Several of the towns butchers and fish mongers do find merit to the idea of petitioning Sir Halter. If he is going to be around he might as well make himself useful they reason. Halter is perturbed by their petition but feels the need to make some platitude, he offers that he has already sent a party to make an incursion against the abbey that is the source of much of the delay along the route to Stalf's Refuge. If the party returns with some progress made he offers to attempt to round a larger expedition to clear the ruins.
Gillibrecht will return to Sir Halter afterwards and ask if he's been seeing able fighters without weapons.
"Hello Sir, may Sol smile upon the empire and our slice of civilization. I was curious, Sir Halter, if you have seen able fighters approach you to work, but have no arms to expand the empire? Perhaps, since I work in woodshaped goods, I can fill a small contract for you of spears and javelins?
That way any able-bodied, and violent, arm can go immediately into work for the empire without loitering about trying to scramble up a means to ends..."
/looking ecstatic to the heavens
"And then in glorious triumph they can thrust forth the ever-piercing rays of Sol's divinity unto the darkness and bring peace to the land! Iä, Iä, His burning justice is with us forever!"
/the moment passes, looks flush and mildly embarrassed
"Thank you for your time. Maybe you visit my shack one day for tea and pickles and to assess my wares — and thus the size of the order you would like? Yes?"