The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Kiana called out from behind, then pulled her sister along and ran to Artoria's side, following closely behind.

"My lord, let's go together."

Kiana said.

"All right."

Artoria sighed helplessly, then got into the carriage and rode with the caravan towards the outskirts of the city.

Along the way, Artoria kept looking at the devastated area outside the city.

Here, besides corpses, there are all sorts of incomplete remains.

Many corpses were also thrown on the ground, emitting a strong stench of blood.

Looking at this scene, Artoria's expression grew even more solemn.

Although she was a queen, deep down she was still human, and seeing this tragic scene before her, her heart was filled with anger and pity.

She even began to miss what she called her home.

If she had been braver back then, perhaps things wouldn't be like this today!

These thoughts annoyed Artoria, but she shook her head to clear her mind and led the refugees into the city.

Then, she turned her attention to the main force behind all of this, Kiana.

"I remember I sent you to deal with them, didn't I?"

"Ahem, indeed."

"So why did things turn out this way?"

"It's quite complicated. First of all... I think you need a group of people to endorse you."

Kiana scratched the back of her head and began to explain to King Arthur why she wanted to save these disaster victims.

Although this matter itself was driven by many unexpected factors, considering the final outcome...

Kiana felt it was better to make things clear.

"I don't agree. But oh well, it's something very chivalrous, and I don't dislike it."

King Arthur turned around, which can be interpreted as him agreeing with Kiana's statement.

However, a hint of difficulty flashed in her eyes, clearly indicating that she was not entirely confident about the matter.

"But, to accommodate so many people, we need enough food. Otherwise..."

"Don't worry about that, I've already found enough food."

"Oh? Hmm, it's already resolved? You're really amazing."

Artoria gave Kiana an approving look, then continued:

"That would be good if the problem had been solved."

At this point, Kiana couldn't help but smile.

"I'm very happy that you're so understanding."

The two exchanged a smile and then returned to the town.

Because Lancelot's true identity has not yet been discovered by Artoria, Lancelot did not participate in the matter.

She simply followed quietly behind Kiana with her head down, looking quite obedient.

However, this obedience was just a facade. The truth was that after returning to his office, he began to complain, quite speechlessly: "So your mission wasn't to save those people?"

"Is this a serious problem? I don't think there's much difference."

“It’s a big deal. I don’t think King Arthur needs these refugees for his approval. It’s the lords who really need approval.”

Lancelot had a keen eye; he knew exactly what it took to seize the throne.

If it weren't for the fact that he wasn't the one destined to become king, he would have already begun to truly implement his plan.

Even so, this does not prevent him from examining the matter from a long-term perspective.

What you said

These are things I cannot accept. I believe that power, in any case, originates from the people at the bottom of society, not from the power struggles and intrigues among those at the top.

"Phew...you're probably not suited to handling this kind of thing. Never mind. Do you still have the food you gave us before?"

"potato chips?"

"That's right, let me have a taste."

Lancelot licked her red lips with a serious expression. Although her tone was selfless, her actions revealed her inner desires.

"I can give you potato chips, but I can't guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Kiana took out a large pile of snacks from her storage space and placed them in front of Lancelot.

Her snacks are all products of future industrialized consumer goods, which can be said to be a game-changer for the taste buds of people in this era.

"It's okay, I'm not a picky eater anyway, as long as I can fill my stomach."

"Then you'd better take it easy, don't choke to death."

Kiana said jokingly.

"Don't worry, I'm not as greedy as you. I'll be very restrained. By the way..."

Lancelot suddenly thought of something.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you, do we have enough food?"

Lancelot's words startled Kiana for a moment, and then her face immediately fell.

Why are you asking this?

"I don't want us to run out of food and starve to death in the wilderness!"

Lancelot shrugged, indicating his innocence.

"Don't worry, although I'm not bringing much at once, the amount of food should be enough to last us for a while."

"That's good."

Lancelot breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he knew that the amount of food was definitely limited, and that his group could not survive in this environment for long.

But if they don't eat, they will soon starve to death.

"By the way, I'd like to know, have the accommodations for those disaster victims been arranged?"

"Yes, I've already arranged for them to stay at the tavern. Their rooms have been renovated, and the furniture is all new and clean. I've also prepared enough food and water for them to sustain themselves for a while. Once things have settled down, I'll help them build their own houses."

Kiana explained.

"That works too. Then I don't need to worry about these trivial matters. Now I just need to do my job well and govern that damned country as soon as possible."

After hearing Kiana's explanation, Lancelot felt much more relaxed.

His attention then shifted to other things.

"I still think this is not good."

"Yeah, I think it's not good either, but there's nothing I can do, I don't have any other options."

"No, this is a war. If we don't act assertively, we will ultimately lose. If we can't gain their trust, we can't have the upper hand in this war."

Lancelot shook his head and said.

He is not a person who likes to show off or fight. He prefers to be a person with outstanding abilities but who knows how to keep a low profile. Otherwise, he would not have chosen to join forces with Kiana at this time.

He is a smart man, both from a political perspective and from the perspective of life itself.

"Since that's the case, then let's do it that way. We must resolve this matter first so that the surrounding lords realize that we are not entirely useless."

Kiana thought for a while and then nodded in agreement.

"good."

Lancelot nodded, a glint in his eyes.

"By the way, I still don't quite understand. If our strength is relatively weak, why would those lords have a favorable impression of us?"

"Ha, how could I possibly understand what they're thinking?"

"Pretty much, but... as long as we have enough power, we can protect them. In other words, it's a matter of trust, a kind of power!"

Lancelot looked at Kiana with a serious expression.

Kiana fell into deep thought as she listened to Lancelot's words.

"However, our goal this time is not just that. If we can't gain anything, then our trip will have been in vain."

"I understand. What benefits do we need to obtain?"

"I know you need a new country, a new city, people, and funding. Therefore, we need a city full of hope, a city that can attract people. As long as this city can give us hope, I believe it will bring us extraordinary gains."

"So, what are your plans?"

"Not yet. But I'll try my best."

"Then I'll wait for your good news."

"Haha, don't worry."

"Okay, then you go ahead and do your work."

"What can I be busy with? Never mind, I'll go talk to Artoria, you can continue working."

Watching Kiana's departing figure, Lancelot wore a smile, knowing that he was finally about to realize his plan.

After Kiana left, Lancelot walked to the table and sat down.

The table was spacious, but it was completely undecorated, giving it a somewhat rustic look.

It was somewhat old, and on the table was a map, which appeared to be recording basic data about the city's topography and population.

This is a map.

A cup of tea was placed on the left side of the table.