Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence Chapter 3: The Lord’s Kindness Is Incalculable

The dawn of the next day brought a clear shift in the knights' spirits, refreshed by the previous night's chicken soup immersion.

No longer did they carry out duties like mere automatons; quicker steps marked their efforts, with sparks of battle intent shining in their eyes.

A few took initiative to inspect gear, others chatted about Northern Territory affairs, and some pondered camp defense strategies.

Even if Louis's promised rewards felt far-off.

Yet striving toward an aim beat aimlessly awaiting doom any day.

Louis understood well that one fiery speech couldn't fully reshape their outlook.

Lacking solid gains, their enthusiasm would fade fast.

He needed to deliver concrete rewards right away, letting these knights glimpse true prospects.

...

A biting gale whipped across the frozen river.

Knights stared at the solid ice beneath them, trading baffled looks.

"Can we really catch fish here?" one whispered.

"The Lord commanded it, so let's try." Lambert led by hefting his hammer and smashing down forcefully.

Many knights chuckled inwardly.

Did they believe smashing random ice on some river would yield fish?

This Lord remained overly innocent.

Still, none challenged Louis’s directives, so they wielded weapons to fracture the ice as ordered.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Quickly, a slim fissure formed, dark frigid waters bubbling up.

A wide net descended gradually into the depths, all eyes glued to the gap in suspense.

Abruptly, the net's line grew taut!

"Pull!"

Instantly, a silvery gleam burst forth as a Northern Crystal Cod thrashed wildly upon being hauled onto the ice!

"Good heavens, there really is fish!"

"Quick, quick, catch them! Don’t let them escape!"

Knights dove in with fervor, casting nets enthusiastically.

Repeatedly hauling up and down, they extracted Northern Crystal Cod after Northern Crystal Cod, scales shimmering brilliantly under the sun's rays.

They tallied them: twelve in all!

Then, a well-informed knight cried out in thrill: "These are Northern Crystal Cod! Rare treats from the frozen extremes! Their bones cleanse blood and boost power!"

These words quickened every knight's breath.

They grasped perfectly what blood purification implied—immediate power surges plus greater future knightly prospects.

Such rarities came rarely even to Nobility in a lifetime.

If they could just savor a taste...

As fantasies gripped them, Louis spoke offhandedly: "Half of these fish go to you; we'll brew fish soup soon."

Those few words struck like lightning amid the group.

A dream beyond their wildest imaginings!

Exiled knights in the Northern Territories—when had they known such bounty?!

The knights erupted in cheers!

"Lord, are you serious?!" One knight lifted his head abruptly, voice quaking with joy.

"This... this is Northern Crystal Cod! Southern Nobles barely taste it a handful of times in life!"

"Long live the Lord!!"

...

Joy, astonishment, incredulity—all swirled together, erupting into unified acclaim.

A massive cauldron soon hung over roaring flames, fish soup simmering with potent, savory scents.

Once thickened, the brew gleamed pale silver, tiny luminous streams dancing inside like celestial nectar.

As the soup reached peak richness, bowls brimmed and passed to the knights.

"Can we really drink this?" A knight clutched his wooden bowl, hands shaking—not from dread, but sheer wonder.

"Stop talking and drink!" Louis lifted his bowl and swallowed deeply without pause.

The warm liquid traced down, vitality surging from belly to extremities, a subtle heat purging blood taints.

Witnessing this, fellow knights seized their bowls and guzzled the soup avidly.

The instant scalding broth hit their throats, they froze briefly, as inner forces stirred to life.

Then they dropped cross-legged, shut eyes, centered thoughts, and cycled breathing arts rapidly, hungrily devouring every trace of that mystic power.

One quivered faintly, sensing profound blood cleansing, lightness flooding his frame.

Another clenched jaws against inner blaze, as if bones and blood remade themselves.

Silence blanketed the camp, save rhythmic breaths weaving into subtle harmony.

A sharp yelp pierced the quiet.

"My... my body..." A young apprentice knight's eyes bulged, strange glow blooming in his depths.

Boom!

Faint silver radiance bloomed around him, stunning the knights before their eyes narrowed in shock.

"The aura of an Official Knight! He... he advanced!"

Scarce had the shout faded when another apprentice knight convulsed, dim light seeping out—he too shattered his limits!

Dead hush, then explosive uproar!

"It’s insane! Truly insane!"

"Just by drinking a bowl of fish soup, can one directly advance?!"

The knights' views of Louis transformed utterly.

Hours earlier, they'd questioned what right this banished Northern Territory failure had to guide them.

Could his vows hold water? Was his promised dawn mere fantasy?

Now every skepticism melted into boundless reverence.

They'd seen two apprentices surge to Official Knights in moments.

In Southern Noble lands, such leaps demanded years of training and heaps of riches; here, one soup bowl sufficed.

Though others didn't breakthrough outright, their might grew markedly.

This feat beggared belief, tempting thoughts of hallucination.

And Louis sparked it all with effortless procurement of these gems.

Unaware of his intelligence system, they deemed him heaven-blessed!

Most astonishing: Lord Louis lavished these Northern Crystal Cod upon them freely!

Prizes beyond Noble reach, handed out casually!

Gratitude swelled in every knight toward Louis; last night's bold vision rang utterly true now.

Doubts vanished; unity forged around one purpose—to rally to Louis and seize their shared glorious tomorrow!

"Long live the Lord! Long live Louis!" Knights roared as one, fervent cries resounding over the frosted Northern wastes.

Lord Louis's benevolence defies repayment!