FL - Chapter 89: The Cruel Rules of Nobility

Louis raised his cup and called out, "Let the feast begin!"

The square erupted.

Braziers blazed at all four corners beneath strands of colored lanterns. Reed pipes and fiddles struck up a lively tune while young serving women danced to the drums. Tankards overflowed with foaming ale. The scents of Crimson Tide smoked fish, roasting lamb, and wild-mushroom venison broth rolled across the square.

Soldiers raised their cups and laughed. Children chased each other through the crowd.

Standing at the edge of the high platform, Louis took it all in. His eyes softened.

The territory he had guarded in silence was beginning to prosper. Trust filled the eyes turned toward him, and pride shone through tears of joy. A quiet warmth stirred in his chest.

He was tired; greater power had brought heavier burdens. Yet tonight offered a solid sense of accomplishment, not the hollow vanity of a noble looking down upon his subjects, but the satisfaction of having built something real.

Louis gripped his cup and murmured to himself. *Tonight, I'll let myself relax a little.*

…

After the revelry came the work.

Louis sat up and rubbed his temples. Despite ruling a vast domain, he still preferred this familiar semi-sunken dwelling. He slept better on his own land.

He stretched and casually opened the Daily Intelligence System. A translucent panel shimmered into view before his eyes.

**[Daily Intelligence Updated]**

**[1: Signs of Eagle Claw Vine have been found near Old Eagle Rock at the eastern mouth of Clearwind Canyon. This plant has exceptional wound-healing properties and could be cultivated as a field medicinal herb.]**

**[2: Mana fluctuations have been detected at the southern edge of Silver Shade Forest. A small deposit of Mana Marrow Ore lies buried nearby.]**

**[3: A small herd of Snow Mountain Goats has appeared in the central Snowshepherd Plain. They are suitable for pen breeding and produce ample milk in winter.]**

**[4: House Calvin has selected over forty loyal and steady civil officials and stewards from within the family to assist Louis in managing his lands.]**

**[5: Duke Calvin has allocated a shipment of supplies to support Crimson Tide Territory, including grain, winter clothing, and cold-resistant medicinal herbs prioritized for winter preparation.]**

**[6: Duke Calvin has dispatched a contingent of knights to serve under Louis, including ten Elite Knights, thirty Formal Knights, and one hundred Apprentice Knights.]**

**[7: Duke Calvin has upgraded Louis's family resource access to Level 2 and granted him the rights of House Calvin's Northlands Agent.]**

*A lot of intel today. And more resource-type intelligence.*

He skimmed the first three entries. Since acquiring nearly three hundred and eighty-six square miles of new territory, the system had supplied resource reports every few days: medicinal herbs, mana deposits, potential grazing grounds, and more.

The new territories weren't as rich as Crimson Tide, but the system always managed to dig up unexpected advantages. These resources mattered. But right now, there were more pressing concerns. Stockpiling winter supplies. Restoring postwar order. Resettling refugees. Repositioning garrison troops. Tracking the remaining Snowsworn elements.

*These resources… I'll get to them once I've sorted out the mess in front of me.*

Then the rest of the intelligence hit him. Louis froze.

*The old man's support is far more generous than I expected.*

This was no token shipment of flour and horses. It was support on an institutional scale.

House Calvin offered more than material supplies. The true prize was a contingent of over forty seasoned officials and stewards, all loyal, reliable, and experienced. Louis could distribute them across Crimson Tide Territory and his four new fiefs to oversee administration, taxation, census rolls, and grain levies—the skeleton of a proper government.

Crimson Tide Territory would no longer be governed by an improvised handful of people.

"Finally… the days of one Hilko doing the work of ten men are over."

He said it lightly, but part of him actually missed that outwardly respectful, inwardly grumbling alchemy apprentice.

The meritorious knights who'd received their commendations the day before would pair with these civil officials, one handling military affairs, the other civil governance. They would formally take charge of this land still teetering on the edge of recovery.

*Finally starting to look like a real territory.*

Louis could never manage so large a domain alone. He had considered gathering every refugee in Crimson Tide Territory, but limited resources and primitive transport made such concentration impossible. Now he could distribute people and coordinate development across several regions.

Then there was the military reinforcement. Ten Elite Knights, thirty Formal Knights, one hundred Apprentice Knights. Combined with the knights he already commanded, his forces now had the shape of a proper noble lord's military. Even measured against some veteran viscounts, his foundation was solid.

The seventh piece of intelligence left him silent for a long moment.

House Calvin's Northlands Agent. It wasn't just a title. It carried real authority. It meant he could act in the name of House Calvin throughout the Northlands, like a leader exercising the family's will from afar.

Of course, House Calvin's influence in the Northlands was modest. The title's practical power wasn't nearly as grand as it sounded. At the end of the day, it didn't come with any real military force or territory. Just a handful of distant relatives holding a few minor fiefs in remote corners of the region. Combined, they didn't even match the size of Louis's own holdings.

The true value lay in the trading network the family had built over the years in the Northlands. Several grain houses, ironworks, transport fleets, and a number of secure trade routes. All of them were now at his disposal.

He could borrow on credit and negotiate prices under the family name. He could redirect shipments, distribute supplies, and give his own territories priority. In negotiations, his authority to speak for House Calvin would lend his promises far greater weight.

The title was no supreme weapon, but it gave him desperately needed room to maneuver.

"This really is… a timely windfall." Louis dismissed the panel with a quiet laugh.

These people and supplies were a lifeline. His territory was new and vast, its population scattered and unsettled. Every affair needed capable hands, and every shipment could save lives. Even temporary support would keep the domain functioning.

And in that moment, he felt genuine gratitude toward Duke Calvin.

The father who had scarcely acknowledged him in childhood had sent him north on what amounted to a death sentence. Yet once Louis survived and proved his worth, support arrived without hesitation: personnel, money, authority, and supplies.

Perhaps that was the cruel rule of nobility.

They didn't raise the useless. But the moment you proved yourself worth something, they invested in you without a second thought.