"Oh?" Karl raised an eyebrow. Far from looking worried, he let out a soft laugh tinged with mockery and interest. "Interesting. So she's finally stopped relying solely on court intrigues and killing with borrowed knives? She knows she has to hold the knife herself now. Is this... the struggle of a trapped beast, or a deathbed struggle?"
He paced back to the table, his fingers unconsciously tapping against its surface with soft tap, tap sounds. His gaze flickered rapidly as he carried out complex strategic calculations.
"The Empress Dowager is starting to seriously arm herself. Though we expected this, it has indeed accelerated the timetable for the final showdown. That means we must bring the fighting on one front to an end as soon as possible. Whether it is Sauron in the north or the Royal Capital in the south, fighting on two fronts is beyond what our troops, finances, and energy can sustain if we are to wage large-scale decisive battles in two completely opposite directions at once."
He looked at Richter. "What about the north? Has Harald, that old wolf with the broken spine, made any moves lately? Surely he isn't peacefully nursing his wounds amid the ruins of Golden City?"
Richter answered at once, "That is precisely what I was about to report. Harald's side appears to have noticed signs of our troop movements as well. Reports from our scouts and agents who have infiltrated Sauron's territory indicate that Harald is regrouping his remaining forces that still possess some mobility. The point of his spear is aimed at... Eagle's Nest."
"Eagle's Nest? Is Harald planning to cross the border and plunder again?" Karl asked.
"Yes. Based on the analysis of intelligence from all sides," Richter said, calmly laying out his assessment, "after Harald's disastrous defeat last time,