Chapter 106: Aftermath (1)
Arriving in the city, Osbourne headed straight to the temporary shelters where the injured and unfortunate had gathered. Travelling through the ruins had been a harrowing experience for the prince.
Houses, shops, and other buildings were reduced to rubble. Some knights and guards were still at it, digging through the debris, trying to find anyone who might still be trapped beneath the collapsed structures.
People who saw him along the way called out, pleading with the prince to help them rebuild their homes and businesses. Some were even making preparations to leave the city for good.
It was a first-time experience for many, but ordinary people valued safety and peace above all else. They had already lost so much—Osbourne couldn’t ask them to stay.
Anger burned in the prince’s heart. He swore to himself that those responsible would pay—after he dealt with the mess that was now the city.
"How bad is the damage?" Osbourne asked the captain in charge of assessing the destruction.
"Not good, Your Highness." The captain shook his head. "Reports are still coming in, but a rough estimate puts the cost of damage at over 100,000 gold, at the very least."
And that was just the city’s destruction. The crown would also have to cover the cost of treating the injured and compensating families who had lost their loved ones and property.
It was already shaping up to be a massive burden.
"That’s fine." Osbourne nodded, his gaze sweeping across the devastated scene.
His senses picked up on hushed conversations nearby—and the tone wasn’t encouraging. While the people kept their voices low, the prince’s heightened senses caught every word.