The Cornflower Witch

On the central route, the Third Train.

Crossing through rolling hills, the train entered an expansive wilderness. Here the land was pale green, and the layers of clouds in the sky were swept by air currents, flowing rapidly. Shafts of light, alternating between bright and shadowed, pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the earth, reflecting off the puddles on the ground. Azure mirrors dotted the world, revealing a rare beauty.

This support mission for Candela consisted of ten trains in total. Among them, the first to depart on the central route was the 'Third Train,' which had set off a day earlier than the Ninth Train.

"Master Welsa, ahead is the Hulan District. Many grassland tribes live there." The adjutant stepped forward to report to the master inside the train's front cabin.

Welsa was the 31st-ranked master of the Mithril Clock school, proficient in 'astrology' and 'arcane medicine refining.' Though over seventy years old, she still appeared to be in her forties. Her dark-golden hair was coiled at the back of her head, and she wore a blue silk velvet gown with gold embroidery. Her demeanor was gentle and elegant.

"Once we pass through the Hulan District, it's another 800 kilometers to Candela." They were not far from their destination.

"Yes, but we need to replenish some fuel in the Hulan District. Otherwise, we might run short on the road." The coal briquettes on the train were already running low. Completing the final eight hundred kilometers would be difficult; they would probably need to add about 50 tons of coal briquettes to be safe.

This amount wasn't too large, so the crew wasn't overly worried.

At 11 a.m., a continuous stretch of tents appeared on the grassland ahead of the train. They were scattered across the land, surrounded by rings of crude wooden fences designed to slow the wind and prevent the tents from being blown away.

When the train arrived at the Hulan District, it gradually slowed down until it finally came to a steady stop at the station there.

Master Welsa and her crew disembarked and met the local officials and the garrison mage.

"Long time no see, Stella." She recognized the garrison mage here. The woman had once studied under her.

"Master Welsa, you're still as beautiful as ever." Stella smiled as she stepped forward, taking the master's arm to escort her to a small stone tower nearby for a rest.

Once seated, the two exchanged pleasantries for a while before discussing the support mission.

"I wonder which train will be the first to reach Candela," Stella asked curiously.

"The First and Second Trains, which departed earliest, both took the eastern route. Although they started earlier, their journey is longer. They might not have arrived yet." Welsa spoke slowly, holding her teacup.

"If everything goes smoothly, we'll probably be the first to arrive."

"What about the western route? That one seems shorter."

"The Fourth Train on the western route departed right before and after us, just slightly later. If they're lucky, their arrival time won't be much slower than ours."

"After that come the Fifth and Sixth Trains, also on the eastern route. That path is flatter, the climate is better, and it's safer and more stable."

"Then the Seventh and Eighth Trains take the western route, followed by the Ninth Train, which follows the same central route as us. The last one, the Tenth Train, is still on the eastern route."

After hearing this, Stella couldn't help but speak up. "So, that means after your Third Train passes through, there's only the Ninth Train left behind."

"That's correct. That's how it is." Master Welsa nodded, sensing a hint of anxiety in Stella's tone.

Realizing the change in her own voice, Stella told the truth.

"It's like this..." She sighed and began to explain the current situation.

After the storm hit, there were very few places on the grassland that could shelter from the wind and rain. A large number of livestock were exposed to the storm, swept away to unknown places. This not only caused massive losses for the local herders but, more critically, food shortages began to emerge locally.

The grassland was a terrain with fewer food resources compared to forests or river valleys. The most abundant thing there was grass, and the herders relied on dairy products and meat from cattle and sheep to survive.

Before the storm broke out, more than forty percent of the livestock had been lost. Although some of the carcasses were later found, they had rotted from water damage and were inedible. Food was extremely scarce locally. Many had already slaughtered their remaining livestock, but it still wasn't enough. So now, they were in urgent need of relief.

Stella thought that the trains from the Alliance's center would surely be carrying food. If only a portion could be allocated from each train crew, it would be enough to help the local residents hold on. But now, hearing that only two train crews would pass through here, the food they carried would certainly be insufficient to sustain the lives of these hundreds of thousands of people.

After listening to the story from the Hulan District, Master Welsa shook her head.

"Your plan had problems from the start."

"Even if five train crews passed through here, the food they bring wouldn't be enough to keep the locals going for long."

"What we need to do right now is to seize the moment, before the most difficult time arrives, and set out north as soon as possible to head near the North Wind Defense Line in Candela. Large strongholds are built all along that route, which should meet your needs."

"I thought so too at the time, but the tribal elders here all opposed it." Stella sighed.

"To them, the pasture is the resource they rely on for survival. If they migrate away, it will be very hard to get this land back. And without pasture for grazing, they feel as lowly as homeless stray dogs."

"These old, traditional ideas are deeply rooted. I couldn't persuade them on my own."

"So then, you pinned your hopes on vague external aid? That's still too naive." Master Welsa scolded Stella, but didn't shut down the conversation completely.

"Never mind. Take me out to have a look. Maybe I can help you figure something out."

"Thank you, Teacher!" Stella exclaimed excitedly. Although she was now in her forties, she still seemed as lively as someone in her early twenties.

"I only taught you a few lessons. No need to be so affectionate." Welsa shook her head.

Afterward, the two walked out of the stone tower and inspected the local tribes, checking their food reserves and living conditions.

Many tribal members were cooking dead cattle and sheep carcasses in large pots. Though some of the meat had already rotted and spoiled, in the face of food shortages, they couldn't afford to be picky.

Some tribal elders and shamans accompanied the two, reporting on the recent situation.

"Some of our people have fallen ill with diseases and plagues. It might be due to the food. We try to give the children the cleanest and best things."

"If this continues, I'm afraid we'll have to start killing the horses tomorrow," a shaman said worriedly.

"That won't do. Without horses, it will be very difficult for you to migrate." Master Welsa shook her head.

"This is no place to stay long. It's better to move as soon as possible. As for the pasture issue, with the wind disaster now, no one will fight over it at this time. Once the wind disaster is over, you can come back."

"That's easy to say, but..." Some elders were still hesitant. After all, this was the land their ancestors had lived on for generations. If they left for a distant place, whether they could ever return was unknown.

Though they were still debating whether to leave or stay, the Third Train crew still gave out a lot of food to the local tribes.

These high-quality, delicious smoked meats and canned goods, along with the clean white flour, sent the locals into a frenzy, and they immediately scrambled to grab everything.

At first, the crew managed to maintain order. But as more and more tribal members flocked in, the soldiers maintaining order were overwhelmed by the sea of people.

Everyone knew that food was running out and might not last a few more days. If they could get more food, it would mean their families could survive. This wish and desire made the locals fight even more fiercely over the supplies. Some even had their goods snatched from them after taking them back to their tents.

Originally, there had been competition between the various tribes here, with occasional small conflicts. But now, facing hunger and hardship, these conflicts became even harder to resolve.

The scene turned chaotic. In the struggle, people started throwing punches. If it had just been ordinary people fighting, it might have only resulted in black eyes and swollen faces. But with Transcendents joining in, the consequences immediately became severe.

Casualties began to appear. Hatred and conflict escalated rapidly. People from the same tribe gathered together, excluding and beating up members from other tribes, then grabbing the canned goods and flour bags on the ground.

People from farther away, hearing the commotion, also came and joined in. Soon, it turned into a free-for-all melee between the various tribes. At this point, even if the elders and shamans shouted for it to stop, they couldn't control the utterly chaotic situation. Their voices were drowned out by the crowd.

"Enough." A water-blue meteor shot into the sky and burst, followed by a cold drizzle. Everyone caught in the rain felt a bone-chilling cold, their bodies trembling and shivering.

Then a violent mental shockwave swept across the entire scene. Many people fell unconscious on the spot, and this farce finally came to a temporary halt.

Master Welsa and Stella stood side by side, frowning. Under the pressure of two powerful mages, the people on site finally calmed down.

Afterward, the soldiers accompanying the train crew restored order and began to count the wounded, organizing medical treatment.

Originally, they had planned to stay for two hours before continuing. Because of this incident, they were delayed an additional three hours and suffered a number of casualties.

"I was too kind." Welsa felt a pang of regret. She shouldn't have so easily given out the food. She could even foresee what would happen after she and her people left.

Though Stella repeatedly apologized, Master Welsa no longer wanted to concern herself with the situation here. She had the crew clear the tracks, load up the coal briquettes, and then ordered the train to depart.

The wheels slowly began to turn. A long blast of steam shot out, and then the train picked up speed. Its heavy steel body moved forward, ignoring the tribal members who tried to climb aboard along the way. Some were thrown off and fell to the ground. Others clung tightly to the iron bars on the train, only to be swept into the cold air currents of the wilderness, soon turning into frozen corpses.

After this chaos, the remaining tribal members didn't think about working together to solve the problem. Instead, they began to covet the precious food that others had managed to obtain.

Even if they were to go to the North Wind Defense Line near Candela, such a long journey would require a massive amount of food. And the portion allocated to each person now was clearly insufficient.

If it was destined that only a few could be saved, then why shouldn't it be them, rather than outsiders?

Under these brutal conditions, the contradictions that had once lain hidden began to surface and intensify.

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