Lion Kingdom. They hail mainly from the Northwest, with significant numbers from Northern Emerald Country, Leiyin City, and Paida City. Others are homeless people who dwell between the borders of various nations, and many have come from wandering places.

They all have one goal in mind: to find holy water.

Of the three bags of holy water that were brought out of Phaer's tomb, one was poured into the Sousse River by Oswald. The other two bags were given away: one to the giant beast, Dan, who took it home along with some other insect-controlling equipment. Oswald kept the last bag for himself, just in case.

"How did they get here?" Oswald asked in a deep voice.

"Some of them came through the Ghost Moon Forest," Patrol Commander Peter replied. "The rest are said to have come from even farther away. They don't know the purpose of the Red Iron Army's garrison, so they didn't dare to cross the Kela River."

"St. Antis is heavily guarded, and only a few people have been able to get inside. Most of the refugees are in Qinye City."

Standing atop the city wall, Oswald surveyed the bustling streets of St. Antis. The markets were once again teeming with life, and the stalls and shops on the main street were filled with people coming and going. The atmosphere of the city was slowly returning to its former glory.

However, Oswald's gaze was drawn to the corners of the streets, where he could see a group of people in tattered clothes. They were squatting or sitting in a state of embarrassment, carrying bundles of various sizes on their backs. There were men, women, and children among them, and some had even brought their families with them.

"A little farther along the Kela River, beyond the Ghost Moon Forest, lies Eagle Mountain," Oswald said. "The Ghost Moon Forest is home to many beasts, and the living mountain pass along Eagle Mountain is a treacherous place where you can lose half your life."

Peter nodded in agreement. "That's why most of the refugees we've seen are badly petrified. I even saw a few old people and children whose entire bodies were hardened, and they had to be carried over by their families. The worst was a woman whose husband's head was bigger than mine, and with the sinews and flesh on his body, the weight can be imagined. His entire body had been turned to stone, except for his face, and she had carried him on her back from the Ghost Moon Forest."

Oswald's face was grim as he listened to Peter's report. He knew that the refugees had faced incredible hardship on their journey to St. Antis. He turned to Peter and said, "We must do everything we can to help these people."

The refugees' arrival is a sign of the growing desperation in the land. As the threat of insect swarms grows, more and more people are seeking out the only thing that can save them: holy water.

Oswald pondered for a moment, then gave an order.

The next day, simple cloth tents were set up on the outskirts of the towns to create refugee concentration centers. Water distribution platforms were also set up, and all refugees who escaped were required to register their names and origins at the concentration office before they could go to the water distribution station to get a drink of water.

In this way, a group of people were temporarily accommodated.

The news that the Golden Lion had holy water spread like wildfire, and soon attracted more people from other countries. The flow of people was too obvious to be ignored. The kings of the two large city-states of Leiyin City and Peida City, as well as some small city-states around them, simply sent people to deliver letters and set off in person.

Only the Northern Emerald Country was unable to keep up. It was said that Old Sapir was still in bed. He was very suspicious and didn't like other people getting too close to him when he was sick. He only trusted his son, so all instructions were conveyed through his younger son, Bert.

Bert was unable to personally see the situation outside, and he was an arrogant idiot. With a series of orders, he made the entire Northern Emerald Country even more chaotic.

Sapir was incensed that some people had fled to the Golden Lion Kingdom to survive. He felt that this was a betrayal of the country, and he could not tolerate it. In a fit of rage, he instituted a ban on sealing the country, ordering the entire border area of the country to be sealed off and all people prohibited from crossing the line.

Oswald heard the news and ordered the Red Iron Army stationed at the Kela River to be more vigilant. If this trend continued, it was uncertain when Sapir would go crazy and attack.

Just as these big and small countries were in chaos, Kevin, who had been confined in the dormitory for many days, also had some problems.

This afternoon, the rainstorm continued outside, and there were occasional thunderstorms. The atmosphere was very unsettling. When Oswald was discussing matters in the front hall, his left eyelid kept twitching. He always felt that something was about to happen. After he finished dealing with the refugees, he hurried to the inner courtyard.

Just as he was walking in the corridor, Sinia's scream came from Kevin's room. Oswald's eyebrows twitched, and he rushed over immediately.

In the room, the little girl hugged Kevin's arm, crying with tears all over her face.