The night passed without incident. Ang had never heard any distant battle cries or any other unusual sounds. Dawn filtered through the cracks in the barracks windows. Ang opened his eyes and looked up at the empty military camp, the irritation in his heart growing heavier. As soon as day broke, the soldiers of the North Wind Warband were already up, each busy making preparations. Though they had come here as reinforcements, Ang was still pleased that the soldiers could provide for themselves. Everyone understood that, as a support force, they could not expect to rely entirely on local supplies.
For meals, everyone mostly took out simple food from the rations they carried with them. When Ang stepped out of the barracks, he saw soldiers sharing the last hard wheat biscuit with their companions, washing it down with a mouthful of water. Some sat, some stood, and none of them complained. Ang did not blame them either. At a time like this, all they could rely on were these hard, tasteless foods and their readiness for battle.
Not long afterward, Ang decided to ask the reception staff about the situation. He summoned the man who had received him yesterday and asked in a low voice, "What is going on? There are not even any supplies, and the entire camp is empty apart from the barracks. We are even eating food we brought ourselves. Have the other reinforcement units not arrived?"
The attendant looked at Ang, visibly nervous. He swallowed, clearly not daring to meet Ang's eyes. "My lord, supplies are rather scarce at the moment, but food will be delivered by noon today. As for the rest... the situation across the region is currently quite tense, and some supply convoys have run into trouble, which has led to shortages here."