"Sigh, if only someone in our territory knew how to prepare Demon Soil."
Louis sat behind his desk, his fingers absentmindedly tapping on the surface, his tone sounding like a casual complaint.
But his gaze occasionally swept towards Hillco, who was sitting at the smaller desk beside him.
Hillco was engrossed in writing, documenting the fish catch and smoked fish production. The dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced than they were last night.
Hearing Louis's complaint, he abruptly stopped writing, pressed his fingers against his temples, and tried hard to clear his mind.
Did he hear wrong?
No, it definitely wasn't an auditory hallucination.
Because this was already the fifth time he heard Louis say this today.
No matter how sleep-deprived he was, he couldn't possibly have hallucinated five times, right?
Hillco's hand paused slightly, finally confirming one thing.
This was a deliberate hint at him!
Making Demon Soil was an entry-level skill for every alchemist.
And of course, he, being an Alchemy Genius, knew how to do it.
But the problem was that he hadn't disclosed this layer of his identity to anyone, at least not in the Red Tide Territory.
So... how did Louis know?
His mind raced, trying to recall if he'd accidentally let something slip at some point.
Or maybe, he simply couldn't hide that aura of an Alchemy Genius?
In the midst of his thoughts, Louis spoke once more, still in that helpless tone: "If only we could make Demon Soil ourselves."
This was the sixth time!
Louis, like a monk chanting scriptures, and Hillco finally couldn't take it anymore.
He took a deep breath and feigned nonchalance, saying, "I know a bit, I learned some at the Church School."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hillco wanted to smack himself.
Who was he kidding? A Church School would never teach how to make Demon Soil!
However, Louis seemed to believe this statement completely, even showing a look of sudden realization.
He asked with interest, "Oh? Is that so? Can you help me then?"
The air in the office fell into a subtle silence.
Did he really believe me?!
Hillco glanced at Louis without showing any emotions.
Louis's expression didn't look like he was fooled at all.
Instead, it looked like a gaze filled with anticipation, as if saying, "You finally admitted it, now hurry and make the Demon Soil."
Hillco: "..."
Of course, Louis knew about Hillco's identity as an Alchemy Apprentice.
The Frost Blood Redberry had to grow in highly acidic soil.
Only then could it efficiently absorb nutrients, making the fruit full and bright red, enhancing Fighting Energy better.
If the soil was neutral or alkaline, the nutrients would be tightly locked, causing the plant to grow poorly, with yellowing leaves, and even failing to bear fruit.
But the problem was, Louis only had a general idea about how to prepare acidic soil, not the specific ratios and methods.
However, he knew who did—Hillco, who was hiding his Alchemy Apprentice identity.
Louis originally wanted to wait for the other to come forward, but the current situation was special, and the cultivation of Frost Blood Redberry couldn't be delayed.
What a pity, today he would have to reveal himself.
Silence spread between the two, the firewood in the fireplace crackling.
Hillco looked down at the ledger on his desk, weighing the pros and cons.
Finally, he sighed slowly, as if finally resigning himself: "I can, but I have one condition, let me rest one day a week."
This time, it was Louis's turn to be silent.
In the current manpower shortage in the Red Tide Territory, it did seem like a bit of a waste of talent, as he hadn't taken a day off all month.
But then again, if Hillco continued working at this intensity, he might suddenly drop dead.
Louis sighed, "Alright, deal."
Hillco then wrote down a list of Demon Soil ingredients for Louis.
Most of the materials could be bought at the market in Frost Halberd City.
But one name caused Louis's gaze to linger for a moment.
Demon Marrow.
"You really dare to ask, don't you?" Louis laughed, looking up at Hillco.
"I just listed according to the most standard proportions," Hillco shrugged, "Of course, you can use substitutes, but the effect might..."
"Without Demon Marrow, the effectiveness of the Demon Soil will be greatly reduced, right?" Louis directly pointed out.
Hillco spread his hands, saying nothing.
Louis rubbed his brow; Demon Marrow was indeed a bit pricey.
The Red Tide Territory did have it, in the mines to the northwest.
But there were some minor difficulties in extracting it.
The technique of extraction was manageable; even with the most basic method, having the locals use pickaxes to knock on the veins could at least get some to make Demon Soil.
However, that wasn't the real problem.
The real issue was, according to the intelligence system, several Frost Giants had been frequently roaming near the mining area since spring.
Frost Giants, one of the most troublesome demons in the Northern Territory!
They usually inhabit extremely cold regions, with huge bodies, immense strength, and skin as hard as ice, making it difficult for ordinary weapons to inflict effective damage.
What's more troublesome is that they can manipulate cold air, creating chilling storms that slow enemies and even freeze them to death.
Previously, Louis hadn't hurried to deal with this issue.
On one hand, Red Tide Territory was in the development phase, focusing on agriculture and production, leaving no time to deal with the mines.
On the other hand, the mining area was far from residential areas, and the giants posed no real threat to the territory.
Additionally, at that time, they had little understanding of Frost Giants, and acting rashly would have been too risky.
So he only dispatched a few knights to observe them in hiding to gather more intelligence.
But now, the situation was different.
In recent months, the intelligence system had gradually provided some information about the weaknesses of Frost Giants.
And the territory's development had entered a stable phase; it was time to actively resolve this hidden threat.
Since they had to extract Demon Marrow anyway, they might as well clear out the mining area, bringing this resource fully under Red Tide Territory's control!
After pondering for a moment, Louis promptly took action.
He first summoned two knights, handed them Hillco's list, and said, "Go to Frost Halberd City and purchase the alchemy materials on this list, as quickly as possible."
"Yes!" The knights took the list and hurriedly left.
Next, he summoned Knight Captain Lambert and instructed, "Lambert, gather all the knights and prepare for battle."
Lambert was slightly taken aback but asked no questions, immediately responding, "As you command, my Lord."
"The target is the Northwest Mountain Range, to subdue the Frost Giants," Louis stated firmly, continuing, "Gather everyone, no mistakes allowed."
"Yes!" Lambert replied decisively, then stood up and left with large strides.
Soon, the knights of Red Tide Territory quickly assembled, horses neighing, charging towards the mines in the northwest of Red Tide Territory.