Everyone marched towards Jaridge, determined, and confident that they have won the upcoming battle already.
So the villages they passed and the peasants and refugees watched how proudly and smugly the warriors of the church marched with their pope leading them towards the upcoming beast tide without a worry on their face or that is how it seemed like to the outsiders who watched them.
As in inside there were those who weren't that faithful or didn't believe in their chances at all and wanted to abandon the church as even if the pope said they would have god at their side and they would win the battle but what if they would be the sacrifices that would die to achieve that goal? What would happen to their family then? Or what if they got injured? Would the church take care of them as they promised?
Then some were worried about their family's faith, and some even wanted to revolt against the church, especially their Pope's decision to involve their families to the war and bring their children and wives to Jaridge and help to bring bandages or cook food for the soldiers.
They thought that the pope had gone crazy and is just sacrificing more lives that wouldn't need to be sacrificed.
How the children or the ordinary housewives or then their husbands who were ordinary merchants, farmers, or what else even could stand to be on the battlefield and smell the blood and hear the death screams or see the injured who didn't have all their body parts attached to them anymore.
Then they feared that what if something would happen to them as they weren't there protecting them at all and as Jaridge would probably be full of refugees also then what about the hygiene there? Wouldn't there be many diseases there is a place full of cramped up with people and as there would be sick people also? What if they or their family members would get incurable sickness then? Would also all the people be good? What if there were bandits?
So many were unsure and was fearing for their and their family's life and what would happen, but some were extremely faithful and would sacrifice and kill themselves if the pope ordered.
It was like the church's suicide squad the elite of the elite that was easy to control and brainwashed to only take orders from the pope and as they have made an oath of faith when they accept their position and then accepted the churches rules.
And there was if you raise your hand against the pope the punishment is death in the milder case's just a fine or you will be kicked out from the church, or you will get postponed from your position.
Same was with the going against the church or leaving the church there were the same punishments so there was also emotional blackmail now as most of their families were with them so they also feared what would happen to them if they said or did something.
So they could only march and show outside of the world their empty and proud smile.
But every time they got closer and closer to Jaridge, their doubts increased as there was no information about how large the beast tide was. What kind of beasts were in it. There was no information about it at all, so they were like a blind flock of sheep that were following their leader to somewhere unknown.
Then there was the army that was just moving up and recruiting more people for now so they couldn't at least get to be ready in few days so why they had to move to the fields now, they asked from themselves? Wasn't it the army's job to protect this continent?
But they didn't know that their god was guiding their pope and said to him that something divine would happen in Jaridge and the god needed as many people to witness the new miracle that would be either blessing to their church or curse but the last part the god didn't tell to the pope.
So the pope was blindly following the orders as he wanted himself witness at least one miracle in his life as he was already old and he wouldn't have many years left. Also, he was deathly ill, but the last part he hasn't told or shown to no one as he wanted to believe that the miracle would save his life and give her chance to level up from the critical point that would at least give him still some years here.
But everything seemed so peaceful as they still haven't seen the enemy or that many refugees that would have come and survived from the beast tide.
It was just refugees from the nearby villages that images their chances to survive would be better in the capital city.
Otherwise, it was just villages and villagers that were doing their everyday job to survive.
So they couldn't imagine at all that there would be a beast tide that was threatening their continent at all.