"Investnt? No, it’s business. We want ore, he wants prosperity." He silently recited in his heart, "This is a match made in heaven."
Sainar bent down again and wrote the order on the docunt: "Approve contact with Red Tide. Let Lyton maintain communication, and dispatch one trade envoy to establish a station in Red Tide under the na of the Cold Salt Caravan. Transactions are limited to minerals and alchemy materials, not involving military supplies and intelligence."
Finally, he left a short comntary in the docunts: "Louis Calvin, a king of the Northern Territory worth taking seriously."
......
The first rays of sunshine illuminated the do-covered houses of Red Tide Main City, the city bell rang, signifying the start of the festival.
Inside the Smith family’s house, breakfast was still on the table: freshly baked rye bread, warm milk, and a pot of stew.
Smith was holding a bowl, smiling as he watched his daughter with hands covered in honey.
"Today is the Spring Festival," Lady Mary said while wiping her daughter’s mouth and laughing, "After we eat, we’ll go to the square to watch the program."
Yini was so excited she could hardly hold the spoon: "Really? Can we stamp seals? Can we eat sugar cakes?"
"Of course," Smith said with a smile, ruffling her hair.
Mary looked at the morning mist rising outdoors, such a morning was like a dream.
No hunger, no fear, only steaming hot breakfast and children waiting to play.
Mary tidied the dishes, pushed open the door, the white breath dispersing in the morning light.
She wore a thick coat, held her husband Smith’s hand, while their daughter Yini ran ahead, laughing and waving her school attendance card.
"Slow down, don’t fall!" Mary shouted, her voice drowned by the laughter of the crowd.
On the street, the steam from the bread stalls mingled with the scent of fish, vendors shouting, "Three copper coins for roasted fish! Honey water on special today!"
The children lined up to stamp seals, and the workshop’s whistle occasionally sounded far away, as if accompanying the festival.
Smith laughed, holding his wife’s hand, "Rember the winters in Frost Halberd? Back then, we were reluctant to even buy bread."
Mary nodded, her gaze soft, "It’s different now."
They stopped at South Market Square, bought so grilled fish, and watched the blacksmith at the craftsman stall.
Sparks flew, the sound of hamrs as orderly as a piece of music.
Yini widened her eyes, watching the blacksmith take the festival commorative dals out of the mold and hand them to her, making her jump with joy.
The afternoon square buzzed with activity, stalls lined up one after another.
Mary saw children playing ring toss, throwing copper coins, and the little puppets they won were held high.
It was a wooden stall, the rings woven from hemp rope, the boss was a short old craftsman with a gray beard, seeing Yini, he teased, "Little girl, want to try?"
Yini nodded excitedly, so Smith took out ten iron coins and handed them to the boss.
Yini held the ring high, tongue slightly out, carefully aiming at the cloth doll in the red dress.
The ring flew out, spun in the air and landed steadily.
"Got it!" The old craftsman laughed heartily, "This kid has talent, surely blessed by God!"
Smith took the doll and casually asked, "How’s business lately?"
The old craftsman wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Not bad, these years everyone has money, and when the festival cos, kids are willing to spend. We should thank Lord Louis."
Smith followed, "Thank Lord Louis."
Mary also nodded and smiled.
The sun shone on the crowd, blacksmiths, fishern, rchants, soldiers...
The people of Red Tide City were all smiling, the laughter warm and true, though snow was still falling, everything felt warm.
Mary looked at the crowd, her heart suddenly bittersweet.
She rembered when she was still a rchant’s daughter in Frost Halberd City, life wasn’t as stable as outsiders thought, sotis even hungry in winter. Marrying him, a Knight Captain, improved life a bit, yet resources were always scarce.
And thinking about her initial fear hearing about moving to Red Tide, Mary gently laughed, seeing those worries were truly laughable now.
Once thinking this wasteland was only snow and death, it is now her warst ho.
Now she has her own ho in Red Tide, a two-story do house, warm with a flowing heat pipe beneath the ground all night.
The ho has a granary, a fireplace, and a wooden box stored with Gold Coins.
She understood that prosperity isn’t piles of gold and silver, but tomorrow’s als without worry.
Mary usually worked part-ti as a deacon in the orphanage, managing ledgers and distributing rations.
Because she was literate, and knew arithtic, she was called Miss Mary, with a monthly salary of two Silver Coins.
Her husband Smith was still stationed on the outer defensive line but managed to return to the city for two months each year, those months were her most peaceful tis.
And her daughter Yini, now six years old, was attending school in Red Tide.
She wasn’t good at writing yet, arithtic only to ten, but every day she excitedly read the wall notices to Mary.
Mary whispered to Smith, "I never imagined we could have such a life."
Smith grinned, "It’s all thanks to Lord Louis."
Mary nodded but did not respond, just looked at her daughter’s excited face, thinking this was the true spring.
The afternoon festival activities had just begun, their family of three played while eating.
Children’s laughter ca from the puppet theater at the street corner, young craftsn dressed as monsters ran around the parade.
Street-side had a small adventurer’s challenge, children must cross suspension bridges, crawl through barrels, finally ring the copper bell to get candy.
Yini rushed ahead, and ended up falling off the suspension bridge, making Mary laugh till tears ca out.
They still watched perforrs blowing fire and painting lanterns at the temporary stalls...
The sky was getting darker, the bell rang, Mary took her daughter’s hand and said to Smith, "Let’s go, it’s ti for the square."
Along the way, the crowd grew denser, the air full of laughter and the scent of wine.
"I heard Lord Louis is going to speak tonight," soone nearby said excitedly.
Smith was taken aback, then laughed, "It’s rare to see him, last ti was during last year’s outing."
Yini tugged at Mary’s hand, her eyes sparkling, "Mom, can I see Lord Louis later?"
"Of course you can." Mary laughed, squatting down to tighten her daughter’s scarf, "But be good, don’t run around."
They followed the crowd into the center of the square, the fire pillars yet to be lit, the surrounding flags snapping in the wind.
The crowd was dense, almost shoulder to shoulder, with children held in adults’ arms to avoid being separated.
"Haven’t seen so many people gather like this in years," Smith sighed, looking at the flags around.
Mary was pushed back step by step by the crowd, couldn’t help but smile and nod, she felt so anticipation in her heart.
The Lord, maybe he would say sothing.
At this ti, a familiar voice sounded beside, "Lady Mary?"
She turned back to see Pete, the resource officer who often ca to the orphanage delivering grain and coal, a young officer still carrying a bag of snacks, with his usual smile.
"Mr. Pete! What a coincidence." Mary was a bit surprised.
"Yeah, I’m here to help maintain order," he joked with a smile.
Smith also nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work tonight."
Pete waved his hand, "It’s what we should do."
As the words fell, the fire pillars were lit in the sound of trumpets, flas rising, illuminating the whole Sun Square.
The crowd’s noise instantly turned into a roar, "Lord Louis!"
The lights on the high platform lit up, cutting through the snowy fog, that figure stepped forward from the flas.
He didn’t wear golden armor, nor were there attendants, just wearing a Red Tide cloak.
The young lord’s expression was calm, he surveyed the crowd, his eyes gentle, when he raised his hand, the noisy square quieted down.
Children looked up, adults held their breath, soldiers put down their wine cups, even the wind seed to lighten a bit.
Mary looked at Louis on stage, her heart inexplicably warming.
At this mont, all the lights seed to converge on this young lord.
Mary suddenly understood why people always said, "The lord of Red Tide is like the Sun."
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