Reconnaissance (2)

He moved the scope around, "Within the fence, the core area consists of seven large mud-brick houses with thatched roofs, which should have been the residences of the Sauron overseers and warriors. Scattered around the houses are numerous low shacks and semi-subterranean Dugout Shelter, numbering... more than a hundred."

"Based on the size and density, the total population is estimated to be between three and five hundred, of which the Sauron make up about 70%, and the rest are enslaved Goldspur."

His scope continued to move, looking at the vast area beyond the fence. "Outside the fence, to the east, are large cultivated wheat fields. The rye is growing well, already knee-high. It seems the Sauron started planting much earlier than us in the spring. But that's perfect, all of this will be ours from now on."

"There are many slaves working in the fields, and the overseers are a few young Sauron boys," Lucas said, his tone turning cold. "They take pleasure in whipping the slaves who are a little slow... typical barbarians."

Finally, he turned his binoculars to the other side of the village. "To the west are livestock pastures, with a considerable number of pigs, sheep, and cattle... The main target is the horses, concentrated in a small enclosure in the southeast corner, numbering... about ten, mostly Skarn horses, small in size, but they should have good stamina."

Beside him, Felin was almost entirely huddled under the camouflage cloth, using gaps in the grass to rapidly jot down notes on a small charcoal pencil on a small notepad covered with oilcloth.

He did not use a common script, but rather a shorthand system used internally by intelligence personnel, consisting of simple symbols, abbreviations, and basic terrain markings.

As Lucas whispered, Felin skillfully sketched a simple outline of the village on cardboard, marking the locations of houses, fences, entrances and exits, farmland, pastures, and stables, and using various symbols to indicate key information such as the approximate distribution of troops, the number of slaves, and the size of livestock.

"Lax defenses, few guards, a huge number of slaves, and brutal management," Lucas concluded, his voice barely audible. "It's a suitable location for a quick raid, with the primary objectives of rescuing slaves and seizing supplies; horses are key."

Felin quickly drew several symbols in the corner of the cardboard representing "vulnerable," "high value," and "recoverable," then gave Lucas a "recording complete" gesture.

After confirming and recording all the key information, Lucas and Felin returned to the ambush site, tied stones to the three corpses, and sank them into the nearby lake. Unless the lake was drained, they wouldn't be discovered for a hundred years. They also cleaned up the bloodstains.

Finally, like a chameleon blending into its environment, it moved its body backward inch by inch with extremely slow and cautious movements, silently retreating from the ridgeline of the hillside where the observation position was located, ensuring that the target would not be exposed by sudden movements.

Once out of the village's likely line of sight, the two men immediately straightened up like cheetahs breaking free of their restraints. They then sped along a well-concealed path they had scouted beforehand, heading towards their base at almost a jog. They needed to send this valuable intelligence back as soon as possible.

Like Franz and Ernst, Lucas and Felin were both members of the Carnford Intelligence Bureau, but their "battlefields" were completely different.

Franz and his team were better at navigating towns, caravans, and complex interpersonal networks to gather strategic information; while Lucas and Felin's field operations teams specialized in tactical reconnaissance, infiltration, capture, and even elimination missions in wilderness, forests, and behind enemy lines.

They are also different from the "sentries" in the army who are responsible for guarding the flanks of the main force and preventing enemy scouts from getting close. The duties of the sentries are more defensive patrols.

Lucas and his team acted as proactive "assassins" and "eyes," venturing deep into enemy territory to provide precise coordinates for the army's next move.

Those who make it into this sequence are all tough characters with strong will, agile skills, and the ability to survive in extreme environments.

Lucas's background is quite complicated.

He was also Karl's fellow countryman, a Franklin native, and originally a low-level gangster in a port city in the Franklin region. He was skilled at debt collection, intimidation, and resolving "trouble," doing shady jobs and living a life of constant danger.

While handling his boss's debts, he accidentally caused a death, which escalated and led to him being wanted by the authorities.

Lucas was forced to flee overnight. Driven by sheer grit and a strong will to survive, he walked over a thousand kilometers, enduring wind and rain, sleeping in the open, and dodging police and military checks along the way. He continued north until he finally found himself in the relatively safe area of Fran City.

Just then, a recruiter from Carnford was there, promising land and a new life. With nowhere else to turn, Lucas signed up almost without hesitation, thus escaping the manhunt and gaining legal status.

After joining the army, his fighting, tracking and counter-tracking skills, which he had learned in his early years in the underworld, as well as his wilderness survival skills honed on the run, unexpectedly found a place to be used. He was quickly noticed and recruited by Richter, who was in charge of building the intelligence network.

Here, he thrived. The way he worked—walking the edge of the rules and solving problems in the shadows—was strikingly similar to his past experiences, and he even began to enjoy this challenging and exciting life.

In contrast, Felin was much younger, but his experiences were equally arduous; he came from Field Territory, which had been ravaged by the Sauron.

During a raid by Sauron Cavalry, his parents were brutally murdered, and he and his sister escaped by hiding in the cellar of their home.

After losing their parents, the siblings barely survived on a small plot of land.

However, the kingdom increased taxes after the Sauron invasion, making it even harder for those who were already struggling to make ends meet to breathe under the heavy burden of taxes.

The local Lord's tax collector took advantage of the situation, attempting to forcibly seize his sister under the pretext of tax deduction.

In a fit of rage, the fifteen-year-old Felin stabbed the tax collector to death with a pitchfork. He then fled with his sister overnight, wandering north until they reached Fran City, where they were drawn in by Carnford's propaganda and joined the group.

Richter discovered the young man's extraordinary composure, courage, and learning ability in reconnaissance and infiltration, especially the unwavering will that stemmed from his deep-seated hatred for the Sauron.

What made Felin even more devoted was that Carnford not only accepted him and his sister, but his sister also found a stable job as a shop assistant in the estate's state-run shops, earning a good income. They were even allocated a small house of their own, living a stable life they had never imagined.

All of this instilled in Felin an almost religious loyalty to Lord Karl and Carnford, for which he was willing to give everything.