"We are safe! We survived!"
When the gates of Gray Rock Town opened and the refugees poured into the town streets, two lines of tears once again slipped down their cheeks.
"Lord Gauss, who are these people?"
The guard who opened the gate looked at Gauss, who was floating down from the sky, and asked.
Until this moment, they were still unaware of the identities of the newcomers, but opened the gate out of trust for Gauss to welcome everyone.
"They are refugees from Black Water Town. Black Water Town has been overrun."
"I encountered them outside the town, being chased by a group of monster cavalry, and stepped in to rescue them."
Upon hearing this news, the guard soldiers took a deep, cold breath, feeling chills throughout their bodies.
These few short sentences hide the displacement of thousands of families.
Everyone looked at the refugees entering the town, their eyes filled with sympathy, yet also tinged with fear.
If Gauss were not stationed in Gray Rock Town, they might have ended up like this group, losing their homes and lives.
"Please inform Sir Belock to arrange housing for these people first."
Naturally, the refugees couldn’t immediately flood into Gray Rock Town, as the risk of spies among them couldn’t be excluded. Gauss assigned the task to Belock and the other town administrators to handle.
He was responsible for the rescue, and the ensuing tasks would need to be handled by professionals.
Soon, the town militia escorted these people to the military camp for placement.
The logistic chefs in the camp began boiling hot soup, allowing the famished refugees to replenish their energy with a hot meal.
"Alas... I didn’t expect Black Water Town to be overrun."
Sir Belock stood beside Gauss, watching the line of people collecting food, speaking helplessly.
This time, the monsters not only attacked Gray Rock Town, but also Forest Crown Town and Black Water Town, and even farther places. Other monster tribes also launched attacks in unison during the deep winter.
This is why Gray Rock Town only received assistance from Belock, who was stationed at Anvil Castle.
In fact, after Gray Rock Town’s successful defense victory two days ago, Belock and Abelhard had discussed whether to support the nearby besieged towns, but after careful consideration, both temporarily gave up the plan.
On the one hand, Gray Rock Town itself suffered heavy losses, the town needed repairs, and the wounded soldiers also required rest and recovery.
On the other hand, there was a concern that rashly withdrawing the city’s defense forces might leave the town vulnerable, allowing the monster groups that retreated into Jade Forest to reorganize and attack again, putting Gray Rock Town in great jeopardy.
Of course, the most important reason was the cold and snowy weather, which was unsuitable for large-scale troop movements.
However, in hindsight, even if the decision to support was made, it probably would have been too late to rescue Black Water Town; the fall of Black Water Town likely started earlier than the defense battle of Gray Rock Town.
As the military camp was settling the refugees, Gauss informed Sir Belock.
Then, amidst the gazes of many, he mounted the Red Dragon Dragon Beast Hephaestus and soared into the sky, heading east towards Black Water Town.
According to the refugees who escaped, this wasn’t the only group of a hundred fleeing from Black Water Town.
A day later.
With Gauss’s efforts, several waves of people were successively welcomed back.
In the snow-filled sky, that striking red became a beacon guiding through the vast snowfields.
Of course, not every time did he find unharmed refugees; Gauss also encountered situations where he arrived too late, with scattered limbs visible in the snow, clearly indicating that fleeing groups were caught and slaughtered by the monster’s pursuit troops.
"Dragon Knight, my lord."
"Thank you for your rescue."
Gauss was escorting the final group of eight hundred toward Gray Rock Town.
According to the cavalry captain, their group was likely the main group fleeing toward Gray Rock Town, with a considerable number of adventurers and cavalry escorting them, but since there were many women and children, their progress was not very fast.
Along the way, they repelled several waves of enemies, which delayed them.
However, until they reached their destination, Gray Rock Town, they remained in a state of fear, afraid that the monster army would get word and chase them.
This fright persisted until the vivid red dragon descended from the sky, and they learned that the handsome man on its back was Gauss, the powerful Professional sent by Gray Rock Town to meet them. Only then did their anxious hearts finally settle.
Gauss glanced at the map in his mind, there was still some distance from Gray Rock Town.
He looked at the purple-lipped little girl and elderly people in the group, and spoke.
Under such weather, if they don’t take a break, many might freeze to death before reaching Gray Rock Town.
"Let’s start a fire and cook."
"I just surveyed the sky, there’s no enemy nearby."
The adventurers and soldiers, weary from battle and cold, naturally didn’t refuse Gauss’s suggestion.
Soon, campfires rose in the snow.
The warmth from the flames made the women and elderly feel much more comfortable.
Hephaestus also acted as a natural furnace, providing stable heat.
However, due to its formidable and imposing appearance, even knowing it was Gauss’s mount, many dared not get too close, fearing it might go wild and consider them a sweet dessert.
Gauss took advantage of the time to understand the situation in Black Water Town from the cavalry captain.
After some conversations, he learned that the fall of Black Water Town was related to the years-old dilapidated sewers being breached by a small squad of Fish People, forming an internal and external encirclement early in the outbreak of conflict, leading to a trend of outward worries and internal threats.