"Yes, your majesty." Cain said as he rose from the ground and tucked his arms behind his back. "The combat capability of your army continues to improve at a rapid pace, though I regret to inform you that their abilities to battle on horseback is a tad bit lacking. Still, with enough of my guidance, I believe that they will learn it in good time. As for the borders of your kingdom, everything remains clear, and i've yet to find any signs of possible invasion from any of our neighboring kingdoms. On an unrelated note, the recent weather and the growth of the fields show promise of a bountiful harvest before the winter comes. Should this conflict indeed turn into a war, the nonperishable food that we have stockpiled coupled with the excess food being grown means that, at least in theory, the citizens will not have to go hungry for many months." Cain said with a small tinge of pride and happiness. 

Though the knight would never admit it, he was hoping that Ephraim would entertain the thought of telling the public of the news that had been brought. With the idea of war hanging over everyone's head like swirling black clouds the citizens of Raphael needed to believe that they would be safe so as to avoid turmoil inside the walls, and in Cain's own experience, nothing got a commoner's mind away from the thought of war like the promise of plenty of work that would allow them to bring in money and put food on the table.