Three hours later, the front yard of Southern Manor was already piled high with weapons and equipment.
Angus rubbed his head with blood-stained hands and walked towards Art, who was inspecting the weapons and equipment in the front yard.
Art handed Angus a bowl of hot water and asked, "How is it? Where is Chares's treasury hidden? Odo and his men have searched every corner of the manor, but they only found less than six thousand fenny. The manor servants said that Chares was extremely greedy, and he had bled the farmers dry over the years, so his wealth must be more than this."
Angus wiped his blood-soaked hands on his waist, took the wooden bowl Art handed him, and took a sip, replying, "That Chares fellow valued money more than his life. He was very difficult to deal with. Even when he was beaten to within an inch of his life, he didn't say a word about the treasury. He thought we wouldn't dare to kill him just because he's a noble."
Art also found such a money-grubbing fellow troublesome, because Chares loved money so much that no one else knew the location of the manor's treasury. The manor steward might have known a little, but he had already become a cold corpse lying on the ground.
"Keep torturing him. He thinks we don't dare to beat him to death, so beat him to death. We are currently fighting Swabia, who would care if a group of people of unknown origin killed an annoying minor noble!" Art could only think of this method, because Chares had been alone for many years, without a wife or children. Such a person had no one to make him feel a shred of concern except himself.
As Angus was about to turn back to continue the torture, Leide, who was in charge of guarding Chares, ran out. "Sir, that fellow is dead!"
"Didn't he still have one breath left just now? He just died like that?" Angus walked over and asked.
"He only had one breath left when you came out. Just now, I saw him motionless, so I checked his breath. He was gone~" Leide shrugged.
"Damn it, this Bastard!" Angus cursed.
Art followed the two into the room where Chares had been tortured. Chares, tied to a pillar, was covered in wounds from the continuous torture by Angus and Leide. His face was full of cuts from blades, and blackish-red blood oozed from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Below him was a pool of faeces, urine, and thick blood.
Art waved his hand to fan away the pungent stench and instructed Leide, "Leide, take this Bastard down and move him aside. Someone will come to collect his body after we leave." Then he and Angus left the room together.
Odo, along with Bass and Roen, had already led the Soldiers to gather all the weapons, armor, and valuables that could be taken from the storeroom into the front yard. The Soldiers were loading the confiscated swords, axes, armor, bows, arrows, and other weapons and equipment, as well as valuable items like silk, raw silk, spices, salt, and silver utensils, onto the four horses and three mules brought from the manor's stables.
When Odo saw Art approaching, he went up to him and asked, "Sir, all the weapons, armor, silver tableware, and valuable fabrics and clothing that are easy to transport from the manor have been loaded onto the animals. The two blacksmiths and one carpenter from the manor, along with their families, have also been captured. We can leave soon."
Art glanced at the yard. The mules and pack animals were mostly loaded with large bundles of weapons and armor. The remaining items on the ground that hadn't been loaded would be carried by the Soldiers. As for other slightly bulky items, they weren't confiscated due to the inconvenience of carrying them.
"Odo, that Bastard Chares refused to reveal the location of the treasury even unto death. He has been beaten to death, so we won't get his money now."
Odo was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. "Can that Bastard take his money to hell to enjoy? He deserved to be beaten to death."
"Odo, we haven't gotten the money, and I'm not willing to leave just like this," Art said, stroking his chin.
"Sergeant, you know a bit of Swabian. Go release all the serfs and slaves in the manor. Tell them that as long as they come with us and work for us, they can regain their commoner status, and we guarantee they will have enough to eat and wear. Have them help us transport supplies back to Talburg."
"Then, take a few Soldiers to the outside of the manor's fortified village and find a group of farmers to help us transport supplies. Tell them that as long as they transport supplies for us, they can take anything they want from the manor after we leave. These farmers have been terribly oppressed by Chares in the past. Tell them that Chares is dead, and it's time for them to reclaim what belongs to them. Hmm, if anyone resists violently, execute one or two on the spot."
Angus accepted the order and went to work.
Art then turned to Odo and said, "Odo, have everyone search the manor again. Bring out all the plows, farm tools, and other tools that are missing in the valley. Also, take all the oxen, mules, and donkeys inside and outside the manor. With the help of slaves, farmers, oxen, and mules to transport things for us, we'll take everything we can! If I can't get the money, I'll empty this manor."
"Good!!! I'll go right away!" Odo excitedly called over the ready Soldiers and re-entered the manor for another round of scavenging.
...
After another busy period, as the sun began to set, several stacks of supplies had already piled up in the front yard of Southern Manor. In addition to the weapons, armor, and valuable supplies loaded onto horses and mules, there were also eight plows, more than twenty sets of farm tools and iron tools, ordinary cloth, bedding, clothing, sacks of rye bread or flour, and various scattered daily necessities that were difficult to make.
Thirteen emaciated, barely clothed manor serfs (slaves) and ten ragged farmers from outside the fortified village stood on the other side of the front yard, receiving Angus's instructions.
Angus's not-so-fluent Swabian, mixed with a Northern Burgundy accent, rang out: "My Lord said that as long as you come with us and honestly work for us, we will not only ensure your safety but also provide you with ample food. In the future, we will restore your freedom and grant you land to cultivate..."
...
Art glanced at the goods and supplies being carried on shoulders and by hand by the crowd, then looked back at the good things in the manor that couldn't be moved. He felt a bit reluctant, but with heavy snow blocking the roads, carriages couldn't pass, and he hadn't planned on taking so many things before, so he hadn't thought of bringing horses or livestock.
However, being able to acquire so much wealth just before leaving the war zone and returning home still left Art quite satisfied...
An hour later, a dozen Soldiers, armed with sharp blades, escorted two dozen slaves and farmers carrying supplies, leading more than ten mules, horses, and oxen laden with weapons, armor, and farm tools, disappearing into the vast hills behind the manor...
Outside the fortified wall of Southern Manor, in the farmers' shacks, some families rejoiced while others grieved. The women and children whose men had been abducted by bandits to serve as laborers cried in despair, while the farmers and their wives whose homes were safe quietly approached the manor, which they usually wouldn't even dare to look at for fear of being beaten or cursed. After several attempts, a bolder fellow finally snuck in and soon came running out excitedly, carrying a large bag of grain, followed by a second, then a third...
Soon, the panic caused by the bandits turned into the joy of a bountiful harvest.
...
"Roen, are you sure you want to bring this woman back? You haven't fallen for her, have you? Did you two really not do anything in the bedroom?"
On the way back to Talburg, Bass kept asking Roen about the Persian woman. It was not surprising; as a single man in his twenties, how could he not have more thoughts when faced with such an enchanting and beautiful woman?
Roen replied impatiently, "Brother Bass, I'm really not lying to you. I thought she was a monster at the time and was truly scared. Later, the Lord said she was some kind of Persian, a slave captured from east of the Holy Land~ But she actually spoke some Provence."
"Originally, the Lord intended to let her go, but she voluntarily asked to come with us. She said she knew medicine and could help us treat injuries and illnesses. That's why the Lord agreed to take her."
"I'm telling you all, the Lord instructed that if this woman really knows medicine, she's a rare treasure for us. You must not have any designs on her."
Roen instructed the several officers and Soldiers who had gathered around him.
Bass smiled somewhat awkwardly and said, "Who's having designs on her? I was just curious to see what an infidel looks like. Since the Lord instructed us to treat her well, we certainly won't act recklessly." He then glanced at the Persian woman walking among the slaves...
A group of dozens of people, carrying goods plundered from the manor, traveled through the hills and dense forests for a long time. It wasn't until late at night that they returned to Talburg with torches. Kazak, who had stayed behind in Talburg, led his men out of the fort gate to welcome the returning group, laden with spoils.
"Kazak, tell the kitchen to make some hot porridge for everyone. We've been walking for most of the night, and everyone is cold and hungry," Art instructed Kazak, who had come to greet them.
"Odo, have them send the weapons and equipment to the armory, and store the other things in the storeroom."
"Angus, later, let those farmers have some soup and porridge, then ask them if any of them are willing to stay. Those who are willing to stay will be provided with food and lodging, and will also be given land in the future. If they are not willing to stay, tell them they can leave after eating."
For the next dozen days, snow continued to fall intermittently, but there was no movement from the Swabia direction.
The plundering of Southern Manor and the killing of its lord, Sir Chares, seemed to have been frozen by the cold weather. The Hohenstaufen family, Chares's liege, did not make much of a fuss over the killing of their vassal. They merely sent a Knight with a few Soldiers to temporarily take over the manor. Perhaps before long, Chares's distant relatives would begin to quarrel fiercely over this rich manor.
The Talburg garrison, having completed their last mission, also entered a state of hibernation. Talburg was no longer very important to them now. Once this heavy snow melted, the relief army would arrive at Talburg. As long as Talburg was handed over intact to the new garrison, Art's half-year military service would be over. All that remained was to return to Valley Wood Fort and wait for the Court to commend Art and his army.
