Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 182 Louis's Third Brother
With wedding preparations in full swing, the entire Red Tide City is bustling with activity.

The main street was already adorned with red and white ribbons and feather lanterns, children ran around, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and offering blessings filled the air, even the cold wind carried a touch of joy.

However, Louis Calvin, the Red Tide Lord, who was the central figure in this wedding, was not immersed in it.

He flipped through a thick stack of wedding gift lists, his brows furrowed with no trace of the ease a groom should have, only a habitually suppressed weariness and vigilance.

To avoid arousing suspicion in the capital, Louis deliberately kept the guest list tight when he first announced the wedding.

The eligibility for participation was limited to "direct descendants of the family and the circle of dukes," and visits from other nobles in the North were even declined.

However, the Northern nobles have always valued "etiquette and formalities." Even if they don't come in person, they will still send gifts out of respect for the Calvin and Edmund families.

"My lord." Bradley hurriedly pushed open the door and entered, holding a visiting card and bowing respectfully. "The Earl of Grant's messenger has arrived."

Louis sighed, slowly draped a black half-cloak with gold patterns over his shoulders, and his boots echoed crisply on the mahogany floor.

When he walked out of the side hall, the servants almost forgot that he was a young man who was no more than twenty years old. He already had the composure and demeanor of an old nobleman in his every move.

In the drawing room, Grant's deputy butler, Aubert, had been waiting for a long time.

This was a middle-aged man nearing forty, with graying temples, dressed in a well-tailored black and gold robe. He had a dignified demeanor and a serious expression, displaying the composed demeanor of an old aristocratic butler.

He had no attendants with him, only a young servant carrying a brocade box behind him.

Everything was kept simple, yet it perfectly showcased the dignity and propriety of the "Grant family".

Aubert stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Earl Grant was unable to attend in person due to other commitments, so he sent me to deliver this congratulatory gift on his behalf."

"Welcome, Your Excellency, on behalf of His Excellency the Earl, for your long journey." Louis's tone was friendly yet measured.

Then Aubert opened the brocade box, revealing the deep blue magic crystal inside.

The crystal resembled a frozen night sky, deep and silent, with subtle veins of light flowing across its surface like ripples on a gentle breeze, and within it lay pure and stable fluctuations of battle aura.

"This magic crystal comes from a deep rock mine in the far north. It can store energy and restore battle aura. It is a gift that Earl Grant specially prepared for your wedding."

Aubert spoke in a low voice, his expression respectful, but his eyes were secretly observing.

Louis reached out and gently pressed the lid of the box, not examining the magic crystal closely, but simply raising his eyes and smiling faintly.

"Please convey my gratitude to His Excellency the Earl." He spoke gently, his eyes filled with sincerity. "This gift is far too precious; I will remember it forever."

Upon hearing this, Aubert bowed his head again in greeting.

The two then sat down and chatted for a while, their words almost impeccably polite.

Upon parting, Louis personally escorted Aubert to the front hall, maintaining impeccable manners along the way.

"He really seems like an old lord who has ruled for twenty years," Aubert couldn't help but think to himself as he left the Red Tide Territory castle.

After seeing off the Grant family's deputy butler, Louis had just sat down when Bradley quietly entered and whispered in his ear:
"My lord, the representative of the Calvin family has arrived. It is the third son, His Highness Eduardo."

“Is that so?” Louis’s tone was calm, with no obvious change in his expression.

The teacup paused slightly at my fingertips, and a tiny ripple spread across the tea inside.

Louis had almost no memory of his "brother," Eduardo Calvin, the third son of the Duke of Calvin.

Even his appearance remains a blurry glimpse from his childhood.

In fact, in the Calvin family, which had many noble offspring, the "brother" who had disappeared for more than a decade was no different from being dead.

However, Louis had already learned from the daily intelligence that this "third brother who had not returned for many years" had come to Red Tide not simply to attend the wedding in place of his father.

On the surface, he is a family envoy, but in reality, he is entrusted by the bishop of the Golden Feather Flower Church to investigate the disappearance of "Grand Mage Jürgen Locken" in the North.

Louis put down his teacup and said gently, "Let him in."

Several steady footsteps were then heard outside the door.

There was no extravagant retinue or deliberate ostentation; only a middle-aged man in a long robe with deep gold patterns entered the reception room.

The robe was well-tailored, and the silk satin sheen subtly revealed geometric patterns resembling totems, clearly the work of a nobleman from the south bank.

He walked with a steady gait and a composed demeanor, with a perfectly measured smile on his face, appearing gentle and approachable, carrying a touch of the leisurely air unique to southern nobles.

Louis had already stepped forward, a polite smile on his face, his demeanor as gentle as a spring breeze: "Third Brother, it's been a long time."

"Oh my, it's been so long, more than ten years, hasn't it? The last time I saw you, you couldn't even walk yet," Eduardo said with a smile, reaching out to gently pat his shoulder.

His smile was warm, like that of an old friend meeting, and his tone was so relaxed it was almost teasing: "You've really risen to prominence these past few years, Star of the North. Even Father said... you've made the Calvin bloodline shine on the battlefield again."

As he spoke, he pulled out a gold-edged letter and an exquisite silver badge from his pocket, decorated with the red crest of the Calvin family.

“A handwritten letter from Father, and this ‘Family Core’ badge.” Louis accepted the badge with a smile that didn’t change. “I know Father has always been concerned about this. Thank you, Third Brother, for bringing it personally.”

After they finished speaking, the two sat down, and the conversation naturally turned to everyday matters.

“Actually,” Eduardo picked up his teacup and smiled easily, “the family sent far more than just these two things.”

The area outside was almost completely congested with carriages and horses. My entourage said a huge pile of boxes was stacked in the small square, and they couldn't be moved in at all.

“Is that so?” Louis chuckled softly, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “Tell them to wait a moment. The Red Tide City warehouses are almost full these days.”

"Yeah, I can see it."

In the ensuing conversation, both of them maintained a proper distance, without feigned enthusiasm or probing questions; everything was natural, like thin clouds in spring.

But Louis already knew that Eduardo's real mission was not to deliver gifts.

He came for an "investigation".

His "investigative target" happened to be one of Louis's core secrets that he didn't want anyone to know.

According to the procedure, we should have talked for a while longer, but at this moment, the sky was getting dark, the lights in Red Tide City were just coming on, and a busy day was about to come to an end.

The streets and mansions in the city are gradually being lit up, and the candlelight makes the whole city look like amber shrouded in soft light.

People came and went in the main hall and front hall, and the steward and maids of the city lord's mansion never stopped walking.

Seeing this, Eduardo was about to go back to rest when Louis personally stopped him from returning to his room.

“Third Brother,” he said with a smile, his tone earnest, “it’s been a long time. Let’s have a simple meal together.” Eduardo paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “This is your busiest time right now. I shouldn’t add to your troubles.”

“It won’t be a hassle,” Louis waved his hand. “I just gave the order. The small hall is all set up, and only four or five dishes have been prepared. I was just thinking of having some peace and quiet.”

He looked at his brother, his tone relaxed yet firm: "We haven't seen each other since we came back from the capital. If we don't talk to each other tonight, I'll feel guilty."

“Since you’ve put it that way,” Eduardo finally nodded with a smile, “then I shall respectfully comply.”

So the two of them walked side by side into a side hall, away from the noise and bustle.

The banquet was held in a warm and quiet little hall. The wooden floor was spotless, and a fire was burning softly in the corner, driving away the slight chill of the early night.

The window was half-drawn, and the flickering lights in the courtyard could be vaguely seen from outside.

The dishes on the table were simple yet elegant, featuring authentic local specialties that Chichao City excels at: clear vegetable soup, honey-roasted poultry, and specially smoked fish, all of which are warming and not greasy.

Only Bradley and two trusted servants remained in the hall, but they were far enough away to be almost silent.

"How is the post-war reconstruction in the North going?" Eduardo raised his glass, as if asking casually.

"It went fairly smoothly," Louis replied with a smile. "Anyway, I've basically recovered on my end."

“When I first came to the castle, that’s exactly what I saw along the way. You’ve done a great job.”

"Thank you for the compliment, Third Brother." Louis shook his head slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "I only did some minor work."

“Before I came here, my father kept praising your excellent governance,” Eduardo said with a smile. “I was wondering what kind of governance plan you had, and seeing it for myself is truly amazing.”

"Then please thank Father for his concern, but this small achievement is not worth the family's attention."

"Your modesty is almost annoying."

At first, the two talked at a leisurely pace, occasionally exchanging small jokes, like long-lost relatives or chess players trying out a new game for the first time.

Then they casually mentioned the capital city.

Regarding the emperor's recent "relapse of his old illness," the unusual behavior of several princes at court, and the secrets circulating in the capital...

Eduardo was like a gentle storyteller, touching on the essentials but always managing to elicit intriguing details, even eliciting a soft chuckle from Louis.

After several rounds of drinks, Louis gradually began to notice something amiss.

This "Third Brother" is probably not as mild-mannered as he appears.

He speaks with great tact and will not lead you to say things you shouldn't.

But he always manages to steer the atmosphere in a way that puts him in a position where he can hear, remember, and judge.

Without a daily intelligence system and without vigilance, one could easily fall into a trap.

Louis narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile still gentle, but a hint of wariness crept into his heart.

He took a sip of his drink and casually glanced at the night view outside the window: "Speaking of which, Third Brother, do you know... something strange has been happening near my territory lately."

"Hmm?" Eduardo's gaze held a hint of curiosity, yet he remained nonchalant. "Strange thing? Don't tell me it's because the groom was under so much pressure before the wedding that he saw a ghost."

“Ha, if that’s really the case, that would be great.” Louis chuckled, lowering his voice as if he were talking about some kind of casual conversation that was not convenient to publicize. “Recently, a patrol found an unconscious mage on the edge of the forest. It’s said that he was attacked by insects in the woods.”

"Insects?" Eduardo was slightly taken aback. "The mage was attacked by insects?"

“This is different.” Louis’s lips curled up, but his eyes turned cold. “That man said that it’s one thing for the insects to attack living people, but the most bizarre thing is that they don’t even spare corpses.”

"A corpse?" Eduardo's brows finally furrowed.

"Yes. They can manipulate corpses."

After those words were spoken, the small hall fell silent.

Eduardo remained silent, as if waiting for what would come next.

Louis didn't continue immediately, but took another sip of his drink, as if to use it to make his words more "understated".

"The mage himself said that the insects did not behave like wild beasts. They coordinated extremely well, almost like... a well-trained army, and seemed to have retained the fighting skills of the corpses in life."

Eduardo let out a soft breath, leaned back in his chair, and his eyes became deep.

"It doesn't sound like a typical wilderness attack."

“I found it strange too,” Louis said, as if he were talking about something interesting. “I sent someone to check it out, and guess what?”

He looked up at Eduardo, as if to make sure his older brother understood the weight behind his words.

"As a result, almost no intact bodies were found, and there was very little blood. It was as if someone had deliberately cleaned up the scene. Only an unbearable stench remained, along with... some burn marks on the tree bark."

At this moment, Eduardo's smile slowly faded, as if he had finally extricated himself from the context of "drinking and chatting" and assumed another identity.

He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then shifted his posture, resting one hand on the back of the chair: "Those insects you mentioned... do they have any special markings? Like color, patterns, or morphological characteristics? And how many of them are there?"

Louis swirled the wine in his glass slightly and replied, "Those insects are very small, as small as a fingernail, yet they can burrow into the human body and control the movements of a person's limbs, just like pulling on puppet strings."

They weren't just random zombies wandering around; they were moving purposefully, in formation, and in an orderly fashion. As for their numbers, I don't know.

Then, as if casually, he added, "I didn't want to make a fuss about this, and the governor told me not to say too much, but since you're here, I thought I should talk to my own people about it."

They stopped talking about that and moved on to discussing some interesting things in the capital.

As the dinner party ended, the servants cleared away the silver platters, but the fire in the fireplace still burned, illuminating the final greetings exchanged between the two as they saw each other off.

But when Eduardo walked back to his temporary living quarters alone, the smile on his face had long since vanished.

He walked slowly, as if digesting the "intelligence" he had just received after a meal.

Louis's words still seemed to echo in my ears.

He had already made up his mind that this matter was most likely related to what he was investigating.

Little did they know that they had fallen into Louis's trap.

(End of this chapter)