Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 695: Chapter 393: Red Tide’s Castle (Part 2)

From the initial sketches Louis spread out on the table, saying we could live in the castle together when it’s done since it would be big enough.

To the first Cold Iron beam standing in the muddy waters, and now today, with all the scaffolding removed, the Main Castle stands complete before us.

Construction took four years and three months.

During this time, Red Tide transformed from a fledgling territory into a name inseparable from the entire Northern Territory.

And this city, from what was once seen by others as a whimsical project, has become the largest architectural marvel of the Northern Territory.

Weir took the initiative to open and close the gate. He took a deep breath, gripped with both hands, and with a firm twist, the sound of gears meshing began rolling through the gatehouse.

Click, click, click…

The sound was heavy, but not harsh, more like a giant sleeping beast slowly turning over.

The half-meter-thick double-layered gate closed under the pull of gears and chains.

The outer layer is Cold Iron, the inner layer padded with cork and insulation boards, making the entire door like a black wall, shutting out the winds and moisture on the other side.

The moment the last sliver of light was swallowed by the crack of the door, the noise outside was abruptly cut off.

The world quieted.

Only the faint echo beneath their feet remained, and the gentle whispers of water flowing through pipes deep within the walls.

Alina instinctively relaxed her fingers. Before entering, she had clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, afraid of accidentally getting it muddy. At this moment, she realized she had let go at some point.

She glanced down at the ground, the Obsidian-paved surface was spotless, devoid of mud, puddles, or even the damp marks typical of late spring.

The ground was slightly warm, an indescribable comfort could be felt even through the soles of her shoes.

“The geothermal pipes run all day, powered by the shallow subterranean thermal veins for circulation,” Mike, walking ahead, couldn’t help but explain and added, “As long as the thermal veins don’t dry up, the whole city stays warm.”

The head of the craftsmen’s office and the chief architect of this city walked with his back straight as if not merely heading to meet the Lord, but presenting an entire city as his accomplishment.

Though he already held a high position in Red Tide and even the entire Northern Territory, at this moment, there was still an undisguised tension and excitement in his expression.

“My lord, my lady, this way please.”

Mike eagerly led the way, his steps light like an elementary school student poised to receive an award.

Alina took a deep breath, trying to divert her attention from the ground.

Her sense of smell recovered first.

The musty earth odor outside had entirely vanished, replaced by dry, warm air carrying hints of pine incense and the fresh scent of tea leaves.

For a moment, she even experienced an illusion, as if she had stepped not into the Northern Territory’s Main Castle, but into a mild-climate Southern town.

Watching Louis’s back, Alina felt a complex set of emotions.

She remembered those nights six years ago when she first arrived at Red Tide.

At that time, she was recently widowed, holding young Isaac, unable to sleep peacefully in the unfamiliar Earth Tower City of Red Tide.

She feared this family outcast banished to the Northern Territory would turn against her, feared he would use the guise of shelter to swallow Edmond’s lineage whole, feared she, as the Duke’s widow, was merely a pawn to be sacrificed at any moment.

Back then, she was vigilant in every way, observing his every meeting, every decision, afraid that a single wrong judgment would lead to no return.

Yet now, Louis, through his actions, had long submerged those old fears and wariness deep within her heart.

She hadn’t woken up in fright in the deep of night for a long time.

Isaac excitedly told her, “Brother-in-law taught me something today.

Then the group turned a corner, and where the castle’s inner corridors should have been dark, the view opened up grandly.

An entire outer wall had been thoroughly opened, with transparent panels stretching from the floor to the dome shining brilliantly.

As Alina turned the corner, her steps noticeably paused for half a second.

This was not the Northern architecture she knew, but resembled stepping onto a suspended sky bridge.

Though there was clearly ground beneath her feet, an indistinct illusion of standing mid-air arose in her heart.

“This is…” Alina softly inhaled.

From this corridor, Red Tide City unfolded beneath her, from the distant snowy lines to the close-by street lights, all unobstructedly in view.

The wind was shut out, leaving the light quietly pressed against the glass, as if even the breathing was lightened.

Hearing Alina’s words, Mike finally couldn’t contain himself, bursting with excitement like being ignited: “Madam, this… this is the highest achievement of our glass workshop this year!”

His voice trembled, “According to the traditional castle rules, this should be a wall for arrow slits and battlements, but we created it in this form, ensuring no other castle in the world can match.”

Alina still fixed her gaze on the giant glass wall, the word ’astonishment’ written in her eyes. She rarely lost composure like this, but the sight was enough to render one speechless.

“How about the defense?” she finally asked.

This question wasn’t nitpicking but rather the instinct of a nobility living through the wind and fire of the Northern Territory for years.

Mike, as if faced with a favorite topic, puffed out his chest: “Three-layer structure! The outermost layer supported by Cold Iron won’t crack even if hit by a snow beast.

The middle layer is newly refined crystal composite, able to block crossbow arrows, and the innermost layer is our own Red Tide glass, frost-resistant, shock-resistant, and impervious to temperature differences.

Madam, you needn’t worry about this being an inner tower. The real defenses are on those Cold Iron towers in the outer rings, fitting with the North’s best defensive measures…”

The more he spoke, the brighter his voice became, aching to spill every ounce of pride accumulated over these years all at once.