Sorcerer Thor's Report
After Hermod scrambled out of the tent, the heavy curtains fell, cutting off the light and noise from outside.
A heavy silence returned to the tent, broken only by the occasional crackling of the charcoal brazier.
Ulf's somber gaze shifted from the tent entrance to the mage Thor, who had been standing silently in the shadows to the side.
Compared to Hermod's disheveled state, Thor's condition looked more like exhaustion.
His once neat dark mage robe was now covered in dust and soot, with charred edges from sparks.
His face was so pale it was almost transparent, his eye sockets were sunken, and his gray eyes, which always shone with a ghostly light, now looked dull and lifeless, as if the Magic Power within them had almost been exhausted.
He was slightly hunched over, relying on a seemingly ordinary staff that subtly emanated energy to support most of his weight.
Sensing Ulf's gaze, Thor took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a voice that was more hoarse and lower than usual, "Corps Commander."
Ulf didn't speak, but gestured for him to continue with his eyes.
Thor organized his thoughts and began his report, his tone calm and factual, a stark contrast to Hermod's evasiveness. "What Commander Hermod just said... regarding the basic situation of the battle, was not embellished much. Carnford's defenses... were indeed far greater than we had anticipated."
He paused, seemingly recalling the futile attack, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "The monster army I commanded numbered no less than ten thousand. Their frenzied assault, fueled by instinct and sheer numbers, was enough to overwhelm most fortresses in a short time. Yet, after a whole morning of relentless attacks, we couldn't even budge a single brick from their outer wall."
He described it in detail. "Their defense system was exceptionally tight, with a wide variety of defensive weapons on the city walls, all well-arranged. The firing of bows, muskets, and even Cannon was extremely accurate and continuous, forming a dense crossfire."
"More importantly, the defending troops were extremely determined in their fighting spirit and highly experienced. Faced with the overwhelming onslaught of monsters, their formation remained intact and their rotations were orderly. This was something that a rabble could not possibly achieve."
Upon hearing this, Ulf frowned, his face clearly showing impatience. He waved his hand, interrupting, "Hermod has already said all that. Thor, tell me the key! What exactly happened with those three mages?"
What he's most concerned about now is the variable that caused the battle to collapse instantly.
Thor immediately understood, ceasing his recounting of the routine battle situation and shifting the topic to the core issue. "Yes, sir, regarding the enemy mage situation, Commander Hermod's perception was correct; the enemy does indeed have spellcasters involved, and their strength should not be underestimated."
Based on his observations and analysis, he cautiously concluded. "Judging from the scale of the spells, the control over them, and the energy fluctuations, the two who cast the large-scale Fireball Spell and freezing spells are still quite inexperienced. They are probably only at the apprentice level, at most a first-tier mage. Although their spells caused some chaos and casualties, they were still within a controllable range."
Thor's tone turned serious. "The real problem is the third mage, the one who can cast invisibility spells and conjure magical blades out of thin air."
"His spellcasting skills are superb and his control over energy is exquisite. Especially that magical sword blade, which is solid and sharp, is something that no low-level mage could wield. Based on my judgment, this person's strength... has probably already surpassed the level of a third-tier mage."
"More than the third rank?" Ulf's pupils contracted slightly.
In the Goldflower Kingdom, a third-tier mage is already a strategic force. If someone is above the third tier, it means that the other party is likely a well-known figure.
Thor nodded and stated his deduction based on intelligence. "My lord, in the entire Goldflower Kingdom, there are only a handful of mages with known names and strength reaching or exceeding the third rank, and considering the surname of Lord Karl von Schmidt of Carnford..."
"I boldly speculate that the powerful mage is likely his elder brother, Konrad von Schmidt. This man displayed astonishing magical talent at a young age and was recruited by a famous mage tower in the north. Although there has been little news about him in recent years, his strength is beyond doubt."
"With the help of his brothers, it makes sense why such a powerful mage would suddenly appear in what seems like a remote place like Carnford."
After listening, Ulf fell into a brief silence. His face showed little expression, but a sharp glint flashed in his deep eyes.
He had not only heard of the name Konrad von Schmidt, but had even seen detailed accounts of him on parchment in the tribal intelligence files.
The outside world often portrays the Sauron as a barbaric tribe that only knows how to burn, kill, and plunder, but Ulf, and the true high command of the Sauron, scoff at this notion.
On the contrary, the Sauron Tribe Alliance places great importance on intelligence and strategy, and is particularly adept at using espionage and infiltration.
When the old leader was in power, facing the strong castles and superior heavy weaponry of the Goldflower Kingdom, direct attacks often resulted in heavy losses. It was only by relying on accurate intelligence and "soft knives" such as bribery and infiltration that they were able to capture insurmountable fortresses without bloodshed on many occasions.
After Harald succeeded to the throne, he not only inherited this tradition but also carried it forward.
He has a secret and efficient intelligence network that has deeply penetrated the body of the Goldflower Kingdom.
Within the kingdom, the backgrounds, personalities, abilities, and even interpersonal relationships and potential weaknesses of nobles and generals of any renown, as well as mages and alchemists with extraordinary power who could influence the course of battle, would be meticulously recorded, analyzed, and presented to high-ranking commanders.
If Saul's speculation is true, then Carnford is no longer a simple border fortress; it may involve more complex forces, which could indeed explain many questions.
He raised his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at Thor, and asked the most pressing question, "Thor, how are you feeling? Can you hold out for the rest of the battle?"
Thor's face showed a bitter expression as he frankly replied, "My lord, controlling an army of tens of thousands of monsters for a sustained attack is extremely mentally taxing. In the end, the battle with that mage who resembled Konrad, though brief, was a test of his spiritual power, which was like an abyss. My probing was like throwing a stone into the ocean, and I suffered a considerable backlash instead."
"To be honest, my mental energy is almost completely depleted right now, and I desperately need a long period of rest and meditation to recover. In the short term... I'm afraid I won't be able to provide any effective magical support."
Upon hearing this, Ulf's face darkened even further.
Without the assistance of mages, especially when facing an enemy with potentially stronger mages, future siege battles will be even more difficult.
But he also knew that Saul had indeed done his best, and blaming him now would be useless.
He pondered for a moment, then made a decision that served both as reassurance and a practical necessity. "I understand. Thank you for your hard work this time, Sorcerer Thor."
He paused for a moment, then said, "How about this, I'll allocate two hundred physically strong slaves from the prisoner-of-war camp to you to help you recover your strength as quickly as possible, so you can return to the battlefield soon."
Using specific spells to draw energy from living beings to accelerate recovery is a practice of sorcerers, Ulf clearly knows this well.
A complex glint flashed in Thor's eyes, but he immediately lowered his head and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your consideration, Corps Commander! I will recover as soon as possible to repay your kindness."
After speaking, Thor bowed again, then, leaning on his staff, he slowly and unsteadily left the tent.
Inside the tent, only Ulf remained, staring intently at the flickering embers, pondering how to deal with the suddenly unbearably troublesome Carnford.