Chapter 582 - 581: Mercy to them

Chapter 582: Chapter 581: Mercy to them

After setting up camp to wait for their food supplies to be restocked, the Molak Family finally began their journey once more.

But the more cities they passed, the more troubled their expressions became.

It seemed the impending war was already having a devastating effect on the Mortal Realm.

Food prices had skyrocketed, and worse still, food availability was becoming almost nonexistent.

Some members of the Molak Family wanted to offer help and distribute food to the starving citizens, but the Ancestor and the elders stopped them.

The same was true for the other families, kingdoms, and organizations allied with them.

As they traveled, they saw thin children with hollow eyes and starving adults.

Fights broke out one after another—not over treasures or money, but over food.

Sometimes, all it took was a piece of moldy bread or half-cooked rice.

They felt pity for the people.

But just as the Ancestor and elders of the Molak Family had done, the leaders of the other forces stopped their people from intervening.

"Why didn’t they help?" Keith couldn’t help but ask Kiro as they marched alongside the army.

Kiro shook his head with a sigh.

"It’s only a temporary solution. How much food can we give them without eventually starving ourselves?"

"Do you really think it would be enough? Would giving them a day’s worth of food solve anything?" Kiro asked.

Keith frowned.

"But we’re the cause of this, aren’t we?"

"Shouldn’t we at least do something? Even if it’s only giving them enough food to survive for a single day?"

Kiro shook his head.

"It would be counterproductive."

"It might even cause them to abandon their cities and follow us because we have food."

"Besides, giving them food for a single day is cruel in its own way. They would enjoy one day of peace, only to face an even greater hunger the next day."

He paused.

"The only help we can give them is to shorten the war as much as possible."

"Saving them today won’t solve the problem."

Keith remained silent, unwilling to accept the answer.

It was already getting dark when they finally reached the next city and established camp outside it.

If you won’t help everyone...

Then at the very least, I’ll help the children.

Keith made up his mind.

As the army settled down and their rations were distributed, Keith quietly began saving his portion.

Soon, the camp resembled a grand feast.

Fresh meat was cooked and seasoned.

Fine grains of rice were prepared.

Large bowls were passed around, filled to the brim with steaming rice and generous portions of meat.

It was a stark contrast to the people they had seen earlier fighting over rotten fish.

Keith couldn’t take it.

He knew what it was like to be a child.

But more than that...

After reading all those books, he had come to understand something.

The reason those people had failed to change the world was actually quite simple.

They had waited until they became strong enough before attempting to take a massive step.

If they had spoken out against certain major issues and tried to change the world while they were still weak, they would have been ignored.

They had all been ants.

Only after reaching the peak of Rank 0 had they gained enough authority for their voices to be heard.

But by then...

They were already affiliated with organizations, kingdoms, or other powerful forces.

Whether they realized it or not, they had become part of the very system they once wanted to change.

By then, it was already too late.

But Keith could start now.

So, while everyone else ate, Keith secretly stored away the rations that had been distributed to him.

Then, he began moving around the camp.

He visited the kitchens and quietly stole as much food as he could.

Everyone here belonged to a prestigious organization, kingdom, or noble family.

Who would suspect someone of stealing food from their own camp?

The guards were present, but they were relaxed and inattentive.

By the time Keith finished...

He was carrying a large bag almost as tall as himself.

He immediately set off toward the nearby city.

He didn’t care much about the adults.

To him, changing the adults seemed almost impossible.

But the children...

If he could guide the next generation...

If something happened one day and the adults were wiped out, perhaps the new generation could build something better.

A few hundred meters away, Keith glanced back at the brightly lit camp.

The sweet aroma of freshly cooked food still lingered in the air.

He gritted his teeth.

He was beginning to understand that the way these people viewed the world was fundamentally different from his own.

They looked at the world from above.

They couldn’t understand what it was like to look up.

They couldn’t see—or understand—what children like Keith were going through.

Keith quickened his pace.

Soon, he arrived at the nearby city.

The first thing he noticed shocked him.

The city gates were wide open.

There were no guards in sight.

Not even a single soldier stood atop the city walls.

Keith slowed down as he cautiously walked inside.

Then...

He froze.

The streets weren’t empty.

There were people everywhere.

But they looked like zombies.

Their eyes were hollow.

Their bodies were painfully thin, with their bones clearly visible beneath their skin.

Children huddled beside their parents as they sat along both sides of the streets.

Keith looked deeper into the city.

With his strength as a Middle-Level Rank 0 expert, he could easily see into the heart of the city.

And what he saw there was completely different.

It almost looked like a festival.

The scent of delicious food filled the air.

The nobles were moving around comfortably, as though it were an ordinary day.

Meanwhile...

The commoners were starving.

Some looked so weak that they seemed as though they could collapse and die at any moment.

Keith looked at the hopeless adults.

He felt nothing.

But when his gaze fell upon the children...

His heart hardened.

He was becoming more and more convinced that perhaps the adults were beyond saving.

Perhaps if the adults disappeared...

If only the children survived and were taught a different way to live...

Then perhaps the world could become a better place.

No wars.

No hunger.

No suffering.

"Those with children..."

Keith’s voice echoed through the streets.

"Release them to me."

"Every child should come forward."

His expression was cold.

"I will kill anyone who refuses to comply."

He dropped the enormous bag onto the ground.

The instant it hit the ground, it burst open.

The sweet aroma of delicious food immediately spread through the streets.

The people who had looked like lifeless zombies suddenly seemed to awaken.

One after another...

They stood up.

They completely ignored Keith’s order.

Then...

They rushed toward the food.