NOVEL NEXT Chapter 200: The Eastern and Northern Camp [2]
"Go on," Gabriel said, dipping deeper into the water.
Anna cleared her throat and began. "The girls have been taken care of. Fed, clothed, given blankets. Some chose to return to their families. Others… have nowhere left. They've decided to stay here."
Hearing this, Gabriel let out a long, slow breath. He had expected as much. The girls were brought here against their will, and Kairos along with the bosses of the Eastern and Northern Camps had easily gotten away with it because the wilderness was a lawless land.
"They'll be safe. Shelter them for some time and assign them jobs," Gabriel said coldly.
"I understand." Anna nodded, though she found it harsh. But she had come to understand that Gabriel didn't believe in handouts. You had to work hard to deserve anything.
This was one of his morals. Even he had to survive Sutre's blast for two minutes before he got a second chance at life to change and fix everything.
Anna nodded again and continued. "I also inspected the food stores."
Gabriel's brows drew together.
"There's enough grain, dried meat, and water reserves to feed this settlement for months," she said, her jaw clenching. "Kairos and Bai Young kept everything locked away while people outside starved."
The bathwater rippled as Gabriel's hand tightened on the stone edge. Cruelty layered on greed. Hoarding while children wasted away—they didn't really care about the well-being of the refugees they took in.
All that mattered to them was increasing their numbers and strengthening the lord.
Anna said nothing more, but the look in her eyes showed her anger, knowing there had been enough food for everyone, yet little Lina had survived on nothing but tubers.
Gabriel leaned forward, water dripping from his chest as he spoke. "What of the Eastern and Northern Camps?"
"That…" Anna hesitated. "I only heard about them during my time with the Chain of Veylor, but I don't really know their workings. I've never been to their bases. What I know is that they're some of the oldest groups in these regions."
Gabriel frowned, clearly unimpressed with the little information he had just received.
"If Master wants, I can find out more inf—"
"No." He cut her off. "I need you to get me Amelia, the elderly maid."
The huntress nodded and quickly exited the bathroom. It didn't take long before she returned with the maid.
"Do you know anything about the Eastern or Northern Camps? They're the ones we freed from Kairos's rule, but I've heard they might be trouble." Gabriel went straight to the point. "There's talk that Kairos's older brother runs the Eastern and Northern Camps."
Amelia shivered at the mention, her expression turning pale in an instant.
"Yes, you're right . The Eastern Camp is led by Lord Henry. He's even harsher than Kairos was, or so we've been told. Few people who served under him come back to talk. They say he commands thousands of fighters." She swallowed. "The Northern Camp is led by a former soldier named Lord Julian. He isn't as cold-blooded, but he has a lot of organized troops."
She paused and added, "…they also have Hero Ranks among them."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. Hero Rank again. Always the line separating the weak from the feared.
"Is that why no one challenges them?" he asked.
Anna gave a short nod. "Yes. Even powerhouses avoid direct conflict. Too costly."
Hearing this, he sat in silence for a long moment. The water lapped softly against the stone. Then, almost to himself, he muttered, "I see."
Kairos was just a dog on a leash. The true masters were elsewhere. If he wanted to expand—if he wanted to build a super base—he'd need to claim those territories as well.
For the next few minutes, he processed the information. Eastern led by Lord Henry Shawn. Northern led by Lord Julian Shawn. Names he didn't recognize, but he filed them away. He asked, "Do you know roughly how far these camps are from here? How long would it take to reach them?"
Amelia frowned, thinking. "It's almost a day ride east to reach the Eastern Camp, on foot or by truck. The Northern Camp is maybe two days' journey to the northeast from here." She retrieved a map and pointed, showing rough bandit territories. "Neither is too far, but the roads are dangerous. Bandits loyal to Henry and Julian move between the camps constantly."
Gabriel nodded. The geography was clear. He had a huge decision ahead: confront them or avoid them. He thanked Amelia for the map and information. "We'll proceed with caution. For now, I need to secure this settlement and make sure everyone is safe."
"Yes, sir," Amelia replied with determination. "We were very scared, but if you say it's safe, we will help however we can."
Gabriel nodded. "I've tasked Anna and Bunny with finding supplies and any survivors. You can tag along and show them around—that way it'll be easier."
Amelia's eyes brightened with gratitude. "I would be honored. There are storerooms with extra blankets and food. I'll bring whatever they need."
As for Anna, she shifted, her eyes flickering toward Gabriel's chest once more. She caught sight of the toned muscle hardened by battles no one here could imagine. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she quickly looked away.
Gabriel noticed but didn't comment. Instead, he dismissed them and returned to his thoughts. He closed his eyes again, sinking lower into the bath as he pulled out the Lord Title.
[Ding! Lord Title: Beginner Lord 3500/10,000]
Gabriel's lips curled slightly as he thought about how far he could push this title. Power that grew with population. The very existence of this system explained why scum like Kairos gathered refugees so eagerly. They weren't feeding them—they were feeding themselves power.
This made him wonder… it was a wild thought but…
Could it be that the kings of Valerian Kingdom, Tialan, and others possessed a title like this? Could this be the reason why King Alveron II conquered the ten City, forming the Valerian Kingdom?
There were many questions Gabriel felt would be left unanswered for a long time.
However, if his theory proved correct… he didn't even want to imagine the kind of monsters the monarchs of the world were.