Well, you tell me if the scouts don't encounter anyone, they get killed, captured, one goes away or what not. I think it would make for something interesting if there was some warning although really it probably wouldn't achieve much seeing how large the realm is and thus how much time it would take to assemble an army and seeing how all your guys are on horses as well, the warning would be limited.

Btw, the plan my people will take once it's confirmed you're raping the countryside will be to assemble a force around the main Permanent Army to encounter your guys (Probably all Favored Ones and some horsemen, to keep it mobile and encounter your guys, maybe a few locals as well.), and ambush your guys in a village somewhere.

HOWEVER, they would also assemble a second army, this time in the north, probably one composed more of Militias and levies, to go north and destroy Suehan settlements while a large amount of their forces are away to force them to come back to their land in defense of their wives and children or at least get revenge for the devastation in the core lands.

Interested in maybe, as we have a few slaves captured from the Crayvens, have the same happen to your guys? Maybe the son or daughter (Crayvens don't have genders, so they don't put importance on them) of someone important serve as the slave of someone important in my realm and thus learn about Crayven administration, mathematics, architecture and so forth, to then be liberated later during the Great War?