Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

“Merian Schmidt, Alchemist. An Alchemist under the Azure Tide Guild of the Emerald Federation, correct?”

The air solidified at that instant.

Merian’s heart tightened abruptly. He hadn’t mentioned his name, no one had asked, and even those young alchemy apprentices only knew him as a researcher.

But the person before him had, with a single opening remark, stripped away all his identities.

His mind raced: Who said it? Could it be those captured apprentices? Or had the Guild already betrayed him?

He wanted to explain, to say it was just a misunderstanding, but his throat felt choked, unable to utter a sound.

Fear crept up, bit by bit.

This feeling of powerlessness was not unfamiliar; in the research institute of the Azure Tide Guild, whenever a superior questioned him coldly, he had experienced this suffocating sensation, only this time it was more absolute.

Although Louis’s gaze was not sharp, even carrying a hint of patience, his calm demeanor was suffocating.

He observed the Grand Alchemist before him, quickly weighing his options.

This man was clearly timid, not even daring to make eye contact. Threats or interrogations would only cause Merian to completely break down. It would be better to use another approach.

So Louis adopted a softer tone: “Actually, the Azure Tide Guild had already sold you to me. I also paid a hefty price to acquire a Grand Alchemist.”

Merian stared at him blankly, as if he didn’t quite understand the meaning of that sentence.

So it was true; he had indeed been sold, and this perfectly fit the merchant association’s characteristic of prioritizing profit.

The person before him clearly held his destiny in his hands.

If he had truly been sold to him, then his only way out was to prove he still had value.

He had spent decades in the Guild, understanding how to please superiors, and knowing that only by showing his usefulness could he survive.

Merian hesitated for a moment, his voice trembling: “I—I specialize in Bio-Alchemy. I can research the circulation of magic elements within living organisms, and I can also adjust the adaptive structures of parasites—I understand regeneration mechanisms—”

Louis listened intently, his eyes shifting from coldness to interest. He appeared calm as usual, but in reality, his heart was churning.

He was not an expert in the field of alchemy, only knowing a little from old books and reports.

But even he understood that the words “Bio-Alchemy” represented astonishing potential.

That was not mere potion-making, but research that could touch the very foundation of life.

He tried to piece together those fragmented concepts in his mind: making potions staunch blood and heal wounds faster, making magical beasts obey commands, enabling knights to endure longer in battle. These concepts might still be vague compared to actual alchemy achievements, but even these alone were enough to change the technology of the Red Tide Territory.

If he could master such knowledge, even just its most basic applications, it could double their survival advantage in the Empire.

However, he also wondered inwardly: Why would the Azure Tide Guild allow such a person to go to sea?

An alchemist capable of researching the origin of life would certainly not be dispatched casually.

Countless other questions arose in his mind: Was it internal strife? Or some Federation conspiracy? Or a special mission?

And why was he captured by pirates?

But Louis quickly dismissed these questions, as they were not really important to him.

Merian was now in his hands, in this land of the Northern Territory, the most remote corner of the Empire, tens of thousands of miles from the Federation.

Even if the Emerald Federation invaded with an army, they wouldn’t reach here. If they sent a small special forces unit, his knight order could swallow them whole.

Thinking of this, the surging excitement in his heart finally gradually subsided.

After Merian stammered out some terms Louis didn’t understand, Louis took over, calmly praising him:

“As expected of someone I paid a fortune to get from those misers at the Azure Tide Guild. It seems this deal was worth it.”

Merian’s heart sank, his eyes dim. The humiliation of being traded like an object churned in his chest. In truth, he felt terrible but dared not refute.

He had been confined to laboratories almost his entire life, never venturing into the realm of power, and was completely immune to lies and schemes.

He couldn’t tell if the statement was true or false, so he could only choose to believe it.

Louis noticed the change in his expression and, seizing the opportunity, changed his tone: “I’m very curious, why did the Azure Tide Guild send you to the Northern Territory? A researcher like you should, by rights, be kept in the Federation’s deep laboratories.”

Merian hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke: “It’s a long story. Hundreds of years ago, the Abyssal Kin, also known as mermen...

They were an oceanic race with language and social structures. They mastered alchemy and underwater craftsmanship, even leaving behind formulas for runic alloys.

But later, the entire population fell into a permanent frenzy, with only a few species retaining some intelligence. The Guild suspects that this degradation was not natural corruption.”

Merian’s voice grew softer as he spoke: “And my mission was to extract the not-yet-completely-collapsed magic energy neural nuclei from merman brain marrow and send them back to the Azure Tide Guild for research into a so-called ‘Rationality Regression Agent’.

They wanted to find a way to restore the mermen’s sanity and make them obey humans—I thought it was just academic research at the time.”

Then he briefly looked up at Louis: “I didn’t expect to be sold to you.”

Louis’s expression remained unchanged, but he secretly noted every word in his heart.

He was surprised by the weight of this mission, which directly related to ancient secrets.

Louis was silent for a moment before asking lightly, “So—has the extraction been completed?”

Merian shook his head, looking terrified: “No, I was hijacked by pirates right after arriving in the Northern Territory. The samples, equipment, and personnel were all lost.”

Louis sighed softly, as if regretting, or perhaps having already expected it: “Then there’s no rush. You can research other things for now. When conditions are ripe next year, we’ll discuss sampling. Red Tide City has plenty of alchemical materials and plenty of people.”

His tone softened, carrying a hint of tenderness: “I will prepare laboratories, assistants, and resources for you. You can continue your research here, unconstrained. Red Tide respects knowledge, and it respects those who make knowledge flourish.”

Merian listened, but barely a word truly registered.

At this moment, only one thought remained in his mind: to survive. As long as he wasn’t thrown into the sea, he would agree to anything.

He repeatedly affirmed, bowing slightly, as if afraid even his voice would anger the other party.

Louis looked at him like this and smiled slightly: “Go rest, Master Merian. There’s no rush with the experiments.”

After the door closed, Merian’s shoulders finally relaxed, and he felt as if all his strength had been drained.

A wave of confusion washed over him, yet there was also a subtle, absurd sense of relief.

His life, at least, was saved.

Well, from one laboratory to another, it was just a change of place to continue working.

As for the Azure Tide Guild and the Emerald Federation, he had never truly cared for that place.

====

Night pressed down on the sea, and waves crashed against the ironclad’s hull, emitting a low echo.

A few lamps burned on the deck, their flames flickering in the wind.

Cavil Ironjaw stood before the helm, half his face hidden in shadow, the other half, his metallic jaw, gleaming coldly in the firelight.

He silently chewed on an iron pipe until, with a snap, the pipe broke.

He casually tossed the remains into the sea, his voice as cold as the wind: “It’s been a week, and there’s no signal?”

The adjutant stood not far away: “Yes, my lord. The Sawbone squad has not sent back any signals.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Cavil let out a short, hoarse laugh.

He clenched his metallic jaw with a click, the sound of metal grinding against teeth sending a chill down one’s spine.

Then he slammed his fist on the helm railing, sending rust and wood splinters flying. The adjutant instinctively took a step back.

“Impossible?” he repeated softly, his voice devoid of anger.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at the dark sea in the distance, his tone slowing, “What did I tell them before they set sail?”

The adjutant hesitated for a moment, then whispered: “Go straight for the target, and return immediately.”

“Then they didn’t die at the hands of the Empire,” Cavil said flatly.

He didn’t believe that an idiot like Bagg could stir up any trouble, and if he had truly acted recklessly, he wouldn’t have been unable to even send a signal.

Moreover, the Northern Territory of the Empire had no naval forces; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to run rampant here for so long.

The intelligence for this operation was provided by the Ash Guild.

Those people had long been secretly planning to seize the Grand Alchemist from the Azure Tide Guild and make him serve the Ash Guild.

They had given Cavil the route, ship type, and operational window. As long as he could capture the target alive, he would receive more funding and port concessions.

The mole within the Azure Tide Guild had leaked the Grand Alchemist’s itinerary precisely to cooperate with this operation.

Countless possibilities flashed through Cavil’s mind:

Did the Empire intervene?

Was he preempted by another Guild? That would mean the Ash Guild leaked information before acting.

Or was the Ash Guild secretly covering their tracks?

The more he thought, the more confused he became, his head throbbing as if struck by an iron hammer.

Cavil narrowed his only eye and muttered, “They wouldn’t be taking me for a fool, would they?”

The Ash Guild, those merchants who claimed to control the Federation.

Cavil knew that he became the Mad King not by madness, but by knowing to whom to bow.

His fleet, gunboats, and bases were all funded by the Ash Guild.

He was merely a pawn on their chessboard.

If this mission failed, he knew what would happen. The Guild would say, “Funding terminated.”

Then funding would be cut off, his fence for stolen goods would disappear, and his subordinates would fall apart within months.

Cavil took a sharp breath of cold air, a brief metallic scraping sound emanating from his throat.

“Send out scout ships, search the entire line. Even if only canvas remains, bring it back to me.”

“Understood!” The adjutant bowed deeply and retreated.

The wind blew harder, making the deck lights sway wildly.

Cavil stood alone, his fingers tapping lightly on the railing.

He knew he couldn’t let anyone see his unease.

The Mad King could rage, but he couldn’t show weakness.

The wind howled, the ship vibrated, no one dared to look at him.

====

The administrative building of Dawn Harbor stood quietly in the snowstorm.

Light streamed through the windowpanes, illuminating the conference hall warmly and brightly, and the air was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Louis sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over the few people present, his expression composed.

He had spent another two months in Dawn Harbor, and the construction during these two months had brought new achievements to this new city. It was time for another meeting before he left.

“We won’t beat around the bush, let’s go straight to the results,” Louis began.

Russell was the first to stand and report, his voice carrying a southern accent: “The port project is 99% complete overall. The breakwater, berths, and slipway system are all operational.

The cold storage in the cargo handling area was topped off last night, with only exterior decoration remaining. The winter anti-freeze layer for the rail section has been reinforced, and pressure tests passed.”

Louis nodded slightly: “Safety first, double-check everything.”

“Understood, my lord,” Russell replied, bowing, a hint of pride in his eyes.

When it was Bernard’s turn to speak, the old craftsman tightened his coat slightly: “All dawn series vessels have completed sea trials, and the experimental ships Morning Star and Tide have also been fully assembled.

However, due to the current un-melted ice on the sea, sea trials have not yet commenced. Full trials are planned for the spring tide.”

Louis nodded, a hint of approval in his tone: “Very good. Don’t rush to build new ships, you can rest for a bit first.” Bernard showed a slight smile, his tense shoulders relaxing somewhat.

Elliot, sitting near the fireplace, stood up after hearing both reports:

“The harbor defense fleet has completed three rounds of drills, mainly training in night combat and naval assault. Artillery positions are maintained, and the coastal defense line can withstand a medium-scale attack.”

“Very good,” Louis smiled slightly, “Dawn Harbor’s ability to weather the winter safely relies on your preparations.”

Then it was Ruida’s turn, holding ledgers, her speech clear: “All winter houses are completed, and remaining materials have been transferred to the public warehouse.

Grain is abundant; Red Tide City’s transport ships arrived last night, and the harvest from McDonald’s Territory has also arrived, enough to sustain us through the entire winter.

Bathhouses, infirmaries, theaters, and laundries are all operating normally.”

Louis leaned back in his chair, his expression relaxing a bit: “Very good, Ruida, keep it up.”

She smiled slightly, responding solemnly: “Yes, my lord.”

The atmosphere in the conference hall gradually lightened.

Russell was poring over construction plans, Bernard was quietly confirming shipbuilding progress with his deputy, and Ruida was organizing civilian ledgers.

Louis looked around, sighing contentedly: “It seems Dawn Harbor can finally stabilize this winter.”

He stood up, put on his coat, his tone as calm as ever: “Next year, we don’t just want port construction. As soon as spring arrives, the merchant fleet will set sail. And if the pirates are still around then, we should deal with them.”

Elliot immediately stood ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) and saluted: “We are always ready.”

“Don’t be too nervous,” Louis smiled, “Once the snow melts, you’ll be busy.”

He paused, his gaze softening slightly: “These past two months, you’ve worked hard. The port has come this far not by miracles, but by the hands of each and every one of you.”

Everyone stood and saluted, their voices unified: “Understood, my lord.”

After the meeting, everyone left in succession.

Louis remained in the hall, gazing at the snow line outside the window.

The lighthouse beam swept across the sea in circles, outlining the silhouette of Dawn Harbor.

He whispered: “Winter is almost here, it’s time to return to Red Tide, otherwise Orpheus might not recognize his father.”