The displaced people entered the town under Lin Lan's leadership.
Most people's gazes were numb and hollow, as the ever-present shadow of death had long extinguished the hope within their hearts.
Sean anxiously followed behind the Lord, gazing at the young figure whose back was turned, his eyes slowly filled with a glimmer of hope.
The Lord did not rudely expel the refugees from the territory; he even offered his carriage, placing several feverish, unconscious children inside.
It seemed he had indeed encountered a kind-hearted noble.
Sean really wanted to tell the Lord in front of him that the Blood Plague was by no means the wrath of the former king; it was an evil curse from Hell!
The Lion Heart Kingdom is about to stride towards destruction amid the Royal Family's madness. Currently, the only way to survive is to abandon everything and escape by boat to the farther south.
Sean opened his mouth: "Lord, this matter is truly important for you..."
"If you dare bring up the Blood Plague in public again, I'll throw you directly into the sea."
The Lord's cold gaze swiftly swept over.
"Yes... my Lord." Sean lowered his head, not daring to defy him anymore.
He couldn't help but feel somewhat disheartened. Although his meager ability could inhibit the deterioration of the Blood Plague, the knight representing the Royal Court will eventually hunt them down here.
By then, where could the children afflicted with the Blood Plague escape to?
"We've arrived."
Moments later, the Lord's voice interrupted Sean's wild thoughts.
Sean raised his head to find that a rudimentary temporary camp had already taken shape in the clearing on the west side of the town.
Since Lin Lan had issued instructions before departure, the townsfolk were now fervently busy; they were setting up canvas tents, laying straw on the ground, and placing fire pits for warmth.
Even though the sun had already set, the townsfolk still put forth vigorous effort.
Because working for the Lord meant earning money! There was no greater benevolence than this in the world!
However, upon seeing the refugees, the townsfolk's movements gradually slowed down.
"Epidemic..." someone murmured, eyeing the appearance of the refugees uneasily: "Did you see? That group of refugees is afflicted with an epidemic..."
"It's really true..." a fisherman's face turned pale: "Why is the Lord still letting them into the town..."
The crowd became somewhat restless, whispering discussions in low voices; no one wanted to risk illness to convey goodwill, and a repressed atmosphere quickly spread.
The refugees were at a loss, even the leader, Sean, remained silent.
Everyone's faces were filled with fear, a faint sobbing came from frightened children, and a few elderly people with graying hair showed despair in their eyes.
But at this moment, someone stepped forward into the darkness.
"Citizens of Seagull Town! Do not panic! The epidemic in Seagull Town is not to be feared!"
Lord Roland raised his fist, attracting everyone's gaze: "Listen up! I, Roland Howard, make a promise to you tonight!"
"From now on, I will never abandon anyone in the town afflicted with the epidemic!"
He looked directly into people's eyes, loudly proclaiming: "As long as you build the camp, not only will you receive a reward of fifty copper coins, but everyone can also additionally receive two free bottles of Hemostatic Potion at the Lord's Mansion!"
Upon hearing this, the townsfolk looked at each other.
Potions...
Could it possibly be the precious potion enjoyed only by the nobility? But how could this be...
"I believe in the Lord!"
At this moment, a young man voiced a firm declaration amidst the crowd: "During the days of working at the dock, the Lord never missed paying even a single copper coin!"
The townsfolk's breathing gradually quickened.
Potions that could save lives! And a full two bottles!
They suddenly plunged into unfinished work, their movements even faster than before!
Even Lin Lan unconsciously realized that since the day he solved the Celestial Calamity, his prestige had reached astonishing heights in the townsfolk's hearts.
"Lord... are you truly willing to distribute Hemostatic Potions..."
A trembling voice sounded from behind Lin Lan, a woman with a face full of wrinkles tightly embracing the little girl in her arms, with a light in her eyes she had never shown before.
"That's right, my promise applies to you as well."
Lin Lan turned around, solemnly saying: "From the moment you enter the town, as long as you are willing to abide by the order in the territory, you are the citizens of Seagull Town and will surely receive my protection!"
In that instant, something long suppressed exploded in people's hearts.
It all felt like a dream.
We... are really saved...
The next moment, almost everyone dropped their packages and joined in the camp's construction, even the elderly with hunched backs trembled as they picked up the straw.
No one was willing to abandon the glimpse of hope in front of them.
Lin Lan calmly watched this scene unfold before him.
In fact, he had long prepared a suitable incentive scheme to manage the populace.
He wouldn't use empty rhetoric about the future and ideals to inspire people's hearts, nor did he intend to use the identity of a Lord to force his citizens to submit; instead, he would use tangible rewards to guide people forward.
To have citizens hold hope for future life, dispensing rewards is just the basic approach, but there's much more to do.
Speaking of which, the Lion Heart nobles' governance methods were extremely crude and backward.
This Kingdom didn't even have the concept of free men; the common people's houses, lands, harvests, and even lives were possessions of the rulers.
Just like these refugees in front of them, they don't even have the most basic survival security and are discarded like trash from their homelands.
Lin Lan's expression grew increasingly solemn.
He didn't know when the true end would come, but he was more aware than anyone that an ignorant, backward civilization has absolutely no hope.
Turning a blind eye to it would be the most foolish approach.
Therefore, Lin Lan decided to reform everything from scratch.
He needed people, more people to complete new development, new order, new laws, and most importantly, education work.
These refugees are still far from sufficient...
Lin Lan's current territory was merely a meager small town.
Strictly speaking, even the Black Pine Forest outside the town didn't belong to his territory; it belonged to Count Levell, who administered the Southern Territory.
Need to find a way to bring more people over from that guy's territory...
With everyone's concerted efforts, the camp was soon completed.
The weak elderly and children were drinking hot soup; even if the Lord's food was tasteless and peculiar biscuits, people ate them with great relish.
The warm firelight made everything appear orderly.
Sean stared blankly at everything in front of him; suddenly, someone patted his shoulder.
"Come with me to the Lord's Mansion, Priest."
Lin Lan smiled: "We need to discuss the Blood Plague in a discreet location."