Becoming a wet nurse is not the end of the story.

"Okay, I see."

Before Lin Xueyin could finish speaking, Maca spread her wings and soared into the sky, while Orichalcos gently patted the girl's shoulder.

“I’ll go too. Although I can’t match her speed, as a wandering knight, I have my own methods. I can still buy you some time.”

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

"Why are you being so polite with me?"

As he spoke, Orichils stepped a few meters away, turned his back to the girls, and waved his hand gently. The bow and arrow on his back emitted specks of green light.

"Yukine, they are..."

“He’s my friend, but we need to be prepared. Since someone dared to hurt you, don’t blame me for fighting back.”

"Yukine, you and I..."

"What are you doing with me? You should go back and rest. I'll handle this myself." Her beautiful eyes were filled with murderous intent, and her imposing aura made even the ordinary people around her feel the pressure.

A bright light flashed across the distant sky, and the girl, who had been with Maca for quite some time, knew that this was a signal that she had made a discovery.

The effects of Heaven's Feather instantly took effect, and her nimble figure leaped away from the temporary relief point in the blink of an eye. Watching the girl's swift back, Aria could only sigh helplessly.

The girl he once vowed to protect has now drifted further and further away from him, and the people around her are now able to protect her as well, so perhaps they no longer need his presence.

But why did I feel a pang of pain and a sense of resentment as soon as this thought came to mind? Did I really not want my vow to turn to dust like this?

Unaware of the torment her friend was going through, Lin Xueyin had already left the hill and soon appeared beside Maca. At that moment, Orichalcos also appeared from ahead, seemingly chasing after someone.

"Xueyin, these are the supplies from before. After I came down, the enemy didn't put up any resistance and they all ran away."

"Yes, that's right. They didn't offer any resistance at all; it was as if they really wanted us to take these supplies back."

Is it really that strange? Lin Xueyin carefully examined the recovered supplies, but couldn't make out anything special. They were just some food, clothing, blankets, and oh, a tent.

Those people killed all the escorts just to steal these things? Most importantly, they fled without resistance after seeing people arrive. What were they trying to do?

"Xueyin, let's take the supplies back first. There are still many people waiting for these things there."

Seeing that Lin Xueyin was still unwilling to give up and wanted to chase after them, Orichils quickly pulled her back and pointed to the supplies still in the car.

"The most important thing right now is these supplies. What if their intention is just to get you to chase them? If we leave, they can take the supplies away. Even if you find the person, the end result will be that innocent people suffer..."

"Okay, I know, I was wrong, I won't chase after him anymore, alright?"

After being lectured by Orichalcos, Lin Xueyin could only cover her head and bow her head in apology as she turned the carts around. Fortunately, the horses pulling the carts were still there, so she was able to save herself the trouble of going back to call for help.

They came in a hurry, but returned very slowly. Just as Ailiya was getting anxious, Lin Xueyin and the others had already returned with several cartloads of supplies.

"Pastor Lin is back! Pastor Lin is back!"

"Pastor Lin has returned with food. We are saved! We are saved!"

Looking at the cheering crowd around her, Lin Xueyin's dissatisfaction turned into a smug and fulfilling smile.

"Yukine, you're finally back! Are you hurt?"

Arriving at Lin Xueyin's side in two quick steps, Ailiya carefully examined the girl's body and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was unharmed.

"Alright, look, I brought everything back. It's just a pity that I couldn't avenge you."

"Why would you need to avenge me? As long as you're safe and sound, I'll be at ease."

My gaze shifted to these supplies. Looking at these familiar items, I thought of the soldiers who risked their lives to protect them. The supplies they defended with their lives had finally arrived where they belonged.

"Yukine, thank you."

For ourselves, for these refugees, and for the fallen soldiers.

Sensing the weight of this gratitude, Lin Xueyin placed her hand on Ailiya's neat short hair. "Ailiya, don't worry, I've got everything covered."

The girl she met in the jungle years ago has now grown into a towering tree, bringing a sense of security. Arya's feelings are complicated and difficult for her to understand.

"Once we're settled here, let's head to Lamo County."

"Alright, once we've settled in here, we'll head to Lamo County. Yukine, everything is up to you."

"Okay, don't worry, I'll take care of everything." The girl tilted her head slightly and gently patted her chest.

"Alright, let's enjoy the food you brought."

Seeing the girl's proud expression, Aria couldn't help but laugh indulgently. She gently took her hand and led her to the front of the wagons loaded with goods.

"Sir Knight, look, this is pork from grass-fed pigs, and these are eggs. We haven't seen such a sumptuous feast in a long time."

Hmm? Lin Xueyin looked at the opened supply bags in front of her and felt a very uncomfortable sensation coming from them. Thinking of the strange behavior of the people before, she subconsciously asked the people who were moving the food to stop for the time being.

"Please wait a moment, Aria and I will check the things first."

The originally joyous scene became somewhat somber because of those words. Everyone looked at the girl, unsure of what to say, and reluctantly jumped out of the car and walked to the side.

They watched longingly as the girl returned with supplies, inspecting the coveted items one by one, yet dared not take another step forward.

As I gently touched the food with my fingers, sure enough, a chilling feeling enveloped me, while I felt nothing at all with the tents and blankets. Had they really tampered with the food?

"Aria, give these clothes and blankets to everyone first, and let them set up the camp. I want to see what's going on with all this food."

"Hmph, are they trying to steal our food again? These priests are scoundrels."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. This pastor might have really discovered something. If she wanted to steal it, why didn't she take it when she was outside? Besides, these things were actually taken back for us by someone else."

Those who could understand and those who couldn't argued amongst themselves, but none of this affected Lin Xueyin. She quietly used her magic to examine the grains and, sure enough, discovered a faint, eerie aura hidden within them, which was remarkably similar to the aura of the people she had previously dispelled.

Could these not be a plague, but a man-made curse or magic? Lin Xueyin dropped the rice-like things in her hand to the ground in surprise. Although this drew complaints from those around her, Lin Xueyin ignored the unfriendly stares.

“Aria, these foods cannot be eaten for the time being. I suspect that these things are related to the previous plagues.”

"What, Yukine, are you saying that the plague in Lamo County is not a disease, but man-made?"

Staring in astonishment at the girl before her, Arya was filled with even greater unease as she watched the girl nod affirmatively.

"If it's man-made, what are they trying to do? Why is it only appearing in Lamo County, and not in other places?"

"It's hard to say right now, but this food contains the same plague aura as the people I dispelled before. If it was left by those who stole it, that's fine, but if not..."

If not, then it proves that not only Lamoshire, but the entire Goldshire may be shrouded in this plague, and the thought of such a scene is chilling.

"Yukine, what do you think...?"

"I think it was the other side who did it, and they most likely let you escape on purpose."

"You mean, they want me to go back and tell the truth, but if I die, wouldn't all their efforts have been for nothing, and all this stuff would be useless just sitting there?"

"Hmph, they have a good plan. They let you go, but with a fatal wound. If you die, these refugees will naturally go out and search for food with all their might. Then they will definitely take this food with them and leave this place. Wouldn't that spread this food everywhere?"

That's right. When the time comes, these people will definitely choose to leave. Not all towns have walls. They only need to spread this food to the surrounding areas, and it will be a disaster.

"But, Yukine, is there really no way at all?"

"Tch, how could this be difficult for me? Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

With a mere wave of her hand, several dispelling spells landed on the grains. Upon touching them again, all traces of their presence vanished. To prevent any further problems, Lin Xueyin used holy magic to conduct a final inspection.

"Alright, it's all done. Go find a pot and cook everyone a delicious lunch... um, dinner."

Looking up at the sky, she saw that the sun was already setting. Touching her nose, Lin Xueyin watched as the people rushed excitedly towards the trucks carrying supplies, as if they were wild horses.

"Quick, take this piece of grass-fed pork and stew it for everyone to celebrate."

Holding Lin Xueyin protectively in her arms, Ailiya looked at the seemingly chaotic scene before her, where everyone was actually making their own arrangements in an orderly manner, and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

"Yukine, thank you. Now everyone is saved."

"Alright, now we should think about the situation in Lamo County. The problems there are much more serious than here."

Thinking about the knowledge she had gained from reading books, Lin Xueyin understood that a county was the size of a prefecture-level city, and it included not only the city itself, but also the surrounding towns, villages, and hamlets.

The empire was a whole, but it was too large to be governed without reasonable and effective measures. Therefore, some noble titles with territories came into being.

The most powerful are the dukes who own an entire territory as their domain. This territory is larger than a province in China. They will then divide their own territory into many smaller ones, which will become the domains of their followers, thus governing their territories.

The king of the empire, on the other hand, possesses the largest territory. He himself holds the position of lord of many territories and will enfeoff some of his followers to govern various regions.

Don't assume that a large territory means you can't effectively govern. Don't forget the convenience brought by those giant airborne troop transports and magic. Government orders being ineffective? That would be underestimating the miracles created by magic.

Although there is no long-distance teleportation, a messenger can still use aerial magic to quickly travel to various places to spread the news of the new policies.

The Gold Territory is the empire's bordermost territory, and its lord is the king himself. This person is merely his deputie. His character is unknown, but since he was willing to send someone to deliver supplies, he shouldn't be too vicious. If necessary, I might need to ask him for help. Things here are probably not as simple as I imagined.

Volume 6: The Rebellion in Panco: Chapter 5: Journey to Lamoshire (Two chapters published together)

The pots were not just simmering with pieces of meat, but also the hope in the eyes of the refugees, who stared longingly at the bubbling pots.

"What, want some?"

Lin Xueyin gently looked at the boy who was staring longingly at the delicious food in the big pot. His lips were dry and pale, and he unconsciously pursed them. His pitiful yet expectant look made Lin Xueyin feel really sorry for him.

"Don't worry, you'll definitely get something to eat soon."

The bread and rice that had already been prepared had been distributed to the people who were waiting. The girl's sister also received a few loaves of bread and two bowls of cooked rice.

"Little sister, eat something first, and you'll be able to drink the meat soup soon."

"Yes, thank you, sister."

The girl, who couldn't wait to take a bite of the tasteless bread but thought it was incredibly delicious, saw her sister just watching her while secretly putting some bread into a package.

"Sister, I'm not hungry, you eat."

"Your sister has already eaten, so you can have it."

She pushed back the piece of bread with a small bite taken out of it that her younger sister handed her, and was about to get up when Lin Xueyin stopped her.

"You don't need to do this. Don't worry, even if I'm not the best, I'm still an Imperial Baron. I can still help you get some food here."

"Sister, can you really bring us lots of food?"

Unlike her younger sister, the older sister calmly looked at the baron before her and said, "Miss Lin, you can help us for a while, but without our father and mother, we have no future if we don't accumulate some resources."

Perhaps it was pessimism, or perhaps it was guilt towards her younger sister, but the girl's eyes were filled with sadness. Without the protection of their parents, what kind of future awaited her and her sister among these people?

Seeing her younger sister pause slightly before eating her bread, the older sister gently stroked her head with tears in her eyes, and Lin Xueyin also remained silent for a moment.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." "I understand, girl. I am a baron, and naturally I have what I need. Don't worry, your future won't be too bad."

"Really? Really?"