Chapter 538.5: Refugee Tide
Those flipping through the papers weren't just ordinary people; many spellcasters were among them.
Most of them dismissed the reports in the papers.
"It's just some kobolds and gnolls. What's the big deal?"
"Better to think about which resources from the upcoming council allocations could be used for experiments."
The Netheril Parliament would conduct some "cleanups."
They would simply cast a few spells from the sidelines.
As for those villagers in danger—well, eventually they'd "grow back." No need to worry too much.
As long as the spellcasters thrived and floating cities multiplied, any challenges or threats the Empire faced would eventually "heal" with time.
Only a small minority worried about the impending "Mad Dragon Maze Lock."
Sadly, their numbers were few, their voices unheard, and any occasional guidance they offered was stifled by some unseen force.
So they could only watch the situation deteriorate day by day, secretly preparing themselves.
Inside a towering mage tower…
In a concealed, rune-filled chamber…
A figure clad in a high-level arcanist's robe sat silently in a chair.
Surging magical energy continuously flowed across the walls.
Subtle fluctuations rippled outward, intentionally or not, countered by the suppressive power of the surrounding runes.
This unruly energy, capable of forming destructive spells that could split mountains, was now as docile as a lamb, following a predetermined path.
This was no terrible experiment.
It was merely a "disguise" deliberately crafted to obscure their actions.
Of course, such a ruse would eventually be uncovered.
Thus, a failed experiment was inevitable.
A faint light gradually illuminated the pitch-black chamber.
A projection formed from condensed light outlined a long-eared spellcaster's figure.
Upon seeing the high-level arcanist, he smiled and nodded.
The latter, his expression icy, nonetheless responded to the gesture, motioning for him to sit.
A chair made of condensed light appeared below the virtual projection.
He slowly took a seat while the high-level arcanist continued to wait.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth soon followed.
Six figures gathered in a circle, their presence lighting up the dark chamber.
The first elven spellcaster addressed Sola, who had convened the meeting:
"As requested, I've summoned four elders. You may speak freely now."
Elven elders!
Symbols of power, longevity, and mystery!
Their strength was at least at the legendary rank!
Their ages exceeded a thousand years!
Their status placed them at the core of elven society!
It could be said that each elven elder was a figure of power and influence on par with a grand arcanist!
That high-level arcanist Sola could summon four elven elders with a single request was remarkable.
The first elven spellcaster's status was surely no less than that of the elders.
This was Sevinton, once the heart of the Netheril Empire.
Of course, now the Empire's heart had "split apart" into numerous floating cities.
Hearing the elf's words, Sola didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he waved his hand to conjure a magical projection that displayed a detailed map of Bay Territory.
He highlighted several glowing spots on the map, which represented the locations of Bay Territory's camps and fortresses.
Even though Matthew hadn't completely locked down Bay Territory, if he knew someone was watching him this closely, he would surely be more cautious.
Sola met their calm gazes and, sensing their indifference toward Bay Territory, nonetheless proceeded with his plan:
"Bay Territory has developed rapidly—from a small village last year to a vast territory spanning 200,000 square kilometers."
"Even an ordinary count's domain pales in comparison to Bay Territory's expanse."
"What's more, Bay Territory borders the Silvermoon River Plain to the north and the Dark Forest, allowing for easy expansion in both directions."
"It controls the Silvermoon River, is near the eastern coast, and, with a developed navy, its potential for growth is enormous."
"A large chain of islands to the east would become their prey…"
"Matthew's thirst for territory knows no bounds."
The first elven mage cast him a glance, detecting a trace of urgency in his tone. Without mocking him, the mage studied Bay Territory's map thoughtfully.
As Sola had said, Bay Territory's development speed was astonishing.
It now occupied nearly a quarter of a province's land.
If unchecked, it would rapidly swallow the entire Silvermoon River Plain and even the northern Dark Forest.
These lands had no connection to the elves.
But the Netheril Empire had birthed such a lord.
Restricting his growth was the only choice for the elves.
The second elven elder, speaking in a cold tone, said:
"I agree. He has already escaped fate's judgment twice. His fortune has reached a significant level and must be curtailed."
Another female elven elder, with a stunning appearance but a voice chillingly cruel, spoke:
"Your prophecy was indeed accurate."
"To stop Karsas from advancing further, we nearly destroyed half the Carl Plains."
"Sadly, it only had a moderate effect, but at least it slowed his progress."
The disaster of the Carl Plains!
It was all part of the elves' plan.
The deaths of over a million people and the displacement of millions more were merely "collateral damage."
Sola raised his head indifferently and, pointing to the location of Bay City, stated resolutely:
"Currently, Bay Territory has a population of 2.3 million, with room for another 1.8 million."
"I'm sure none of you have manpower to spare, and simple military means no longer affect Bay Territory."
"So I hope you will all continue to make an effort, transporting refugees to Bay Territory as quickly as possible."
Hearing this, the experienced elven elders naturally understood Sola's intentions.
Although Bay Territory's resettlement methods were impressive, only the young could generate wealth. The elderly, women, and children would merely consume resources.
If they acted too often, they risked exposure.
They preferred to send only the elderly to Bay Territory, keeping the able-bodied behind.
At that point, the elderly would increasingly drain Bay Territory's resources.
The suffering faces and desperate mouths would be enough to undermine Matthew and Bay Territory's foundation.
The elven elders exchanged glances, satisfied with Sola's plan.
The first elder smiled faintly and, with a wave, revealed a map of the entire Netheril Empire. Pointing to an area glowing red, he said with confidence:
"We understand what you mean. There's no need to beat around the bush."
"Continue with your previous plan."
"We will guide those people accordingly."
The fifth elven elder, who had remained silent, spoke with a cold voice:
"Refugees alone won't be enough. The internal pressure isn't sufficient to crush Matthew."
"He still has the underworld and a demi-plane as support. We must also slow his development of these areas."
"We should go all the way. Let's direct the effects of the 'Mad Dragon Maze Lock' towards Bay Territory."
The other elven elders nodded.
They understood why the fifth elder suggested this.
It didn't stop them from setting aside their usual disputes to work toward a common goal.
The first elder spoke in a deep, steady tone:
"Dual internal and external pressure is indeed more effective than a single approach, so we must maximize it!"
Sola, however, wasted no time playing word games, continuing in an indifferent tone:
"The sooner, the better. As winter approaches, we must preserve as many lives as possible. Bay Territory will have to spend more resources to do so."
The elven elders grasped his implied meaning but took issue with his expression.
They discussed cooperation methods with the first elder for a while, agreed on a schedule, and began to disappear one by one.
The first elder stayed behind and, gazing at Sola with a hint of doubt, asked:
"Is Matthew truly connected to those experiments? Why haven't we dealt with him sooner?"
Sola closed his eyes slowly, seemingly unwilling to answer right away. He simply stated coldly:
"There's no point in saying more. If we don't deal with Bay Territory now, it will cause significant trouble in the future."
The first elder, familiar with Sola's behavior, was unperturbed and confidently replied:
"Understood. Leave the execution to us."
With that, the first elder vanished.
Sola observed the turbulent energy around him and quickly initiated the experiment's failure protocol.
The surging power was swiftly suppressed and guided.
Aside from a small portion of dispersed complex energy, the rest was rechanneled, stored, and consumed by the mage tower.
Alone in the chamber, Sola decided not to place all his hopes on the elves' arrangements.
He took out a concealed communicator, carefully choosing his words before sending a message to Lalk.
"Prepare!"
On the other end, Lalk seemed quite excited.
It seemed he had been waiting for this moment.
"Understood!"
Time continued relentlessly forward.
In the various territories of the Netheril Empire, the number of attacked villages grew, and so did the suffering population.
Initially, the territorial nobles were willing to support their livelihoods.
But as time passed…
The effects of the Mad Dragon Maze Lock didn't fade after ten days as usual. Instead, they intensified.
Preparing for greater challenges, the lords set aside resources and gold, leaving no aid for the refugees.
Under normal circumstances…
These refugees would be driven out of the cities. After losing their fields and homes, they would gradually congregate in the cities.
Forming layers of new encampments—
The inevitable slums of any world.
If the slum population grew too large, it would spark greater unrest, impacting both the territory and the cities.
So, when they were at their wits' end, the news of Bay Territory accepting refugees reached their ears. Naturally, this was cause for great celebration.
They suddenly remembered that the increasing number of refugees in their territories had a place to go.
As for what would happen to these refugees after arriving in Bay Territory—
Whether they would suffer, endure hunger, or even die—was no longer their concern.
Consequently, the flow of refugees heading to Bay Territory grew rapidly.
Even more pleasing to the lords…
As some refugees departed, the chaos caused by dragon-blooded creatures in their territories subsided somewhat.
They didn't bother to ponder the underlying reasons. They simply wanted to offload these burdens as quickly as possible.
In just four or five days…
The number of refugees arriving in Bay Territory rose from 3,000 per day to over 10,000.
And it showed no signs of stopping.
Under these circumstances, Bay Territory's demand for external grain purchases began to grow louder.
Even the latest issues of the Arcane Gazette and the News Chronicle mentioned Bay Territory's grain purchases.
Yet under Sola and others' arrangement, Bay Territory was able to acquire only meager quantities of grain.
The looming food crisis appeared increasingly dire.
Seeing this success, they intensified their efforts, further fueling the tide of refugees into Bay Territory.
The burden of the Netheril Empire's lords—
Was increasingly offloaded onto Bay Territory.
Even the Sevinton Council suddenly became "diligent," establishing a dedicated channel to transport refugees to Bay Territory.
In nearly everyone's eyes, Bay Territory had become a massive dumping ground for unexpected "waste."
Some lords, indulging in malicious humor, even included prisoners and bandits, without indicating their identities.
They casually remarked that they wanted to see when Bay Territory would finally collapse.
Rumors began to spread:
"Bay Territory is now a hellscape."
"After all, Bay Territory's mages are infamous necromancers, obsessed with corpses and death."
All sorts of "propaganda" spread Bay Territory's name far and wide.
Yet it wasn't a good reputation.
Bay Territory ignored the gossip.
The entire domain was now bustling.
Over 20,000 specially trained staff were mobilized to help train and resettle the refugees.
A large portion of them were "interns," whose performance in handling refugees would determine whether they became permanent employees.
How well they arranged the refugees!