Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 701 - 395: A Small Incident Before the Meeting (2)

Chapter 701: Chapter 395: A Small Incident Before the Meeting (2)

At this time, it was just a few days before the reconstruction meeting, and various noble and family representatives were arriving one after another, the long convoy forming a gray-white line in the snow.

But as they stepped through the city gates, it was as if the world had been sliced in half.

Outside was a barren wasteland with bone-chilling winds and snow up to the ankles, while inside was a rising heat, like an iron city breathing on the snowfield.

Those varied Lords, Nobles, and family representatives froze in their expressions as they dismounted and saw the scene before them.

Beneath their feet was not mud, not permafrost, but a smooth gray-black road that could reflect shadows.

On both sides of the road, magic-powered street lamps were neatly lit, and inside the lampshades, the alchemical light cores flickered steadily, making the whole city seem to breathe awake at night.

These weren’t the expensive crystal lamps found in noble halls, but reliable, cold-resistant public lighting produced in bulk by the Red Tide Workshop, and their sheer quantity made quite a few nobles unconsciously swallow.

Further away, a towering iron tower slowly exhaled white mist.

Steam rose into the night sky, making one mistake it for a blurry white moon hanging under Frost Halberd City’s sky. That was the heating tower. The entire district’s geothermal and steam circulation flowed from there, keeping the harsh winter at bay.

“This… is Frost Halberd City?” Someone exclaimed.

Frost Halberd City had turned to scorched earth after the Nest Battle, and almost no one believed it could be rebuilt in just a few years, nor did anyone anticipate it would become such a… monstrous city.

In a flash, the nobles from various regions divided themselves into three distinct groups, each with a completely different reaction.

Nobles from the Red Tide faction walked at the forefront.

Their clothing was the latest craft from the Red Tide Textile Factory, with a soft sheen and excellent warmth, the styles even beginning to mimic urban trends from the Jade Federation.

Each person stood with a straight back, their steps brisk, as if they had finally walked into their own territory.

Some quietly boasted about last week’s Red Tide dividend, others discussed the soon-to-launch new-style heater, while more simply began each sentence with “Lord Louis,” their tone unconcealed pride.

They walked with a high profile not out of recklessness but because every street, every lamp in this city reminded those around them that they had bet on the right person.

Another group appeared much more reserved.

These were the regretful ones, dressed in the finest outfits they could find in their territories, but standing next to the Red Tide faction nobles, the coarseness of their fabric, the ill-fitting cuts and dull colors were all exposed.

They clustered tightly together, whispering about how to “reconnect with the Red Tide.”

Some cautiously glanced towards the castle, their eyes filled with probing and timidity, their steps neither too quick nor too slow, as if every step was on thin ice.

The last group was silent like shadows; these were the old nobles who were merely spectators.

They came to Frost Halberd City with a critical mindset, some even wanting to see whether the so-called Red Tide miracle was genuine or not.

But as they traveled along, Frost Halberd City’s scale and warmth were like hammer blows, shattering their arrogance.

A gray-haired Viscount looked up at the distant brightly lit giant tower slowly exhaling warmth, his chest tightening.

“Duke Edmund… wasn’t even like this back then,” he murmured softly, but no one replied.

Because they all understood this city was not a reproduction of the Edmund era; it was bigger, more advanced.

Louis Calvin was not rebuilding the Northern Territory; he was rewriting it.

And facing this new order, these Lords accustomed to the old ways had only two choices:

Either integrate or be crushed.

…

In the high-end lounge of Frost Halberd City’s guesthouse, the air was warm as spring, but fine snow floated outside the window.

Inside, the furnishings were luxurious, with magic crystal wall lamps casting gentle light, isolating it from the harsh cold of the Northern Territory.

Morkan lounged in the soft chair, looking rather pleased.

He dressed especially handsomely today, donning a sable-collared cloak, silver-buckled boots, and even scented himself with noble balm.

All to display the Morkan family’s confidence to other wavering middle and small nobles.

Three or four nobles around him held cups of Red Tide special tea, outwardly smiling but their eyes shared the same slightly sour sentiment.

“Lord Louis certainly made quite a fuss; entering the city required queuing and identity verification. Even I, a dignified Lord, was stopped by the guards,” a noble complained in a lowered voice.

“Hmph, but he does have money,” another sipped his tea, mocking with his mouth but hiding envy in his eyes, “I heard those joining Red Tide this year are just raking in profits, and I’m wondering… maybe we should…”

Before he finished, Morkan clapped his cup down, speaking with a self-satisfied teaching tone.

“Soft? If you want to be soft, you can queue up at the City Lord’s Mansion to hand over a confession right now.” Morkan sneered, “But smart people won’t offer their necks for others to collar them.

A kid in his twenties stumbles upon some territory, messing around with fancy devices, and thinks himself the master of the Northern Territory? Without those craftsmen, he wouldn’t even withstand the Northern Territory’s wind.”

He raised a hand pointing towards the snowy direction outside the window: “While we’re drinking tea here, Morkan family’s large caravan is passing through the birch forest pass.”

The nobles perked up.

That was a famously lucrative caravan of the Northern Territory.

Morkan smirked, leaning back in his chair: “The carriage is loaded with high-purity ores. Once it safely reaches the South, the food and gold coins I exchange for will astonish you gentlemen.”