Imitation

He stopped, his gaze sweeping over the camp that was gradually returning to order, before finally settling on the castle atop the distant mountain, its outline emerging in the morning light, his eyes sharp.

"Moreover, the biggest takeaway from last night's battle is that we have proven that the Carnford garrison is not invincible; they can make mistakes and fall into traps. Their commander Karl von Schmidt, is not a god of perfect strategy! That is enough."

He turned his head and instructed Elaine, "Your most important task now is to recover your strength as soon as possible. I will allocate another hundred strong slaves to your command, and you can use their Life essence to replenish your lost Magic Power. Next, there are more important battles that will require your strength."

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Elaine's eyes as she bowed deeply. "Thank you, Great Chieftain! I will do my utmost to recover as soon as possible to repay your great kindness!"

Harald waved his hand, and Elaine understood. After bowing again, she quietly withdrew, her figure blending into the brightening morning light and disappearing among the tents.

At this moment, Leon walked through the camp shrouded in the morning mist and came to Harald's side. In his hand was a flintlock carbine that clearly showed signs of battle and whose barrel had been deliberately shortened. It was a trophy carefully searched from the equipment abandoned by the Carnford night raid team after the fierce battle the previous night.

Leon's face showed lingering fatigue, but even more so, a look of curiosity. He carefully examined the uniquely shaped musket in his hand, then broke the silence, saying respectfully, "Great Chieftain, the Carnford garrison is truly ingenious. Look at the muskets they use."

He brought the flintlock carbine closer, pointing to its key parts. "This breechblock is exceptionally well-made. The flint clamp is secure, the hammer strikes smoothly, and the entire structure is seamless. The workmanship is superb; it's definitely not something an ordinary Blacksmith Shop could produce."

"What's even more ingenious is that, I don't know which guy came up with the idea, they actually sawed off a section of the perfectly good gun barrel. This way, the bullets fired from this shortened barrel would no longer be a precise line, but would scatter in a fan shape."

"Although they can't hit far, at close range, especially in the chaotic night raid last night, their power is astonishing. They can take down large groups of enemies at once, causing huge confusion and casualties among our charging soldiers. This is probably the main reason why, despite their small numbers, they were able to disrupt our formation for a time."

Harald's gaze was also drawn to the peculiar musket in Leon's hand, and he reached out and took the heavy carbine.

Upon handling it, you'll immediately feel a completely different texture—cold, precise, and imbued with the rationality of industrial creation.

He examined it closely: the smooth walnut stock, the steel barrel gleaming with a cold, dark blue light, and the most crucial and complex element— the Flintlock Rifle.

Indeed, as Leon said, this Flintlock Rifle is ingeniously constructed, with each part functioning perfectly and fitting together seamlessly. It is something that those crude Sauron craftsmen could not possibly replicate; it must be the masterpiece of skilled artisans from the Goldflower Kingdom.

Harald was no stranger to firearms; in fact, one could say he valued them highly.

In the decades-long conflict between the Sauron Tribe and the Goldflower Kingdom, the Broomflower army's muskets and Cannon repeatedly inflicted heavy losses on the Sauron warriors relied on mounted archery and bravery.

The lead bullets that could penetrate heavy armor from a hundred paces away, and the Cannon that could roar like thunder and blast breaches in solid earthen walls, all left a very deep impression on him.

During this large-scale southward raid, his army did indeed capture a considerable number of various firearms, ranging from long-barreled muskets to short guns.

However, the reality was that the vast majority of his army consisted of soldiers who had grown up on horseback and were accustomed to archery and horsemanship. They lacked both the skills to use firearms, which required tedious loading, meticulous maintenance, and reliance on external supplies, and were even less capable of effectively maintaining them.

Many captured muskets quickly deteriorated due to improper operation or lack of maintenance, becoming mere firewood before being carelessly discarded. Looking at the weapon in his hand, a symbol of the enemy's technological superiority, a complex light flickered in Harald's deep eyes.

What has long hindered Sauron's rise, besides resources, is perhaps precisely this technological gap.

They could no longer be content with merely plundering and using captured weapons. Perhaps the Sauron should establish their own firearms manufacturing system, allowing their tribal artisans to learn, imitate, and eventually master the technology, thus forming a stable and independent industrial chain for firearms and even Cannon.

Furthermore, selecting intelligent and reliable young people from the army to form a specialized force that is well-trained and proficient in the use of firearms, so that Sauron's warriors would also possess the power of thunder, would no longer be a simple imitation, but a profound military revolution.

Harald had the idea of forming a firearms unit deeply ingrained in his mind, and it had become an important part of his strategic blueprint.

He secretly resolved that after conquering Carnford, he would do everything in his power to capture all the artisans in the city who could make such fine firearms and send them back to his tribe.

These artisans and their skills will be a valuable asset for the future rise of Sauron.

Leon continued his report, "Great Chieftain, not only that, please recall those strange Fire oil the garrison threw last night."

Upon hearing this, Harald immediately recalled the scene from yesterday: a burning object streaking across the dark night sky, instantly bursting into a sea of fire upon touching the ground, several times more ferocious than an ordinary torch.

He nodded and said, "Yes, those Fire oil are quite powerful. I don't know the principle behind them, but they explode upon being thrown, which makes them quite troublesome for our army."

Leon explained, "The principle is actually very simple, far less mysterious than its power seems. They simply stuff Cloth Strip of cloth or cotton soaked in Fire oil into the mouth of the bottle and light it before throwing it."

"When the bottle is smashed, it shatters, and the Fire oil splatters everywhere. Upon contact with an open flame, it will instantly ignite and create a sea of fire. Our army's craftsmen have carefully examined the residue and completely deciphered its manufacturing method. It is very simple and easy to do, and the required materials are also very easy to obtain."

"They reported that they could quickly mass-produce counterfeits, and even improve upon them."

Harald's eyes flashed with satisfaction; this was indeed good news, meaning that the Sauron army would soon also have this cheap incendiary weapon.

He added, "Very good. Also, have the craftsmen make those Gunpowder pack they use. However, they don't need to be as big as the ones they use. Make them smaller, and have the slave laborers brave arrows and stones to drill holes in the city wall, insert the small Gunpowder pack, and ignite them."