I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 374 Unlucky guy

This was both a natural disaster and a man-made catastrophe.

The iron hooves of the Kingdom of Leteria, like scorching plowshares, ruthlessly plowed across the northwestern lands of the Kingdom of Minicia, engulfing everyone in their wake, with no one able to escape.

Their goal this time was not merely to contend with the Minieses, but to launch a complete sweep... to destroy the Minieses' will to resist, plunder their wealth, and eliminate any potential future threats.

This cavalry force, renowned for its speed and ruthlessness, split into several groups, like a pack of hungry wolves, howling across the vast plains, hills, and edges of forests.

They burned down villages along the way, drove away and even massacred civilians who couldn't escape, sowing the seeds of fear deep within them.

This devastating wave inevitably reached the relatively remote valley area where Elena and the others were hiding.

Initially, only a few refugees appeared sporadically near the valley.

First, three or five ragged, terrified farmers stumbled into the perimeter of the valley and were spotted by Bagnia sentries.

The Minesian farmers brought vague and horrifying news: the Retalians had arrived, killing indiscriminately and burning down their villages.

The guards brought them before Alvin and Torres, and the two captains immediately became alert and questioned them in detail.

The refugees were speaking incoherently, but they were all pointing in the same direction... A large cavalry force was sweeping along the road and didn't seem to be too far away.

Alvin and Torres' hearts sank. Having been cut off from headquarters, they were unaware of their good relationship with the Reteria army. They immediately ordered a heightened alert level, doubling the number of sentries and expanding the patrols while shortening their rotation times.

Meanwhile, they reported the news to Elena.

Elena stood at the window of the cabin, watching the smoke rising from the chimneys in the valley and the carefree play of the children. Her face turned pale, but she forced herself to remain calm and gave the order.

"Strengthen defenses and send scouts to ascertain the exact movements and size of that cavalry force as much as possible."

In addition... settle these refugees properly, give them food and water, but do not let them enter the core area; keep them under close surveillance to prevent leaks.

Her orders were carried out, but the number of refugees increased dramatically in the following days.

From the initial few, to a dozen, and then to dozens.

Like a flock of sheep being driven, they surged in from different directions, desperately seeking refuge; the seclusion of the valley became fragile in the face of the surging crowd.

The soldiers had to set up temporary shelters, but the pressure on supplies increased sharply, and the traces at the entrance to the valley became more and more numerous and chaotic.

The news brought back by the scouts was getting worse with each passing day.

A main force of at least three thousand Leterian cavalrymen is less than two days' journey from the area where the valley is located.

They appear to be clearing a passage to a strategic location, and the forests surrounding the valley happen to be on the flank of this passage.

Even more alarming, the scouts discovered a small squad of Leterian cavalry reconnaissance men lurking in the nearby mountains, clearly scouting the terrain and potential hiding places.

This was actually a misunderstanding. The Leterian cavalry were busy sweeping as many places and riches as possible, so they didn't have time to look for refugees in some remote corner.

The reason they ran towards the valley was simply because they were passing by; the scouts were just scaring themselves.

"We can't wait any longer, Your Highness!"

Captain Alvin practically rushed into Elena's cabin, with Torres close behind, both of them with urgency and anxiety written all over their faces.

"The main force of the Leterians is approaching, and their scouts have already reached the vicinity. The location of the valley has likely been exposed, or is about to be exposed!"
These influx of refugees are the biggest threat. We must evacuate immediately, abandoning all supplies and carrying only necessities. We must travel light and take advantage of the fact that their main force hasn't completely surrounded us; we still have a chance to break out!

Torres also said urgently.

“Your Highness, Captain Alvin is right. If we leave now, we still have two hundred elite warriors. If we fight to the death, we might be able to protect you and a few core members and fight our way out.”

"If this drags on any longer, and the Leterian army surrounds us, we'll be trapped like fish in a barrel, unable to escape. At that point, not only your people, but even you yourself... the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Elena looked out the window.

The valley was no longer a peaceful resort, but filled with panic and chaos. Newly arrived refugees crammed into makeshift shelters, their cries and groans filling the air.

The Tia family members also felt the impending terror. The children were held tightly in their arms, the women looked terrified, and the elderly sighed. The brief peace she had carefully maintained was being shattered by cruel reality.

She felt a wave of suffocation.

There was still no news of his father and the others, and continuing to wait seemed like a futile hope, or even suicide.

But why would she abandon her people outside, whose fates were uncertain, and only take a few people from the valley to escape?

"I……"

Elena's voice was hoarse; she was struggling internally.

Just then, a piercing bugle call suddenly rang out from the direction of the valley entrance, breaking the oppressive air, followed by the urgent sound of warning gongs and the soldiers' shouts of shock and anger!

"Enemy attack! Leterian cavalry!"

A scout covered in blood scrambled over and collapsed in front of Alvin.

"Centurion, it's terrible! A hundred-man squad from Reteria has spotted smoke coming from the refugee camp at the valley entrance... They're massacring the refugees outside, and the valley is about to be exposed!"

The air inside the wooden house seemed to freeze instantly.

Elena felt a chill run from her feet to her head, and the laughter of children in the valley outside the window was instantly replaced by terrified screams and cries.

"Ready to fight!"

Captain Alvin roared, instantly switching from persuader to ruthless commander. He drew his sword and yelled at Torres.

"Torres! You take a team and guard the valley entrance. Use the barricades and fortifications, hold them off even if it kills you! I'll take men to cover the Queen and the members of the Tia family as they retreat from the rear of the valley!"

Torres also drew his sword, his eyes fierce.

"Understood, leave it to me!"

Before Torres's roar had even faded, he had already rushed out of the cabin like a whirlwind, heading towards the bloody storm that had suddenly erupted at the mouth of the valley.

Alvin then abruptly turned to Elena.

"Your Highness, there is no time to hesitate. Please immediately gather all the core clansmen to retreat. My men will cover your escape through the back mountain path. Hurry!"

Elena's heart pounded in her chest. The cries and the sounds of clashing weapons outside the window were like ice water poured over her head, instantly freezing all her struggles.

The figures of her father, brothers, and other clansmen faded into the fog of despair, leaving only the panicked and dependent faces in the valley.

"go!"

She gritted her teeth and uttered a single word, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable resolve.

She turned abruptly and gave orders to the old servant and elders of the clan who were also pale-faced beside her.

"Do as Captain Alvin says!"

The valley was instantly plunged into hellish chaos.

Amid Torres's roar, the Bagnian defenders charged toward the valley entrance, relying on the makeshift chevaux-de-frise and fortifications they had previously set up as a precaution. They formed a defensive line with flintlock muskets and spears, waiting for the Reteria rangers who charged in like demons to rush into the valley.

Inside the valley, however, a different kind of panic prevailed.

The servants and guards of the Tia family scrambled to help the old man up, picked up the child, and the women screamed as they grabbed anything they could get their hands on—a bundle, a small pot, or even just a pillow—before stumbling and rushing toward the more wooded and rugged area behind the valley.

Elena was surrounded by several loyal guards and maids, while her grandmother was almost being carried on her back, her cloudy eyes filled with fear.

The evacuation was rushed and extremely chaotic.

Those newly built detached wooden houses, which symbolized a brief period of peace, were abandoned on the spot, with the fires in the stoves still burning and smoke still rising.

The doors of the temporary warehouse storing food and supplies were wide open, and many bags that had not yet been taken away were piled up inside.

Children's beloved toys, women's cherished clothes, and even many valuables were scattered along the road in the chaos of fleeing.

Alvin led a small elite squad to cover the rear, their eyes fixed intently on the valley entrance, listening to the sounds of fierce fighting growing ever closer.

Torres was clearly trying his best to hold them off, but the impact of the Reteria cavalry was terrifying.

"Go, let's go!"

Alvin roared at the last group of Tia family members who were evacuating, while simultaneously ordering his soldiers.

"Set it on fire! Set fire to the wooden houses near the valley entrance to create smoke and obstruct the view!"

He couldn't be sure how long he could hold them off, but he could do his best to buy every second for the princess's evacuation.

Thick smoke began to spread through the valley, mingling with the suffocating smell of blood wafting from the valley entrance.

Elena coughed from the choking, tears blurring her vision, but she bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to keep up with the group, climbing up the narrow, slippery path behind the mountain. Behind her lay their newly built, temporary home, and... the soldiers who might be sacrificing themselves to buy them time.

Climbing is difficult.

The procession stretched out in a long line, with the elderly, women, and children moving slowly. Every now and then, someone would stumble and fall, letting out a suppressed cry of pain. Panic spread like wildfire; everyone felt that the Leterian scimitars would strike from behind at any moment.

Alvin and his rearguard were on edge, gripping their weapons tightly with every loud noise coming from the direction of the valley entrance.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps half an hour, perhaps longer—just as the group was about to cross a steep mountain ridge and enter the deeper dense forest, the shouts of battle from the direction of the valley entrance suddenly ceased.

A deathly silence descended, broken only by the sound of the wind, the panting and sobbing of the refugees, and the faint sound of horses' hooves fading into the distance.

Alvin stopped abruptly, his ears perked up, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment. He gestured for everyone to be quiet and lower their heads.

Time seems to have frozen.

He sent out his most agile scout, who slid down the hillside as silently as a lynx to sneak towards the valley.

The wait was agonizing. Elena leaned against the cold rock, her chest heaving, staring down at the valley below, where thick smoke billowed, obscuring her view. Her heart clenched. Captain Torres and his soldiers… how were they?

Finally, the scout returned, stumbling and crawling, his face a mixture of relief at surviving a disaster and an indescribable sense of absurdity.

"Captain, Your Highness!"

The scout was panting heavily, his voice trembling.

"They...they're gone!"

"gone?"

Alvin pressed for an answer, finding it hard to believe.

"Where is Captain Torres? Where are the enemies?"

"The enemy slaughtered all the refugees in the refugee camp outside the valley entrance... and then they withdrew!"

The scout swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words.

"They didn't even enter the valley. They just burned, killed, and looted at the valley entrance, probably thinking there were only refugees inside... Captain Torres and his men used the fortifications to hold off the attack. A few of the enemy died, and then they turned their horses around and left. Captain Torres is currently regrouping his troops and counting the casualties."

silence.

A deathly silence enveloped the mountain ridge.

Everyone who heard the news, whether they were still in shock as tribesmen or tense, vigilant soldiers, was stunned.

The immense shock of surviving the disaster and an indescribable sense of absurdity surged into my heart at the same time.

Gone? Just... like that?
Elena stared blankly in the direction of the valley, where thick smoke still lingered, but the deadly sound of horses' hooves had faded into the distance. Her carefully guarded, temporary home was right before her eyes, seemingly within reach.

She remembered the family crest she hadn't taken from the cabin, the remaining grain in the warehouse, and the toys the children had left in front of the house... Going back seemed to only require turning around and heading down the mountain.

Captain Alvin's face was ashen. He walked to Elena's side, his voice low and bitter.

“Your Highness, we may have been mistaken. The enemy did not discover the core of the valley, or rather, they simply did not bother to search a remote corner that appeared to be inhabited only by refugees.”

Elena's gaze slowly swept over her exhausted and shaken tribespeople.

The children, exhausted from crying, nestled in their mother's arms and fell asleep, tears still streaming down their faces. The elderly slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

Everyone was in a sorry state, many wearing only thin clothes and shivering in the summer mountain wind.

They abandoned almost all their supplies, including clothing for warmth brought by the Bagnians, as well as most of their food and medicine.

"go back?"

Elena's voice was as soft as a sigh, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"Captain Alvin, do you think we can still go back?"

Alvin followed her gaze and saw the state of his people. He shook his head heavily.

"Your Highness, although the enemy has retreated, their whereabouts have been exposed. Outside the valley entrance, the corpses of refugees lie strewn across the land, and thick smoke rises into the sky, like the most conspicuous road signs planted in the wilderness."

The main force of the Leterians was nearby, and their scouts could visit again at any time, or they might simply send a detachment to investigate.

Going back now would be tantamount to walking into a trap. Moreover…

He paused, then looked at the clansmen who had escaped almost empty-handed.

"We can't organize an effective defense again in a short time, and it's too dangerous to go back."

Elena closed her eyes.

The fleeting, stolen "good days" in the valley flashed through my mind, only to be replaced by the miserable state of the refugees at the valley entrance and the current wretchedness of my people.

Safety? That's just a mirage. She slowly opened her eyes, the last trace of hesitation vanishing, leaving only the cold reality.

"We can't go back."

Her voice regained its calmness, yet carried a heavy weight.

"How is Captain Torres doing? Are there many casualties?"

"The scouts say that Captain Torres is taking stock and the losses shouldn't be too great. They're using the fortifications to their advantage."

Alvin answered.

"it is good."

Elena took a deep breath, stood up straight, and faced all the bewildered and fearful eyes that looked at her.

"Pass down the order: Captain Torres, immediately abandon the valley, take all the wounded and weapons you can carry, and follow our route to rejoin us. We..."

She gazed into the deeper, colder mountains.

"Keep moving forward. Find a new, more secluded foothold."

As she finished speaking, suppressed sobs rose from the crowd.

Having lost their last refuge and abandoned their means of survival, the road ahead lay in the unknown and dangerous wilderness. After the brief moment of panic, came an even colder and more piercing despair.

Alvin looked at the princess's resolute yet pale profile, and felt a mix of emotions.

The young princess made the right, and only, choice, but at a price… He nodded heavily.

"As ordered, Your Highness."

When Torres, still shaken and with a few lightly wounded soldiers and a small amount of weapons salvaged from the fortifications at the valley entrance, hurriedly caught up with the column, he saw a group shivering in the cold wind, their future uncertain.

The thick smoke gradually dissipated in the direction of the valley. That brief period of peace in the "refuge," along with the supplies they had painstakingly accumulated, had become a past that could never be returned to.

They became exiles.

Then, when the Leterians had completely retreated, the Minesian nobles, returning to their homeland, sent men to the mountains to search for the fleeing farmers in order to clean up the mess. They then naturally discovered the valley and realized the unusual place.

From the artifacts left in the valley, the nobleman quickly realized that remnants of the Tia family had briefly resided there.

The nobleman immediately dispatched men to pursue him and notified the king.

Therefore, Charles, who had just escaped back to Taiwan, was furious and, disregarding his crumbling throne, sent his elite troops to hunt them down.

Having just found a place to settle down, the Tia family had to set off again. The two centurions guarding them realized that the situation was not good and hurriedly sent someone back to deliver a message.

……

"What a coincidence!"

Chris was speechless after hearing the whole story. Why was it so difficult for him to find a suitable wife?

Whether it was for his wife whom he had never met or for that guano island, Chris couldn't ignore these unfortunate souls.

"Secretary."

"I'm here."

"Issue a mission to send the nearest players to provide support and bring them back."

"Yes, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)