Plan

Two weeks later, Carnford.

The biting winter winds howled across the desolate hills of the Northern Territory, whipping up snow and dust that blanketed the land in a greyish hue.

However, what was even more suffocating than the harsh winter was the chilling atmosphere that hung over Carnford.

Standing atop the highest watchtower of the reinforced Carnford Fortress, Karl held up his binoculars and slowly scanned the distance.

As the lens slowly moved, even Karl, who had long been accustomed to battlefield battles and experienced countless storms, couldn't help but feel a slight tension in his fingers as he gripped the lens, a profound and indescribable shock welling up within him.

One hundred thousand troops! This is no longer a cold, hard number from intelligence reports, but a terrifying reality that is overwhelming and fills our vision!

The valleys, plains, and even all the hills and gentle slopes in sight surrounding Carnford were completely covered by countless gray-black tents, densely packed Supply Cart, and the Sauron wolf flag fluttering in the wind.

The tents stretched as far as the eye could see.

Countless ant-like figures moved between the camps, the glint of weapons occasionally piercing the gray air.

The number of Sauron soldier was terrifying; they were like swarms of locusts sweeping across the land, turning the entire horizon a hostile color.

Even from such a great distance, a low and continuous hum seemed to emanate from the air, a sound wave formed by the movement of thousands of people and the neighing and roaring of thousands of warhorses, shaking one's heart and making even the stone bricks underfoot seem to tremble slightly.

The sky was obscured by thick columns of smoke rising from the campfires, and the sunlight dimmed.

This is Harald's true strength! This is the terrifying power of the Sauron Tribe unleashed!

Harald was clearly enraged to remove Carnford, the thorn in their side that had caused them so much loss of face and heavy losses, and he assembled almost all of his Main Corps for this invasion of the south!

This is no longer a probing attack by a flanking force, nor is it a siege or blockade; rather, it is an attempt to wipe this fortress that dared to challenge his authority completely off the map with overwhelming force!

Konrad, standing next to Karl, slowly lowered his binoculars. His usually calm face was now filled with solemnity, and even a hint of barely concealed fear.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, turned to Karl, and said in a low, serious voice, "Although I was mentally prepared and knew that Harald's main force would be enormous, seeing this... this overwhelming force is still incredibly shocking. Karl, have you thought about what to do in the face of this situation?"

Karl also put down his binoculars. He gazed at the enemy sea that had swallowed the horizon in the distance and sighed heavily.

"What do we do?" Karl's voice was soft. "At this point, we have nowhere to retreat and no other way out. The only option is to hold our ground! Relying on our fortified walls, the courage of our soldiers, and... a little bit of luck, we must delay as much as possible and wear down the enemy."

He turned to look at Konrad, a complex light flickering in his eyes. "But you and I both know that no matter how fortified Carnford is, it absolutely cannot withstand the sustained onslaught of an army of 100,000 alone."

"The real key to breaking the deadlock lies not within our city, but in external forces, in when the King will send reinforcements, in whether Earl Rochefort can seize the opportunity to strike, and even... in whether internal strife will arise among the Sauron due to the prolonged siege."

"But until then, the only thing we can do now is to be the hardest nail, firmly anchored here, and wait for the changes to happen."

Konrad nodded silently; he understood what Karl meant.

This was destined to be a brutal and brutal battle to defend the city. The hope of survival was slim, but they had to fight to the end for any possible chance of survival and to defend their last shred of dignity.

Karl said no more, turned around and walked steadily down the watchtower, returning to his command post on the main city wall.

On the city wall, all the senior officers, including Brendan, Richter, Roland, and Lyon, had already gathered. Each of them had a solemn expression as they gazed at the suffocating sea of enemy troops on the horizon. A heavy silence filled the air.

Karl's gaze first fell on Brendan, the most experienced of them all, and he asked directly, "Brendan, the situation is clear now. In your opinion, how should we proceed?"

Brendan took a deep breath, pointed to the endless camps outside the city, and said in a heavy voice, "My lord, Harald has committed his main force, ten times our strength. His intentions are crystal clear: he intends to crush us with overwhelming power."

"Now, our mission to contain and wear down the Ulf Legion for Fran City has been completed, even exceeded. Continuing to hold this outer wall is no longer strategically meaningful; on the contrary, it will only cause our precious troops to be wasted in the enemy's first and fiercest offensive."

He paused, then his tone became even more resolute. "My suggestion is to immediately and proactively abandon the outer city walls and auxiliary fortifications, and for the entire army to retreat in an orderly manner to the main castle on the mountain! The main castle is on higher ground, with thicker walls and greater defensive depth, which can offset the enemy's numerical advantage to the greatest extent."

"We need to tighten our defenses and clench our fists to hold out longer. Every soldier's life is extremely precious now, and we can no longer waste it on outer positions that are destined to fall."

Upon hearing this, Karl nodded without hesitation. "Agreed! Your judgment coincides with mine. In the face of absolute power, reckless bravery is meaningless. Preserving our strength and relying on the strongest fortresses for a protracted defense is our only option."

Then, Karl first looked at Steward Edgar and Scribe Morr: "Edgar, Morr! You two act immediately! Organize all the residents of the outer villages and shantytowns, abandon all unnecessary possessions, and evacuate into the inner fortress as quickly as possible!"

"Remember, implement a scorched-earth policy! Burn all the food that can't be taken! Fill in the wells if possible, or poison them if you can. Demolish or burn all houses and workshops that could be used by the enemy! Leave nothing for the Sauron!"

"Yes, sir!" Edgar and Morr accepted the order without hesitation and quickly turned to leave the tower to make arrangements.

Then, Karl looked at Lyon and Thorsten: "Lyon, Thorsten! You lead all the cavalry, including the warhorses, into the inner castle area. Make full use of the castle's square, stables, and even the open space in front of the castle hall!"

"If there's not enough space, let the soldiers take turns resting in the main hall of my Lord's castle! In times of crisis, there's no need for such formalities!"

Both Lyon and Thorsten were taken aback by what they heard.

Bringing cavalry and warhorses into the core castle of the final defense, and especially opening the Lord's residence to ordinary soldiers, was unprecedented in their previous military careers.

This was a desperate situation, but it also fully demonstrated Karl's determination to live and die with his soldiers and his absolute trust in them.

A surge of warmth welled up in their hearts, and they both saluted, "Yes, sir!"

Finally, Karl's gaze fell upon Brendan, Richter, and Roland.

"Brendan, Richter, Roland," Karl's voice clearly reached everyone's ears, "Now, the most difficult and crucial task is entrusted to you."

He pointed to the sturdy outer city wall beneath his feet. "We must abandon this wall, but abandoning it does not mean handing it over to the enemy! Before we retreat, we must present a generous gift to Harald's army, which is about to enter the city."

He walked to the inner edge of the city wall and pointed heavily to several key locations. "My plan is to secretly plant a large number of explosive charges below the city wall, especially inside the main city gates, and at the corners of the wall—these are the key structural points and the places where the enemy is most likely to gather."

He elaborated on the tactical steps. "At the start of the battle, our defenders will put up a symbolic resistance on the city walls, making a show of desperate defense. But after a brief engagement, they will feign defeat and begin to abandon the city wall positions according to the plan, retreating entirely back to the inner fortress on the mountain. We must make the Sauron believe that they captured the outer wall through a powerful offensive."

Karl paused, then continued, "Once the Sauron have jubilantly and completely captured this section of the wall, their vanguard and officers will flood the walls to celebrate their victory, and the walls will be absolutely packed with their men..."

He glanced at the crowd, who listened intently, some even speechless, and said, word by word, "At that very moment, when they are gloating on our city walls, that will be the moment our pre-placed explosives detonate!"

Karl suddenly spread his arms wide, making an explosion gesture, and his voice rose sharply. "Then... Boom! We'll present our esteemed Great Chieftain Harald with an unforgettable fireworks display!"

This audacious, almost insane plan caused the officers present to gasp in shock, followed by an incredulous yet intensely excited gleam in their eyes!

Brendan was the first to react. "This plan is very feasible! We have three thousand pounds of gunpowder supplied by Earl Rochefort, enough to make a powerful explosive charge!"

"If the plan succeeds, it will not only instantly kill or wound a large number of the elite Sauron who were the first to storm the city, causing huge chaos and panic, but it will also severely damage the arrogance of their entire army! This will buy us valuable breathing space and a psychological advantage in our defense after retreating to the inner fortress!"

"Yes! Let them taste the spoils of their war!" Richter echoed excitedly.

Even the usually composed Konrad showed an expression of disbelief when he saw the chilling look in his brother's eyes.

"It's settled then!" Karl declared decisively. "Brendan, you'll be in charge personally. Select the most reliable engineers and quickly and secretly plant the explosives. The fuses must be placed in an absolutely concealed and secure manner! Richter and Roland, your troops will be responsible for cover and feints. The simulation must be realistic! We will make Harald pay a bloody price for his underestimation of the enemy!"