The Fake Wife of the Strongest Husband Wants to Survive - Chapter 58

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 58
The two of them left the Capital and drove their horses forward without pause.
Despite their relentless pace through day and night, the distance to Swaf remained considerable, so they had no choice but to keep moving without a moment’s rest.
It was only a week after the urgent dispatch arrived that the boundaries of the Territory finally came into view.
“From here onward, it is a devastated area. Please exercise caution!”
At the shout of the Knight escorting them ahead, Pesha instinctively held her breath.
The landscape spread before her was horrific.
Roofs torn away and walls collapsed.
The village had been completely drained of life.
Streets once filled with children’s laughter were now packed with blackened corpses, and the earth bore twisted scars marked by Monster Aura, emanating a sickening stench.
“How could it… come to this.”
Pesha covered her mouth.
What had crumbled before her eyes was not merely buildings, but the foundation of a shared life they had cultivated together—and the shock struck twice as hard.
Owen gazed at the scene in silence, his face hardened.
After standing there for a long moment, he turned his head toward Namoi Castle.
As the procession gradually moved toward the center of the Territory, the castle towers of Namoi Castle, situated within the stone walls in the distance, came into view.
Along the fortress walls, soldiers stood on the tall watchtowers, gripping spears and bows, maintaining an unwavering vigilance.
“The Lord has arrived!”
“The Lord!”
“The Lord has finally come!”
Beyond the crowd cheering as though they had glimpsed a single thread of hope through despair, Pesha surveyed her surroundings.
The square had been transformed into a makeshift clinic, with military tents densely packed, filled with wounded patients.
Seeing soldiers with bandaged arms or limping legs, elderly people huddled on the ground coughing, and crying children, the sight was utterly desolate.
It seemed like a dream that laughter and joy had ever filled this place.
“Have we arrived too late?”
As she asked this hollowly, Owen, who had been holding her while riding, murmured with a cold, hardened expression.
“…Their second assault will come soon. As long as I am here, these walls will not crumble twice.”
As they entered Namoi Castle, Rebecca came to greet them.
Rebecca, who was normally composed and self-assured, now looked gaunt, her hair disheveled.
Her clothes were stained with blood and dirt, and fresh sword wounds were plainly visible on the backs of her hands.
“I am deeply ashamed to face you. I should have defended well enough to honor the trust you placed in me….”
Pesha questioned her as she stood with her head bowed, reproaching herself.
“What on earth happened?”
“It was a Monster Wave. The cycle when the beasts run wild was approaching, and there seem to have been external factors as well.”
“External factors?”
“Given how far advanced this has come from our original prediction of next spring, either the individual population has exploded, or….”
Rebecca trailed off, glancing at Pesha as she spoke.
“Continue.”
“It is merely my opinion, but recently a great many miners from other regions have gathered at the entrance to the Eastern Abyss to extract Beryl. I suspect that the monsters may have become highly agitated by the miners’ activity.”
At those words, Pesha’s heart grew heavy.
‘I should have restricted the mining of outsiders, or regulated the daily yield.’
The Beryl venture she had promoted to revive the Territory had instead become a threat to it.
As her expression darkened, Owen turned to Rebecca with a question.
“Were the attacks primarily directed at the miners?”
“Yes. The miners were attacked first, and afterward the damage gradually spread inward to the smaller villages surrounding the Territory.”
“…….”
“Some of the Territory residents have died, and many soldiers are wounded. Thanks to the Sidoroca Medicine, many residents were able to receive treatment, so we were able to prevent greater loss of life, but the future seems more problematic.”
“Supplies must be running low.”
“Yes. The survivors are managing to pitch temporary tents inside the fortress walls, but conditions are dire. With stored provisions dwindling, I fear what losses might come if the weather turns cold….”
At Rebecca’s explanation, Pesha’s face turned ashen.
Though she had heard of the effects of Monster Aura before, experiencing the Territory’s actual devastation now made it feel painfully real.
The Territory had been struggling to revive.
To see it reduced to desolation once more by a single assault seemed impossible to believe.
In the meantime, Owen finished his deliberation and issued orders swiftly.
“We must prevent further damage starting now. I will go and assess the situation firsthand. Rebecca, focus on recruiting reinforcements from among the surviving residents. Check with neighboring Territories to see if we can procure provisions and medicine, and identify the remaining Sidoroca Medicine so it can be rapidly distributed to the wounded.”
His orders were precise and efficient.
She began to understand why the Territory’s people, fallen into despair, found hope in Owen’s mere return.
Rebecca listened to the orders and immediately lowered her head in response.
“Understood. I will prepare immediately as instructed.”
As Rebecca moved to action, the soldiers and servants, as though regaining their vigor, began busily attending to their assigned tasks.
Watching Owen move to verify something else despite his men’s disciplined work, Pesha seized his arm without hesitation.
No matter how strong Owen was, the fact remained that his wounds had not yet fully healed.
“Don’t push yourself. Your wounds aren’t ready yet.”
At that, Owen shook his head firmly, seeing the worry in Pesha’s eyes.
“This is not the time to spare myself. I’ll be careful, so don’t worry—please rest inside.”
Owen issued orders to his soldiers without waiting for a reply, then disappeared down the corridor at a quick stride.
Beyond the window, even within Namoi Castle, the sounds of weeping and groans echoed without end.
There was no way she could rest comfortably in such circumstances.
‘Temporary position or not, I’m the lady of this fief. So I’ll start by doing what I can. If Owen handles troop reorganization and defense, then I need to look after the people he can’t tend to.’
With resolve, she began her rounds through the castle.
She had the servants distributing water to those caring for the wounded and ordered tents raised to shelter the fallen.
“Set the tents up separately for patients and residents. Isolate those with fever. If an epidemic spreads, there’s no stopping it.”
“Yes, my lady!”
“Don’t rely only on well water for drinking supplies—draw rainwater if you can. The patients need easily digestible food, so prepare porridge and distribute it.”
“Then may we take barley and wheat from the grain stores? I’m worried that once we begin rationing, so many will come that we’ll exhaust the supplies quickly.”
“That’s exactly what we’ve stored the grain for. If problems arise, I’ll answer for it. Just get started.”
“Yes, of course!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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