After eating and drinking their fill, the two of them walked along the wide stone steps, all the way to the depths of the first floor of the castle.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a wave of white hot steam rushed towards them.

"This is..." Yorn instinctively stopped, staring unblinkingly at the scene before him.

It was a crude but fully equipped hot spring pool.

The surroundings were tamped earth with stone bricks laid around the edge, devoid of any luxurious decorations, just the most practical construction.

The pool water was heated by natural geothermal energy, rolling with fine steam that permeated the entire hall, and a faint gurgling sound of water could be heard.

The air was mixed with a faint mineral aroma and a warm, moist sensation.

Outside the castle was still howling with cold wind, yet inside it seemed like another world.

But in a place like the Northern Territory, being able to soak in a hot spring?!

It's simply more enviable than owning a gold vein!

"Boss..." Yorn lamented while taking off his coat, his tone full of sourness, "Your territory actually has such a good place?"

Louis stood to the side, lazily smiling.

"Just lucky, just lucky." He casually brushed it off, though his face was full of undeniable pride.

Yorn had already stepped into the hot spring pool, almost sighing comfortably: "Ah! This is truly living..."

The warm spring water seeped into every inch of his frozen muscles, evaporating the coldness bit by bit, warming even his bones.

Though it was not as luxurious as the ornate and fragrant bathhouses in the Imperial Capital.

This primitive and rugged hot spring had its own unique charm.

"Ha... It would be nice to soak every day, this is what noble life is about..." Yorn leaned against the edge of the pool, half-closing his eyes, so comfortable he almost started to snore.

Louis glanced at Yorn and suddenly spoke: "Why don't... you stay here this winter?

Red Tide Territory has plenty to eat, warm clothes, and hot springs to soak in; life is much better than over there."

Yorn was slightly stunned upon hearing this.

He looked at the misty stone hall, the neatly stacked firewood outside the pool, and the steaming aroma coming from the distant kitchen.

To say he wasn't tempted would be a lie.

But he quickly bit his lip and pushed down that tempting thought.

"No."

He shook his head, but his eyes were now more determined.

"I still have my own territory to guard. Even if the place is rotten and the houses are broken, it's still my domain, I have to endure the winter myself, and besides, there are so many subjects waiting for me to protect them."

Louis looked at him in some surprise; it seemed Yorn had grown to be a more reliable lord after this half-year of training.

After saying this, Yorn wiped his face, as if afraid the atmosphere would turn awkward, quickly coughed to change the topic: "Boss, you're the new lord of Snow Peak County now, aren't you?"

Louis shrugged, lazily soaking in the water: "I suppose, thanks to the Governor's trust."

Yorn advised: "In my opinion, you should secure your position as soon as possible, preferably by holding a ceremony. Although there is a tax exemption period after the war, the Prefect's powers...

still allow you to exercise some authority, right? If those old Northern Lords were to intervene, it would be troublesome."

Louis sighed: "Of course I've thought about it. But with winter approaching and the aftermath of the war, there are not many territories in the Northern Territory that can operate normally.

Frankly speaking, there aren't many nobles left either. Organizing a formal succession ceremony at this critical time is unlikely."

"True..." Yorn muttered a bit dispiritedly.

Speaking of the nobles of Snow Peak County, Louis suddenly remembered the twelve Northern Lords who were recently killed by the Snow Swearer.

Although their deaths had little to do with him, Louis still wrote a letter reporting the matter to Duke Edmund.

The Duke merely sent back a brief reply, not asking for details or placing blame, just telling him that by next spring, replacements for those vacancies would be arranged.

It was as indifferent as counting livestock.

Louis' mouth curled into a smile, tinged with coldness.

It seems Duke Edmund doesn't care about those useless nobles at all.

In that case, there's no need to hold back in his future actions.

While Louis was lost in thought, Yorn had already shifted to the next topic.

"Hey, boss, I have a secret to tell you." He whispered, as if afraid of being overheard, "My dad recently sent word that the Empire is preparing to intensify the Northern Territory Pioneer Order."

Louis opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow: "Expanding the Pioneer Order?"

"Yes." Yorn nodded, "The Emperor plans to send another batch of noble offspring up here, and this time, the scope is wider, and the numbers are greater. I heard the selection criteria are stricter than before."

He paused, then continued in a lowered voice: "This time, they mustn't be anything substandard. They must be direct bloodline of the family.

Moreover, they must be Elite Knights, have at least one recorded war experience, and be able to lead a knight team of at least a hundred people."

Yorn rolled his eyes: "In other words, the Emperor is determined not to let the Southern Nobles send useless people up here to muddle through anymore."

Louis pondered what this information could mean: "Is the Emperor trying to weaken the Southern Nobles' power? Why else would he be aggressively sending Southern noble offspring northward all these years?"

"Who knows." Yorn shrugged, "I just feel there's something fishy about it; otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't suddenly be in such a hurry these past few years."

The two chatted quietly for a while longer, but with too little information, they couldn't deduce much despite their speculations.

The only certainty was that by next spring, a large group of new Pioneer Nobles would be coming from the South to the Northern Territory.

However, Louis had no reason to panic.

There are always strategies to counteract policies.

Even if the Emperor is determined to accelerate the process, sending batch after batch of so-called "Pioneer Nobles," who knows what kind of people will come?

Forget about "direct bloodline" or "Elite Knights," how many can truly withstand the Northern Territory's harsh winter, wars, and barrenness?

No matter how meticulously they are chosen, Southern noble offspring, used to a life of ease, are few and far between who can endure the hardships of the Northern Territory.

And even if the ones who do come are truly elites among elites, so what?

Louis wouldn't be completely afraid of them, as he has already established a foothold in the Northern Territory.

Red Tide Territory is also one of the few territories in the North that can sustain itself without relying on family support.

His army, tested by blood and fire, can fight and defend the homeland.

He is now the Prefect of Snow Peak County.

Even if those newcomers have some skills, they'll have to bow their heads respectfully before him.

Just wonder if any of Calvin's other brothers will be sent to this wretched place.

Louis' mouth slightly curved, revealing a faint, enigmatic smile.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.