Their powers were broken – If a lord proved incapable of protecting their own levies, which were their own citizens, this was a guarantee that grieving families would be holding a grudge against their lord.

The luckier ones will simply fade into obscurity while the less lucky ones will find themselves insulted or even mobbed in their own dominion, where their guards’ efficiency is spotty at best. Some so-called lords simply are ruling over villages. Getting outright hung by the villagers are not an impossibility.

“A smashing victory, I would say, sire!” Kaisenberg said, beaming with pride, having already wiped the bloodstains off his face. Lord Black almost gagged from the smell of the burning tar and the corpses that were on fire. The smell of blood and death filled the air along with the many injured from the Gerheist army moaning, screaming and crying.

“Let us leave this place quickly after General Kaffe gets here. We need to rejoin the defensive line. Those were our orders,” Lord Black said as he raised a piece of cloth to cover his nose and reining in his horse, turned towards his own camp.

Roland on the other hand, was beside himself with glee as he watched an entourage of men with General Kaffe riding towards Lawrence and himself.

Now, you have seen our power. This is Lawrence’s time for his stage.

Longines had already begun to strip the enemy encampment of their food supplies and all their equipment and had the soldiers shifting them back towards the supply train.

“Roland, is that General Kaffe?” Lawrence asked, his eyes, gazing at the general with a wide grin on his face. It was not Roland who answered, but Trey. Trey smiled at a man near the general and gave an affirmative grunt at Lawrence.

“Yes, General Kaffe, perhaps one of the most legendary generals in the Kingdom of Carmine, reduced to being a border guard. His nicknames, the Lion of the East, the Carminian Butcher and the Rocky Hills Defender… Many more… But he has a less interesting history as well, of course…” Trey said as he recalled some points off his memorandum.

“You! You must be Lawrence Carstein! Those are some soldiers! Give me five thousand of those and I’ll sweep the enemies off our kingdom!” General Kaffe boomed the moment Lawrence was within earshot.

“Indeed, General, Knight Lawrence Carstein, I am glad to meet someone of such repute and renown,” Lawrence bowed his head a little and the General’s laughter only grew louder.

“Skilled, and comes with a glib mouth too!” General Kaffe laughed, getting off his horse and Lawrence did the same and the general held Lawrence in a slightly crushing embrace.

I can’t breathe…

“Thank you for coming to our rescue! I have no doubt that the sycophant would have left us to our deaths! He will see the most talented men and women of this great nation hung, drawn and quartered as long as he can continue to sip the finest wine and have the most beautiful women,” General Kaffe cursed and Lawrence used this opportunity to break from his embrace.

“Your men must be tired from the assault, however, General, I must insist that we not sit around for more men from the Kingdom of Gerheist to arrive. We should rejoin the line with the General Staff. The General Staff on our side,” Lawrence said, having been briefed in detail by Trey on the inner political machining within even the military.

“Very well, Lawrence, we shall share our celebratory wine on horseback then,” General Kaffe fully understood that if they did not withdraw now, more and more Gerheist men will throw themselves at the two forces.

Barking an order, the exhausted defenders in General Kaffe’s encampment began to pack up. Longines stood in the front of the supply train, with the sacks of grain now already with the Owls’ symbol.

“What are you thinking about?” Roland asked the tactician who was staring at the grain intently.

“How do you make grain bad quickly?” Longines asked and Roland looked at him as if he was mad.

“Why on earth would you want to do that?” Roland asked and Longines turned to look at the former village chief.

“Very simply, I may not be a man of politics as much as you and Trey. However, I want to do enough to protect my men and my liege lord. Now, Roland, if you would kindly tell me.”

Roland stammered and scratched his head, “Well.. Just… make it really wet. By the time we reach our destination, they should already have gone bad.”

“I thank you,” Longines said as he clapped his hands and some of his assistants stepped forward.

The armies quickly withdrew, with the wet grain on the outsides of the supply train.