Early the next morning, Lucien began to organize his army, preparing to launch an attack.
However, the castle gates opened on their own, and the aged Old Knight, leading dozens of disheartened defenders and over a hundred civilians, laid down their weapons.
Arthur's soldiers, restrained by their officers, marched into the castle in formation. As expected, there was no slaughter or violation; as long as there was money to be had, there was nothing they couldn't control.
They excitedly moved everything from the castle to a pile outside the city, like a group of well-trained ants, silently and efficiently.
Outside the small castle, boxes were opened one by one in front of everyone. The soldiers breathed heavily, craning their necks to try and see what was inside.
Gold and silver coins, silverware, exquisite goblets, even bedsheets, stored ale and smoked meat, and the property of the civilians hiding in the castle were all confiscated and sorted into categories.
Arthur kept his promise. Olivier held the register, while Lucien and several soldiers stood by the boxes, converting the items into silver deer according to their market value.
Every soldier who participated in the siege came forward to collect their share according to the registered roster. Arthur even converted each civilian in the castle into one silver deer.
Officers received the most, followed by veterans, and then new recruits.
The soldiers' faces were filled with satisfaction and wild joy.
They caressed the cold silver coins and copper plates, tying their heavy money bags to their waists. The air was filled with an almost frenzied happiness.
"Have you heard? There's another Knight's castle to the south."
"Is it bigger than this one? Will there be more money inside?"
"Will we get a share of the money again?!"
"To hell with farming, nothing makes money faster than this!"
"I wish this war would just keep going!"
The fragmented discussions pierced Olivier's ears like needles in his heart. Could these farmers truly settle down and cultivate the land after returning home?
He watched all of this with concern; the future he had predicted seemed to be unfolding before his eyes.
Arthur stood on the small castle's wall, overlooking the noisy distribution area below. The soldiers shouted excitedly, cheering "Long live Arthur!" to him on the wall. His expression was calm.
Siege warfare is the most cruel suppression of the human spirit. The towering walls instill fear, and warriors who climb the walls must embrace a mindset of certain death.
Therefore, the slaughter after a city's fall is an almost unavoidable form of release.
But he wanted to control this release.
Nobles would not distribute the captured noble property in the city to the soldiers, which led to soldiers, who had endured the brutal suppression of the siege, having to slaughter civilians after the city fell to vent their emotions and plunder the meager possessions of these civilians.
He would give the people in the city a choice: surrender all your property in exchange for your lives.
He also gave the soldiers outside the city a choice: restrain your blades in exchange for your deserved wealth, including even the nobles' property.
This was a transaction, a cruel transaction that quantified life and violence with money, but it was highly effective.
Only in this way would his soldiers unhesitatingly throw themselves into the next siege, because they knew that behind the walls lay gold that belonged to them, and they would not turn their blades on the civilians within the city.
He could not tarnish his reputation as the protector of the Riverlands; this reputation might be very useful to him in the future.
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