Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 6 Red Tide Territory

Based on the location chosen by Louis, he successfully acquired 300 square kilometers of northern land as his initial expansion territory.

He named it Red Tide Territory.

One reason is that the Calvin family crest is crimson;

On the other hand, it was to commemorate the homeland he could never return to.

In the eyes of the Duke of Edmund, this land was only relatively more habitable than other parts of the North.

But in Louis's eyes, who had a daily intelligence system, this was practically the Vatican of the North—the home of the European Emperor!

Firstly, the rivers within the territory welcome schools of fish to migrate and spawn every spring and autumn, making the food source incredibly reliable.

Fish is high in calories and protein, which can not only feed the people but also provide soldiers with energy.

We can even hope that there might be magical fish like the Northern Cod.

Secondly, there were geothermal eruptions in the territory, which is practically a miracle in the North.

It can not only raise the temperature of the surrounding soil, making it possible to grow some cold-resistant crops, but it can even help people survive the harshest winter.

This amount of food, along with fish and meat, was enough to feed his people, and there was even some left over to sell.

You should know that food is the most expensive thing in the North.

Moreover, the geothermal eruptions have also created several small hot springs!
When the northern winds are biting cold and everyone else is shivering from the cold, he can soak in a hot spring and drink hot soup. Just thinking about it makes him feel great.

However, what truly made his heart race was the mineral resources of this territory.

There's not much to say about ordinary cold iron ore; it's quite common in the North and is an essential material for forging weapons and armor.

But there's a hidden vein of magic marrow on the edge of the territory that hasn't been discovered yet!
Magic marrow is similar to sulfur in the previous life. It is a key material for making explosives and is highly sought after by alchemists.

Of course, he doesn't have the capital to mine it yet, and his strength is still very weak, making him easy prey for others.

One day he will use this thing to shock the whole world.

Magical gunpowder blasts up knights—how exciting!
With abundant food sources, warm geothermal energy, mineral veins, and magical marrow... this place is simply a gift from heaven, and it doesn't seem like it should exist in the North.

Moreover, his intuition told him that the Red Tide Territory's potential was far greater than this.

Seeing Louis holding the pioneer certificate, frozen in place, the smile on his lips not yet completely gone.

Duke Edmund couldn't help but tease, "How about I invite you to stay for a meal?"

Louis then snapped out of his euphoria, coughed lightly, and composed himself.

There was one more thing he hadn't done before he left.

He raised his hand, signaling his knights to bring in the two boxes.

When the first box was opened, three live Northern Cod leaped into view, their silvery-white scales gleaming faintly in the firelight.

Duke Edmund's eyes suddenly lit up!
Northern cod!

Even he, the governor of the North, had difficulty obtaining such rare items, yet this kid brought three of them in one go?!

This creature is not only delicious, but more importantly, the essence from its bones can enhance a knight's physique and vitality, making it especially suitable for knights who are currently experiencing a bottleneck in their development.

His daughter is stuck at the beginner level of elite knight, and with the help of this Northern Crystal Cod, the success rate will definitely be greatly increased.

However, before he could speak, Louis said with a smile, "These three fish are my gift to the Duke."

Duke Edmund paused for a moment, then looked at the young man with a complicated expression.

Such a precious item, you just give it away like that?
This kid is actually so generous?
Even for him, such a precious resource is something that can only be encountered by chance, let alone given away casually.

Before the Duke could think further, Louis opened the second box—inside were the same three Northern Cod.

Louis grinned: "These three are for making a deal."

“A cunning lad.” Duke Edmund finally couldn’t help but laugh, a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Tell me, what do you want?”

Louis answered without hesitation: “I need people, slaves, soldiers, craftsmen, and knights.”

Upon hearing this, Edmund was completely certain of one thing: this young man had not come to the North to simply drift through life and wait to die.

He genuinely wanted to expand and establish his own power in this harsh and cold land!

A glint of amusement flashed in Edmund's eyes: "How many do you want?"

“The more people the better, but of course I won’t let His Majesty the Duke suffer any losses.” Louis smiled slightly.

"Ha, what a ridiculous demand. You can buy the slaves yourself at the slave market, but I can give you fifty soldiers."

“One hundred and fifty.” Louis held up his finger.

“Too greedy.” Edmund shook his head. “At most one hundred and twenty people. I happen to have a batch of new recruits who haven’t finished training yet. I can’t give you the veterans. I’ll give you thirty craftsmen. Any more than that, consider it charity.”

Louis sighed and nodded, "Alright, then what about knights? Preferably all full-fledged knights."

Edmund scoffed: "A formal knight? Dream on."

Louis then asked, "And what about the apprentice knights?"

The Duke paused, his gaze thoughtful for a moment, before finally speaking: "Ten apprentice knights and three full knights, to obey your orders, but to be loyal to the North."

Louis's lips curled into a smile as he extended his hand: "Deal."

Edmund glanced at him, smiled, and shook his hand: "You cunning boy, don't die too soon."

After some haggling, Louis successfully traded six Northern Cod for the talent he needed most.

Louis looked at the list in front of him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The 120 soldiers, though not rigorously trained, are at least usable and, with proper training, could form a qualified garrison.

Thirty craftsmen, though few in number, were enough to build houses, roads, and infrastructure, laying the foundation for the Red Tide Territory.

In addition, 10 apprentice knights and 3 regular knights greatly supplemented his knightly ranks.

Louis thought to himself that the deal was more successful than expected, and that the Duke of Edmund was much more generous than he had imagined.

In any case, he has obtained what he needed most.

After signing the territory treaty, Elmon glanced at Louis, who was still standing there, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "The deal is done. What are you still doing here? Waiting for my farewell banquet?"

Louis smiled and turned to leave.

“However,” Edmund paused suddenly, then said meaningfully, “you’d better go to the slave market and buy some slaves. Otherwise, given the current situation in your territory, relying solely on refugees won’t be enough.”

Louis raised an eyebrow; even without being reminded, he would have gone to check it out.

After all, there were two talented people waiting for him at the slave market.

Edmund instructed the official standing beside him, "Take him over there and make sure those unscrupulous merchants don't treat him like a fat sheep to be slaughtered."

“Yes, sir.” The official bowed slightly, then gestured for Louis to proceed.

Louis said gratefully, "Then thank you very much for your kindness, Your Grace."

The Duke waved his hand, signaling the guests to leave.

(End of this chapter)