Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

According to the location Louis selected, he successfully acquired 300 square kilometers of Northern Territory land as his initial pioneering territory.

He named it—Red Tide Territory.

On one hand, it was because the Calvin Family’s crest was crimson red;

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

In Duke Edmund’s eyes, this land was only relatively more habitable than other areas in the Northern Territory.

But in Louis’s eyes, with the Daily Intelligence System, this was practically the Northern Territory’s Vatican—the European Emperor’s hometown!

First, the rivers within the territory would welcome migrating fish schools to spawn every spring and autumn, making the food source incredibly stable.

Fish meat, high in calories and protein, could not only feed the residents but also provide soldiers with energy supplements.

He could even look forward to the possibility of magical fish species like Northern Crystal Cod.

Secondly, there were geothermal eruptions in the territory, which were practically a miracle in the Northern Territory.

Not only could they raise the temperature of the surrounding soil, allowing for the cultivation of some cold-resistant crops, but they could even help people survive the harshest winters.

These foods, combined with fish meat, were enough to feed his residents, with even some left over for sale.

It should be known that food was the most expensive commodity in the Northern Territory.

Moreover, the geothermal eruptions also brought a small hot spring!

When the biting winds of the Northern Territory made others shiver from the cold, he could soak in a hot spring and drink hot soup—just thinking about it was exhilarating.

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

There was nothing special about ordinary cold iron ore; it was not uncommon in the Northern Territory and was an essential material for forging weapons and armor.

But a magic marrow mine was hidden on the edge of the territory and had not yet been discovered!

magma essence was similar to sulfur in his previous life, a key material for making explosives, highly sought after by alchemists.

Of course, he currently lacked the capital to mine it, and his current strength was still very weak, making him easily coveted by others.

One day, he would use this to profoundly shock the entire world.

Magic gunpowder exploding knights, how exciting!

With abundant food sources, warm geothermal heat, mineral veins, and magma essence... this place was simply a gift from heaven, completely unlike anywhere that should appear in the Northern Territory.

Moreover, his intuition told him that the potential of Red Tide Territory was far from limited to this.

Seeing Louis clutching the pioneering certificate, standing rooted to the spot, the smile on his lips not yet fully receded,

Duke Edmund couldn’t help but tease, “How about I keep you for a meal?”

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

He still had one thing left to do before leaving.

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

When the first box was opened, three live Northern Crystal Cod leaped into view, their silver-white scales shimmering with a faint, ethereal glow under the firelight.

Duke Edmund’s eyes suddenly lit up!

Northern Crystal Cod!

Even he, the Governor of the Northern Territory, found such rare items difficult to acquire, yet this young man had brought three of them at once?!

Not only was its flesh delicious, but more importantly, the essence from its bones could enhance a knight’s physique and vital energy, especially suitable for knights who were at a bottleneck.

And his daughter happened to be stuck at the threshold of the Elite Knight initial stage; with the help of this Northern Crystal Cod, her success rate would definitely be greatly increased.

However, before he could speak, Louis smiled and said, “These three fish are my Meeting Gift to the Duke.”

Duke Edmund was slightly stunned, then looked at the young man with complex eyes.

Such a precious item, just given away?

This young man was actually so generous?

Even for himself, precious resources of this level were rare and hard to come by, let alone casually given away.

However, before the Duke could ponder further, Louis opened the second box—

Inside were exactly three more Northern Crystal Cod.

This time, Louis grinned, “These three are for trade.”

“Sly boy.” Duke Edmund finally couldn’t help but laugh, with a hint of appreciation, “Speak, what do you want?”

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

Hearing this, Edmund completely confirmed one thing: this young man was not in the Northern Territory to muddle through and wait for death.

He truly wanted to pioneer, to establish his own power in this harsh and cold land!

A hint of a smile flashed in Edmund’s eyes: “How many do you want?”

“The more people, the better, of course, I won’t let Your Grace suffer a loss.” Louis smiled slightly.

“Heh, you’re asking for too much. Buy slaves yourself at the slave market. As for soldiers, I can give you fifty.”

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

“Too greedy.” Edmund shook his head, “At most one hundred and twenty. I happen to have a batch of new recruits who haven’t finished training yet; it’s impossible for me to give you veterans. I’ll give you thirty craftsmen; any more and you’d think I’m running a charity.”

Louis sighed, nodded, and said, “Alright, what about knights? Preferably all Formal Knights.”

Edmund scoffed, “Formal Knights? Dream on.”

Louis then asked, “What about Apprentice Knights?”

The Duke’s fingers paused, his gaze thoughtful for a moment, and he finally spoke, “Ten Apprentice Knights and three Formal Knights, they will obey your commands, but they must pledge loyalty to the Northern Territory.”

Louis’s lips curved into a smile, and he extended his hand: “Deal.”

Edmund glanced at him, smiling as he shook his hand: “Sly boy, don’t die too quickly.”

After bargaining, Louis successfully exchanged six Northern Crystal Cod for the talents he needed most.

All 120 soldiers were untrained, meaning Louis would have to establish his own training system.

Thirty craftsmen were not many, but their role was irreplaceable; they could build houses, roads, and infrastructure.

And ten Apprentice Knights, three Formal Knights.

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

The 120 soldiers, though not rigorously trained, were at least usable and, with some refining, would be enough to form a qualified garrison.

The 30 craftsmen, though not numerous, were sufficient to build houses, roads, and infrastructure, laying the foundation for Red Tide Territory.

And the 10 Apprentice Knights and 3 Formal Knights greatly augmented his knightly ranks.

Louis thought that this transaction was more successful than expected, and Duke Edmund was much more generous than he had imagined.

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

After signing the labor contract, Edmund looked up at Louis, who was still standing there, and a slight smile played on his lips: “The transaction is complete. Why are you still here? Waiting for me to host a farewell banquet for you?”

Louis smiled, then turned to leave.

“However—” Edmund suddenly paused, saying meaningfully, “You’d best go to the slave market and buy some slaves to take back. Otherwise, with the current situation of your territory, relying solely on vagrants won’t be enough.”

Louis raised an eyebrow slightly; even without the reminder, he would have gone to check.

After all, two talents were waiting for him at the slave market.

Edmund instructed the official standing nearby: “You take him over there. Don’t let those unscrupulous merchants fleece him.”

“Yes, my lord.” The official bowed slightly, then gestured for Louis to follow.

Louis thanked him: “Then I thank Your Grace for your kindness.”

The Duke waved his hand, dismissing him.