When the group arrived at Fenris Castle, they were greeted by a bleak sight.

The people looked no better than beggars, their eyes lifeless, like the dead eyes of fish. It was as if they had given up on life itself.

Ghislain frowned. "The situation is worse than I thought."

He had anticipated it might be bad after passing through the impoverished villages on the way, but he hadn’t expected the area around the castle itself to be in such dire condition.

It meant the previous lord had squeezed every last bit of potential from the land and its people.