Use Spies
In the Lord's Hall of Sauron, the Great Chieftain the Northern Territory, Frosgard.
A long and important corps meeting had just concluded at the heavy oak table.
The six Corps Commander rose one after another, bowed to the Great Chieftain Harald, who was seated in the main seat, and then silently withdrew from the hall.
The only vacancy was the one that originally belonged to the Sparrow Corps, as the Corps Commander, Ulf, was absent again, citing "not yet fully recovered from serious injuries."
When the footsteps of the last Corps Commander disappeared at the end of the corridor, the hall suddenly became empty and silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of firewood burning in the fireplace.
Harald leaned back in the high-backed chair covered with thick bearskin, his rugged and weathered face revealing little emotion.
His sharp, hawk-like gaze slowly swept across the empty hall, finally settling on the huge map of the Northern Territory on the wall, depicting the route and spoils of this southward raid.
Although the crushing defeat at the foot of Carnford Mountain remained a thorn in his side, causing him some discomfort whenever he thought about it, this discomfort was overshadowed by a greater sense of satisfaction when he turned his gaze to the entire strategic chessboard.
Compared to the glorious achievements of this unprecedented raid, Carnford's setbacks were nothing.
During this southward campaign, his various military units reaped enormous rewards, plundering countless amounts of gold and silver currency, exquisite fabrics and silks, and mountains of grain.
But the most important spoils of war were the 80,000 captive citizens of the Goldflower Kingdom.
Those who survived the brutal migration and selection process and were eventually driven to the Northern Territory were mostly strong and able-bodied young men and women. They greatly supplemented the long-standing manpower shortage of the various tribes of Sauron and injected a strong workforce into Sauron's agricultural production and engineering construction.
This unprecedented victory brought Harald's authority and prestige within the tribal alliance to a new peak.
Meanwhile, Ulf, the Corps Commander the Sparrow Corps who was always unruly and had even openly questioned his decisions, became the perfect target for Harald to establish his authority and consolidate his power due to his disastrous performance in the complete failure of the siege of Carnford.
At the post-war corps political conference, which was actually a meeting to discuss merits and rewards but also to punish wrongdoings,...
Harald, in the name of the Alliance Law, demoted Ulf's Nobility title by three ranks, forcibly stripped him of his three most elite warbands and replaced them with other legions more loyal to him, and also gave the Sparrow Corps the smallest share of spoils and slaves.
This series of combined attacks dealt a heavy blow to the strength and influence of Ulf and his Sparrow Corps.
Ulf, who used to be arrogant and domineering, even daring to openly contradict Harald at meetings, has now become much more silent, even using illness as an excuse to skip important corps meetings.
Harald inwardly scoffed at Ulf's passive resistance; he didn't care at all.
An eagle whose beak and talons have been removed is no longer a threat.
With internal threats temporarily suppressed, he can focus more on dealing with external threats.
The only thing that truly bothered him and made him feel uneasy was Carnford's defeat.
Detailed battle reports show that at the Carnford City, the Sauron allied forces and their Auxiliary Army suffered more than 6,300 dead or wounded. Including those who succumbed to their injuries or diseases during the long march, the total loss exceeded 6,600!
Among them, the core force of the Sauron tribe consisted of more than 3,200 soldiers, which was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
What made Harald even more wary was the young Lord of Carnford, Karl von Schmidt.
According to intelligence, since establishing himself in Carnford last year, this man has never been defeated in the face of the Sauron ' attacks, winning one battle after another!
This unusual phenomenon forced Harald to pay close attention to this suddenly rising border Lord.
His spies within the Goldflower Kingdom had already sent secret reports revealing Karl's true identity: he was the son of Duke Schmidt, a man from the south known for his wealthy territories.
Moreover, the incredibly brave knight Friedrich, who had caused him a lot of trouble on the Northern Battlefield, was indeed Karl's brother!
And then there's Konrad, the elusive and magically difficult-to-deal-with sorcerer, who is also his brother.
"No wonder..." Harald tapped the armrest with his fingers, a flash of understanding and deeper apprehension in his eyes. "No wonder they're so invested in this seemingly barren frontier region of Carnford! It turns out they have the entire Schmidt Family behind them, and not only that, but also the full support of the newly appointed Governor of the Northern Border Province, Earl Rochefort!"
This instantly elevated his assessment of Carnford's strategic value to a new level.
It was no longer just a border thorn that needed to be removed, but more likely an outpost for the Goldflower Kingdom's ambitious northern strategy!
However, despite his inner vigilance and desire to eliminate the threat posed by Carnford, Harald, as a seasoned politician and military commander, knew that now was not the time to launch another major offensive.
The vast spoils of war need time to be digested and distributed, the large number of people plundered need to be resettled and managed to restore production, and after the long winter in the Northern Territory, the crucial spring planting season is imminent.
The entire Sauron Alliance needs a period of rest and recuperation to recover its strength and rebuild its power.
Suppressing the urge to immediately launch a military retaliation, Harald adopted a more covert and long-term approach.
He waved his hand and ordered his trusted aide, who was standing in the shadows, "Go and fetch General Leon for me."
Soon after, Leon walked steadily into the hall and bowed respectfully to Harald.
Harald didn't beat around the bush and gave the order directly, "General Leon, you should be well aware of the situation in Carnford. That young Lord named Karl has become a problem for our Northern Territory."
"I need to know more about him and his territory: his troop deployments, internal conflicts, resource reserves, defensive weaknesses—everything useful."
He stared at Leon, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You're familiar with how Broomflower operates. I need you to use all your connections and channels to send reliable informants into Carnford, or to bribe key figures. I need to know everything that's happening there. This is your job."
Leon remained expressionless and bowed deeply. "As you command, Great Chieftain, I will make arrangements as soon as possible to infiltrate Carnford."
"Very well, go ahead." Harald waved his hand.
Watching Leon's retreating figure as he left the hall, Harald's gaze returned to the stronghold marked "Carnford" on the map, his eyes deep and cold.
The open and direct attacks have temporarily ceased, but another silent and far more insidious war has just begun.