FL - Chapter 21: Sif Flees to Crimson Tide Territory

The scent of grilled fish hung thick in the air. Women carried out platter after platter of freshly cooked fillets. The residents sat together, eating and chatting, laughter spilling out between bites.

"To our great lord!" someone shouted. Everyone raised their cups, the enthusiastic echo ringing out: "To our great lord!"

Cups clinked. Laughter rose and fell. Louis watched from his seat at the head of the gathering, a smile tugging at his lips. Far better than the scheming and backstabbing of southern noble banquets—he'd rather be here, laughing and singing and dancing around a bonfire with ordinary people.

Perhaps it was the wine. Louis casually accepted a wooden lute from a nearby knight. His long fingers plucked the strings, sending out a cascade of bright notes as he sang a tune from his homeland, Earth.

"Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me… bless my homeland forever."

The square fell silent. Everyone held their breath, listening as the song carried them to that distant place.

When the final note faded, a tidal wave of cheers crashed forth.

"Another one!" someone shouted. "The lord sings so beautifully!" "One more!" "To the lord!"

The entire square joined the clamor, and even the most reserved knights broke into laughter. Louis shook his head with a rueful grin, grabbed a piece of grilled fish and tore into it, letting the joy and laughter drift through the night.

…

The next morning, Louis woke to sunlight seeping through the curtain gaps. The smell of last night's bonfire still lingered in the air.

"… Probably drank a bit too much." He rubbed his temples and sighed wearily. Normally, he rose before dawn to cycle his Breathing Art and cultivate Battle Aura, but last night had been too enjoyable. He'd indulged in a rare sleep-in.

He instinctively reached to feel the space beside him. Confirming the bed's other half was empty, he exhaled in relief. Good. No mistakes made.

After washing up, Louis sat cross-legged on the bed, inhaled deeply, and cycled the Tide Breathing Art. Battle Aura flowed through his veins, but he could clearly feel its stagnation. He was still stuck at the bottleneck of mid-stage Formal Knight, unable to advance an inch.

Damn it. When was he going to break through?

He'd followed the strictest training regimen, but his innate talent was just too mediocre. Pure training was always going to be harder for him than for others. If only he could find something like the Northern Crystal Cod again…

*Useless system. Do something.*

He clung to that pathetic hope and casually opened the Intelligence System to see what today's update had brought.

**[1: Following the banquet, Agricultural Officer Mick proposed to Tanya. She accepted.]**

**[2: Coldfront has defeated all the other Ice Wolf cubs kept in Crimson Tide Territory and established himself as pack alpha.]**

**[3: Sif, the former princess of the Cold Moon Tribe, has fled to Crimson Tide Territory. Starving and freezing, she lies unconscious on the tundra. At five o'clock this afternoon, she will be discovered and devoured by a passing Frost Bear.]**

The first entry made Louis raise an eyebrow. That old dog Mick—finding love in his later years!

The agricultural officer spent every waking moment buried in dirt, his mind consumed with optimizing fields and boosting yields. Louis never expected him to quietly pull off something this big. Tanya—he remembered her. A native widow, early thirties, three kids. Tough, capable. Mick managing to win her over was a genuine surprise.

"Well, that's worth celebrating. Looks like Crimson Tide Territory's population is about to get a boost." He chuckled and shook his head, happy for the old fellow.

The second entry aligned with his expectations. Coldfront had delivered as promised, rising above the other cubs and claiming the alpha position. Louis had been confident from the start. That cub radiated an untamable, regal aura—everything about its size, bearing, and eyes set it apart from its littermates.

"Good." Louis nodded with satisfaction. "That's the war-wolf I picked."

But when his eyes reached the third entry, his smile vanished.

Sif. The Cold Moon Tribe's young princess. Fleeing to Crimson Tide Territory. The report weighed heavily on him.

He'd been receiving updates on the Cold Moon Tribe from the system all along. Ever since the old chieftain's death, the tribe had plunged into total chaos. The chieftain's family purged. The council of elders stripped of authority. Warlords rallying their own factions, the power struggle spiraling out of control. In a word: an absolute mess.

Even so, Louis hadn't expected the tribe's little princess to flee all the way to Crimson Tide Territory—and collapse unconscious on his doorstep. The worst part? At five o'clock this afternoon, she'd become dinner for a Frost Bear.

"What the hell is this?" Louis rubbed his temples and sighed.

Two options lay before him. Save her. Or don't. He drummed his fingers on the desk, weighing the choice.

Don't save her? The Cold Moon Tribe's affairs were impossibly tangled. Saving Sif had a small but real chance of dragging a chain of unknown trouble in his wake. Besides, she was already unconscious on the tundra. In a few hours, she'd be bear food. Dead and gone, no connection to him whatsoever.

But in the end, Louis decided to act.

The thought was far-fetched, impractical—but what if, one day, his power grew enough to use Sif's name as a pretext to absorb the Cold Moon Tribe?

And since she'd already fled to Crimson Tide Territory's vicinity, she was clearly far removed from the tribe's power struggles. The risk was low. Acquiring a strong claim at minimal cost—on balance, the trade seemed worth it.

Of course, all of that was still far ahead.

"Lambert." Louis called for his guardian knight.

Lambert entered promptly and bowed. "My lord?"

"I'm going hunting. Have the men prepare."

Lambert blinked, momentarily surprised. Since arriving at Crimson Tide Territory, the young lord had been buried in administrative work from dawn to dusk—no time for hunting, not even for a morning stroll. And now he suddenly had an enthusiastic urge to hunt?

Well, for a noble, carousing and entertainment were the normal routine. As a proper attendant, Lambert asked no questions. "Understood. I'll arrange the hunters and knights immediately."

He turned and left to carry out the order.

(End of Chapter)