Chapter 21: Gathering the Refugees

The refugee camp outside Yorn's south gate was marginally cleaner than the slums—they'd arrived recently. But housing-wise, it was worse. Slums had ramshackle homes; here, flimsy tents offered no protection from wind or rain.Thankfully, it was early April. A winter Gnoll attack would've killed refugees before reaching Yorn."Lord Sean," Matthew said, hopping down from the carriage, "I'm restless. May I explore while you work?""Return promptly."Matthew vanished into the crowd. Sean turned to Henry: "Gather Riverside's residents here."Henry hesitated, gesturing to 20 ragged children trailing the convoy. "Shall I disperse them?"Sean studied the malnourished kids, their eyes pleading. "Feed them. Offer passage to Riverside as free citizens—not slaves."Henry distributed bread and water. The children gobbled it down, then raced into the camp to announce Sean's arrival.…Refugees trickled out of tents, recognizing Henry. Sean scanned the crowd until the [Dismiss] button for Windsor's card glowed red—there he was, blending in as instructed. Windsor nodded reassuringly.…As more refugees gathered, Sean frowned. Only ~300 remained—just 7.5% of Riverside's original 4,000. Henry explained: "Wealthy and skilled residents fled to cities. Only old man,women,children, and farmers remain."Sean stepped forward. "I am Sean Violet, your new lord. Count Rivers will purge the Gnolls—we return home!"Cheers erupted. Some wept, hugging each other. Windsor, on cue, called out: "What after the army leaves? How ensure our safety?"The crowd quieted, awaiting Sean's reply.