Luo Yao understood the situation of this army better than anyone.
Unlike Duke Schmidt, whose roots ran deep, whose territory was vast, and whose logistics system was relatively complete, or Karl, who had the stable base of Carnford and could even support others in turn, this "Guest Army" that had retreated in defeat from the Southwest Peninsula was living under another's roof in the Field Territory from the start, without the slightest foundation.
Governor Elmer had sent them out merely to go through the motions, and perhaps even to kill with a borrowed knife, eliminating dissidents.
They were like rootless duckweed, their food, pay, and supplies entirely dependent on others' whims.
Count Kraft's betrayal was nothing more than a bloody footnote to this cruel reality.
Even if they went through untold hardships and somehow made it alive to the foot of Eagle's Nest City, what would be waiting for them?
Earl Eisenberg, throwing open the gates and welcoming the king's army with baskets of food and jars of drink? Stop dreaming! Given that earl's character, it would already count as mercy if he did not push them to the very front as cannon fodder to soak up Sauron arrows!
More likely, they would not even get the chance to approach the city walls before, in some "necessary" blocking mission, they were either "accidentally injured" by friendly forces or directly turned into bait to draw Sauron fire, silently spent out in the wilderness.
The Empress Dowager? The Royal Capital? Would those great figures high above really care whether these five thousand "defeated remnants" lived or died?
Most likely, they would only complain that they were marching too slowly, that they were consuming grain, that they were... not "loyal and brave" enough, unable to relieve that Earl Eisenberg as quickly as possible,