A few days later, having returned to Hillock County to organize the relocation, Jeanne and Talulah stood side-by-side, staring out at the sea of Taran faces in utter silence.
"I knew a fair number of people would come, but isn't this getting out of hand?" Jeanne asked, genuinely startled. "Can our city really feed this many mouths?"
At a glance, the crowd gathered outside easily numbered in the tens of thousands. The sheer volume of people was staggering.
Though both women had prepared themselves for a large turnout, standing before the vast assembly made them realize their initial estimates had been far too conservative.
"Space isn't the problem. Didn't I mention we're facing a severe labor shortage back home?" Talulah replied, maintaining an easygoing composure on her face. Behind her, however, her tail was swishing nervously back and forth. "Taking them in won't be an issue, but... this is certainly more people than expected."
Thankfully, there were others on hand to assist with crowd management. On top of that, the refugees seemed remarkably easy to please; as long as they were treated like human beings, they were content.
It was hard to imagine what horrific abuses the Victorian authorities had subjected them to. Was it truly impossible for a empire so vast to grant its people such a modest existence?
And these were merely the Tarans willing to live alongside victims of Oripathy. Jeanne shuddered to think how many more would have flooded the square if that condition hadn't been attached.
"I wonder how many trips that Rhodes Island landship will need to make..." Jeanne mused aloud.
She paused mid-sentence as her eyes caught sight of a middle-aged Feline lingering nearby, hesitating to step forward. He looked as though he desperately wanted to speak to them.
"Hello there. Is there something you need?" Jeanne asked gently.
The Feline flinched at her greeting, instinctively shrinking back. Stooping his shoulders nervously, he stammered for a moment without producing a single coherent word.
"Please don't be afraid," Jeanne reassured him, her warm presence helping to ease the man's anxiety. "We won't harm you for speaking up. We're on the same side here. If something is on your mind, go right ahead."
Taking a few deep breaths, the man summoned his courage to pose the question weighing on his mind.
"I... I just wanted to ask... once we reach that city, what was it called... Chernobog... what are we supposed to do?" he stammered, his words still rough around the edges. "Everyone is worried about whether we can actually make a living there. They sent me to ask you two about... about how things are..."
Though still visibly tense, the man managed to get his message across. Jeanne and Talulah exchanged a meaningful glance, unsure of how to react. They had assumed something critical had gone wrong, only to find the concerns were so fundamental.
Yet the realization that these refugees had packed up their lives and traveled all this way without knowing what awaited them left both women stunned. Were these people really willing to gamble everything on complete uncertainty?
"We... we were actually driven out by our local lord," the Feline admitted with an embarrassed, helpless smile. "When those officials heard there was a chance to throw us out, they couldn't get rid of us fast enough."
Talulah fell silent, her mood darkening considerably. She hadn't expected the nobility to act so ruthlessly, using her proposal as an excuse to purge their lands of unwanted citizens.
She had meant to offer these people a sanctuary, a chance to live in peace. Instead, her initiative had been twisted by corrupt lords to strip them of their homes.
"I am deeply sorry," Talulah said, her tone heavy with sincere regret. "This was an oversight on my part. Because of my words, you lost what little you had left. You have my apologies."
The Feline gaped in utter astonishment. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected a high-ranking noble figure—a Draco—to apologize to someone like him.
"Oh, no, please! You don't need to apologize!" he stammered, waving his hands hastily. "To tell you the truth, most of us would rather leave anyway. Living out here is already better than what we had before. At least here, we can light a fire at night without being arrested, and there aren't any of those insufferable Victorian soldiers bothering us."
Hearing his perspective, Talulah's heavy heart lightened slightly.
"Once you arrive in Chernobog, you can pursue whatever work you are skilled in," she explained clearly. "Whether that means farming, working in the factories, or starting a small trade. As long as you can accept living alongside people with Oripathy, your life there will be far better than it was here."
The man let out a massive sigh of relief. His greatest fear had been arriving in an unfamiliar land with no usable skills, finding no work, and ultimately starving to death on the streets.
"Don't worry about finding a place," Jeanne chimed in cheerfully. "Chernobog needs workers more than anything right now. Regardless of your background, there will be plenty of opportunities to support yourself and your family."
Overjoyed by the news, the man thanked them profusely before hurrying back to the crowd of anxious onlookers. A flurry of excited discussions broke out as he shared what he had learned, with many turning to glance back at Jeanne and Talulah in relief.
"I have a feeling that once these people settle in Chernobog, my workload is going to skyrocket..." Talulah remarked with a weary sigh, rubbing her temples.
"Then you'd better work twice as hard," Jeanne teased, patting her shoulder. "If you mess this up and they end up running back to Victoria, you'll never live down the embarrassment."
Talulah rolled her eyes at her friend's ribbing, though deep down, she knew Jeanne was right.
Noticing the hopeful glances drifting in her direction from the crowd, Talulah offered them a warm, reassuring smile before turning back to attend to her duties.
"By the way," Talulah recalled suddenly, "I heard the Steam Knights are preparing to depart?"
"That's right," Jeanne nodded, acting as a handy walking ledger. "They're getting ready to leave. Since their original mission is no longer possible, they have no reason to linger in Victoria."
Jeanne thought back to the crestfallen knights. Ever since Talulah had publicly burned half of the Victorian flag, those old warriors had abandoned their hopes, no longer seeking her out for counsel.
They understood all too well that the golden era they longed for was gone forever. Rather than waiting for the empire to inevitably betray them, the knights had resolved to take their steam armor and head south to Iberia, intending to throw their lives into the fight against the Seaborn.
Perhaps that was the only honorable end left for knights who remained loyal to a fading realm. In a land consumed by greed, their presence was no longer required by the lords vying for power.
"May fortune favor their path," Talulah murmured, gazing out at the distant horizon as a landship prepared for departure.
Meanwhile, far away in Kazdel, the main landship of Rhodes Island was finally preparing to dock near the ancient capital.
Having traversed vast distances across the continent, they brought a formidable figure back to his homeland.
"We have arrived, Theresis," a voice rang out across the deck. "Do you have nothing to say?"