The Troop-Mobilization Trap

"Yes... it can only be him!" The Count's heart was filled with shock, and his eyes shone with an incredulous yet undeniable light—a complex mix of extreme shock, ecstasy, and indescribable relief.

"Karl ...it's Karl von Schmidt!"

"Only him... only this young man can always create astonishing miracles on seemingly hopeless battlefields!" The Count's fingers trembled slightly with excitement.

The logic became clear instantly: Ulf would never easily mobilize the key cavalry force besieging the city without a reason, unless a major event occurred in his rear that could threaten the safety of the entire army!

In this Northern Territory, besides the Fran City, which Rochfort was defending, who else could cause Ulf such great trouble?

The answer is obvious!

Not only did Karl miraculously defend Carnford and withstand Hermod's fierce attack, he even dared to launch a preemptive strike!

The Count could almost picture it: Karl leading his small but miraculous army, like a sharp dagger, piercing the Sauron's weak spot.

Perhaps they defeated the troops that Ulf had mobilized, or perhaps they attacked Ulf's vital supply lines! Otherwise, there is no way to explain why Ulf would so hastily withdraw his elite cavalry to defend the rear!

Although the Count had witnessed Karl turn the impossible into reality time and time again, he thought he had become accustomed to the young Lord's astonishing feats.

But at this moment, when it was deduced that Karl might not only have defended the city, but had also used offense as a form of defense, directly shaking the siege deployment of Ulf's 10,000-strong army, this well-informed governor of the Northern Territory, who had experienced countless storms in his life, still felt an unprecedented and profound shock!

"Good lad..." The Count put down his binoculars, muttering to himself, a smile creeping onto his lips. "You truly... have never disappointed me!"

He immediately turned and sternly ordered the messenger beside him, his voice filled with renewed strength and determination. "Order the entire army! Strengthen vigilance and closely monitor the movements of the Sauron!"

"Furthermore, now that their Skarn cavalry has been redeployed, our pressure will be greatly reduced. Send out our elite scout cavalry to extend the reconnaissance line and try to make contact with Blackstone Pass! I need to know the current situation there! Quickly!"

Just then, an urgent and familiar voice rang out beside him. "Father! It must have been Karl who did it! Karl must have drawn the main force of the Sauron in the north!"

Charlotte had somehow managed to run up the city wall and was now excitedly grabbing her father's arm, her bright blue eyes gleaming with excitement and pleading. "Quick! While the Sauron are in disarray, send our cavalry out of the city to attack from both sides! We'll definitely win a great victory! Otherwise... otherwise, Carnford will be fighting alone and in danger!"

The Count whirled around and saw his daughter standing on the dangerous city wall. His face darkened instantly, and he shouted sternly, "Nonsense! Who let you up here? This is the front line of the battlefield; stray arrows have no eyes! Get down here now!"

"Father! This is a golden opportunity!" Charlotte stamped her foot anxiously. "That's Karl! He's definitely taking a huge risk to help us out of this predicament! How can we just stand by and watch them bear the pressure alone? This is the perfect chance!"

The Count gave his daughter a deep look, his eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.

How could he not know that this turn of events was most likely Karl's doing? How could he not want to seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack, attacking from both inside and outside, and severely cripple or even defeat Ulf's besieging army?

But as commander-in-chief, he had to be calmer than anyone else.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the momentary impulse, and his gaze sharpened again as he looked into the depths of the distant Sauron camp. His tone turned unusually cold. "Of course I know that it's highly likely that Carnford has drawn the Sauron forces away, but Charlotte, you're only seeing the surface; you haven't seen the real killing intent!"

He pointed to the perfectly orderly and motionless area behind Sauron's camp. "Look closely! Ulf's rear guard, his most elite heavy cavalry force, hasn't shown the slightest sign of movement from beginning to end!"

His voice carried a chilling edge, as if he had seen through a conspiracy. "Ulf would rather send the vanguard's Light Cavalry on a long detour and waste time rescuing the rear than use his decisive iron fist lightly."

"Why did he do that? He deliberately created a weakness, giving the illusion that his rear was vulnerable and his formation was in disarray, waiting for me to lose my patience and send troops out of the city to pursue him or try to rendezvous with Karl!"

The Count's tone was resolute. "Once our main cavalry force breaks through the city gates and is no longer protected by the city walls, Ulf's heavily armed cavalry, which is lying in ambush, will suddenly join the battle!"

"At that time, our cavalry will be completely crushed and annihilated on the open field! The enemy may even take advantage of the situation to pursue us and seize the city gate! The entire Fran City will be in imminent danger! We must not take this risk!"

He handed his binoculars to his daughter, pointing them at the departing Skarn Light Cavalry: "Take a closer look. The Sauron are deploying Light Cavalry; they're highly mobile but weak at sieges."

"This precisely demonstrates that their siege of Carnford in the north has suffered a crushing defeat. They no longer have sufficient troops and equipment to continue their assault on Carnford. Now, they can only send these Light Cavalry to perform mobile defense and protect supply lines. Karl is actually safer now than when he was heavily besieged!"

Charlotte took the telescope, looked at it with some skepticism, and carefully examined it.

Sure enough, the cavalrymen who galloped away were lightly equipped and did not carry any siege weapons, so they did not seem to be going to attack a city.

Her tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

But then she realized her impulsiveness and slip of the tongue, and looked at her father with some embarrassment.

Earl Rochefort glanced coldly at his daughter, offering no further reproach, but the sternness in his eyes was enough to make Charlotte lower her head. He turned swiftly, his gaze sharp as a hawk sweeping over the scouts and officers beside him who had clearly heard Charlotte's words, his voice carrying an undeniable authority and a chilling warning:

"Everything seen on the city walls today, especially any speculation or discussion about the war in the North and the actions of the Carnford troops, is top military secret! Anyone who dares to divulge even a single word, whether unintentional or deliberate, will be treated as a traitor and court-martialed! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Count Excellency!" The surrounding officers and soldiers tensed and responded in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized.