Two Possibilities

Fran City, Governor's Office's Office.

Earl Rochefort paced restlessly in the heavily carpeted room.

The pipe in his hand had long since gone out, but he still unconsciously kept it in his mouth.

A ledger lay open on the table, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

North Wind Squad... Carnford... Karl...

These words swirled in his mind like a spell.

Did Laurent and his men arrive successfully? Is Carnford still holding out, or has it fallen? Is Karl alive or dead?

And then there's Charlotte; his daughter's growing belly and forced smiles are like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

If Karl were to die in battle... he couldn't even imagine what Charlotte would do.

This kind of unresolved, uncertain wait is more agonizing than facing the enemy's swords head-on.

Just then, the office door was flung open, and a messenger, not even having time to salute, cried out in a panic, "My Count! It's terrible! The Sauron Barbarians... the Sauron Barbarians have suddenly begun their attack on the city!"

"What?" Earl Rochefort was startled, nearly dropping his pipe.

A siege? At this critical juncture? Has Ulf gone mad?

Without a second thought, he grabbed the sword hanging on the wall, rushed out of the office, and, surrounded by guards, quickly climbed the main city wall watchtower facing the Sauron camp.

"A telescope!" the Count commanded in a deep voice.

An officer quickly handed him a long brass telescope.

The Count raised his telescope and looked out of the city.

As expected, dust billowed from the direction of the Sauron camp, and squads of Sauron soldier poured out of the camp, pushing several rudimentary-looking Cloud Ladder and Battering Ram, forming a loose attack formation, and slowly approaching the city wall.

Further away, several small catapults were launching fireballs, which streaked across the sky, but most of them landed on the open ground in front of the city wall or crashed into the thick base of the wall. Apart from igniting some weeds and leaving charred marks, they posed almost no threat to the city wall itself.

The shouts of the Sauron soldier were deafening, and the War Drum pounded loudly, making their offensive seem fierce.

But Earl Rochefort's brow furrowed even more deeply.

As a seasoned veteran, he keenly sensed that something was amiss.

This offensive... all bark and no bite!

The Cloud Ladder advanced slowly, and the soldiers' charge lacked the indomitable spirit of their previous assault; it seemed more like... a mere formality?

"They don't really want to attack the city," the Count muttered to himself, a knowing glint in his eyes as he lowered his binoculars. "They want to escape!"

Yes! Something must have happened on Harald's side!

It is highly likely that the battle at Carnford has concluded, and Ulf is using a feint attack to mislead them and conceal his true intention to retreat!

"Order the garrison troops on each section of the city wall to strengthen their defenses! Prepare the Cannon and arrows! Give them a good beating! But without my order, no one is to leave the city to pursue them!" The Count swiftly issued the order.

Although he saw through Ulf's trick, he wouldn't be easily fooled.

To aid Carnford, which was in imminent danger, he had dispatched all of his elite "North Wind Stud Farm" squads.

The members of this squad are all elite knights and senior officers handpicked from various departments and affiliated territories of Fran City. They are not only sharp blades on the battlefield, but also the absolute core and soul of the unit's grassroots command system.

Their departure signifies a serious breakdown in the Fran City garrison's ability to conduct on-the-spot command, tactical coordination, and morale cohesion at the grassroots level.

Under these circumstances, if the Fran City troops were to rashly venture out of the city to engage in a field battle with the experienced and well-equipped main force of the Sparrow Corps under Ulf's command, their organization and adaptability would be significantly inferior, given their numerical disadvantage.

Ulf was a cunning strategist and was very likely to have keenly sensed the weaknesses of the Fran City garrison, such as reduced command flexibility and poor coordination due to the lack of officers, and set a trap for them.

Once they seize an opening and concentrate their elite forces to launch a fatal blow, the Fran City troops that leave the city will not only find it difficult to win, but will also face the enormous risk of being divided and surrounded, or even suffering a devastating attack.

Therefore, any pursuit operation outside the city that is not carefully calculated and attempts to expand the gains is unwise, as the risks involved far outweigh the potential benefits.

Moreover, his thoughts had already drifted to that fortress to the north, whose fate remained uncertain.

"Yes!"

The order was relayed swiftly.

The defenders on the city wall immediately sprang into action; Cannon were mounted and archers drew their bows and nocked arrows.

Once the vanguard of the Sauron entered firing range, a fierce counterattack erupted from the walls of Fran City!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Cannon roared, and solid shells whistled as they slammed into the Sauron's formation. Although the accuracy was mediocre, the sheer force of the artillery and the occasional hits that caused casualties effectively slowed the enemy's advance.

A dense rain of arrows fell like locusts, striking the shields of Sauron soldier and the ground.

The battle... or rather, this "performance," lasted for about an hour.

The Sauron made several attempts to bring the Cloud Ladder up the city walls, but all failed due to the fierce resistance of the defenders, leaving behind more than a hundred corpses and several destroyed machines.

Then, just as suddenly as it had arrived, a deep bugle call came from the direction of the central army.

Upon hearing the bugle call, the Sauron soldier, who were "fiercely attacking the city," retreated swiftly and orderly like a tide, showing no intention of lingering in battle.

They provided cover in turns, maintaining their formation and demonstrating exceptional military skill.

"Count lord! The barbarians have retreated! Should we give chase?" A young officer excitedly volunteered.

Earl Rochefort slowly shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on the dust raised by the retreating Sauron army. His tone was calm yet tinged with heaviness. "No need. Let them go."

He knew perfectly well that Ulf had achieved his goal.

This feint attack successfully drew the attention of Fran City, buying time and space for the main force of the Sparrow Corps to retreat safely.

Pursuing them now would only lead us into a trap set by the enemy.

More importantly, Ulf's retreat itself is a strong signal!

A crucial signal regarding the situation in the North!

The Count turned away, no longer looking at the departing enemy army, and turned his gaze toward Carnford. The worries and questions in his heart did not lessen, but rather became even more intense.

The Sparrow Corps retreated.

Was it because Carnford had already fallen and Harald's main force had returned north, so they naturally withdrew after completing their mission?

Or was it because Carnford held firm? Harald retreated, Ulf hastily withdrew for fear of being caught in a pincer movement?

These two possibilities represent either despair or a miraculous, overwhelmingly good news!

Earl Rochefort's heart was being tormented as if it were on fire.

He desperately needed to know the answer!

That answer, far away in the Northern Territory, not only concerns the kingdom's situation, but also the future fate of his daughter Charlotte, and the possible life that might exist, carrying the blood of the Schmidt Family and Rochefort Family...

"Carnford... Karl von Schmidt, are you alive or dead?" The Count gazed at the gray sky to the north and let out a heavy sigh that no one could hear.