Splitting the Forces

Now, Carnford is like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in the Northern Territory's lower back, constantly bleeding him dry and tying down a large amount of his troops and energy.

"This can't go on..." Ulf thought to himself.

This suddenly rising Lord Carnford has become the biggest variable and obstacle in this southward raiding plan.

In the past few years, our plundering has been going smoothly, and we have never encountered such a difficult opponent.

This problem must be resolved as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be dire!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his agitation, and his gaze became sharp and resolute again.

He looked at a burly, stern-faced general under his command.

That was Finnhearn, the most elite Regiment Commander under his command, known for his bravery and ruthlessness.

"Finnhearn!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Finnhearn stepped forward, his voice booming, carrying a chilling aura.

Ulf commanded in a deep voice, "From this moment forward, I appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the front against Carnford! I will transfer two thousand Skarn cavalry from my own forces to you! At the same time, I order the security forces remaining in Frosgard to send another two thousand men to reinforce your troops immediately!"

"Your task is to lead these four thousand troops and completely surround Carnford! Like an iron barrel, don't let even a mouse escape!"

He stood up, walked to the huge map, and pointed heavily at Carnford's location. "But remember my orders: surround them without attacking! Fortify the camp, send out scouts everywhere, and cut off all their external communications!"

"Without my order, you are absolutely forbidden from launching a large-scale attack! Your mission is to starve them out, wear them down, and wait for the opportune moment!"

Finnhearn accepted the order without hesitation, pounding his chest. "Yes, sir! Corps Commander! I guarantee that not a single soldier from Carnford will be allowed to cause trouble again!"

Ulf waved his hand, indicating that he could go and prepare.

Watching Finnhearn's departing figure, Ulf sat back down in his chair and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Withdrawing two thousand elite troops from the main force besieging Fran City and adding another two thousand fresh troops urgently transferred from the rear, for a total of four thousand troops to besiege a remote city like Carnford, was undoubtedly a risky move.

This was like prying two strong fingers off a tightly clenched fist, immediately weakening the pressure exerted on Fran City and dispersing valuable troops that could have been concentrated on two distant battlefields.

Ulf knew very well that such a large-scale troop movement could not possibly be kept secret from the experienced garrison on the walls of Fran City and the cunning Earl Rochefort.

Once the Count realizes that the Sauron's encirclement has loosened and the pressure has eased, he will surely seize this rare opportunity to calmly redeploy the city's defensive forces. He may even send out elite troops to launch a proactive attack to wipe out or contain the main raiding force led by Harald himself, which has already penetrated deep into the kingdom's territory.

This will inevitably disrupt Harald's original plans and schedule.

"This will definitely become a handle during the post-war reckoning..." Ulf thought to himself, he could even foresee the cold and oppressive gaze of the Harald leader.

His unauthorized weakening of the siege of key targets, potentially putting the main force on the defensive, is enough to warrant severe punishment.

But he had no other choice!

The thought of Carnford, that hill fortress that had suddenly become incredibly troublesome, sent a chill down Ulf.

With Carnford being both a mage and a cavalryman, and that seemingly invincible Lord Karl, allowing such a thorn in their side—possessing extraordinary combat power and clearly harboring strong hostility—to be firmly driven into their supply lines and retreat routes would be tantamount to planting a powder keg behind their backs that could explode at any moment.

Its potential destructive power and threat are far more terrifying than temporarily relaxing the strangulation of Fran City.

"We must use overwhelming force to form an iron wall of encirclement and completely lock them down! Cut off all supplies and external aid, and let them fend for themselves!" This was the only conclusion Ulf reached after weighing the pros and cons; the risks had to be kept to a minimum.

He raised his head, his gaze passing over the sprawling camp below, and looked north towards the hazy mountain silhouette where Carnford was located, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"I'll let you linger on for a while longer..." he muttered to himself, as if declaring to the distant enemy, "When Chief Harald Lord army, laden with countless riches and slaves plundered from the heart of Broomflower, in triumph..."

His fist clenched suddenly, his knuckles cracking.

"... That will be the time when our Sauron Tribal Alliance concentrates all its strength to utterly crush your damned fortress, along with all the foolish and stubborn bastards inside, from the inside out, into dust!"

At that time, all the forbearance and temporary strategic retreat will be repaid double with the utter destruction of Carnford!

In the War Room of the Governor's Office in Fran City.

Earl Rochefort stood before a huge military map of the Northern Territory, his brow furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the ruby marker representing the location of Fran City.

Ulf's army has been besieging the city for a month. Although the enemy has not launched a strong attack, the intimidation and blockade caused by the large army still make the atmosphere inside the city very oppressive.

"Report!" A scout rushed in, barely catching his breath, his voice filled with disbelief and excitement. "Count lord! There's unusual activity at the Sauron camp outside the city!"

"Their vanguard cavalry, the Skarn cavalry that have been hunting down knights outside our city gates, are making a large-scale rearward movement! Their formation seems somewhat chaotic!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, the Count abruptly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The siege of Ulf lasted a month. Although no direct assault was launched, the deployment remained tight. Now, the sudden mobilization of the vanguard cavalry raises the question: was it a ploy to lure the enemy, or had a major unforeseen event occurred in the rear?

He immediately put down his Command Baton and said in a deep voice, "Prepare the horses! Get to the city wall!"

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer and strode out of the Governor's Office, where his personal guards, who had been waiting outside, immediately surrounded him.

The group mounted their horses and rode through the city's somewhat empty but heavily guarded streets, quickly arriving at the tall and sturdy main city walls of Fran City.

The Count dismounted and strode quickly up the city wall along the wide horse path.

On the city wall, the garrison soldiers on duty were also gazing nervously and curiously in the direction of the Sauron camp in the distance, and the air was filled with an emotion that was a mixture of tension and anticipation.

"A telescope!" The Count reached out, and a bodyguard immediately handed him an exquisite brass telescope.

The Count steadied himself, set up the telescope before his eyes, and skillfully adjusted the focus. The cool metal pressed against his eye sockets, and his sharp gaze pierced through the lenses, peering deep into the heart of the Sauron camp.

Sure enough! In the distance, behind the Sauron camp, dust was rising slightly.

The Skarn cavalry, originally deployed at the front to hunt down all messengers entering and leaving Fran City, are now gradually leaving the front lines in units of a hundred men and gathering in an open area behind the main camp.

At a rough glance, the number of cavalry mobilized was probably close to two thousand! Although the distance was still far and the details were not clear, the signs of a large-scale troop movement were clearly visible, and it was definitely not a routine troop rotation or a small-scale patrol.

The Count frowned even more deeply, his mind racing with calculations.

What is Ulf trying to do? Is he sending out such a large number of elite cavalry to outflank us and attack our rear? Or has he encountered some emergency that forces him to divide his forces?

Earl Rochefort's breath hitched, and a bold and startling idea flashed through the fog in his mind like lightning!

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the more distant north, to that direction obscured by towering mountains, to that "nail" he considered a risky move, one he even worried might perish prematurely.

Carnford.