...
The sky gradually darkened.
Most of the Ban Wei and the ducal and noble aristocrats had already returned to the city, leaving only a few medical officers, injured Imperial Guards, and some maidservants in the encampment outside the arena, waiting to set off early the next morning.
The nobility could leave whenever they wanted, whereas the small vendors who had followed were not as easily mobile.
Especially the cooked food vendors, who had gone to the trouble of setting up their stoves at one end, had hoped to make a good profit at the night market. With the departure of the cavalry, only a few servants meandered through, but since it was inconvenient to pack up and move, they continued to lay out their wares among the trees, pushing carts adorned with lanterns, calling out loudly.
A few dozen white tents were still pitched around, and nearly a hundred people remained. Although it was not as crowded as in previous years, it lent the forest night market a lively atmosphere.
