The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

"But this is Campbell Duchy's territory, and it's the heartland of the Duchy. No bandit would dare attack the Campbell family's caravan, would they?" Princess Erin said with a confident smile, her tone composed and assured.

Her confidence was not without reason.

The Ryan Kingdom is known as the Land of Knights, and as for the Campbell Duchy, which holds onto its sovereignty tightly, it goes without saying. The task of reclaiming a piece of the northeastern shore of the Vortex Sea from the Lizardmen would have been insurmountable for anyone lacking ample martial virtue.

Wandering thieves cannot survive on the Campbell Duchy's land, let alone stand against her personal guard.

Looking at Erin's face brimming with confidence, Theresa's lips curled into a helpless smile.

She wanted to say that wasn't necessarily true.

Not all bandits are true bandits; some are assassins disguised as such.

Before departing for this journey, her father had specifically warned her to be cautious of hidden dangers lurking in the shadows.

Although assassinating Princess Erin wouldn't yield any significant benefit to the competing factions at play, sometimes muddying the waters itself serves as an advantageous tactic.

The covetous gazes might not just be coming from within the court but could also stem from outside it.

For instance, from demons who fear the Light of Praise.

Still, seeing that innocent and carefree face, Theresa chose not to disrupt her mood.

In truth, Princess Erin was correct as well.

Relaxing a little might not necessarily be a bad thing; staying too tense might lead to performance issues at critical moments.

As she tried to ease the tension in her expression, the caravan finally approached the northern outskirts of Thunder City, and the towering walls and massive gates came into view for the two sitting inside the carriage.

The majestic walls were said to be a relic of the Isaac Dynasty, and even to this day, they remained functional, despite most people having forgotten how they were built.

As Erin gazed at the imposing walls, her eyes suddenly shifted downwards, drawn to the rows of lowly shacks flanking the sides of the road.

The sight of those shacks reminded her of the sheds near the pond by Campbell Castle where geese were raised.

But inhabiting these sheds were not chickens, ducks, or geese—they were impoverished, ragged people.

Some were wrapped in tattered burlap or garments, some curled up on mats made of reeds or straw, or huddling in groups around a faint flame... And these were considered the "better off."

More people simply lay or sat motionlessly, their faces grimy and hair disheveled, frostbite covering any exposed skin. Their vacant eyes stared off in some direction, leaving their condition—a state between life and death—uncertain.

She had seen poor folks before but never so many at once.

Perhaps not even Hell itself could be more miserable.

"...What is that place?" Erin's voice trembled slightly, and she instinctively held her breath.

Theresa responded in a low tone.

"Those people are likely refugees from Twilight Province... I've heard that the region has been unstable lately. Small groups from the Ogre Tribes, corrupted by Chaos, bypassed the Brass Light and plundered the area, causing some Lords to abandon their territories while many villages were forced to migrate..."

A province is directly under the Kingdom's jurisdiction, with most of its land owned by the King himself. The local Lords neither had the motivation nor the capacity to defend their territories.

This crisis had swept across the entire Ryan Kingdom, and as a vassal of the Kingdom, the Campbell Duchy was naturally not spared.

Although she sympathized with the plight of the refugees, Theresa didn't agree with Erin focusing too much attention on them.

Compassion is a virtue, but excessive nobility could end up consuming oneself before helping others.

Moreover, she did not possess the ability to aid these people.

The Light of Praise in her hands couldn't help them either.

And those capable of resolving these issues were currently entangled with matters of greater importance...

"Stop the caravan."

Theresa didn't know what Erin intended to do but still ordered the caravan to halt as per Erin's instruction.

Under the escort of cavalry, the Campbell family's caravan gradually came to a stop at the roadside.

Erin pushed open the carriage door, politely declining Theresa's assistance, and leapt into the snowy ground on her own.

She wasn't the type of sheltered noblewoman raised in luxury; she had trained in swordsmanship even on days of bitter wind and snowfall.

Still, when her leather boots hit the snow, the cold that seeped through the leather made her involuntarily shiver. Only by channeling the Extraordinary Power within her body was she able to dispel the chill invading her skin.

This winter seemed different from those before.

Having been away from the castle for so long, she only now truly felt it.

She couldn't imagine how those without Extraordinary Power managed to endure this bitter cold.

"Your Highness, your boots aren't suitable for walking in the snow..."

Theresa stepped forward, intending to urge Erin to return to the carriage, but Erin interrupted her, issuing an order in an unyielding tone.

"Have the caravan follow me."

Theresa froze for a few seconds at the expression on Erin's face, but in the end, she nodded respectfully.

"Understood."

The caravan resumed its journey.

However, unlike earlier, this time the cavalry no longer encircled the carriage but closely trailed behind Princess Erin herself.

Theresa kept pace beside Erin, her right hand constantly resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist, her vigilant gaze scanning their surroundings without missing a single spot that might conceal danger.