"That's right." Louis's expression was firm, "In the past, it was given by me; now it's a clear system."

"In the future, this list of benefits will be the recruitment order of the Red Tide Army. Active knights will feel more at ease when they see it, and knights from other territories will be tempted."

Louis put away the manuscript and smiled slightly. "Lambert, the Red Tide Territory no longer relies on slogans or sentiments.

The Red Tide Territory aims to sustain people with systems, bind hearts with honor, and feed loyalty with benefits."

Lambert watched Louis articulating the plan eloquently, but an indescribable emotion stirred in his heart.

He remembered the boy who used to secretly imitate moves at the edge of the swordsmanship field, falling down and getting back up on his own, gritting his teeth without uttering a word.

Now this child can articulate military systems, decentralization, incentives, and rewards, discussing a thousand-strong knight order as if it were second nature, even surpassing the Imperial Capital's generals.

He said he wanted his followers to share the glory, and now each of those earliest knights who followed has risen, has land, and has people to lead. Even he... has become the president of the Red Tide Legion.

Lambert lowered his eyes and said nothing.

In fact, he could completely stay in the Southern Territory, stay with his family, continue being a praised high-tier knight without having to endure snow and eat salted meat in this godforsaken place. But he was just not reconciled.

He wanted to gamble on his future, bet on a nearly impossible future—whether this young lord could defy fate and truly lead his own army.

As it turned out, he did it.

A surge of intense emotions roiled within him, but Lambert suppressed it, merely tightening his fist imperceptibly.

The wind blew past the edges of the draft paper in the pavilion. He glanced down at those terms and suddenly felt that the back of this Viscount of the North in front of him was more reliable than any honor.

......

Leaving the training field, Louis returned to the administrative office of Red Tide Castle.

The familiar thick wooden door gently opened, and the rich scent of pine and paper and ink wafted through the air.

The warmth from the fireplace lingered in the air. He took off his cloak and hung it aside, summoning an attendant to call for Bradley.

After a short while, the old butler walked in steadily, holding the newly compiled spring plowing plan from the archives.

"Take a seat, Bradley." Louis rubbed his temples and placed a stack of newly revised blueprints on the table, "We need to discuss the renovation plan for the Red Tide Territory."

Bradley nodded, his gaze steady on those sketches.

"These are some of my preliminary ideas. You can take a look first, but..." Louis tapped his fingers on the table lightly, his tone shifting slightly.

"It's not the time for big moves right now. It's spring plowing season, which is the most critical recovery period for the entire Northern Territory; we can't delay the overall situation for personal reasons."

Bradley offered no rebuttal, only quietly nodding, waiting for him to continue.

"So let's start with some basic preparations," Louis took a red pen and circled several places on the blueprint, "First, dismantle those temporary shelters built during the winter disaster to free up land; then, as planned, start building the basic city walls around Red Tide City, and mark the boundaries."

Bradley opened the city wall construction blueprint, initially glancing over it instinctively, then his movement suddenly halted.

He silently turned the second page, the third, and the more he looked, the tighter his brow furrowed—not out of dissatisfaction, but shock.

This size design... it wasn't just for a defensive structure, it aimed directly at the specifications of a "prosperous city-state."

"...Is this planning to build a city?" he murmured.

He instinctively looked up at Louis.

In the past, he might have thought this was just a young lord's whimsical idea, but the years of accumulation in Red Tide, the precise resource allocation, and Louis's ability to break barriers without a sound.

He suddenly realized: this matter isn't an unreachable fantasy.

If according to these blueprints it really gets built...

Then Red Tide City will undoubtedly become the most prosperous and stable city in the Northern Territory.

Bradley put down the blueprint, his tone as steady as ever, yet involuntarily carrying a sense of solemnity:

"...If we proceed with this plan, resource allocation shouldn't be a problem."

He said, adding a line:

"You're not just building a territory... you're creating a future, a future belonging to the Northern Territory."

Louis merely smiled, his tone relaxed as if speaking of a spring excursion.

"It's just a concept for now," he said, his tone calm, as if unwilling to speak too heavily, "The city hasn't even started construction, just a few pages of drawings, it's too early to talk about the future."

He shrugged slightly, leaning back in his chair with a nonchalant yet subtly confident appearance.

Bradley gazed at the blueprint, then looked at the expression on Louis's face.

It was a sort of calmness that was hard to describe, not ostentatious, not impassioned, nor deliberately inspiring, yet impossible to ignore.

He suddenly realized that even though it was just a concept on paper, this young man had already encompassed the entire situation in his control, steadily, transforming ideals into reality step by step.

Bradley felt a slight, indescribable tremor in his heart.

This young one... has he really come this far?

He lowered his eyes, masking his emotions, and replied in a solemn voice:

"I'll make arrangements at once."

As his words fell, the old butler stood up, his expression returning to normal.

But in the short few steps to the door, his back inexplicably carried a touch of solemnity.

Louis watched him leave, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, a series of plans and processes rapidly flipping and assembling in his mind.

He knew clearly that the true Red Tide City was only just beginning.

After finishing the urgent tasks of the city wall baseline, refugee camp removal, and other matters, Louis exhaled lightly, closed the file, and rubbed his slightly sore wrist.

"That's all for now."

Outside the castle, dusk had begun to settle, faintly carrying the sounds of the marketplace closing for the day.

The Red Tide Territory remained orderly as usual, but the steps ahead were prepared to advance further north.

The vein located deep within the Snow Peak was the next strategic cornerstone mapped out in his mind months ago.

Now that spring plowing was steadily on track, it was time to set off.

Returning to his bedroom, Emily was already waiting by the fireplace.

She wore a light golden gown, covered with a thin cloak, sitting properly, but unable to hide the reluctance in her eyes.

"Leaving tomorrow?" she asked softly.

"Yes." Louis walked over, knelt down to adjust her dress, and held her hand, "I have to go there personally. The terrain is complex and the veins unstable; reports alone won't do."

Emily said nothing, only held his hand tighter.

"But," Louis smiled, his eyes softening, "Once the spring plowing is stable, you can come over. Then we can continue in a new environment."

Emily blushed, couldn't help but lightly hit him, but finally rested her head on his shoulder.

Louis lowered his head and kissed her forehead, "Get a good night's sleep tonight; I'll leave tomorrow."

And so, in that gentle night, the two spent their quiet time before parting.

Until the next morning, the knight order was assembled, and Louis donned a cloak with red patterns, mounted his horse, and headed north.

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