Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 366 Frostspear City Under Reconstruction

Louis waved his hand, skillfully activating the daily intelligence system.

A pale blue screen silently appeared in the carriage, and lines of information slowly unfolded:

[Daily intelligence update complete]

[1: Good news from Dawn Harbor: the first steam-powered ground transport vehicle at the Red Tide Workshop has been successfully trial-produced, marking the beginning of the mechanized transportation era in the North.]

[2: Unusual fleet activity has been observed in the North Sea; Steel Fang Mad King Cavill's reconnaissance ships have appeared multiple times outside Dawn Harbor.]

[3: Duke Raymond used the remains of an ancient dragon to extract a potion that activates battle aura, known as the second-generation dragon marrow extract.]

“I told you, he can do it.” Louis stared at the screen, a smile playing on his lips.

He knew Hamilton would succeed, after all, he was a genius recognized by the Daily Intelligence System, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

That vehicle was not only the result of the workshop, but also another giant leap forward for the entire Red Tide industry.

The firelight reflected a faint glow in Louis's eyes: "The supply lines, trade lines, military lines... they can all get moving."

He already had a plan in mind: once the technology was improved and stabilized, he would begin mass production, allowing the red tide's goods and grains to travel across the snow.

In the future, even larger railways will connect the port with various cities in the North, forming a steel lifeline.

In wartime, they are behemoths for supplying and transporting troops; in peacetime, they are the lifeblood of merchants and artisans.

Resources from the North will flow through these machines, no longer restricted by seasons, storms, or horses.

Louis could foresee steam trains roaring across the snowfields, and the workshops advancing their technology trees to produce war machines, armored trains, and ocean-going steam fleets.

This means that the Red Tide will completely revolutionize the roads, trade, and military supplies of the North, from transportation to defense, from production to warfare.

In future wars, the Red Tide will no longer rely on the blood of knights, but will be sustained by the roar of machines.

In this world, alchemy has long been pushed to its limits by the Emerald Federation. From potions to bio-modification, their schools of thought are numerous and their branches are complex.

However, in the field of mechanics, their progress has always been slow, perhaps because this is a magical world, so there has been no development in this area.

Red Tide's steam technology is a new path that no one has ventured into before, and therefore truly unique.

This is the secret weapon and advantage of the red tide.

Louis looked up at the words on the screen and felt a sense of satisfaction.

[2: Unusual fleet activity has been observed in the North Sea; 'Steel-Toothed Mad King' Cavill's reconnaissance ships have appeared multiple times outside Dawn Harbor.]

Louis glanced at it calmly.

For him, this was not a sudden threat, but a confirmation that had finally been printed in the long-standing intelligence chain.

He already had a stack of intelligence about Cavill, such as the Ash Guild secretly providing him with cannons and fuel, allowing him to attack guild ships under the Emerald Federation on several occasions.

His main areas of activity are concentrated in the Ice Abyss Islands and the North Sea Corridor.

The intelligence even recorded his private life. He was not as crazy as the legends suggested. His family lived a respectable life in a wealthy small town in the Emerald Federation, hiding their identities.

Cavill was not a madman, but a pawn of the guild and a pirate leader controlled by the ledger.

Based on intelligence and Bagh's testimony, he had already sent several people to conduct secret reconnaissance and intelligence simulations, and had a clear understanding of the fleet's firepower deployment and supply rhythm.

Therefore, Louis was not alarmed.

The original plan was to personally carry out the cleanup in the spring, but since he was attending a reconstruction meeting, he decided to have Dawn Harbor build more ships first and not take any rash actions.

Strengthen the defenses and set up artillery positions, then wipe him out once he arrives.

Louis's smile faded: "Now that you've shown yourself, I will choose the time, the place, and your fate."

[3: Duke Raymond used the remains of an ancient dragon to extract a potion that activates battle aura, known as 'Second Generation Dragon Marrow Extract'.]

When Louis saw this, his brows furrowed.

“…The remains of a dragon?” he repeated in a low voice.

That creature is already a legend.

No one has seen a living body for thousands of years, yet someone has unearthed a corpse in the limestone?
Louis did not believe that intelligence could be wrong, and that the daily intelligence system would not fabricate illusions.

He leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment.

The existence of dragons signifies the awakening of some ancient power.

And Raymond, that extremely rational madman, is trying to squeeze it dry.

A complex emotion rose within him, not fear, but vigilance.

“This potion can turn mortals into knights… the side effects must be enormous, but can it really be controlled?” Louis slowly exhaled. “He wants to take a shortcut, but shortcuts often lead to the abyss.”

We must send more spies to monitor the Grayrock Province. If we can obtain samples, we must spare no expense.

However, Louis didn't have high hopes; that thing couldn't be seen by just anyone.

This is reality; Raymond must have locked his most important secret in the deepest tunnel.

Just like the Red Tide's craftsman research and development center, the core test section of the steam engine, the fighting spirit training room, and even some key assembly lines, they were all listed as restricted areas.

Heavily guarded by knights, no one could enter those closed areas without their permission.

Raymond is shrewd and experienced, and is one of the most powerful and ambitious nobles in the empire.

Through the daily intelligence system, Louis had roughly pieced together his true intentions.

They wanted more than just control of the Gray Rock Province; they wanted to seize control of the entire empire and even seek greater power.

Louis had actually sent spies to infiltrate Gray Rock to gather intelligence, but those reconnaissance missions never reached the core of the matter.

Fortunately, he had the daily intelligence system, a bug-like weapon.

Only then could the scattered clues be pieced together into a picture; otherwise, he would never have known that his neighbor was so ambitious until his death.

He really didn't have many good options; he couldn't exactly call them over.

Given Red Tide's current troop strength and resources, it is not allowed for him to do so. A direct confrontation would be extremely costly and there is no guarantee of victory.

Therefore, he could only pin his hopes on two things: daily intelligence and finding as many gaps in Raymond's defenses as possible.

Secondly, he wanted to keep the Red Tide's military development up to his ambitions and deploy chariots and artillery as soon as possible, since knights couldn't be mass-produced, but chariots could.

The current state of the Empire gave Louis a sense of urgency, like watching a timed device, knowing the fuse had been lit but unable to extinguish it immediately.

…………

Louis sat inside the carriage, gazing at the gray sky outside the window.

He had been away from Frost Dragon Ridge for several days, and his current destination was Frost Spear City. He just happened to be passing by, so he came to take a look.

The old Frosthalberd ruins in the distance are still emitting smoke, from the furnaces lit during the demolition of the old stone.

The air was filled with the smell of coke and moldy wood, and the clanging of metal echoed through the valley from time to time.

The outer walls of the new urban area are still under construction, and the wooden door frames creak in the wind.

The makeshift soldier's watchtower was pieced together from iron plates and frozen earth, while the wind and snow battered the banners of the Empire and Frost Halberd.

This city was once the heart of the North, its central hub and the empire's northern military and political core. As the capital of the North, its location was naturally excellent, situated in a fortified area where a frozen river meets a mountain ridge, controlling trade routes to the south and west, and serving as a node for all supplies and defenses.

Louis gazed quietly at the smoking ruins, his expression calm.

He knew why he wanted to rebuild the city that had been destroyed.

Firstly, it was to fulfill a vow: the Frostspear was the symbol of House Edmund, and the old duke entrusted the name of the North and the Legion to him before his death.

Rebuilding Frost Spear is not only a continuation of faith and righteousness, but also a political commitment.

If he ignores this, he will not only break his promise, but will also be regarded by the Northern nobles as a usurper rather than a successor.

And Louis still remembers that day, the old duke's weak voice: "It cannot be broken in my hands."

He then swore to the Duke of Edmund: "One day, I will rebuild Frostspear. Not as a vassal of the Red Tide, but as the true heart of the North."

I must keep this promise.

Moreover, although Crimson Tide Territory is strong, it is not the capital city after all, while Frostspear City carries the legitimate banner of the empire.

If we want to unite the lords of the north, this city is still indispensable.

After the reconstruction, he was placed under guardianship and Isaac ruled, which allowed him to rightfully become the Lord of the North.

Isaac, as the only son of Duke Edmund, is the future Lord of the North, and this is one of the promises I made to Duke Edmund. Although not many people may believe this, it is indeed what I think.

Louis knew that his future was destined for expansion and conquest, and he was not necessarily going to settle in the North. His ambition was the entire empire.

He didn't have this ambition before because the empire was still very stable. However, according to the intelligence system, the empire is now in a precarious state, and he may have a chance to carve out his own territory or even become emperor.

Frostspear is the legacy of the old Duke Edmund and the trial for the new Duke Edmund.

Moreover, Frostspear's terrain is the hub of the entire North, serving both as a defense and a rallying point, making it indispensable for future wars.

The rebuilt Frostspear will become a supply depot, military logistics hub, and transportation stronghold on the front lines.

Red Tide will continue to serve as the brain of the North, coordinating commands and operations.

It will also be promoted as a pilot zone for red tide testing.

Frost Spear was the perfect testing ground, as it housed both old nobles and war refugees.

Rebuilding it means implanting the Red Tide system into a wider area, giving the newly joined nobles hope and a vision of the future.

The nobles and common people of the North worship the Frostspear, regarding it as the soul of their homeland.

If the ruins are never rebuilt, the hearts and minds of the people in the North will also collapse.

The process of rebuilding Frostspear was itself a political and religious revival, making the North great again.

As the carriage passed through the rebuilding city gate, the knights stood at attention and saluted.

Louis lifted the curtain and looked at the construction site, a mix of old and new, and felt a sense of peace.

Two figures stood in the middle of the city gate.

Viscount Orion Arden and Harold Grell greeted them in the snow with their guards and artisans.

Viscount Orion Arden is the steward of New Frostspears, Lady Elena's younger brother, and comes from the old nobility.

After the war, he was appointed as the acting administrator of Frostspears, in charge of the reconstruction of Frostspears throughout the city.

Harold Grell is the deputy director of the Red Tide Craftsmen's Bureau. He was one of the craftsmen that Louis traded fish with Duke Edmund for. He is considered a veteran craftsman of the Red Tide, although not for long. The Red Tide has developed too fast, and the old craftsmen from a few years ago have all been promoted.

Orion gave a half-bow, his voice tinged with enthusiasm: "Lord Louis, you've finally come back here again."

Harold, clutching his soot-covered gloves, said somewhat nervously, "You've come at the perfect time, sir. We've just started building the foundation."

Louis nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the construction site behind them, where bricks, wooden beams, and the fire intertwined to form the outline of a new order.

He stepped into the city that was just beginning to be built. The roads were still muddy, and a cold wind blew between the broken walls and charred beams. Although there were fires in the hearths, they could not hide the signs of decay.

Orion followed behind him, still feeling somewhat conflicted.

While admiring Louis's achievements, he still doubted whether his determination to rebuild Frostspear was genuine.

After all, what we see before us is more like a temporary factory camp than a city.

The cost of rebuilding is too high; it might be better to rebuild in a new location.

Louis stopped, his gaze fixed on the ruined tower in the distance and the muddy ground beneath his feet. His voice was calm, yet it sounded as if he were drawing a map of the future:

"Three years from now, this dirt road will become the main ring road around the city. On both sides will be domed gray stone houses that can keep warm in winter without charcoal fires."

Further ahead lies the Snowshine Plaza. The Northern Council meets there, not in Red Tide.

Orion was startled and subconsciously looked towards the open space, where the outline of the future seemed to emerge amidst the snow.

Sparks flew under the wooden shed, the smell of coke mingling with the cold wind. Harold bowed slightly as he reported: "The furnace tubes will be laid starting from the control tower, connecting to the first residential area in the spring. The valves will be red tide type pressure dividers, and the raw materials will come from Xingduan."

Louis pointed to the junction of the furnace and the main pipe: "Add another set of pressure relief rings to this section to prevent thermal expansion cracks at night."

The craftsmen exchanged nervous glances, worried they might have missed something. Harold quickly stepped forward and replied, "Understood, sir! We'll fix it right away!"

Louis spoke calmly, without reprimanding, only nodding slightly: "You did well, but treat errors as enemies."

The craftsmen nodded hurriedly, quickly taking notes. Their hands, still damp with coal dust, left black marks as they trembled, and a tense respect filled the air.

Orion was taken aback again; the count knew these details better than the craftsman did.

During his subsequent site visit, Louis walked through the various facilities being rebuilt.

He stopped in front of the makeshift furnace, asked in a low voice about the fuel ratio and air pressure adjustment, and personally inspected the seals of the valves and pipelines.

He then walked to the newly built drainage ditch, squatted down to check the flow rate of the snowmelt, and indicated that an extra buffer zone should be left at the corner.

Several local craftsmen who were unfamiliar with him were filled with respect when they saw that he knew the blueprints by heart, while Harold proudly puffed out his chest.

"The furnace here is too close to the residential area. When the wind changes, it will push the smoke back. In winter, it needs to be changed to underground ventilation. Remember to do insulation."

“Yes, sir,” Harold replied loudly and immediately made a note of it.

They continued on, passing newly built railway tracks, half-built warehouses, and workshops piled high with stone.

Louis offered suggestions for adjustments or improvements wherever he went, leaving nothing out, from structural support to pipeline pressure distribution.

As the craftsmen took notes and answered questions, even Orion began to sense that the workshop was gradually taking on the outline of a city.

Finally, they arrived at the center of the city, where a stone pillar stood. The pillar was about two people tall, and its base was carved from the hard stone of the North, the rough stone texture still remaining on its surface.

The monument is inlaid with the coat of arms of the Duke of Edmund, featuring an eagle with outstretched wings, symbolizing watchfulness and honor.

When the cold wind blows, snowflakes hit the surface of the monument, and the light and shadow reflect faint golden patterns, carrying a certain ancient majesty.

The inscriptions have all been carved; they were written by Louis himself.
This place burned, and it will be reborn, in memory of those who died for the North.

Orion watched quietly, his eyes slightly warm.

He finally understood why the Duke of Edmund had entrusted the Northern legacy to this young man.

Perhaps only he can bring this ruin back to life.

(End of this chapter)