Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

Outside Louis's room, Bradley, Sif, Lambert, and several personal guards were anxiously waiting, even though they had already seen Louis wake up.

However, with such a sudden incident, even the fact that he "woke up" couldn't entirely dispel their worry.

The group exchanged glances, but wisely refrained from entering without permission, choosing only to wait by the door. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Fortunately, they didn't wait long. About half an hour later, the door clicked open.

Louis slowly walked out. Although his body still showed a hint of fatigue and his complexion was slightly pale, everything else was as usual.

Everyone rushed forward.

"Lord Louis, how are you feeling?"

"What exactly happened?"

"Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

He waved his hand, his tone as calm as ever: "It's nothing serious. I suppose—I just got distracted, tripped, and fainted."

Silence immediately fell upon the crowd.

Lambert's mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed the words.

Sif wore an expression that clearly said, "Do you think I believe that?"

Finally, Bradley sighed, "In any case, it's good that you are safe, My Lord."

"Bradley, prepare a banquet for tonight," Louis continued to instruct. "Use the meat of the Ice Vein Giant Serpent. Have all the knights attend. Let them eat as much as they can."

Bradley was stunned. "My Lord, you just woke up, your body—"

"I am fine," Louis interrupted him flatly. "Besides, I promised them a feast using the giant serpent meat."

He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "Furthermore, the news of my sudden collapse must have spread. Rather than letting them speculate wildly, it's better if I show myself to everyone."

Bradley was silent for a moment, but finally nodded. "Understood. I will go arrange it immediately."

Louis turned around and casually added, "Oh, and cut off a piece of that serpent's gall bladder every morning and boil it into a soup for me to drink."

"Yes, My Lord."

Louis would not be generous enough to casually distribute something that could improve bloodlines.

He wanted to see how much these gall bladders could improve his own bloodline.

Seeing that Louis looked completely normal, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed, returning to their posts.

Only Sif remained standing by the door, completely motionless.

Louis noticed her, walked a few steps closer, a hint of teasing smile on his lips.

"What is it? You aren't—worried about me, are you?"

Sif looked as if her thoughts had been suddenly exposed, and a noticeable blush spread across her cheeks.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded softly, "Mm-hmm—"

The next second, she turned and ran: "I—I'm going to work!"

Louis was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

"She didn't argue back this time?" He shook his head, watching Sif's retreating figure. "Quite cute, actually."

How could he not have noticed, after all?

Sif's hesitant little gestures, her habitual tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside reactions to him, and the occasional glances she threw his way—

They were no longer merely the respect a subordinate held for their liege.

"Well, a tsundere white-haired beauty certainly suits my taste." Louis stretched, the corners of his mouth curving up. Night fell, the cold wind beating against the window frames. Inside the banquet hall, however, it was bright as day, with candlelight flickering on the chandeliers, driving away some of the gloom.

The knights took their seats one after another. The meat of the Ice Vein Giant Serpent had been cut into thick chunks and prepared by the chefs—stewed and roasted into various dishes placed on the tables.

The air was filled with a rich, savory aroma, but the mood of the crowd did not lift accordingly.

This should have been a joyous victory celebration, but currently, no one could muster the enthusiasm.

"What exactly happened to the Lord?"

"They said he was attacked by a magical beast—"

"Shh, stop talking. That's just a rumor."

Whispers circulated amid the clinking of wine glasses.

Everyone forced smiles and compelled themselves to raise their cups, but every toast /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ carried a hint of unease.

Weil, sitting in the corner, kept his head down and remained silent.

"If only I had been there that day." This thought flashed repeatedly in his mind.

He had only heard that Lord Louis had collapsed and been carried back by Lambert and the others after training finished.

An indescribable sense of self-reproach welled up in Weil's heart.

If he had been present, would he have been able to do something?

Just as anxiety hung over the hearts of the attendees, the main doors were suddenly pulled open by an attendant.

A tall, upright young man slowly entered the banquet hall.

His black-and-red formal attire was impeccably tailored, making him look like a sharp blade about to be drawn.

Every step was steady and composed, showing no signs of abnormality.

It was, naturally, Louis Calvin.

"The Lord is here!"

"Is he really—alright?"

The crowd immediately stirred, but then quieted down, everyone rising to watch him walk toward the main seat at the front.

Louis reached the platform and stood still, scanning the crowd, a slight smile on his lips.

"This banquet is a little late. And I truly—caused everyone to worry."

He paused, then added in a serious tone, "After all, I—tripped and fainted."

As his words fell, a brief silence followed.

"Pfft."

"Hahahahahaha!"

Bursts of laughter instantly erupted throughout the hall.

Even the gloomy Weil, sitting in the corner, couldn't help his mouth twitching.

Everyone knew it couldn't possibly have been "just tripping and falling."

Their Lord, an elite knight, fainting because he tripped?

What a joke.

But this exact, unconvincing excuse was what actually reassured everyone.

The oppressive atmosphere was swept away. People clinked glasses, and genuine laughter and noise finally filled the air.

With Louis's appearance and speech, the atmosphere in the hall finally relaxed completely.

The rich serpent meat steamed on the long tables, glistening with fat. Beneath the golden, crispy skin was the lean, dense meat of the Ice Vein Giant Serpent, packed with immense energy.

Sliced, roasted, and stewed, served with various spices, it was mouthwatering.

"So this is Ice Vein Giant Serpent meat," a young knight murmured, his eyes shining as he looked at the thick serpent meat before him.

"Stop staring and eat! Then quickly circulate your energy! You'll regret wasting this opportunity for the rest of your life!" The older knight beside him had already wolfed down the meat in a few quick bites, sat cross-legged on the floor, and began regulating his breath and circulating his Battle Qi.

As the blood energy within the attendees pulsed, the essence of the magical beast meat was quickly converted into Battle Qi, pouring into their limbs and bodies.

In the hall, a tall young knight suddenly shuddered, and a faint red glow immediately appeared on his body.

"He broke through!"

"Hey! Another one!"

Cheers rose one after another.

At least three young knights successfully broke through their bottlenecks during this victory banquet tonight.

And so, the victory banquet concluded amidst the aroma of wine, the warmth of the meat, and the joy of breakthroughs.