Outside, snowflakes danced in the air, and icy winds howled. The Northern Territory had fully entered the coldest time of the year.

The wind and snow swirled around the tall windows of the Red Tide Earth Tower, forming layers of white frost.

The streets were deserted, with only a knight cloaked in a crimson cape patrolling against the wind and snow, his Fighting Energy surging over his body, transforming into a cold-dispelling crimson glow.

In the distance, a Fire-backed Turtle was securely sleeping, its shell's furnace emitting billows of steam, barely carving out a patch of warmth in the blizzard.

This was the winter of the Northern Territory, colder than enemies, more brutal than the battlefield.

But inside the Red Tide Castle's main hall, the temperature felt like spring.

Within the thick stone walls, geothermal pipes laid for years were still in operation.

Warmth flowed over the castle floors, layers of insulation fabric hung on the walls, and grey-red furnace copper panels emitted a faint glow.

The teapot on the conference table was shrouded in hot mist, the tea fragrant with a slight bitter note of frost leaf herbs.

In the center of the room, Louis sat quietly in the main seat, draped in a military-style black cloak, elbows resting on the table, staring intently at a stack of densely written reports before him, brow tightly furrowed.

Medical casualty statistics, frostbite cases among the refugees, hot soup station operation records, frost leaf herb stock balances...

His expression was grave, silently contemplating.

As he pondered over the medical report, a sudden sound of light footsteps was heard from outside the door.

Emily walked in briskly, wrapped in a thick cloak, a rare, irrepressible smile on her face, her eyes illuminated by a rare winter light.

"Louis!" she exclaimed while removing her gloves, "Good news! Just arrived, Lady Irina has given birth safely! I have a new brother!"

Standing before the table, she exhaled white mist, her eyes full of joy.

Louis lifted his head, his gaze paused, but he wasn't overly surprised.

With Ailina's constitution and Frost Halberd City's medical staff, a successful delivery was only a matter of time.

But he didn't dampen Emily's spirits.

"Really?" he chuckled lightly, nodding, "Then we should congratulate your father."

Saying this, he set down the report in his hands, his tone softened, "Once winter passes, we can go see them."

Emily's eyes glowed even brighter, like a warm lamp lighting up on a snowy night.

"I knew you'd say that." She sat down lightly next to him, her gaze drifting over the densely packed dossiers on the table, her smile slightly restrained, "But seeing your expression... are you shouldering something burdensome you haven't told me about?"

Louis didn't answer immediately, instead picking up the teacup, blowing away the froth, and taking a sip of the somewhat bitter warm tea.

"Just a little winter trouble," he replied softly, his tone calm.

Emily casually picked up a cornered paper from the table, quickly scanning it, her fingers gliding between the paragraphs.

The warmth in her expression soon faded.

"...Frostbite patients have exceeded three thousand, with varying severity; spreading, suspected cases four hundred thirty-two, confirmed sixty-two; the death toll... as of yesterday's count was one hundred and seven."

She silently closed the document.

The wind outside brushed past, gently rattling the window.

Emily didn't utter any comforting phrases like "it's already very good."

She knew well that for the Northern Territory's winter, these numbers were nearly miraculous.

In other territories, where supplies are scarce, and lords have fled, leaving the populace to fend for themselves, tens of thousands of deaths might not even be recorded.

She had seen firsthand refugees elsewhere frozen dead by the roadside, bodies unburied, piled in the snow for the winds and rains to pound.

But she understood even more that Louis wasn't comparing himself with others.

What he cared about wasn't "doing better than others," but "why can't I save more people."

After a moment of silence, Emily walked to his side and gently closed the report, speaking with a warm, firm voice, "Since it's a small trouble, we'll solve it together."

Louis turned to look at her, the heaviness in his eyes seemed to be lifted slightly.

He didn't offer thanks or engage in unnecessary pleasantries, just nodded, a faint yet genuine smile gracing his lips.

"Hmm," he replied.

He appreciated this about Emily; no unnecessary words, no pretenses, no sugarcoating, and unafraid to face the harsh reality.

The two stood side by side before the conference table, facing maps and lists, drafting another set of winter crisis response directives.

...

This winter arrived earlier, more fiercely, and more unreasonably than in previous years.

Outside the Red Tide Territory, snow and wind fell from the sky like an angry tide, raging day and night.

In the refugee zone outside the residential area, the temperature had suddenly dropped below minus twenty degrees, and the permafrost cracked into icy veins that even hooves could audibly snap against.

Although makeshift tents had long been removed, the collective semi-underground houses still appeared oppressive and heavy.

These were winter shelters hastily built by the Red Tide Territory's craftsmen before the first snow.

Constructed with compacted permafrost and stones, sunken walls with roofs covered by ash and straw mats, ensuring a certain level of warmth.

They weren't comfortable homes, but in this Northern Territory ravaged by wind and snow, they were a miracle.

People relied on geothermal warmth, sleeping closely together, sharing blankets, exchanging body heat and the hope to survive.

Though crowded and often mixed with the smell of sweat, it was better than freezing to death in the wind.

Even so, when the true cold of winter descended, all preparations felt insignificant.

On the coldest nights, temperatures plunged to minus twenties, with wind and snow seeping through ventilation gaps, freezing into frost, cold seeping into the bones.

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