Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 43: Akhan.

Kai, mounted on Valira, led the formation.

"There," Lint pointed from his wagon, his voice cracking from the dust. "The walls of Akhan. If we’re lucky, we can restock our supplies."

Akhan was not a massive city, but a mid sized fortified town, a strategic commercial hub connecting the routes toward the Kingdom of Terminus. However, as they drew closer, Kai noticed something unusual, there was no movement in the fields. The outer granaries were empty and, most concerning of all, the great oak gates were tightly shut.

"Thorne, Allice, to the front with me," Kai ordered, urging Valira forward. "Mira, stay with Roshia and cover the rear of the caravan. Don’t lower your guard."

When they were fifty meters from the gate, a sharp whistle cut through the air. An arrow thudded into the dirt right in front of Valira’s hooves.

"Not another step, travelers!" a voice shouted from atop the walls. A guard captain, wearing armor that had seen better days, aimed a heavy crossbow at them. "The city is under quarantine! We aren’t taking in outsiders or more mouths to feed!"

Kai brought Valira to a halt. The captain didn’t look like a wicked man, but a frightened one. He had deep dark circles under his eyes, and his hand trembled slightly on the trigger.

"My name is Kai!" he exclaimed with a voice projecting natural authority. "We have women, children, and the elderly who have been displaced by mercenaries. We aren’t looking for charity, we have money and goods to trade. We need shelter and supplies."

"You can’t eat money, boy!" the captain shot back. "The salt supplies have run out. Without salt, meat rots and bread tastes like nothing but ash. If we let you in, we’ll condemn my people to famine a week sooner. Move along!"

A murmur of despair rippled through the caravan behind Kai. A woman collapsed to her knees, sobbing as she clutched her young son. Kai looked back and saw Lyla, she had climbed down from the wagon and was walking toward the sick. Her hands emitted a soft green glow to soothe an old man’s fever.

Kai looked back at the wall. He knew intimidation would be the fastest path, but not the smartest in the long run. He needed these people to see him as a solution, not another threat.

"Captain!" Kai shouted again. "If salt is your problem, perhaps we can strike a deal. Look at this wagon." Kai gestured to Lint’s wagon. The merchant turned pale, but Kai shot him a look that brokered no argument. "We are carrying a load of high quality salt," Kai lied partially, knowing they only had a portion intended for trade in Terminus. "If you open the gates for the children and the elderly and allow us to buy grain, I will give you a portion of our salt cargo for your storehouses. Furthermore, my warriors and I will deal with any mercenary bands lurking around your walls tonight."

The guard captain consulted with another man in a long cloak. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Allice had her hand on the hilt of her dagger, ready to act if an arrow flew toward Kai. Thorne, meanwhile, stood like a mountain of muscle, making the guards on the wall think twice before firing.

After several minutes that felt like hours, the heavy mechanism of the gates began to creak.

"Only the children, the elderly, and the strong!" the captain shouted. "The rest will camp in the inner courtyard of the barrier. If you try anything strange, my archers have orders not to hesitate."

Kai nodded and guided the caravan inside. The city was a reflection of the sadness inherent to this world. The streets, once bustling, were silent. People watched from windows with sunken eyes. While the refugees settled into a warehouse, Lyla continued her work. She went from group to group, healing minor wounds and offering words that, though simple, seemed to imbue those who heard them with strength. Kai watched her from a distance, feeling a strange sense of pride. She was using the little she had left to help others, simply because she knew it would make him happy.

Once night fell, in a small guard room they had been permitted to use, Kai summoned Thorne and Keram. A single candle illuminated the map Kai had spread across the table.

"Keram," Kai began, crossing his arms over his chest, "the captain mentioned the salt ran out weeks ago. This territory belongs to Athelgard. Did King Gabell not send supplies? Did he not send protection to these villages? He loves his people."

Keram sighed, rubbing his calloused hands. His eyes reflected the candlelight with infinite sadness.

"King Gabell tried," Keram said. "At first, the wagons arrived. Gabell has always cared for everyone in Athelgard. The villages that asked for help received it. Grain, blankets... even medicine."

"Then what changed?"

"We don’t know," Keram replied quietly. "Out of nowhere, the supplies stopped coming, salt included, and that’s how everything ended up like this." After those words, Keram stood up and left the room to check on his children.

The silence he left behind was heavy. Kai stared at the candle flame. Thorne, who had remained silent in the corner, stepped forward, his wolf ears twitching.

"Boss, something doesn’t add up," Thorne said in his deep voice. "If Gabell knew the situation was this critical, why didn’t he ask you for help? You were at the palace because of the Zenit assassins, and you even sent a messenger to ask for guards to watch the village while we were away. If his people were dying for lack of salt, why act as if everything was under control?"

Kai clenched his fists. "That’s a good question. When I was with him, I saw he was a good man who cared for his people. Lyla and Allice know him better than anyone, and they’ve always told me he’s trustworthy. So I don’t understand why he didn’t say anything."

At that moment, the door opened softly. Roshia entered the room, her hair a bit messy and her face weary after helping Lyla with the sick. She leaned against the doorframe and sighed.

"I overheard your conversation," she said. "Don’t judge Gabell too hastily."

Kai looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "What do you mean?"

"The Zenit assassins were nobles in disguise, the captain of the guard himself, people with power. What if they doctored the reports? What if Gabell wasn’t aware the situation was so dire?"

"It’s possible, it makes sense," Kai sighed. "I think everything just hit at once, and the Zenit agents took the opportunity to throw everything further out of balance."

Kai stood and walked to the window of the small room. From there, he could see the inner courtyard. Lyla was sitting on a bench, surrounded by three children who listened intently as she pointed out the stars.

"Lyla shouldn’t be doing this," Kai whispered. "She’s exhausted."

"She does it because she loves you, Kai," Roshia said with a sad smile.

Kai felt a pang in his chest. "We leave at dawn tomorrow," he declared, changing the subject. "Thorne, I want you to talk to the gate guards. Find out everything you can about the mercenaries’ movements. Roshia, help Lyla get some rest. I need her at one hundred percent."

"And you, boss?" Thorne asked.

"Honestly, I don’t know, but that’s the least important thing."

Sometime later, he went out to the courtyard and approached Lyla. The children had already fallen asleep, leaning against one another. She looked up and gave him a tired smile, but one full of a light that always made Kai’s heart race.

"They’re safe for today, Kai," she whispered. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Thanks to you, Lyla. But if we don’t reach Terminus soon, this caravan will become a walking funeral."

Lyla stood up and took Kai’s hand, interlacing their fingers. "You shouldn’t demand so much of yourself, you’re already doing so much for all these people. They are scared and hungry, but grateful that someone reached out to them at a time like this."

Kai sighed and relaxed as he embraced her. "I just didn’t expect this to happen. I had no idea about the situation. How am I supposed to protect people from other kingdoms if I can’t even tell what’s happening within Athelgard’s territory?"

Lyla pulled away slightly and began walking toward a quieter spot, knowing he would follow. "It’s true that none of us expected this, but you’re handling it the best you can." She sat on the grass, leaning against the city wall. Kai sat beside her calmly.

"When we return, I’ll ask Gabell to please keep me informed of everything, no matter how small it is. I need to know everyone is okay." He paused. "Roshia thinks this is happening because of the Zenit assassins, that they didn’t report the severity of the situation to Gabell, and that’s why he stopped sending salt and supplies to the rest of the towns and focused only on the capital. Everything has been a string of bad luck that ended like this."

Lyla looked surprised but then nodded. "That’s the most likely scenario. I hope Gabell finds out how things really are quickly, now that the Zenit assassins are gone."

"We’ll see, but I trust him. I know he’ll realize sooner or later. Let’s hope it’s sooner."