Besieged

At that moment, a new whistle signaling retreat sounded from the city wall.

Lyon reined in his horse, glared at the fleeing soldiers who were running for their lives, and knew it was not wise to linger. He decisively ordered, "Retreat! Back to the city!"

The cavalrymen quickly turned their horses around and retreated into the city gate like a tide.

Meanwhile, the Cannon has been safely towed back into the city.

The heavy city gate slammed shut with a bang after the last cavalryman entered, and a massive beam was thrust into it.

Outside the city gates, only corpses littered the ground, shattered Shield-carts, and terrified slaves and routed Sauron soldier scattered in all directions.

Hermod's plan for a strong attack was thwarted once again by the sudden Cannon barrage and cavalry counter-charge.

Hermod looked at the wrecked Shield-carts, riddled with holes and mangled inside, and the slaves and soldiers who had been knocked down by the aftershocks of the cannon fire, crying and screaming.

His face was ashen, and he gave the order to retreat without hesitation.

Sauron army, leaving behind dozens of corpses and the wrecked Shield-carts, retreated hastily back to their camp like a receding tide, and the battlefield once again fell into a suffocating silence.

Hermod did not issue any further attack orders; the sudden appearance of that Cannon was completely beyond the capabilities of his detachment.

He needs time to reassess the situation and, more importantly, he needs to consult with his superiors.

At night, the Lord's Hall of Carnford Castle was brightly lit.

Karl convened all the key officers for a post-war debriefing meeting.

Chief Steward Edgar, holding a parchment scroll that had just been compiled, reported to the crowd, "My lord, colleagues, after a preliminary count, the situation of our army in today's defensive operations is as follows."

"Regarding personnel, three were killed in action, eleven were lightly wounded, mostly from arrows or pebbles thrown from below the city, and five were seriously wounded. The wounded have been properly treated by the medical team and should be in good health."

"Regarding resource consumption, the Musketeers consumed approximately 800 rounds of Flintlock Rifle ammunition, the archers consumed approximately 300 arrows, 12 reserve rolling stones were used, and 8 heavy Battering Logs were consumed; two sets of Wolf Tooth Rake were damaged and need repair..."

Edgar read out a series of detailed data. Although the consumption was considerable, it was entirely within an acceptable range compared to the results achieved and the total reserves.

After listening to the report, Karl nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over every officer present. "Gentlemen, today's battle was exceptionally well fought! Facing a number of magical creatures and enemy troops that outnumbered us and were exceptionally ferocious, our soldiers remained calm and composed, commanded effectively, and cooperated seamlessly, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy with minimal casualties and successfully defending our city walls!"

His words were full of affirmation and encouragement, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became lively.

Brendan smiled and said, "It's mainly because of your strategic planning, sir, that you built this solid outer wall in advance. Without this wall, we would probably have suffered more than ten times the casualties today."

Lyon chimed in, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Those monsters and slaves are no match for us! As long as we have enough ammunition and the city walls are secure, no matter how many come, they'll just be throwing their lives away!"

"At this rate, I think even if the Sauron leave thousands of corpses here, they won't be able to set foot in Carnford!"

Everyone spoke up, their morale high and their confidence in victory unwavering.

Everyone believed that as long as they persisted in this fighting, firmly held the outer defenses, and continuously depleted the enemy's manpower, it was a sure thing that they would hold out until Earl Rochefort broke the siege and sent reinforcements.

In a corner of the crowd, the surrendered Sauron commander Thorsten listened silently to the discussion, his head bowed, concealing the complex emotions in his eyes.

His heart was filled with immense fear and relief at that moment.

What he found terrifying was that he realized with absolute clarity how foolish he had been to choose to confront Lyon's cavalry head-on in the Black Forest Valley.

If Carnford's defenders had the firepower they have today, he and his Vanguard Camp probably wouldn't have even had a chance to get close to Lyon; they would have been torn to shreds on their way to charge!

Fortunately, his surrender, when he had no other choice, was such a wise decision!

Not only did they save their lives, but they also stood on the side of the victors and witnessed the strength of this army firsthand.

He was now absolutely certain that siding with Lord Karl von Schmidt was the wisest decision of his life.

Meanwhile, at the Sauron camp below the mountain, the atmosphere inside the Commander-in-chief's tent was completely different, heavy and oppressive.

Hermod, Unag, the Sorcerer Thor, and several centurions sat together, each with a grim expression.

"That Cannon is too powerful," Hermod said in a low voice, breaking the silence first. "Our Shield-carts are useless against it. A forced charge would only increase casualties and is pointless."

Unag nodded in agreement, still shaken. "I told you long ago, Carnford's firearms are incredibly powerful... I never imagined they'd be hiding such a massive weapon! Commander, a direct assault is definitely not the way to go."

A centurion asked reluctantly, "Isn't there any other way? We could try a night raid, or dig tunnels..."

Hermod shook his head. "A night raid? Didn't you see the lights on their walls and the patrolling sentries? They're heavily guarded."

"As for digging tunnels? That would take too long, and the enemy, being on higher ground, would easily spot them. What we lack most right now is time!"

He turned his gaze to the silent Sorcerer Thor: "Lord Thor, could you... summon more and more powerful magical creatures? If there are enough of them, wave after wave of attacks will eventually deplete their gunpowder and defensive supplies!"

The Sorcerer Thor slightly raised his face, hidden beneath his hood, and let out a dry, cold laugh, "Hmph, Commander Hermod, do you think summoning the power of the Abyss is child's play? Maintaining these cannon fodder has already consumed a tremendous amount of my energy and precious materials."

"An even more powerful being? The sacrifices and costs required far exceed your imagination! Moreover, the flow of Magic Power in this land doesn't seem to fully support that level of summoning. Reaching this point is already the limit."

His words completely extinguished everyone's hope of breaking the deadlock using magical power.

A despairing silence fell once again inside the tent.

Hermod was a cautious, even somewhat conservative, general. He weighed the pros and cons repeatedly before finally making his decision.

He slammed his hand on the table. "We can't keep attacking blindly like this! Carnford's defensive strength and firepower far exceed the ability of our detachment to cope. Continuing the assault will only result in wasted manpower and is utterly pointless!"

He stood up and made a decision. "Pass on my order: starting tomorrow, the entire army will revert to a tight siege strategy! Fortify the camps, send out more scouts, and completely cut off Carnford from any contact with the outside world!"

"At the same time, immediately dispatch a fast messenger to report the situation here, especially the information about that Cannon, to Corps Commander Ulf as quickly as possible! Request the Corps Commander's decision and request that he send specialized siege equipment and stronger support forces!"

"No one may launch an attack without my orders, pending further orders and support!"

This decision was tacitly approved by most of the officers in the tent.

The heavy cost of the continued offensive and the psychological trauma inflicted by that Cannon made them inclined to a temporary truce.