The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 429 Siege and Famine

The wheels rolled over the parched land, raising billowing clouds of dust.

Under the personal escort of "Iron Bull" Brennan, one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army, the mighty "pilgrimage" army marched toward Sparrowwood Territory.

Ever since the group entered the territory of Sparrowwood Territory, the air has been filled with a decaying smell that seems to be visible to the naked eye.

The refugees wore expressions of fear, clearly not expecting that the Sparrowwood Territory, near Twilight City, was in a worse situation than their own hometown.

The soldiers with green headscarves, on the other hand, looked perfectly normal. Firstly, they had just eaten and drunk their fill, and secondly, the surrounding scenery wasn't the most desolate they had ever seen.

Looking around at the scene, Hogg's lips curled into a sarcastic smile.

“Someone told me that they were a rebel army, but why did the places they passed through seem to be plagued by locusts?”

With divine protection, he naturally had no fear of the rebel leader.

Brennan knew the mercenary was mocking him, but he didn't care and didn't take his words seriously. He simply spoke calmly.

"No war is without death. Once we win, we will naturally distribute the lords' lands and grains to them as compensation, and then they will not have to die."

Hogg: "Haha."

Brennan frowned.

"why are you laughing?"

Hogg grinned.

"It's nothing. I just vaguely remember hearing something similar somewhere. It's something like... if you kill the God of the Underworld, people won't have to die anymore."

It seems like it was said by the Dragon God Gutaf?

Or perhaps it was Saint Sis himself who said it.

He doesn't remember.

Sitting in the carriage, Taf sneezed, raised her paw and scratched her nose, then subconsciously looked at the Demon King who was meditating beside her.

"Are you scolding me?"

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"I'm not as boring as you."

After saying that, he looked at Sarah sitting to the side and spoke gently.

"Are you ok?"

He noticed that Sarah's mood had been low since earlier.

Sarah paused for a moment, then came to her senses and answered softly.

"I'm fine, Lord Demon King, thank you for your kindness."

Luo Yan: "Your expression tells me you're thinking about something. Of course, if it's something you can't talk about, then I won't ask."

“…I was just thinking about some things before I met you,” Sarah smiled sheepishly and said in a low voice, “The feeling of being hungry is awful; I feel like I don’t even have the strength to die.”

She had tasted hunger.

To survive, she even tasted all the earthworms in Thunder County.

Although she was indifferent to human suffering, it was the only time she could not help but empathize with those who were suffering from hunger.

Luo Yan remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly.

"I am very sure of that."

On the other side, Karen, sitting in the covered wagon, lifted the curtain, and the sight that came into view made her heart clench.

Along both sides of the road, there were corpses of the starving dead, their bodies curled up as if they were still fighting hunger in their last moments.

The fields scattered near the windmills have long been abandoned, and the withered yellow grass leaves, like jagged white bones, utter a desperate lament in the wind.

This should be the season for spring plowing, but even wild grasses cannot survive.

The distant village was deathly silent, with only a few emaciated wild dogs wandering among the ruins, eyeing the convoy of uninvited guests with wary eyes.

This place is truly a "dead zone," and now no one can say for sure who caused it.

Perhaps it was the local lord, perhaps it was chaos, perhaps it was the people themselves.

"Stop for a moment," Karen said softly.

The convoy came to a slow stop.

She saw signs of life under a half-collapsed thatched hut not far away, so she got off the wagon.

Brennan, carrying a battle axe and accompanied by two soldiers, followed silently behind her.

In the shadow of the hut, a man and a woman huddled together, holding a small, thin child tightly in their arms.

They were pale, their lips were cracked, and their eyes stared blankly at the ground, as if they had lost all reaction to the outside world.

A wave of sorrow washed over Karen.

Even without Mr. Colin's instructions, she couldn't help but want to help these people who were suffering from hunger.

She turned to look at Brennan and said softly.

"They need help. Please have your soldiers bring some bread."

Brennan had already agreed to her conditions, so he didn't say anything more, nodded, and waved to the two soldiers with green turbans behind him.

"Do as she says."

This task was assigned to two young soldiers.

They immediately untied a sack from their packhorses, grabbed a few pieces of bread that smelled of wheat, and hurried over.

However, something unexpected happened.

When the dying family saw two soldiers wearing green turbans approaching, their eyes showed no joy at being rescued, but rather extreme fear.

The woman seemed to come back to life, letting out a sharp scream, and pressed the child tightly into her arms as if she wanted to drown him in her withered chest.

The man used his weakened body to shield his wife and children, staring in terror at the soldiers with green turbans, as if they were wild beasts emerging from the jungle.

But the child who knew nothing stared longingly at the food in their hands, swallowing the last of his saliva.

He was unaware of the war raging outside, nor did he know the difference between the lord and Kaelan, or what difference it made who won or lost among them.

All he knew was that the thing could keep him and his family alive.

The soldiers froze, looking at their leader, then at the nun, and instinctively took a step back.

Karen didn't say anything, but simply walked up to the family and stood in front of them, soothing them in a gentle voice.

"Don't be afraid, we're here to help you."

The man looked up, his cloudy eyes filled with distrust and fear. He stared at the green turban on the soldier's head, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Karen turned to look at Brennan.

"They seem very afraid of you, why?"

Brennan did not answer; for the first time, a hint of unease appeared on his rugged face, and his eyes darted around.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Karen stopped pressing him and instead squatted down in front of the small, thin child, speaking in a gentle voice.

"Can you tell me? What happened here? Why... are you so afraid of us?"

Perhaps it was the sincerity in her voice, or perhaps the threat of death overwhelmed her fear.

The boy didn't speak, but an old man who was so thin he was just skin and bones next to him spoke up, albeit tremblingly.

"It's them..."

He pointed his thin index finger behind Karen.

If he hadn't suddenly made a sound, no one would have noticed the old man huddled in the corner, his breath weaker than a rat's.

Karen looked at him, then looked behind her.

"them?"

"They stormed into the village and stole our last bite of food, right after the lord's cavalry raided our barn," the old man continued hesitantly, carefully observing Brennan's expression. "Not only that, they blocked the roads out of here. We can't escape; we can only wait to die here, or go on to the Earl's castle and eat the Earl's provisions..."

The count would never open the door. If he did as these green-hooded men suggested, he would just be waiting to die in another place.

Looking at the bread in the two soldiers' hands, the old man's eyes shone with longing for food, but at the same time, he feared it was a trap set by the Green Turbans...

Even he himself couldn't explain what he, who had nothing, had that was worth deceiving them about.

The old man's accusation was like a slap in the face to Brennan.

His face, which had just regained some color thanks to the miracle, instantly turned bright red, his eyes filled with embarrassment and anger.

The two young soldiers also lowered their heads in shame, not daring to look into the fearful eyes of the family.

They're still too young and not thick-skinned enough.

Those veterans were very clever; they tricked them into doing the job.

"That's... a tactic!"

Brennan tried to defend himself, but his voice lacked confidence: "If we don't use drastic measures, it's impossible to break through Sparrowwood Castle!"

He paused, then added, "Of course... I admit that my men may have been a little rough when carrying out orders."

Was it a bit too rough?
Hogg wore a playful smile as he couldn't help but recall what had happened before.

This guy practically stripped them naked and herded them toward the castle with guns. Brennan didn't really need to explain, but thinking of Saint Sith standing behind the nun, he couldn't help but say a few words.

Consider it as something said to Him.

Karen slowly stood up, ignoring his explanation.

She gazed calmly at the man holding the battle axe, her eyes clear and firm, as if she could see through the struggles deep within his soul.

"If you do things more heinous than the devil in order to end hell, then your hell will not end, and you will lead everyone into another, more cruel hell."

Her words contained no anger or condemnation, as if she were merely representing the deity behind her, announcing an alternative future that He had foreseen.

"...Whatever you have done in the past, you must stop from this moment on."

After glancing around at the silent soldiers, her gaze finally settled on the bright green turbans on their heads.

"Please take it off."

It wasn't in the tone of a command, but it carried an unquestionable authority far exceeding that of a command, as if it were a decree personally issued by a god.

The soldiers looked at each other.

The green headscarf was a symbol of their identity, the flag of the Green Forest Army, and even more important than their own heads.

Surprisingly, they showed no anger or mockery; instead, they instinctively looked at their leader…

Should we listen to the opinions of the gods?

Brennan looked at Karen and said in a deep voice.

"Is it necessary to do this?"

Karen nodded seriously.

"If you still have a trace of awe for the gods in your heart, if you think the people of the Twilight Province are more important than your own honor, then take it off. You should have already seen the fear in their eyes."

"At least in the eyes of those starving people, at least until our contract ends, we are no longer the Green Forest Army, but the 'Saviors Army'."

The air seemed to freeze.

Brennan gripped the axe handle tightly, his mind in turmoil.

Giving up the name of the Green Forest Army would undoubtedly be a betrayal of "Green Turban" Kaylan. However, he then thought of what Kaylan often told them. He always told them that the Green Forest Army were chivalrous knights who robbed the rich to help the poor, unlike those noble lords who hid in castles.

In that case, what the nun said makes sense.

More importantly, his ultimate goal was to capture Sparrowwood Castle. In this matter, the Green Forest Army's high command granted him a great deal of autonomy in decision-making—as long as he could take the castle and complete the siege of Twilight City, the capital of Twilight Province, the process was not important.

After a long while, Brennan loosened his clenched fist and, to everyone's surprise, shrugged, seemingly acknowledging everything.

“Alright,” he muttered, “if this is what’s necessary to conquer Sparrowwood Fortress… I’ll cooperate with you until our contract ends.”

We can always take it back after we breach the castle.

After saying that, he took the lead in tearing off the green headscarf from his head.

Seeing that their leader had done so, the other soldiers of the Green Forest Army looked at each other, feeling that something was amiss, but in the end they did as he said.

These rebels, who rose up in rebellion, were unaware that they had been subtly influenced, not only eating food provided by "Saint Karen" and following her commands, but even changing their allegiance under her persuasion...

In fact, not to mention those who already lacked their own opinions, even Karen herself didn't realize what she had unintentionally accomplished.

She was simply following the instructions of that kind gentleman, completing every task he assigned her step by step.

Karen smiled gently, nodded approvingly at them, and then turned to look at the family who were standing there, stunned.

"As you can see, we are no longer the Green Forest Army. Can we sit down and have a chat? I have many questions I'd like to ask you. We can talk while we eat..."

"Okay, okay! I will tell you everything I know, Your Majesty..." The old man nodded as if waking from a dream, and hurriedly made way for the doorway.

The other party has gone to such lengths for their family; if he doesn't cooperate, he'll feel embarrassed himself...

……

The dark clouds that shrouded the Twilight Province seemed to be showing signs of loosening. However, inside Sparrowwood Castle on the other side, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a storm.

In the Lord's Hall, Earl Theron Gard was pacing back and forth anxiously.

After listening to his subordinates' report on the military situation, his obese body broke out in a cold sweat, and his eyes were filled with fear and panic.

Although he was once a valiant knight, the comfortable life had long since dulled his edge and his bravery.

Moreover, he is now sixty years old, and even if he still has the will, he probably won't be able to put it into practice.

"An army of 100,000! They actually have 100,000 people! Damn it, weren't these damned bastards supposed to be starving? When did they multiply to this size?"

And those damn tax farmers!

Only now did he realize that the actual population living in his territory was one zero more than the number in his ledger!

Now, this group of lunatics, armed with weapons they've somehow acquired, have completely surrounded his castle.

Not only that, they also burned, killed, and looted everywhere, ruining the entire Sparrowwood Territory!
Looking at the resolute-looking middle-aged knight beside him, Theron complained in a pained voice, "Oh, Leiden, tell me, what should we do!"

The man named Leiden was a knight who had served the Gard family for generations, and was also a genuine platinum-level powerhouse.

Seeing the count's flustered state, he calmly replied.

“My lord, there is no need to panic. The castle’s defenses are impregnable, and our grain reserves are enough to hold out for three years. As long as we keep the gates closed, I can assure you they cannot break in.”

and--

The rebels surrounding them may not actually number 100,000; it's likely just a ruse. The truth is, those peasants themselves didn't even know how many of them there were.

“Three years? What about in three years?” Earl Theron screamed. “Where are the reinforcements? We can’t count on that bastard from Twilight City!”

To him, the people outside the castle were already a burden that could be discarded at any time; the only thing he cared about was the lives of himself and his family.

He even began to regret it.

If he had known these rebels would be so difficult to deal with, and if he had known the king of the capital would treat his territory so poorly, he shouldn't have stayed in this castle!

"Reden said in a deep voice."

"Three years... even if reinforcements don't arrive, that's enough time for everyone outside to starve to death."

Theron paused for a moment.

Just as he was about to say something, a guard came running in, panting and out of breath, and reported.

"My lord! Something's not right with the rebels outside the city!"

"What's wrong?" Theron shuddered, his face turning pale. "They've started attacking the city?"

Leiden frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword.

"No, quite the opposite. Although they have gathered outside the castle, they have not set up any siege equipment..." The guard hesitated for a moment, then whispered his discovery, "Our sentries noticed that they seem to be... distributing food to the starving people outside the castle."

Distribute food?
Leiden froze, his face gradually turning grim.

What made him look grim was not the rebels' feigned mercy, but the fact that they had surplus food to squander on useless things.

He originally intended for those people outside the city to starve to death.

But if these rebels have such abundant food supplies, then it will likely be those inside the castle who starve to death in the end.

And thinking about it more deeply...

Where did they get their food?
Including the weapons they carried.

Those things obviously couldn't have appeared out of thin air.

Leiden's expression grew increasingly grim; he gradually sensed the presence of a conspiracy. Although he had previously suspected something was amiss with this uprising, this feeling had never been stronger than it was now.

The platinum-level knight wasn't the only one with a solemn expression; Theron, standing to the side, also wore an incredulous look, almost doubting whether he had misheard.

He pushed aside the guards, personally lifted the hem of his magnificent robes, and, surrounded by several guards, stumbled and climbed up the west wall of the castle.

But the scene that followed left the count speechless, and he was stunned on the spot.

In the center of the rebel camp, large pots were set up, simmering with steaming wheat porridge. Soldiers were distributing the cooked porridge, along with bread, to the long lines of starving people.

The bread was even off-white, with an orange trim around the outside, and he could even smell the freshly baked wheat aroma!

The anticipated scene of bandits sharpening their knives and threatening the starving people did not materialize; instead, a scene of orderly chaos unfolded.

Those who should have hated the rebels now showed a numb look of relief after surviving a disaster, and a hint of... gratitude.
Saint Sis above!
Have they all forgotten who lifted the lid of their pot and scraped away the last grain of wheat they had hidden in the crack in the wall?
They've made up?!

And those rebels... where did they get so much food from?!

Theron couldn't believe his eyes. His gaze swept across the crowd, and he quickly noticed something that puzzled him even more.

Although the soldiers were still wearing their tattered and uneven clothes, they had all taken off their bright green headscarves and replaced them with undyed linen tied around their shoulders.

Although it was only a small change, the entire army seemed to have been transformed overnight, from a pack of ferocious jackals into a group of devout... pilgrims?
It's like the sun has risen in the west!

Instead of looting, the bandits started providing disaster relief and helping people!
A faint sense of panic gripped Cyron's heart—a panic born of the incomprehensible. Surrounded by soldiers, he leaned against the cold battlements, staring out of the moat and muttering to himself.

"In the end what happened?"

He preferred to believe that they were putting on an act, and that the cunning rebels would snatch the bowls from the residents' hands at any moment.

However, the way the starving people wolfed down their food didn't seem like they were lying...

“We’re probably in trouble,” Leiden said in a low voice, walking behind Theron and staring at the scene outside the castle.

Regardless of whether these rebels numbered 100,000 or not.

They definitely have it now...

(End of this chapter)