Troop Deployment

"Now that you mention it," he said, a hint of self-mockery entering his voice. "It seems they've plundered everything worth taking along the border and decided there was no profit left. Heh, who would've thought? In the past, we were always the ones raiding the Goldspur lands southward. Since when did they dare come to our territory and clean up the battlefield themselves?"

However, Harald showed not the slightest intention of joking.

He keenly caught the key information in Asgeir's words, and his pupils contracted slightly. "They withdrew? All of them?"

He pressed on. "Were there any signs of a large army gathering or frequent troop movements in or around Carnford City? Have our spies sent back any unusual reports?"

Asgeir shook his head, a trace of helplessness appearing on his face. "The several batches of elite spies Leon sent into Carnford City have almost all lost contact. They were probably exposed and eliminated. Right now, we know almost nothing about the situation inside Carnford City. We're like blind men and deaf men."

"Something's wrong... This is very wrong." Harald muttered to himself, his gaze once again turning toward distant Carnford City as his doubts spread like dark clouds.

He pondered for a moment. Although he had no conclusive evidence, an instinct based on his knowledge of his old opponent made him deeply uneasy.

"This Karl is full of schemes and never acts according to convention. He's like the slyest fox on the grasslands. He would never fall silent for no reason." Harald's voice was firm.

"I can almost conclude that he has already discovered through some channel that we intend to shift our main forces toward the Iron Islands. He'll never sit by and watch us take the Iron Islands easily, then calmly turn around and deal with him!"