CHAPTER 235: LEAVING THE CAMP [1]

When all the food and weapons were stored away, the column started back toward their camp. No one dared to cheer. They knew noise could draw attention, and Gabriel’s cold gaze kept them focused.

In order to make space for the food and other supplies, most of the troupe walked on foot, so the march back was relatively slow.

They had secured about five armored trucks, but even with these, it wasn’t enough to carry everyone.

Sweat soaked their clothes, yet none complained—not when every step meant more security for their people. After two hours, they finally saw their camp, and a collective sigh of relief escaped from the army.

Even on the walls, Sniperbowlegend, who was in charge of the defenses, noticed the group and ordered the gates to be opened.

The trucks drove in one after the other in a straight line. Refugees stood at the sides, staring with curiosity. Among them was Lina.

She now lived in the mansion and was personally cared for by Amelia, but since she spent most of her time outside, she naturally slipped back here to play with her friends.

"Lina, what do you think those are?" one of the kids asked.

Lina frowned, her arms folded against her chest. "I don’t know. I’ll have to ask big brother hims—oh, look at him."

Suddenly, she spotted Gabriel in one of the trucks and waved frantically. The window rolled down.

"Big brother, what are those?"

As a child, Lina had no filter, so it was easy for her to blurt out the question that was on everyone’s mind.

Gabriel displayed a faint, rare smile, shocking a few members of the troupe who had never seen him smile before.

"It’s a secret." He winked at her.

Lina pouted at his words. She looked as though she had many things to say but decided to keep quiet.

"But let me give you a hint." Gabriel smirked, pulling out three small carton boxes from beside him and stuffing them into her hands.

Her brows knitted together in confusion, and she was about to ask more questions, but with a gentle stroke of her head, the truck drove past.

Left standing there, she glanced at her arms—and what she saw made her face light up. In her grasp were three milk cartons.

"What did he give you?" Her friends rushed up, and when they saw what was in her hands, their eyes sparkled.

For most of them, this was the first time they had seen such a thing, but it was easy to tell it was food.

Poking a hole in the top of one carton, Lina brought it to her mouth and drank. She closed her eyes as the delicious creamy sweetness filled her mouth.

Seeing her expression, the two girls looked at her with envy.

"Here you go," Lina said, handing the remaining packs to her friends.

They grabbed the cartons with wide eyes and quickly copied her. The sweet taste made them squeal softly, and their faces lit up.

"This is so good!" one exclaimed, her voice muffled by the carton.

"The leader is amazing!" the other chimed in.

Lina crossed her arms and nodded proudly, as if she had been the one to bring it back. "Of course. He’s my big brother, after all!"

The other refugees had seen everything unfold. Unlike Lina and her friends, who were too young to fully understand, the adults grasped it immediately.

Gasps spread through the crowd.

"Food... it’s food!"

"Those are cartons of processed milk! It’s been so long since I had one, but there’s no way I could forget the taste!"

Some of the refugees began to look at the three girls enviously, tempted to beg for a sip. It had clearly been a long time since they’d had anything like this.

But before anyone could move, a gust of breeze swept past, carrying a sweet lavender scent. When it settled, they saw a veiled woman standing between them and the children.

Most recognized her as one of the newcomers to camp.

"Stay where you are," Sophie commanded. "There’s more where that came from, and it will be distributed fairly. Don’t cause trouble."

Her calm but firm voice cut through the crowd. The refugees froze in place. The temptation in their eyes faded slightly, though hunger still lingered on their faces. No one dared to step forward.

Sophie glanced at Lina and her friends and, in a softer tone, said, "Finish what you have quickly, then head back to the mansion. You don’t want to cause a scene."

Lina nodded and gulped down the last sip before dragging her friends away. The crowd slowly dispersed, murmuring among themselves, but the atmosphere in camp had shifted. Just the sight of those small cartons had ignited hope in their hearts.

As quickly as she had appeared, Sophie swept her gaze around one last time before vanishing again.

A short while later, the armored trucks stopped in front of the warehouse. Militants and adventurers immediately began unloading crate after crate under Anna’s instructions. Amelia stood nearby, personally overseeing the stacking of food and weapons.

"Put the weapons in the separate armory," Amelia ordered. "The food goes into storage. Lock everything down."

The refugees murmured louder when they caught glimpses of sacks of grain, water barrels, and sealed tins being carried inside.

Children tugged at their mothers’ clothes, asking if they could eat now. Some adults had tears in their eyes just seeing food that wasn’t scavenged scraps.

One of the older refugees gathered his courage and called out, "Leader! Will everyone... get a share?"

Gabriel stopped and turned his head slightly. His voice was calm but loud enough for all to hear. "No one will go hungry. But no one takes without orders. We ration it. That way, this camp lives through this month and the next."

At this, the small crowd near the storage roared in approval. Some shouted his name, others simply wept openly.

He didn’t stay outside long and walked away from the scene. There was something very important he needed to take care of.

’He should be logging into the game any moment now... I have to meet him before anyone else approaches.’

Gabriel didn’t know if the ChaosKnight had information about this person like they did at the hobgoblin castle, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances.