Terms of Surrender
Six days later, on the morning of the appointed day, the appointed day arrived.
The sentry from the mountain pass rode back to the castle at full speed and reported to Karl, "My lord! They've arrived! There are more of them than last time, about ten! The leader claims to be Thorsten and requests an audience with you!"
Upon hearing this, Karl nodded calmly.
He turned to Brendan, Lyon, Richter, and the others waiting in the Lord's Hall and said, "Please wait here for news. I'm going to meet this 'guest'."
He led a squad of elite guards and returned to the meeting point outside the mountain pass.
From a distance, one could see about ten Sauron Cavalry gathered there, some sitting and some standing.
This time they did not raise the white flag, and they carried their weapons, but it seemed they deliberately placed them in positions that were not easy to draw immediately.
They appeared relaxed, talking to each other in hushed tones, some even letting out low chuckles, seemingly oblivious to the Carnford sentries around them, who were warily pointing their spears at them.
Karl understood.
This is a typical tactic of a surrenderer, putting on a show of "equal negotiation" or even "bestowing cooperation" in an attempt to gain a psychological advantage and increase their bargaining power in subsequent negotiations.
Essentially, this is no different from their surrender by laying down their weapons and raising their hands, only in a more "dignified" way.
Surrounded by guards, Karl walked straight up to them.
Only then did the Sauron seem to notice him, stopping their conversation, slowly standing up, and all eyes fixed on him.
Karl's sharp gaze swept over them, finally settling on one of the most burly middle-aged officers, with a thick beard and a look of weariness and arrogance in his eyes.
He recognized the face; it was Thorsten.
But he deliberately didn't point it out directly. Instead, he spoke in a clear and authoritative voice through the translator beside him, "I am Lord Carnford, Karl von Schmidt. Who is Thorsten? Step forward and speak."
Sure enough, the bearded officer took a deep breath, stepped forward, straightened his chest, and tried his best to maintain his last bit of momentum.
He spoke in a broken mix of Broomflower and Sauron, saying, "I am Thorsten, commander of the Vanguard Camp Sword Corps."
His voice was hoarse, and his face was more weathered than Karl had imagined; clearly, his exile had not been easy.
Karl nodded, his face devoid of any pleasantries, and cut straight to the point, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness. "Very well, Commander Thorsten, now that you've come in person, we can formally begin discussing the specifics of your unit's surrender to me."
As soon as the translator finished speaking, Thorsten's expression changed instantly, and a flash of annoyance appeared in his eyes.
He immediately raised his voice and retorted, "Your Excellency! I think you've misunderstood! We've come here seeking an alliance! To jointly oppose Harald! Not to surrender! We still have three hundred elite cavalrymen! We also control three hundred Broomflower slaves! We have the strength to negotiate!"
Karl sneered at his words, bluntly exposing his bluff. "An alliance? Of course, but I can also choose not to ally with you. In that case, you can retain your 'dignity' and 'strength' and continue to stay in Cyril's pitiful territory."
"Then, wait for Harald's army to march south and crush you, along with your so-called three hundred cavalry, to dust with their iron hooves. What do you think?"
Karl's cold words revealed, without any attempt to conceal, Thorsten's deepest fears.
His angry expression froze instantly, his momentum visibly weakened, and his eyes revealed an undisguised despair and struggle.
Karl was right; they surrendered because they had no other choice. Their so-called "alliance" was merely a ploy to secure better treatment.
Seeing that the other side's arrogance had been suppressed, Karl softened his tone slightly, but still maintained absolute dominance. "However, Commander Thorsten, I am personally open to accepting your surrender."
"You should know that I come from the Schmidt Family of the South, and am the son of a Grand Duke. I value traditional aristocratic etiquette and rules. Furthermore, I have no direct, irreconcilable blood feud with you Sauron."
His words were half true and half false. He pointed out his noble birth and the possibility of "following the rules," while also implying that the two sides were not mortal enemies and that there was room for maneuver, leaving the other side with a glimmer of hope and a way out.
"Since you have chosen the wisest path, surrender," Karl continued, his tone carrying a hint of benevolence, "And as a commander of considerable standing in the Sauron Tribe, I am willing to accept your personal surrender in the same manner I would treat a down-on-his-luck but respectable minor nobleman. These are the terms of surrender I have drafted."
He gestured, and the clerk beside him immediately handed a parchment document, drafted and carefully considered by Edgar overnight, to the Goldspur translator next to Thorsten.
The translator took the document and began to read it aloud clearly and word by word to Thorsten and the officers behind him:
"The terms of surrender are as follows."
"First, the surrendering troops must immediately and unconditionally hand over all weapons, including swords, spears, bows and arrows, throwing weapons, all warhorses, all armor, shields, and all flags, tokens, and other items representing the Sauron Tribe or the Sparrow Corps."
"Individuals may retain non-military items such as clothing, footwear, personal jewelry, and currency. Military equipment handed over will be registered and kept by Carnford authorities. In the future, depending on the circumstances, upon application and approval, some may be returned for use."
"Second, the surrendered troops must relinquish all organizational structures, titles, and command systems granted to them by the original Sauron Tribe, and be reorganized into the ' Carnford Foreign Legion First Company,' directly pledging allegiance to Lord Karl von Schmidt."
"Third, the surrendered troops must be immediately dispersed and reorganized into one or two squads, each with thirty men; each squad shall be further divided into three platoons, each with ten men. All squad leaders, Platoon Leader, and other lower-ranking officers must be officers appointed by the Carnford side."
"Fourth, all surrendered personnel will be considered under control once they enter the outer defensive perimeter of Carnford's city walls. Anyone who needs to leave the designated activity area must apply to their squad leader and Platoon Leader, and finally report to the Carnford command for approval before being allowed to leave."
As the terms were read aloud, Thorsten and his officers' faces turned extremely grim; these were terms that essentially meant complete disarmament and utter subjugation.
The translator paused, then continued reading:
"In return for accepting the surrender, the Carnford side promised the following treatment:"
"First, all those who surrender will be provided with basic shelter, food, water, and essential living supplies, at a standard comparable to that of the residents of Carnford."
"Secondly, those who surrender and make outstanding contributions to the construction, defense, or subsequent military operations of Carnford may be granted the status of ' Honorary Carnford Citizen ' upon evaluation. This status grants them the same rights and status as native citizens, and they may apply to the Carnford Standing Army based on their talent and merit, and may even receive promotions, rewards, and land."
"Third, from the date the surrender takes effect, all surrendered persons shall be protected by the laws of Carnford and the Lord, and their personal safety shall be guaranteed, and they shall not be subject to arbitrary harm unless they break the law."
After the terms were read aloud, the room fell silent.
Thorsten clenched his fists, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
These conditions were extremely harsh, especially the surrender of their warhorses and weapons, and the dispersal and reorganization, which almost deprived them of all autonomy.
But those last three promises about treatment and the future were like a ray of light in the darkness, giving these desperate people a glimmer of hope.
Karl waited quietly for their reaction.
He knew this was a psychological game.
He set a bottom line, but also left a glimmer of hope.
Now, it remains to be seen what choice this commander, who has reached a dead end, will make.