Chapter 155: The People Who Had Been Awakened

In stark contrast to the oppressive fear spreading through Pascal’s allied army, Coldsteel City was overflowing with energy and activity.

Under Nolan’s orders, the final preparations before the war were being carried out at full speed. One of those tasks was the evacuation of the villagers living in the two settlements between Coldsteel City and the Somme River.

“Evacuate the villages?”

When Anna received the order, she looked slightly surprised.

Between Coldsteel City and the Somme River stood two moderately sized villages inhabited by several hundred farmers and hunters. Since Coldsteel City’s surrounding towns mainly consisted of miners and their families due to its iron and silver production, these villages were an important part of the region’s food supply.

“That’s right.” Nolan pointed at the map. “The war is about to begin, and I don’t want a single innocent person caught in it. Move them temporarily to the area near the Black Armored Legion’s camp outside the city. That’s the safest place.”

Not to secure grain supplies, but to protect innocent lives. It was exactly the kind of thing Nolan would do.

Anna nodded and accepted the assignment.

But inwardly, she was uneasy.

People naturally hated leaving their homeland. Asking villagers who had lived here for generations to abandon their homes and farmland within a day or two and relocate to an unfamiliar place would almost certainly meet enormous resistance.

Human hearts were complicated.

Even if Nolan’s intentions were purely protective, rumors and suspicions could easily spread. Some might believe the lord intended to use the war as an excuse to drive them away and seize their land.

Nolan had even warned her beforehand that if the villagers refused to cooperate, she was authorized to employ limited force if necessary.

War was approaching, and any hesitation or misplaced softness could lead to irreversible tragedy.

Anna had already prepared herself for endless persuasion, pleading, and perhaps even riots from angry villagers.

On the road there, she rehearsed her words over and over, trying to find a tone that would not sound too forceful and provoke resentment. At the same time, she reminded herself to harden her heart. If things turned bad, then even if she had to drag them away by force, she would still fulfill her lord’s orders.

Yet when Anna arrived at the first village with a squad of guards, the sight before her left her frozen in place.

At the village entrance, the village chief and several elders had already been waiting.

The moment they saw Anna, the old chief hurried forward on trembling legs before she could even speak.

“People from Coldsteel City are here!”

With that shout, more villagers gathered from every direction. Some still held farming tools in their hands, straw clinging to their clothes.

The guards immediately grew tense and stepped forward with hands on their sword hilts, instinctively moving to shield Anna.

But Anna shook her head, signaling them to stand down.

The guards hesitated. If anything happened to the chief administrator, Lord Nolan would undoubtedly explode in fury. Everyone knew how important she was to him. Still, under Anna’s insistence, they obeyed and quietly stepped back, though vigilance remained in their eyes.

Anna walked forward, and the old village chief immediately spoke with excitement.

“Ah, Lady Anna, the chief administrator! You’ve come to deliver Lord Nolan’s orders, haven’t you?”

“Ah… yes.”

“We’ve all heard already! Lord Nolan is going to war against that old bastard Demont for our sake!” The old man’s beard trembled with emotion. “Just give the order, milady! Do you need manpower? Grain? Say the word, and our whole village will obey without complaint!”

Faced with such a scene, all the explanations Anna had prepared during the journey lodged uselessly in her throat. She could not utter a single word, and even the guards behind her exchanged bewildered looks.

Looking at the villagers’ sincere and eager faces, Anna suddenly realized she had not even made any demands yet. “Um… Village Chief, Lord Nolan hopes everyone can temporarily relocate to a settlement area outside the city…”

She had barely explained her purpose and had not even gotten to the reason for the evacuation when the entire village erupted into excitement.

“I told you! Lord Nolan would never abandon us!”

“Relocate? No problem!” The old village chief slammed his cane heavily against the ground. “We should’ve left long ago! Staying here would only cause trouble for Lord Nolan!” He turned and shouted at the villagers pouring in behind him, “Hurry up! Stop standing around and get home to pack!”

The entire village instantly sprang into motion.

Not a trace of reluctance appeared on anyone’s face. Instead, the villagers radiated genuine joy and excitement. The men shouted as they prepared ox carts, the women efficiently packed belongings, and the children ran excitedly through the village spreading the news. It looked less like an evacuation and more like a festival.

Their enthusiasm left Anna and the guards completely at a loss.

What… exactly was happening?

The villagers were accustomed to farm labor, and they moved with astonishing speed. Before long, a long caravan had gathered at the village entrance.

Ox carts, horse carts, handcarts—each piled high with supplies and belongings. Some people drove livestock forward while others loudly counted their children. Though noisy, the entire scene remained remarkably orderly.

On the journey back toward the city, Anna finally could not suppress her curiosity any longer. She turned to a middle-aged farm woman traveling alongside them. “Ma’am, may I ask something? Why does everyone trust Lord Nolan’s arrangements so completely? None of you seem suspicious at all.”

The dark-skinned woman, her hands rough with calluses, burst into hearty laughter. “Miss, you’re not from around here, are you?” she said, looking at Anna with the understanding of someone who had seen too much. “You don’t know what life was like before Lord Nolan came.” She sighed before continuing, “That old Baron Haus was a devil who devoured people whole. Taxes grew heavier every year, and the thugs under him constantly came to the villages to rob us. If they fancied a girl from a family, they’d just take her away. If her father or brothers tried to stop them, getting their legs broken was considered getting off lightly. In those days, we weren’t really living at all. We just existed. Nobody smiled anymore. Every morning we woke up wondering how to survive another day. After handing over most of our harvest, there was barely enough left to feed our own families.”

She pointed toward the bulging grain sacks on her cart.

“But ever since Lord Nolan arrived, everything changed.” Light returned to her face. “He killed that bastard Haus, abolished the taxes, and even bought our grain and supplies at high prices. I’ve lived more than half my life and never once seen a lord this generous. Miss, we villagers may not know how to read, and plenty of us can’t even recognize a single word, but you don’t need an education to tell good people from bad ones. Everyone understands clearly in their hearts that Lord Nolan genuinely treats us like human beings. Whatever decision he makes must be for our own good. Forget moving house. If he ordered us to hand over everything we own for the war effort, we’d do it willingly. Because we know he’s a good man.”

Anna listened in silence, overwhelmed by complicated emotions.

Then another thought surfaced in her mind.

“Actually, the evacuation is because the war is coming soon. Lord Nolan is worried everyone will get caught up in it. But don’t worry. The resettlement area has already been prepared, and once the war is over, everyone will be able to return home quickly.”

“War?” A half-grown boy driving an ox cart nearby overheard her and immediately leaned over excitedly. “Big sister, I heard about it too! Everyone in the city says Lord Nolan is going to fight the archduke for our sake!” He puffed out his thin chest proudly. “I want to enlist too! But the officers at the recruitment station said I’m too young!”

“Haha, my older brother already got selected for the Black Armored Legion!” another child shouted proudly. “Once I’m older, I’m joining too! I’ll protect Lord Nolan and our home!”

Hearing those childish yet determined voices, Anna felt her eyes grow moist. One of the guards beside her could not help ruffling the boy’s hair with a laugh. “You want to join the Black Armored Legion? Then you’d better train hard. Competition’s fierce.”

“Just watch me! It’s my biggest dream!”

Anna turned back to look at the villagers behind her, at all those faces glowing with hope.

It had only been two short weeks. The numbness and emptiness once carved into their expressions had completely vanished, replaced by burning passion for life itself.

At that moment, Anna finally understood. Everything Nolan had done was not merely about winning wars.He was breathing a soul back into a fallen nation. And those awakened souls would one day gather into a wildfire that could sweep across the land.

Nolan truly was like a ray of light, illuminating a land buried beneath darkness for far too long, and illuminating the hearts of people who had struggled in despair for far too long as well.

For the first time, Anna thought her father might truly have been right. Perhaps by following a lord like this, they really could witness the birth of a miracle.