CHAPTER 231: CHAPTER 187: PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE EXPEDITION

As soon as Louis stepped out of the reception room and had taken only a few steps, he heard hurried footsteps coming from behind.

He didn’t turn back but stopped at the corner of the corridor.

The wind blew in from the high windows, the curtains trembled lightly, and the sunlight cast familiar boot shadows on the stone floor.

"Are you... really going in person?" Emily’s tone was filled with a barely contained anxiety.

She stood by his side, her lips tightly pressed yet trying to maintain her calm.

Louis didn’t answer immediately, he simply said softly, "I should do this."

Emily bit her lip, her eyes fixated on him as if trying to discern even a hint of hesitation from his face.

"You heard it too... what Carl said, it’s not an ordinary demon." Her voice quivered slightly, "We could just send others to investigate, why does it have to be you?"

In her eyes, there was no teasing, no tantrum, only genuine fear.

A fear that he might never return, and she might have to watch him throw himself into a perilous one-way journey.

"We just got married..." she said softly, eyes reddening, "I haven’t even had the chance... to talk to you more."

The wind gently stirred her hair, a few strands lay against her cheek, fragile and stubborn.

Without extra words, Louis merely reached out and gently held her cold fingers.

At that moment, silence filled the corridor, save for the sound of the wind.

Emily was momentarily taken aback, then gently leaned her head against his shoulder.

With eyes closed, it seemed like she was secretly hiding the moisture at the corners of her eyes.

"Then at least... you must promise me," she murmured softly, "If you notice anything wrong, return immediately..."

"Mm." Louis’ grip on her fingers tightened slightly.

A moment later, Emily released her grip, took a deep breath, and regained her usual composure: "Go, my hero, gather your knights. Don’t let them wait too long."

She turned away, never looking back again.

After bidding Emily farewell, Louis did not linger at all, striding decisively toward the castle’s training ground.

Lambert was overseeing several adjutants patrolling the edge of the field, and upon seeing Louis stride purposefully toward them, he immediately stopped and saluted.

"Lord?"

"Lambert," Louis said with a deep voice, "immediately gather all the elite knights and official knights currently stationed within the Red Tide Territory, have them assemble fully armed and ready to march out."

Lambert’s expression changed, his gaze instantly became solemn.

"...All of them?" he instinctively confirmed.

"All of them." Louis nodded, his tone allowing no room for negotiation, "I want to see them fully armed at the training ground in half an hour."

"Understood." Lambert did not ask any more questions, swiftly turning away to deliver the order.

Louis then immediately mounted his horse and galloped straight to the alchemy workshop on the south street of Red Tide City.

In front of the door, two apprentices wearing thick apron were transporting equipment out, and upon seeing the Lord himself arrive, they hurriedly bowed.

"Is Hillco here?"

"Yes, yes, he’s inside handling the explosive bullet reagents!"

Louis pushed open the door, the familiar pungent smell hit him, the alchemy furnace fizzing, with various test tubes and metal containers laid out on three long tables.

Hillco, wearing goggles, was in the midst of mixing something, and upon raising his head, saw Louis and hurriedly removed his gloves: "You’re here just in time! I’ve just experimented with a new batch of magic explosion potion base, just need to..."

Louis interrupted him, speaking rapidly, "I’m asking you, how many finished Red Platinum Magic Explosion Bullets do we have now."

Hillco paused for a moment, reflexively replying, "Ready-made? About over sixty, haven’t had the time to fully categorize and number them yet..."

"Bring out thirty of them and send them to the training ground." Louis ordered directly.

"Are you crazy?!" Hillco almost jumped up, eyes wide, "Thirty! Are you planning to blow up Frost Halberd City?! Are you trying to turn against the Northern Territory?!"

"I don’t have time to joke with you." Louis’ voice was cold.

The air suddenly froze, Hillco looked at his calm and steady, yet sharp eyes.

Realizing he genuinely intended to use these explosive bullets, and the target was probably even more formidable than he had imagined.

"I understand." Hillco licked his lips, "I’ll personally pack them and have them at the training ground within half an hour."

"The faster the better." Louis nodded, then pushed the door open, mounted his horse again, and sped off.

......

The rare summer sunlight of the Northern Territory fell upon the shoulder of the armored knights, yet no one was distracted by it.

One hundred and forty knights stood solemnly within the training ground.

Each with determined faces looking toward the high platform ahead.

Louis stood atop it, clad in a red lord’s battle robe, holding several sheets of hand-drawn diagrams.

"Ladies and gentlemen." he began, his voice not loud, yet it instantly subdued all unrest in the field.

"I know this assembly was abrupt. But before you march out, you must know the enemy we are about to face is no ordinary foe."

He unfolded the drawings, revealing an alarming depiction of a structure resembling a hive interwoven with blood and flesh, its core illustrated a large, suspended "flesh sac," with countless "bodies" being thrown into it.

This was the artwork he had people produce in advance.

"This is our enemy’s nest."

He paused for a second, allowing everyone to see the image clearly before continuing:

"It is not a simple demon lair, but a living, continuously evolving intelligent structure. The hive presents a honeycomb-like shape, protected by a layer of bone and flesh on the exterior, and at its core is this suspended ’transformation core’."

He then turned to the next piece of paper, depicting a more impactful monster: