Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 323 Orsus Calvin

It was time to distribute the supplies every year, but the Liechao Square was not crowded with people.

There are too many people in the city this year. If we really make everyone queue up, it will be a traffic jam that lasts for three days and three nights.

Louis then ordered that supplies be delivered door-to-door by small groups led by local supply officers.

Pete and Jack were also among them, pushing wooden carts along the snow path past the warehouse and into the southeast corner of Red Tide City.

The terrain in this area is slightly low, and the houses are semi-subterranean wooden houses that were hastily built three years ago.

But it wasn't exactly rudimentary; the top was covered with thick straw and animal hides, which blocked the wind and kept it warm, and the ventilation pipes emitted wisps of heat, giving off a sense of comfort and security.

Jack lifted the frosty dust from the burlap, revealing a list with household numbers marked on it, and explained, "Most of the people living here are migrants who came to the city with the wave of refugees half a year ago. It just so happens that Red Tide City is short of workers, so they were allowed to settle here, otherwise this place would have been demolished."

Pitt nodded and raised his hand to knock on the first wooden door.

"Who is it?" a hoarse voice came from inside.

"The government office has delivered the winter supplies!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs.

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

A hunched-over middle-aged woman peeked out, saw the large bag of items, and exclaimed in disbelief, "These are for us?"

“Yes, this is Lord Louis’s order.” Jack placed the package at the door. “One package per household, and this is only the first batch. The second batch will be sent out in half a month.”

This includes wheat, dried meat, mushroom packets, and salted meat, among other things. Your store has a blue label, so you'll also receive a subsidy package.

The woman stood there stunned for a long while, her eyes reddening. She knelt down and held the package in her arms, muttering repeatedly, "Life...it really is getting better and better..."

She turned around shakily and went back into the house. There was a commotion inside, and soon several children poked their heads out. Although their clothes were old, their eyes were shining.

They jumped up and down, saying, "Thank you... thank you Red Tide Lord... thank you Lord Louis!"

"Thank you, Northern Sun!"

Jack couldn't help but grin and whispered in response, "Following the lord, the good days are yet to come."

Pete didn't say anything, but just looked at those dirty little faces and suddenly felt that the bundle in his arms had become much heavier.

They continued deeper into the village, and at almost every house they reached, they heard an incredulous exclamation: "These... are all for our family?"

"This...this isn't all? There's another batch coming??"

"Lord Louis, it really is the Dragon Ancestor's envoy..."

Those grain sacks, dried meat, medicine boxes, and animal skin bags might cost several months' wages to buy a small portion of in other places, but here they are delivered to our door by the truckload.

What's even more impressive is that Jack always emphasizes, "This is just the first batch. There will be more supplies in mid-winter and late winter. You won't go hungry."

A single sentence can always bring tears of relief to the eyes of a family.

Pete watched from the side, his heart churning with emotions.

Stepping into these houses and seeing the trembling hands of the people receiving their rations, he realized once again that in the context of the post-disaster North, a life of dignity had become the most luxurious gift.

By the time they reached the seventh household, the sky was already beginning to set in the west.

This is an old wooden house, and an elderly woman in her fifties is sitting on the doorstep, basking in the sun with her eyes closed.

"The supplies have arrived!" Jack shouted.

The old woman opened her eyes, saw the Crimson Tide badges on the two of them, and immediately stood up shakily: "Is...is it mine?"

Pitt nodded and placed the supplies package at the door.

The old lady squatted down and slowly opened the bag.

Sunlight shone into the neatly sealed bags of wheat, smoked fish, vegetables, and even a bottle of medicine to ward off the cold.

She was stunned for a moment, then her eyes reddened.

“I’ve lived for over fifty years… This is the first time I’ve had a lord who distributes food, instead of robbing people of it…” she murmured.

Her fingers trembled as she carefully stuffed each package back into the bag, tied the opening tightly, and then tied it again.

"I dare not let the neighbors see, otherwise if they steal it, I won't be able to get it back... Sigh, is this a dream?"

Seeing this, Pete was speechless for a moment.

He suddenly remembered his mother, who had a fever for several days a few years ago due to a cold.

Pete spent a fortune to hire the lord's doctor to make a house call, but the doctor only said, "Just get through this."

But she didn't make it through. If only she could have gotten that little bottle of medicine back then...

Pete remained silent for a long time, feeling a tightness in his chest.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, the old lady raised her head and asked with a kind face, "I heard that your baby is about to be born?"

Pitt nodded, but before he could speak, he did.

Jack chuckled and replied, "That's right! Our future little master of the Red Tide Territory is about to be born."

The old woman gazed at the increasingly heavy snow outside, slowly raised her hand, and devoutly made an old-fashioned gesture of worship for the Dragon Ancestor in front of her chest.

"May the child be born safely and be as great as his father."

…………

As night deepened, the earthen castle in the very center of Chichao City was illuminated by the fires that had burned all night.

Emily was ten months pregnant, her belly swollen high, and she leaned quietly against the wooden chaise lounge by the fireplace.

She looked up at the roof, and even though this was the room that made her feel most at ease, deep anxiety still lingered in her eyes.

"He's been moving a lot today," she murmured softly, her hand gently stroking her belly. "Is he cold, or does he want to come out and see the world?"

Louis, who was standing beside him, was wearing a cotton coat and looked more like an ordinary husband accompanying his wife during childbirth than a lord.

“I asked Mrs. Elena,” he said, pulling Emily’s blanket back over her, “and she said it was a normal sign. The child is just… too energetic.”

Emily smiled, but couldn't hide the slight moisture in the corner of her eye: "Are you very nervous?"

“Nervous.” Louis sat down beside her and took her hand.

…………

At dawn, the snow was still falling, and the chill of the North seeped through the thick walls.

However, the Red Tide Maternity House set up inside the main castle had already started to heat up.

This is a production room set up according to the old rituals of the imperial nobility, and it is personally presided over by Elena, an old physician who came with her from Frostspear City.

She was the one who delivered Emily herself, and now she will once again welcome the continuation of this bloodline.

The curtains inside were drawn, the stove fire was always lit, and a calming incense blended with vine frost leaves burned in the incense burner in the corner, filling the air with a slightly astringent yet gentle scent.

Emily was already lying on the bed, wearing loose maternity clothes, leaning against the thick cushions and quietly breathing in the aroma of medicine.

Perhaps it was the warmth from the stove, or perhaps it was the steady movement of the fetus in her womb, that made her less nervous than she had imagined.

When her stepmother entered the room, she even smiled slightly and reached out her hand to her: "Mother, you've come."

Mrs. Elena is Emily's stepmother, yet she is just as caring and attentive as her birth mother.

Upon entering the room, she immediately checked every detail of the delivery room: "Have the alcohol wipes been replaced? Has the scalpel used to cut the umbilical cord been boiled? The proportions of the incense burner... who mixed them?"

Elena replied gently, "Everything is proceeding according to plan."

"I'm counting on you," Elena said in a deep voice, then looked at Emily.

Before she could speak, Emily had already gently taken her hand.

“I’m fine, really.” Emily smiled at her. “With you and Elena here… I feel very safe.” Elena was taken aback. She suddenly realized that Emily was no longer the little girl who needed to be protected.

…………

Louis stood in the porch outside the door, his gaze fixed on the door, as if trying to pierce through the layers of thick wood.

Faint whispers and footsteps could be heard from behind the door; the female doctors were preparing, and Elena was directing them.

According to the old customs of the empire, men were not allowed to enter the delivery room before the child was born, otherwise it would bring misfortune, and even if the delivery was successful, it would bring disaster later.

As a time traveler, Louis naturally didn't believe in these superstitious things.

Although Emily was not superstitious, she still retained some of the empire's traditions passed down through generations.

So Louise never entered the delivery room, not out of tradition, but simply to put Emily at ease.

Three days ago, the daily intelligence system predicted that mother and child would be safe today: [1: Three days later, Louis Calvin's first son was born safely.]

However, he still couldn't be completely at ease, since prophetic information could be debunked.

So he remained motionless, even suppressing his breathing, waiting for that moment to arrive.

"Wow--!"

Until a clear cry rang out.

That wasn't a heart-wrenching wail, but a loud and powerful declaration of life.

Like a ray of morning sun piercing through the long night.

Almost simultaneously, the female doctor shouted from inside the room, "Baby boy! Mother and child are safe!!"

Louis, who was standing at the door, took a moment to realize what was happening.

He slowly exhaled, his brows relaxed slightly, and his shoulders also relaxed.

He took a step toward the door and gently knocked on the open door.

There was an immediate response from inside the door; it was the young female doctor, her face beaming with undisguised joy.

“My lord, you may come in.” Louis nodded and stepped into the delivery room.

Near the bed, several medical staff were handing cleaned packages to the maid beside the bed.

Emily had been properly settled and was leaning against a thick cushion, her face pale but with a smile on her face.

On the bed was a small baby, wrapped up tightly.

The baby was humming softly, not crying, only occasionally wrinkling its nose, as if it were getting used to the world.

Louis stopped by the bed and glanced down at the child.

It was a warm life, its eyebrows and eyes not yet formed, its skin tinged with a light pink, its eyes closed, and its tiny nose twitching from time to time.

Louis looked down at the child and unconsciously held his breath; he had imagined this scene countless times.

But when that moment actually arrived, he found himself unable to utter a single word.

He tried to reach out and pick up the child; the child was so light and small that it seemed unreal, like a soft ball of cotton against his chest.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the child, holding him more securely.

Then, a joy I had never felt before slowly crept into my heart.

Just then, Lady Elena's gentle voice sounded beside him: "Give him a name."

Louis glanced back at her, then looked at Emily, who was still leaning weakly against the bed.

She was looking at him, her gaze weary yet also smiling.

Louis nodded and said without hesitation, "Let's call him Orsers."

“Orsus Calvin.” He paused, then confirmed again, “meaning the rising dawn, the one who draws hope out of the darkness.”

Emily smiled softly, her eyes never leaving the baby in her arms.

Elena stood to the side, gazing at the newborn boy, and nodded gently: "It's a good name."

…………

As the clear cry of the newborn rang out, the servants and guards who had been standing silently outside the delivery room finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Some people were talking in hushed tones, and some had tears in their eyes, but they all restrained themselves from making a sound, for fear of disturbing the people inside.

Bradley stood at the end of the corridor, his usually calm and composed expression now showing a hint of obvious joy.

A short while later, a maid hurried over and whispered in his ear, "Mother and child are safe and sound; it's a boy."

Bradley nodded slightly, then turned and walked toward the young knight who was waiting by the wooden pillar: "Will."

"Yes." Wel stood ramrod straight, but his expression betrayed his excitement and nervousness.

Bradley's tone left no room for argument: "First, go to the tower and ring the bells three times. Then go to the Internal Affairs Department and tell them to draft a proclamation immediately. The entire Red Tide City needs to know this tonight."

Will swallowed hard and whispered to confirm, "It's...it's a boy, right?"

Bradley nodded, his tone unusually gentle for a moment: "A baby boy, mother and child are both well. Lord Louis's eldest son, Orsus."

Will nodded emphatically, then turned and ran off.

…………

Before long, the bells on the main castle tower rang.

Thump! The first sound.

Deep and clear, it pierced through the wind and snow, reaching the skies above Red Tide City.

Thump! A second sound.

People in every street and alley stopped what they were doing.

Whether it was the craftsmen testing the steam engine in the workshop, the female workers sorting medicinal herbs under the medicine shed, or the student team carrying wooden crates in Liechao Square, they all raised their heads.

Dong! The third chime followed.

Three consecutive blasts are a traditional signal of a red tide: something big is happening.

"The young master has been born!"

The first to react were the officials of the government office. Upon hearing the news, they rushed out of the main gate and ran through the streets and alleys to spread the good news to various neighborhoods.

From Liechao Square to the woodworking workshop and then to the smoked fish workshop, from the weaving workshop and the city defense barracks to the new granary under construction on the north side.

More and more people stopped what they were doing, inquired with each other to confirm, and the news spread like wildfire.

As a result, the entire Red Tide City seemed to be set ablaze.

The blacksmith in the shop took off his gloves: "Our lord finally has an heir!"

An elderly woman living on the street corner opened her window and looked in the direction where the tower clock was ringing. She was so excited that she couldn't stop smiling: "God bless... our man has finally become a father!"

That wasn't "some nobleman's child," but the child of their great lord, Louis.

It was the man who brought them back from the ruins, the man who gave them food, boots, and the dignity to live.

Some of the people had tears in their eyes, while others burst into laughter.

They were happy for their lord, and happy for themselves.

Because from this day forward, the city they built with their own hands has a future.

(End of this chapter)