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Fragrantia did not understand what this child was intending to do, but she followed along. Meanwhile, Libra summoned the generals from all fronts and Azula began to mobilize her contacts in the Sapientia border. Vertex was busy with his command of the Centaur border, and Ignis was dealing with the aftermath of the attacks and the inflation caused by war.

Valerian did not have anything to do, and Fortuna had just healed from her wounds and she still wanted to rest to reach the peak of her strength. The injuries she had endured were not external but internal and they will take a long time to heal. If she wanted them to heal instantly, that was impossible.

Since he had nothing to do, the fourth prince came up with a proposition on the dining table and the Empress agreed. After all, it has been ages since she walked through the streets and interacted with her subjects. The subtle tension was present in the atmosphere and the citizens needed something to soothe their minds.

A walk in the capital will be spread around the nation and the mood of the people will calm down everywhere. The royalty was always the representation of the country’s situation. If the royalty was to act like they are at ease, then the masses will also follow. This will save them the effort to use different methods to calm down their mood.

Fragrantia and Valerian were dressed rather simply and they did not even take the royal carriage or the guards along with them. Only Ensis and Priscilla followed them, while Fragrantia rode a general horse, Valerian held the rein of the horse and walked on his feet. They had complete harmony with each other but their eyes were always locked on anything suspicious.

They were not fools, several shadows also followed them and maintained a circle of protection around them. If anyone was to approach them with bad intentions then death would be their only outcome. Valerian walked ahead with a calm pace and a gentle smile on his face while talking to Fragrantia who was answering him with patience and a faint smile befitting the image of the Empress.

Soon, they left the palace grounds. It did not take them long to reach the city limits and the citizens there did not act out of the ordinary at first but then suddenly someone shouted, “Her Excellency has come to tour the city!”

The people suddenly froze and all their eyes were focused on the four people. Priscilla and Ensis immediately placed their hands on the hilts of their swords. Fragrantia smiled gently and waved at the people. This action left the people in a daze, and a woman standing next to her husband pinched his waist as she said, “How dare you sully Her Excellence with your gaze. Look at her feet or the imperial guard will have your head looped off.”

.....

The man woke up from the pain and asked in disbelief, “Is she here for real, this not a dream?”

Valerian was walking not far from them and said, “Mister, it is not a dream. My mother came to visit the city market and see if she like anything.”

The people heard this and looked at the boy, and a relatively young lady screamed, “Oh my, the fourth prince is pulling the horse. He is so nice and gentle.”

The crowd was activated in an instant and the words flew around the entire city. Some people would try to approach the Empress from time to time but were stopped by Ensis. While the rest just watched them move from the side and would bow their heads as they passed them. Suddenly a little girl of age five or six came up to Valerian and said, “Your Highness.”

Valerian stopped, the crowd began to whisper, and the fourth prince squatted down to look at the little one and asked, with a smile, “What happened little one?”

The little girl had a round face, and a fair complexion as if a doll carved from marble. She held the hem of her dress and said in a low voice, “My elder sister used to say that heroes lived in the palace, and mother used to tell me that heroes always help others. Are you a hero? Can you help me?”

Valerian was surprised and then replied, “I do not know if I am a hero or not, but you can tell me what help you need?”

He noticed that the girl was wearing ragged clothes and held her shoulders only to realize that she was simply a bag of bones. The girl said, “Can you give me some food, your highness.”

Valerian shivered slightly and said, “Yes, you can have as much food as you want.”

The girl had tears in her eyes and then she asked in a whimpering tone, “Can my friends eat some too? We have not eaten in two days.”

Valerian held her in his embrace and said, “Yes, you can all eat as much food as you want.”

He stood up holding the girl and asked, “Where are your friends?”

The little girl gestured towards a dark alley in the side, and Valerian said, “Let’s go and tell them that they can have food.”

He turned to look at Fragrantia, who nodded and said, “Go.”

Priscilla and Ensis stepped up and stood close to her in Valerian’s absence. As the prince walked ahead, the people on the side respectfully gave him the way. However, the tint of shame in their eyes did not escape Valerian. After all, they were humans and they felt remorseful after hearing what happened to the little girl.

While Valerian was inside the alley, Fragrantia asked in a calm voice, “Has any of you ever since that little girl here?”

The people did not want to be in trouble and knowingly turned their heads down, but a young man stepped up and said, “Your Excellency, I have seen those children here.”

Fragrantia looked at the young man and asked, “Who are you and where did these children come from?”

The young man was flustered to be addressing the Empress directly, he was worried that his hot-bloodedness might have landed him in trouble. He froze and Ensis said, “Did you not hear what Her Excellency asked you?”

The young man woke up and replied, “My name is Flama, and these children came from the slum area. The outermost region of the city is where most of the trouble is and these children must have run away from there. They have been here for a week now, at first we gave them food and water but doing this daily did not seem right. We all have families and limited supplies.”

Priscilla scowled and wanted to retort when Fragrantia nodded and said, “You can go back.”

Valerian walked out of the alley with three children including the little girl. The condition of the children was more or less the same. Their ages were different and the eldest among them was ten years old. The boy was hungry for four days. Turned out he gave his portion to the younger ones.

Valerian came to stand near the horse and said, “I have cast a gentle healing spell on them to relieve some fatigue but hunger cannot be cured. We should send them back to the palace and have them attended to and deal with it later?”

Fragrantia nodded and Ensis found a city guard to take the three children back to the palace with a coin seal from the Empress, to allow them smooth entry.

Valerian looked at the crowd and said, “I used to think that people did bad things because they did not have anything to be grateful for. That they did not know better than to harm others. However, you all seem like you have a house, clean clothes, fresh food, and a family to look after you. Yet, you all failed to look after three children.

If not anything, then you could have sent someone to the palace and informed them about the situation. Imagine if the Empress and the Emperor stopped caring about you all because you have needs on a daily basis, will this nation stand together? Learn to be compassionate, your indifference will make them grow up with repulsion in their minds. Do you wish to see a future where the city burns from the inside?

Learn to act like citizens of Lumen.”

That said, he pulled the horse and they headed to the city market, but Fragrantia said, “Ensis, summon the city manager to the central market. I would like to discuss a few things with him.”

Ensis nodded and again a City guard was made to rush through the crowd as the four moved ahead.