As the Frost Giant's corpse was dragged away, the bloody aura on the battlefield finally began to dissipate slowly.
But for Louis, the true goal of this operation was just beginning, which was to mine the Demon Marrow Ore.
Demon Marrow, as the core material of Explosive Alchemy Object, is extremely rare.
Even in the entire Northern Territory, or even throughout the Ironblood Empire, such deposits are a rarity.
Fortunately, this deposit is buried very deep, so it has always gone undiscovered, otherwise, it wouldn't have been Louis's turn.
Moreover, without the guidance of the Daily Intelligence System, Louis would never have been able to find it.
The knights were stationed outside, as a team of villagers, equipped with pickaxes, gloves, and simple protective gear, slowly entered the mining area and began to cautiously excavate.
Shovelfuls of rubble were dug up, accompanied by a crisp "clang," a hint of deep purple crystal finally emerged from beneath the strata.
It was a mineral that emitted a faint glow, exuding a mysterious energy wave.
"First take a small portion and, according to Hillco's suggestion, adjust the Demon Soil formula," Louis ordered, "Store the rest for now."
He didn't rush to order large-scale mining.
After all, this requires professional personnel, tunnel reinforcement, mining techniques, and alchemical extraction—each one not easily resolved.
In the letter he previously sent to his father, he specifically mentioned the need for support in this area.
If his father is willing to send help, that would naturally be the best case scenario.
Otherwise, Louis would have to think of ways to recruit experienced craftsmen from the outside.
......
The spring sunlight sprinkled over the farmlands of Red Tide Territory, with a breeze carrying the fresh scent of new sprouts.
Louis stood on high ground, overlooking the land gradually stirring back to life.
A few weeks ago, this place was still a barren field sown with seeds.
Now, the rye has broken the soil, potato sprouts are peeking through the surface, and turnip seedlings are gently swaying with the wind.
"It seems this year's harvest shouldn't be too bad." A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
Just then, urgent footsteps sounded in the distance.
Mike came running, carrying a bit of unease.
Though he had successfully proposed, he had not formally reported to the Lord yet.
As a former slave, Mike's heart still harbored some fear towards his master.
Even though he was now a freedman, he still believed that a marriage proposal required his master's approval.
What if Louis was unwilling? What if he disapproved?
These thoughts swirled in Mike's mind, making his steps heavier than usual.
However, before he could speak, Louis flashed a faint smile and said aloud, "Mike, congratulations on your successful proposal."
Mike was completely stunned.
He hadn't said anything yet! How did the Lord know?!
Shock, fear, disbelief—all kinds of emotions surged in his heart, and he almost instinctively wanted to kneel.
However, a fair hand supported him.
Louis frowned slightly, his tone brooking no argument, "Mike, you're now the Chief of Agriculture. Quit that kneeling business."
Mike suddenly came to his senses, with slightly reddened eyes, lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
But he was interrupted by a gift Louis handed over.
It was two strips of smoked fish.
They were tied with a thin string, even in a crooked little bow.
Mike was dumbfounded.
"This is a wedding gift," Louis said calmly, "Though I'm a bit tight on money lately, I thought it's important to give some gift."
"..."
Mike tightly grasped the gift, his lips trembling, and finally couldn't help it, tears pattered down.
He never thought he would receive such a blessing from the Lord.
He had thought he would have to cautiously seek the Lord's approval, maybe get reprimanded, or even be asked to pay a price.
"Stop crying," Louis patted Mike's shoulder, "Isn't this a good thing?"
Mike sniffled, nodding vigorously, trying to calm himself down.
"Alright, get your emotions in check, I have official business to discuss with you."
Hearing this, Mike took a deep breath, wiped away his tears, and stood straight: "At your command!"
Louis tilted his head slightly, signaling Mike to look back.
Mike instinctively followed the gaze, then his eyes widened, sucking in a breath of cold air.
Four massive bodies lay at the edge of the field, their ravaged torsos a patchwork of wounds, the frost covering their skin beginning to melt and revealing dark blue flesh.
"This... such huge corpses..." Mike's Adam's apple bobbed, regaining his voice after a long pause.
"Don't just stand there, I want you to process these corpses into fertilizer," Louis said with a smile.
"Fertil-fertilizer?" Mike was so astonished, he almost bit his tongue.
He had never heard of using Frost Giant's corpses to make fertilizer!
Yet Louis's tone was matter-of-fact, "The muscles of a Frost Giant are rich in minerals; used properly, they might produce a miraculous effect on crops."
Mike's mouth twitched slightly, but his mind began racing, thinking about how to handle these four "mountains of fertilizer."
But before his shock could fully fade, Louis's next words tightened his nerves once again.
"There's also this." Louis took a small cloth bag from his pocket, solemnly handing it to Mike.
Inside were half of the Frost Blood Redberry seeds. Being so precious, Louis dared not take risks and could only cultivate a part test-wise.
He entrusted them to Mike because the Intelligence System once noted that Mike has an astonishing talent for planting.
Louis believed that, given proper guidance, Mike would cultivate them several times better than himself.
Mike quickly reached out to take them, carefully opening it to see what looked like ordinary fruit seeds.
"This... this is..."
"Frost Blood Redberry seeds," Louis did not delve into details, "Anyway, they are extremely precious. Each seed is worth hundreds of gold coins."
Mike's eyes widened abruptly, his breathing becoming labored.
One seed could buy hundreds of slaves like himself!
"These... you want me to handle these?" Mike's hands trembled slightly, afraid that a mishap would ruin these valuable seeds.
Louis nodded, "This batch of seeds is very rare and requires meticulous cultivation. If there are any problems, you can come to me at any time.
I've already had someone research a suitable Demon Soil formula, but it still needs time. So your task now is to bury these seeds in ice to activate them."
"Al-Alright!" Mike carefully cradled the seeds, "I'll take good care of them and won't let a single one get damaged!"
Just then, a guard hurried over and said to Louis, "My lord, the girl we rescued earlier has woken up."