Chapter 5

Fog of Famine

Korelia castle and town sat on top of a plateau, overlooking a vast steppe in four directions. The castle stood above the hill while the town clustered on one side. A stream from a small river sustained the populace. To its north lies the only forest while its east side was covered by cliffs and rocky terrain.

What little fertile land they had was extensively used for farming. However, the majority of the townsfolk weren’t farmers, but shepherds. Livestock such as sheep, goats, and ducks filled the rural landscape.

Located halfway between the east and west part of Lowlandia, Korelia had the potential for a trade hub, but the city’s small population and the long arduous journey to the west discouraged most traders from doing business.

While economically meager, but strategically, Korelia was the gateway between east and west. Every ambitious lord would vie to possess it. Holding Korelia meant military supremacy over the entire Lowlandia. No House ever united the entire province, but the greed-fueled vision persisted.

Lansius's emergence and Midlandia's insistence to claim him as the Lord of Korelia were stirring trouble in Lowlandia politics. So much so, that even in peace, there were bound to be powers that threatened Korelia.

***

Lansius

Despite rummaging the cabinet for a while, I still couldn't find the parchment I'm looking for. I let out a sigh and realized I sighed a lot these past few days.

"Why don't you let me search for it, My Lord?"

"It's alright, Calub, maybe I missed it the first time. I'll search it up again," I replied while fighting the urge to dismiss the excessive title. Midlandia had decreed for it and nobody voiced a complaint, but still, to be called a Lord felt so bizarre and cringy.

Instead of returning to his seat, Calub looked for the parchment in the next cabinet.

Without realizing it, I let out another sigh.

Ah, can't help it... So many things change after winning the war. Being called into a Lord is one thing, but dang, they can't even let me have my dinner in peace.

As was customary, the Lord would dine together with his retinues. Thus, I was hosting a dinner banquet every day at the great hall and socializing with up to a hundred people or more. Some were battle buddies whom I didn't mind meeting, but many were new faces who only recently had joined my banner.

Worse, there were guests who introduce themselves and demanded my time. My social battery drained too easily and I dreaded pleasantries as I found them to be mostly hollow and superficial.

"Ah-" I exclaimed as I found the parchment.

Calub looked at me but didn't say a word and tidied up his cabinet.

I felt bad for troubling Calub but we were in a hurry. So, I gazed upon the written numbers and did a quick mental calculation. “Not enough," I remarked weakly about the grain in our storage.

Hugo and Audrey who were also present in the council room looked depressed. This was to be expected, we had found a plot to instigate famine in Korelia and now the numbers looked evident of our weakness to such an attack.

I should've known... Starving an opponent is a valid tactic and price manipulations are as old as history. This also means we're up against somebody really capable. Nasty and morally questionable, but dangerously genius.

I returned to my seat and slumped down. Famine would undo everything I had worked for Korelia. The defenses would be useless if the people and troops rebelled from food shortage.

Sitting across the large mahogany table, Hugo coughed once before speaking. “My Lord, I can arrange to get supply from White Lake. I reckon we could do three return trips before winter sets in.”

I looked at Hugo, the new Marshal, and answered, "I believe Robert is in the same situation. After our last battle, he needs fresh supplies. Asking him for food right now will risk a revolt from his men."

“Can’t we just purchase more food? I know it’s expensive, but we got the money, right?” Audrey’s bluntness loosened up the tension somewhat.

“Well, we could buy enough, but at this price, that would put a big hole in our treasury,” Calub answered.

“He's right," I remarked. "Furthermore, if we suddenly buy a large quantity of food, the price will rise higher. Then everybody, including our allies, will suffer."

Hugo crossed his hand and exhaled deeply. “We’re really in a mess then."

Nobody said a word, Calub reread his scrolls looking for some idea. Meanwhile, Hugo opened the window to get fresh air.

“Say, Korelia townsfolk are mostly herders, right? Can’t they survive by eating the livestock?” Audrey asked.

Calub smiled at her simple question. “Well, the meat from a butchered lamb can feed a family for two weeks. But if you trade that lamb, you can get a sack of grain, that'll easily last for more than two months," he explained from a practical standpoint.

Audrey nodded her head, the explanation was easy to digest. Meat products were many times more expensive than grain. To survive winter with just meat would be impossibly expensive.

Something sparked in my mind during their exchange. “How’s the food price in Midlandia?” I blurted out.

Calub heard my question and scrambled for his other scrolls. “It’s normal. Midlandia grain price is actually on its ebb.”

“Hugo, can we travel directly to Midlandia?" I asked. This was to cut costs as passing through another lord’s fief would incur fees.

"We can," Hugo answered as he returned to his seat. "We need cavalry escorts to deter outlaws, but it's easy to arrange."

“Hold on, we only have ten horse-drawn carts. They're narrow and can only hold three barrels. If we want to transport large quantities, then we must use the merchants’ wide carts," Calub chimed in.

“Hugo, can wide carts travel alongside ours?”

“No problem, My Lord. The ground is firm this season. However, they will slow us down," Hugo replied.

“That's okay, we probably only need one return trip," I remarked. Even with fast carts only, a second journey would be too risky. They could get stranded if winter arrived sooner.

“Only one trip?" Calub sounded doubtful. "Even if we could convince all the merchants to lend us their carts, we only have at best some thirty carts."

“Mm... thirty cartloads of grains sounds a lot to me." Audrey butted in.

"It may be so, but it's not just for winter alone. We also need enough for next spring and summer. I believe this is all deliberate, a preliminary before an attack," Calub warned us.

Audrey's clicked her tongue and she looked at me concerned.

I nodded at her, gesturing I'm alright. She was more concerned about me than about the coming war. "It's okay, I expect a battle or siege is going to happen one way or the other."

A measure of calmness returned to the chamber. Calub massaged his forehead, likely he had been mulling about this problem since morning.

As for me, I gazed at the ceiling to collect my thoughts. I probably could feed the troops with rationing, but to let the townsfolk go through a famine would be unimaginable. However, with only that many carts, we couldn't transport enough. Medieval era transport was crude, poor, and largely inefficient. I let out an inaudible sigh.

I got the money but nobody to transport the food. If only there are closer places to buy food... ... wait a minute... this is not a food shortage, this is a price problem!

In a fit of surprise, I slapped the table. Subsequently, all eyes were upon me. “Get that cup-bearer girl.”

“Oh, you’re thirsty?" Audrey arrived at the wrong conclusion and went to the door.

I let it slide. “Ah, yeah, tell her to bring drinks too. We could use some refreshment.”

Non-council members were forbidden to enter the chamber, so our entourage waited outside. Calub was eying me, but before he could voice his suspicion, a lovely-looking girl entered the chamber. Cecile's hair wasn’t the usual brown but a pale blonde. “You asked for me, My Lord," she said gracefully with a hint of fear.

It was understandable, Cecile barely knew us as she was new to the job.

Audrey snatched the embroidery-covered flask from Cecile's hand and proceeded to pour drinks for the four of us.

“Yes, dear, I believe you could ride a horse?” I asked as calmly as possible. I didn't want to look brutish in front of a new employee.

“Indeed, My Lord.”

“Good, go with Thomson and summon Sir Callahan for me," I said gently.

Cecile was surprised, nevertheless bowed gracefully, and left the room. Her father was the first of Lord Robert’s knights who switched allegiance to me.

Soon there was a knock on the door. A bearded swordsman, who had gained fame in the last battle, appeared at the door.

“Yes, Thomson?”

“My Lord, I’ve been told to escort the cupbearer lady to her estate and summon Sir Callahan?”

“Indeed. Can I trust you with this one?”

“At once.” Thomson closed the door and left.

I rest my back, the solid wood felt comfortable. Now that things were in motion, I began to have doubts.

As if on cue, Calub cleared his throat. “So what exactly is the plan, My Lord?"

“Well, we can’t purchase grain in Lowlandia, so there’s only Midlandia," I explained while looking outside the window.

“Midlandia's price is better, but it’s a month-long journey. We also don't know how much the merchants would ask for their carts?" Calub reminded me.

“Who says I’m going to pay for their carts?” I denied his assumption.

Confusion ran at the trio’s faces. Ignoring them, I drank my small ale.

“Then how you supposed… My Lord, you want to force them by arms?" Hugo asked in disbelief.

“No, we don’t need to. Just tell them that we’re going to assemble a return journey to Midlandia. If they apply, then we’ll provide escorts for a small fee," I divulged part of my plan.

“You sure they would take it?” Hugo was yet to be convinced.

“Of course, merchants love cheap escorts. Also, there's a big opportunity for profit in Midlandia," I explained with a chuckle.

“I see, but why the fee?” Hugo asked curiously.

“Merchants are suspicious by nature," I clarified. "If they hear that something is free, then they’ll get worried about unseen risks.”

Hugo nodded deeply. And then it was Calub's turn again. “My Lord, you do realize that we have no control over what the merchants will load into their carts, right?”

“I know that, Calub. They may load other goods, but I reckon mostly grain and foodstuff because profit dictates so.”

“That solves one problem. Still, even if all buy grain, a mere thirty cartloads won't be enough. And no guarantee they’ll sell it cheap when they return.” Calub's words alarmed the room.

Hugo and Audrey stared at me and I gestured for them to calm down. "It's true that thirty carts won’t be enough. After all, there are six thousand people in Korelia. It also won't be enough to push the price to normal."

Calub smirked. "Then, My Lord, why are you smiling?”

“Eh?” I licked my lips, trying to hide it from them.

“You planned something,” Hugo exclaimed.

“Lans!” Audrey vehemently protested. Like hungry wolves, they ganged up on me.

“Alright- alright, I may have a way out. But this is a gamble and a risky one as well." I gave up and revealed my plan in its entirety.

The boldness of it and how it involved our benefactor, Seneschal Bengrieve, made them rather pale. Bengrieve was a force of nature in his own way and not only did we owe him so much, but he also had all of our dirty secrets. My family, my friends, and my survival were at his whim.

I gulped involuntarily but pressed on to dictate two letters to Calub. As soon as we finished them, Calub poured a blot of purple wax on each and I used my signet ring to seal them.

“Do you think this will work?" I asked Calub.

He patted me on my shoulder and spoke. “Now I know your intention. I think it’s worth the shot.”

***

The next morning I received Sir Callahan in the castle. I confided in him my letters to be opened in front of Seneschal Bengrieve of Midlandia.

Soon, words spread in Korelia about a planned return journey to Midlandia. Without delay, the preparation was underway. We loaded the carts with leathers, furs, and other local commodities.

This close to winter, we could probably make a good profit by selling them to offset our expenses.

As was expected, all merchants with horse-drawn carts jumped at the opportunity. Cheap armed escort and direct route to Midlandia were too good to be passed. Before the week ended, we finalized the preparation.

One morning, we bid farewell to the caravan and the cavalry escort. Cecile’s parting with her father was probably the highlight. The last time they had parted, Callahan went home with a big gash on his back. With a gentle stare and a nod, the two conveyed their goodbyes in silence.

Cecile held her tears until the caravan and her father were gone from sight.

The fate of Korelia rested squarely upon their shoulder.

***