Carnford's Preparations

Carnford.

Down the mountain, the outer city wall, which held everyone's hopes, had been fully closed.

The wall, stretching 300 meters, stands majestically.

The wall, with its solid rammed earth core, is 4.5 meters high and an astonishing 3 meters thick, enough to withstand the impact of most siege weapons of that era.

On the exterior of the wall, key sections have been reinforced with sturdy stone slabs by stonemason Norman and his apprentices, enough to withstand ordinary excavation damage.

The city wall's overall orientation is not straight, but cleverly designed as a three-quarters arc, connecting and reinforcing all the remaining fortresses and arrow tower ruins around it, making them an organic part of the city wall and forming mutually supporting firing points and support points.

This arc-shaped design greatly reduces the blind spots at the base of the city wall, allowing the defenders to launch crossfire attacks from both sides of the wall against any enemy approaching the base.

The only city gate was located at the very center of the arc, at the apex.

The city gate was five meters wide and level with the city wall, large enough for three fully armed cavalrymen to gallop out side by side, fully meeting the tactical needs of the defending cavalry for rapid attacks or counterattacks.

The city gate was extremely sturdy.

On either side of the doorway, two extremely thick logs were embedded in the rammed earth wall to form a giant door frame.

To enhance the door frame's defensive capabilities and prevent it from being directly destroyed by enemy battering rams, the craftsmen layered and compacted thick rammed earth on the outside of the door frame, firmly encasing and protecting the wooden frame so that from the outside, only the solid earthen wall was visible.

The city gate itself consists of two heavy wooden doors, each more than half a meter thick, joined together from a single giant log.

The wooden door surface is reinforced with heavy iron hoops and large rivets, and multiple layers of thick wooden boards are horizontally nailed to the inside of the door panel to further enhance the overall impact resistance.

This design is sufficient to effectively withstand the impact of ordinary Shield-carts and even small-scale explosions.

Inside the city gate, the most crucial safety feature is three extremely thick hardwood beams, each with a diameter comparable to an adult's waist.

These beams were placed in deep grooves specially carved into the inner wall of the city gate.

When the city gates are closed, the guards use winches to lower the three heavy beams one by one, securing them firmly into the grooves, as if putting three indestructible giant locks on the city gates.

Unless the crossbeams are raised from the inside, it is virtually impossible to force open this impregnable city gate from the outside.

Behind the city wall, a wooden fighting platform was laid out, wide enough for two soldiers to pass side by side.

The city walls are complete with crenellations, firing ports, and recesses for placing defensive equipment.

Under Morr's overall plan, a large amount of defensive supplies were prepared inside the city walls.

Piles of Rolling Stone and Logs, and heavy clappers covered with long wooden spikes, set up with winches.

In addition, there was a specially designated area with large pots set up, where boiling water or hot oil could be boiled at any time and poured on the heads of the attacking Sauron.

There were even hastily made Fire oil for throwing.

Military strength has also been significantly enhanced, with Carnford's standing force now reaching 750 men.

This included 150 veterans from the last siege, 40 Musketeers, 50 cavalrymen from Lyon, and 500 militiamen supported by the Count.

In addition, there are 1,000 able-bodied men who can be mobilized in an emergency, and even, in the final moments, all the residents of Carnford could be mobilized.

Because this is their last home, once Carnford falls, the Sauron will surely vent all their long-held anger on their remaining inhabitants.

Only by holding out in Carnford can they have any hope of survival.

After expansion and emergency training, the Musketeers had eighty Flintlock Rifle muskets and twenty Matchlock Rifle at its disposal. Including archers, the total number of long-range strike troops exceeded one hundred and fifty, forming a considerable long-range firepower.

The Six-pound Cannon hidden in its gun emplacement on the hillside became the Carnford defenders' greatest psychological support and secret weapon.

Not to mention they now have the support of Master Andrei, a Third-Order Knight.

Grain reserves are more abundant than ever before.

Thanks to the tireless labor of the more than three hundred newly arrived Broomflower slaves, all the rye and peas were harvested and stored away before the weather turned bad.

After inventory, the territory's granary contained a total of 80,000 catties of rye, 10,000 catties of various beans, as well as a considerable amount of cured meat, dried vegetables, and nuts and berries gathered from the mountains and forests.

These supplies are more than enough to sustain the nearly three thousand people currently trapped in Carnford through the entire long winter!

Carnford, on the training ground behind the newly built city walls.

Dust billowed, shouts mingled with the dull thuds of wooden sticks colliding.

Roderick gripped the long stick tightly in his hand; the tip of the stick was wrapped in thick Cloth Strip and covered in mud and grime.

He hunched slightly, his breathing steady, his sharp gaze sweeping over the "enemy" forces simulating an attack.

His class was rigorously practicing a peculiar formation called the "Mandarin Duck Formation," which Karl had recently promoted.

The entire class of twelve formed a precise and efficient combat unit:

At the forefront were two strong, Shieldbearer, each carrying a rectangular Wooden Shield almost as tall as a person. The heavy shields were the foundation of their advance and defense.

Their main task was to withstand the enemy's attack and create space for their comrades behind them to attack; the short swords at their waists were more of a last-ditch self-defense weapon.

Right behind each of the Shieldbearer was a soldier holding Tangpa.

The Tangpa resembles a giant three-pronged harpoon with side branches. It can be used to stab like a spear, but it can also effectively block, parry, lock, and even disarm the enemy. It is a versatile weapon that combines offense and defense.

To the side and rear of the Tangpa, there were two spearmen wielding extra-long spears.

They are the main source of damage in the formation; their sharp spear tips can pierce out with lightning speed from the gaps between shields and Tangpa, with an attack range far exceeding that of ordinary swords.

The last two rows of the formation consist of two Musketeers, responsible for long-range fire support and responding to unexpected threats.

Behind the Musketeers followed an auxiliary soldier, armed only with a short knife, but carrying a bag of supplies and cooking utensils on his back. His task was to quickly collect the heads of fallen enemy soldiers during lulls in the fighting, which served as proof of military merit.

The core of the entire squad is the squad leader, who stands in a relatively safe position. He is responsible for observing the overall situation and using specific whistles and commands to direct the movement, turning, and offensive and defensive transitions of the entire formation.

At this moment, they were facing a fierce attack from more than thirty comrades who were also wielding cloth-covered wooden sticks and imitating Sauron infantry.

They outnumbered the enemy three to one, attempting to break through the seemingly frail formation with brute force.

"Kill!" roared a soldier simulating an enemy soldier, raising a wooden club and bringing it down fiercely on Roderick!