Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 622 - 366: Kavier’s Retirement Plan

The morning mist of the Red Tide had not dissipated, and the distant mountains were painted with a touch of white by the early spring sunlight.

The testing facility outside the city was hidden in the valley, where the scent of steam mixed with coal smoke carried a tar-like smell on the wind.

This was one of the most secret places in the Red Tide.

High walls surrounded it, the sentry posts were strict, and knights with guns stood on both sides.

Seeing the Lord’s exclusive vehicle approaching, they all stood at attention and saluted, their expressions solemn.

The carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the testing facility.

Bradley got out of the carriage first, adjusting the collar of his coat: "Be careful, my Lord. After all, we’re still in the testing phase."

Louis merely smiled slightly, lifted the curtain, and stepped down.

In the center of the testing facility, a massive iron vehicle stood silently.

Smoke still gently wafted from its furnace, snowmelt from the previous night clung to the iron wheels, and the sunlight reflected a layer of dark red gloss on its metallic surface.

It had a chilling beauty, like a peculiar steel beast, with the emblem of the Red Tide engraved on its side.

The vehicle was cast from Cold Iron and refined copper, with a rounded boiler cabin at the front towering over two people tall, and copper pipes winding like veins.

The body of the vehicle was tightly locked with heavy rivets, the front equipped with two pairs of iron wheels embedded on temporarily laid gear tracks, the rear part being cargo and operation cabins, appearing bulky and rough.

Hamilton stood by the vehicle, covered in work clothes, his face full of coal dust, his eyes filled with anxiety, holding plans crumpled and soaked with sweat in his arms.

"Lord Louis!" Seeing Louis, he rushed forward to salute, his voice trembling slightly, "Everything is ready."

The other craftsmen, noticing the Lord’s presence, also put down their tools and saluted, their expressions a blend of reverence and pride.

Louis stepped forward, carefully examining the iron vehicle, nodding in approval: "Well done, Hamilton."

"It... it’s all thanks to the plans and ideas you provided, my Lord," the young man stammered, the coal dust unable to hide the blush on his face, "I just followed your vision and... brought it to life."

"Everyone has inspiration," Louis said calmly, "but the ability to turn plans into reality, that is a unique talent."

Hamilton’s mouth opened slightly, yet he couldn’t utter a word, but his eyes shone like a furnace flame.

Louis ascended the iron ladder, entering inside the vehicle cabin.

The cabin’s space was surprisingly spacious. Although the arrangement was still rough, with unpolished marks still visible on the iron walls, the structure was tight and precise.

The orange-red flames danced in the furnace, steam pipes wove a web, and the rhythm of the piston chamber resonated through the air.

"Dong... dong... dong..." It sounded like the iron heart was beating.

The control panel comprised of refined copper and wooden boards, the three pressure gauge needles trembling slightly.

Beside it was the main control valve and the hand brake lever, the casing still bearing scorch marks.

Louis bent over to observe, each part almost not matching his mental picture, yet he had no doubt in this genius youth’s creative abilities.

"Let it run," he said softly.

Bradley’s face slightly changed: "My Lord, boarding the vehicle yourself might be a bit dangerous."

Hamilton quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, Lord Louis, this time... this time let us operate it."

Louis turned, his tone calm: "Haven’t you already tested it?"

"Y-yes, we’ve tested it twenty-three times, and the results have all been stable," Hamilton replied, stuttering.

"Then that’s settled." Louis smiled faintly, "I trust you all."

This single sentence made all the craftsmen present hold their breath, the feeling of being trusted warmer than the furnace fire.

Hamilton quickly regained his senses, taking a deep breath: "Add coal, increase pressure to the first mark!"

The flames in the furnace suddenly surged, the red glow illuminating every face. The craftsman pulled down the control lever.

"Sss—!" White mist ejected from the exhaust vent, the ground slightly trembling.

"My Lord, i-it might shake a little," Hamilton nervously reminded.

Louis sat firmly, signaling to everyone to grip the handrails, his voice steady: "It’s okay."

Emily gently held Louis’s hand, she was also riding for the first time, somewhat nervous.

Weir watched the front of the vehicle with wide eyes, his breathing becoming rapid with excitement.

"Start!"

The iron wheels slowly began to turn amidst the rumbling, the gear tracks meshing with a low metallic sound.

"Dong... dong... dong..." The light from the furnace spread along the body of the vehicle, as the iron vehicle, like an awakening giant beast, began to move slowly.

Emily gasped softly: "It’s really moving..."

Weir, in shock, said: "No horses needed? No magic?"

Louis chuckled: "Hamilton, explain the principle."

"The principle, the principle is actually very simple," Hamilton explained while nervously adjusting the valves, stuttering.

"It’s s-steam pushing the piston, then... then driving the flywheel, through gears transferring power to the axle... and then the drive rod spins the wheel axle, allowing it to move on its own." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

As he explained more and more rapidly, his voice couldn’t hide his excitement and shyness, as if reciting a secret from his heart.

Emily and Weir glanced at each other, nodding, yet clearly not understanding those technical terms.

Emily muttered quietly: "It sounds like... magic."

Louis, pretending to be indifferent, nodded, composed: "Hm, I understand."

In reality, he didn’t understand at all. In his mind appeared the image of a vehicle shuttling through the city streets from his past life.

He had merely sketched out the rough structure from memory, but the one truly awakening this iron beast was the shy young man before him.

The iron vehicle advanced slowly around the facility, the iron wheels crushing over ice and snow, meltwater dripping along the tracks. Furnace fire intertwined with steam, white mist twirled into the sky by the wind.

Everyone watched without blinking at that colossal iron shadow, even their breaths became lighter.