The population of Lange is much smaller than that of Nuer, and there are not many young and old people left except for men.

The men, like the mercenaries, listened to the bewitchment of the cultists and took up arms against the lord under the leadership of the mercenaries.

In addition, the reason why the peasants here are more willing to resist is not simply because they hate the demons, but because they have taken the money given by the cultists and become cheap mercenaries.

The further north they went, the more powerful the cultists became, not only having the money to hire soldiers and magicians to fight, but also the money to buy the populace so that more people would stand on the opposite side of the lord.

"It's not that people are deliberately trying to oppose me, it's that the economic development of Silver Dragon Fort can't radiate here, so that the farmers can't share the benefits of economic development." Vincent explained to his fellow travellers, Ninia and La Niña, "Economic ties are the basis of solidarity, and obviously there are stronger ties with Herodes."

"No nobles have ever helped us, only increased taxes." Ninia agreed with the lord, "Master, the food we grow and the materials we produce are all tax deductible, and no one does business with us."

"Why do business with the South?" La Niña was not surprised at all, "There are almost no roads, bandits and wild beasts are rampant along the way, and the north is close and fast, and the merchants of the kingdom are rich."

The demons are not economic material, and Vincent can't deny that.

The people have a traditional connection with the kingdom of Herodes, and what is even more troublesome is that even Herodes, who was restored after the destruction of the country, is in a much better economic situation than the mess he accepts.

After the peasants paid their taxes, if there were surplus materials, they would definitely not choose the poor and arrogant demons, even if they sold them to the Herodians at a low price, it was a more secure long-term business.

Those who have no permanent property have no perseverance, the peasants are poor, and the villages cannot be developed, and the local area cannot be effectively brought under the rule, and other forces will inevitably take over the power of governance.

With the support of merchants and herodes, the cult will naturally be able to win the hearts of the people.

Now the situation is just the opposite, the peasants think that the demons have come this time in addition to robbery, they want to increase taxes, and the military expenses for the war will be spread on their heads, rather than being forced to die in poverty, it is better to fight heroically for freedom.

Anyway, most of the old and weak women and children have moved further north, and the remaining men have the support of mercenaries and magicians, and it is impossible to get rid of the control of the cult, so they can only follow them to the dark.

If there was a safer means of livelihood, they would certainly not want to be accomplices of the cultists, but Lange Village has its own problems that make it impossible for them to maintain a basic productive life.

"The village is in ruins, a lot of land is abandoned, the population has been declining before, and when the cult lackeys fight me, it is actually more profitable than farming," Vincent said self-deprecatingly, "The village's economy has collapsed."

"It's not the result of what you demons have been doing for decades." La Niña replied unceremoniously, "I came this time, and I saw that the villages to the north are all the same, and this is your masterpiece."

"There is no right to speak without investigation, and your father obviously did not teach you to be cautious in what you say and do." Vincent ignored her, and just continued walking outside the village, "I really want to know why? I'm afraid that after you know it, you won't be able to stand it."

Ninia didn't expect that this time the lord had such a good temper, and he didn't get angry in the face of provocation.

Apparently, he was thinking about something else now, and the matter was probably too important for him to pay attention to the malevolence of his captive.

Vincent didn't keep the sorceress waiting too long, though, for within a few miles of the village to the east, everyone saw the answer.

The early morning sun shone on the dry riverbed, and there was not a drop of water visible in it except for pebbles and sand on both sides.

Judging from the width and depth of the riverbed, it must have been a river with a wide surface and abundant water.

"Do you know what this river is?" Vincent stared for a moment, then smiled back and asked La Niña, "A village without a river to cultivate the land naturally has no way to survive."

La Niña looked in the direction of the river with a solemn face, she should have thought of something, but under Vincent's gaze, she was a little hesitant.

"Let me remind you again that this strip and the plateau that originate further north in Herodes, to the south

When it went down into the sea, because the water was clear and sweet, people gave it a name, ......."

"Sweetwater River!"

Vincent stopped talking, as if he wanted La Niña to say the answer herself, but this time the arrogant noble lady was too embarrassed to speak, but Ninia couldn't help but say the answer.

"Even my unschooled doll knows, but you don't know?" Vincent pretended to be surprised and asked, "Aren't you your tutor and the lecturer in the Academy of Magic, what kind of unlearned and unskilled shit......

The lord's teasing made La Nina's face flush directly, although it was not as good as the color of her hair, but it was conspicuous enough.

"Yes, that's right, it's the River of Sweetwater." She replied a little angrily, "The Sweetwater River flows chiefly through Herodes, and once flowed into the sea in the south."

Ninia was taken aback by this incident, and then her expression was a little gloomy.

As long as you are from a farming family, you naturally know what water means to farmers.

If it weren't for the fact that the Sweet Water River had broken down a long time ago, her village would not have been so poor, and her family would not have starved to death.

It is impossible for him to go out to beg for a living because of poverty, let alone assassinate the demon prince Vincent for a little money.

Not to mention that he will not be reduced to being in the big castle of demons, eating and drinking spicy food and spicy food every day, wearing beautiful clothes and becoming a city idol, and finally wearing knight armor to become a female knight......

Well?

Why do you still feel better and better?

No, no, Ninia thought of the back, quickly shook her head, drove the last strange thoughts of a blessing in disguise out of her mind, and then looked at Vincent with a sad face, like a kitten shivering in the cold rain.

At the end of the journey, the lord will surely save the village, just as he had done before.

"Look at how pitiful my dressing doll is, she probably doesn't even know how the river ran out of water," Vincent said with a playful smile and asked La Niña again, "The great library in the Magic Compound has everything, so you can't even find the historical records of thirty years ago, right?"

"It's not because ......of the war," La Niña replied in a vague voice, "something happened during the war, and then it ......."

Ninia had an uncomfortable premonition, as long as it was a war, it was probably related to the demons.

"Say, go on," Vincent urged with a grin, "what's going on?"

La Nina glanced at Ninia, whose expression had changed, and the beautiful eyes of this girl were full of anticipation and sorrow, which made her feel very unbearable.

In the end, the sorceress gritted her teeth and told the truth.

"The Demon King destroyed the dam, and the river was rerouted, and from then on the river flowed southeast and joined other rivers."

Dam?

Ninia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

It doesn't sound surprising that the Demon King destroyed the dam, but why did the Herodians build a dam on a river that had been flowing for thousands of years?

In that case, what if the people downstream have no water?

This includes her and her family.