Chapter 178: Cutting Off Supplies
"After multiple reinforcements, the Carlisle family's camp now has nearly 6,000 people."
"Although the camp is large, a significant portion of it is only protected by wooden fences."
"There are large vulnerabilities in the defense on the west and south sides, with about 100 meters of weak spots marked."
"The number of people on daily patrols is small, estimated between 200 and 300, and the patrol density is low, with only one patrol per hour."
"Although they have a large number of people, most are farmers with little combat ability or fighting spirit. If there are enough casualties, they are likely to collapse."
"The Carlisle family's elite forces, however, are worth noting. There are about 200 of them, all professionals with well-equipped weapons and armor."
"Let's discuss how we can attack them from the most efficient angle, minimizing our losses while achieving victory."
Matthew glanced at the map and decided to hold off on the idea of making a sand table for now.
Making something good could very well lead to it being taken away!
Just like how the Carlisle family is now eyeing the ruins in front of them.
After hearing Matthew's words, Angela was the first to speak:
"Launch a feint on the east side to draw their attention."
"Strike from the north, engaging their mobile forces."
"Abandon the poorly defended south and concentrate our elite troops for a surprise attack from the west."
"At the same time, increase the intensity of the attack on the east to fully distract them, allowing the elite force on the west to decapitate and divide them!"
Angela had a thorough understanding of the Carlisle family's camp layout, so her suggestions were concise and filled with confidence.
Beelzebub stayed silent, absorbing Angela's tactical plan.
He put himself in the defenders' shoes, matching up their troop numbers and combat power, and quickly furrowed his brows.
Old John nodded thoughtfully, stroking his scruffy beard before saying:
"We should launch the attack at dusk."
"That's when they'll be most exhausted from the day's work."
"And with the approaching Crimson Moon, they're bound to be less vigilant—it's when they'll least expect an attack."
Elio blinked thoughtfully. She found that warfare had similarities to hunting.
Play to your strengths and exploit the enemy's weaknesses.
Find their vulnerabilities and strike when they're unprepared.
She offered her own suggestion:
"We could use the fog as cover to provoke them, luring some of the enemy away from the camp."
"Then we can concentrate our forces and first eliminate the smaller group."
"Once they're taken care of, we can then focus on the camp itself."
Matthew was quite pleased with everyone's strategies.
Although they hadn't accounted for everything, their plans were distinct and had a high probability of success.
Without formal military training, just relying on experience and intuition, they had done quite well.
Matthew didn't endorse any one plan outright, instead encouraging everyone to discuss together:
"Let's develop multiple strategies, and we can combine them as needed."
"And also consider how the enemy might react, so we're prepared for that as well."
Everyone nodded in agreement, engaging in animated discussions, eager to share experiences and ideas.
They were all focused on devising a plan to achieve victory with minimal losses while breaching the camp and defeating the enemy.
Meanwhile, Felia asked curiously:
"Our supplies to Murloc Castle come from Bay Town and trade caravans."
"They must also need a lot of supplies, right?"
At her words, the lively discussion suddenly halted, and everyone turned to Felia in surprise.
Startled by the attention, Felia hesitantly continued under Old John's encouraging gaze:
"I was thinking, if the Carlisle family is really preparing to make a move against us, couldn't we send a few elite squads to intercept their supply convoys…"
Angela nodded thoughtfully, clearly excited by Felia's idea:
"Exactly, they likely don't have much food stored up, and their morale isn't strong either."
"If we can cut off a few supply runs, without food or clean water, they can only hold out for a couple of days."
"If the Carlisle family reacts quickly and sends reinforcements…"
"We can set up obstacles along the road to slow them down, giving us more time to deal with the camp."
Beelzebub, well-versed in such tactics, flashed a devious grin and offered his own suggestion:
"If their reinforcements are small, we can ambush them and wipe them out."
"If the reinforcements are large, we can dig up the road. People can pass through, but their wagons won't be able to…"
Old John clapped his hands in approval of Beelzebub's idea, chuckling before adding his own twist:
"Those murlocs in the misty swamp have been restless, haven't they? Let's lure a few of them to attack the camp…"
Hearing Old John's suggestion, everyone broke into mischievous grins.
Matthew didn't interrupt their plotting and was quite satisfied with their "cut off the supplies" tactic. He tapped the table and said matter-of-factly:
"Good point. For now, we'll hold off on a direct assault on the camp—we can't break the rules prematurely."
"Let's think about how we can disrupt their supply lines without revealing our identity."
"The Carlisle family wants to profit from developing the ruins? Well, we'll make sure they lose money!"
Matthew spoke lightly, but his words had a galvanizing effect on everyone.
The lord had given his approval!
After feeling stifled for so long, the group was eager to start, waiting for the lord to assign tasks.
However, this time Matthew simply nodded at Angela.
Feeling a warm surge of emotion, Angela understood Matthew's intentions and quickly began organizing the tasks.
Half an hour later, the group left the meeting room, their faces calm and composed.
They had accepted their respective missions and were ready to make preparations, knowing they would begin executing their plans tomorrow.
None of them let their emotions show, keeping their expressions neutral to avoid tipping anyone off and leaking their secrets.
With this time to spare.
Matthew took the opportunity to inspect the progress on Murloc Castle's construction.
After all, before long, the pressure on Murloc Castle's defenses would only increase!