“For Lord Reddy! Capture these traitors!” The two captains bellowed.

There was no more dissention. The guards followed orders and resumed their arrests. The merchants no longer struggled or tried to flee. Tarek Baba, the most dangerous one, had already been shackled in heavy chains. The rest could only cry in regret as they were tied up one by one.

“You know… you should thank me,” Gray said.

“And why is that?” Alisha said.

“What do you mean why?” He said indignantly, “I stood here and stopped them from running away. Otherwise, that Tarek Baba would have made it out before you could catch him.”

She snorted, “When you climbed over the wall, I already saw you.”

“You did?”

“Hmph, my original plan was to be exactly where we are now but since you were already here, I wasn’t about to come and ruin the surprise. But you did perform admirably so... as the lord, I thank you for your assistance in arresting these criminals.”

“You... really are the lord?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Ah…” Gray scratched his head.

Alisha being Lord Reddy wasn't the worst thing in the world. She was kind, thoughtful, and cared for her people. If he had to choose, she would have been the best person for the job. He was glad the lord wasn't a clueless youth or a senile elder.

They fell into silence and watched the last of the merchants be rounded up. Some of the guards had already left with their prisoners. Others unpacked the caravan and cataloged the goods the merchants were trying to flee with. It was mostly food and supplies for travel. But there was also large stashes of jade and gold, enough to make Gray jealous.

“What’s going to happen to them?” He asked.

“They will be locked up in the guard's barracks for now. They are all traitors so their property and assets in Jade Hill Town will be confiscated."

Gray perked up, "Oh! What else are you going to confiscate? What about the Southern Seas Mining Company and all the land they had claimed?"

Alisha nodded with an air of satisfaction, "That's right, the Southern Seas Mining Company time in Jade Hill Town is over after Tarek Baba's display of criminal cowardice. They won't be allowed back, ever!"

He tried not to laugh. He tried not to smile but one still appeared on his face. He couldn't help it. The land above his treasure trove of jade was no longer claimed by someone else. A huge weight was lifted from his mind. As long as he got rid of the bandits, his road to fabulous wealth was wide open.

But then, he remembered Krish, Huzhi, and the others. They were still trapped in the pit mine. The Duanmu Clan had to be defeated as soon as possible.

“About the war...” Gray looked around and leaned down to whisper, “I have a few really important things to tell you but I can’t do it here.”

"Right, follow me."

They went down the stairs and left the southern district.

They soon arrived at the open field below the north gate which had been converted to a staging area for the town's defense. The guards were already above the walls, actively fighting back against the bandits on the other side. Hundreds of ordinary townsfolk milled about below, getting their morning meals which consisted of porridge and steamed buns.

Gray's stomach growled ferociously at the sight. His feet moved on their own towards the tables laden with food but Alisha grabbed his arm. She dragged him into the biggest tent that was set up right next to the wall. Ignoring the huge table depicting the battlefield in the middle, she led him through a doorway made of cloth drapes and into a private room with a small table and two chairs. They sat down and a short moment later, her guards delivered a pot of porridge, a large plate of steamed buns, and spare bowls and spoons.

“Eat.” She said and picked up a bun.

He grinned and ladled himself a full bowl of porridge. It smelled savory and fragrant. There were salted eggs in there as well as fatty bits of pork. It was delicious and filled the emptiness in his stomach. He grabbed a bun and took a big bite. Inside was a savory, meaty filling mixed with vegetables. It was also excellent.

After many bowls and countless buns, his hunger was slightly sated. He managed to pry his attention from the food and noticed Alisha’s expectant face.

“So, what have you found?” She asked.

Gray wiped his mouth and became serious, "Before I say anything, I want to know... How you will defeat the bandits, how you are going to save the captured miners?"

Alisha explained her plan. It involved resisting the siege until the recruits could be trained to fight properly. The difference in numbers between the bandit army and the town guards was insurmountable so the town had to make up the difference by conscripting the common population. Once the training was complete, she would launch a surprise attack against the bandit camp to free the prisoners. Her forces would be at their peak condition while the bandits would be fatigued and hungry. With the freed miners, the town would have much greater numbers and this would hopefully convince the bandits to seek a truce.

"How long will their training take?" He asked.

"Two weeks at least. I'm sending people to their deaths. I want them to at least give them the best chance possible."

"I understand. I'm not criticizing that at all. It's a great plan, honestly. But you're really not going to like what I'm about to tell you."

Alisha furrowed her brow, as if to say that wasn't possible. Before Gray could think of how to go about telling her, another voice chimed in.

"Please Gray, don't leave us in suspense!"

"Huh?"

"Father!"

Gray turned around and was met with the haggard face of Anand Patel. The Patel family patriarch seemed even weaker and skinnier than before. His hands were wrinkled and ancient. His neck was thin as a twig.

“Elder Patel…” He said, standing up.

Alisha rushed past him to support her father and guided him to the chair she vacated.

“Come now, it’s Anand. Did fighting the Duanmu Clan make you forget?” Anand said, his cheery voice a stark contrast to his frightening appearance. “Look at you, eating all the food again. There’s hardly any left for me or Alisha.”

The state of the breakfast table was indeed woeful. The pot of porridge that could have fed five or six people was empty. The plate of meat buns only had a single one remaining. But a few moments later, Harsh came in with another steaming pot and a plate of buns stacked high.

Alisha fretted over her father's breakfast and slapping Gray's roving hand away. Ignoring her protests, Anand handed Gray a meat bun from his own plate with a small smile.

"Tell us, young man. What have you been up to?" He asked.

“Okay, so I went to join the River Mine…” Gray began with his mouth still half full.

He told them about everything he had gone through, leaving out the juicy details about his special abilities. He described the initial ambush on the mine as well as being chased by Tang Duanmu all the way to Abundance Town. He described wandering around the plains, killing wolves and bison, and stumbling across the lake mine with the prisoners. He finished it off by explaining how he mixed in with the prisoners until last night when he finally made his escape.

“The fire was caused by you?” Harsh asked.

“Mmm, yeah.”

Harsh laughed uproariously, "Great work! You sure ruined their day. At one point this morning, the entire eastern side of their camp was in flames!"

Anand also joined in the laughter but this quickly caused him to cough. Alisha patted his back and glared at Harsh.

"Alright, alright." She said impatiently, "Gray, what did you actually find out about the bandits?"