Bradley ignored the young knight's exclamations and took out a ledger, opening a page to introduce the situation:"Current food reserves are as follows: one hundred seventy tons of rye, seventy tons of potatoes, twenty tons of turnips... If distributed reasonably, this batch of staple food is enough to feed two thousand people for three to four months."Louis slowly scanned the neatly arranged sacks of grain in the storeroom; the markings on the wooden crates were clear, the layers were well-distributed, and everything was stacked proportionally, with space left for moisture and rodent prevention.He praised, "Very good."Bradley continued to lead the way, pushing open the door to an adjacent storeroom.A smoky aroma with a hint of char wafted out."Regarding smoked fish, this season's yield is twelve tons, and an additional ten tons of fresh fish are stored in ice pits for preservation," he explained as he walked, "To increase our winter food reserves, we've switched to denser fishing nets. When the last wave of fish migrates back in autumn, we should be able to catch quite a bit more."Louis nodded.To maintain sustainable fishing, he had previously instructed the use of large-mesh nets to let small fish escape.However, the current situation was special; for emergency purposes, he personally approved reducing the mesh size of the fishing nets for a rush harvest to maximize the yield.Further inside was a small room filled with cured meat and dried herbs.The space was not large but was arranged in an orderly manner.Dried wild game hung on the walls, and butchered farmed meat blocks were placed on shelves.In the corner, there were also several bundles of dried herbs; although the quantity was not large, it was enough for emergency use."These were all obtained from several rounds of hunting and slaughter before autumn," Bradley introduced, "Not much, but they will be very useful."After a tour, the group returned the way they came, passing through various storerooms, finally arriving back at the main store's exit.Bradley opened his notebook, looked down, and organized his records, slowly summarizing:"Combining staple foods, smoked fish, dried meat, and miscellaneous herbs, the current reserves are as follows: one hundred seventy tons of rye, seventy tons of potatoes, and twenty tons of turnips for staple food use; twelve tons of smoked fish and ten tons of fresh fish, which are still being processed; about four tons of cured meat and wild game, some of which are still air-drying; and although the herbs are not abundant, they are barely sufficient to treat several common cold-related illnesses."He paused, his tone steady: "If distributed reasonably, rotated, and supplemented with a labor-for-food policy, based on a daily standard of two catties of grain, it can support the Red Tide Territory's current permanent population of over two thousand people and barely last through four ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ months of winter.However, if we encounter extreme cold again, roads blocked by blizzards, or external disasters, things might get tight. For the next few months, strict control over entry, exit, and consumption will be necessary."Louis listened quietly and did not speak immediately; he knew Bradley was right.The food... was indeed "enough."But this "enough" relied on frugality, on systems, and on the people's resolve.Once any part of it went wrong, even just a sudden epidemic in winter or a few days' delay in spring, the remaining food in the warehouse could be eaten up completely within weeks.The Red Tide Territory is located in the southern part of the Northern Territory, a slightly better situation than the truly extreme cold regions, but the harsh winter still cannot be underestimated.From early December until the end of March the following year, a full four months of frozen ground, low temperatures, an average of one to two blizzards per week, and snow accumulation up to three meters deep. The coastline would enter a complete freezing period, lasting at least one or two months.Even if the warehouse was full, there was no guarantee it could withstand the snowstorms, delays, and various "what-ifs" during this period.And this was already the best situation the Red Tide Territory, and even the entire Northern Territory, could achieve before welcoming the severe winter at the end of the year.He could not ask the people to do more. They were already frugal enough, and worked hard enough.Moreover, Bradley's calculations only accounted for the Red Tide Territory's existing two thousand five hundred people.There were still more people waiting to be accepted in the newly acquired territory of over a thousand square kilometers.Most of those people were displaced refugees after the war and would not have any surplus food for the winter.If they were not given relief, it was almost predictable that after this winter, they would die one by one in the heavy snow, their bones never to be found."Even with the grain my father newly supported... it's still so little, it won't be enough to save those people at all."Louis silently estimated, his eyes dimming a few shades.The food supported by the Calvin Family, including black rice, beans, dried wheat flour, and a small amount of salted meat, amounted to less than one hundred tons.After deducting losses during the long journey and storage along the way, what could actually make it into the warehouse would probably only be seventy or eighty tons.This amount of food could still sustain a few hundred people.But for the tens of thousands waiting for food to survive the winter, it was a drop in the bucket.Louis tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the storeroom door, thinking for a long time.He understood that he essentially had only two choices before him.One was to abandon the refugees in the new territory.Then, in the spring of next year, buy slaves from the south and use lower costs to cultivate and build, slowly turning this land into his own true fiefdom.This path... was the correct one.As long as he closed his eyes and didn't look at the sight of those people shivering from cold and hunger, everything would fall into place naturally.But Louis couldn't do it.His gaze fell on the distant valley entrance, as if he saw those tattered figures kneeling and pleading in the snow, and he couldn't bear it.However, the limit of food storage had been reached, and outdoor foraging was simply too late.The only way to truly fill the gap was to buy grain, and this was the second choice.He was now the Calvin Family's agent in the Northern Territory, with the authority to mobilize all merchant guild resources, transportation channels, and so on.As long as he took this path, the cost of buying grain would also be significantly lower than for ordinary nobles."Bradley."The old man immediately stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Here."Louis commanded: "Arrange a group of people to buy grain directly through the Calvin Family's merchant guild channels."A flicker of surprise crossed Bradley's eyes, then he lowered his head and responded, "Understood, but... regarding the funds...""Don't worry about the money," Louis said calmly.The bounties earned from wartime merits, the income from mining and selling magma essence, and various other miscellaneous profits added up to over twenty thousand gold coins in cash he now held.In other words, he was almost "so poor he only had money left."But this was good, because this money should be spent where it was most urgently needed.Even if not spent lavishly, being a bit frugal would still be enough to buy a winter's worth of hope for the people.So this matter, he could not only do it, but he had to do it cleanly and efficiently."Buy me--the most durable, the most hunger-sustaining, the cheapest, and the most practical," he stared into Bradley's eyes, his tone unhurried, "Most importantly, be quick, before winter arrives."Bradley nodded solemnly: "Understood."

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