Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 485 - 302: Mary’s Observations and Experiences (Part 2)

Chapter 485: Chapter 302: Mary’s Observations and Experiences (Part 2)

Those nobles often keep the benefits for themselves first, and only the leftovers reach the common people, but here the policy is directly read to everyone.

An official turned to explain to the Marys: “These decrees will be posted immediately on announcement pillars, so there’s no need to worry about information delays.

The distribution of grain, seeds, iron tools, and oxen is public, and the territory will first ensure everyone’s basic needs, then distribute additional rewards based on labor and contribution.”

Behind all this, Mary vaguely realized that this city was quietly accomplishing something amazing:

It was absorbing people. Whether they were refugee drifters, displaced artisans, or merchants from the north and south, the Red Tide Territory was taking them in one by one.

Those with strength joined the construction teams repairing city walls, opening fields, and paving roads.

Those with skills were sent to workshops, pastures, and pharmaceutical institutions to become “Red Tide mechanics.”

The merchants from the south made a big profit in Silver Coins at the southern market square.

As Mary pondered, the convoy slowly passed the edge of the square, and the outline of a tall building made of wood and stone emerged from the mist.

“That’s the administrative center,” the young official pointed to the tall building, “in the future, if you have any problems such as housing, registration, allocation, or education, all these will be registered and handled here.”

Mary looked up to see a majestic three-story building, with its exterior walls of blue-grey stone and cedar interlaced, and window sills inlaid with dark gold trim, the front engraved with the crest of the Red Tide Sun.

In front of the building, officials in uniform red robes, holding documents, walked briskly with a focused demeanor.

There was no idle chatter, no chaos, and the occasional whispered conversation was just to verify information.

The young official’s voice carried a hint of pride: “Our Red Tide Territory isn’t very big yet, but the administrative system is already in place.

Registration, military preparation, farming, education, and workshop allocation, each has someone in charge, and every decision and each resource allocation is written on the announcement, accessible to all.”

Here, the Red Tide Knights maintained order, workers busily carried on construction, and the officials in the administrative center were ceaselessly active.

So many people, yet the air held no chaos, only a reassuring sense of order.

Mary closed her eyes, her mind conjuring up the rumors she had heard before departing from Frost Halberd City.

“Red Tide Territory? That place was just a wasteland a few years ago without a decent lord.”

“I heard there are often wild beasts there, not even fields.”

“There? It’s just a ghost place, a gathering of exiles and paupers.”

But what about now?

There were city walls, a square, a school, and a market here.

There were complete roads and bustling crowds.

There was an order that made the people smile in peace, and a guarantee for refugees to survive.

“Is this really… a wilderness?” Mary’s gaze subconsciously lifted to the horizon, where the Red Tide’s massive waves of the sun fluttered in the wind.

She thought of that young lord who, in just a few years, managed to transform this once-desolate land into a city more livable than Frost Halberd City.

She wasn’t the only one thinking this; her fellow travelers from the Broken Blade Knight Order also shared similar thoughts, yet what they saw was just the tip of the iceberg of Red Tide.

The convoy slowly headed south, gradually departing from the bustling southern square.

The noise gradually faded, replaced by a peaceful and expansive neighborhood.

Through the window, Mary’s eyes were suddenly drawn to a strange spectacle.

It was a neatly divided residential area, with Red Tide-style dome houses side by side, their external walls in alternating shades of deep gray, dark red, and dim gold, both solemn and warm.

Unlike the dilapidated stone-wood houses of Frost Halberd City, these dome houses were half-buried below the surface,

with eaves curving gently, like a natural extension,

a few strands of morning mist entwining the snowy eaves, reflecting a layer of almost dreamy brilliance.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take a look.” The young official urged his horse forward, unable to hide his pride, his voice slightly higher.

It was as if he were showcasing the Red Tide Territory’s proudest achievement to them.

“This is the third batch of housing completed last year, using double-layer insulated walls and a geothermal circulation heating system, ensuring a constant indoor temperature even when the mountains are covered in snow. You will live here in the future.”

As his words fell, a low murmur of amazement arose in the carriage.

“Oh my… is this really the Red Tide Territory’s residential area?” The knight’s wife, Arlene, sitting across, couldn’t help but cover her mouth, her eyes full of disbelief.

Her slender fingers clutched tightly to the edge of the window, as if only then could she confirm that the view before her was real.

Some younger family members couldn’t contain themselves any longer, leaning out halfway, craning their necks to look.

Their headscarves fluttered gently in the morning breeze, even as their ears were reddened by the cold, none of them retreated.

“Are these really the houses allotted to us?”

An elderly woman sitting in the corner of the carriage spoke in a trembling voice, afraid she might awaken from this wonderful dream.

“Or is it… just for show? Can we really live here?”

The atmosphere suddenly grew lively, and it was clear the young official enjoyed this reaction, continuing to add: “Each dome house comes with an independent kitchen, two-level living quarters, winter geothermal subsidy, and hot water insulation barrels. The lord once said…”

He paused slightly, lowering his voice to imitate Louis: “The knights fight hard on the frontlines, so their families should live better than others.”

This sentence flowed like a warm current into Mary’s heart.

She hugged little Yini tightly, her nose tingling slightly, yet she couldn’t utter a word.

The wheels rolled over the green stone pavement, emitting a low, muffled rumble.

Finally, the convoy gently stopped on a wide and straight main street. The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and the light golden sunlight fell through the clouds, illuminating the dark gray domes with a soft halo.

At the street entrance, Bradley was already waiting there.

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone.” He bent slightly, paying his respects, “The houses have been allotted. Please follow the reception officer to complete your settlement arrangements one by one.”

Mary looked up and saw behind Bradley, a dozen young civil servants already lined up on both sides, wearing uniform dark red robes with the same Red Tide sun crest embroidered on their cuffs.

This was an order and sense of ceremony they had never seen in Frost Halberd City.

The civil servants quickly came forward, guiding each family off the carriages, verifying the rosters one by one.

“Smith Knight Commander’s family? Please follow me.”

Receiving them was a young official with a bright demeanor. He held a stack of neatly-documented registries, turning pages as he explained to them:

“This is the third batch of dome house area, every house connected to the geothermal cycle. Winter room temperatures can be maintained at around eighteen degrees, so you and your children will no longer have to worry about the cold.”

His words carried a hint of pride between his eyebrows and eyes, as if he were introducing his own home, not just an ordinary residence.

“Additionally, each household will receive an initial settlement subsidy, including food, cured meat, and fifty Gold Coins. If further resources are needed later, you can claim them at the unified distribution office in the administrative center using your registration.”

Mary listened quietly until the moment she received that silk-wrapped money pouch, the weight in her palm giving her a sense of reality.

Following the official to their allocated house, as the door opened, a warm breath enveloped them.

The fire in the hearth leapt, casting its glow warmly on the wooden walls.

A wooden staircase wound upward, leading to a spacious second floor.

Cotton and linen curtains hung from the window sills, beds neatly made, and in the corner, clay pots with a few dry flowers, silently welcoming them.

Mary stepped lightly through the threshold with Yini in her arms, the thick carpet beneath her feet soft and comforting, as if the entire ground were whispering a soothing sound to her weary nerves.

Her husband Smith soon arrived, stopping in his tracks as he entered, speechless for a long time.

He slowly surveyed the room, silence marking his gaze until it finally rested on Mary and their daughter.

It seemed an eternity before he murmured: “Are we… living here?”

Mary pressed her lips together and slowly nodded.

She heard in her heart a “thud,” releasing some unresolved burden that had been suspended for too long.