Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence Chapter 695 - 393: Red Tide’s Castle (Part 2)

From those early blueprints Louis unrolled across the table, declaring we'd all share the castle once built since its size would accommodate everyone.

From that pioneering Cold Iron beam rising amid the swampy ground, to this very day with scaffolding entirely stripped away, the majestic Main Castle rises fully finished in front of us.

It required four years and three months of construction.

In that span, Red Tide evolved from a nascent domain into a title forever linked with the whole Northern Territory.

This very city, once dismissed by outsiders as a fanciful endeavor, now reigns as the grandest architectural wonder across the Northern Territory.

Weir stepped forward to operate the gate, drawing in a profound breath, seizing it firmly with both hands, and twisting resolutely, unleashing the grinding of gears echoing from the gatehouse.

Click, click, click...

The noise rang out ponderously, yet smoothly, akin to a colossal dormant beast shifting in its slumber.

The half-meter-thick dual-layered gate sealed shut, drawn by gears and chains.

Cold Iron forms the exterior layer, while cork and insulating panels line the interior, rendering the door a solid black barrier that blocks winds and dampness from beyond.

As the final trace of light vanished into the closing gap, external sounds vanished instantly.

Silence enveloped the world.

Just subtle vibrations lingered underfoot, alongside soft murmurs of water coursing through hidden pipes within the walls.

Alina unconsciously loosened her grip. Prior to stepping inside, she'd clutched her skirt hem fiercely, dreading any mud stains. Now, she noticed her hands had released without thought.

She looked downward at the flawless Obsidian flooring, pristine without mud, pools, or even late-spring dampness.

A gentle warmth emanated from the surface, offering an exquisite comfort seeping through her footwear.

"The geothermal pipes operate continuously, fueled by nearby underground hot springs for endless flow," Mike, leading the group, eagerly clarified, then continued, "Provided the hot springs persist, warmth blankets the entire city."

The craftsmen’s office leader and this city's master builder strode upright, as though not just escorting to greet the Lord, but unveiling a whole metropolis as his triumph.

Despite his lofty status in Red Tide and throughout the Northern Territory, excitement and strain shone plainly on his face right then.

"My lord, my lady, please follow this way."

Mike hurried ahead with buoyant steps, reminiscent of a young pupil awaiting commendation.

Alina drew in a steadying breath, forcing her focus away from the floor.

Her olfactory sense returned foremost.

The dank outdoor soil smell had disappeared completely, supplanted by arid, cozy air infused with pine incense notes and fresh tea aromas.

For an instant, illusion gripped her, making it seem she'd entered not the Northern Territory’s Main Castle, but a balmy Southern settlement.

Gazing at Louis’s retreating figure, a swirl of intricate feelings stirred in Alina.

Memories surfaced of those nights six years prior upon her arrival in Red Tide.

Then a widow fresh from loss, cradling infant Isaac, she lay sleepless in the alien Earth Tower City of Red Tide.

She dreaded this exiled family reject in the Northern wilds might betray her, might cloak predation under protection to devour Edmond’s bloodline, might view her as the Duke’s widow merely as disposable leverage.

Those days, utmost caution defined her, scrutinizing each of his gatherings, each choice, terrified one misstep spelled doom.

But Louis, via deeds alone, had buried those ancient terrors and suspicions deep inside her long ago.

No longer did nightmares jolt her awake in the night's depths.

Isaac had bubbled with thrill, informing her, "Brother-in-law taught me something today.

Then the party rounded a bend, where dim castle passages ought to loom, yet splendor burst forth instead.

A full outer wall stood replaced by vast transparent panes rising from base to vaulted ceiling, gleaming radiantly.

As Alina navigated the turn, her pace faltered briefly for a heartbeat.

This defied familiar Northern designs, evoking instead a lofty aerial walkway.

Despite solid footing below, a hazy sensation of hovering aloft gripped her spirit.

"This is..." Alina breathed softly.

From this vantage in the corridor, Red Tide City sprawled openly below, distant snow-capped ridges to nearby street lamps all laid bare.

Winds stayed excluded, light softly caressing the glass, as if breaths themselves grew hushed.

Catching Alina’s murmur, Mike erupted in unrestrained zeal, voice quivering: "Madam, this... this marks our glass workshop's pinnacle feat this year!"

His tone shook, "By old castle customs, arrow slits and parapets should occupy this space, yet we forged it thus, surpassing every other fortress worldwide."

Alina’s eyes remained locked on the immense glass expanse, astonishment etched clearly within. Such poise loss came seldom to her, but this vista silenced utterly.

"What of its defenses?" she inquired at last.

This query stemmed not from fault-finding, but ingrained noble reflex honed by Northern gales and blazes over years.

Mike, confronting his cherished subject, swelled with pride: "Triple-layered design! Outermost Cold Iron frame defies shattering even from snow beast assaults.

Midsection employs fresh crystal alloy, repelling crossbow bolts, while innermost boasts Red Tide glass—defying frost, impacts, and thermal shifts.

Madam, fret not over inner tower vulnerability. True safeguards lie in those encircling Cold Iron spires, aligned with the North’s supreme fortifications..."

His words accelerated, fervor mounting, desperate to unleash years of pent-up glory in one torrent.