Free Web NovelThe chill of the early morning quietly seeped into the room. The fireplace still glowed with residual heat, yet it couldn't dispel the stillness outside the window left by the snow.
Sif slept on her side next to Louis. Her white short hair had grown to her shoulders, scattering a few strands on the pillow. Her breathing was steady, but her eyes still held that wild sharpness.
Her ten-month pregnant belly was prominent, yet it hadn't diminished her posture; instead, it made the sense of power emanating from her even more distinct.
Louis glanced at her gently, his fingers hovering momentarily near her lower abdomen.
It would probably be in the next few days.
He suppressed the fleeting tension in his heart, quietly got out of bed, put on a thick robe, and walked toward the window.
The rooftops of Red Tide City were layered in pale white by fog and snow, and the chimneys of the distant steam workshops were emitting thin smoke.
Louis raised his right hand and gently waved his finger.
A familiar soft chime sounded. A light blue, translucent screen of light unfolded in the air.
【Daily Intelligence System Update Complete】
【1: The Remont Family, using land revenue, trade route shares, and future enfeoffments as bait, continues to lobby the Commander of the Seventh Legion, Ackerman Greer. Agents report that he has begun secretly meeting with their representatives.】
【2: The Dawn Harbor caravan safely arrived at the Azure Tide Guild in the Emerald Federation. Goods were sold smoothly, and the Guildmaster highly praised the quality of the minerals, expressing a desire to strengthen long-term cooperation.】
【3: The Red Tide Mechanization Team has completed the prototype for the first generation Steam War Chariot. Its performance is stable and it can be put into trial use.】
【4: Sif had a good pregnancy and successfully gave birth to a baby girl today.】
Louis's gaze paused on the first piece of intelligence for a few seconds. Ever since the Dragon Throne Council ended, the political situation of the Empire had been like a massive stone thrown into the deep sea, sinking further every day.
But Louis, with the golden finger of the Daily Intelligence System, was practically omniscient. He could survey the flow of the entire power structure from the remote Northern Territory, far from the Imperial Capital, using a perspective almost like that of a god.
The three princes were currently displaying their abilities, frantically courting the Empire's nobles and legion commanders.
The Fifth Prince went even further, attempting to gradually approach the Calvin Family and bring the entire Southeast Province under his control.
However, the most conspicuous and dangerous force was not these princes, but Duke Redert of the Redmont Family.
Louis slowly exhaled, tapping the edge of the light screen with his fingertip.
Redert seemingly still flew the banner of the Second Prince, but in reality, he had long extended his reach into the Empire's military, with targets ranging from the Seventh Legion to the Southwestern Reserve Army.
Those legion commanders still verbally supported the Royal Family, but secretly, they were calculating which side they should bet on for the future.
What was more troublesome was that the Seventh Legion was stationed on the edge of the Northern Territory.
Nominally, they guarded the Extreme Cold Frontline, but in reality, they were more like an eye the Empire had deliberately left in the Northern Territory.
Although Louis had made the entire Northern Territory as stable as a solid iron plate, this eye was constantly watching him. While it wasn't enough to threaten Red Tide, it could always stir up trouble.
The Empire was never at ease regarding the Northern Territory, so that eye would never be withdrawn.
Now, the Empire's military power was like an old net stretched to its limit; the slightest tug would tear it apart.
Everyone was waiting for the breaking point—perhaps the fall of the Regent, an uncontrolled action by a legion, or a prince suddenly revealing his true hand.
And Louis knew very well that Redert definitely did not intend to remain a subject. That man's actions were entirely aimed at establishing his own military power, hoping to seize the largest piece once the Empire fractured.
Louis appeared calm on the surface, but a strong sense of crisis was growing within him.
The Northern Territory was far from the Imperial Capital and seemed detached, but once chaos truly erupted, the Northern Territory would be dragged in whether he liked it or not.
If Red Tide could not completely stabilize its foundation, when the threads of the Empire broke, the Northern Territory would be swept away by the storm, like a tree uprooted from the ground.
Therefore, he had to move faster than everyone else. Granaries, mineral veins, railways, armaments, academies... these seemingly steady constructions were, in fact, steps taken on the razor's edge of time.
He had to ensure that Red Tide possessed a framework capable of independent operation, independent armament, and independent supply before the Empire completely fractured.
"The Northern Territory must become completely independent before the chaos begins."
Louis repeated this sentence in his mind, as if issuing a final command to himself.
As # Nоvеlight # long as the Red Tide system stabilized, he could keep the Northern Territory outside the blizzard, no longer swayed by the rise and fall of the Imperial Capital.
Louis had to accelerate down this path without delay.
When Louis looked at the second item, his emotions were calmer than when viewing the imperial politics, even carrying a hint of subtle calculation.
【2: The Dawn Harbor caravan safely arrived at the Azure Tide Guild in the Emerald Federation. Goods were sold smoothly, and the Guildmaster highly praised the quality of the minerals, expressing a desire to strengthen long-term cooperation.】
The successful opening of the Federal ports by Dawn Harbor indicated that the foreign trade route he had spent a year establishing was finally taking shape.
Red Tide's goods, such as minerals, Cold Iron ingots, and furs, could fetch good prices in the Federation. This showed that the Northern Territory's industrial system finally had proactive value externally, rather than depending or parasitizing on anyone.
"The Guildmaster is satisfied..." Louis murmured internally, finding the implications profound.
More crucially, this route was not just a breakthrough with the Azure Tide Guild alone.
Cooperation plans with the Crimson Splendor Guild and the Starfall Guild had also been finalized, and two caravans dispatched by Dawn Harbor were preparing for departure.
If these three maritime trade routes were successfully established simultaneously, Red Tide's foreign trade system could formally break free from the Calvin Merchant Guild's old network and form a stable cycle independent of the Empire.
As for Earl Harvey, he had already made two round trips under the guise of funding Yoen, but the supplies he delivered were not only of high quality but also priced extremely low.
This attitude was clearly not simple goodwill, but an attempt to bet on the future of the Northern Territory in advance, securing a fallback plan for himself.
As long as the Federation continued to maintain this cooperative stance, the Calvin Merchant Guild's constraints on the Northern Territory would completely loosen.
Even if they realized what was happening, they would have no time to interfere with the Northern Territory's trade routes, and Red Tide could take advantage of this gap to slowly pull the Northern Territory's economic chain out of the Calvin Family's grasp.
"This route must continue to be pushed forward," Louis mused privately, then looked at the next item.
【3: The Red Tide Mechanization Team has completed the prototype for the first generation Steam War Chariot. Its performance is stable and it can be put into trial use.】
More than a year had passed since the first steam train was tested in the Northern Territory.
Now that the war chariot prototype had finally appeared, it marked the second step taken by the entire steam system.
Louis didn't truly understand its principles or its actual performance. All he could do was sketch the rough outline of a tank from his memory for the Mechanization Team, hoping to give them some direction.
But exactly how it should be built and what it should look like, he could only leave to the craftsmen to figure out slowly.
Of course, Louis would have to personally check the progress sometime soon and decide how to proceed with the next step.
【4: Sif had a good pregnancy and successfully gave birth to a baby girl today.】
When he saw this entry, Louis's heart felt a gentle thump.
Louis had been telling himself all these days that Sif was as strong as a snowfield she-wolf, but pregnancy was something no one could predict.
He knew her physique far surpassed that of an ordinary person, but only at the moment of impending labor did he realize that his heart had been constantly anxious.
A long-absent joy rose through his chest, like dry kindling added to a fire.
He rarely allowed himself such emotion, but he couldn't suppress it now.
Sif was safe, the child was safe—this was the best and most crucial intelligence he could receive these days.
No matter how chaotic the Northern Territory became, or how perilous the Empire, he at least had them waiting for him here.
Louis rubbed his brow and exhaled softly, as if letting this joy slowly settle: "...Very well."
The next moment, his eyes returned to their familiar state of focus and decisiveness.
His family's safety was his reason to continue forward, not an excuse to stop.
Louis had just closed the Daily Intelligence System screen, but the threads concerning the princes, legions, guilds, and harbors were still turning in his mind.
Yet, his physical cultivation never paused because of the political situation.
Battle Qi slowly circulated along its familiar path, rising and falling like tide water through his flesh and blood. Warmth gradually spread from his chest to his limbs.
Halfway through his cultivation, Louis suddenly heard the blanket rustle lightly behind him.
The sound was not loud, but it pierced his attention like a fine needle.
Louis opened his eyes and turned to look.
Sif shifted slightly on the bed, her eyebrows gently furrowing, as if something had pulled her from sleep. She instinctively drew a sharp breath.
Louis initially thought she was just getting too warm from the fireplace and was about to get up to adjust the vent to cool the room slightly.
The next moment, Sif's breathing clearly faltered.
She gripped the edge of the bed beside her, strands of hair on her cheek dampened by cold sweat, sticking to her neck.
"Louis..." Sif's voice was hoarse but she kept it low, as if afraid of disturbing something. "I... I'm going into labor."
Louis stood up almost instantly, the calm he felt during cultivation severed in one stroke.
He walked to the bedside, supported her shoulder, and felt the trembling beneath her muscles that she was desperately trying to control.
Sif held her breath, sweat already beading on her temples, but she forced her brows to relax, striving to maintain her usual composure.
"It's fine, I can handle it," she said in a low voice, her eyes as sharp as they were before going into battle.
Louis didn't say anything more. He simply turned and opened the door: "Go notify the healer, Elena, and prepare the delivery room immediately. Also, call Emily."
The maid, who was standing nearby, changed expression upon hearing this, quickly bowed in assent, and practically sprinted down the hallway.
Inside the room, Sif tried to sit up by herself, but the movement became stiff due to the strain on her abdomen.
Louis turned back and helped steady her, assisting her in adjusting her posture.
He could feel the extreme, suppressed tension in her body. This tightness was even stronger than when she wore her animal hide armor and raised her battle-axe.
"Don't try to be strong," Louis said softly.
Sif forced a slight smile: "I certainly don't want you to see me too messy."
"You were quite messy when you fought those two snowfield boars, too," Louis joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
Sif snorted, about to retort, when another burst of pain erupted from her abdomen, causing her fingers to involuntarily clutch the blanket tightly.
Since Sif was close to labor, Louis had arranged for the healer, Elena, to stay next door to his room, so Elena was quickly ushered inside.
The middle-aged healer was short in stature but moved efficiently. Her hair was neatly tied back, and her apron held needles, thread, and small scissors in perfect order.
As soon as she entered the room, she first checked Sif's complexion and breathing, then decisively ordered: "Take her to the delivery room."
Unlike Emily, Sif came from the Barbarian Tribes. She didn't care about old Imperial customs, nor did she mind traditions like the master of the house staying away from the delivery room.
But Elena insisted on her own rules.
"It's not for your sake," she said calmly while checking Sif's pulse. "It's for hers. Only essential people stay in the delivery room. The closer someone is, the more easily she will be distracted."
Louis looked at Sif.
Sif glanced at him, and between breaths, motioned toward the door with her eyes: "Go. I will be fine."
Louis gently squeezed her hand, and finally withdrew.
Emily had already arrived at the end of the corridor, wearing an outer robe, her blue hair tied back messily, clearly having rushed out of bed.
Hearing the situation, she didn't hesitate, quickly entered the room, and closed the door behind her.
The moment the door closed in front of him, Louis truly realized that he could do nothing.
He could only stand in the corridor.
The corridor wasn't cold; the oil lamps on the wall and the fireplace near the delivery room made the area warm, yet his hands were stiff.
The sounds coming from behind the door were not loud, but every one of them hammered at his nerves.
There were Elena's low, steady instructions, Emily's soft reassurances, and Sif's occasional muffled groans that she couldn't suppress. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Louis stood there, his spine rigidly straight, as if facing some invisible enemy.
He knew Sif was strong, knew that her bloodline, physique, and Battle Qi were far beyond ordinary people, but pregnancy was never a battlefield where risks could be eliminated purely through strength.
Although the Daily Intelligence System had told him earlier that day that the delivery would be smooth, he was inevitably nervous.
Louis clenched and unclenched his fists, walking to the end of the corridor and returning, repeating the motion, but his steps never took him more than ten paces from the door.
Fortunately, the time didn't stretch long enough to become agonizing.
After an unknown period, the scent of the furnace gradually wafted out from the door crack, carrying a steady aroma of medicinal herbs.
Finally, a voice carrying a hint of a smile came from inside the room: "A baby girl! Mother and daughter are safe!"
These simple words seemed to drain the strength from Louis's spine.
He stood still, leaning back slightly, like an invisible bowstring had been released.
The door was pushed open a crack.
Elena peeked out, her face showing professional fatigue, yet she couldn't help but smile: "Lord, you may come in."
The moment Louis stepped into the room, the light of the fireplace washed over him.
Sif was propped up against the headboard, sweat still damp on her forehead, her white hair slightly disheveled from being wiped. Her complexion was not sickly pale, but rather one of relaxed exhaustion.
Seeing him, she curved her lips into a very faint smile, holding a small bundle in her arms.
Emily cleared her throat and tactfully led the others out of the room. The door closed behind them, leaving only the crackling of the fireplace inside.
Louis walked closer. Sif slightly raised her hand, shifting the bundle out a little.
"Look," her voice was still a little hoarse, but carried a rare softness. "Our daughter." freewёbnoνel.com
The infant was wrapped in soft fabric, revealing only a section of her rosy little face.
She seemed not yet fully accustomed to this world, her eyes open only in a narrow slit, as if startled by the brightness of the fireplace, or perhaps instinctively examining something.
Louis looked down at those tiny eyes.
The Empire was in constant turmoil. The situation after the Dragon Throne Council was like a shattered chessboard, with every piece rolling around with sharp edges.
Yet, it was precisely at this time that she arrived.
The more this was the case, the less Louis wanted her to be dragged into those wretched storms.
"A name..." Sif leaned against the pillow, her voice faint. "You choose it."
Louis was silent for a moment.
The firelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a softened glow.
"Aurelia," he said softly.
The name rolled around in his mouth. It was neither a wild name of the Barbarian Tribes nor one of the elaborate long names of the Imperial Capital's noble ladies. Its pronunciation was soft, yet it carried the meaning of peace and light.
Sif repeated it, slowly enunciating every syllable: "Aurelia... our daughter."
After saying this, she truly seemed to relax completely, resting her head gently on Louis's shoulder, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion.
Louis supported her shoulder with one hand and carefully took the small bundle with the other.
The infant stirred in his arms, making a nearly inaudible sniffle.
The fireplace was bright. The wind and snow still beat against the wall outside, but they felt very distant.
"Welcome to Red Tide," Louis murmured.
He knew the world outside wouldn't become gentle just because a child was born.
But at least within this fort, in this room lit by the fireplace, there was one small space tonight that was truly warm and peaceful.
