Chapter 232: The God of Hunger, Ferderica (3)
The next morning dawned with a hazy sky and the promise of more trouble for Milayna. She stepped outside, intent on managing the day’s business, only to freeze in surprise the moment she opened the main door of the Akasha family estate.
Right there, blocking the gate, stood a group so disheveled, so caked with filth, that anyone passing by would have mistaken them for common beggars. Their clothes were ragged, stained, and their faces sunburnt and drawn. However, there was a strange focus in their eyes, something almost fanatical.
Before Milayna could react, the estate guards rushed to her side, their faces strained with worry.
“Lady Milayna, we’re sorry for the disturbance...”
“What’s happening?” she asked one of the guards, already bracing herself for bad news.
“These people... they’ve been blocking the gate since last night,” the guard replied, glancing uneasily at the group.
Milayna frowned. “Then why haven’t you asked them to move? That’s what I pay you for.”
“We tried, but...” Their words trailed off, helpless. The guards exchanged nervous glances.
It was clear something more was going on. Setting her jaw, Milayna stepped forward herself, facing the ragged assembly. “Who are you people? Why are you camped at the Akasha estate?”
A woman at the front stepped forward, her posture stiff, her eyes narrowed. “We are the followers of the God of Hunger, Ferderica. My name is Riltara.”
Milayna’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that name. She had heard rumors about the followers of Ferderica—how they moved like a blight from land to land, leaving starvation and chaos in their wake. Now, they were standing on her doorstep, in the very heart of Denian’s capital.
So that was why the guards had done nothing, she realized.