Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 25 After the War
The frost giant's corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its massive body lifeless, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

The soldiers busily cleaned up the battlefield, while the knights tended to the wounded of their comrades.

Fortunately, preparations were adequate and the casualties were not serious.

Most people only suffer from minor frostbite or abrasions, which can be treated with ointments and bandages they carry with them.

Several doctors were busy bandaging the wounds of the injured person and applying warm medicine to prevent cold air from entering the body.

But the knight who was knocked away by the raging frost giant was the only one whose injuries were extremely serious.

His face was pale, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his armor had been shattered by the giant, and his chest was deeply caved in.

It was clearly a broken rib, and the internal organs were probably also severely damaged.

Although he still had a faint breath, it was uncertain whether he could pull through.

The doctor knelt beside him, his face grave: "The injuries are too severe; conventional treatments simply cannot save him."

The knights surrounding them looked uneasy; this was their comrade-in-arms.

They were fighting side by side just moments ago, but now they lie here, barely clinging to life.

"We can't let him die." Everyone looked up and saw that Louis was already standing to the side.

He slowly took out a dark green crystal bottle from his pocket; the liquid inside emitted a faint glow.

It was an extremely precious life-saving medicine that could quickly repair wounds and even pull the seriously injured back from the brink of death.

This medicine is so precious that even nobles cherish it and will not use it unless absolutely necessary.

Louis didn't say much, but knelt down on one knee and personally poured the medicine into the wounded soldier's mouth.

The medicine entered the mouth, and a miracle slowly occurred.

Her previously faint breathing gradually became steady, and a trace of color returned to her pale cheeks.

The sunken chest slowly swelled up, the broken bones began to heal, and the torn internal organs gradually recovered.

His heartbeat, which had almost stopped, regained its strength.

The breath of life returned to the dying knight.

"His life is out of danger." The doctor breathed a sigh of relief. "But as for how well he can recover, that depends on his fate."

The knights watched this scene with complex expressions.

They looked at Louis with awe, never expecting him to use such a precious potion on a knight.

Louis's loyalty has increased again...

“My lord…” Lambert said in a low voice, “You shouldn’t waste such a potion on him.”

Louis stood up and smiled calmly: "He fought for me, for the Red Tide Territory. How could it be a waste to use his strength on him?"

His gaze swept over everyone present, and his voice was firm: "I will not easily abandon those who are loyal to me."

For a moment, all the knights straightened their backs in silence.

They bowed their heads and covered their chests, responding with a chivalrous salute, silent yet more resolute than any oath.

Actually, Louis was also heartbroken about the bottle of medicine.

This was a life-saving potion that his sister, who shared both parents, secretly gave him before he went to the North. There were only three bottles in total.

The first bottle was given to Sif, who was unconscious.

The second bottle was given to the seriously injured knight.

Now he only has one bottle left.

Thinking about this, he felt a mix of emotions.

It would be a lie to say I'm not heartbroken. This is something that could save a life. If I had it on me, it might save my life in a critical moment.

But he used it anyway, though he didn't regret it.

He saved Sif; perhaps one day in the future, this little princess of the Cold Moon tribe will bring some value. He also saved the knight; it will let the soldiers of the Crimson Tide Territory know that their lord will not easily abandon them, thus building unity.

"Never mind, I'll keep the last bottle for myself." Louis sighed softly and casually tucked the empty bottle into his pocket.

Next came the part about rewarding those who had contributed.

Louis stood solemnly before the crowd, and as lord, personally awarded prizes to each of those who had rendered meritorious service.

"In this campaign, we annihilated four Frost Giants, and everyone deserves credit!"
If it were any other lord, they might not have held a special ceremony to reward merit, but I am different; merit should be rewarded.

He paused, and looking at the expectant eyes of the crowd before him, his lips twitched slightly.

"However, well, I think you all know—I'm really poor."

The soldiers looked at each other, and then someone burst out laughing.

Louis shrugged helplessly: "But since you've done a good job, you should get some benefits."

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

The reward was simple—fresh fish, game, grain, and a small amount of gold coins—but no one showed any dissatisfaction.

Because they knew in their hearts that Louis had already done enough.

He was not a lord who only made empty promises; he was willing to save his soldiers.

Even if they are short of money, they are willing to do their best to reward them after they have fought a bloody battle.

Moreover, most lords who send troops to fight against alien races or monsters will not reward their soldiers and knights for their merits.

It would be a blessing to go back and rest after the battle.

But Louis was different.

Their lord will personally step forward to acknowledge their contributions and promise to provide more rewards in the future.

This is what they value most.

"It is our honor to serve Your Lordship!"

May the Dragon Ancestor protect the Crimson Tide Territory!

All the soldiers and knights had no complaints and were even grateful.

He happily accepted the modest reward, a satisfied smile on his face.

What to do with these giant corpses is a problem.

Food is scarce in the North, and every piece of meat is incredibly precious. Ordinary prey would have already been skinned, butchered, and sent to a smoking room to be cured into dried meat.

But the frost giants are, after all, humanoid creatures.

Louis looked at the enormous corpses, feeling a sense of resistance.

Moreover, although the Red Tide Territory has limited resources, it is not to the point where it has to resort to such means to fill its stomach.

"Don't eat them. Take them all back and dispose of them." He gave the order decisively.

The knights had no objections; their lord had always acted with principle.

But discarding the body would be too wasteful.

After all, these frost giants' bodies contain enormous amounts of cold energy, and even after they die, their flesh and blood are still rich in special nutrients.

Thinking of this, Louis suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Since we can't eat them, let's make the most of them. We can make them into fertilizer."

"Fertilizer?" Lambert paused for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.

That's a good idea. Giants' flesh and blood are rich in magic essence. If processed, it should greatly improve the barrenness of the land in the Red Tide Territory.

"Take it back and hand it over to the agricultural officer, Mick, for processing."

So the soldiers began to clear the battlefield, dragging the giant's corpse onto a makeshift wooden frame and slowly transporting it back to Red Tide Territory by horses.

(End of this chapter)