Free Web NovelLouis waved his hand, skillfully activating the Daily Intelligence System.
A light blue screen silently appeared in the carriage, and lines of intelligence slowly unfolded:
【Daily Intelligence Update Complete】
【1: Good news from Dawn Harbor! The Red Tide Workshop's first ground steam transport vehicle has completed its trial run, marking the North's entry into the era of mechanized transport.】
【2: Abnormal fleet activity detected in the North Sea. Steel-Tooth Mad King Kavir's reconnaissance ships have been sighted multiple times around Dawn Harbor.】
【3: Duke Remont has extracted a potion that activates battle aura from an ancient dragon's remains, named'Second-Generation Dragon Marrow Extract'.】
“I told you he could do it,” Louis said, a smile playing on his lips as he stared at the screen.
He had always known Hamilton would succeed; after all, he was a genius recognized by the Daily Intelligence System. He just hadn't expected it to be so fast.
That vehicle was not just an achievement for the workshop, but another major step for the entire Red Tide industry.
The firelight flickered in Louis's eyes: “Supply lines, trade lines, military lines... everything can start moving now.”
He already had a plan: once the technology was refined and stable, he would begin mass production, allowing Red Tide's goods and grain to traverse the snowy lands.
In the future, even larger railway trains would connect the port to various cities in the North, forming a steel lifeline.
In times of war, they would be beasts of supply and troop transport; in peacetime, they would be the lifeblood of merchants and artisans.
The North's resources would flow through these machines, no longer restricted by seasons, storms, or horses.
Louis could foresee steam trains roaring across the snow plains, and the workshop would continue to advance its tech tree, producing battle vehicles, armored trains, and ocean-going steam fleets.
This meant that Red Tide would completely revolutionize the North's roads, trade, and military logistics, from transport to defense, from production to warfare.
Future wars for Red Tide would no longer rely on the blood of knights, but on the roar of machines.
In this world, alchemy had long been pushed to its limits by the Emerald Federation, from potions to bio-enhancements; their schools were numerous and their branches complex.
However, in the field of machinery, their progress had always been slow, perhaps because it was a world of magic, thus lacking development in this area.
Red Tide's steam technology was a new path no one had trodden, and thus truly unique.
This was Red Tide's secret weapon, and Red Tide's advantage.
Louis looked up at the line of text on the light screen, a sense of satisfaction rising in his heart.
【2: Abnormal fleet activity detected in the North Sea. ‘Steel-Tooth Mad King’ Kavir's reconnaissance ships have been sighted multiple times around Dawn Harbor.】
Louis glanced at it, completely unfazed.
To him, this was not a sudden threat, but a confirmation finally printed in a long chain of intelligence.
He already had a stack of intelligence on Kavir, for example, the Ash Guild secretly providing him with naval guns and fuel, allowing him to repeatedly attack guild ships under the Emerald Federation.
His main operating areas were concentrated in the Ice Abyss Archipelago and the North Sea Corridor.
The intelligence even detailed his private life; he was not as mad as rumored, and his family was settled anonymously in a prosperous small town in the Emerald Federation, living a respectable life.
Kavir was not a madman, but a pawn of the guild, and a pirate leader constrained by his ledger.
Based on intelligence and Bagg's confession, he had already sent people to conduct secret reconnaissance and intelligence deductions multiple times, thoroughly understanding the firepower deployment and supply rhythm of that fleet.
Therefore, Louis was not alarmed.
The original plan was to personally clear them out in the spring, but this time he was attending a reconstruction meeting, so he first instructed Dawn Harbor to build more ships and not act rashly.
Reinforce defenses, set up gun positions, and he would wipe them out in one fell swoop upon his arrival.
Louis's smile faded: “Since you've shown your face, I will choose the time, place, and your end.”
【3: Duke Remont has extracted a potion that activates battle aura from an ancient dragon's remains, named ‘Second-Generation Dragon Marrow Extract’.】
Louis's brows furrowed as he read this line.
“...Dragon remains?” he repeated softly.
Such creatures were already legends.
No one had seen a living one for a thousand years, yet someone had dug up a corpse in Grayrock?
Louis did not believe the intelligence could be wrong; the Daily Intelligence System would not fabricate illusions.
He leaned back in his chair, pondering for a moment. freēwēbnovel.com
The existence of dragons meant that some ancient power was awakening.
And Remont, that extremely rational madman, was trying to drain it dry.
A complex emotion rose in his heart, not fear, but vigilance.
“This potion can turn mortals into knights... The side effects must be immense, but what if it can truly be controlled?” Louis slowly exhaled, “He wants to take a shortcut, and shortcuts often lead to an abyss.
We need to send more spies to monitor Grayrock Province. If we can obtain a sample, spare no expense.”
However, Louis didn't hold much hope; such a thing couldn't be easily seen by others.
This was reality; Remont would surely lock his most important secrets in the deepest tunnels.
Just like Red Tide's artisan research center, the core experimental section of the steam engine, the battle aura training room, and even some critical assembly lines were designated as forbidden zones.
Heavily guarded by knights, no one could enter those sealed locations without his permission.
Remont was deeply cunning and experienced, one of the most powerful and ambitious nobles in the empire.
And through the Daily Intelligence System, Louis had roughly pieced together his true intentions.
Not just to control Grayrock Province, but to covet the entire empire, and even seek higher power.
Louis had actually sent spies to investigate Grayrock and gather intelligence before, but those reconnaissance efforts always failed to reach the core.
Fortunately, he had the Daily Intelligence System, a bug-like weapon.
Only then could he piece together scattered clues into a complete picture; otherwise, he would never have known until his death how ambitious his neighbor was.
He indeed didn't have many good options; he couldn't just attack, could he?
Red Tide's existing forces and resources did not allow him to do so; a frontal war would be extremely costly and not necessarily winnable.
So he could only place his hopes on two things: first, the Daily Intelligence, to find as many gaps in Remont's defenses as possible.
Second, to make Red Tide's military development speed catch up with his ambition, deploying battle vehicles and artillery as quickly as possible, because knights could not be mass-produced, but battle vehicles could.
The current situation of the empire gave Louis a sense of urgency, as if he were watching a ticking device, knowing the fuse had been lit but unable to extinguish it immediately... Louis sat in the carriage, looking out at the gray-white sky.
He had been away from Frost Dragon Ridge for several days, and his current destination was Frost Halberd City; he was just passing by, so he came to take a look.
In the distance, the ruins of Old Frost Halberd still smoked; those were the fires lit during the demolition of old stone materials.
The air was mixed with the smell of charcoal and moldy wood, and the clang of iron echoed intermittently through the valley.
The outer walls of the new city district were not yet complete, and wooden door frames creaked in the wind.
Temporary soldier watchtowers were pieced together from iron plates and frozen earth, with snow and wind battering the flags of ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the Empire and Frost Halberd.
This city was once the heart of the North; it was the North's central hub, the Empire's northern military and political core.
As the capital of the North, its location was naturally excellent, situated in a fortress zone where the frozen river and mountain ridges converged, controlling the trade routes to the south and the western commercial paths, serving as a node for all supplies and defense lines.
Louis quietly gazed at the smoking ruins, his expression calm.
He knew why he had to rebuild this city that had been shattered.
First, it was to fulfill a vow; Frost Halberd was a symbol of the Edmund Family. Before his death, the old Duke entrusted the North's name and legions to him.
Rebuilding Frost Halberd was not only a continuation of faith but also a political promise.
If he abandoned it, he would not only break his word but also be seen by the Northern nobles as a usurper, not an heir.
And Louis still remembered the old Duke's weak voice that day: “It cannot end with me.”
He had then sworn to the Edmund Duke: “One day, I will rebuild Frost Halberd City. Not as an appendage of Red Tide, but as the true heart of the North.”
This promise he had to keep.
Moreover, while Red Tide Territory was strong, it was ultimately not the capital, and Frost Halberd City carried the legitimate banner of the Empire.
To unite the Northern lords, this city was still indispensable.
After reconstruction, with him as guardian and Isaac as governor, Isaac could legitimately become the Lord of the North.
Isaac, as the sole heir of Duke Edmund, was the future Lord of the North; this was also one of his promises to Duke Edmund. Although few might believe this, he truly thought so.
Louis knew that in the future, he was destined to expand and campaign, not necessarily to take root in the North; his ambition was the entire Empire.
He didn't have this ambition before because the Empire was still very stable, but according to the intelligence system, the Empire was now on the verge of collapse. He might have a chance to carve out a territory, or even become emperor.
Frost Halberd City was the legacy of the old Duke Edmund, and also the trial of the new generation of Duke Edmund.
Furthermore, Frost Halberd's terrain was the hub of the entire North, capable of both defense and assembly, and indispensable for future wars.
The rebuilt Frost Halberd would become a front-line supply depot, military logistics center, and transportation hub.
And Red Tide would continue to serve as the brain of the North, coordinating orders and operations.
And it would serve as an experimental zone for the Red Tide System to be promoted.
Frost Halberd was an ideal pilot site, with both old nobles and post-war refugees.
Rebuilding it meant implanting the Red Tide System into a larger scope, allowing newly joined nobles of the Red Tide System to see hope, to see the future.
The nobles and common people of the North believed in Frost Halberd, viewing it as the soul of their homeland.
If the ruins were never rebuilt, the morale of the North would collapse with it.
The process of rebuilding Frost Halberd itself was a political and spiritual revival, making the North great again.
The carriage drove through the city gates under reconstruction, and the knights stood at attention and saluted.
Louis lifted the curtain, looking at the construction site where old and new intertwined, his heart calm.
Two figures stood in the middle of the city gate.
Viscount Orion Arden and Harold Grayel, with guards and a queue of artisans, greeted him in the snow.
Viscount Orion Arden was the steward of New Frost Halberd, Lady Elena's younger brother, from an old noble family.
After the war, he was appointed acting administrator of Frost Halberd, responsible for all reconstruction affairs in the city.
Harold Grayel was the Deputy Director of the Red Tide Artisan Department, one of the artisans Louis exchanged with Duke Edmund for fish. He was considered a veteran artisan of Red Tide, although it hadn't been long; Red Tide developed too fast, and old artisans from a few years ago had also risen rapidly.
Orion performed a half-bow, his voice tinged with enthusiasm: “Lord Louis, you have finally arrived here again.”
Harold, clutching his coal-ash-covered gloves, said somewhat nervously: “Your Lordship has come at a good time; we've just started laying the foundations.”
Louis nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the construction site behind them. Bricks, wooden beams, and furnace fires intertwined to form the outline of a new order.
He stepped into the city that was just beginning to be built. The roads were still muddy, and cold wind mingled with broken walls and charred beams. Although there were fires, they could not hide the traces of decay.
Orion followed behind him, his heart still somewhat complex.
Although he admired Louis's achievements, he still doubted the sincerity of his resolve to rebuild Frost Halberd.
After all, the scene before them looked more like a temporary work camp than a city.
The cost of rebuilding was too great; it might be better to choose a new location for reconstruction.
But Louis stopped, his gaze falling on the distant ruined tower and the muddy ground beneath his feet, his voice calm, yet like he was describing a future map:
“In three years, this muddy road will become the main circular road around the city. On both sides will be domed gray stone houses, warm even in winter without charcoal fires.
Further ahead is the plaza—Blizzard Plaza. The Northern Council will meet there, not in Red Tide.”
Orion was startled, instinctively looking towards that open space. In the snow curtain, the outline of the future seemed to truly emerge.
Sparks flew under the wooden shed, the smell of coal mixed with cold wind. Harold half-bowed and reported: “The furnace pipes will be laid from the command tower first, connecting to the first residential area in spring. The valves will use Red Tide-style pressure division, and materials will come from Star Forges.” freewёbnoνel.com
Louis pointed to the junction of the furnace and the main pipe: “Add another set of pressure relief rings to this section to prevent thermal expansion cracks at night.”
Several artisans exchanged glances, looking nervous, fearing they had missed something. Harold quickly stepped forward and responded: “Understood, Your Lordship! We'll change it immediately!”
Louis's tone was calm, without reproach, only a slight nod: “You've done well, but you must treat error as an enemy.”
The artisans nodded repeatedly, diligently taking notes, their coal-ash-stained hands trembling as they left black marks, and the air gained a tense respect.
Orion was startled again; this Earl spoke of these details even more proficiently than the artisans.
During the subsequent site inspection, Louis walked through various reconstructed facilities.
He stopped in front of a temporarily built foundry, quietly inquiring about fuel ratios and wind pressure regulation, personally inspecting the sealing of valves and pipelines.
He then walked to the newly built drainage ditch, squatting to check the snowmelt flow rate, indicating to leave an extra buffer section at the corner.
Several local artisans unfamiliar with him, seeing that he understood the blueprints thoroughly, all held him in awe, while Harold proudly puffed out his chest.
“The furnace here is too close to the residential area. If the wind changes, it will push the smoke back. In winter, it needs to be changed to underground ventilation, and remember to insulate it.”
“Yes, Your Lordship.” Harold responded loudly, immediately noting it down.
They continued forward, passing newly laid rail foundations, half-built sheds, and workshops piled with stone materials.
At each stop, Louis offered adjustments or improvements, from structural support to pipeline pressure division, missing nothing.
The artisans noted and responded, and even Orion began to feel that this work camp was gradually revealing the outline of a city.
Finally, they arrived at the city center, where a stone pillar already stood. The monument was about two people tall, its base carved from the North's hard stone, its surface still retaining rough stone textures.
The monument was inlaid with the Edmund Family crest—a majestic eagle with spread wings, symbolizing guardianship and honor.
As the cold wind swept by, snowflakes struck the monument's surface, and light and shadow cast faint golden patterns, carrying an ancient majesty.
The inscription was already carved, written personally by Louis:
【This place once burned, this place shall be reborn, in memory of those who sacrificed for the North.】
Orion watched silently, his eyes slightly moist.
He finally understood why Duke Edmund had entrusted the North's legacy to this young man.
Perhaps only he could bring this ruin back to life.
