Reconnaissance Plan
Richter's calm and clear analysis was like a clear spring, flowing into Karl's slightly anxious mind due to a lack of information.
"Excellent, Richter!" Karl's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Your ideas coincide with mine! Clearing the border and using war to sustain war is exactly what I plan to do next."
He strode back to his desk and precisely pulled out the still-freshly inked parchment scroll from a pile of documents. "I'm preparing to launch a small-scale purge, but the biggest problem is the same as you just said—we know very little about that 'fog'."
He handed over the scroll, saying, "Take a look at my initial ideas first."
Richter accepted the plan with both hands, his expression growing increasingly solemn.
He carefully unfolded the parchment, his gaze quickly and intently sweeping over the sometimes slightly hasty, but logically clear, text and simple diagrams.
He looked quickly, but by no means hastily; his brow furrowed slightly at times and relaxed at others, clearly indicating that he was simultaneously thinking and evaluating.
Karl didn't disturb him; he simply stood aside and waited patiently.
Only the soft rustling of parchment and the steady breathing of the two remained in the study. Morning light streamed through the glass, casting clear windowpane shadows on the floor, and dust motes floated slowly in the beams of light.
Before long, Richter had finished reviewing the plan.
He carefully rolled up the parchment again, handed it back to Karl with both hands, and his face showed clear support.
"My lord, I fully support your plan." Richter's voice was not loud, but every word was full of certainty. "These small Sauron tribes scattered along the border, engaged in both agriculture and pastoralism, may seem like a scab, but they are actually thorns in our side."
"Without eliminating them, our hunters, woodcutters, prospectors, and even small patrols will never have peace, the forest resources in the east and north of our territory cannot be effectively utilized, and trade routes will be constantly threatened."
"Eliminating them will not only provide us with immediate supplies, but more importantly, it will eliminate these forward outposts, broaden our security perimeter, and strike at the eyes and ears of the Sauron."
He paused, then continued his analysis, "As for the risks, as you said, Harald's main focus shouldn't be on that right now. The survival of these peripheral tribes isn't a high priority for him, as he's currently consolidating his internal forces and potentially plotting larger goals."
"As long as we act swiftly and cleanly, leaving no clear evidence pointing to a large-scale invasion of Carnford, but instead creating the impression of a 'border conflict' or 'encounter battle,' and even exploiting the conflicts between the various Sauron tribes, the likelihood of triggering a full-scale retaliation from the main Sauron force is very low."
"Of course, we must be prepared for small-scale retaliatory attacks."
Finally, he brought up the most crucial point. "As for the intelligence you urgently need, that is precisely the core of our next task. Establishing a reconnaissance network requires time and methods, but for this targeted purge operation, we can take direct measures first."
"I will immediately select from the operations department several elite reconnaissance squads composed of astute soldiers who are familiar with the mountains and forests, have hunting or tracking experience, and are both bold and meticulous."
"They could disguise themselves as wandering hunters, refugees, or even small groups of lost merchants, carrying simple maps and recording tools, and infiltrate the eastern and northern mountainous and valley areas that we suspected had Sauron strongholds in stages and in batches."
"The mission objective is to confirm the approximate location of the stronghold, observe its scale, assess the terrain, and determine its personnel composition as much as possible. They are not required to risk entering the core or making contact with the enemy; the focus is on perimeter observation and trace analysis."
As Karl listened, he nodded repeatedly, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear.
Richter's additions and suggestions were very pragmatic, directly addressing the operational level.
"Very good!" he said decisively. "That's how it will be done, Richter. You are in full charge of this matter. The selection of scouts must be strict, better to have none than to have bad ones. The primary conditions are reliability and caution. The operation plan must be meticulous. Agree on the contact methods and return time. Safety must be the top priority."
"As for the time," Karl estimated, "From the start of preparations to the actual mobilization and deployment, I anticipate it will take at least a long time, maybe half a month, maybe a month. This period will be your window of opportunity to obtain initial intelligence."
"What I need is information that can support our decisions on 'where to fight and how to fight.' It doesn't need to be detailed, but it must be accurate and crucial."
"Understood, sir, I will make the arrangements immediately." Richter did not hesitate at all. After accepting the order, he bowed slightly to Karl again, then turned and quickly left the study.
The footsteps faded quickly into the distance in the stone corridor. Karl watched him leave, and a piece of the puzzle in his heart was temporarily put back in place.
But he knew that a military operation was far more complex than just intelligence gathering. He needed to determine the size and composition of the participating forces, the commanding officers, and, more importantly, the logistical support of the civilian system, especially the chief of staff Edgar, to ensure the operation's success.
This small-scale purge was not only aimed at eliminating threats and acquiring resources, but also served as a practical test and training exercise for the nascent military and political system in Carnford.
He walked to the door and instructed the orderly standing guard outside, "Immediately summon Brendan, Roland, Miller, Edgar, Morr... and, well, the key officers in charge of training the new army, to the Council Chamber. Tell them there's urgent military business to discuss."
"Yes, sir!" The orderly acknowledged the order and ran off quickly.
About half an hour later, almost everyone had arrived.
The group sat around a small table in the document room. Several newly summoned officers sat behind them, looking somewhat nervous, but their backs were ramrod straight.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the stone house, but the atmosphere was somewhat heavy because of Karl's summons.
Everyone knew that the Lord's urgent summons after catching up on sleep must mean something important was amiss.
Karl sat in the main seat, the battle plan laid out before him.
Without any pleasantries, he swept his gaze over everyone present and went straight to the point. "Gentlemen, the reason I've gathered you all here is to discuss an upcoming military operation."
He succinctly recounted his "Summer Purge" plan.
The objective was to eliminate small Sauron tribes and outposts in the neighboring mountains and forests to the east and north, remove border threats, obtain supplies, and train a new army; the principle was to be small-scale, fast-paced, and ruthless, and to establish forward outposts when the opportunity arose.
Finally, the core difficulty lies in the lack of intelligence, which has been handed over to Richter to investigate.
After Karl finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the Council Chamber.
The officers habitually began assessing the military risks and feasibility of the plan, their fingers unconsciously tapping the table or stroking their sword hilts; the civilians, meanwhile, frowned, quickly calculating potential logistical needs and resource consumption, as well as the possible chain reactions of the operation, such as further tensions on the border or the psychological impact on the displaced population within their territory.