Chapter 25: Entering the City
Lu Cheng and Kite stealthily entered the city, which had now turned into a desolate ruin.
Hubert, along with his soldiers and Princess Elena, followed closely behind them.
The city was much larger than Lu Cheng had initially imagined. The city walls were not just simple mounds of earth but were constructed from a type of stone material.
From what General Hubert explained, the rich veins of minerals around the city had contributed to its flourishing economy. Additionally, a river called the Green Leaf River flowed through the middle of Glory Sun City.
This river was essentially the lifeline of Skarre’s entire trade network, connecting four different countries from upstream to downstream.
Because of this, Glory Sun City had once been one of the most prosperous cities in Skarre.
But now, this once-prosperous mining city had turned into a wasteland filled with rubble and corpses.
Lu Cheng stepped over the collapsed city walls and entered the city. Most of the buildings had been reduced to piles of stone by the onslaught of the Blood Crystal Beasts.
Beneath the rubble, one could see the possessions of the residents who had not been able to flee in time, as well as decaying bodies that were beginning to emit a foul stench.
A type of bird, resembling crows, had taken over the city. These carrion birds had turned this city into their own buffet.
Lu Cheng moved cautiously through the mud-strewn ruins, noticing that many of the debris piles showed signs of being recently disturbed.
For the Kingdom of Skarre, the situation had become apocalyptic. And in such times, scavengers were inevitable, as were looters.
Despite Lu Cheng’s extensive search, he did not find any refugees still living in the city. Instead, he heard faint shouting sounds.
The sound was very faint, but Lu Cheng climbed up the ruins of a building, getting to a higher vantage point, and took out his binoculars to look toward the central part of the city where the Green Leaf River flowed.
“What are you looking at?”
Princess Elena also climbed up the ruins, imitating Lu Cheng’s prone position, and asked him in a soft voice.
Kite and General Hubert’s soldiers were still keeping guard down below.
“There’s a boat.” Lu Cheng saw a wooden ship docked at the port on the Green Leaf River through his binoculars.
“A boat? I think I can see it… that flag looks like our royal family’s flag.” Elena squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at the Green Leaf River.
From this distance, it was hard to see clearly, but she could barely make out the emblem of a four-winged black eagle on the flag.
“Here, use this… It looks like there’s a group of people at the port.” Lu Cheng handed his binoculars to Princess Elena.
Elena took the binoculars from Lu Cheng, fumbled a bit with them, and then tried to mimic how Lu Cheng had used them earlier by placing one side against her eye.
“Why do I feel like the people are getting farther away?” Elena suddenly asked.
Lu Cheng glanced at her and snatched the binoculars from her, flipping them around, and then personally adjusted them for her.
“Wow, everything just got a lot closer. Is this some kind of magic item enchanted with an Eagle Vision spell?” Elena asked in amazement.
“No, it’s not a magic item. Now, confirm what you see; who are those people exactly?”
Lu Cheng used the scope on his rifle to get a clearer look at the group gathered at the port. They were all soldiers in armor, and apart from the soldiers, there were some refugees dressed in ragged clothing.
“They’re soldiers from our kingdom.”
Through the binoculars, Elena saw the armour-clad figures standing at the edge of the port. The quality of their armour was superb, something only the highest-ranking knights would wear.
“They’re the Royal Guards! Could it be that my father came here?” Elena adjusted the angle of the binoculars and looked at the ships docked at the port. Finally, she spotted a familiar figure. “It’s Prince Kancer! He’s… still alive?”
“Is that your brother’s army?”
Lu Cheng also found the man who appeared to be leading the troops at the port. He was a tall man… with the same black hair and red eyes as Elena.
“My eldest brother, Kancer. He was supposed to have died in the battle against the Blood Crystal Beasts six months ago. I even attended his funeral.” Elena handed the binoculars back to Lu Cheng. “He seems to be rescuing the refugees. We should go and talk to him.”
After saying this, Elena immediately climbed down from the ruins. Lu Cheng followed suit and jumped down from the building.
“Are they enemies?” Kite immediately approached Lu Cheng and asked.
“They might be enemies, or they could be allies. It depends on their actions.”
Lu Cheng glanced at Princess Elena, who was now in conversation with General Hubert. Eventually, they decided to go to the port to meet with the supposedly deceased prince.
Lu Cheng did not express any opinion on their decision but simply stated his intention: “I’ll follow you to the port, but I won’t reveal myself to them.”
This decision was made out of caution.
With General Hubert leading the way, Lu Cheng followed them to the city’s port.
The location wasn’t far… In less than ten minutes, Lu Cheng could already hear the shouting coming from the port.
“Citizens of Glory Sun City! Prince Kancer has come to save you! Don’t hide anymore! Gather at the port… Prince Kancer will take you away from this dangerous place!”
The shouting was from a soldier, who hadn’t stopped repeating the message, seemingly intent on making sure every last survivor in the city heard it.
In Lu Cheng’s opinion, this act was extremely foolish, yet it seemed there were no Blood Crystal Beasts present in the city, allowing the soldier to shout for as long as he wanted.
Lu Cheng and Kite exchanged a glance and then looked around at the collapsed buildings nearby.
“We’ll stay here and keep watch… Don’t worry, we’ll provide you with cover if necessary.”
Lu Cheng halted his steps, deciding not to enter the port area further. He patted his rifle and spoke to General Hubert.
“There’s no need to be so wary.” Although General Hubert said this, he did not stop Lu Cheng and continued leading Princess Elena and his two remaining soldiers toward the docked ships.
Kite and Lu Cheng found a structure that could serve as a vantage point and climbed up. This building seemed to have been a lighthouse or a watchtower.
Once they were at the top, Lu Cheng could see the entire port below them. If he concentrated, he could even make out the conversations happening below.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Princess Elena had reached the edge of the port. The soldiers stationed there adopted a defensive stance upon seeing Elena’s approach.
They immediately corrected their posture when they recognized General Hubert, straightening their spears and standing at attention.
“Take me to your commanding officer,” General Hubert ordered one of the soldiers.
“General, please follow me.” The soldier immediately led General Hubert to the docking area.
A long line had already formed at the port. There were quite a few refugees hiding in the ruins of Glory Sun City. Regardless of whether what the soldier had been shouting was true or not, these people just wanted to escape from this terrifying place.
General Hubert finally caught sight of the owner of the ship docked at the port—the eldest prince, Kancer—who was supposed to have died six months ago.
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