Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 187 Preparations Before the Expedition
Louis had barely stepped out of the reception room and taken a few steps when he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

He didn't turn around, but stopped at the corner of the corridor.

A breeze blew in through the high window, causing the curtains to tremble slightly. Sunlight spilled onto the stone floor, casting the shadows of a pair of familiar boots.

"You...you really want to go in person?" Emily's voice betrayed a barely suppressed anxiety.

She stood beside him, her lips pressed tightly together, yet she forced herself to remain calm.

Louis did not answer immediately, but simply said, "I should do that."

Emily bit her lip, her eyes fixed on him, as if trying to see a hint of wavering on his face.

"You heard it too... what Karl said, it's not an ordinary monster." Her voice trembled slightly. "Why did it have to be you when we could have just sent someone to investigate?"

There was no coquettishness or tantrum in her eyes, only genuine fear.

That fear that he might never return, that I might witness him embark on a desperate gamble.

“We just got married…” she whispered, her eyes reddening, “I haven’t even had a chance to… say a few words to you yet.”

The wind gently blew through her hair, a few strands clinging to her cheeks, making her appear both fragile and stubborn.

Louis didn't say anything more, he just reached out and gently took her cold fingers in his hand.

At this moment, the corridor was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.

Emily paused for a moment, then turned her head slightly and leaned gently on his shoulder.

She closed her eyes, as if secretly trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Then at least…you have to promise me,” she whispered, “that if you find things aren’t going well, you’ll come back immediately…”

“Hmm.” Louis tightened his grip on her fingers slightly.

After a moment, Emily released her grip, took a deep breath, and regained her usual composure: "Go, my hero, gather your knights. Don't keep them waiting too long."

She turned and left without looking back.

After seeing Emily off, Louis didn't linger at all, and decisively turned towards the training ground inside the castle.

Lambert was patrolling the parade ground with several adjutants when he saw Louis approaching quickly and immediately stopped to salute.

"Lord Lord?"

“Lambert,” Louis said in a deep voice, “immediately summon all elite and regular knights currently stationed in the Crimson Tide Territory, have them all don their armor and assemble, and prepare for battle.”

Lambert's expression changed, and his gaze immediately turned serious.

"...All of them?" he asked instinctively.

“All of them.” Louis nodded, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. “I want to see them fully armed on the training ground in half an hour.”

"Understood." Lambert didn't ask any more questions, turned around briskly and left quickly to pass on the orders.

Louis immediately mounted his horse and headed straight for the alchemy workshop on the south street of Red Tide City.

Two apprentices dressed in thick cloth robes were carrying equipment out in front of the gate. Upon seeing the lord himself, they quickly bowed and paid their respects.

Is Hilko there?

"Yes, yes, they're processing the explosive reagents inside!"

Louis pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by the familiar, pungent smell. The alchemical furnace beeped and crackled, and various test tubes and metal containers filled three long tables.

Hilko, wearing goggles and preparing something, looked up and saw Louis. She quickly removed her gloves: "You've come at the perfect time! I've just finished testing a new batch of magic explosive base; all I need is a little more..."

Louis interrupted him, speaking very quickly, "I'm asking you, how many finished Red Platinum Magic Bombs are left?"

Hilko paused for a moment, then reflexively replied, "Ready-made? There are about sixty of them, but I haven't had time to classify and number them all yet..."

"Take out thirty and send them to the training ground," Louis ordered directly.

"Are you crazy?!" Hilko nearly jumped up, his eyes wide. "Thirty! Are you going to use them to flatten Frostspear City?! Are you planning to rebel against the North?!"

“I don’t have time to joke with you,” Louis’s voice was icy.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment as Hilko looked into his calm, unwavering eyes, which held a sharp edge.

He realized that he really intended to use these explosives, and that the target was probably more troublesome than he had imagined.

“I understand.” Hilko licked his lips. “I’ll personally package it and deliver it to the training ground within half an hour.”

"The sooner the better." Louis nodded, then pushed open the door, leaped back onto his horse, and galloped away.

…………

The rare summer sun in the North fell on the shoulders of the knights standing in formation, but no one was distracted by it.

One hundred and forty knights stood solemnly in the training ground.

Each resolute face gazed at the high platform ahead.

Louis stood there, wearing a red lord's robe, holding several hand-drawn drawings in his hand.

"Everyone," he began, his voice not loud, but instantly silencing all the restlessness in the room.

“I know this gathering is rushed. But before you set out, I must let you know that the enemy we are about to face is no ordinary one.”

He unfolded the blueprint, revealing a horrifying drawing: a honeycomb structure resembling intertwined flesh and blood, with a huge, hollow "flesh sac" hanging at its core, from which countless "corpses" were being thrown.

This is a painting he had someone draw in advance.

"This is our enemy's nest."

He paused for a second to let everyone see the picture clearly before continuing:

"It is not a simple monster's lair, but a living, constantly evolving intelligent structure. The lair is honeycomb-shaped, protected by a layer of bone and flesh on the outer shell, and at its core is this suspended 'transformation sac core'."

He then turned to the next sheet of paper, which depicted an even more striking monster:

The human corpse was fused with the insects, the body twisted, the bones exposed, the eyes empty, but the hands still held a broken knight's sword and shield.

“These are called insect corpses,” he said calmly. “They are made up of infected human corpses, retaining their fighting instincts from when they were alive, and can even use weapons and adopt defensive stances.”

The corpse worms that infest your body make them almost impossible to kill completely. Even if you cut them in half, they will still try to crawl back towards you.

More importantly, they are contagious. If you're not careful and get infected by these insects, you'll become a mindless zombie. Therefore, you must be fully armored.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and even the seasoned knights couldn't help but frown.

"I speculate that the unified command of the insect corpses comes from the spiritual link of the mother hive, just as the queen bee controls the swarm. It is not a scattered force, but a whole army with tactics and coordination."

"Therefore, we have only one goal, which is to destroy the 'mother sac,' which is its heart and the central hub of the entire system."

He scanned the room, his eyes gleaming, and his tone suddenly changed: "I won't lie to you about how dangerous it is."

One team, consisting of twenty elite knights led by a transcendent knight, had all perished, with only one escaping back.

These words chilled everyone to the bone.

After a moment of silence, several young knights swallowed hard and gripped their longswords tightly.

But many more people stood tall in silence.

This was not the first time they had faced a terrifying enemy; they were no longer the abandoned knights who had just risen to power in the Crimson Tide Territory. They were the Crimson Tide Knights, the Iron Guards who had fought alongside Louis to win Qingyu Ridge amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Duke Edmund, standing not far away, watched quietly, a hint of surprise and a touch of admiration in his eyes.

He originally thought this young man was just brave and resourceful, but he never expected that he could piece together such a complete and reasonable picture of the enemy situation from just a few words.

The Duke gave a barely perceptible smile. "Indeed, a talent fit for a general."

Eduardo, who had come over to watch the commotion, frowned slightly as his younger brother vividly described the structure of the "nest" and "nucleus."

“Like a beehive, with a cluster mentality, creating soldiers by transforming corpses…” He seemed to recall a familiar memory, “This design… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

Eduardo lowered his eyelids, took a soft breath, and muttered to himself, "That missing archmage... could he also be involved?"

He suddenly looked up and walked closer to the platform: "When do you plan to set off?"

"Noon," Louis replied.

Eduardo nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Then I'll go too, I've got nothing to do lately anyway."

“You?” Louis hesitated slightly.

“Don’t forget, I’m a super knight too.” Eduardo shrugged.

“Okay.” Louis thought for a second, then nodded. “Then you stay and go on the expedition with us.”

Louis then unfolded the blueprints again on the high platform and began to make tactical arrangements.

"Regarding the weaknesses of the mother hive, here are my speculations." He glanced at the crowd below, his tone unwavering:

"First, the mother hive lacks ranged attack capabilities. It is too large, too slow, and its structure is not suitable for supporting ranged attacks other than those from the insect carcasses."

As long as we maintain our mobility, it can only watch helplessly.

Second, the central core of the brood mound is extremely fragile. It is encased in the deepest fleshy sac, which is the core of the entire swarm's mental link.

Once destroyed, it could paralyze, malfunction, or even cause the entire insect corpse system to tear each other apart.

Third, it cannot move. The mother nest is a sessile parasite, its structure deeply dependent on the current terrain.

Once we confirm the coordinates, we can launch an encirclement and advance, gradually compressing their combat radius.

As he said this, he tapped his finger on the area circled in ink in the center of the map.

"Therefore, our action plan is to 'lure the enemy, divide them, break in, and destroy them.'" He turned a page of the map, revealing a detailed tactical diagram.

"Formal knights, in groups of five. Your mission is not a final battle, but disruption."

Draw the attention of the insectoid corpses from the perimeter, causing them to split up. Avoid direct confrontation; no matter how fast the insectoid corpses are, they can't catch your warhorses. Don't linger in battle; prioritize your own survival.

The Cavaliers nodded in agreement; it was a tactic they practiced regularly and were extremely familiar with.

"Then the elite knights will be divided into two groups."

Louis turned and pointed to the arrow surrounded by two red lines: "The first Frostspear City squad is responsible for the Flame Blockade."

Each of you will be provided with three jugs of flaming oil, which is newly refined high-temperature distilled oil. Once ignited, the temperature will be high enough to burn through the insect carcasses.

Your objective is to establish a defensive perimeter around the mother hive, preventing a large-scale return of the insect corpses to defend the area, creating an illusion of encirclement, and forcing them to redeploy their elite forces to the perimeter, thereby opening a breach in the central defenses.

"Second squad from the Red Tide Territory, launch a surprise attack on the central hub." He pressed his finger heavily on the deepest part of the map.

Louis took a wooden box wrapped in black cloth from under the table and opened it with a snap.

The bright red projectile gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like a heart brimming with death energy.

"This is the Red Platinum Magic Bomb, an alchemical achievement of the Crimson Tide Territory."

It contains compressed, high-temperature magical energy; once detonated, it can create an extremely high heat wave and impact within a three-meter radius. Even steel would melt, let alone a core composed of flesh and blood.

Each assault knight will carry two, equipped with short-barreled force cannons for firing.

You will infiltrate through the gaps between the insect corpses, attack the central control center as quickly as possible, and withdraw immediately after completing the mission.

He closed the blueprints, surveyed the room, and spoke in a firm voice:
"This is not a reckless gamble with one's life, but a rhythmic, well-organized, and viable hunting operation. Of course, the most important thing is to complete the mission while ensuring one's own safety."

After explaining the last page of the tactical diagram, Louis put down his pen and glanced at each of the knights present.

They didn't speak, but they all looked up at him, their expressions solemn and focused.

A solemn atmosphere filled the air.

Duke Edmund, who was sitting next to the head of the table, had been observing quietly.

But now his fingers are unconsciously tapping on the armrest of the chair.

The emotions in my heart are hard to calm down.

"Such a comprehensive tactical system, from battlefield structure and enemy/friendly analysis to division of labor and cooperation... I couldn't even think of a better solution."

I originally thought he was just a greenhorn, and if he just acted recklessly, I could always regain military power later... but now it seems..."

He smiled gently, his eyes revealing appreciation and comfort.

This son-in-law is already capable of handling things on his own.

The Duke, without hesitation, was the first to applaud.

The applause wasn't loud, but it sounded like a bugle call.

The knights were taken aback, then burst into applause.

The applause went from sporadic to rhythmic, the clash of armor like the sound of snow being swept by a mountain wind, echoing throughout the entire training ground.

Some knights' eyes had already lit up with a light, a long-lost light that showed they were willing to die for a worthy lord.

Louis didn't move, but simply raised one hand, palm down, and slowly pressed it down.

The applause stopped abruptly, as if the entire air itself had softened its edge and solidified into a force about to erupt.

He looked at the crowd, his voice not loud, but carrying a steady sharpness:

"I know you are all battle-hardened knights who have killed real enemies and seen your comrades bleed to death."

But this enemy is different. They have no fear, no anger, no pain, and no surrender.

We have the will, the honor, and the need to protect our comrades.

He paused, his eyes sharp: "So we're not going to our deaths, we're going to hunt down a monster, sever its lifeline, and save the lives of everyone in the North."

But do not underestimate our enemy, nor back down. Some of us may be wounded, some... may fall in the darkness.

But please remember, we are Knights of the North, the shield that stands between this North and the Abyss.

We do not fight for death, we fight for the living.

Louis paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the entire troop: "Return to camp now to prepare. We'll depart in formation at noon."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of "Yes!!!" erupted from the audience.

(End of this chapter)