The aroma of grilled fish permeated the air.
The women carried plates of freshly cooked fish.
The townspeople sat together, holding freshly grilled fish, eating and chatting, occasionally bursting into laughter.
"To our great lord!" someone shouted out.
Everyone raised their glasses excitedly, echoing, "To our great lord!"
Glasses clinked, and laughter filled the air.
Louis, sitting at the head, watched all of this, and couldn't help but smile.
Compared to the hidden battles at the nobles' banquets in the South, he preferred laughing, singing, and dancing around the bonfire with the common townspeople here.
Perhaps it was the influence of alcohol, Louis casually took the xylophone handed to him by a knight.
His slender fingers plucked the strings, releasing a series of clear notes, as he sang a simple tune from his homeland (Earth):
"Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me... forever bless my homeland."
The square instantly fell silent, everyone held their breath to listen, as if transported to that faraway place.
When the last note fell, cheers erupted like a tidal wave!
"One more song!" someone led the shout.
"The Lord sings so well!"
"One more song!"
"A toast to the Lord!"
The whole square joined in the clamor, even the most reserved knights couldn't help but laugh.
Louis shook his head and chuckled, casually picking up a piece of grilled fish and taking a bite, letting the merriment and laughter drift through the night air.
......
The next day, when Louis woke up, daylight had already spilled through the gap in the curtains, and the air still held the remnant smoke of last night's bonfire.
"... Probably drank a bit too much." He rubbed his temples and sighed tiredly.
He usually woke up before dawn to practice the breathing technique and cultivate fighting energy.
But last night was so joyous that it led to an unusually late morning today.
He instinctively reached out to the side to confirm the other half of the bed was empty before he sighed with relief.
Thankfully, no mistakes were made.
After washing up, Louis sat cross-legged on the bed, took a deep breath, and began to practice the "Tidal Breathing Technique."
The fighting energy flowed slowly through the veins, but Louis could clearly feel its stagnation.
Still at that bottleneck, a mid-tier Official Knight, unable to advance.
Dammit, when will I be able to break through?
Even though I've been training with the strictest regimen, my aptitude is too mediocre.
Relying solely on training to advance in rank is much harder for me than for others.
If only I could find something similar to the Northern Crystal Cod again...
Useless intelligence system, give me something good.
He thought helplessly, as he opened the intelligence system to see if there was anything noteworthy updated today.
[1: After the feast, the Agricultural Official Mike proposed to Tania and succeeded.]
[2: The Icefield young wolf, Leng Feng, defeated all the young wolves raised in Red Tide Territory and became their Alpha.]
[3: The former Cold Moon Tribe Little Princess, Sif, fled to Red Tide Territory. She is starving and freezing and unconscious on the prairie and will be attacked by a Frosty White Bear at 5 PM.]
The first piece of intelligence made him raise an eyebrow slightly, Mike, that old guy, actually found love again?!
This Agricultural Official spent his days with dirt, always thinking about optimizing land and increasing yield.
Who knew he would quietly handle such a big matter.
Tania, he remembered this woman, was a widow from the indigenous community, in her early thirties with three children, resilient and capable.
Mike managing to win her over was quite a surprise.
"Hmm, that's something to celebrate, looks like Red Tide Territory's population will be increasing by a few more." He shook his head with a light laugh, happy for his old comrade.
The second piece of news met his expectations.
Leng Feng lived up to expectations, standing out among the young wolves and becoming the Alpha!
Louis had confidence in him from the beginning.
After all, this young wolf naturally had a certain untamed regal demeanor.
Whether it was its physique, demeanor, or gaze, it was different from other young Icefield wolves, becoming the leader of the pack was almost inevitable.
"Very good." Louis nodded in satisfaction, "This is the war wolf I chose."
However, when his gaze fell on the third piece of intelligence, his smile vanished instantly.
The Cold Moon Tribe's Little Princess, Sif?
Fled to Red Tide Territory?
This piece of intelligence made Louis's heart sink.
Regarding intelligence about the Cold Moon Tribe, the Daily Intelligence System had always been sending him updates.
Since the old chieftain's death, the tribe had fallen into complete chaos.
The old chieftain's family was purged, the elder council lost its authority, and the leaders drew in their own forces, with factional fights worsening...
If one phrase could describe it, it would be:
The entire Cold Moon Tribe was in complete disarray.
But even so, Louis never thought the Cold Moon Tribe's Little Princess would flee to Red Tide Territory and end up unconscious.
The most pressing issue is, at 5 PM, she will be the Frosty White Bear's dinner!
"What to do with this mess?" Louis rubbed his brow and sighed.
Louis had only two choices before him—
To save her, or not to save her.
He pondered for a long time, gently tapping his fingers on the table.
Not save her?
After all, the matters of the Cold Moon Tribe are immensely complicated, and Sif's emergence could potentially bring a series of unknown troubles.
Besides, she's already unconscious on the prairie. By 5 PM, she'd become the Frosty White Bear's dinner, and there would be no further connections to deal with.
But in the end, Louis decided to step in.
Firstly, since Sif had already fled near Red Tide Territory, it meant she had distanced herself from the power struggles of the Cold Moon Tribe, reducing the risk in rescuing her.
Secondly, although he wasn't a saint, his genuine values wouldn't let him stand by.
An innocent little girl, regardless of her identity, if he had the ability to save her, he couldn't simply watch her die.
Otherwise, his conscience would never be at ease.
Thirdly, despite the idea being far-fetched and unrealistic.
What if one day his strength was sufficient, and he could use Sif's name to subdue the Cold Moon Tribe?
Of course, for now, considering these things was premature.
Overall, based on reason, kindness, and even a little bit of fantasy, Louis made the decision—to rescue her!
"Lambert." Louis called for his Guardian Knight.
Lambert quickly entered, respectfully lowering his head, "Lord?"
"I want to go hunting, have people prepare," Louis said casually.
Lambert froze slightly, looking surprised at the Lord.
Since coming to Red Tide Territory, this young lord had been busy with territorial affairs from morning till night.
Let alone hunting, he didn't even have time for a morning stroll, yet today he suddenly had a keen interest in going hunting?
As a qualified attendant, Lambert didn't ask much, just nodded and replied, "Understood, I'll arrange hunters and knights."