A Special Visitor

Field Territory, along the Pearl Sea coast.

An unassuming sloop was slowly approaching a desolate and somewhat dilapidated dock, carried by the evening sea breeze.

This place was once Winters Harbor, at the southwestern tip of the Goldflower Kingdom Southwest Peninsula. Now, only charred wooden stakes and a few poorly repaired shacks remain, appearing particularly desolate in the twilight.

Three people stood at the bow of the boat, incongruous with the desolate scene.

The leader was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face but a hint of laziness and aloofness.

He wore a well-tailored, exquisitely made, but slightly dusty travel robe, with a few barely noticeable, mysterious runes embroidered on it in silver thread.

He toyed with a crystal prism in his hand, its interior seemingly filled with swirling nebulae, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on the northern inland direction.

He was Karl von Schmidt's third brother, the mage Konrad von Schmidt.

Behind him stood two younger apprentices.

The male apprentice, Morian, was tall and thin with a serious expression. He carried a huge backpack that looked heavier than himself and was filled with various books, scrolls, and strange alchemical tools.

The female apprentice, Lina, appeared more lively, curiously surveying this unfamiliar land, her short golden hair fluttering gently in the sea breeze.

"Teacher, are we really going to have to cross this... wasteland on foot?" Lina couldn't help but ask, her voice tinged with worry. "I've heard that this place is teeming with small groups of Sauron Barbarians cavalry and deserters..."

Konrad didn't even turn his head, his gaze still fixed on the crystal prism in his hand, and replied calmly, "Otherwise what? Fran City is completely surrounded; there's no way to get through by land."

"This is the only landing point that can still get close to the Northern Territory coastline. Walking is a bit slow, but it's better than getting moldy in an academy full of pedantic old men."

The crystal prism in his hand, called the "Star Stream Spyglass," was a treasured possession of a master in the academy. It could vaguely sense and locate unusually powerful Magic Power fluctuations in the distance.

Konrad "borrowed" it, and it was through this that he captured the strange and immense dark Magic Power summoning from the depths of the Northern Territory.

It was a magical fluctuation he had never encountered before, capable of attracting and controlling magical creatures on a large scale.

This sparked his great research interest.

Furthermore, after reading about the big news his brother Karl had caused in the Northern Territory in the Kingdom Gazette, he decided to head north himself.

They could investigate this strange magical phenomenon, and also catch a glimpse of their younger brother who had been unremarkable since childhood but is now famous throughout the kingdom, and incidentally... find a free place to stay and a "patron".

The ship slowly came to a stop.

The ship owner, looking terrified, almost impatiently urged them to disembark.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived! The final payment... once the final payment is settled, we're even! I don't want to stay in this awful place a second longer!"

Morian paid the agreed-upon sum of gold coins with a blank expression.

The ship owner, having received the money, didn't even have time to thank them. He immediately ordered his sailors to raise the sails and set sail, fleeing the coast that was considered an ominous place as if escaping.

Watching the sail disappear into the distance, Lina sighed, "Was it really necessary to be so scared..."

Konrad chuckled and put away the Star Stream Spyglass: "It's normal for ordinary people to be afraid of the Sauron. Let's go, it's getting late, let's find a place to spend the night."

The three walked inland along a deserted path.

They hadn't gone far when a huge, charred ruin came into view.

It was the ruins of a castle completely destroyed by fire. The broken walls and ruins looked like the skeleton of a giant beast in the twilight, appearing eerie and desolate.

"This will do," Konrad said casually, pointing. "It looks spacious enough, and no one will bother us."

They entered the main hall of the ruins.

It was empty inside, with only thick layers of ash and charred charcoal.

In the bedroom, Lina suddenly gasped, "Teacher! Look... there's a corpse here!"

Konrad and Morian walked over.

A gruesome corpse, completely charred and curled up in a ball, lay in the corner, emitting a faint smell of burning.

Beside the body, there were scattered pieces of charred cloth that appeared to have originally been noble clothing.

Konrad frowned, glanced at it briefly, and then lost interest. "Probably some unfortunate, fallen nobleman who died here. Ignore him, find a cleaner room."

They were naturally unaware that this charred corpse, which no one cared about, was the former nominal owner of this territory.

Baron Cyril von Eichberg.

Finally, deep within the castle ruins, they found a relatively intact small stone house that appeared to be a storage room.

Although it was filled with dust, at least it provided shelter from the wind and rain.

Morian skillfully took out several enchanted glowstone rods from his huge backpack, and their soft light immediately dispelled the darkness in the room.

He then took out a small copper magic furnace, placed a small piece of standard magic crystal inside, and with a light touch of his fingertip, a wisp of azure magical flame silently ignited, providing stable heat.

Lina took out the dry food, jerky, and a small bag of oatmeal she had brought, and started heating up a simple dinner using the magic stove.

Konrad leaned against the wall, took out the Star Stream Spyglass again, and intently observed the flowing light within it, muttering to himself, "That summoning fluctuation... is becoming clearer, and the source seems to be... in the direction of Carnford? Interesting... could it be related to my 'hero' brother?"

Soon, a simple dinner was prepared, and the three of them ate in silence.

After dinner, Morian and Lina began tidying up their bedding on the floor.

Konrad walked to the window, gazing at the completely dark sky and the distant, inky mountain silhouettes, his eyes sparkling with the curiosity and inquisitive light characteristic of a scholar.

"Carnford ... Karl ...and that strange magical summoning..." he muttered to himself, "Hopefully, you can give me some unexpected surprises."

In the stillness of the night, only the faint hum of magical flames and the even breathing of the three uninvited guests remained in the ruins.

The Sauron siege of Carnford has lasted for five days.

Time seems to have diluted the initial tension and fear.

The soldiers and civilians on and around the city walls had gradually shifted from initial panic at the sight of two thousand troops approaching the city to a near-numb calm.

The Sauron outside seemed determined to wage a long-term siege, and apart from routine daily patrols and scout reconnaissance, they did not launch any substantial attacks.

The war must be fought, but life must go on.

Inside the fortress, everything was orderly; in fact, it was a bustling and vibrant scene.

The final stages of the autumn harvest are underway.

On the threshing floor, strong men wielded flails, repeatedly pounding the dried rye ears, producing rhythmic "crackling" sounds.

Golden wheat grains fell from the husks like raindrops, piling up.

The women used wooden rakes and winnowing baskets to carefully separate the wheat grains from the chaff, then bagged the plump grains and transported them to the fortified granaries deep inside the castle for storage.

The harvested wheat fields were not left idle.

Under Mr. Morr's careful guidance, the villagers meticulously chopped up the large amount of wheat straw left in the fields, mixed it with collected wood ash and human and animal manure, and composted it.

These precious organic fertilizers are carefully piled up in a designated area, covered with soil to preserve nutrients, and await the arrival of spring to nourish new crops.

Meanwhile, after careful drying, threshing, and winnowing, the harvested grains, golden and shiny, are bagged and, together with carefully selected plump seeds, are securely stored in newly built, dry, and well-ventilated grain warehouses and seed banks.

The warehouse entrance is guarded by designated personnel, and the accounts are kept clear, ensuring that these strategic materials essential for survival are stored most effectively.

At the same time, the improvement of defensive fortifications never stopped.

The forks in the artisan district burned day and night, as Hector and his apprentices forged arrowheads, repaired armor, and crafted metal parts for defensive siege equipment with a clanging and clattering sound.

Carpenter Elliot directed his men to use the newly felled timber to quickly manufacture more Wolf Tooth Rake, Battering Logs, and scaffolding to reinforce the city walls.

The morale of the troops is still very high. Although the Sauron army is pressing in, they all believe that Karl can hold out.