Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence Chapter 5: Choosing a Territory

A convoy of over forty knights slowly advanced across the snow-blanketed ground toward Frost Halberd City.

At the convoy's core, a jet-black carriage glided forward steadily, a flag displaying the blood-red moon insignia fluttering from its roof.

This impressive procession naturally caught the gate guards' eyes, prompting them to watch the incoming group with caution.

Upon reaching the city entrance, a tall youth stepped down leisurely from the carriage.

He lifted his hand to pull back his hood, uncovering a striking face: "I am Louis Calvin, the Empire-conferred Baron of Expansion, here to see Duke Edmund."

The guards traded looks, surprise evident in their gazes.

The Calvin Clan ranks among the Ironblood Empire's Eight Great Clans, a name recognized even in the Northern Territory.

Though unaware of this youth's position in the Calvin Family, the ordinary soldiers knew better than to offend him.

One guard spun around and hurried into the city to deliver the report.

Moments later, a middle-aged official arrived swiftly: "Lord Louis, the Duke knows of your coming, please come with me into the city."

Guided by the official, Louis and his entourage crossed the massive gates and entered Frost Halberd City.

Though the city's streets were broad, they brimmed with craters, snow churned with dirt, leaving muddy tracks in their wake.

Buildings mostly built from stone and timber looked crude and worn-out, some ruins even crumbling amid the gales and snow.

Few people wandered the streets, split into two main types.

One type consisted of Northern Territory troops clad in fur garments, faces weary from endless fights, eyes dulled by prolonged warfare.

The other type included common folk bundled in rough fabrics, faces blank, intent solely on hurrying down the paths.

Louis surveyed these sights without a ripple in his heart.

Given the Northern Territory's resource shortages and constant conflicts, upholding the present stability was already impressive.

"Duke Edmund awaits inside." The official ushered Louis and his men to the governor’s hall.

The room lacked lavish ornaments, featuring just a sturdy desk, a few aged shelves of books, and a navy military banner on the wall.

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged figure, his visage scarred viciously from his left eye's edge down to his jaw, sharpening his already fierce features.

His presence resembled an unyielding bastion, radiating a crushing pressure.

This was Frost Halberd City's lord, the Northern Province's true master—Duke Edmund.

"A mid-tier Official Knight..." He eyed Louis closely, disdain in his stare. "A scion of the Calvin Family?"

Louis kept his face steady, giving a faint nod: "Yes."

"You do look rather decent." Edmund's mouth twitched upward, voice dripping scorn and mockery. "Compared to your illustrious elder brother, you certainly look more like nobility."

Louis felt no shock at this haughty demeanor.

In this world of the survival of the fittest, power served as the ultimate proof.

Facing contempt from a famed Peak Knight over his own feeble might was entirely expected.

Hence, he skipped pointless talk and produced the royal-sealed Pioneer Proof, declaring, "I’m here to register my expansion territory."

Edmund seized the Pioneer Proof, skimmed it lightly, verified Louis as a Pioneer Lord, then drew a map from desk documents and unrolled it across the surface.

"Apart from the areas marked in red circles, you can choose anywhere else."

Louis peered downward; it depicted the Northern Province in fine detail.

The Northern Province spanned hugely, about half the scale of Russia from his past life.

Yet the map showed merely a dozen red circles, denoting forbidden zones.

Abundant options remained, stirring some thrill in Louis.

For this expansion effort, the Empire released a full "Northern Territory Pioneer Order."

A specific rule demanded all fresh Pioneer Lords register at the governor’s mansion and pick their starting land, first-come-first-served.

He seemed to rank among the first Pioneer Lords here.

Other noble heirs dispatched by clans probably lingered, reluctant to venture to the Northern Province, dragging out their trips and dismissing the task.

This proved great fortune for him.

Louis studied the detailed map, deep in contemplation.

Over recent days, he had sorted the system's various intel precisely for now.

Details from the Daily Intelligence System swirled in his thoughts, sifted and matched repeatedly to pinpoint the best development spot.

Yes, multiple prime candidates already stood out for him.

Thus, picking didn't drag on long.

His finger traced a circle on the map, then he met Edmund's eyes: "Here."

Edmund glanced at Louis's choice, a flash of astonishment crossing his face.

The spot lay southeast in the Northern Province, where Cyan Rock Rift met Gray Moss Tundra, seventy-five kilometers from Frost Howl Fjord.

Had this youngster spotted such a top spot right away?

This region held one of the Northern Province's few milder zones, suitable for hardy crops outside peak winter.

That feature alone outshone most Northern Province lands.

Additionally, a close stream offered ample water and fish for survival.

Crucially, Cold Iron Veins lurked nearby, tough to extract yet brimming with promise if proper techniques emerged.

In this eternally iced, barren wasteland, it ranked among the better "fertile" patches.

The Duke raised his gaze, reevaluating the youth opposite.

He had figured him for a typical spoiled aristocrat, but his sharp land pick revealed hidden depths.

Interest piqued, Duke Edmund fixed on Louis and offered rare approval: "A good choice."

Louis took the praise humbly, without arrogance: "Thank you, Duke, for your compliment, but I merely did my best to make the most suitable judgment."

Edmund's regard for Louis grew, as he clapped the youth's shoulder: "If every Pioneer Lord had your insight, there might be hope for the Northern Territory too."

He grabbed a steel seal and slammed it onto Louis’s Pioneer Lord papers, officially affirming Baron Louis’s claim to the land.

Louis took the papers, fingers grazing the Frost Halberd Badge in the seal.

Outwardly serene, inside he burst with elation like fireworks.

The territory picked via Daily Intelligence System intel was no mere patch.

Were Edmund aware of its real worth, he'd clutch it tight, never yielding to another.