Spoils of War

In late December of the seventh year of Heinrich XI's reign, the Sauron raids to the south, which had lasted for several months, finally came to an end.

Under Harald's unified command, the various Sauron legions, which had been frantically plundering throughout the heart of the Goldflower Kingdom, began to converge on their designated locations like rivers flowing into the sea.

This is a place called Abo Town, about a hundred miles southwest of Prye City.

Over the next few days, Abo Town and its surrounding area transformed into a massive open-air market and a noisy military camp.

Caravans of Sauron Cavalry and infantry, laden with their spoils, converged from all directions, escorting endless, creaking convoys.

The wagons were loaded with spoils of war looted from countless towns, manors, and warehouses.

Boxes upon boxes of gold and silver Silver coin with the genus Broomflower pentaphyllum*, along with various gold and silver utensils, jewelry, and antique artworks piled up like mountains.

Bags of plump wheat, barley, oats, and rye, jars of fine wine, and bundles of precious furs and silks were piled up casually as if they were ordinary goods.

In addition to vehicles, there were even larger herds of livestock.

Tens of thousands of pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep were being driven, their terrified cries and chaotic hoofbeats deafening, raising clouds of dust that blotted out the sky.

The Sauron Cavalry, riding swift horses and wielding long whips, struggled to maintain order in the massive herd, creating a chaotic scene.

However, what was most shocking was the silent and massive group of captured Broomflower civilians.

Most of these people were young and middle-aged men and women; the elderly and children were mostly ruthlessly "eliminated" during the resistance or chaos.

They were tied together with rough ropes and driven forward like livestock.

Many people were ragged, emaciated, and their faces were filled with numbness, fear, and despair.

They carried heavy packs filled with the loot plundered by the Sauron.

This enormous slave caravan, winding like a long snake, stretched as far as the eye could see, numbering at least 100,000. Their future lay in fleeing to the bitter, cold north to become slaves of the Sauron Tribe, their fate utterly tragic.

At this time, the castle in Abo Town that originally belonged to the Lord the Broomflower had completely changed owners.

At the top of the towering tower, the banners that no longer belong to the Broomflower Royal Family now flutter, but the wolf-headed battle flag symbolizing Harald, rustling in the cold wind and proclaiming the authority of the conquerors.

The top floor of the castle, formerly the Lord's private hall, is now Harald's residence.

Inside the enormous stone fireplace, thick pine wood crackled and burned, dispelling the chill of the Northern Territory and warming the entire room.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of pine, the aroma of roasted meat fat, and subtle hints of leather and metal.

Harald stood with his back to the warm fire in front of the huge arched glass window, silently looking down at the bustling scene below the castle.

Outside the window, the square and streets of Abo Town were packed with Sauron soldier celebrating.

They surrounded the piles of spoils, which looked like small mountains, shouting, counting, and scrambling for them.

Bags of grain, chests filled with gold and Silver coin, luxurious silk carpets, exquisite silverware, and even trembling, kidnapped Broomflower artisans and young women...

Harald's face revealed little emotion; his sharply defined profile appeared particularly cold and hard in the firelight.

His two younger brothers, Svein and Asgeir, stood on his left and right sides respectively behind him.

This large-scale southward raid yielded results far exceeding expectations.

Svein's Bear Corps, in coordination with Harald's Wolf Corps, swept through the enemy lines, capturing several fortified fortresses and towns in the northwest.

Asgeir, on the other hand, demonstrated exceptional military talent, leading the Tiger Corps alone at an astonishing speed straight into Field Territory.

With his powerful deterrent and precise psychological offensive, he even managed to force the wealthy city of Field City to surrender without a fight, opening the gateway to the heart of Broomflower for the Sauron alliance.

The remarkable achievements of the two men in this battle have made them indispensable right-hand men to Harald.

Svein and Asgeir, their faces beaming with barely suppressed excitement and pride, gazed out the window at the spectacular scene, whispering amongst themselves, their voices filled with the joy of victory.

Although Harald didn't show his joy like his brothers, he was, deep down, very satisfied with the great success of the raid.

According to preliminary statistics, the spoils of this southward expedition were astonishing. The various grains seized were piled up like mountains, amounting to at least several million kilograms; the gold and Silver coin, as well as various jewelry, works of art, and other luxury goods plundered were worth nearly one million gold coins; and tens of thousands of cattle, sheep, and other livestock were captured.

The most important spoils of war were the nearly 100,000 captured Broomflower civilians.

These people will greatly replenish the manpower lost by the Sauron tribes due to years of war. They will be used as slaves to cultivate the newly conquered lands, thus freeing more Sauron warriors from heavy production labor and allowing them to become full-time soldiers to continue expanding the territory for the Sauron Tribe.

Of course, such a brilliant victory did not come without a price; the loss of troops slightly exceeded Harald's initial expectations.

In particular, the Battle of Old Osric Fortress was a decisive victory. The fortress, which was thought to be on the verge of collapse and almost within reach, was lost due to the sudden appearance and fierce resistance of the Gorse Knights Friedrich. Not only did the victory slip away, but more than 500 elite Sauron soldier and 2,000 Broomflower Defectors were also lost at the city walls.

Subsequently, cavalry reinforcements from Fran City arrived and engaged in fierce fighting with the besieging forces, resulting in the deaths of five hundred Sauron Cavalry.

This indirectly enabled Friedrich to rendezvous with reinforcements, march south to relieve the besieged Royal Capital, and engage in another bloody battle with Harald's siege forces outside the Royal Capital, resulting in the casualties of another 500 cavalrymen.

However, against the backdrop of such a brilliant overall victory, the defeats and casualties in these local battles seem acceptable, and in Harald's view, they may not be entirely bad.

He had already learned that Ulf's Sparrow Corps had suffered heavy losses and setbacks at the Carnford City.

It was for this reason that Ulf had to draw troops from the main force besieging Fran City and the rear guard to re-encircle Carnford, which gave Earl Rochefort the opportunity to send cavalry from Fran City south to relieve Old Osric Fortress and the Royal Capital.

"Ulf ..." A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Harald's eyes.

The damage to the Sparrow Corps's strength and the decline in Ulf's prestige provided him with an excellent excuse to reduce the Sparrow Corps's share in the subsequent distribution of spoils and reorganization of power, thereby suppressing the increasingly arrogant and disobedient Ulf and his faction in recent years.

In Harald's mind, sacrificing some soldiers' lives to achieve a rebalancing and consolidation of internal power was a worthwhile trade-off.