@Fuko - I was thinking that exact some thing! However, Bard seems to have twigged that this is an incredibly skilled, high-ranked group to be sent into the boonies, so they're there for other purposes. If the new king is as competent as he's made out to be, could be he's worried about the infighting at the gap in the wall that is literally the only thing keeping monsters at bay, and this crew was sent to get ground truth.
On a completely unrelated point, I love that Bard more often wins a fight by chucking things at people than with quick footwork and his sword. ?