Karl ultimately gave the order to systematically devastate Golden City and withdraw. From a military standpoint, it was not that he did not want to keep this pearl of Sauron's Southern Border firmly in his grasp as an advanced base for a future northern expedition.
Yet cold reality, like the frigid winds of the Northern Territory, snuffed out that impulse.
The long supply line was like a fragile blood vessel, incapable of continuously sustaining an army deep in enemy territory and garrisoning a major city. Rather than split his forces to hold it and run themselves ragged under logistical pressure, it was better to abandon it voluntarily, throw the burden back onto Harald, and turn it into a scorched, ruined wasteland—so that even if the enemy retook it, they would have to pay an enormous price to rebuild.
Though this decision made some officers eager to earn glory beat their chests in regret, it was the most rational choice at the time, and the one most aligned with Carnford's long-term interests.
As Karl's main force withdrew south, the other fronts of the spring offensive also drew to a close. On the eastern front, after Roland's troops failed to take Twin River City in two probing assaults, he wisely shifted to surrounding without attacking, firmly pinning down the bulk of the Sauron garrison within the city.
Having achieved the strategic containment and prevented Harald from transferring troops from the eastern front, Roland knew when to stop and withdrew in orderly fashion. Yet he did not return empty-handed; he retained several reinforced key fortresses in the forward zone as advanced strongpoints.
These strongpoints were like wedges driven into Sauron territory, pushing Carnford's defensive and reconnaissance frontiers far forward. What had once been a buffer zone was now secure rear territory. Once the