Recruitment Plan

Karl watched Edgar hurriedly leave to attend to the important land matters concerning the livelihoods of countless people, then turned to look at Brendan, the Military Chief had been waiting quietly to the side, and said with a hint of apology, "Brendan, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Brendan straightened his back, his face showing no impatience, and replied in a deep voice, "You flatter me, sir. Handling civil affairs is of paramount importance, and it is only right that I wait a while."

Karl nodded, walked to the long table covered with maps, and his expression became serious and focused. "Brendan, now that Edgar has the funds, civil administration and infrastructure can proceed at a great pace. Our military construction must also catch up immediately; we can no longer afford to stagnate."

He looked at Brendan and got to the point. "I remember instructing you before to take advantage of the influx of refugees to carefully scout out and select able-bodied men with military backgrounds, special skills, or potential to strengthen our core forces. How is that going?"

Brendan was clearly prepared. He took out a piece of parchment covered in writing from his leather pouch and presented it to Karl with both hands. "Sir, this is the preliminary screening and evaluation report. Please take a look. The progress is quite good, even somewhat unexpectedly good."

Karl took the report and began to read it carefully.

Brendan added, "Our main recruitment targets this time are two types of people. The first type, and the highest quality, are the veterans who were scattered in the various fortresses and towns that fell in the Northern Territory."

"They are familiar with the Northern Territory and the tactics of the Sauron. Many of them have had their homes destroyed and their families killed, and they have a deep-seated hatred for the Sauron. In order to survive, they may have served as private soldiers for some border Lord, but they have always harbored a burning desire for revenge."

"Upon hearing that we had inflicted heavy losses on the main force of the Sauron at Carnford, they did not hesitate to come and join us, willing to give up their relatively stable lives to join us and avenge the Sauron."

As Karl listened, he glanced at the names and brief background information on the list, a look of approval in his eyes. "Hmm, these people have a strong fighting spirit and a thirst for battle; they are excellent recruits. With proper guidance and strict discipline, they can become the backbone of the army."

Brendan wholeheartedly agreed, "You are absolutely right, sir. However, precisely because these men are often exceptionally brave individually, they are also prone to exhibiting some of the habits of untrained soldiers. Therefore, we did not organize them into a separate new army, but rather dispersed them all and incorporated them into the existing combat squads, which are mainly composed of veterans who survived the previous conflict."

"Let the squad leaders and comrades lead them, day and night, to preach and emphasize the ironclad rules of our Carnford military, and use actual combat cooperation to smooth out their rough edges, transforming their anger for revenge into a powerful fighting force that obeys orders and works in coordination."

Karl nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping across the list before suddenly settling on a name— Franz.

He vaguely remembered that Tommy had mentioned this man to him, saying that he was an extremely skilled and taciturn old soldier he had met while recruiting refugees, and that Tommy had strongly recommended him to join the army. It seemed that Brendan had indeed taken Tommy's advice.

"This Franz ... I vaguely remember him. Tommy recommended him. He seems to have some talent." Karl pointed to the name with his finger.

Brendan immediately replied, "Yes, sir. This Franz has outstanding reconnaissance and individual combat skills, and a calm personality. He's a promising talent and has been assigned to Roland's New Recruit Second Company for intensive training."

After reviewing the recruitment situation of key personnel, Karl put down the report and made a more important decision, "Very good, replenishing the core personnel is the first step. Now, we can begin the large-scale recruitment of the Main Corps."

He emphasized firmly, "But Brendan, listen to me carefully. This time, we're not going to accept inferior soldiers! We need elite troops, not just anyone to fill quotas! We'll prioritize selecting strong, fit, clean-cut young men who are obedient."

"Those who look pale and thin, weak and frail, or those who look slick and unmanageable, don't bring them in. We have enough funds to support our logistics; we don't need to fill space with sheer numbers. What I need is an iron army that can be deployed and win battles!"

Brendan nodded emphatically, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Understood, sir! I will strictly control the recruitment process and ensure that no unqualified individuals are allowed to infiltrate our Main Corps! I will immediately formulate detailed recruitment standards and assessment procedures to quickly bolster our fighting force!"

"Go!" Karl waved his hand, and Brendan saluted before striding out of the hall.

Watching Brendan's figure disappear from the Lord's Hall and the doors close, Karl felt a deep weariness wash over him.

He sat alone in the empty Lord's Hall, his hands resting on the cool oak table, his forehead against his arms, and his eyes closed in repose.

The pressure, planning, and anxieties about the future that had been weighing on his heart like a heavy stone.

Just as his consciousness began to blur, a pair of warm and familiar hands, with gentle pressure, gently pressed onto his tense and stiff shoulders.

The technique wasn't professional, but it was full of maternal tenderness and meticulousness.

A faint, sweet fragrance, reminiscent of his mother's scent in Karl's memory, a blend of delicate spices and the smell of sunshine, quietly lingered around his nose.

Karl did not open his eyes, nor did he show the slightest surprise.

His body recognized the newcomer before his reason did—it was the scent and touch of his mother, Eileen.

A deep-seated attachment and sense of security made him unconsciously relax his tense nerves, letting that warmth dispel his fatigue.

He discovered that he didn't need to consciously think about how to get along with this "mother"; his body's instincts had already given him the most honest response. He cherished this regained family affection and tranquility.

"My child..." Lady Eileen said softly, her voice filled with tenderness and pride, as she gently massaged her son's shoulders. "Just now, I saw you handling official business outside. My son, you've really grown up. You're just like a composed, dignified Lord shoulders heavy responsibilities."

Her voice was full of relief, but then turned to worry. "Just... don't overwork yourself, okay? It breaks my heart to see you like that."

Karl slowly raised his head and reached out to grasp his mother's hand, which was massaging him.

His mother's hands were warm and soft, while his hands, from prolonged contact with cold documents and maps, were somewhat cold.

The contrast in temperature warmed his heart.

He looked up at his mother's concerned face, a genuine smile of dependence on her appearing on his lips, and whispered, "Thank you, Mom... It's been so long since anyone has helped me relax like this."

These words carried a subtle vulnerability that made Lady Eileen's heart ache.

She immediately wrapped her hands tightly around her son's cold hands, trying to pass on her warmth to him, her tone firm yet gentle. "Silly child, why are you thanking your mother? From now on, as long as I'm here, you can come to me anytime you're tired. I'll massage your shoulders and talk to you."

She seemed to have thought of something, a hopeful smile appearing on her face. Her tone became slightly lighter, with a hint of teasing. "Oh, but perhaps in the future, it will be Her Highness the Princess who will help you relieve your stress."

"After you get married, you won't be alone anymore. You'll have someone who cares about you and understands you. That feeling of having someone to share your burdens and care for you is truly wonderful. Mom has been through it all, so I know what that feels like."

She continued, trying to paint a rosy picture of the future to ease the heaviness in her son's eyes. "Besides, when I was young, I accompanied your father to the Royal Capital and had the privilege of seeing Princess Louise several times at court banquets."

"She was still young then, but it was already clear that she was a gentle, beautiful, and very well-mannered girl who had received the best royal education. I imagine she could not only take good care of your life, but perhaps... she could also offer you some unique insights and assistance in certain political matters?"

"There are some things you might want to try talking to your future wife about; you might be surprised by the results."

Karl listened quietly to his mother's kind and expectant words, but a bitter ripple rose in his heart.

Charlotte's mother was unaware of her existence, let alone the helplessness and coldness behind his marriage to the Princess.

He couldn't bear to shatter his mother's beautiful illusions about his future married life; that would be too cruel for a mother who deeply loves her son.

So, he suppressed the sigh in his heart, trying his best to maintain a calm, even slightly shy, expression, and softly replied to his mother, "Okay, Mom... I understand, I'm also... looking forward to married life with the Princess."

He said it casually, even with a hint of appropriate shyness, but only Karl himself knew how much insincerity and heavy burden it contained.

He held his mother's warm hand even tighter, as if drawing strength from this only haven of family love to keep going.