Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 315 New Daily Intelligence
Louis slowly raised his other hand and gently made a sweeping motion in the air.

A semi-transparent light curtain quietly appeared before my eyes and unfolded silently.

[Daily intelligence update complete]

[1: A species of snow scorpion with a split spine has been found in the shallow valley on the north side of Dongxi Ridge.]

[2: The Imperial Capital's Dragon Throne Conference formally passed a proposal appointing the sixth prince, Asta August, as the "Royal Envoy for the Reconstruction of the North."]

[3: Fishmen have been observed active near "Sinking Wave Reef" outside Broken Wave Bay; their numbers are currently unknown.]

Louis raised an eyebrow and his gaze fell on the first item.

“Spiny Snow Scorpion…another resource-type creature.” Louis muttered to himself, already accustomed to categorizing intelligence.

These precious magical beasts, which appear in remote and cold regions, often carry some kind of extractable substance.

According to the description, the gallbladder of the snow scorpion is rich in highly toxic glandular hormones, but its venom is not purely lethal; rather, it is a catalytic factor that can stimulate fluctuations in blood energy and fighting spirit.

After being cooked or refined, it has a significant effect on enhancing the cultivation of the knight class.

Louis pulled out the booklet from his bedside table and quickly jotted down: "Winterdawn Ridge, Ridge-Cracked Snow Scorpion, Gallbladder, Battle Qi Catalysis, Priority Hunt," and circled it in red at the end.

Once we return to Red Tide City, the Beast Hunter Knights should get moving.

Over the years, with the support of the intelligence system, the Crimson Tide Territory has secretly accumulated an astonishing amount of battle qi enhancement materials.

Monster meat, enhanced mead, battle meditation incense, blood-stimulating herbs...

There's even the Shadow Trial Grounds, a bug-level training room for martial arts.

What outsiders consider precious and rare cultivation resources are practically commonplace here.

Louis once joked, "The biggest problem for a knight in Red Tide is not having enough stomach room for this week's supplies."

If knights from other territories heard such words, they would probably find them absurd.

But under Louis's command, this was just another ordinary day.

The knights' initial cautious observation has transformed into their current loyalty and devotion, not through empty slogans, but through the gradual delivery of resources.

This resource is cohesion, it is combat power.

Unlike those knights who had to wait in line for a year and draw lots just to get a bite of monster meat from other noble families.

The knights of the Red Tide all knew that as long as they followed Louis, there would always be rewards to look forward to, and their cultivation would naturally improve.

Ah, the lord's kindness is never enough!
Louis looked at the intelligence report and a smile appeared on his lips: "Snow Scorpion Gallbladder... another addition to everyone's menu."

Then the second piece of information slowly slid into view.

[2: The Imperial Capital's Dragon Throne Conference formally passed a proposal appointing the sixth prince, Asta August, as the "Royal Envoy for the Reconstruction of the North."]

Louis didn't seem surprised; he just frowned slightly, as if confirming a result he had predicted days ago.

"They've come after all..." he murmured to himself.

This wasn't a sudden storm, but rather the ancient pot in the capital finally starting to boil again.

With the emperor missing for six months, the imperial power center was shrouded in turmoil.

He knew long ago that neither the royal family nor other nobles would sit idly by and allow the Calvin family to control the two major territories of the North and the Southeast provinces.

Even though the North is ravaged and resource-poor, it still possesses a considerable amount of mineral deposits and cold-region monster resources.

Louis gave a self-deprecating laugh, but his eyes remained as cold as ice.

As for the sixth prince... Asta August.

A corner piece that was almost forgotten has now been brought onto the chessboard and given the title of "Reconstruction Envoy," clearly not for management, but for checks and balances.

"However... it's still better than directly appointing the Sixth Prince as governor."

This indicates that there had been internal power struggles and compromises within the Dragon Throne Council, with the Calvin family temporarily shielding them from the limelight. The title of Reconstruction Envoy was essentially a transitional fig leaf.

At least in form, the North remains empty.

That's enough, because as long as the "governor's chair" remains vacant, Louis will still be the de facto sole ruler of the North.

“However,” Louis sat up straight, a hint of wariness in his eyes, “the Sixth Prince… well, he is royalty after all.”

He wasn't naive enough to think that a cowardly prince was truly harmless.

Even a marginal pawn who has been semi-exiled, as long as the golden halo of his bloodline remains above his head, can still attract a swarm of sycophants, no matter how incompetent the prince may be.

In particular, those southern pioneering nobles who had only a superficial understanding of the situation in the North but considered themselves superior.

But Louis wasn't afraid; a mocking smile even appeared on his lips.

"Now... do I still have any fear of a prince who can't bring supplies or raise a knightly order?"

The entire North, from Frostspear City to Red Tide Territory, from the Southeast Granary to the Coastal Engineering Project, had long been a political machine he had single-handedly built.

He has control over resources, people's hearts, and the terrain, as well as the unique advantage of the "Daily Intelligence System."

Even if the enemy tries to plot in secret, he can always be one step ahead of them, flipping the card behind the player to see the situation clearly.

"We don't have enough intelligence yet... we can only proceed as we go."

Of course, Louis did not let his guard down, but since there was no more detailed information available, he could only wait, so he continued reading.

[3: Fishmen have been observed active near "Sinking Wave Reef" outside Broken Wave Bay; their numbers are currently unknown.]

Louis's eyes narrowed slightly.

This third piece of intelligence is a danger warning, but for him, "bad intelligence is not necessarily a bad thing."

If we only discover this when the fishmen have come ashore and chewed through the masts of the grain transport ships, it won't be a warning, but a disaster.

Louis opened his notebook and entered the entry into the priority intelligence page marked with a red line.

South of You Teng Slope, on the west bank of Po Lang Bay, lies an uninhabited mudflat called "Chen Sha Tan" (Sinking Sand Beach).

He has been planning for this coastline repeatedly over the past three months.

This place is backed by rolling hills, and forms a natural arc bay on the sea side. It is free from storms all year round, making it a natural-born sheltered harbor structure.

As early as last winter, Louis had secretly discovered that this beach nominally belonged to an old naval nobleman of the empire who had long since moved south.

This man has not set foot in the North for decades; the documents concerning his territory have long since turned yellow and moldy, and are now merely nominal.

So he simply sent people to take a detour south and personally presented a thousand gold coins in exchange for this future port core.

On the day the transaction was completed, he wrote a few words in his notebook: "Sunken Beach → Dawn Harbor City".

To the other minor nobles, it was just a desolate wasteland.

For Louis, it was the first waterway trade gateway connecting the Red Tide Territory to the southeastern provinces, leading it out of the north.

In the past, he had to transport the various mineral resources refined from the Red Tide to the Calvin port settlement in the south every month by land to exchange for other resources.

It is time-consuming, expensive, and the transport teams are vulnerable to attack. In addition, once the roads are blocked by winter snow, the supply is almost cut off.

However, if Dawn Port can be built, water transport will solve all these problems once and for all:
The cargo ships can sail south and arrive at the southeast port warehouse of Calvin in a little over a week.

It could open up sea trade routes in the northern border region, attracting refugees and foreign merchants.

It can also connect to the ports of other southern nobles, serving as a bargaining chip and link in political negotiations.

Of course, ideals are one thing, but reality is like a mudflat on the coast, full of traps.

The ideal was lofty, but reality was like a sinking beach; one step in and you'd find traps all around. The new port site was excellent, but construction was incredibly difficult. The mudflats were soft, requiring the construction of sand-proof dikes to stabilize the foundation.

There was a shortage of wood, nails, and ropes; even the lifting equipment had to be brought in from the South. Not to mention the craftsmen; there were very few people in the entire North who knew how to build a port.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have advised them to give up long ago.

But Louis was prepared, after all, the Calvin family controlled the most ports in the empire, so it was all very simple.

He had quietly mobilized manpower and supplies over the past six months, waiting for this moment.

In just a few more days, everything will be ready to begin.

But the real problem comes from the outside, such as the fishmen mentioned in the current intelligence.

Fish-men were once an intelligent sea race that engaged in superficial trade with humans. For unknown reasons, they degenerated into half-beasts a thousand years ago, becoming greedy, insane, and almost unsolvable.

They can come ashore at night to assassinate sentries, bite civilians, and secrete corrosive acid to melt wooden boats.

But the murlocs aren't the biggest problem.

The biggest problem is that the lair of one of the Seven Pirate Kings, Cavill Irontooth, is located at the northern end of this sea area.

This legendary "Steel-Toothed Mad King" was not only ferocious and tyrannical, but also commanded nearly a hundred small harassing ships, plundering countless coastal merchant fleets every year.

Once Broken Wave Bay opens to navigation, Red Tide Port will likely become his top priority target.

But these objective factors could not stop him from entering the port; he was prepared for battle.

Turn to the first page of the notebook and circle the "Murloc Activity Area", "Kaviel's Boundary", and "New Port Coordinates" together.

Just then, Emily slowly opened her eyes and saw Louis sitting on the side of the bed, tidying up the documents he carried with him.

"Awake?" Louis's voice was gentle as he looked up at her. "We're heading back to Red Tide today."

Emily nodded gently, but a hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes.

Louis smiled slightly and took her hand. "Mrs. Elena and little Isaac will also be going back. We're not leaving, we're just moving to a different place to continue our lives. We'll come back again in the future if we have the chance."

“I know,” Emily said, her voice still somewhat low. “I’ll go get ready.”

…………

In the afternoon, the convoy had already assembled outside Frostspear Fortress.

Louis was draped in the Crimson Tide Cloak, with the Cold Iron Knights standing in formation behind him.

He glanced at the broken yet still standing castle, then waved his hand and led his troops on their way.

As for Frostspear City, he has entrusted the administration to the Silver Fang Knights and selected several senior officials to form a temporary council.

Louis required them to report their situation monthly, and that once Isaac reached the age of majority and ascended to the throne, the rightful ruler would take over everything.

Inside the carriage, Lady Elena gently parted a corner of the curtain, gazing at the receding silhouette of Frostspear City, her eyes misting over.

She didn't say anything, but her fingers gripped the handkerchief embroidered with the Edmund family crest tightly, as if using this small gesture to carefully preserve the memories as well.

This city holds the memories of her and her husband's happy years, but also the lonely figure of a duke from the North.

In her arms, little Isaac, who was just over a year old, giggled and patted the carriage window, his big eyes wide with curiosity about the scenery in the distance.

He didn't understand what parting meant; he only felt that the car was moving, there was snow, wind, and novelty on the road, and everything was extremely fun.

A cold wind rises slightly, and the snow line in the distance undulates like sleeping veins.

The carriage wheels have once again turned toward Red Tide City.

…………

In the remote northern territories, where wind and snow howled, the rebuilding mansion still let in the cold wind.

In the makeshift study, by the brazier, the sixth prince, Asta Augustus, wrapped in a blanket, was reviewing the post-disaster reconstruction list presented by officials.

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a servant pushed the door open and entered, clutching a letter sealed with gold thread in his hand.

"The letter from the Swiftbird of the Imperial Capital, Your Highness, is from... the Dragon Throne Council."

Asta was slightly taken aback, his expression shifting uncertainly.

He slowly took the letter, his fingers trembling slightly as he unsealed it.

"His Highness Asta August is hereby granted the title of Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of the Northern Kingdom, temporarily in charge of the reconstruction and administrative coordination of the Northern Kingdom."

He stood there stunned, as if struck by lightning, repeatedly tracing the text with his fingertips until he was sure it wasn't a hallucination.

"Finally... finally it's my turn..." he murmured, then suddenly stood up, bringing with him a gust of cold wind.

"The North, this forgotten snowfield, will become the starting point of my illustrious career, Asta August!"

Then, like a victorious general returning home, he sketched out a grand blueprint on the tattered map.

However, just as he was getting excited and even thinking of ordering the reorganization of the troops and the establishment of a government office, the steady footsteps outside the door brought his fantasy to an abrupt end.

“Calm down, Your Highness.” It was his mentor, Cipher, who entered. “I advise you not to get too excited about this appointment too soon.”

Asta frowned: "Why? This is an official order from the capital! I have the title of royalty and the duty of oversight; am I not allowed to interfere in matters of the Northern Territory?"

Cypher said in a deep voice, "In the past six months, the capital has not sent a single soldier, a single ration, or a single cavalryman to the northern border. Now, the sudden appointment of you is merely sending you out to test the waters."

"If you can keep Louis Calvin in check, it will be a blessing for the royal family; if you can't... they will abandon you immediately."

“They never cared whether you succeeded or not.” His tone was cold. “Your Highness should understand that the true power in the North has long been in the hands of others.”

"Don't rush into a decision. Let's wait until the special envoy from the capital and the resources from the capital arrive before we make a decision."

Asta lowered his head and remained silent.

The fire in his eyes seemed to be extinguished by cold water, his body trembled slightly, and his hands slowly loosened.

His gaze fell on the map, which was covered in colorful circles, and he was speechless for a moment.

…………

The firelight in the study was dim at night, and the wind and snow howled outside the window.

Asta sat alone in the dilapidated hall, gazing silently at the boundless snowfield outside the window.

"This is the last chance. There won't be another one... Once Louis has digested the Edmund family's resources, I'll have no chance left." Asta murmured softly, his fingers slowly tightening.

But even in the firelight, a glimmer of light still shone in his eyes.

He thought of Louis Calvin.

This young nobleman, who was previously unknown, has accumulated prestige, power, army and popular support at an astonishing speed. Even Duke Edmund entrusted part of the North to him.

"If it were him, what would he do..." Asta murmured, his tone filled with self-questioning and resentment.

I might be able to do it myself, as long as I give him time and space.

So on the surface, he concealed all his sharpness and pretended to be calm and composed.

But in private, he had secretly summoned several minor noble lords who had migrated from the south, and even took in several imperialized barbarian tribes that were willing to submit to him.

Under the guise of post-disaster self-governance, he distributed some land rights, food rations, and armed permits.

It wasn't because he was kind and benevolent, but because one day, when the truth would be revealed.

He believed that day would come.

(End of this chapter)