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

Still a child, Lin Xueyin took the bowl from her sister's hands and went to a pot where the meat was already cooked.

"Pastor Lin, are you here for lunch too?"

"Yes, I'll get some food for those two kids."

A man holding an iron spoon glanced at the two girls hugging each other not far away, his eyes also filled with a bit of sympathy. However, at this moment, sympathy was the least valuable thing.

"Come on, try my meat soup, it tastes really good."

He poured a full bowl of thick, meaty broth into Lin Xueyin's bowl, then watched as she handed the bowl full of broth to the two sisters.

"Try it out, there will be even more delicious food waiting for you in the future."

"Really, sister? Are you serious?" The little girl timidly raised her head, her big, cute eyes looking expectantly at the girl in front of her.

"Of course, how could I lie to you? Don't worry, you'll eat even more delicious food in the future." He gently stroked the little girl's somewhat dry long hair.

The older sister then soaked some bread in the broth and handed it to her younger sister, saying, "You eat first, and I'll go get another bowl. Eat more."

"Yes, yes, thank you, sister."

Watching the girl leave, Lin Xueyin gently wiped the grease from the girl's lips.

"Sister, will you help my sister in the future? She's a very good sister."

"Yes, I know. Don't worry, little girl. Speaking of which, I still don't know your name."

After swallowing a soft, soaked piece of bread, the little girl said, "My name is Lilia, and my sister's name is Ariel."

"Lilia and Ariel, what lovely names. Don't worry, I'll find you two a wonderful home in the future."

With her two big, adorable eyes wide open, Lin Xueyin chuckled and wiped the dust off her face. "Eat first, and when you're full, I'll take you home."

"Go home? Can we still have a home?" Lilia murmured to herself, feeling sad as she watched Lin Xueyin's retreating figure. She didn't know whether she should trust the older sister who had given her hope.

At this moment, unaware that her words had caused the little girl so much distress, Lin Xueyin came to Ailiya's side. Although she had been protecting these refugees, Ailiya's meals were no different from those outside: a bowl of rice, a bowl of meat soup, and a few pieces of bread, laid out on the table.

"Aria, haven't you eaten yet?"

Seeing that the food on the table was untouched, Lin Xueyin knew that this guy hadn't eaten anything yet.

"It's nothing, I just feel uneasy. If these plagues really spread to the heart of the empire, it would be a disaster that destroys the country. Who would do such a thing?"

"Oh dear, why are you, a knight, thinking so much? Even I, a baron, don't think as much as you do."

Lin Xueyin rolled her eyes at the woman, sat opposite her, broke the bread into pieces, soaked them in the broth, and then fed them to the woman.

"There's no use thinking about it now. Besides, these plagues aren't insurmountable. Don't worry, there won't be any problems."

“You’re right. Do you know how many people in Lamo County have been infected with this plague? If you were to do it all by yourself, you would work yourself to death and still not be able to clean it up, let alone cause a larger-scale infection.”

That's true. Lin Xueyin didn't know what to say for a moment. However, it wouldn't be good to lose her composure at this time. At least Lin Xueyin was quite confident in herself.

"Don't forget, I'm also a pharmacist. Even if I'm not good at it, I can still make medicine."

"Forget about the medicine, even if you manage to concoct it, can you mass-produce it? Can you mass-produce it? If not, then it's the same as having no way at all."

"Oh dear, do you want a solution or not? If this won't work, and that won't work, you might as well just slit your own throat."

Lin Xueyin, who was so angry with Ailiya that she stood up, pointed her trembling finger at Ailiya's front, and stared intently at the girl who had angered her.

"Okay, okay, I was just worried."

"What are you worried about? With me here, what are you afraid of? When have I ever let you down? Don't worry, I have a way to solve these things."

Seeing that Xiaoxue rarely showed such a serious expression, Ailiya gave a wry smile, guessing that she must have really angered the little girl, otherwise she wouldn't have made such an expression.

"Yes, yes, I was wrong. With Xiaoxue here, there will definitely be no problem."

"Hmph, that's more like it. Arya, pack your things tomorrow, we're going to Lamo County. I bet there'll be a lot of things to do there."

"But what about these refugees? I can't just abandon them."

As a knight, it is impossible to stand idly by and watch the weak stand before you.

Looking at the stubborn girl in front of her who insisted on upholding chivalrous virtues, Lin Xueyin really wanted to give her a nudge. Where else could you find someone so meticulous?

However, it was precisely because of her stubbornness that Lin Xueyin admired her from the bottom of her heart and always hoped to help her. In a way, she was a pure land on Earth.

"Come on, don't think about it too much. After you finish eating, you can rest for a while."

"Hmm? Where are your two friends? I haven't seen them at all."

Only then did she remember Orichalcos and Maca, but it seemed a little too late. Lin Xueyin gave Aria a mysterious smile and continued to feed Aria the bread in the bowl.

The night was enchanting, and even among these refugees, a faint hope continued to grow. With food and tents, everyone spent a quiet night inside until dawn the next day.

"What? The knight wants to take us back? No way! We finally escaped, how can we go back?"

"That's right, Sir Knight. We don't have any objection to your decision, but it's just too dangerous there. We risked our lives to get out, so if we go back, wouldn't we be courting death?"

Just as Lin Xueyin had guessed, these people were indeed very resistant to returning to Lamo County. However, if she didn't take them back and left them outside on their own, she was really worried that they might be caught again by those mysterious people.

"My lord knight, please be very careful. Don't be fooled by some wicked people. She wants to take us back to obtain a reward from the empire..."

"Shut up! I don't care how many opinions you have, but you absolutely cannot insult Yukine. Remember, no matter what Yukine does, she will never be like those incompetent nobles."

A hand gently covered the raised hand of the somewhat excited girl. "Aria, don't rush, let me explain first."

"I know you're worried, but even here, can you get rescued? Can you survive solely by relying on the Empire's aid?"

Seeing that some people didn't take her words seriously, Lin Xueyin knew that her dry words were unlikely to gain their agreement. Helpless, she could only look at Ailiya and whisper, "I'm sorry."

“I don’t care what you do. If you don’t come with me, then don’t blame me for being impolite. Remember, I am an Imperial Baron and I have the right to execute you as if you were infected with the plague.”

"elder sister...."

A childish voice rang in Lin Xueyin's ears, but she ignored it, coldly watching the somewhat flustered and angry people in front of her.

"Come with me, and I will naturally protect your safety. If you don't come, then don't blame me for being impolite."

Enraged, the man picked up a rusty hoe and threatened Lin Xueyin, "Woman, you have no followers now. If we kill you, we naturally won't... um..."

"Anyone who dares to be an enemy of Xueyin will be killed without mercy."

A longsword, drops of blood, neat short hair, and handsome eyes—Aria coldly looked at these people who had once protected her with their lives, yet now seemed so unfamiliar.

"Alright, Aria, there's no need to be angry. Faced with life and death, what they did was understandable."

Looking at the crowd around her, who were somewhat panicked by Aria's swift and decisive killing of the man, Lin Xueyin spoke again.

"Let's go. Don't forget, these supplies are only usable for a limited time. Go back there, and I'll find a way to get rid of the plague there."

"Sister, can you really solve the plague? It's so dangerous there. So many people are dying for no reason. It's really scary."

It was that same childish voice, but this time Lin Xueyin didn't ignore it anymore. She gently came to her side and said, "Lilia, trust your sister. I'll take you home. Your future is there."

Behind her, a little girl, also dressed in tattered clothes, stepped out from behind Lilia, took her hand, and looked firmly at the girl in front of her.

"Pastor Lin, I believe in you, I will go back with you."

"Yes, thank you. Don't worry, I will protect you and your sister's safety."

They placed their hands on each other's, the three delicate hands overlapping as if making a vow. At this moment, since someone had chosen to go back, everyone glanced at Ailiya again and could only helplessly agree to return to Lamo County with Lin Xueyin.

After settling everyone down, Ailiya pulled Lin Xueyin back to her tent, her stern gaze fixed on her.

"Xueyin, why didn't you discuss today's events with me beforehand? You should know that my sword..."

“Aria, do you think those people will come back with us if we don’t force them? You’ve seen people who rob supplies. Have you thought about what the consequences would be if they knew that their actions were meaningless?”

At this point, regardless of whether Ailiya had considered it or not, Lin Xueyin continued, "You should understand that if I don't take them away, then I have to protect them. Now, can I stay here indefinitely? Not to mention Lamo County, even the capital city wouldn't agree to me staying here indefinitely with these refugees."

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't find a reason to do so. Could she stay here forever? Not to mention her, even she herself couldn't. Once she left, there would only be one fate for these people.

"Aria, don't worry. Taking them back is also a way of saving them. Apart from the fact that my methods weren't very good, what else is there? People are forgetful creatures. Once life returns to normal, they naturally won't say anything anymore, and everything will be alright."

"Okay, then I'll believe you..."

"Hmph, if you don't believe me, who else can you believe?" Lin Xueyin playfully stuck out her tongue at Aria and began helping Aria pack her things, preparing to head to Lamo County.

Volume VI: The Rebellion of Pankor: Chapter Six: Desolation

"White bones are exposed in the wild, and for a thousand miles there is not a rooster crowing."

Looking at the desolate landscape before her, Lin Xueyin couldn't help but sigh. Although she didn't know if this place had been prosperous in the past, it was now a barren wasteland.

Crows cried mournfully all around. The area, which was clearly farmland, was now overgrown with weeds, and white skeletons could be seen by the roadside.

The young girls in front couldn't bear to watch, let alone the local commoners behind them. They were also in pain and saddened, and a sense of shared sorrow slowly spread around them.

Lin Xueyin could understand the feelings of the refugees behind her, but she herself was helpless. She could bring the dead back to life, but how could she possibly do the same with these skeletons?

Her hands, which had turned slightly pale, were covered by another hand. When she looked up and saw Aria giving her a comforting smile, Lin Xueyin's mood calmed down a little.

"Arya, has the plague here become that serious?"

The eerie aura could still be felt from the bones, and the same aura lingered in the barren fields along the roadside.

Some animals that ate grasses with this scent, and then consider the predators that ate animals with this scent—it's likely that the entire natural system here has been infected by this plague.

For some reason, Lin Xueyin suddenly had a feeling of the apocalypse. If this eerie aura could turn people into zombies, then the entire Lamo County would probably become a hell.

"Xueyin, have you discovered something?"

"It's nothing, was it always like this?"

Aria shook her head. "I wasn't sure before either, but when I passed through here on my way to the Elven race, this didn't happen."

She rolled her eyes at him, and her charming appearance made Aria pause for a moment. No wonder Prince Ikux cared so much about this girl. Apart from her status, her cute appearance alone was enough to make people like her.

"Xueyin, your return to the capital this time might be..."

Thinking about it, it's better not to talk about this, since I don't really understand the undercurrents involved.

Tilting her head, Lin Xueyin looked at Aria, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated. She didn't press her for details, but she understood that what she had done in the Elven race was already widely known. It would be strange if the capital didn't take any action.

However, that's not the main point. After all, a living person is much more useful than a dead one. The real question is, what about his runaway wife? If she really puts him under house arrest or restricts his freedom, he really won't be able to find a wife.

The girl, who was still somewhat nervous, felt extremely bad at this moment. "Forget it, I don't want to think about things over there anymore. Let's get this sorted out first."

The desolation along the way not only saddened Lin Xueyin and her companion, but also stirred up a complex mix of emotions in the indigenous people following behind. This was the place where their ancestors had lived, the place where they had once struggled, yet it had become so barren. For these people, what could be more poignant than this scene?

"elder sister..."

Lilia was held in her sister's arms, feeling the slight trembling emanating from her sister. She looked up at her with some concern, unaware that her own eyes also held a faint sadness.