Free Web NovelThe smell of blood inside Grey Rock Fortress had not yet completely dissipated.
Outside the fortress, cleanup work was still ongoing.
The remains of the monsters were dragged away from the plaza, and flamethrowers and high-pressure water cannons were used in rotation, attempting to wash away the dark red sludge stuck in the stone crevices.
The air was filled with a heavy smell of blood and sulfur, and when the cold wind blew, it felt as if it was surging out of an unsealed deep well.
Yet Louis still decided to hold the meeting for merits and rewards here.
Grey Rock Fortress had once been the place where the Remont Family discussed military matters and distributed benefits. It was now being used again, but with a different group of people and a different flag.
When the doors of the Platinum Council Hall were pushed open, the warmth practically rushed out to greet them.
The furnace fire was burning brightly, candelabras were lined up, and light flowed between the white stone pillars.
Bottles of Amber Gold Wine, collected by the Remont Family for fifty years, were opened, and the liquid, poured into cups, glowed with a warm and inviting luster.
The family crests that were originally hanging on the walls had been taken down, replaced by the banner of the Red Tide.
A huge parchment map was spread across the center of the long table.
The map nearly covered the entire Grey Rock Province, densely marked with small flags of different colors, as if it were being recarved.
The nobles of the Northern Territory took their seats one after another.
Their cloaks were not yet completely dry; one could even still smell the lingering scent of blood.
But their gazes were already firmly fixed on the map.
Earl Abbott held his wine glass, his fingers trembling slightly.
This old noble, who had endured in the Northern Territory for over sixty years, was now staring intently at the large tract of land circled in red on the map, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.
That was Red River Valley, one of the most fertile areas in Grey Rock Province, where a single year's yield was equivalent to three years' total output from his Northern Territory domain.
Louis had already communicated with him privately and hinted at this before the meeting.
The Amber Gold Wine in the glass gently sloshed, nearly spilling out.
When the distribution began, the hall fell silent.
Louis stood at one side of the long table, holding a baton like a perfectly sized dinner knife.
He looked at the map, watching the eager eyes.
"Earl Abbott." Louis's baton tapped lightly on the map. "Your cavalry charged fiercely. This Red River Valley domain belongs to you."
After a brief pause, Abbott's breathing clearly hitched. He stood up almost instinctively, his voice trembling slightly but firm: "I will serve the Red Tide until death."
Louis's baton moved again: "Viscount Yoen, the Iron Rock Mine Domain in the west is assigned to you."
Yoen practically sprang out of his chair. The wine glass shook in his hand, nearly spilling.
He swallowed hard, his voice muffled but extremely earnest: "Boss... I, Yoen, am following you to the end."
"Viscount Brom, the Bridge Port Domain on the south bank will be taken over by you."
"Earl Henderson, the Arabek Domain falls under your jurisdiction."
...After dividing the territories of the Northern Territory nobles, the baton paused for a moment and then landed on the other side.
The people sitting in that row were not nobles.
They were all Knights bearing the Sun Badge, most of whom had followed Louis since he first arrived in the Northern Territory.
"Lambert."
Lambert straightened his body abruptly, puffing out his chest almost subconsciously.
His breathing noticeably quickened, but his eyes were astonishingly bright.
"The Violet Valley Domain in the northern section of Grey Rock Province, along with its attached farmland, will be temporarily managed by you."
There was no noble title, but it was a solid, entire piece of land.
Lambert opened his mouth, seeming about to speak, but finally just nodded vigorously, his throat tight.
"Remor, the Emerald River Domain is under the jurisdiction of the Defense Department; you are responsible for garrisoning it."
...The Knights whose names were called stood up one after another.
What they received were not titles, but responsibilities, territories, and promises that Louis was fulfilling one by one.
Most of these people had nothing when they first followed him to the Northern Territory.
But now, in the Northern Territory and in Grey Rock Province, they all had their own positions.
As for noble titles, those were things only the Emperor could bestow.
No one at this table mentioned it, because they all knew it was only a matter of time.
With every point of the baton, an almost uncontrollable stir would arise in the hall.
It was the sound of uncontrollable swallowing and the subtle but rapid clinking of wine glasses.
Everyone here understood clearly.
This was not a symbolic reward; these were tangible lands, mineral veins, tax rights, and populations.
Portions immediately carved off the corpse of the Remont Family.
Louis's movements were steady and unhurried; he carved precisely and earned everyone's respect. freeweɓnøvel.com
When the last area was divided, no one in the Platinum Council Hall bothered to hide their emotions anymore.
The wine was gulped down, and gazes shifted back and forth between the map and Louis.
At this moment, the same thought was firmly etched into the heart of every noble and Knight sitting there.
Following Louis, one could not only survive but also strike it rich.
But everyone knew well that the truly largest share was not on this table.
The core tax rights, port systems, and ultimate judicial authority over the main mineral veins of Grey Rock Province remained firmly in Louis's hands.
Those crucial nodes that would determine the direction of the next decade were never brought up for discussion from the start.
Because they all understood that without Louis, this meeting itself would never have taken place today.
Forget sweeping south across the entire Grey Rock Province; even just capturing Grey Rock Fortress was unimaginable for any of them.
Wine glasses were raised one after another, and Earl Abbott was the first to stand up.
The old noble held his glass, his back straight, and his eyes showed relief: "If not for Lord Louis, I wouldn't have dared to even dream of the gates of Grey Rock Fortress in this lifetime."
Viscount Yoen immediately stood up. The Little Fatty's face was flushed, and he practically chugged the wine in his glass.
"The place the Remont Family guarded for three hundred years was overturned by you, Boss, in one battle. I, Yoen, am convinced."
Earl Brom simply raised his glass, clinked it remotely with Louis's, and drank the wine in one go: "Making it this far is the biggest bet I've ever won in my life. Thank you, Lord Louis."
"We will never forget Lord Louis's kindness." Several Knights who had already received domains also stood up.
Lambert did not speak, he just nodded forcefully, his fists unconsciously clenching at his sides. The excitement of the moment was hard to hide.
With the wine consumed, breathing quickened. Some repeatedly looked down at the markings on the map, as if confirming that those names and lands truly belonged to them.
They all knew they were witnessing a new order being nailed down onto this very table.
Louis remained standing, his expression still calm.
Only when these voices naturally subsided and everyone calmed down did he speak again: "Regarding the governance of these new territories..."
The moment he spoke, Earl Abbott quickly raised his glass: "Lord Louis, please, absolutely do not let us govern them ourselves."
The old noble spoke with surprising directness, though his tone contained a hint of deliberate restraint. But he knew very well that if they were truly allowed to rule independently, Louis would never agree to the proposal.
"Since those Grey Rock Province peasants are now under our name, the red tide code must be implemented immediately. Delaying even a day will sow trouble."
Viscount Brom immediately chimed in, his expression candid: "To be honest, of course, we would like to manage it ourselves."
He sighed, then bowed slightly toward Louis.
"But if I let my idiot sons manage this territory, the result will inevitably be corruption and riots, and you'll end up having to clean up the mess.
Lord Louis, please make sure to dispatch Red Tide Commissioners to be stationed there. We take the dividends, you manage the order. It's mutually beneficial and saves us trouble."
Once these words were spoken, the Council Hall actually relaxed, and several nobles murmured their agreement.
It wasn't that they didn't want to hold governing power; everyone present had quickly weighed the possibility of managing it themselves.
But even if that thought were voiced, it would never receive Louis's approval.
He wanted the stability of an entire province, not a new batch of nobles continuing to make mistakes.
Moreover, managing it themselves was thankless and exhausting. They would have to maintain Knights to suppress riots, taxes would shrink due to layers of exploitation, and all the blame would fall on them.
Handing it over to the Red Tide, however, was a completely different calculation. ƒreewebɳovel.com
The Agricultural Department was more professional at farming, the Commerce Department could sell the same goods for higher prices, and the Defense Department was responsible for security and cleanup... All risks were clearly isolated.
Accounts were clear, dividends fixed, and settlements punctual.
They only needed to wait for the results.
After years of integrity, the Red Tide's credit endorsement was harder than gold.
Louis took all of this in, quite satisfied with the reaction of these Northern Territory nobles.
His gaze briefly skimmed the map, but in his mind, he was already tallying his main gains from this campaign.
First were the territory and population.
The inclusion of Grey Rock Province into the Red Tide System meant that the actual control area of the Red Tide Territory nearly doubled overnight.
More important were the continuous plains.
From now on, the Red Tide would no longer be constrained by the harsh cold of the Northern Territory and reliance on imported grain. He now held one of the most stable granaries in the western Empire.
This was not just a matter of having enough to eat.
This was the confidence required to fight a prolonged war.
Next was the population.
The millions of farmers, artisans, and refugees in Grey Rock Province would quickly turn into labor under the assimilation of the Red Tide System. Manpower was no longer the Red Tide's bottleneck.
Then there °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° were the sea access points and trade routes.
Once Grey Rock Province's ports were integrated into the Red Tide System, products from the Northern Territory and industrial goods from the Red Tide would gain a broader market for dumping.
And the treasury left behind by the Remont Family was the most direct fuel.
Centuries of accumulation—gold, Magic Crystals, and rare materials—were piled up like mountains.
This wealth was enough to support the Red Tide Legion's next round of Arcane Industrial upgrades: mass production of Steam War Chariots, improved artillery, advancement of Steam Ships, and even reserving space for long-term concepts.
Furthermore, the 【Daily Intelligence】 had marked out more hidden resource points for him this morning.
Unmined hidden Magic Mines, Monster Nesting Areas of special value, and several underground facilities deliberately sealed by the Remont Family.
Developing these things was now just a matter of time.
Finally, and most importantly, there was the Ancient Dragon remains, which was still intact despite losing its heart.
That was not a power to be trifled with.
But Louis would not repeat the Remont Family's mistake of using it for human experimentation.
Such an existence was priceless in itself, and he planned to hand it over to Merian's Alchemy Team for development.
The gains this time were immense.
Louis was outwardly calm, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
