The magnificent Flooding Snow City still shone brilliantly under the sunlight, but from the street, it revealed a bleak emptiness. It was the season of spring, yet the streets were devoid of bustling crowds. The few passersby there were moved quickly, their faces anxious, lacking the previous confidence and pride.

The caravans that once filled the main thoroughfare were now a mere third of their original number, and the shops lining the streets were barely open, their doors ajar.

It had been over a week since news of the Northern Expeditionary Army’s disastrous defeat in the wilderness and Marquis Wade’s retreat to Her Fort reached Flooding Snow City. The scale of the defeat was too great; the soldiers who hadn’t managed to return to their units scattered across the land, and the news couldn’t be contained.

By the time the Flooding Snow City elite received the intelligence, word had already spread throughout the city.

A tavern in a small alleyway still held some patrons. With the number of caravans greatly reduced, many men who made their living in the city found themselves temporarily out of work. They could only gather in this run-down tavern in a remote alleyway, drinking cheap rye wine and killing time with idle chatter.

“I must say, this Northern Expeditionary Army seemed quite capable. How could they have been defeated so badly by those cannibal demons in the Wilderness?”

“Who knows? It’s been years since the Northern Expeditionary Army suffered such a defeat. Now everyone’s on edge.”

“I heard the cannibals west of here have already taken a few small nobles’ castles and slaughtered every last one of them.”

“Hmph, I can’t speak for elsewhere, but if those cannibals really make it to Flooding Snow City, the men here won’t go down without a fight.”

“That’s right! There are families here, old and young alike. If those cannibals dare show their faces, we’ll fight them to the last!”

“I refuse to believe those cannibals could ever take Flooding Snow City!”

“Come, cheers!”

The atmosphere in the tavern suddenly grew warm.

Though cannibals were fearsome foes, they were far from these men who lived in Flooding Snow City year-round. They couldn’t understand how the seemingly formidable and well-armored Northern Expeditionary Army could lose to a bunch of bloodthirsty barbarians from the Wilderness.

Of course, it was one thing to understand, and another entirely to comprehend. The northern lands had always been tough, and many men there were willing to fight for their lives.

This was especially true of Flooding Snow City, where most households kept a weapon or two. If the Lancelot family wanted to recruit able-bodied men to defend the city, they could easily assemble tens of thousands of qualified volunteers.

The northern lands certainly did not lack for soldiers, but there were many other factors that needed to be considered. Lint sat in his study, the room bathed in bright light, yet his mood was far from it. In truth, Lint had not been in a good mood since the Northern Expeditionary Army’s defeat.

The tea on the table had long gone cold, but Lint seemed not to notice as he lifted the cup and took another sip.

“Sir, the tea is cold.”

Sander, still standing beside him, offered a gentle reminder.

“Mm, has the grain purchased from the River Valley arrived yet?” Lint set down his cup without refilling it, turning to Sander.

“The first shipment has arrived, and the second is just leaving the River Valley now. The Dark Rider Legion has been tasked with escorting it, so it should arrive safely.”

“What about the third shipment?”

“The merchant from the River Valley says they’re short on supply and would rather pay our penalty for breach of contract than sell us more at the same price.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Then raise the price. We’ll get this shipment back first and figure out the rest later.”

Lint’s tone was calm, as if he had anticipated this situation long before and wasn’t terribly upset, even with the merchants reneging on their contract.

Before the Northern Expeditionary Army marched, Lint had secured a large sum of money and tasked his subordinates with purchasing as much grain as they could from the River Valley, a region known for its abundance of stored grain.

Although the area wasn’t large, its soil was exceptionally fertile and it consistently produced a glut of grain, keeping prices consistently low. Lint ordered the purchase of over a million bushels of grain to prepare for any emergencies, but such a massive transaction couldn’t be completed in a single deal. Instead, it was split into three shipments.

After Lint’s men paid the required deposit, the merchants of the River Valley gathered the goods. Fortunately, there was ample grain stored throughout the valley, so the merchants were able to quickly assemble the first shipment, which arrived at Flooding Snow City without incident.

However, not long after the second shipment was loaded, news arrived of the Northern Expeditionary Army’s defeat and the invasion of the cannibal demons from the Wilderness.

The second batch of grain had already been delivered into Lint’s hands, so naturally it was unaffected, but the third batch was still in the merchants’ hands. The northern lands had been beset by man-eating demons, and no matter how the situation developed, their harvest would be severely diminished in the coming year. A grain shortage was inevitable.

In this climate, the merchants began to hold back their goods, and the price of grain naturally doubled from what Lint had agreed upon with the merchants of River Valley. It was no longer possible to sell the grain still in storage at the same price as before.

As for how many people in the north might starve to death due to these hoarded goods?

My apologies, but that was not a consideration within the purview of the merchants of River Valley. Their conscience had long since been abandoned upon embarking on this career path.

“Any news from the Imperial Capital?”

“Not yet.”

“Ah, notify me immediately once you hear anything.”

“Yes, sir.”

Despite all Lint’s preparations, once such an incident occurred, it turned out that no amount of preparation was enough. A hundred and ten thousand stones of grain seemed like a lot, but once dispersed into the massive Flooding Snow City, it would only last a month or two at most.

If the cannibals continued to ravage the eastern lands, a large portion of the northern lands’ population would go hungry next year.

The only hope for relief now was if the Imperial Capital sent dragon knights. Just one or two would be enough to turn the tide in the northern lands’ favor.

“Sir!”

Just as Lint was beginning to fret over the lack of supplies, a guard hurried into the room.

“Speak.”

Sander was the only other person present, so Lint had the guard report directly.

“The ancients are convening a meeting in the Boule Chamber, sir. They say they’ll be discussing the management of the city.”

With a heavy bang, Lint slammed his fist on the table.

Sss! But before he could even begin to unleash his fury, a sharp pain shot through his hand, eliciting a hiss of pain. Watching from the side, Sander’s lips twitched, as though he wanted to burst into laughter but held himself back.

“Let’s go. I want to see exactly how the ancients plan to manage Flooding Snow City.”

Done with his futile struggle against the table, Lint left with Sander in tow, walking leisurely toward the Boule Chamber…