Louis had his own considerations when giving credit to Firth.Before arriving at Snow Eagle City, he had pieced together Firth's character from some intelligence he received from the Daily Intelligence System.Cowardly, vain, severely self-centered, and fond of claiming credit without contributing.A typical narcissistic personality disorder.People like him crave praise and fear isolation the most.So, rather than letting him work behind the scenes, it was better to proactively share some military merits, and in turn, gain goodwill and convenience.After all, anyone with discerning eyes could see who truly did the work.More importantly, according to the Governor of the Northern Territory's military mobilization order, all forces in Snowpeak County were to be coordinated by the Fifth Army Corps.And the nominal commander of the Fifth Army Corps was Firth.In other words, without an order from Duke Edmund, no matter how much merit Louis accumulated, he would still have to fight under this good-for-nothing.Though unreasonable, this was the reality.Louis was not ignorant of the rules among nobles; he was born into the mansion of one of the Empire's eight great noble families.From a young age, he was accustomed to the clashes at banquets and the sight of hypocritical flattery.He was already well-versed in the methods of flattery among nobles.If a few smiles and words could gain him more authority, he didn't mind doing so.The music resumed, and servants carefully cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground, but the air's lingering scent of death remained.Those southern nobles who had previously mocked Louis now put on smiles, approaching him with wine glasses.“Lord Louis is young and promising.”“The battle at White Feather Canyon sounds thrilling.”Their words were filled with flattery, but their eyes held vigilance.This young man was previously dismissed by everyone, but now he had thrown out a bag of heads, catching the entire hall off guard.They had to be wary, yet also curry favor.After all, for now, Louis seemed to be the strongest among them, the southern nobles; uniting around him was a good choice.In contrast to the flattery of the southern nobles, the nobles from the north were more straightforward.A simply dressed, gray-haired old lord raised his glass: “I lost an entire scout team to Haskell back then.”He looked deeply at Louis: “Thanks, Lord Calvin.”Another middle-aged noble nodded: “He died well; you rid us of a great menace.”They spoke few words, but their tone carried sincerity.Unbeknownst to them, night had fallen, and the nobles drunkenly departed.Louis stood by the window, watching the mountains gradually swallowed by the night sky.Tonight was just an appetizer; tomorrow morning was the main course.Because tomorrow was the designated day for formal assembly.The Empire's Fifth Army Corps would be fully assembled by tomorrow morning, with Firth presiding over the announcement of the comprehensive combat plan against the Snowsworn, troop allocations,and, most importantly to Louis, the military merit reward system....In the early morning, the low voices of soldiers and the metallic clanking of knight armor could be heard from outside the tent.The entire camp had begun preparations for a new day.Louis opened his eyes, sat up; he had only had a few sips last night, and now his mind was clear, without even a headache.He put on his coat, yawned, and as usual, summoned the Daily Intelligence System.A faint blue light appeared in the air, and lines of intelligence slowly emerged:【Daily Intelligence Update Complete】【1: The Snowsworn are gathering forces and are expected to dispatch eight hundred warriors in seven days to launch a large-scale raid on Snow Eagle City, with their rear being vulnerable.】【2: Ten days later, Snow Eagle City falls, and Firth is captured alive, then executed as a sacrifice.】【3: There is a hidden valley path on the edge of Qingyu Mountain Pass that can bypass the front lines and directly penetrate the Snowsworn's rear camp.】【4: Viscount Fischer is secretly providing intelligence to the Snowsworn, intending to preserve his own fief.】【5: There are seven Governor of the Northern Territory's secret envoys in the Fifth Army Corps, secretly observing the nobles' performance, including Bond, Curran, Aizel...】“Tsk, as expected of the intelligence system, it's quite reliable at a time like this.”Louis's gaze swept through the information content line by line.Today, five new pieces of intelligence were updated at once, all related to this war and immediately useful.However, as soon as he saw the first piece of intelligence, he frowned sharply.Seven days later? Eight hundred Snowsworn?!This was not a small-scale harassment operation; this was a large-scale combat operation aimed at devouring the entire city.Before he could think further, the second piece of intelligence seemed to seal the verdict.The city fell on the third day of the raid!This proved his judgment from last night: this city was rotten to the core.Confused upper-level command, nobles obstructing each other, unmaintained city walls, and chaotic supplies—even a god couldn't save it.However, holding out for only three days still surprised Louis.Once the city fell, not to mention military merits, he might even lose his life.“Holding out will only lead to dying with these good-for-nothings; I need to find a way to get out.”He knew very well that he was no saint. Even if the people of Snow Eagle City cried out for help, he wouldn't throw his meager forces in to be buried with them.As his mind raced for a way out, his gaze shifted to the third piece of intelligence.“There is a hidden valley path on the edge of Qingyu Mountain Pass that can bypass the front lines and directly penetrate the Snowsworn's rear camp in Snowpeak County.”His eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.A way to survive! And an opportunity!This secret path meant that he could quietly bypass the enemy's main force and strike at their stronghold while they were heading south towards Snow Eagle City, launching ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) a surprise attack to cut off their lifeline!“The rear is vulnerable... So that's the answer.”In his mind, the future battle situation began to be simulated:The enemy would attack in seven days, and the city would fall in ten days.If he deployed his troops early and entered the enemy's rear via the secret path, he could act precisely when the enemy was most vulnerable.Then, if he delayed a bit, pretending to be slow on the march, the fall of Snow Eagle City would have nothing to do with him.And he would become a hero who bravely raided the enemy's rear, unable to provide timely rescue, but achieving great military merit in one battle!As for Firth being sacrificed, as mentioned in the second piece of intelligence...“That's truly regrettable,” he shrugged, without a hint of pity on his face.“I came leading troops, not as a savior. With my current strength, I can't save an entire city of people.If Snow Eagle City falls, the responsibility will naturally fall on that pig.Instead, I can retreat safely, taking on the role of 'timely counterattack, full army retreat'.”He then scanned the fourth piece of information. Fischer, he had some impression of him; he seemed like an honest, simple young noble, but he didn't expect him to be so deeply hidden.However, if there was an opportunity, he might be able to bait him out and use him.Finally, the fifth piece of information: seven Governor of the Northern Territory's secret envoys. His eyes flickered slightly.“Inspectors? Good.” He chuckled softly, then snapped his fingers.“I'll put on a good show for you all, to let you see what a young hero who turns the tide truly looks like.”

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