After breakfast, Louis called Mike, and the two of them climbed to the highest tower of the castle, gazing out at the snowy fields and defenses of the entire Red Tide Territory.

Mike patted the window ledge, a hint of pride in his eyes: "After the management test you proposed last time, the defense facilities in various places, especially the Earth Tower groups, are now almost fully equipped."

He pointed downwards and continued: "Firstly, the two new Earth Towers in Red Tide itself, along with five more in the surrounding territories, are now all completed.

Although not as fully equipped or as comfortable as this old building, they are more than adequate for use as warehouses or shelters."

"These Earth Towers are designed with practicality in mind, equipped with sealed gates, capable of withstanding large-scale attacks or severe cold spells.

The walls are made of rammed earth, up to four meters thick, with a layer of dark-gray stone bricks we brought from our side as padding..."

Mike raised his chin, his tone slightly proud: "Even with a battering ram, it would take ten days or half a month to break through."

"And the design includes lockdown mechanisms, so if the enemy breaks through the outer defenses, we can immediately seal the corridors... Not even the Snow Swearer, or even a person, could escape once they're inside, trapped like dead rats."

He paused, glancing over at the sprawling defensive strongholds in the distance: "Now, the entire Red Tide Territory is an impenetrable defensive line."

Louis nodded, expressing his approval.

Then he turned and asked, "What about the traps and defenses around it? Are they all set up?"

Mike immediately straightened his posture, his expression serious: "All arranged according to your standards. Roll logs, pits, and slopes, they can all be linked."

He pointed in the direction of the mountain path, explaining one by one:

"First, the anti-slope zigzag path: We've modified the original mountain path into a zigzag gentle slope.

This not only slows the enemy's charge but also allows us to set ambushes at each corner, forming a crossfire.

Second, the roll log trap: We've pre-installed spiked logs at the tops of each slope.

Once the mechanism is triggered, gravity will smash them against the enemy troops, extremely lethal during a dense charge.

Third, the pitfall coordination: We've also excavated numerous hidden pits using the terrain.

In combat, they can further impede the enemy's advance; even Heavy Armor Soldiers must tread carefully.

Once the enemy sets foot on the Red Tide Territory's mountain path, it's as if they're jumping into their own trap." Mike couldn't hide his pride as he spoke to this point.

Louis listened and nodded slightly, his tone firm: "Very good, you've done well."

Mike pointed to the distance again, where a row of metal rods could be vaguely seen buried along the mountain.

"These things sound whenever there's a vibration, not hindered even by snow caps. Even a pack of wolves stepping over them would trigger the alarm, the more that come, the more obvious the warning."

Louis nodded lightly: "It's like a remote 'ear', no need for soldiers to patrol all day, saving manpower and reacting faster."

Then he turned, looking thoughtfully at the mountain path: "I'm thinking... could we set up a modular iron plate wall, with slanted spikes? In a critical moment, we could push it out from the slots, blocking the main road in one go."

Mike's eyes lit up at this, unable to suppress his applause: "Iron plates with slanted spikes? That would stop a cavalry charge right in its tracks! My Lord, this idea... is genius-level!"

But Louis did not stop, continuing to propose the ideas in his mind: "Not only that, but on both sides, a pair of simple flamethrower devices. Once activated, the fire wall rises, to block others."

Mike was momentarily stunned, his expression somewhat hesitant: "My Lord, this design is indeed impeccable... but it's a time of peace now.

Using iron plates, alchemy flamethrowers, and a large amount of fuel, the cost is just too high. Even for the Snow Swearers, it shouldn't be necessary…"

"It's not them." Louis's tone was somber, "War is coming. Not just the Snow Swearers, not just bandits, it's a war like you've never seen before."

Seeing Louis so serious, Mike was momentarily speechless.

He could not imagine the form of that firestorm, but he knew well that his Lord wouldn't speak lightly.

So he solemnly nodded, his expression changing from the light-heartedness earlier: "Understood, My Lord. If a great war really comes, I will make the most comprehensive preparations. No matter who comes... we will hold the Red Tide Territory."

And Louis calmly stated: "It's not just for the Red Tide Territory... it's for all the lands under my rule. No, it should be for the entire Snow Peak County. I must do everything I can to protect, to save."

For a moment, Mike was speechless, only feeling that this young lord before him was like being shrouded by the morning sun, shining brightly over the icy ground.

It wasn't an exaggerated admiration but rather a genuine respect welling up from his heart:

This person...

Like a rising sun, bringing an unstoppable light, enough to dispel the darkness of an unbroken night over the whole Snow Peak County.

......

After bidding farewell to Mike, Louis mounted his horse, heading directly towards the knight training grounds outside Red Tide City.

The morning fog had not yet lifted, but the training grounds were already boiling with heat.

Several teams of Red Tide Knights donned specialized black-silver armor, conducting "Flamethrower Coordinated Combat" exercises.

The main sprayer was positioned at the core of the array, shouldering a heavy alchemy flamethrower, continuously spewing flames to construct a frontal fire blockade.

Secondary sprayers moved flexibly on the flanks, covering the sides with intersecting fire lines, preventing insects or corpses from breaching the edges.

On the outermost layers, the spearmen and sword and shield knights advanced in sync, intercepting any who slipped through, layer by layer defenses working seamlessly together.

The scorching tongues of fire roared across the shooting range, illuminating the serious faces of the knights.

At the edge of the high platform, the tactical officer hoarsely shouted, "Change formation! Fill the position! Continue the fire wall—hurry!"

Louis stood on the high platform, his gaze as sharp as a blade, watching the entire process.

The operation of the battle array was much more proficient than before, but the atmosphere remained tense; it was still far from enough.

The shock from the Nest battle had not yet subsided. Although it was a complete victory, the ferocity of the insect corpses left a profound impression.

It had now transformed into pressure and motivation for everyone.

After all, even a slight delay could once again lead to disaster.

Lambert walked up with large strides, heat still emanating from his body, armor not yet removed, temple still damp with sweat.

He stood before the platform, clasped his fists, and saluted, "Lord."

Louis nodded slightly, "Any progress in tactical coordination?"

"Much better than before," Lambert replied in a deep voice, "the Flamethrower Team and Sword Formation Team can now complete a three-layer fire wall swap, with blocking efficiency nearly doubled from last month."

His tone paused slightly, but his expression grew even more serious, "But it's still not swift enough. If ambushed by insect corpses, a half-beat slow by any group could fail to close a gap."

Louis was silent for a moment, deducing the upcoming battle situation in his mind.

Then he slowly spoke, "Immediately intensify the 'fire wall' system training. All flamethrower groups must optimize the alternating rhythm, coverage angle, fuel switching, and command response comprehensively.

I want you to be able to complete a triple blockade instantly, even in chaos and while charging, leaving no gap for the insect corpses."

Lambert nodded and immediately reported, "Understood. We have reset the alternating rhythm of the fire lines, with each group member executing a 'three-second spray, one-second angle adjustment, three-second transition' rotation mechanism.

The spray directions are segmented and marked, with the middle line commander issuing unified commands and adjustments, and each spray has its designated fire zone to ensure no dead angles in coverage.

Although still in transition, the rotation rhythm is gradually taking shape. With continued training, we can achieve a truly 'indestructible fire wall.'

Louis slightly nodded, "Hmm... for such a short time, to achieve this, is already quite impressive."

Then Louis glanced around, observing the training field's burning lines and the to-and-fro knights, suddenly asked:

"How many knights are there in the Red Tide Territory now?"

Lambert immediately straightened up and replied, "Currently, there are 4 Extraordinary Knights, 123 Elite Knights, 232 Official Knights, and 467 Apprentice Knights."

He paused, then added, "The majority were brought as Miss Emily's dowry, with the rest being support knights from the Calvin Clan.

In addition, we have also personally trained local youths in the Red Tide, and some are Free Knights attracted by favorable conditions, swearing loyalty to you."

Louis was slightly stunned, lowering his head in thought.

Unexpectedly, he had gathered such a force unknowingly.

Although the most came from selling himself to Emily's side in exchange.

On paper alone, it was securely ranked among the top twenty military forces of the Northern Lords.

Adding in other aspects like Magic Explosion Bullets and Flamethrowers, plus the Daily Intelligence System...

Perhaps his actual war strength had quietly entered the top ten in the Northern Territory.

But facing the impending crisis, Louis didn't know if this amount of combat power would be enough; it had to be stronger.

Thus, Louis calmly spoke, "A new batch of 'Knight Growth Potions' has been completed; you can go to Hillco to collect them."

He paused, his tone turning clear and calm, "Prioritize distribution to those who show the most potential and are closest to breakthroughs based on their recent training performance and Fighting Energy bottleneck. Don't waste a single drop."

Lambert nodded in agreement, showing a rare relaxed smile, "Great! With this, we can at least advance another group of High-tier Knights."

But Louis's eyes didn't relax; instead, they became deeper.

He looked at the distant fire wall line, his tone lowering, "War is coming. We must elevate our strength to the extreme before it truly arrives."

Lambert was slightly stunned.

He didn't know what "war" the Lord was referring to.

Was it the remnants of the Snow Swearer? The dormant unknown rebels of the Northern Territory? Or... that terrifying Nest?

The memory of that night full of slime and spores, parasitic entities rampaging, comrades mutating into monsters flashed in his mind, a cold chill climbing up his spine.

Perhaps that is what Louis was talking about.

But he didn't ask further.

Because he knew that since Louis said "war is coming," it must be true.

Lambert straightened his chest, his voice firm and deep, "Understood, my lord. I will fully prepare."

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