CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 199: INFORMATION ON THE NEST (2)

He held the badge and short sword, as if he were still guarding some unfinished oath.

His face was pale, lips tinged with blue, yet he showed no fear, no panic.

Just quietly... remaining in that morning where no one was present anymore.

...

The brief summer of the Northern Territory had quietly slipped away, and the morning wind brought back a chill.

Fortunately, the hot spring circulation system in Red Tide City had been restarted.

The entire castle seemed gently wrapped in a layer of warmth, the room cozy, making it hard for people to rise.

Louis opened his eyes, a gentle blue light before him.

It was Emily’s hair, quietly spread on the white pillow, like ripples on a lake in spring.

Her face was serene and beautiful, her eyelashes long, the tip of her nose slightly red, lips still carrying a hint of last night’s lingering smile.

One hand rested on his chest, like a kitten.

Louis quietly watched her, his Adam’s apple moving slightly, eyes showing an emotion unclear whether of contentment or reflection.

Since getting married, he indeed had been diligently "sowing seeds", yet... had not reaped any harvest.

Of course, it wasn’t a problem with his body.

It’s just that in this world, for those knights with extraordinary powers, offspring seem never easily born.

The flow of Fighting Energy interferes with the birth of life; the stronger one is, the longer the wait needed.

And his father, the renowned Duke Calvin, having over twenty children, was indeed a miracle.

Of course, that was also the result of his day-to-day "tilling".

By contrast, Louis, though young and vigorous, was not in haste.

He preferred to let things take their course, waiting for fate to deliver that gift.

But Emily... was more enthusiastic than he was.

For the sake of family continuation, Emily had recently been quite proactive.

Even though she maintained the noble lady’s reserve with words, her gaze increasingly implied "We should give it another try today, shouldn’t we?"

Thinking of this, Louis couldn’t help but show a smile, both helpless and doting.

He gently reached out, brushing aside a strand of hair that draped across Emily’s cheek, his fingertip sliding past her temple.

Emily turned over, curling into his embrace like a cat, quickly falling back into slumber.

Louis didn’t indulge too long in warmth; he gently lifted the quilt, getting out of bed.

The steam from the hot springs hovered near his feet, the warmth beneath imperceptible to cold as he stepped on the tiled floor.

He donned his robe, walked to the window, and pushed open a slice of the view.

Gazing at the distant mountains shrouded in white mist, he lifted his hand, his fingertip lightly tapping the air.

A semi-transparent light screen quietly unfolded before him, a stream of cerulean blue light flowed upward, accompanied by a soft hum. The familiar interface loaded, a line of text flickered before his eyes:

[Daily Intelligence Update Complete]

[1: Duchess Alina is pregnant. Expected to birth a son for Duke Edmund in ten months.]

[2: The grain crops in Red Tide Territory have matured, with the peak of autumn harvest expected in four days.]

[3: The Snow Swearer warrior Takalin tried to escape from Nest control three days ago, died in the valley while covering for his son.]

[4: His son "Aik" failed to escape, frozen to death outside Dongxi Ridge this morning.]

Upon seeing the first few words of the first item, Louis froze, one corner of his mouth twitching.

"...Ha?"

He stared at that piece of intelligence for a good while, finally sighing softly, sitting down in a chair while massaging his brows.

"I’m young, strong, diligently toiling day by day, yet the first to bloom and bear fruit... unexpectedly is my father-in-law?"

But he had to admit, he was quite happy for them.

After all, given Duke Edmund’s current age, this was probably his only and last son.

He would be the future Duke Edmund, the titular Lord of the North, the focus of all Northern Lords.

Louis, regarding this father-in-law, of course, harbored thoughts of "supplanting him".

But now wasn’t the time; he estimated it would take at least decades, or possibly his son could achieve it.

"There are still many games to play in the future... Let this child warm up the stage as the ’Little Duke’ first."

He snapped his fingers, continuing to scroll down.

The crops in Red Tide Territory were maturing, heralding the arrival of the autumn harvest.

The text on the light screen was brief, but in Louis’s eyes, it was good news gilded with gold.

The geothermal system in Red Tide Territory wasn’t just for show; ever since the hot spring circulation system was fully integrated into agricultural irrigation, he knew this year’s harvest wouldn’t be poor.

What’s more, there had been an influx of people this year, and newly cultivated lands had multiplied several times.

If all went well, this year’s grain yield would be at least four to five times more than last year’s.

He couldn’t help but recall Mike gleefully reporting a few days ago, "Lord, we’ll have a bountiful harvest this year! The warehouses won’t be enough soon!"

The smile was as joyful as if he had heard his wife had given birth to triplets.

And now indeed was the moment to deliver on that report.

Louis knew well that it’s not just about the grains.

The winters in the North had always been one of the toughest adversaries, and this year, with the Nest and Insect Swarm added...

This winter, the Northern Territory undoubtedly would not fare easy.

"All of these rely on grain defense," Louis sighed lightly, rubbing his temples.

Grain was not only for getting through the winter; it was also the second weapon in war.

The army’s provisions, the populace’s food, horses’ fodder, logistical reserves...

These were no less significant than steel and knights.

"Winning wars has never been about weapons alone. Also, those rye breads that one can bite into. I must see it first-hand come harvest day."

Then his peripheral vision caught sight of the third item, and then the fourth.

Which made his body, initially leaning back against the chair’s backrest, suddenly sit up straight.

Since the last battle with the "experimental Nest",

The Nest seemed to have utterly gone into hiding beneath the ice layer, with no new clues surfacing.

Not only was there no gain from daily intelligence, but even the Mage Forest, Governor’s Mansion, and those towering investigation agencies had returned empty-handed these days without discoveries.

This could only mean one thing, it was hidden deep enough, well enough, exceeding all their expectations.

Yet now there was a piece of intelligence directly related to the Nest.

Although it was just a brief record of a warrior’s escape, beneath the information hid immense possibilities.

"Takalin..." he muttered the name, frowning, "The Nest can control living people? How did he break free from control? Mind restoration? Or... the Nest’s power is insufficient to control the human brain."

More importantly, the fourth piece of intelligence.

"That child, Aik," he murmured to himself.

He was dead, perished in the wasteland outside Dongxi Ridge.

And according to the description, this child was likely an escapee from the Snow Swearer stronghold with the Nest.

This means he knew where the Nest was.

Even though he was already dead, but...

Louis’s eyes suddenly flashed with an idea, he suddenly remembered someone.

"Eduardo," he murmured his third brother’s name.

Eduardo had once shown him a rare ability, the ability to trace back the memories of the deceased.

To glimpse into the last memory fragments of a deceased individual before their soul completely dissipated.

Once this idea formed, it couldn’t be suppressed anymore.

What seemed insignificant now transformed into a pivotal clue capable of "turning the tide of battle".

He immediately took up his pen, swiftly writing a secret letter.

Upon completion, he walked towards a metal birdcage beside the bookshelf, inside which stood a Black Feathered Gale Bird.

This bird wasn’t his, but was left by Eduardo when he left Red Tide Territory, specifically to contact him.

Louis opened the cage door, and the Gale Bird seemed to have sensed something, flapping its wings and perching on his shoulder.

He inserted the secret letter into the small tube attached to its leg, whispering, "Go find your master."

The Black Feathered Gale Bird seemed to understand, suddenly taking flight, leaving behind a sound slicing through the air.

Louis looked up, watching the black figure gradually disappear, vanishing into the high sky.