Their targets were very clear: Civilians were left untouched, small merchants were left untouched; they went only after the "fat sheep" and their "rivals."
Civilians were already poor—there was little to be gained from robbing them, while doing so might provoke civil unrest. The local gentry and wealthy merchants, especially those with questionable political stances or who had grown rich through cruelty, were the primary targets for "procurement."
The procurement teams would first "pay a visit," produce official documents for "bandit suppression," and expound the "greater cause" of "raising military provisions to keep the region secure."
Those who knew what was good for them obediently handed over the specified grain, cloth, and silver. They would often receive a "receipt" bearing the seal of the Lord of Carnford. Though it might not necessarily be honored, it at least preserved appearances, and they might even be promised the safety of their persons and property.
As for those who resisted, there would be no more courtesy. Behind the logistics teams followed actual troops armed with swords and spears. In the name of "colluding with bandits and resisting the royal army," they would smash through doors and forcibly requisition supplies, using far more violent methods. Those in charge would likely be thrown into prison, or even "disappear."
This method was efficient and precise in its targeting. It met the army's material needs while minimizing harm to ordinary people as much as possible, even making some believe it was "robbing the rich to aid the poor" and "ridding the people of a scourge."
In Carnford, Edgar did not even need to establish a long and vulnerable supply line. Roland's forces could largely solve their own supply problems.
And so, this "bandit-suppression" corps led by Roland advanced steadily, smashing through everything in its path.
They truly