Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 644: Chapter 376: Another Year of Spring

The small town in the Western Empire was swallowed by the night, the streets so quiet that only the footsteps of the patrolling knights could be heard.

No one would guess that the Jade Federation Bi Chao Guild was hiding the Empire’s top secret liaison point in this remote town.

An alchemy lamp hung over the desk, the firelight flickering, reflecting the mountainous stacks of ledgers and encrypted files.

Selina Groveur sat behind the desk, browsing through the latest intelligence from the Imperial Capital, the spiral emblem on her chest glinting dark gold in the dim light.

There was a sudden rush of footsteps and a knock on the door outside.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Layton Fromm walked in with a cloak covered in frost, his steps flustered.

Selina looked up at him, somewhat surprised, "It seems your mission encountered a problem."

Layton swallowed, "The Northern Territory... is exposed."

"Exposed?" Selina’s eyebrow moved imperceptibly, leaning back in her chair, "I asked you to bring back intelligence, not trouble."

Layton gave a wry smile and took out a letter from his bosom, its seal stamped with a sun emblem of gold and red. It was the emblem of the Red Tide.

Selina did not reach out, instead coldly said, "Speak."

Layton took a deep breath, "The Red Tide Lord, Louis Calvin, personally met with me. He said the Red Tide doesn’t kill spies; they only do business. Then he asked me to bring this letter back to you."

Selina remained silent for a moment, finally reaching out to take the letter.

The letter unfolded, its content not threatening, but more like a formal trade proposal. The words in the letter were not aggressive, but rather a sincere invitation for the Bi Chao Guild to do business with the Red Tide, outlining exchanges of ores, fuel, leather, and cold iron for salt crystals, food, wine, and alchemical materials.

The last sentence read: "The Red Tide does not oppose guests from the Federation; it only hopes the Federation learns to respect the rules of the Northern Territory."

The alchemy lamp dimmed, as if the air in the room solidified.

Layton kept his head down, cold sweat dripping from his brow along his temples, even his breathing had become softer.

Selina did not speak immediately, only tapping the edge of the letter with the back of her finger, her gaze calm.

"So," he said slowly, "he saw through your identity, exposed our stronghold, yet he neither killed you nor confiscated the goods, only let you bring this letter back?"

Layton nodded with difficulty, "Yes, my lord. His... demeanor was very calm, as if he had been expecting me."

Selina gave him a glance, without reproach, he looked up at the Empire’s map on the wall.

Half a year ago, on that barren buffer of the Northern Snowfield, he personally circled a name with red ink—Louis Calvin.

This name had been constantly appearing in his ears over the past few years.

A family outcast sent to the Northern Territory to pioneer, supposed to rot in the permafrost with a bunch of unlucky nobles, yet he fought several battles in just a few years.

Contributed in the Snow Swearer eradication battle, dragged half the Northern Territory from the Abyss during the insect disaster and the Burial match.

Married into the Edmund Family, and after Duke Edmund’s death, smoothly took over the other’s military power and territory.

The intelligence officer had only one comment on this - the Northern Territory now has only one voice, and that is Louis Calvin.

Selina unfolded the letter again, reading it carefully.

The letter held no threats or unnecessary words, only calmly laying out a complete collaboration framework.

The Red Tide could provide a long-term stable supply of cold iron, demon marrow, and other rare Northern minerals, in exchange for salt crystals, cold ores, gold coins, and alchemy potion ingredients from the Bi Chao Guild.

Included were terms for winter storage and transport subsidies, grading and pricing of goods, breach and extension terms, each numbered, each estimated profit calculated to a point even he couldn’t fault.

Selina roughly calculated, indeed a clean and good business deal.

But he wasn’t blinded by the figures, only turned slightly to ask, "Repeat the current status of the Northern Territory."

Layton immediately collected his panic, lowered his voice, and quickly reported, "In the Red Tide jurisdiction, grain prices have remained unchanged for three seasons, rising orderly; the Red Tide system has expanded to surrounding territories, with over half of the Northern Lords joining.

The workshops operate day and night, goods flow continuously on the routes from Dawn Port to the inland. While the rest of the Empire is in chaos, only there are they stacking up goods."

These were basic details about the Red Tide, nothing confidential, conclusions any ordinary merchant in the Red Tide could draw.

Selina listened quietly, nodded, no longer questioning Layton, having made up her mind.

"He understands governance and the human heart. He can transform a wasteland into territory, and he knows when to offer a step down, turning enemies into business partners."

He is both a ruler and a businessman.

Once such a person truly stands firm, even if the other party doesn’t take the initiative, the Jade Federation must proactively redraw a Northern Trade Route.

Selina leaned back in her chair, thoughts gradually calming, reassembling logic, layers of judgment forming in her mind.

The Northern Territory had been in turmoil for years, not even having a port, not worth investing in. Now if Louis can truly maintain output, he becomes the Northern Territory’s golden vein.

Royal family infighting, old nobility watching, new noble alliances splitting, each guild with its own intentions, some even aggressively wanting to directly intervene in the heir’s struggle.

The Bi Chao Guild hasn’t invested much in the Empire, nor does it want to disrupt it, only desires a stable environment to conduct business.

If there truly is a rift between the Calvin Family and Louis, then this letter is the best evidence, indicating the Red Tide needs to break away from the old system and require new support.

Northern minerals are rare and refined, some difficult even for the Federation to mine.

If stable supply can be obtained through the Red Tide, the Guild can not only suppress the Ashen Guild but also establish an independent business line.

Refusal would likely lead to future exclusion, cooperation would immediately open up another path.