And the most precious of all is, of course, the blue-silver crystal cut from the crystal spine on its back, containing immense energy, a top-tier material for alchemy and magic.

Louis used those few pieces of crystal back then to make a Magic Explosion Bullet.

He still remembers the moment it detonated, the air-shattering explosion, that instantly turned hundreds of Snow Swearers to ash.

"...One of the best core materials for a Magic Explosion Bullet." He tapped a place name on the intelligence report with his fingertip, a smile at the corner of his mouth, yet his expression sharp as a blade.

Moreover, Red Tide Territory is no longer what it used to be, with Frost Leaf Vine potion and a well-trained Beast Knights Order, it has long been capable of capturing and taming Ice Armor Bears at scale.

This isn't prey, it's an opportunity.

In his mind, he quickly pulled up a list of candidates, deployment routes, and taming trial plans, even which alchemists to partake appeared in his thoughts.

Then the second item: Titus controlling an Ice Frost Giant using the main vine of Burning Pain Vine Court...

Louis' gaze sharpened, the joyful smile hanging at his mouth froze instantly.

"Ice Frost Giant..." Louis squinted his eyes, his voice barely audible.

It's not like he hasn't encountered such monsters, in fact, he has slaughtered them.

They are strong, extremely strong, but dumb. As long as you have brains, they're not too difficult to handle.

But what if they're no longer dumb?

What if Ice Frost Giants had command, tactics, cooperation...

And the one making this possible is that barbarian, increasingly resembling a "new king"—Titus.

This name has appeared more and more frequently in intelligence over the past few months.

From the initial barbarian chief, to gradually integrating the four great clans: Broken Axe, Red Rock, Blazing Fang, and Black Horn, with forces exceeding ten thousand, military discipline shaping up instead.

This gradually made him anxious, and now... added a few more layers of genuine threat.

Louis leaned back on the chair, exhaling a breath of white air.

"This is no ordinary barbarian unrest..."

He realizes that if Titus truly mastered the method of controlling giants, it is tantamount to having an active battering ram, a force resource not restricted by conventional combat techniques.

If these Ice Frost Giants were to be controlled in batches, the Northern Territory may well face a real "war trample."

He knows he'll have to carve out some time for studying countermeasures.

What is more dangerous is the name behind it: Burning Pain Vine Court.

His pupils contracted slightly, his mind quickly surging with past collected fragments of information from the system.

Burning Pain Vine Court... isn't recorded in the known Mage Forest magical canon, nor like conventional curses or witchcraft.

It seems more like a kind of eroding magical ecology, possibly a kind of organism, or perhaps something between a plant and a curse...

Somewhat similar to Nest... he even suspected if it was something researched by that Desperate Witch.

His expression completely darkened.

If even giants can be tamed, then... who's next to be infected?

Will there come a day when the entire "new barbarian race," driven by anger and madness, sweeps over Red Tide's borders, along with those magical monsters?

This thought briefly chilled Louis' gaze for a moment.

Can't wait until that day to act. Must prepare an emergency plan in advance.

Only himself isn't enough.

He's already written in advance to Duke Edmund, selectively reporting some of the intelligence he's "accidentally obtained."

Choosing words carefully, emphasizing warning the other to heighten vigilance, and reinforce defenses.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in mere seconds.

Then Louis' gaze swiftly shifted to the third piece of intelligence.

"Emily is pregnant. Expected to give birth to a son for Louis Calvin in ten months."

At that moment, the icy chill was seemingly dispersed by the spring breeze.

His mind went blank, then he suddenly sprang up from the bed, his voice filled with disbelief yet overflowing with joy: "I'm going to be a father?!"

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