Yorn stayed for a night and set off early the next morning.

He didn't forget to haggle with Bradley, exchanging some corn and spices for several baskets of smoked fish, happily adding them to his own supplies.

It seems he truly likes this rich-flavored and long-lasting specialty of Red Tide Territory.

Before leaving, he waved his hand nonchalantly, smiling as he said to Louis:

"I'll come again next spring, and we'll take a bath together then!"

The knights and accompanying soldiers around them were holding back laughter, their faces red and necks thick.

For a moment, a peculiar yet lively atmosphere filled the front of the castle gates.

Louis helplessly held his forehead, watching Yorn lead his large troop away, taking with him knights, provisions, and a cart of smoked fish.

...

The snow of the Northern Territory fell silently.

At night, the wind made no sound, silently brushing across the land.

At dawn, when the sky was just getting light, Louis stood by the window, gazing at the outside world turned white.

There was a moist scent in the cold air, and the villages, hillsides, and riverbanks of Red Tide Territory were already covered with a thin layer of silver-white.

Snowflakes fell like light veils, slowly enveloping the entire territory.

Outside the window, the rooftops of the village were faintly decorated with white snow, and the trees stood quietly in the cold wind, cloaked in silver robes.

It all looked incredibly beautiful.

Yet this also meant that the most challenging season of the Northern Territory had finally arrived.

For the lord of the Northern Territory, the hardest part was not the cold itself, but how to keep life going during this long winter.

Supplies, food, firewood, animal skins... everything was extremely important.

Fortunately, Louis was well-prepared.

The management model of Red Tide Territory was different from other territories in this world, following a feudal lord system unique to Red Tide.

Resource distribution was not just about survival but also about making everyone feel their importance in this territory.

For winter supplies, Louis adjusted the food distribution standards to minimize unnecessary gaps and ensure every family could eat their fill.

Every family, whether farmer, craftsman, or knight, received their due resources based on family size.

A family of three received 20 pounds of grain per week, enough to get through the low productivity winter without waste.

In addition to food, Louis specifically arranged for cold-resistant supplies.

Each family received a cotton coat and a wool blanket to ensure they could stay warm on cold nights.

As for heating firewood and charcoal blocks, they were distributed based on family size to ensure every household stayed warm in the winter.

Louis also established an additional reward system.

Those who contributed more could receive extra food or heating supplies as a reward for their efforts.

Like craftspeople, carpenters, blacksmiths, or managers like Luke and Mike.

As for the knights, it goes without saying, they ate what Louis ate.

These extraordinary warriors responsible for defending Red Tide Territory had special privileges.

Through this reasonable distribution, Louis ensured the smooth operation of the territory and strengthened people's trust in him.

The distribution based on labor made everyone feel like a part of Red Tide Territory.

Even the lowest labor slaves felt their contributions were valuable, receiving enough supplies to last the winter without fear of being abandoned.

And thus, order was maintained in Red Tide Territory during the winter.

...

Today's task was distributing cold-resistant supplies like cotton clothes, blankets, firewood, and charcoal blocks.

These were the most precious and important life-saving items in this harsh winter.

A cotton coat, a wool blanket, a bundle of firewood, a few charcoal bricks, and so on.

They determined whether each family could survive the long, cold nights ahead.

"Each person gets a cotton coat, each household a wool blanket..."

Louis stood in front of the warehouse filled with supplies, holding parchment, carefully checking each item to ensure nothing was embezzled.

He quietly confirmed with the distribution staff, personally checking that no name was overlooked and no number was mixed up.

When the distribution officially began, Louis walked directly to the distribution table on the square, standing beside the staff.

Seeing Louis there, the residents coming to receive supplies were momentarily stunned.

No one expected their lord to be there in person.

Their eyes seemed to turn moist all of a sudden.

No one shouted loudly, and no one cheered insolently.

The atmosphere held a cautious restraint, as if afraid to break this rare warmth by speaking up.

They simply stepped forward silently, whispering thanks to Louis when it was their turn to receive supplies, or exchanging a few quiet words as they held their blankets and coats.

Someone, upon receiving a coat, whispered, "Thank you, my lord... May God bless you with a long life."

Louis didn't say much, just nodded, his gaze gentle.

Occasionally, he exchanged a few simple words with the residents, being quite approachable.

A small child, holding a coat carefully, wearing tattered shoes, his nose red from the cold, looked up at Louis and mumbled, "I want to fight for you when I grow up, like a knight, protecting everyone."

Louis bent down, gently ruffled the child's hair, and smiled, "I'll wait for you to grow up."

The child's eyes lit up, gripping his coat tightly, his gaze determined.

Another woman, carrying heavy coal, walked with a limp, and as she passed by Louis, she discreetly placed a hand over her chest, making a prayer gesture and softly reciting:

"Oh Dragon Ancestor, please watch over Red Tide Territory, please bless the great Lord Louis."

...

The distribution continued, and the residents queued up one by one.

Some would say a few words of gratitude to Louis, while others, not good with words, just looked at him with gratitude.

What gratified Louis the most was that no one complained at all.

After all, in past winters, these ordinary residents were barely hanging on.

One meal a day, barely surviving in the drafty wooden houses, relying on weak firelight and warmth.

Many even had to burn furniture or tear down old doors for warmth just to get through the long ice and snow season.

But now they could wrap themselves in thick coats, gather around a fire for hot soup, and sleep peacefully at night with blankets.

Such change was almost a miracle in this harsh Northern Territory.

The residents knew that without Louis, there was a high chance they'd be buried in the snow on the vast icefield this winter.

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