Fog of War

Let a child go today, and a few years later he may become a warrior wielding War Saber to chop down Carnford farmers.

For the long-term safety of Carnford, and in order to destroy Sauron's regeneration ability in this area to the greatest extent, the most decisive measures must be taken.

"Kill them all", he wrote these four words clearly and heavily.

Accompanied by this are "grab the light" and "burn the light".

The spoils of war, whether they are grain, livestock, tools, furs, or even useful wood and metal, will be taken away to enrich Carnford's warehouse.

What could not be taken away, as well as the buildings of the village itself, the wooden houses, sheds, and warehouses were all burned to the ground and completely destroyed.

The purpose is to make this land no longer able to support human settlement in the short term, so that newcomers cannot easily use the existing foundation to take root again.

It is necessary to create a "vacuum" zone, a buffer zone composed of scorched earth and ruins.

In addition to this cold "Three Light policy" policy, Karl also left a pragmatic and forward-looking touch. "Choose where to stay."

If the conditions are particularly suitable, for example, a village has an extremely critical geographical location, controls traffic arteries, or has sufficient water resources, and the terrain is relatively easy to defend and difficult to attack, then after thorough cleaning, you can consider not burning it all, but using part of its foundation to build simple defenses and station a small force for long-term garrison.

This will become the "tentacles" and "outposts" of Carnford extending outward, expanding the early warning range, protecting trade routes, and providing a forward base for subsequent larger-scale operations. However, this requires careful evaluation to ensure that the garrison can be self-sustaining and has convenient support and retreat channels.

The core ideas of the plan gradually became clear, but more concrete problems followed.

Karl put down the pen, leaned back into the high-backed chair, and raised his hand to knead the tight eyebrows.

It is easy to talk about war on paper but difficult to implement on the ground.

All these ideas are based on two basic premises: a strong enough army that can perfectly execute the above tactical requirements, and a pair of "eyes" that can accurately find targets and gain insight into the enemy's situation, namely the efficient Intelligence System.

Although Karl is worried about the military, he is generally confident.

Recruit training is proceeding step by step. The officers are all backbones who have been tested by war. The materials brought by my mother have alleviated the pressure on equipment.

As long as it is carefully organized, selected elites, and led by experienced officers, there should be no problem in executing such a small-scale, high-intensity raid mission.

The real shortcoming is intelligence.

Intelligence Bureau is still a start-up organization. It was established only a few months ago.

Although it is of great use in internal defense against espionage, it is on one's own territory after all, and with the cooperation of administrative and military forces, it is relatively easy to acquire.

However, "external spying" is another matter entirely.

This is the offensive side of intelligence work, taking the initiative to extend its tentacles into unknown, dangerous, and hostile areas.

It requires recruiting and training specialized intelligence agents, establishing secret communication lines and contact points, and collecting, transmitting, and analyzing complex information such as the enemy's troop deployment, stronghold locations, defense strength, logistics routes, commanders' personalities, tribal relationships, etc.

This requires time, professional skills, reliable manpower, and a little bit of luck.

The current Intelligence Bureau is almost blank in this regard.

Karl's eyes fell on the large blank area on the map, and he felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

Sometimes, intelligence is even more important than the army itself. Without accurate intelligence, the army is like a blind man wielding a sword in a thick fog. No matter how powerful it is, it may miss the mark or even fall into a trap.

He now only knows the vague concept of "there is a Sauron stronghold nearby". Where is it specifically? How many people are there? Are they mostly warriors or old and weak? How is the defense? What is the terrain like? Are there hidden sentries or early warning mechanisms? Are there other strongholds nearby that can provide quick support?

He knew nothing about these key issues.

The word "Fog of War..." naturally comes to mind.

Launching a military operation without reliable intelligence is tantamount to gambling.

It is very likely that the effort will be in vain, and morale and supplies will be wasted in vain; worse, it may be hit by a hard nail, or be trapped in a tight siege.

After all, Richter cannot be avoided in this matter.

Although the foreign intelligence work has not yet started, Richter is currently the only person responsible for this matter. Moreover, he is thoughtful and familiar with paperwork and personnel management, making him the best person to promote this matter.

Karl decided to summon him early tomorrow morning to discuss in detail the specific steps to establish an external intelligence network. Even if only a few bold and careful hunters or refugees could be sent out initially, disguised as merchants or wanderers, to spy on the edges of those fuzzy areas, it would be better than being completely blinded.

The ideas were temporarily clear, and the specific combat plan still needed to be filled in with more details, such as troop formation, march route plans, contingency plans for different situations, etc., but a deep sense of fatigue, mixed with the mental burnout caused by overthinking, came like a tide.

Karl glanced out the window. The night was already deep and as thick as ink. It was pitch black outside the castle. Only the watchtower and key sentry positions were visible. The light of large torches could be vaguely seen flickering tenaciously in the cold wind. It was probably midnight.

In this era, the night belongs to sleep and silence.

Different from the previous life, the lights are bright and the nightlife is rich.

The common people here, in order to save precious lamp oil and candles, rest at sunset is the norm.

Carnford is not the city that never sleeps in the south. Except for necessary vigilance and a few workshops that need to rush to work and may light lights, the entire territory is immersed in sleep.

Women might be able to do some sewing work in the cold moonlight, but the light was weak and they couldn't do it for long.

Karl felt that his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, and his head felt dizzy, as if filled with lead.

The flickering light on the desk became blurry, and he thought to himself, just lie down on the desk and squint for a while, let the tense nerves relax for a moment, maybe take a rest, and the ideas will be clearer. By the way, he can deduce the details of the plan in his mind...

He folded his arms on the table and rested his head on it.

The rough parchment map sticks to the skin, bringing a bit of coolness.

The crackle of wood burning in the fireplace became distant and rhythmic, like a hypnotic drumbeat.

He was thinking about the speed of the march, how to respond to encounters, and how to distribute the spoils... His thoughts gradually drifted away, becoming fragmented and incoherent.

Finally, unable to resist his body's instinctive demand, he lay on his desk filled with documents and maps and fell into a deep sleep in the quiet and cold night.

Without even having a dream, his consciousness fell directly into boundless darkness and silence.