Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 496 - 307: Unifying the Red Tide
Chapter 496: Chapter 307: Unifying the Red Tide
“Have you heard? The Red Tide Territory attacked Viscount Zachariah’s land.”
“What? Did they resort to violence over territorial exchanges? That’s too excessive… Are they rebelling?”
Upon hearing the news, the entire nobility circle in the Southeast of the Northern Territory was shaken.
In council halls and reception rooms, hushed discussions spread like wildfire.
“Even for the Red Tide Territory, such behavior is too reckless.”
“Who dares negotiate with them now? Today it’s Zachariah; tomorrow will it be me?”
Quite a few people began crafting anonymous letters to the Imperial Capital.
The letters were filled with accusations of “forcible land seizure,” “military threats,” and “violating imperial agreements.”
Doubt, fear, anger… quietly grew between the nobles and traders.
The prestige of the Red Tide Territory seemed to be teetering on the edge of collapse.
Until the Red Tide Territory publicly displayed the remnants left from the war.
Corpses were carried outside the city, the remnants of the Snow Swearer soldiers, their arms faintly showing the Snow Swear mark.
At the same time, there were fragments of a broken statue taken from an altar.
Viscount Zachariah worshipped an Evil God in secret, even using live sacrifices as a summoning medium.
Thus, before the anonymous letters were sent, they were burned to ashes.
“… So that’s how it is.”
“To collude with the remnants of the Old Snow Country and worship an Evil God…”
“The Red Tide has done an incredible deed.”
Public opinion reversed instantly, the direction totally changed.
People no longer discussed the “territorial exchange conflict,” only the “Evil God’s infiltration,” and the “Northern threat.”
After all, exterminating the Snow Swearer was absolute political correctness in the North, no one dared to object.
When more intelligence was exposed, the entire Southeast noble circle exploded.
Viscount Zachariah, cloaked in a tattered noble cape, was pressed back to Red Tide City by five Broken Blade Knights, his face devoid of his usual pride, replaced by hollow madness after the frenzy.
He soon “gave up” a list of nobles connected to Evil God rituals.
Mostly those frontier nobles who, after the insect disaster, took advantage of the chaos to gather Snow Swearer remnants.
The interior regions were cleared in batches by the Red Tide Territory’s knight order.
For external areas, Louis sent the list to the prefect of the respective county, suggesting cooperative handling.
Then, the Red Tide Court sentenced the Zachariah family to extermination for worshipping the Evil God, concealing Snow Swearer remnants, and conducting live sacrifices.
The judgment was led by the Red Tide Law Office, with no defense, no hearing, and no pardon.
Even his youngest illegitimate offspring did not escape.
Other nobles who worshipped the Evil God and harbored Snow Swearers met similar fates.
Their lands were to be taken over and rebuilt by the Red Tide.
Nobles across the Southeast, whether involved with the Evil God or connected to Snow Swearers, suddenly became anxious when the news spread.
For a while, the Red Tide administrative office received a large number of “voluntary land exchange applications.”
Surprisingly, even some innocent nobles unrelated to the incident were among them.
They weren’t hiding anything; it was just…
“Who knows? What if that lord thinks I ’might have issues’?”
“Exchange land early, put worries to rest, save the trouble of sleepless nights…”
The nobles were well aware of the Red Tide’s speed, the completeness of evidence, the severity of suppression, leaving no room for explanation or negotiation.
Anyone still insisting at this point must be utterly foolish.
As for those land exchange applications?
Louis didn’t bother inspecting the underlying motives, leaving it to his subordinates to archive and process.
Regardless of innocence, since they voluntarily approached, he’d accept them all.
Thus, under thunderous tactics and iron-blooded authority, Louis gathered almost all the lands he wanted without obstacle.
On the Southeast Northern Territory map, the once incomplete Red Tide domain, fragmented by black territories, finally united as one, resembling a new era’s battle flag.
……
Red Tide Main City · Council Hall.
The afternoon light poured from the dome, quietly illuminating the newly drawn giant map.
A complete map of the Southeast Northern Territory unfolded on the council hall’s main wall, with Red Tide City at its center, crimson borders extending like vines, encircling dozens of territories, forming a solid whole.
Only at the edge were some blue spots embedded like scars in the red sea, representing affiliated noble lands not yet officially annexed but having signed cooperation agreements.
At this point, the Red Tide was no longer a frontier survivor but a giant in the fractured Northern Territory.
Inside the meeting hall, the long table spanned the hall.
In the central seat, Louis sat quietly, all eyes naturally focused on him.
Officials had taken their seats, expressions varied, but none were distracted.
They all were the backbone of the current Red Tide political system.
Bradley, the old steward of the Calvin Clan, now overseeing all of Red Tide’s internal affairs, held a rock-solid position.
Lambert, Louis’s former Guardian Knight, now a Middle Tier Extraordinary Knight and commander of Red Tide’s military affairs, wielding control over thousands of Red Tide troops.
Inspector Erin, the only female knight among those who accompanied Louis north, loyal only to Louis, wielding power to oversee and purge corruption, an official’s most feared cold-faced adjudicator.
And Director Mike of the Craftsmanship Bureau, Director Desland of the Trade Bureau, Agricultural Bureau official Helena (Director Mike now stationed in Mai Lang Territory responsible for agricultural expansion)…
These names were all selected as loyal followers who chose to support Louis in the early days.
Most came from ordinary backgrounds but possessed exceptional talents discovered by Louis through the Daily Intelligence System, allowing for extraordinary promotion.
