Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 208 Preparation before the war
After breakfast, Louis summoned Mike, and the two of them climbed to the highest tower of the castle to overlook the snowfields and defenses of the entire Red Tide Territory.

Mike patted the windowsill, a hint of smugness in his eyes: "After the management test you proposed last time, the defense facilities in various places, especially the Tulou clusters, are now almost all installed."

He pointed downwards and continued, "First, there are the two newly built earthen buildings in Chichao itself, and five more in other surrounding territories. All of them are now completed."

While it may not have the complete facilities or comfortable living environment of this old building, it's more than adequate as a warehouse or refuge.

"These earthen buildings are designed with practicality in mind, and are equipped with closed gates to withstand large-scale attacks or severe cold disasters."

The wall is a rammed earth structure, up to four meters thick, with a layer of dark gray stone bricks transported from our area..."

Mike raised his chin, his tone slightly arrogant: "Even a battering ram wouldn't be able to break through it in ten days or half a month."

"Moreover, the design includes a sealing mechanism, so once the enemy breaks through the outer perimeter, we can seal off the corridor immediately... Let alone the Snow Oath Warriors, even a human would be trapped like a dead rat once they enter."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the numerous defensive outposts in the distance: "Now, the entire Red Tide Territory is an impregnable defensive line."

Louis nodded in agreement.

Then he turned to ask, "What about the traps and defenses around the area? Are they all set up?"

Mike immediately straightened his back, his expression serious: "Everything has been set up to your standards. The logs, the pits, and the ramps all work together."

He pointed towards the mountain path and explained each step in turn:
"First, reverse slope: We transformed the original mountain road into a zigzag gentle slope."

Not only can it slow down the enemy's advance, but it can also lay ambushes at every corner to create crossfire.

Second, the log trap: nailed logs were pre-placed at the top of each slope.

Once the mechanism is activated, gravity will slam them into the enemy forces, making them extremely lethal during a concentrated charge.

Third, traps: We also dug many hidden traps using the terrain.

In battle, it can further hinder the enemy's advance, and even heavily armored soldiers have to walk carefully.

"The moment the enemy sets foot on the mountain paths of Red Tide Territory, it's as if they're jumping into a trap." Mike said, his expression revealing undisguised pride.
Louis nodded slightly after hearing this, his tone affirmative: "Very good, you did a good job."

Mike pointed into the distance, where a row of metal pillars buried along the mountainside could be vaguely seen.

"That thing makes a sound with any vibration, and it can detect things even if the roof is covered in snow. Even a pack of wolves stepping on it will trigger an alarm, and the more people come, the clearer the alarm becomes."

Louis nodded slightly: "It's like having remote 'ears'. It saves manpower and allows for faster response because soldiers don't need to patrol all day."

Then he turned around, looking thoughtfully at the mountain road: "I'm thinking... could we build a modular iron plate wall, with slanted wooden spikes embedded in it? In a critical moment, we could push it out through the slots and seal off the main road in one go."

Mike's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but clap his hands: "An iron plate plus a diagonal thrust? That can't even stop a cavalry charge! Sir, this idea... is genius!"

Louis didn't stop there, continuing to present his idea: "Not only that, but we'll also install a pair of simple flamethrowers on both sides. Once activated, the fire wall will rise to block others."

Mike paused, his expression hesitant: "Sir, the design is indeed impeccable... but we are in peacetime now."

Using iron plates, alchemical flamethrowers, and massive amounts of fuel—the cost is simply too high. Even the Snowsworn wouldn't go to such lengths…

“It’s not them,” Louis said in a low voice. “War is coming. Not just the Snowsworn, not just bandits, but a war you’ve never seen before.”

Seeing how serious Louis was, Mike was speechless for a moment.

Although he could not imagine what the war looked like, he knew that his lord would not speak without evidence.

He nodded solemnly, his expression changing from relaxed: "Understood, sir. If there is a major battle, I will make the most thorough preparations. No matter who comes... we will defend Red Tide Territory."

Louis calmly replied, "It's not just preparations for the Red Tide Territory... it's all the territories under my command. No, it should be the entire Snow Peak County. I will do everything in my power to protect and save them."

Mike was speechless for a moment, feeling as if the young lord before him was bathed in the morning sun, shining brightly on the icy and snowy land.

His praise wasn't exaggerated; rather, it was a deep respect welling up from the bottom of his heart.
this person……

Like a rising sun, with unstoppable light, enough to dispel the long, dark night of Xuefeng County.

…………

After bidding farewell to Mike, Louis mounted his horse and headed straight for the knight training grounds outside Red Tide City.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the training ground was already sweltering.

Several squads of Red Tide Knights, clad in specially made black and silver armor, are conducting a "flamethrower coordinated combat" exercise.

The main flamethrower is located at the core of the array, carrying a heavy alchemical flamethrower on his shoulder, constantly spewing out blazing flames to form a frontal fire blockade line.

The auxiliary sprayers on both sides move flexibly, covering the flanks with crossfire to prevent the insect corpses from breaking through from the edges.

The pikemen and sword-and-shield knights on the outer perimeter advanced in unison, intercepting any enemies who slipped through the net, forming layers of defense with excellent coordination.

Scorching flames roared and surged across the firing range, their light illuminating the solemn faces of the knights.

At the edge of the platform, the tactician roared hoarsely, "Change formation! Cover positions! Continuing the fire wall—quickly!" Louis stood on the platform, his gaze sharp as he watched the entire process unfold.

The battle formation has become much more sophisticated than before, but the atmosphere remains tense, which is far from enough.

The shock of the battle at the Mother Nest had not yet subsided. Although it was a complete victory, the ferocity of the insect corpses still left a deep impression.

Now it has become both a source of pressure and motivation for everyone.

After all, even the slightest delay could lead to another disaster.

Lambert strode over, still radiating heat, his armor still on, and beads of sweat still clinging to his temples.

He stood at the front of the stage, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "My Lord."

Louis nodded slightly: "Has there been any progress in tactical coordination?"

“Much better than before,” Lambert replied in a deep voice. “The fire-breathing group and the sword formation group can now complete the alternation of three fire walls, and the blocking efficiency has nearly doubled compared to last month.”

He paused slightly, his expression growing increasingly grave: "But it's still not fast enough. If any group is even a fraction of a second slower in a sudden attack by the insect corpses, they might not be able to seal the breach."

Louis paused for a moment, mentally rehearsing the upcoming battle.

Then he slowly began, “Immediately strengthen the training of the ‘firewall’ system. Optimize all flamethrower teams in every aspect, from alternating rhythm and coverage angles to fuel switching and command response.”

I want you to be able to instantly establish a triple blockade, even in the chaos and during a charge, leaving no opening for the insect corpses.

Lambert nodded and immediately reported, "Yes. We have reset the firing line alternation rhythm, with each group of sprayers implementing a rotation mechanism of 'three seconds of spraying, one second of angle adjustment, and three seconds of follow-up'."

The direction of the flame spray is marked in segments and adjusted by unified instructions from the centerline commander. Each segment of the spray has its own dedicated fire zone to ensure coverage without any blind spots.

Although they are still in the process of gelling together, the rotation rhythm is gradually taking shape. If this training continues, they can achieve a truly unbreakable defensive wall.

Louis nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Hmm... to achieve this in such a short time is already quite impressive."

Then Louis looked around, observing the still-burning fire lines on the training field and the knights moving back and forth, and suddenly asked:
How many knights are there in the Red Tide Territory now?

Lambert immediately stepped forward and replied, "Currently, there are 4 extraordinary knights, 123 elite knights, 232 official knights, and 467 apprentice knights."

He paused briefly, then added: "Most of them were brought by Miss Emily as part of her dowry, and the rest were knights supporting the Calvin family."

In addition, there are local youths personally trained by our Red Tide, and some free knights attracted with generous conditions, all sworn to serve you.

Louis paused slightly, then lowered his head in thought.

I never imagined that I would have gathered such a force without even realizing it.

Although half of it was obtained by selling his body in exchange for Emily.

Based on the data alone, it can easily be ranked among the top twenty military powers of the northern lords.

If we add other weapons such as magic explosive bombs and flamethrowers, plus the daily intelligence system...

Perhaps their actual combat strength has quietly risen to the top ten in the North.

But faced with the impending crisis, Louis didn't know if this fighting force was enough; he needed to become stronger.

Louis then said calmly, "A new batch of 'Knight Growth Agents' has been completed. You can go to Hilko to collect them."

He paused, his tone becoming clear and calm: "Based on their recent training performance and their energy bottlenecks, prioritize distributing them to those with the most potential and closest to a breakthrough. Don't waste a single drop."

Lambert nodded in agreement, a rare relaxed smile appearing on his face: "Great! With this, we can at least send out another batch of high-ranking knights."

But Louis's gaze did not relax; instead, it became even more intense.

He gazed at the distant wall of fire, his voice turning somber: "War is imminent. We must push our strength to the limit before it truly arrives."

Lambert was slightly taken aback.

He didn't know what the lord meant by "war".

Are they remnants of the Savage Oath? Or are they lurking rebels in the North? Or... that terrifying Mother Nest?

The image of that night filled with slime and spores, rampant parasites, and his comrades mutating into monsters flashed through his mind, and a chill ran down his spine to his scalp.

Perhaps that's what Louis was referring to.

But he didn't ask any more questions.

Because he knew that if Louis said "war is coming soon," then it must be true.

Lambert straightened his back, his voice crisp and deep: "Understood, sir. I will do my best to prepare."

(End of this chapter)