As Leonard stammered through his account, the whole sequence of events gradually became clear.
The desert bandits Leonard spoke of were an old gang of robbers, mostly Zoroastrians, who had entrenched themselves in the Jordan Desert and run rampant for many years.
Relying on their swift movements and familiarity with the desert's water sources and oasis locations, they often raided villages whenever the border patrols were absent.
They extorted large amounts of wealth, cattle, sheep, and grain from villagers who were already struggling to survive.
Occasionally, they also plundered the few passing merchants or poorly defended noble estates.
Even Count Reynald, lord of Kalerburg, could do nothing about them.
Leonard had simply been unlucky. That morning, he had set out with five soldiers, intending to purchase warhorses from a prosperous village under Montreal's jurisdiction.
There was a large horse market there.
The woman behind the horse market was Count Reynald's wife, Countess Stephanie, the Iron Rose known as the knight in a skirt.
The horses Count Reynald seized from raiding Ayyubid caravans and defeating Bedouin tribes were occasionally gathered there for sale.
Not long after they entered Montreal's territory, they encountered the bandits.
Lothar's brow furrowed, his expression turning grave. "Leonard, were you the only one who came back? How many men did we lose?"
Leonard immediately dropped to his knees, his face miserable. "My lord, we lost no one. Once they learned we were soldiers under your command, they took the coins and left."
Lothar froze slightly.
He did not know whether he should be pleased or displeased.
He was pleased that no one had died.
He was displeased because human lives were simply worthless in this era.
Lothar said thoughtfully, "Montreal is also Count Reynald's fief, isn't it? Do they have no response at all to this 'robbery