Chapter 174: On The Hunt
In the wilderness of southeastern Dagos, Prince Kaizon looked at the stack of reports that had been received in the last day.
"What is all this? Bandits, bandits, deserters, peasant uprising? How inept was the former King that things have gotten this bad in the east?" He demanded of his advisor.
"Your Majesty, the Nobles of this region were never wealthy, and they have suffered a decade of drought. Most spent every penny of their coffers to avoid starvation, then went off to war and didn’t return.
The siege at Burton alone killed ten thousand local peasants and many of their Barons. The massacres outside Cleowey were even worse, and it is said that half the population of Midgexe is buried in Cygnia now.
The Noble rulers are largely dead or young men of no accomplishments, and the populations are so depleted that the remainder of the peasants feel that they have been abandoned.
Should we return to the Capital and send a compliance army to the region to get things back under control before Cygnia’s infiltration forces arrive?" The Advisor asked.
"NO!
The border spies say that the Natural Sons Butchers are somewhere in this region, and if they’re here, then Princess Alexis is here as well.
Continue on this course, and have the scouts ask about battles and reports of large bandit groups." Kaizon demanded.
The Advisor bowed and retreated so that the Prince wouldn’t see him roll his eyes.