Free Web NovelThe morning sunlight streamed through the glass window, refracting on the sheer curtains.
The moment Louis opened his eyes, he instinctively reached to his side.
His arm quickly touched a familiar softness.
It was Emily's sleeping hair, carrying a hint of morning warmth and a familiar floral scent.
Her brows and eyes had shed the sternness of her maidenhood, replaced by a reassuring maternal glow.
On the other side, a tiny infant was curled against her chest, sleeping soundly, its small fists occasionally grunting and waving, as if fighting someone in a dream.
“Goodness, he’s already cultivating after just a few months?” Louis chuckled softly, leaning down to kiss the child’s forehead.
He slowly sat up, donned the cape from the bedside, and stood before the French window, stretching lazily.
The sky outside Red Tide City wasn't fully bright yet, but the first wisp of white steam was already rising from the Southern District workshops. It seemed the steam team was testing some new contraption all night again.
As usual, Louis gently raised his hand and drew a line in the air.
Accompanied by an almost inaudible “Woosh,” a translucent light screen silently unfolded before him.
Daily Intelligence System Update Complete.
1: Red Tide Workshop District, Hamilton successfully test-produced a prototype “steam-powered loom.”
2: The Fifth Prince Lambert has been frequently visiting the Golden Feather Flower Church’s secret stronghold in the Imperial Capital for confidential talks recently.
3: Deep within the Ancient Abyss Canyon, beneath the Snowfield Altar Palace, a Remnant Core of the Broodmother exists in a semi-dormant state. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
“Oh?” Seeing the first piece of intelligence, Louis raised an eyebrow, his eyes brightening slightly. “He actually managed to make it!”
The steam loom, the significance of this item, was far more than just weaving quickly.
Its appearance would mean that fabric production would no longer rely on manual weaving.
Once perfected, Red Tide would enter a truly industrial age in the textile industry.
Louis could almost see the day when Red Tide City could mass-package various self-produced cotton, linen, and even dyed fabrics, sending them throughout the entire Northern Territory, and even selling them worldwide.
“This kid really created a new industry for me. I should go to the workshop before noon today to take a look.”
Louis nodded happily, then continued to the next piece of intelligence.
2: The Fifth Prince Lambert has been frequently visiting the Golden Feather Flower Church’s secret stronghold in the Imperial Capital for confidential talks recently.
“It’s not groundless after all,” Louis murmured, the faint smile on his brow silently fading, his expression turning calm.
Rumors about the Fifth Prince Lambert had quietly spread among the Imperial Capital's nobility two months ago, but no one had any proof.
However, this intelligence finally provided solid evidence for all of it.
Louis looked at this intelligence, thinking of his third brother, Eduardo Calvin.
This elder brother, who had been sent to the Church for further studies by the Duke in his early years, seemed to hold a rather high position within the Church.
Louis casually flipped through his intelligence notebook.
Most of the political intelligence recorded over the past few months pointed in the same direction: the accelerating fragmentation of the Imperial Capital’s political arena.
The military, civil officials, the Church, the nobility—every crack was continuously widening.
Louis's fingers traced over several core annotated intelligence entries: the Second Prince, a graduate of the Imperial Military Academy, was very close to the Ministry of Military Affairs. His proposed noble legion alliance system was supported by some frontier nobles.
The Fourth Prince, backed by the Censorate and the Ministry of Finance, advocated for civil official centralization and cabinet system reforms, intending to restructure imperial power.
The Eight Great Families appeared neutral but secretly supported different factions.
The shadows of the Golden Feather Flower Church and the Emerald Federation were also appearing more frequently in the secret chambers of the Imperial nobles.
This intelligence basically contained the deepest secrets of these powerful figures, some of which were known only to one or two people.
And all of this was laid bare before the Daily Intelligence System.
Louis closed his notebook and murmured, “So—the rift in the Imperial Capital has completely torn open.”
In his eyes, the Empire was like a temple still able to stand, its palace walls not yet fallen, but its foundation riddled with holes.
If it were to suddenly collapse one day, others might be shocked by the change, but he would not be surprised.
Louis looked down at Emily by the bed, and the tiny infant in her arms, his eyes growing deeper: “I’m not yet strong enough to decide the Empire’s future. But at least I must be strong enough to protect what I should.”
He sighed softly, then looked at the third piece of intelligence.
3: Deep within the Ancient Abyss Canyon, beneath the Snowfield Altar Palace, a Remnant Core of the Broodmother exists in a semi-dormant state.
Louis’s pupils instantly constricted: “How is that possible?”
Remnant Core of the Broodmother!
That familiar yet nauseating name appeared again!
He leaned down to repeatedly confirm those words: “Remnant Core of the Broodmother exists,” “Snowfield Altar,” “semi-dormant state.”
Due to the overly brief intelligence, it was like the tip of a fang just emerging from beneath a layer of ice.
But Louis knew one thing: “If it truly awakens—the entire Northern Territory, and even the entire Empire, might not be able to withstand a second insect plague.”
He recalled the terrifying scene of the Broodmother’s rampage back then.
An entire Northern Territory scorched, over four-fifths of the population dead, dozens of cities vanished, and even the Dragonblood Knights reduced to remnants—
At this thought, Louis began to get a headache, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose: “I must completely destroy this thing, along with its ashes.”
Then he took out the hand-drawn detailed map of the Northern Territory from the bedside table drawer. This version, which he had personally organized and marked battle lines and trade routes on multiple times, could be said to be the most complete and detailed map of the Northern Territory currently available.
His pen tip landed on an unmarked snowfield, which was the Ancient Abyss Canyon.
Seeing this place, Louis sighed: “The Ancient Abyss Canyon—it’s near the planned route to Port Dawn.”
It was a perpetually unfrozen cliff snowfield, with snow so deep it was bottomless, frequently infested with magical beasts, and unexplored to this day.
Louis tapped his finger a few times on that blank space, his brow furrowed: “This area—it’s almost the last blank on the Northern Territory map.”
But at this moment, he had already quickly drawn up preliminary deployment in his mind.
“Have the White Night Knight Squad depart.”
The White Night Knight Squad was a special knight squad he had personally formed, composed of the most elite members selected from several knight orders under his command. Every member was an Extraordinary Knight or above in strength.
It was originally established to deal with unknown anomalies, extreme environments, and special magical disasters in the Northern Territory, and he hadn't expected it to be put to use so soon.
“They will be responsible for the first round of reconnaissance. If they can find an entrance, they should try to investigate first.
If they cannot enter the core area of the Snowfield Altar, they must also ascertain whether there are magical energy disturbances or abnormal magical creatures in the surroundings.
As long as the intelligence proves there is no danger, I will go personally.”
Louis leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly.
He was no longer the local minor lord with only a dilapidated village, but Count Calvin, holding hundreds of thousands of subjects, coordinating the major towns of the Northern Territory, and bearing the burden of the Northern Territory's situation.
The moment he truly went to that altar had to be a moment of absolute certainty.
This time, he not only had to uncover the mystery but also ensure that no one died in a second Broodmother calamity.
“What’s wrong with you?”
A soft whisper came from his ear, Emily’s voice, slightly hoarse with the breath of just waking.
Louis quickly put away the map in his hand, a habitual gentle smile appearing on his face: “Nothing. Just routinely checking some frontier reports.”
Emily, however, stared at him for two seconds, as if trying to read more from his eyes.
She propped herself up, wrapped in a thin blanket, her tone a little stubborn: “You’re always like this, hiding and bearing everything—if there’s really trouble, why not tell me? As your wife, I can also help you share it.”
Louis chuckled, reaching out to gently stroke her hair: “It’s really not a big deal, just some harassment from barbarian remnants on the northwest frontier, not even close to a crisis.”
Emily nodded gently, still a bit suspicious, but ultimately did not press further.
At this moment, the swaddled infant beside them turned over slightly in the soft blanket, making tiny sucking sounds with its mouth.
Emily quickly picked him up, gently patting the child’s back with her hand.
“Look,” she smiled down, “the little one can even roll over now.”
Louis moved closer, gently tapping the child’s tiny nose with his finger. The child dazedly sneezed, then grunted twice, burrowing back into his mother’s arms.
“In two days, I’ll be going to Port Dawn,” Louis said softly. “Port construction is about to begin, and I need to go personally.”
Emily didn't hesitate, just nodded gently: “I know, it’s something you must do. Let Sif go with you too; you’ve been by my side all this time, she probably misses you.”
At this point, Emily couldn't help but smile, looking down at the infant in her arms: “Bring back a little brother or sister for him?”
“Both will do,” Louis also smiled, reaching out to embrace her shoulder.
After Emily and the child fell asleep again, Louis removed his outer robe, sat cross-legged on the thick blanket by the bed, and closed his eyes in contemplation.
He slowly exhaled, his Battle Qi flowing smoothly through his blood vessels, subtly surging with each breath, faint wisps of red Battle Qi appearing and disappearing on his skin.
Thanks to the various resources provided by the Daily Intelligence System, his Battle Qi had already reached the realm of a High-Tier Elite Knight.
Coupled with the mysterious amplification obtained from the Blazing Vine Court, and the magical bonus from primal heart—
His true strength was probably that of a Mid-Tier Extraordinary Knight.
It could be said that the current Louis was one of the truly strongest combatants in Red Tide Territory.
After a few breaths, he opened his eyes, exhaled a cloudy breath, and his aura returned to a steady state.
Next, a new day began.
After washing up, he changed into a crisp dark red lord’s robe and stepped out of the foyer.
Breakfast was already laid out downstairs: hot oatmeal, savory cheese, and a mutton stew with beans.
During the meal, Louis spoke little, only flipping through a preliminary budget draft for the Spring Festival, prepared by district officials, occasionally jotting down correction suggestions on the margins of the paper.
After the meal, he walked out of the hall. In the snow at the end of the long corridor, a carriage had been waiting for a long time.
Lambert stood in front of the carriage, still in his dark knight’s cape.
He was now the highest commander of the Red Tide military, controlling all the territory’s garrisons, allocation rights, and external military intelligence disposal.
But as long as there were no urgent battles, he still habitually stayed by Louis’s side, just as he had guarded that lonely child during their days in the Calvin Family.
“There’s a busy schedule today, Lord Louis,” Lambert respectfully bowed his head, opening the carriage door.
Louis nodded slightly, but stopped before getting into the carriage, turning to say: “Have the White Night Squad depart. Their target is the canyon south of Port Dawn.”
Lambert’s gaze sharpened: “A special mission?”
“Yes,” Louis said without changing his expression. “A knight reported back that there’s an ancient altar there with abnormal magical activity, which might affect the subsequent port construction. Tell them to approach cautiously and not to venture deep rashly.”
This was a reason he had specially fabricated, as the existence of a Remnant Core of the Broodmother could not be easily exposed, even to his closest knights.
Lambert had no further questions, merely striking his left fist against his chest, and saying in a low voice: “As you command.”
Louis nodded slightly, his gaze, however, drifting towards the faint steam and smoke in the distance: “Let’s go to the steam engine experimental base first.”
“Understood,” Lambert nodded in acknowledgment, then waved his hand forward.
The coachman silently obeyed, gently moving the reins, and the carriage slowly drove towards the workshop district.
When the workshop door was pushed open, the strong smell of steam wafted out.
A young man in a grease-stained apron was hunched over a complex device, holding a speed control lever and a logbook, so focused he seemed to have forgotten the entire world.
It wasn't until Lambert cleared his throat that he suddenly looked up and saw the red cape entering the workshop.
“L-Lord Louis!” Hamilton practically jumped up, hastily taking off his goggles. “Why did you come personally!”
Louis took a few steps closer, his gaze falling on the slowly rotating metal machine, his tone gentle: [N O V E L I G H T] “I heard you’ve come up with something new recently.”
Hamilton nodded shyly, somewhat flustered: “Yes, yes. I tried to modify the crank and spring of the previous steam engine, using a connecting rod mechanism to drive the shuttle back and forth, allowing for continuous motion.”
He paused, his eyes gleaming: “Preliminary tests show that the efficiency of single-person operation is more than five times that of traditional weaving.” After speaking, he jogged a few steps to press a side valve. With a soft click, the steam engine let out a low hiss, and the shuttle on the frame began to fly back and forth like the wind.
The threads on the loom rapidly intertwined, and in just a moment, a small section of fabric had formed.
Lambert watched with a slight frown.
Louis observed silently for a long time before gently nodding: “The idea is good, but it’s still a bit rough; it needs more adjustment.”
Hamilton nodded repeatedly: “I-I understand, I’ll modify it immediately—”
Louis, however, raised a hand to stop him, saying: “You can start with small-scale trial production. The workshop will assign you a thirty-person test group.
Don’t rush for speed; iron out the problems one by one.”
He paused, then added: “But you’ve indeed done very well.”
Hamilton’s face quickly flushed, and he finally managed to squeeze out: “Th-thank you, my Lord—I will not let you down!”
At this moment, he was like a young man who had just been praised by his teacher.
But what he had invented was the seed of an industrial revolution that could affect the entire world.
