Free Web NovelAfter eating and drinking their fill, the two walked along the wide stone steps, all the way to the depths of the castle's first floor.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a thick white mist of hot steam assailed them.
“This is...” Yoen instinctively stopped, staring unblinkingly at the scene before his eyes.
It was a rough but fully equipped hot spring pool. freёwebnovel.com
The surroundings were made of rammed earth at the base and stone bricks at the edges, without any luxurious decorations, only the most practical construction.
The pool water was heated by natural geothermal energy, rolling with fine steam that permeated the entire hall, and a faint gurgling sound of water could be heard.
The air was mixed with a faint scent of minerals and a hot, moist aura.
Outside the castle, the biting cold wind still howled, but inside, it was like another world.
But in a place like the Northern Territory, to actually be able to soak in a hot spring?!
It was even more enviable than owning a gold mine!
“Boss—” Yoen exclaimed, taking off his coat, his tone full of envy, “Your territory actually has such a good place?”
Louis stood by, smiling lazily.
“Just luck, just luck.” He said dismissively, but his face was actually full of unconcealed pride.
Yoen had already stepped into the hot spring pool, almost moaning in comfort: “Ah! This is the life a human should live...!”
The warm spring water permeated every inch of his frozen muscles, the chill gradually evaporated, and even his bones warmed up.
Although it couldn't compare to the luxurious bathhouses in the imperial capital with their carved beams, painted pillars, and fragrant scents.
This raw, rustic hot spring scent also had a unique charm.
“Ha— If only I could soak in this every day, this is the life of a noble—” Yoen leaned against the edge of the pool, half-closing his eyes, so comfortable he almost snored.
Louis glanced sideways at Yoen, and suddenly spoke: “How about— you stay this winter?
Red Tide Territory has plenty to eat, warm clothes, and even hot springs to soak in. Life here is much better than where you are.”
Yoen was slightly startled when he heard this.
He looked at the misty stone hall, then at the neatly stacked firewood outside the pool, and the steaming aroma coming from the distant kitchen.
It was false to say he wasn't tempted.
But he quickly gritted his teeth and suppressed that enticing thought.
“No.”
He shook his head, but his eyes held a newfound certainty.
“I still have my own territory to defend. Even if that place is dilapidated and the houses are broken, it’s still my domain, and I have to endure the winter myself. What’s more, there are so many people waiting for me to protect them.”
Louis looked at him with some surprise. It seemed that after half a year of experience, Yoen had indeed grown into a more reliable lord.
After speaking, Yoen wiped his face, as if afraid the atmosphere would become too strange, and quickly coughed, changing the subject: “Boss, are you the new master of Snowpeak County now?”
Louis shrugged, soaking lazily in the water: “I suppose so, thanks to the Governor’s trust.”
Yoen advised: “If you ask me, it’s better to confirm your status as soon as possible, preferably with a ceremony. Although there’s a tax exemption period after the war, the County Governor’s power...
You can still use some of it, right? If you really let those old Northern Territory nobles interfere, it will be troublesome.”
Louis sighed: “Of course I’ve thought about it. But winter is approaching, and it’s the aftermath of the war. Not many territories in the entire Northern Territory are operating normally anymore.
To put it bluntly, there aren't many nobles left. It’s unlikely to put together a formal succession ceremony at this critical juncture.”
“That’s true—” Yoen muttered, a little deflated.
Speaking of these nobles in Snowpeak County, Louis suddenly remembered the twelve Northern Territory nobles who had been killed by the Snowsworn not long ago.
Although their deaths had little to do with him, Louis still wrote a letter and reported the matter to Duke Edmund.
As a result, the Duke only gave a faint reply, without asking for details or blaming him, only telling him to rest assured that in the spring of next year, someone would fill these vacancies.
It was like counting livestock, completely indifferent.
Louis's lips curved, his smile carrying a hint of coldness.
It seemed Duke Edmund didn't care about these useless people at all. Since that was the case, he didn't need to be constrained in his actions from now on.
Just as Louis was lost in thought, Yoen had already moved on to the next topic.
“Hey, Boss, I’ll tell you a secret.” He whispered, as if afraid of being overheard, “My dad recently sent word that the Empire is preparing to intensify the Northern Territory Reclamation Order.”
Louis opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow: “Expand the Reclamation Order?”
“Mhm.” Yoen nodded, “The Emperor plans to send another batch of noble /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ children up here, and this time, the scope is wider and the number is greater. I heard the selection criteria are much stricter than before.”
He paused, then lowered his voice and continued: “Those who can come this time aren’t just any riff-raff. They must be direct blood relatives of a family.
In addition, their realm must be Elite Knight, they must have at least one record of war experience, and they must be able to lead a knight squad of at least a hundred people.”
Yoen rolled his eyes: “In other words, the Emperor is determined not to let those Southern nobles send useless people up here to fool around anymore.”
Louis pondered what this information meant: “Is the Emperor trying to weaken the power of the Southern nobles? Otherwise, why would he have been so frantically stuffing Southern noble children into the Northern Territory all these years?” freewebnσvel.cøm
“Who knows.” Yoen shrugged, “Anyway, I think there’s something fishy going on, otherwise His Majesty the Emperor wouldn’t have suddenly been so anxious these past few years.”
The two chatted quietly for a while, but because they had too little information, they speculated for a long time without coming to any conclusions. The only thing they could be sure of was that in the spring of next year, a large number of new pioneering nobles would arrive in the Northern Territory in a grand procession from the South.
However, Louis had nothing to panic about.
There are policies above, and countermeasures below.
Even if the Emperor was determined to accelerate the process, sending batch after batch of so-called “pioneering nobles,” who knew what kind of people they would be?
Forget about “direct bloodlines” and “Elite Knight,” how many people could truly withstand the Northern Territory’s harsh winters, wars, and barrenness?
No matter how carefully they were selected, Southern noble children were used to an easy life, and those who could endure the hardships of the Northern Territory were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
And even if those who came were truly elites among elites, so what?
Louis wouldn't be completely afraid of them, after all, he had already established a foothold in the Northern Territory.
Red Tide Territory was also one of the few pioneering territories in the Northern Territory that could be self-sufficient without relying on a family.
His army, having experienced trials of blood and fire, could fight and defend their home.
He was now the County Governor of Snowpeak County.
Even if those newcomers truly had some ability, they would still have to respectfully bow to him.
He just didn't know if any of Calvin’s other brothers would be sent to this godforsaken place.
Louis’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
