The battle was soon over.

A hundred cavalry against dozens of bandits who couldn't even put together armor, plus a high-ranking knight leading the charge in front, was more of a one-sided slaughter than a battle.

Not even an effective defense, with the bags on their shoulders from the villagers, the robbers who had gathered around the caravan at the entrance of the village were crushed by a charge from Cilita.

Ordered to camp at the entrance of the village, Celita called in an adjutant and counted the casualties.

Except for some negligible minor injuries, there were no casualties among the more than 100 cavalrymen. As for the robbers who plundered the village, only seventeen of the fifty-nine were taken prisoner alive, and at the moment they were kneeling in embarrassment in the open space at the entrance of the village, guarded by peasants with iron forks.

"The robbers were routs who had fled from the front, and according to them, the situation in Sardiniburg was not optimistic. Just three days ago, the rebels under William the Butcher had surrounded the city walls and were erecting engineering equipment. The pair should still be in a stalemate right now, but next month is hard to say. ”

A solemn look appeared on Cilita's face, and after a moment of silence, she nodded.

"I see...... You send a cavalryman to a nearby castle and ask the nearby lord to send someone to pick up the captives. There's no way we're going to leave these people here, and we're not going to be able to take them with us. ”

In fact, there is another option, which is to kill it directly.

Of course, considering that the knight's creed included the precept of not killing prisoners, the lieutenant did not talk to the knight's lady and nodded in response.

"Yes."

……

In the middle of the village, there is a dilapidated scene. The doors and windows of many houses were smashed, and shards of pots and pans were spilled on the ground. Apparently the robbers had ravaged before Celeta's cavalry arrived. The village has been ravaged for a long time.

Walking on horseback on the main road of the village, Cilita's mood was unusually heavy.

Especially when she saw the shivering girl curled up in her mother's arms on the side of the road, and the corpse that had her throat cut and fell to the ground to protect her family, her eyes burned with anger, and her clenched right fist made a "clucking" sound.

Thinking about how many villages were being ravaged by rebels in places she didn't know. How many of the kingdom's people died in agony, and her heart was like a rope strangling, and there was a pang of cramping.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing the anger in her heart, Cilita stepped off her horse.

Unbuckled her helmet, walked over to the mother and daughter and crouched down, she stretched out her right hand, looked at the crying girl tenderly, and whispered comfortingly.

"Don't be afraid, it's fine."

It was not until the crying had subsided that she stood up, led her horse to the entrance of the village, and found a farmer with an iron fork in his hand.

"Who is your lord?"

"My lord, our lord is Viscount Nobant." The farmer holding the iron fork said resignedly.

"What about Viscount Nobant's army?" Cilita frowned.

Hearing this, a bitter expression appeared on the farmer's face.

"My lord, where is the army? Viscount Nobent and his son were in Sardiniburg, and the entire reserve of the viscount had responded to the signs of His Majesty. Except for a few defenders in the castle fifteen miles away, the young men of the entire viscount either left or went to battle......"

Only then did Cilita notice the wrinkles on the faces and slightly stubble waists of the farmers standing here. There was not a single young man in sight in the whole village, and it was no wonder that when the robbers invaded the place, they met almost no resistance.

"What are you going to do in the future?"

The farmer was dumbfounded on Cilita's question, not knowing how to answer.

They are the subjects of the Viscount of Nobant, not to mention what they can do if they leave the land on which they live, and they are not allowed to leave the Viscount without permission. Unless they choose to leave the kingdom of Rick and leave the country, if they are caught as fugitives, they will be punished harshly, even if they are reduced to slavery.

Unable to bear it, Celita turned over and stepped on her war horse and returned to the camp.

At the entrance to the camp, she bumped into her lieutenant and the cavalry who were about to go to the nearby castle to deliver a message.

"Cilita...... My lord? The adjutant looked at Cilita in a daze, not knowing what she was planning to do.

"Go and bring me the royal flag, and I'll go to Viscount Norbant's castle myself, and I'll leave it to you," she looked at the cavalryman next to her, who was already ready to go, "You come with me." ”

“…… Yes, sir. The cavalryman said at a loss.

Without waiting too long, the adjutant quickly took the flag.

Cilita reached out and took it, carried the red and golden lion flag on her shoulder, waved the reins, and rode in the direction of the nearby castle.

The two horsemen ran one after the other on the dirt road, and the horse galloped in front of Celita, and in less than an hour they saw the tower of the castle.

Seeing the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves in the distance, the guards of the castle hurried up to the walls and grabbed their spears and crossbows. It wasn't until they saw the red background golden lion flag and the fact that there were only two people who came that they all breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed their guard.

It's already quite close to the front line.

The slightest hint of wind and grass can be nerve-wracking.

"Phew!"

Reining in her hand and stopping her horse's hooves in front of the castle moat, Cilita raised the flag in her right hand and shouted at the guards on the gatehouse.

"My name is Cilita Gondal, and I have been ordered to send reinforcements to Sardinia and let your lords come out to meet me."

"I'm right here."

The guards on the gatehouse made way for a way, and the man in chain mail walked to the battlements.

Seeing the face of about sixteen or seventeen years old, Cilita was slightly surprised.

However, thinking that Viscount Nobent and his eldest son had both gone to war, she quickly understood the identity of this person, probably the youngest son of Viscount Nobant.

"Miss of the Gondal family? The contemptible Charlie Norbant, in place of his father, who fought for His Majesty on the front lines, was stationed at the castle. As you can see, these people standing on the walls are all the fighting power of this viscounty, and we can no longer afford to pay more blood for His Majesty, please allow us to retain our dignity as nobles until the last moment. The young nobleman, who was standing on the gatehouse, said as he looked down at Cilita.

"I'm not here to recruit the castle guards," said Cilita, holding away her raised banner and staring at him, "I'm just here to remind you that just an hour ago, your people were being raided by bandits. ”

"Thank you for coming to the rescue." Charlie closed his eyes and bowed slightly.

"I don't need your thanks," said Cilita, grasping the reins in her hand, "and we'll be on our way early tomorrow morning, and I'm asking you in the name of the royal family to open the castle, take over the captives, and give shelter to the poor who have no walls to protect them." ”

"I can't do it."

"What?" Celita looked at him in disbelief, clearly not expecting him to refuse.

"I said I couldn't do it." Charlie's face remained unchanged and he said in an unquestioning tone, "Those captives? It's up to you to kill or sell it, I don't have anyone here to take care of those guys for you. As for the people, there was no food to eat and drink in the castle, and letting them in would only bring plague and calamity into the castle. ”

"They are all people of the Kingdom! Do you just sit back and watch them being slaughtered by the rebels? The fist holding the reins clenched, and Celia said angrily.

"They are my people!" Looking directly into Cilita's eyes, Charlie raised his voice without showing weakness, "And, put away your unreasonable tone for me, whose fault do you think this land has become like this?" ”

"Because of the rebels, of course."

"Really?" Glancing at the flag on Cilita's shoulder, a trace of disgust flashed in Charlie's eyes, and he turned his back to Cilita under the city, and said in a cold tone, "Those villagers are at your disposal, if you can't look at them, take them to the front line." The Noband family has fulfilled their duty as courtiers, and it is not the turn of a mere little girl with the title of knight to dictate to me how to govern the territory. ”