Inside the outpost, several Sauron envoys had their hands bound behind their backs and were forced to kneel on the freezing ground.
Around them stood Carnford soldiers holding torches, their expressions wary. The flickering firelight cast shifting patches of brightness and shadow across their faces, lending the scene an even more grim, murderous air.
Yet the leading envoy appeared exceptionally calm.
He was around forty, with resolute features. Even as a prisoner in an enemy camp, his back remained ramrod straight, and there was not the slightest trace of panic in his eyes. Just moments ago, he had even been resting with his eyes closed, as though waiting for a meeting he had long anticipated.
This man was Leon, the former Garrison Commander of Osric Fort in the Goldflower Kingdom.
Several years earlier, during the brutal raid under Heinrich XI's rule, the fortress he defended had run out of both ammunition and provisions. With reinforcements nowhere in sight, he had ultimately been forced to surrender to Harald, who had then still been a Sauron vanguard commander.
Unlike most surrendered generals, who were either executed or left idle, Harald had only just inherited the position of leader and was in urgent need of men familiar with the Goldflower Kingdom's internal affairs. He had recognized Leon's ability and his knowledge of southern defenses, sparing his life and granting him both high rank and trust.
That recognition had made Leon wholeheartedly loyal to his new master, and he became one of Harald's key Aides and military Adjutants.
This time, it had been Leon himself who volunteered to enter Carnford, this dragon's pool and tiger's den. After careful consideration, Harald had entrusted this weighty task to him.
A steady set of footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence of the outpost.
Leon slowly opened