While the battle at the fortress was underway, John and Blitz had arrived in Fushia. After firmly securing the flag of Lont on the highest structure of the destroyed town, he then started to look for survivors.
A few hours later, several men from Lont arrived and helped him in his undertaking. Surprisingly, they did find survivors amongst the ruins of Fushia. Some had hidden in their cellars, while others buried themselves amongst the dead.
After half a day of searching, John and the others were able to rescue over a hundred people. These were the last remnants of Fushia. A town which once housed thousands of people now lay in ruins.
"Uncle John? Is that you?" A young man in his early twenties stepped forward.
"Cedric?" John looked at the young man in surprise. "Where is your father? Did he also survive?"
Cedric was the son of the Mayor of Fushia. Since Fushia and Lont were basically neighbors, the two had a good relationship with each other. James and Cedric's father, Sebas, were good friends.
Cedric teared up when he remembered how his father pushed him and his sister towards the cellar of their house. Sebas ordered them to wait for his return. Cedric knew that his father didn't want them to die, so he obeyed and took care of his sister as they hid in the cellar waiting for his return.
"I don't know if father is dead or alive," Cedric said after regaining his composure. "Only my sister and I are left of our family."
John sighed and hugged the young man. He then patted his back. "Your father is a brave man. He will live through you and never be forgotten."
The survivors of Fushia looked at this scene and teared up. Some of them wailed in despair at the death of their loved ones. While others looked at the ruins with a tinge of helplessness. All of them knew that It was impossible for them to rebuild the town on their own.
If Fushia was to rise again, they needed help in more ways than one.
It was then when a young beautiful girl, who seemed to be around fourteen years old, stood beside John and Cedric.
She was the only daughter of Sebas and Cedric's younger sister, Leah. Her long midnight-blue hair rested behind her back and her clear blue eyes looked at John with hope.
"Uncle John, what is going to happen to us?" Leah asked. "Did Uncle James send you?"
"Yes." John nodded his head. "We came here to place Fushia under our protection."
"Uncle, do you mean that, from this day onwards, Fushia is now a part of Lont?" Leah asked.
"Leah! Stop being disrespectful to Uncle John!" Cedric snapped. "Now is not the time to talk about these things!"
"You are wrong, Brother," Leah replied. "There is no better time to discuss the ownership of Fushia than now. Since Uncle John is here, it means that Lord Ainsworth has no intention of letting the other nobles stake their claim on Fushia. For me, this is a good thing. At least, Lord Ainsworth is a good person."
John was shocked by Leah's calm and rational explanation. He never thought that a fourteen-year-old girl would be capable of analyzing the current situation and give her views on the matter. Not only that, she was also able to tell John face to face that she was aware of James' plan for expansion.
"I-is this true, Uncle John?" Cedric asked. "Does Lord Ainsworth intend to take over Fushia?"
"Yes," John answered honestly. "As for the details, it would be best if the two of you meet him. I'm sure that he will be more than happy to know that the two of you are still alive. For now, let's wait for the wagons coming from Lont."
"Why should we leave?" Cedric asked. "Isn't the Beast Tide over?"
"Not by a longshot," John replied. "The last time I saw the Beast Tide, they were converging to attack the Fortress of Windermere. Until they have been annihilated, there is no safe place in the Western Region except the town of Lont.
"Except the town of Lont?" Leah asked. "Did Lont also experienced the Beast Tide?"
"Yes."
"How did you manage to survive?"
"You will know when you get there. For now, I advise all of you to rest. We can't stay here for long."
-----
A messenger bird landed at the Ainsworth Residence.
"Sebas, you're such a stubborn fool." James felt sad as he read the letter. "You should have stayed with your son and daughter in the cellar or your house…"
Mordred who was seated beside his father sighed. Sebas and him were also good friends and he really liked the Mayor's upright and straightforward attitude.
"Call William," James said after reading the letter. "Tell him to take his goats to Fushia and assist in the evacuation. Also, tell the people at the Town Hall to prepare beds for the survivors."
"Father, can we let Cedric and Leah stay in the residence?" Mordred inquired.
"Of course," James answered. "Leah and Cedric can be considered as my niece and nephew. It is only proper that we take care of them."
"Understood." Mordred nodded his head and left the room.
------
Two hours later, twenty wagons departed from the town of Lont. William rode on Ella's back while his Team Alpha and Team Omega guarded the wagons on both sides. The journey between Lont and Fushia usually took two hours by carriage.
When William and the rest arrived in Fushia, the sun was already at its zenith.
"William, over here." John waved and called out to the boy who was seated on top of the Angorian Goat. William was the only boy in Lont who used a goat as his mount. Although no one questioned it, most of them found it funny.
"Uncle John," William greeted the older man with a smile. "I heard that Brother Cedric and Sister Leah are among the survivors. Where are they right now?"
William had met Cedric and Leah many times in the past. Every year, there was a Harvest Festival that was celebrated within the Western Region.
James had dragged William and Matthew to these festivals in order to let them mingle with the daughters of his friends.
If not for the fact that Wiliam already had a fiance, James would have definitely played matchmaker for him. Since William was off limits, Matthew became James' target. He even pestered Sebas to matchmake Leah to Matthew when his cousin was only twelve years old.
Of course, Sebas just laughed it off and even reprimanded James that he shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the children. For him, love was something that shouldn't be forced. With that said, he also didn't mind if Leah and Matthew were to become a couple.
As long as both of their feelings were mutual then he would definitely give them his blessing.
"Cedric and Leah are in their house, or what remains of their house." James sighed. "They are trying to salvage the things that they can salvage. It would be best if we leave them alone for the time being."
William nodded his head in understanding. Cedric and Leah had just lost their father. Their mother had passed away after giving birth to Leah. In this world, only the two of them remained in their family.
An hour later, Cedric and Leah arrived at the town Plaza. Both of them had sad expressions because they didn't see their father among the dead in their household. Cedric was still clinging to the small hope that their father had survived.
Leah, on the other hand, had already accepted the reality.
"Little William, you still look as stupid as ever," Leah said with a smile.
"Big Sister, you're still as beautiful as ever," William replied.
"You've matured a bit. In the past, you would always retort when I call you stupid."
"Big Sister, a boy that is as handsome as me is not that petty."
Leah gave a wry smile as she looked at the handsome boy seated on top of the Angorian Goat. She was fond of William because he was fun to tease. However, she felt that the current him seemed to be more mature compared to the stupid boy that had visited Fushia a year ago.
"Ella, you're doing well I presume?" Leah asked the Angorian goat with a smile.
"Meeeeh."
"That's good to hear."
Leah couldn't understand goat language. However, that didn't stop her from trying to communicate with Ella.
Cedric, on the other hand, only gave William a brief nod before talking to John about "important matters". He felt that there was a need to negotiate the ownership of Fushia since it was a town that had been governed by their family for many years.
William and Leah heard Cedric's words, because the older boy didn't try to hide it from them. John just smiled and kept on nodding his head. He understood what Cedric was trying to say. However, understanding and agreeing were two different things.
As for who would govern Fushia in the future, James, Cedric, and Leah, needed to have a proper discussion in order to smooth out the details of their cooperation.