Louis sat cross-legged, adjusting his breath, and the Tidal Breathing Technique within him naturally began to operate."Inhale, exhale."Deep, prolonged breaths echoed in his chest, like the ebb and flow of tides, consuming and refining the energy brought by the Northern Crystal Cod.The Tidal Breathing Technique was the Calvin Family's inherited Breath Control Technique.It centered on the bloodline surging like ocean tides, emphasizing cycles of rise and fall: bursting with power during the high tide and returning to stability during the low tide.Under the cleansing of this warm yet violent energy, Louis's bloodline seemed to be reshaped.He could feel the speed of his blood flow increasing, his meridians becoming more unhindered, and even his bones felt slightly hot, as if undergoing a transformation.Finally, he slowly exhaled, the internal heat gradually settling and returning to calm. He had advanced.He was now a Mid-level Formal Knight.Such strength at a young age, among ordinary people, would be considered a rare genius.Yet, among Duke Calvin's descendants, he was still considered a bottom-tier good-for-nothing.After all, his eldest brother was already a Peak Knight, with illustrious military achievements, having rendered great service to the Empire.In this world, a knight's power originated from the awakening of their bloodline.Not everyone could become a knight; only those with a sufficiently powerful bloodline could activate the dormant knightly power within them.Once on the path of a knight, there were six main stages: Apprentice Knight, Formal Knight, Elite Knight, Extraordinary Knight, Peak Knight, and Legendary Knight, with each stage representing a significant chasm.Of course, Louis was no longer in a hurry.With the Daily Intelligence System in hand, future opportunities would not be lacking.After fully absorbing the essence of the fish soup, Louis slowly stopped the Tidal Breathing Technique and opened his eyes.He immediately noticed that the surrounding knights were looking at him with worshipful eyes.The next second, deafening cheers resounded throughout the camp: "Long live Lord!"Hearing the overwhelming cheers, Louis finally breathed a sigh of relief.This meant his prestige had been initially established, and at least for now, he no longer had to worry about the loyalty of the knights.After the cheering subsided, Louis looked at Lambert beside him and asked, "How far is Frost Halberd City from here?"Lambert respectfully replied, "About two hundred kilometers.""That means five or six days of travel," Louis nodded slightly, then decisively ordered, "Speed up; try to arrive by the afternoon three days from now."Lambert respectfully responded, "Understood!"Normally, the team would never be able to travel so quickly, especially in this icy wasteland.But now, the knights' morale was at its peak, and achieving such a marching goal was more than feasible.Frost Halberd City, the capital of the Northern Province, was also the most important military and political center of the North.Louis's main task on this trip was to choose his pioneering territory, and naturally, the earlier he chose, the greater the benefits.But what truly made him eager to rush to Frost Halberd City were the three pieces of intelligence refreshed by the system today:"1: Three days from now, Weil, the future Peak Knight, will be brought to the Frost Halberd City black market by a slave trader.""2: Three days from now, Silco, an alchemy apprentice, will be wanted by the Golden Marrow Guild for stealing a secret formula and will be brought to the Frost Halberd City black market by a slave trader, disguised as a slave.""3: Duke Edmund is furious because various families are sending their prodigal sons to the North."The first piece of intelligence greatly surprised Louis.A Peak Knight, in this world, was already considered a T1-level top combatant, although not as rare an existence as a Legendary Knight.However, every Peak Knight was almost a military commander or a pillar of the kingdom, regarded as a cornerstone by any force.The current Weil might not have matured yet, but his talent alone, capable of reaching the realm of a Peak Knight, was worth Louis's investment.The second piece of intelligence was also extremely valuable.The "alchemists" of this world were similar to chemists, skilled in handling various magical items and even capable of transforming cheap materials into high-value goods, making them highly sought-after talents by major powers.The entire Calvin Family had only three Formal Alchemists.And while alchemy apprentices were not yet fully mature, they were still extremely scarce.Louis's plan was simple: first, pretend to casually buy Silco, then observe him in secret.If he indeed had potential and posed no danger, he would be kept and trained.After all, the price of a slave shouldn't be too high.As for the third... even without the intelligence system, Louis could have guessed this would happen.With various families scrambling to send their good-for-nothing offspring to the North, Duke Edmund, as the provincial governor, was naturally enraged.But from Louis's perspective, this might not be a bad thing.If handled properly, it could even become part of his plans.Since Frost Halberd City held so many opportunities, he had to arrive as soon as possible!..."Damn it! These bloodsucking parasites! The Empire sent them here to guard the North, not to send a bunch of good-for-nothings to drag us down!"In the Governor's office, heavy reports were slammed onto the desk.Papers scattered, reflecting Duke Edmund's furious face.A rebellion two years prior had almost caused the entire North to break away from Imperial control; the rebels had even breached Frost Halberd City's outer walls!Duke Edmund had led his elite forces in a bloody three-month battle, barely suppressing those rebels.But at what cost?Border fortresses were destroyed, granaries burned, the army suffered over half its casualties, and his only son died.Order in the entire North had yet to fully recover.This time, the Emperor finally realized that stability could not be maintained by military garrisons alone.So, he devised a strategy of sending noble scions to the North to open up territories, using their power to stabilize the frontier.But these idiotic noble families!Did they truly intend to send their family elites to the North to risk their lives?What a joke!A bunch of good-for-nothings were sent to the North; while there were some normal people, they were few.Duke Edmund laughed in extreme anger, picking up a report and casually flipping it open: "Look at the quality of what they've sent over!""The third son of the Alvin Family, rumored to be addicted to gambling, with debts enough to buy three mansions in the Royal Capital.""The young master of the Grant Family, said to be only fifteen, yet already a frequent guest at various brothels in the Empire.""Duke Calvin's eighth son, habitually idle, only a Low-level Formal Knight due to family resources, a complete good-for-nothing..." "Are these even noble scions? These are whores, gamblers, and gluttons sent to me!A bunch of pampered idiots! Their ancestors built this empire with iron and blood, but now they only know how to vie for power and scheme.Beyond their own family interests, where is there room for the Empire's safety!"Duke Edmund was beyond furious, slamming his fist on the table, making even the sturdy wooden table groan under the strain.The atmosphere in the room was ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) so oppressive it was suffocating; his advisors kept their heads down, not daring to speak.After a long while, Edmund took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his anger, and sat back in his chair, his gaze chilling."Fine. Since these fools have come, let them fend for themselves. The North still has to rely on us."

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