The sky was blanketed with thick clouds as the fierce wind howled.
But inside the military camp atop the earthen rise, things were still buzzing with excitement. Under
Watching the knights and soldiers chase each other on skis throughout the camp, Lorist's mind stirred. Perhaps skiing and ice skating could be properly promoted across the
It wasn't that Lorist hadn't considered introducing sports from his previous life into the family's territories — it was simply that they weren't suitable. This was a world of combat force. Take the three major ball games, for instance: if you channeled combat force while playing, it would be like cheating. One kick and the ball would explode; one throw at the basket and the entire backboard would be smashed to splinters. As for rugby, the situation was even worse — high-level mastery of combat force was the key to victory. To put it bluntly, a
The sports that were currently popular in the Norton Family's territories were still the old traditional ones: swordsmanship, archery, javelin throwing, axe throwing, horsemanship, and the like. It wasn't that Lorist had never considered organizing a grand tournament or something similar to liven things up and build camaraderie — but in the end, he had abandoned the idea because he simply couldn't find suitable mass-market sports. Sometimes organizing such a tournament wasn't merely a question of whether it would be lively or not. What Lorist was considering was using the opportunity to stimulate economic circulation within the family's territories, giving the common folk's gold coins somewhere to be spent rather than simply hoarded away.
The Second Prince came to a graceful stop right in front of Lorist with a sweeping turn, and the surrounding guards all applauded and cheered. Lorist clapped a few times as well, playing along: "Your Highness, your technique is getting better and better. Truly blessed with natural talent — you pick everything up so quickly!"
The Second Prince smiled with satisfaction. "It's passable, I suppose. In truth, learning the skiing technique isn't that hard — what's difficult is mastering the balance and body coordination. I've noticed that soldiers who have awakened their combat force learn faster than those who haven't..."
"Yes, Your Highness, you're absolutely right."
"Lorist, you're still being so formal. I've told you before — in private, we should address each other as brothers. The Norton Family has only you left, and the blood of the Krisen imperial house now flows only in my veins. We are two of a kind, bound by the same fate."
"Hehe, Your Majesty, even without me the Norton Family still has plenty of collateral bloodlines — Chrisya and her younger brothers, for instance, and several of my half-brothers. I myself already have three sons and two daughters. But it's Your Majesty who ought to take better care of your health. You still haven't produced a single heir for the Andinac royal bloodline!"
The Second Prince sighed deeply. "My mind is consumed with thoughts of restoring the kingdom, waging war, and washing away our shame — there's little room for anything else. Hmm, the weather looks like it's turning. The snow's stopped and the wind's died down today; it should clear up by tomorrow. Lorist, are you leaving too?"
Lorist bowed his head. "Yes, Your Majesty. We've stayed three days already. Once the skies clear tomorrow, we'll set out for the Northland. There's far too much to handle back in the family territories to delay any longer — and come spring after the new year, we'll be launching an attack on the Kingdom of Iberia. That's a matter of great importance that cannot be postponed. I need to go back early and inspect all our war preparations. I trust Your Majesty would also like to see the Kingdom of Iberia destroyed?"
The Second Prince nodded. "Of course. It's a kingdom built by a traitor. Though the traitorous second prince has been put to death by me, the very existence of a kingdom still bearing his name is an eyesore. I'll leave this matter to you, Brother Lorist. I hope the Norton Family's armed forces can rid us of that detestable and pathetic kingdom soon."
"Hehe, Your Majesty, the destruction of the Kingdom of Iberia isn't solely the Norton Family's affair. Duke Kemms, Count Philim, and Count Shahin will all commit their family forces as agreed. Only with that kind of coordination can we annihilate the Kingdom of Iberia in one decisive blow with overwhelming numerical superiority. After that, we'll still need to deal with the Fisabren Family's border mounted raiders and the harassment of the southern provinces by the Four Grand Duchies of the Central Region. Bringing this war to a close will likely take quite some time yet..." Lorist had long since steeled himself for the prospect of a drawn-out campaign against the Kingdom of Iberia.
However, the Second Prince seemed distracted, and it was unclear whether he was even listening to Lorist. He removed the skis from his feet, kicked at a nearby snowdrift with his leather boot, then raised his head. "You're leaving tomorrow, so how about I treat you to a drink tonight? Just the two of us — a farewell toast for your departure. What do you say?"
Lorist smiled and bowed in salute. "Of course, Your Majesty. It would be my honor."
That evening, Lorist brought only Schwarz and two leather skins of refined grain brew to the gathering. The brew was a potent white liquor that Lorist had developed using a farmhouse rice-wine method from his previous life — select rice processed through three rounds of steaming and brewing. Its quantity was limited, since it consumed far too much grain to produce in bulk; usually only Lorist and a handful of the family's senior members could enjoy it.
The snow hut where the Second Prince was staying was indeed empty. Aside from two cooks busy roasting meat outside the main tent, there was no one around. Lorist instructed Schwarz to stay outside and warm the wine, then stepped into the tent himself.
The Second Prince was leaning against the desk, lost in thought about something, and didn't even notice Lorist enter. It wasn't until Lorist softly called out "Your Majesty" three times that he snapped to his senses, hastily rose to invite Lorist to take a seat, then clapped his hands to order the cooks outside to serve the food at once.
The Second Prince sat at the head of the great tent, while Lorist took his seat to the lower left. The table before them was quickly filled with dishes — roasted meat, stewed apples, smoked turkey, and the like.
The Second Prince raised his cup and said, "We're out in the wild with limited supplies, so this can't compare to the grand feasts we used to enjoy in the imperial capital. I hope you won't take offense, Brother Locke."
Lorist also raised his cup. "No need for such courtesy, Your Majesty. What are delicacies from the mountains and seas, fine wines and rich dishes, compared to the honor of having Your Majesty personally keep me company? I'll drink to that."
The Second Prince drained his cup in one gulp along with Lorist. "Thank you..."
"Your Majesty, I also brought along a wine of my own brewing. It's rather strong, though — you need to sip it slowly to appreciate the flavor. Would Your Majesty care to try some?" Lorist said.
"Sure, bring it over and let me have a taste." The Second Prince was somewhat curious.
Lorist clapped his hands to summon Schwarz, then first poured himself half a cup of the warmed refined grain brew, and poured half a cup for the Second Prince. The Second Prince watched the steaming cup with keen interest.
"Your Majesty, this wine tastes best when warmed in winter like this, but you must take small sips — like this." Lorist took a tiny sip of the refined grain brew to demonstrate.
The Second Prince chuckled. He thought Lorist was drinking in an awfully stingy manner. He raised his cup and took a solid drink — not exactly a huge gulp, but certainly no small sip either. His entire face immediately turned crimson. "So spicy! Hot! Burning..."
He sucked in air for a good while before recovering, then his eyes lit up. "I see now, Locke — your guards march thousands of miles through winter on those skis of yours. Do they all carry leather skins of this strong liquor with them? A sip when they're cold to get their warmth back?"
Lorist nodded first, then shook his head. "Your Majesty, my family guards do indeed carry strong liquor with them, to prevent heat loss in blizzard conditions. But what they carry is potato firewater — nothing at all like my refined grain spirit. Mine is brewed from Falchiu rice. A single small leather pouch like this is worth a good ten gold Fordes. If I were to supply it to every man under our family's banner, I'd have gone bankrupt long ago.
Besides, the potato firewater our guards carry is strictly rationed per person. There are absolute limits on daily consumption. Your Majesty, that is the advantage of having fewer men — they're easy to supervise. You believe a legion can use skis to carry out large-scale maneuvering in winter and launch surprise attacks on enemy strongholds at will. In truth, cold-weather clothing and staying on course are only two rather ordinary shortcomings. Take the rationed liquor alone: no matter how harsh the military code, you cannot stop a legion's soldiers from sneaking drinks. What you'll end up with is a drunken army whose combat effectiveness cannot be guaranteed."
The Second Prince let out a long, deep sigh and raised his cup once more. This time he had learned his lesson and took a tiny, cautious sip. "Tsk..."
"Lorist, I've been wanting to have a proper talk with you for a very long time. Tonight, let us speak frankly and openly with one another, shall we?"
Lorist's expression sobered. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
"Lorist, my brother, what I have never understood is why you refuse to help me. With the strength of your Norton Family, if you were willing to lend your aid, we could have unified the territory of the former Krisen Empire long ago. Then both of us — sovereign and vassal alike — would have left our names in history as restorers of glory..."
"Your Majesty, you believe the Norton Family to be powerful, but do you know how that power came to be?" Lorist straightened up in his seat and spoke with great gravity. "Your Majesty, do you remember the first time we met, ten years ago? Our family's northbound caravan was blocked at the border of the Madras Duchy, trapped with nowhere to turn. Two or three hundred thousand souls, desperate and on the verge of collapse — and yet they were the key to the Norton Family's rise in the Northland.
Your Majesty, do you know what our family's territory looked like when I first returned to the Northland? From without,
Do you remember our meeting back then, Your Majesty? Your situation was incomparably better than ours. You used our northbound caravan's armed forces to crush the rebellious nobles within the kingdom and reclaim full authority over the throne. Then, together with our family's troops, you swept through the Madras Duchy and seized Yungeshandra Province. After our caravan headed north, you turned your armies east and defeated the Crown Prince at Liushuichuan, forcing him to cede two southwestern provinces in exchange for peace. That year, Your Majesty, your fame spread across the land, and you were hailed as the next generation's God of War.
But during the five or six years of the truce that followed, Your Majesty, you went down the wrong path. You poured your efforts into expanding the kingdom's army, assembling a force of over three hundred thousand men. You spent virtually the kingdom's entire output sustaining this army and missed the best opportunity to let the realm recover and rebuild.
Your Majesty, please don't interrupt me—let me finish first. Perhaps you have your reasons. You've always wanted to restore the former empire's territory and reclaim its former glory. But you've forgotten that war isn't simply a contest of military strength. Take your three hundred thousand men, for instance—how many of them truly believe in your dream and are willing to fight for it?
To break it down: do you remember the hundreds of thousands of refugees wandering the kingdom back then? They were originally citizens of the imperial capital, displaced by war. Our family took half of them away, and you settled the other half on the confiscated lands of the executed nobles. That was how we secured the kingdom's stability.
Their most urgent desire was for a stable and peaceful life. But you fobbed them off with talk of patience and sacrifice, promising compensation once the empire was reunified. That is the real reason why, after your defeat in the Ridelis Kingdom, the nobles of the entire Andinaque Kingdom revolted, crowned Princess Kairy as queen, and not a single army put up resistance—because your promises had become empty words.
While you were busy expanding the army and preparing for war, the refugees who had traveled with our caravan to the Northland finally found stable lives. We kept our promise and shielded them from the suffering of war. Apart from defending against the beast tide and repelling the Second Prince's attacks, we stayed within our family's territory, quietly developing, focusing on the people's livelihood, investing enormous funds to cultivate our lands, and striving to give these followers who had come with us to the Northland a safe and peaceful home. To the point that our Norton Family was mocked as bears holed up in their den, unwilling to leave their own burrow.
Your Majesty, when you arrived in the Northland and praised the prosperity of our Norton Family's territory, did you have any idea how much blood, sweat, and sacrifice our family poured into developing those lands? If you hadn't organized a three-hundred-thousand-strong army back then, too busy preparing to conquer in every direction, the kingdom would have enjoyed a scene of flourishing prosperity as well. You've already missed one opportunity. Now that you've restored the kingdom's territory, if you settle down and commit to development for ten years, then in a decade you'll be able to sweep across the former empire's borders as you wish.
After hearing Lorist's heartfelt words, the Second Prince simply took small, silent sips of his fine grain wine, and even after finishing the cup, remained silent for a long while.
"Locke, my brother, perhaps this is the greatest difference between you and me. I want to complete the unification of the former empire first, then draw up plans for development across its territory. But you develop one place thoroughly before reaching out to the next. I can't do as you do—developing the kingdom first. I've always feared that too peaceful a life would destroy all my ambitions, making me content with pleasure and unwilling to compete again.
Losing and then regaining the throne this time has made me reflect a great deal. I won't go all-in on military preparations like before. I'll learn from your family—consolidate control over one region before moving on to the next goal, balancing production and military buildup. But I hope to have your Norton Family's help in this process—provide me with some of your weapons." The Second Prince finally spoke, his tone one of plea.
Lorist hesitated for a moment. "Your Majesty, please state your requirements. If it's within my power, I'll certainly agree."
...(To be continued.)