Free Web NovelThe constant temperature barrier glowed with a very faint light on the windowsill.
The wind and snow were blocked outside, and even the sound couldn't get in. Heavy curtains hung down, and the indoor temperature was always maintained at a range that made one not want to get out of bed.
Louis woke up with a slight tingling sensation, simply because his arm had been pressed for too long.
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
On the left, Sif was almost completely pressed against him, one leg draped across his waist, breathing evenly, her sleeping posture completely defenseless.
Her body temperature was high, carrying a wild and direct heat.
On the right, Emily was very close, yet maintained a perfectly appropriate distance.
Her hand rested on his chest, her body curled naturally, her breathing light and slow.
The two of them were clinging to Louis like octopuses.
Louis didn't move; he just continued to stare at the ceiling, a trace of helpless curvature appearing at the corners of his mouth.
Since the birth of his eldest daughter six years ago, no other children had been born to him. These two wives seemed to have reached a consensus at some moment he didn't know about. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Then the competition began, with a clear goal: the third child.
Louis sighed in his heart.
Even with the physique of a Peak Knight, sustained combat of this intensity could hardly be called easy.
He carefully pulled out his arm. Sif frowned and subconsciously pressed closer again; Emily moved slightly but didn't wake up.
After a few minutes, Louis finally sat up from the bed.
While washing up, he stood in front of the mirror and looked up.
The person in the mirror was already somewhat different from his memory.
The lines were harder, the gaze steadier; the sharp sense of initiative from his youth had been smoothed out by time and responsibility, leaving only a patient and lasting tenacity.
Three years had passed since the annexation of Grey Rock Province.
In these three years, Red Tide's territory hadn't charged outward anymore, but had thickened bit by bit internally.
The port had expanded more than tenfold. New docks stretched out section by section along the coastline.
The storage area was completely rebuilt; grain, minerals, timber, and finished products were partitioned, foundations were raised, and ventilation and moisture-proofing were solved together.
The main roads of the North were repaved. In winter, merchants no longer had to gamble their lives to travel; schedules could be calculated by the day, and delivery dates could be written into contracts.
Five railways were built in total, three of which extended directly into Grey Rock Province, connecting mining areas, quarries, and ports into a single line.
Routes that originally took half a month to bypass were compressed into a few days. The flow of goods changed accordingly, and many places were included in stable supply for the first time.
Changes weren't just in physical things; people also slowly adapted to this rhythm.
Officials were each positioned where they should be. It wasn't based on personal prestige, but because the system made them clear that overstepping would only cause more trouble.
The system began to operate on its own.
Occasionally there would be friction, disputes, or even mistakes, but they were all limited to a correctable range and wouldn't slide all the way into losing control.
Louis no longer needed to keep an eye on specific matters; now he was more like a symbol.
No longer the commander issuing orders every day, but standing at the very top of the system, only putting pen to paper at critical moments.
Life changed accordingly; mornings were no longer woken by urgent reports, and nights were rarely spent sleepless over an account book.
He left more time for cultivation; he was now an early-stage Peak Knight.
The higher the knight level, the closer the body is to its limit. Every breakthrough is like grinding bone with a dull knife, relying not on momentum, but on years of accumulation.
He could feel his strength growing, but it no longer surged; every inch of improvement required multiple times °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the effort.
The remaining time was taken up by children, and then by fulfilling his duties as a husband.
Only then would he sit back at his desk to sign off on the truly major directions.
Louis dried his face and habitually opened the system; a pale blue light screen unfolded on his retina.
【Daily Intelligence update complete】
【1: The Emerald Federation is gathering mercenaries, and the Empire's Kalian is mobilizing legions. Friction between the two sides on the southwest border is escalating, and the probability of total war is rising.】
Louis glanced at it and didn't immediately look away.
Most outsiders bet on the Empire, as the Empire had more knights and territory.
But Louis, who had an omniscient perspective, didn't see it that way. The Empire's problem wasn't external, but internal.
Kalian and Duke Remont were monarch and subject in name, but in reality, they were wary of each other.
Military power, supplies, the chain of command—every link was a mutual test, with swords ready to be drawn at any time.
Louis could even imagine the scene there: the same batch of grain carts would have the Prince's wax seal one moment, only to be detained by the Duke's inspectors the next.
The same legion would be enfeoffed by day, and someone would go seeking secret orders by night.
Once such a system entered the battlefield, the first thing consumed wouldn't be the enemy, but their own patience and trust.
In contrast, the Emerald Federation was greedy but unified.
As long as the interests were clear, they would smooth out mercenaries, bonds, and supply lines one by one.
No one talked to them about honor; they only talked to you about accounts.
Of course, the longer this war dragged on, the more beneficial it was for Red Tide.
Over the past two years, he had sold phased-out old-style cold weapons and armor to Kalian at high prices.
Those longswords, battle axes, and plate armor had long been classified as secondary in Red Tide's armament sequence, but in the eyes of the Imperial City's military officers, they were still ready-made stock that could immediately fill out formations.
He had the workshops resharpen the blades, correct loose crossguards, reinforce the rivets of the armor plates, recalibrate the leather straps and buckles, and then seal them in sets according to legion numbers, attached with maintenance and replacement cycles.
The buyers were actually more straightforward when paying; what they feared was never the price, but being too late.
During the same period, he sold ores and intermediate materials to the Federation. Not by the shipload, but in stages, batches, and through different ports.
Every contract was written as strictly as a Church covenant.
The Federation Chamber of Commerce loved this approach most and was even willing to give priority berthing to Red Tide's goods.
Both sides were aware that Red Tide was eating from both ends, and both sides tacitly accepted it.
As long as Red Tide's roads were open, warehouses full, and ships could leave port on time, even if the Empire and Federation talked tough, they would still send gold coins into his accounts at night.
He didn't need to choose one of their flags; he only needed to watch.
"Fight on," Louis thought to himself, "The day the fighting officially begins is the day Red Tide heads south."
【2: The national power of the Holy Eastern Empire in the Southeast is growing steadily, and the Calvin Family's power is expanding within the region.】
Louis's gaze paused.
The Holy Eastern Empire, governed by Fifth Prince Lampard, had seen its national power expand too quickly over these three years.
Taxes hadn't been significantly increased, yet they could continuously expand the army; the nobility hadn't been obviously purged, yet they were more obedient than ever.
The people's faith was also in the process of steady replacement.
The Church's transfer orders were more effective in that region than imperial edicts.
And the axis of all this was Eduardo Calvin.
His third brother, now the Pope.
Therefore, the Calvin Family was no longer just a symbolic leader of the nobility; it now almost directly covered the power structure of the eastern nations.
The Calvin Family crest appeared frequently on castles, monasteries, and ports, like a silently spreading net.
Lampard's military expansion, Eduardo's power, and the Calvin Family's peak in the East were all within the realm of what Louis could understand.
That was the expanded form a normal regime should present after gaining extra resources and the endorsement of faith.
Red Tide had seen these things and could deal with them.
The Holy Eastern Empire itself wasn't the part that truly felt troublesome to him.
The overseas Golden Feather Flower Church State had been silent for three years; the spies of almost all factions could not bring out any useful intelligence.
But Louis had the Daily Intelligence System, and regarding the intelligence on the Golden Feather Flower Church State, there was a word that appeared continuously: spreading.
After the golden thorn feather crown was implanted into Eduardo, it seemed the final puzzle piece was completed.
They had been constantly spreading over these three years; the people on the island were being assimilated, slowly and quietly, but thoroughly.
Last month's intelligence showed it had already exceeded one-fourth.
Louis leaned back in his chair, his finger lightly tapping the armrest.
This was no longer a problem of the Church; this was an existence more patient and dangerous than the Broodmother.
A chill rose in Louis's heart.
If left alone, it would sooner or later treat the entire large island as a petri dish.
And it would certainly no longer be satisfied with a sea island; it needed a bigger stage.
And the Holy Eastern Empire was just the most convenient stepping stone for it to step onto the continent.
A complete set of mature administrative systems, armies, ports, and people already accustomed to obedience.
He had already made a judgment: Red Tide's shipbuilding technology tree must be accelerated and brought forward.
Once the Emerald Federation and Kalian go to war, he would immediately head south to annex the entire Holy Eastern Empire, then use it as a springboard to go to sea and eliminate this bizarre creature.
【3: Prince Balck of the Black Reef, the head of the Seven Great Pirates, has been completely controlled by the Phantom Desire Coral in the Broken Isles, and the individual has entered a state of deep assimilation.】
Seeing this intelligence, Louis's pupils contracted slightly.
He didn't treat this as an ordinary pirate problem.
Mind control, biological mutation—these characteristics were too familiar.
The Broodmother, Rage-Burning Thorns Garden, the Ancient Dragon remains, and the golden thorn feather crown from the previous intelligence... they were just in different forms.
A craving surged gently in his mind; the primal heart was responding.
But Louis quickly suppressed this impulse and began to think about the relationship between this intelligence and himself.
It happened to be right at the intersection of the North and Grey Rock Province.
Once signs of loss of control appeared in the sea's mutation, the first wave of impact would fall here.
This wasn't a conjecture, but a result determined by geography.
If left alone, eventually bringing this kind of thing to Red Tide's doorstep and waiting for it to fully take shape before being forced to respond would only cost more.
So this matter couldn't wait; it had to be handled.
Of course, the Black Reef Prince was also a perfectly timed target.
The head of the Seven Great Pirates, with a loud enough reputation and a substantial enough threat; if he died at sea, no one would ask why—at least they had to be wiped out.
In this way, the sea routes could naturally be taken over, and the coastal ports would also start to actively move toward Red Tide.
As for deeper things, the Phantom Desire Coral, the source of assimilation, and the will behind it must also be immediately eliminated.
Louis closed the intelligence interface and stood up.
The pale blue light screen retracted and extinguished, like a layer of thin ice shattering deep in his consciousness.
He didn't immediately stand up, but instead sat down cross-legged, his spine straight, his breathing gradually slowing.
This was something he did every day: the cultivation of combat qi and magic.
He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank inward.
His body responded first; blood surged through his meridians, yet without a trace of noise.
Muscles, bones, and internal organs were each in their most stable positions.
That was the result of long-term tempering with various resources and the repeated washing of the primal heart; power no longer leaked out but was firmly locked within the shell of his body.
Last month he had reached the early-stage Peak Knight level; going further, every step required a very long time to grind.
His body was already close to the limit of the mundane; any small improvement would be magnified into a double burden.
Louis could clearly feel this, so he wasn't in much of a hurry.
After finishing the cultivation of combat qi, the world of the mental plane slowly unfolded.
The pathways of the Original Meditation Technique operated on their own in his sea of consciousness, without chanting or deliberate guidance.
Mental power rose and fell like tides, swirling and covering every corner. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
It wasn't the common focus of a mage, but an entire sea.
Now when casting spells, he didn't need to calculate or rely on external objects; with just a thought, the structure would naturally take shape.
The dual cultivation of combat qi and magic, along with the primal heart and those three strange powers, had made him a super powerhouse at a young age.
He made a judgment in his heart: "There aren't many people in this world who can kill me anymore."
This was a conclusion reached after long-term quantification of power.
After the meditation ended, he slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as his vision regained clarity, he noticed something was wrong.
The bedding on the left moved slightly.
Sif had woken up at some point and was propping up her chin to look at him, her eyes bright, carrying a bit of a sleep-deprived but spirited enthusiasm.
A slight change in breathing came from the right.
Emily had also opened her eyes. She didn't immediately get up but just slightly turned her head, her eyelashes trembling gently in the morning light, as if silently confirming whether his cultivation was going smoothly.
Louis was silent for a moment.
The clarity brought by cultivation hadn't completely dissipated, but fatigue surged up with hindsight.
It wasn't physical weakness, but a kind of weariness after continuous high load.
He let out a low breath and spoke first, his tone very light: "There are still important things to do this afternoon."
This was the truth; the southern sea routes, the shipbuilding plan, and the line he had already set his sights on were all unsuitable for handling when in a relaxed state.
Sif blinked and didn't respond, just smiled and moved forward.
Only then did Emily slowly sit up, tucking her loose hair behind her ear, her tone still calm: "There's still time."
Louis glanced out the window.
It was still early; the wind and snow were kept outside by the constant temperature barrier, and the room was quiet and enclosed.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but ultimately just sighed in his heart.
The excuse had already been used and obviously wasn't accepted.
A warm sensation came from the left.
Sif had already pressed against him, her arm naturally circling his shoulders and back, her palm carrying the body heat that hadn't yet dissipated from the morning, unreasonable yet taken for granted.
Almost simultaneously, the mattress on the other side sank slightly.
Emily didn't rush to speak, but just reached out and rested her hand on his wrist, her fingertips lightly pressing on his pulse, as if silently expressing her stance.
Two completely different sensations fell upon him simultaneously.
Louis closed his eyes: "Come then."
