Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 218 Lord Louis has arrived!

The night wind was like a knife, embers of fire still lingered on the snow, and the remnants of Crimson Cloud Territory still flickered in the distance.

Louis mounted his horse without looking back at the ruins that had just been purified by the firelight and soaked by the rain of corpses.

The knights behind him remained silent, their eyes still reflecting the crimson mushroom flame that had burst forth when the Mother Nest exploded.

“Next,” he said softly, as if talking to himself, without any emotion.

Dozens of riders trudged through the snow, advancing southeast along the mountain ridge.

The knights remained silent; only the sound of their horses' hooves pounding the snow sounded like heavy war drums, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

“From Black Pine Ridge to Cold Deer Plain, all seven beacon towers have been abandoned.” A scout knight galloped over, his brow furrowed. “The entire Gwen family has been wiped out. The sigils of Heller and Twenburg have been torn off their towers, and their bodies have not been found.”

What about Green Hill?

"The entire territory was cleared out by the insect corpses within three hours. The mother nest was built directly in the center of the city, but the main nest has now been moved and its location is unknown."

These are all territories near the outskirts of Xuefeng County.

Louis remained silent for a long time, and a topographical map of Snowpeak County unfolded before his eyes.

Those broken valleys and snow-covered forests that he once regarded as natural barriers are now crumbling one by one.

The insect corpses are crossing the rift more and more frequently, day and night.

Louis was not in a hurry.

He raised his head and looked at everyone: "From now on, the Red Tide Legion will enter 'targeted rescue mode'."

His tone was calm, as if he were not facing a swarm of insects devouring the North, but rather a complex game of chess.

"Priority Category 1 - Strategic Hubs"

The fiefdoms holding control of road junctions, mountain passes, and fortresses must be preserved.

He pointed out three key nodes: the Glacier Canyon, the Twilight Ridge Passage, and the Green Rock Rift Valley.

"The second category is loyal lords."

These people had participated in the 'Revitalization Fund,' received Red Tide arms allocations, and cooperated with our plans. They trusted me, and I cannot betray them.”

Names such as Jon Harvey and Mrs. Grant were highlighted, and an adjutant whispered notes as he stood by.

"The third category is controllable forces."

Some newly rich and lesser nobles lack resources, but they have the potential for consolidation. If they can be saved, they will become part of the future Red Tide system.

He looked at the southeast corner of the map, where a cluster of small but still unconquered territories lay.

"Finally—the non-cooperators."

Nobles who disregarded orders and attempted to desert or evacuate without authorization. Their chances of survival were marked, but no proactive rescue was initiated.

His tone was completely flat, as if he were not talking about human lives, but about resource allocation.

"Red Tide's forces are limited, and its stockpile of magic explosive bombs is insufficient. We are not gods. We cannot save everyone."

What I need to do is ensure that this land still exists after the war; that the people can still survive…

With the plan in place, Louis's team began their relentless campaign across various locations.

…………

"Everyone, get into the cellar! Don't make a sound!"

Jon Harvey grabbed the child who was about to cry, glared at him sternly, and whispered through his teeth, "Shut up if you don't want to die."

The child nodded, sobbing, while Jon was almost losing control of himself.

He felt as if he were soaking in ice water; his fingertips were so stiff he could no longer grip the sword; his chest heaved violently, and he could barely breathe.

A series of crackling sounds came from outside, it was unclear whether it was insect corpses gnawing on the door or someone finally giving in to their bones.

A scream suddenly came from afar, only to be abruptly drowned out by something else.

It looked just like hell had opened its mouth.

Yorn covered his mouth and leaned firmly against the wall.

He was once the pride of the capital's aristocratic circles, the wealthiest noble scion.

He rides a horse with a golden saddle, his sword hilt is inlaid with jewels, and every time he appears, noble ladies vie for his affections.

Now he hides in a musty cellar, his hair still wet, his armor tattered, looking like a beggar.

"What... what am I even doing this for...?"

He gritted his teeth and cursed himself under his breath, wishing he could travel back in time to slap his past self who volunteered to "go to the North to prove himself" last winter.

Isn't it great to be a vase-like aristocrat in the capital, living a life of leisure and idleness?
He had thought his job would be at most to watch over a few rioting refugees and distribute grain to the people, but he never expected that arriving in the North would bring one crisis after another.
First, the rebel army of the Snowsworn almost drove him mad, then the harsh winter brought no food, and nearly half of the people in the entire territory froze to death.

Now look what's happened! The insect plague has arrived, and it's completely different from the "gilding in the North" he imagined!
Yorn glanced at the collapsed cellar above him; the sounds of insect corpses outside were so close, as if they could crawl in at any moment.

He glanced again at the woman huddled in the corner. She had been with him since the capital. She was pale and weak.

"If reinforcements don't come soon, we'll all die," he murmured.

This was the first time he had seriously considered the thought, "Maybe this is the end of my life."

He really wanted to cry, knowing that the chances of someone coming to save him were extremely slim, even though a vague image of him lingered in his mind.

But just then, a deafening explosion came from afar...

Like a volcanic eruption, or a thunderous roar.

The entire cellar trembled slightly.

The hissing of the insect corpses suddenly weakened.

Jon's eyes widened, and his whole body stiffened.

Then, the next second, he frantically climbed to the cellar entrance and peered through the cracks at the sky outside.

Amidst the firelight, the golden Red Tide Sun Flag slowly rose on the hillside in the distance.

boom--! !

A towering pillar of fire rose from the east, its flames raging like an angry dragon, engulfing the insect corpses that besieged the city.

Then the second and third bombs landed precisely, and thick smoke and flames cut the entire besieged city into several blazing "rings of fire".

"That's... a magic explosion bomb?!"

"It's the Red Tide Army! The Red Tide's red flag!"

someone exclaimed.

Yorn stared intently at the figure emerging from the flames.

Clad in a red and black battle robe, his black hair burning like snow in the firelight, he wielded a long sword and arrived amidst wind, snow, and raging flames.

"It's the boss! It's Lord Louis—!!!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, Jon rushed out of the cellar and scrambled forward to grab Louis's leg.

"Boss! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"

"Do you remember when we were training in the capital when we were kids, and you pushed me into a cesspool to skip class? That's when I knew you weren't a bad person, waaaaaah..."

Louis's eye twitched.
She kicked him away without any politeness: "Calm down, you smell too bad."

“I have other territories to rescue. You must immediately lead your people and the remaining knights to retreat towards the Red Tide Territory.”

Any later, and you'd have to rely on me to save you a second time.

Jon covered his face, staggered back a meter after being kicked, and got up, even more moved: "Waaah, boss, you're still so handsome, I'm just too..."

"go!"

Louis gave a shout, and the entire fire-breathing squad quickly changed formation to clear away the remaining insect carcasses on the east side, while he himself led the knights toward the next patch of fire.

Yorn watched the departing figure, then suddenly gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, "Listen up, everyone! We're going! Back to Red Tide! Anyone who falls behind on the way, I'll personally chop them down!"

"From this day forward! I, Jorn Harvey, will follow our boss wholeheartedly! Anyone who speaks ill of Louis, I'll be the first to charge at them and fight to the death!" "Let's go!!!"

…………

Next stop: Nottburgh.

When the Red Tide flag was raised atop the mountain, what came into Louis's view was not a welcoming procession of knights, but a ruin charred black by the swarm of insects.

Stone walls collapsed, battle flags were burned, and wind and snow swirled in the air, filling the air with the smell of burnt wood mixed with the stench of blood.

“...It’s hard to believe this was once a complete Nott territory,” Lambert murmured.

Louis remained silent, only raising his hand: "Fire team, begin clearing. Flamethrower teams, advance by sector, watch out for spore clusters."

The moment the order was given, flames pierced through the thick fog, and the jetpack roared as it ignited large swathes of insect corpses into charcoal.

The bombardment squad immediately followed up with a second wave of explosive cleansing, and the horde of zombies scattered, rolled, and wailed in the flames, resembling a rift in hell.

Twenty minutes later, the battlefield fell silent.

"Survivors found!"

Someone shouted.

From a hidden cellar passage at the rear of the fortress, a dozen knights covered in blood and with tattered armor were brought out.

Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes glazed over, like souls dragged back from purgatory.

Louis stepped forward, and one of the men saw him and murmured, "It's...it's Lord Calvin, the Crimson Tide Lord...Are we...still alive?"

Louis did not answer. He looked at the knight and asked, "What happened in Nott territory?"

The knight staggered to his knees, trembling all over: "Lord Edward... abandoned the city and fled before the Mother Nest was close... We were left behind... We couldn't hold the West Gate, and many of our brothers... died."

Another person added through gritted teeth: "He escaped through the tunnel with his guards and gold, but was blocked by insect corpses at the valley entrance. He couldn't even save his cloak."

“We tried to hold out in the cellar…we survived for three days…on dry biscuits and snow water…until you arrived.”

Upon hearing this, Louis finally spoke: "Is Edward dead?"

The man nodded: "I saw him surrounded by the insect corpses with my own eyes... a dignified extraordinary knight, torn to pieces..."

Louis paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping between them.

"Are you willing to stay?"

"With this sword, I swear to serve the Crimson Tide." The leading knight slowly drew his sword and held it up with both hands.

Immediately afterwards, all the surviving knights knelt down, the firelight illuminating their charred and wounded bodies, but also revealing their loyalty in the face of death.

“Very good.” Louis nodded. “From this day forward, you are the Red Tide Knights, under Lambert’s command.”

He turned to the flamethrower team and ordered: "Clear all the insect corpses and remains, completely burn the western war nest, and block the mother nest's return path."

He then mounted his warhorse and said coldly, "Prepare to turn towards Grant Castle and set off at night."

…………

Fort Grant is located in a deep valley further north in the North, a remote, barren, and almost forgotten place.

The number of insect corpses was small, but it was enough to torment this small fiefdom to the point of collapse.

Amidst the ruins, Mrs. Grant stood atop a half-broken city wall, gazing at the distant tidal wave of insect corpses winding its way out of the forest, her lips already bleeding from being bitten.

Her armor was covered in scratches, and her body was wrapped in blood-stained strips of cloth, making her look more like an injured refugee than a noblewoman.

"Reinforcements... are unlikely to come," she whispered to herself.

She wrote three letters pleading for help, using up all her seals and credits, but they disappeared without a trace, not even a bird flew back.

Half of the soldiers around him had died, and the city's medicine and food supplies were only enough to last for three days.

Even if it's just a dozen or so insect corpses, each night raid feels like a countdown to death.

She was not unaware of her own status; the Grant family had been in decline for many years and was one of the "nominal" minor nobles incorporated into the empire.

In the eyes of the great nobles, she wasn't even a "worth rescuing" target.

So when she stood before the last stone wall, holding the broken longsword, she was already mentally prepared...

If that thing really manages to break through, she will personally set fire to the granary and library, and then perish together with the enemy.

But at that very moment, the sound of horses' hooves came from the other side of the mountain.

A wisp of fire scent wafted on the wind, followed by billowing smoke and the crisp, menacing sound of bugles.

She was stunned.

The next instant, the golden Rising Sun Flag, symbolizing the Red Tide, rose in the fierce wind.

Louis Calvin, leading dozens of fire-wielding knights and tactical command troops, appeared directly before her.

“Madam.” He dismounted, his tone calm and solemn. “I will send people to clean up the remaining insect corpses. Your soldiers should retreat first. Go to Red Tide Territory, and I will arrange unified resettlement for you.”

She stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Tears suddenly streamed down her face. She stared intently at him, her voice trembling, and said, "...You really came. You even...saved us?"

She covered her mouth, almost bursting into tears.

Louis simply nodded slightly, his tone remaining calm: "Those who are still alive should go to Red Tide Territory first. Leave the rest to me."

…………

As Louis continued his rescue efforts, the skies over Snowpeak County finally cleared briefly.

But when Louis stood on the high hill, gazing into the distance, he felt no ease whatsoever.

The wind swept across the plains, carrying with it the scorched earth and the stench of blood. They had been fighting continuously for six days, cutting through, fighting, and marching rapidly from Chiyun Ridge, rescuing one fiefdom after another on the verge of collapse.

But the road grew colder and colder, and the scenery became more and more desolate.

Several once-renowned noble estates are now reduced to broken snow-sculpted towers and family crests hanging in mid-air, torn apart by insect corpses.

Louis dismounted and stepped into the broken castle, his torch sweeping across the shadows.

The floor had collapsed, the walls were charred, the corpses had long since dried out, and the ovaries of the insect corpses stood like swollen mushrooms in the hall.

He remained silent for a moment, only ordering his men to put away the family crest, and then set the entire ruins ablaze.

“Let it become a real tombstone,” he said.

At another camp, the pioneering nobles from the south were already weeping uncontrollably.

"You saved us..."

“We…we thought the entire North was doomed…”

"From this day forward, the Red Tide Flag shall be our royal flag!"

They knelt in the mud and snow, their robes stained with blood and mud, yet they showed no remorse, clutching at Louis's clothes and repeating their vows as if grasping at the last straw.

They were once nobles, with pride, authority, and a self-centered perspective.

But now, they are just survivors of the disaster.

But this man—this young lord who had emerged from blood and fire—came riding through the snow in droves when the entire empire fell silent.

It was he who led the flamethrower squad through the night, it was he who carried every letter of appeal for help, it was he who, regardless of background or cost, brought the hope of "survival" to one fiefdom after another.

Over the next ten days, Louis's flag seemed tirelessly traversed every snow valley and ravine in Snowpeak County.

He personally charged on horseback, scaling icy cliffs and traversing withered forests where insect corpses nested, leading the Crimson Tide Knights and the Fire Attack Squad to tear one trapped city after another back from the spores and hordes of corpses.

Whenever the Red Tide Golden Sun Flag is raised, it is as if a ray of light is piercing through the sky.

Sometimes, it is the survivors hiding underground who hear the horn of the red tide and crawl out of their sealed cellars crying.
Sometimes, it is the boy lying in the snow who sees Louis wielding his sword to slay insects, his eyes filled with longing.

Sometimes, hundreds of soldiers would kneel in unison before the broken walls, raising their swords and swearing an oath to him: "From this day forward, we are willing to serve the Red Tide! We are willing to fight for you—for our lord!"

Of course, most of the time, he could only see empty ruins.

(End of this chapter)