The Surrender Ceremony

As this group, consisting of fifty-five Sauron Defectors and over three hundred ragged Broomflower slaves, was escorted by Carnford soldiers, they slowly passed through the breach in the outer city wall that was under construction and entered the inner area.

The entire construction site was like a lake surface tossed with a giant rock, instantly creating huge waves.

The Carnford citizens and soldiers, who had been working diligently, stopped what they were doing, straightened up, and stared in astonishment at the strange group.

When they saw the disarmed, dejected soldiers who were still wearing the distinctive fur coats and braids of the Sauron, their faces were filled with disbelief and shock!

"So... Sauron?"

"How did they get in?"

"My God! It's barbarians! Those damned barbarians!"

After the initial shock came a volcanic eruption of anger and hatred!

The eyes of many Northern Territory survivors and soldiers instantly turned bloodshot as they remembered their burned homes, their slaughtered relatives, and the suffering of being captured!

"Kill them!"

"Get out! You executioners!"

"To avenge our deceased loved ones!"

The excited people roared, picking up stones, clods of earth, and even tools at hand, ready to charge at the Sauron Defectors.

Anger spread to everyone, and the situation nearly spiraled out of control.

Faced with this sudden and overwhelming hostility, the Sauron Defectors turned pale with fright. Having lost their weapons, they instinctively huddled together, not daring to make any move to resist, and could only watch in terror as the stones rained down upon them.

"Stop! All of you stop!" At the critical moment, officers such as Brendan, Richter, and Roland, along with sergeants of all ranks, shouted sternly, leading their soldiers forward to form a human wall with their bodies and weapons, forcibly stopping the agitated crowd.

"Return to work! This is the Lord's order! No one is allowed to act without authorization!" Brendan's voice was like thunder, carrying an unquestionable authority. "The lord will make all the decisions! Those who disobey will be punished according to military law!"

Only under the officers' stern suppression and repeated orders were the angry crowd barely dispersed and forced to return to their posts.

But countless gazes filled with hatred and vigilance still pierced the bodies of the Sauron Defectors like thorns, making them feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, not daring to breathe.

A potential riot was contained in time.

The Sauron Defectors were driven to a hastily cleared open space to assemble, anxiously awaiting their unknown fate.

Immediately following, a brief but solemn surrender ceremony was held in the center of the open space.

Karl stood solemnly, surrounded by key officials and guards.

Thorsten took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of countless people, slowly walked up to Karl.

Since the Vanguard Camp did not have its own legionary banner, Thorsten's confidant solemnly presented him with his commander's saber, decorated with eagle feathers and silver rings, with both hands.

Thorsten took the saber, glanced at the weapon that had accompanied him in battle for many years with a complicated look, then faced Karl, knelt on one knee, raised the saber high, and presented it above his head with both hands.

"I, Thorsten, former commander of the Vanguard Camp battalion of the Sauron Sparrow Corps, on behalf of all my officers and soldiers, surrender to you, Lord Karl von Schmidt!" His voice was loud, but with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Karl remained calm, stepped forward, and took the saber that symbolized command and force.

This action marked the formal transfer of power and the completion of the conquest.

Then, Steward Edgar stepped forward, unfurled a parchment scroll, and in a clear and solemn voice, read aloud once again the harsh terms of surrender in front of everyone.

With each line read aloud, the faces of the surrendered Sauron Defectors present grew paler.

After the reading was finished, Edgar looked sharply at Thorsten, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked in a deep voice, "Commander of the Sauron, Thorsten, do you, on behalf of your tribe, accept all of the above terms?"

The entire arena fell silent, all eyes fixed on Thorsten.

Thorsten bowed his head deeply, his forehead almost touching the cold ground, and answered with all his might, "I... accept! I accept it all!"

Upon hearing this, Karl slowly drew the fine steel longsword that symbolized the Lord's authority from his waist.

Sunlight shone on the cold blade, reflecting a chilling gleam.

He stepped forward and lightly tapped Thorsten's left and right shoulders with the blade of his sword.

"By sword," Karl's voice was solemn and majestic, echoing across the silent clearing, "I accept your surrender and allegiance. From this moment on, your lives, honor, and disgrace are all in the hands of the laws of Carnford and my will. Keep your promise and you will live; betray your oath and the sword will be merciless!"

The ceremony was simple, yet it was filled with undeniable symbolism and a sense of oppression.

The surrender ceremony is now officially complete.

After the ceremony, all the surrendered Sauron Defectors were escorted to a pre-planned isolation area in the southwest corner of the castle under the close watch of the soldiers.

There, as arranged by Morr, a simple semi-subterranean shack and wooden house had been hastily erected. Although the conditions were harsh, at least it could provide shelter from the wind and rain, serving as a temporary place to live.

Next comes the most crucial reorganization process.

Officers such as Brendan, Richter, Roland, Miller, Rick personally arrived at the scene and directed the soldiers to completely break up the original formation of the fifty-five Sauron Defectors, and then regroup them completely randomly.

Soon, the fifty-five men were divided into two platoons, each with about thirty men. Each platoon was further divided into three squads, each with ten men. The organizational structure was quickly established.

Subsequently, the ten carefully selected, loyal, reliable, and promising new recruits of the Broomflower were assigned to various squads and platoons to serve as squad leaders, platoon Platoon Leader, or Sergeant Major.

Although these young people appeared slightly nervous, their eyes were filled with a sense of responsibility and mission.

This was not only the most direct and effective way to monitor and control the Sauron Defectors, but also an excellent opportunity to train these newly promoted officers and cultivate their grassroots command and management capabilities.

After the reorganization was completed, as evening approached, the moment the surrendered soldiers had been eagerly anticipating arrived: food was distributed.

Several large pots were carried to the edge of the quarantine area, filled with steaming, coarse but filling Black Rye Porridge.

The rich aroma of grain made the hungry Sauron Defectors ' eyes widen, and they kept swallowing their saliva.

Under the command of the squad leader and Platoon Leader, the surrendered soldiers lined up in a long queue and stepped forward in an orderly manner, each receiving a bowl of hearty, thick Black Rye Porridge.

After receiving the porridge, they immediately began to devour it, their faces showing satisfaction and relief.

For these people who had struggled for so long on the brink of hunger and death, this bowl of hot porridge was more comforting to their anxious hearts than any empty promise, and it completely dispelled their last thought of resistance.

Thorsten was symbolically appointed by Karl as the commander of the Foreign Legion First Company, but he knew very well that this was just a nominal title to appease him and that he had no real command authority.

The real power of management, training, and life and death rested entirely with Richter, the special envoy appointed by Karl.

Thorsten understood the deeper meaning behind it all, and he had no objections, simply accepting all the arrangements silently.

Being able to survive and give his men a chance to catch their breath is the best outcome he can achieve so far.