Chapter 799 To Help
Bella let out a sigh as she looked out the window of their carriage. Some days passed, and the surrounding forest eventually made way for what looked to be a barren wasteland as they made their way further south. In truth, she didn't think that the devastation left by Devon would be this extreme, but it would seem that there was more to things than met the eye.
"I didn't think it would be this bad," she couldn't help but whisper to herself as she stared at the view outside. "There's… There's almost nothing out here."
"And yet its people still live," Amon answered with a sigh of his own. "No matter what happens to the land, those that live in it will refuse to leave their homes."
Bella frowned at that prospect. Surely, some would've already left after all of the destruction that was dealt to the lands. The ground was practically dry with little to no vegetation, and what were clearly once forests were now left as stumps out to dry as all life on it just seemed to be absorbed back into the dirt below.
"That's not good," she grumbled. "I can see why the famine is a thing out here now."
"Indeed," he mumbled with another sigh. "From what I've gathered, the south used to be the breadbasket of the kingdom before Devon went ahead and razed it down to the ground. These lands used to be green and golden with wheat as far as the eye could see. Helion was capable of exporting food at a profit, and it was borderline unthinkable that the kingdom itself would starve."
"But clearly, it's not impossible," Bella frowned. "This is a mess..."
She clicked her tongue in thought as she did her best to think of something to try and salvage the lands. Clearly, the people didn't want to leave, but perhaps there was more to things than met the eye.
"We're here."
Bella blinked as she heard Amon's voice announce their arrival. To her surprise, they indeed had arrived at a small town in the middle of what was now a desert. It wasn't much, but based on the ruins that she saw, it was clearly once a thriving city of some sort.
"I didn't even notice," she couldn't help but mutter.
"It sneaks up on you, isn't it," Amon chuckled before his face turned serious. "Also, stay behind me for now. The people here are not kind to those they do not know, even if you're their queen."
She narrowed her eyes at that, "What do you mean by that?"
"This town has seen better days. When I first came here, they all threatened me just to keep us away. However, killing a few monsters for them quickly had me earn their trust," Amon explained. "Just give me some time to introduce you. That way, their trust in me would be shared with you. Once that's done, they'll treat you with the respect your position deserves."
Taking a deep breath, she nodded before allowing herself to relax as she let Amon come lead her down their carriage. Her feet now firmly on the ground, she now saw in her own eyes the town that was supposed to be flooded with refugees the moment the fighting started.
"Your Majesties."
She turned her gaze to the man that just greeted them. He was rather old, and the ruined state of the town practically mirrored his clothing as the rags that clung to his form clearly looked like it had seen better days. Around them, the same could be said with the rest of the people, children and adults alike impoverished by a situation that was clearly out of their control.
"Welcome to Burla," the town's mayor greeted them. "Apologies for the lack of hospitality, but we simply do not have anything left to give…"
"At ease," Amon reassured the old man. "We weren't expecting anything. In fact, we came here to deliver aid."
Bella heard the crowd stir at her husband's words. It almost felt like the entire town was watching as some of their men began to offload the food that they brought with them.
"You're too kind, Your Majesty," the mayor deeply bowed. "I assure you that we shall repay your kindness the moment we are able."
"It's of no consequence," her husband reassured the old man yet again. "Again, the only thing I ask is that your people here be safe. Barring that, you all could freely relocate nearer to the capital."
"Ah, that won't be necessary," the mayor quickly replied. "This is our home. No matter what happens, this is where we shall stay."
Bella schooled her features as she heard those words. Again, her husband was right. Despite everything, the people of this town refused to move. They would rather die in their land than try their chances of moving to a safer location like the capital.
"If you insist," Amon nodded in understanding. "Anyway, I'm here to get rid of a few monsters near the southern border. I assume that some of them have given you all trouble?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the old man nodded. "It has made work difficult, and… some have perished against them already."
"Very well. I'll see to it that they are destroyed swiftly," Amon grimly nodded. "In the meantime, I am leaving my wife here to oversee things here. She is new, you see, but rest assured that she only has our people's best interests at heart."
Seeing her cue to finally speak, Bella did her best to sound as confident and reassuring as possible as she spoke. "Indeed. I'm Queen Bella. I hope we can work well together."
"Well met, Your Majesty," the mayor respectfully bowed to her. "Seeing as you are our king's wife, surely you see the plight of our people as well."
"Quite," she nodded. "Things will be happening in the coming days here, I'm sure. I'll try to see if there's something to be done about the economy in this place."
"That would be much appreciated," the mayor deeply bowed.
With their greetings over, Bella turned to Amon, her husband already making his way back to their caravan so that they could continue their journey to the southernmost border.
"Take care out there, alright?" she couldn't help but warn him. "Contact me if something goes wrong."
"Don't worry, Bella. I'll wrap things up quickly," Amon soothed her before giving her a peck on her lips. "After all, you still have that reward waiting for me, right?"
"Of course," she chuckled with a faint blush. "I wouldn't keep it from you even if you took long, to be honest."
"Ah, but where would be the fun in that?" Amon scoffed as he got up on his horse. "Mark my words: I'll be back before you know it."
And with that, Bella could simply wave her husband goodbye as they all went and left the town, leaving her alone with a contingency of guards to defend herself with.
"Right… I have to see to the preparations," she told herself before she turned her attention back to the mayor and her men. "Alright, first up, let's start distributing the food and drink to those that need it. Make sure everyone gets their fair share."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
As one, the men nodded to her, and Bella could simply stare out at the vast plains of nothingness that surrounded the town. Surely, she could think of something to try and bring this place back to life while her husband was out slaying monsters.
"Say, before… everything, what was this town known for?" she asked the mayor.
"We… We were known for our agricultural products, Your Majesty," the mayor regretfully replied. "Unfortunately, the war and all of its magic ravaged the land, making it the dry and dusty plains that it is now."
She bit her lip as she simply nodded in acknowledgment. Just like her husband said, it would seem that the town was indeed once farmland that grew food for Helion and its people. To hear about it now while seeing what it has become almost made her heart sink at how impossibly it almost looked to bring those glory days back.
"I see… Are there no other industries here?"
"We hunted what we could, but doing so did little to feed our population," the mayor sadly stated. "We've also tried looking for other valuable resources near here, but there was no such luck in that. Coupled with the frequent monster attacks, it's simply impossible to do anything with the dwindling manpower we have."
"Well, at least the king will be taking care of that last part once and for all," Bella reassured the old man with a smile. "After the monsters are gone, this place can fully try to get back on its feet."
As Bella smiled at the mayor, her gaze went to the populace that was currently bowing deeply to her for the food that they brought. This was simply unacceptable. She had to do something to this place after all of this, and she refused to leave without at least a plan to help the people here.
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