Ethan sat atop his horse and looked at the villagers quietly. His gaze swept across the frightened faces standing before him, but his expression remained calm.
"We are not here to harm civilians," he said in a steady voice.
"You are free to leave."
The villagers looked at one another in confusion. Many of them could hardly believe what they had just heard.
Several women immediately grabbed their children and pulled them close, while others hurried over to help the elderly move. Slowly, the crowd began retreating away from the village, but the fear inside them had not disappeared. They glanced back again and again as they walked, as if expecting the soldiers to attack at any moment.
In their eyes, the Arcadian soldiers were still invaders. Many had lost family members during the fighting. Many had watched their homes burn or collapse before their eyes. Many carried deep anger alongside their fear, and those emotions refused to fade so easily.
