Building Defensive Fortifications

The atmosphere was tense both inside and outside Kahnford Fortress.

Everyone understood that the Sauron ' revenge could come at any moment, and every second was precious.

Karl knew that while retreating to the heart of the fortified castle was the safest strategy, the castle's limited space simply could not accommodate all his subjects and livestock.

More importantly, the emerging residential area below the castle, which is already taking shape and carries the hopes and lives of the people, must not be easily abandoned in the first place.

That was the culmination of his months of hard work and everyone's efforts, and it was also the foundation for Carnford's future.

He won't give up until the very last moment.

Therefore, his defensive strategy had to be to move forward and establish the defensive line outside the residential area.

Karl personally surveyed the terrain and ultimately selected an excellent location.

The defensive line was backed by the residential area, and not far behind were two newly built wooden arrow towers capable of providing crossfire.

The western side is supported by a small, reinforced stone fortress, which can serve as a strong flank support point.

To the east, it is adjacent to the foothills of continuous hills, and the rugged terrain greatly limits the maneuverability of large-scale cavalry.

This means that if the Sauron wanted to attack the residential areas, they could almost only launch a frontal assault, perfectly avoiding the flanking maneuvers and mounted archery harassment tactics that the Sauron Light Cavalry were best at.

On this chosen battlefield, Karl designed a defensive system centered on infantry and long-range firepower.

He planned a rectangular defensive camp and deployed his troops from left to right.

Both sides were guarded by militia units with relatively simple equipment but a large number of soldiers, who were mainly responsible for defense and projectiles based on the fortifications.

The central core area is guarded by well-equipped and better-trained combat troops, who are the backbone of stabilizing the front line.

Once the order was given, the entire Carnford was quickly mobilized.

Apart from the necessary sentries, almost every able-bodied man, woman, and even teenager joined in the construction of the fortifications.

Soldiers and civilians wielded axes, shovels, and hoes, cutting down trees, digging soil, and moving stones, enthusiastically engaging in the construction of defensive fortifications.

Thanks to the loose soil in summer, the excavation work went more smoothly than expected.

A wide and deep trench was dug first, and the excavated soil was piled up behind it and compacted to form a simple but sturdy breast wall.

The breastwork is not completely continuous; instead, as Karl instructed, a gap was deliberately left every five meters or so.

Behind these gaps lay firing positions reserved for the Musketeers.

Karl predicted that the undisciplined and poorly trained Sauron infantry would instinctively rush towards these seemingly weak and easily breached gaps during the attack, thus crowding together in front of the musket lines and becoming the best targets.

In front of the breastwork and behind the trench, rows of sharpened wooden fences and Caltrops were erected to further hinder the enemy's advance.

As noon approached, a simple yet well-organized defensive position had begun to take shape.

A deep trench, a dense layer of obstacles, and a breastwork with a gap formed the three lines of defense against death in front of the living area.

The sun remained blazing in the afternoon.

Karl did not let the soldiers rest; he knew that skilled teamwork was more important than physical strength.

He summoned officers such as Brendan, Richter, and Roland to conduct detailed tactical simulations and field exercises after the fortifications had just been completed.

"Gentlemen," Karl said, pointing to the trenches and Caltrops ahead, "These obstacles are enough to make the Sauron's warhorses unable to move an inch. Their strongest cavalry charges are useless here; they can only dismount and become infantry, attacking our positions uphill!"

"When the enemy is about 150 paces away, the arrow towers and our archers will begin free fire to disrupt their formation and demoralize them." He looked at Richter. "Richter, you are in charge of all ranged projectile forces, including the arrow towers."

"When the enemy struggles across the trench, approaches the breastwork, and enters the optimal firing range of the muskets..." Karl's gaze turned to the Musketeers leader, "Musketeers, line up behind the breach! On command, fire a volley! Target those enemies huddled together at the breach! After one volley, immediately retreat to reload!"

He then looked at Brendan and Roland: "Pikemen and Swordsmen and Shieldbearers, assemble behind the Musketeers! Once the musketeers have finished firing and retreated, you immediately move forward and block the gap! Use your pikes and shields to shove and smash back any enemy that tries to break through! Never let the enemy break through the lines!"

"Militia, your mission is to hold the remaining sections of the breastwork, using your spears, pitchforks, and stones to prevent the enemy from climbing! At the same time, be ready to support the central front at any time!"

Karl explained and demonstrated it again and again.

The Musketeers were instructed to simulate the loading, advancing, volleying, and retreating processes, while the pikemen were repeatedly trained to quickly advance from the rear, block the gaps, and form a forest of spears.

Sweat soaked through everyone's clothes, but no one complained.

Everyone was completely focused, because they knew that every drop of sweat they shed, every bit of familiarity they gained with a particular teamwork technique, would increase their chances of survival on the battlefield and allow them to kill one more enemy.

As the sun set, it bathed the entire defensive position in a golden hue.

The soldiers, though exhausted, had even more determined looks in their eyes as they rehearsed the entire defensive procedure one last time.

The fortifications are complete, and the tactics have been defined.

Now, all they can do is wait, wait for the impending, bloody battle.

A heavy atmosphere, like the calm before a storm, filled the air.