Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Aftermath of Battle

The corpse of the Frost Giant lay sprawled on the ground, its massive body devoid of life, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

Soldiers busied themselves cleaning the battlefield, while knights tended to their comrades’ injuries.

Fortunately, we had adequate preparation, so the casualties were not too severe.

Most people only suffered minor frostbite or scratches, which could be treated with the ointments and bandages they carried with them.

A few physicians were busy nearby, bandaging wounds and applying warm ointment to prevent the cold from penetrating the body.

But only the knight who was flung by the rampaging Frost Giant was gravely injured.

He was pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his armor had been shattered by the giant, leaving a deep indentation in his chest.

It was clear that his ribs were broken, and his internal organs were likely seriously damaged as well.

Though he still had faint breathing, whether he could make it through was unknown.

A physician kneeled by his side, his expression grave: “The injuries are too severe, conventional treatment won’t work.”

The surrounding knights looked uneasy; after all, he was their comrade.

Just moments ago, they had fought side by side, and now, he lay here on the brink of death.

“He cannot die.” Everyone looked up to see Louis already standing nearby.

He slowly retrieved a deep green crystal bottle from his bosom, the liquid inside emitting a faint glow.

It was an extremely precious Life Potion, capable of quickly healing wounds and even pulling a severely injured person back from the brink of death.

This kind of potion was so cherished by the nobility that it would not be used unless absolutely necessary.

Without saying much, Louis knelt on one knee and personally poured the potion into the wounded man’s mouth.

As the potion entered, a miracle slowly unfolded.

The previously shallow breathing became steady, and a touch of color returned to his pale cheeks.

The sunken chest gently expanded, the broken bones began to heal, and the torn internal tissues gradually restored.

His nearly stagnant heartbeat regained strength.

The breath of life returned to the brink-of-death knight.

“His life is no longer in danger.” The physician breathed a sigh of relief, “But as to how well he will recover, that depends on his fate.”

The knights watched the scene, their gazes complex.

They looked at Louis, their eyes full of reverence, astounded that Louis would use such a precious potion on a knight.

Their loyalty to Louis increased: +1, +1, +1…

“Lord…” Lambert said softly, “Such a potion shouldn’t be wasted on him.”

Louis got up, smiling calmly: “He fought for me, for Red Tide Territory. How is it a waste to use it on him?”

His gaze swept across everyone present, his voice firm: “Those who are loyal to me, I will never easily abandon.”

For a moment, all the knights straightened their backs in silence.

They pressed their hands over their hearts, responding with a knight’s salute, saying nothing but expressing more than any oath.

Truthfully, Louis felt a pang of regret for the potion as well.

This was a life-saving potion his full-blooded sister secretly gave him before heading to the Northern Territory, and he had only three bottles.

The first bottle was used on the unconscious Sif.

The second on this severely injured knight.

Now, only one bottle remained in his possession.

The thought filled him with conflicting emotions.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel a pang of regret, as this was something that could save a life, and in a critical moment, it might just save his own life.

Yet, he used it like that, though he had no regrets.

He saved Sif, and perhaps in the future, this little princess of the Cold Moon Tribe might bring some value.

He saved this knight too, making the soldiers of Red Tide Territory aware that their lord won’t easily forsake them, gathering cohesion.

“Never mind, I’ll leave the last bottle for myself.” Louis sighed softly, casually storing the empty bottle back into his bosom.

Next, came the awarding of merits and rewards.

Louis solemnly stood before everyone as a lord, personally bestowing rewards on everyone who had earned merit.

“In this campaign, we exterminated four Frost Giants; everyone made contributions!

Perhaps other lords might not specially host a ceremony to award achievements, but I am different; merit should be rewarded.”

He paused, noticing the expectant eyes of those in front of him, his mouth twitching slightly.

“However, ahem, I suppose you are aware—I am truly poor.”

The soldiers exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.

Louis shrugged helplessly: “But since you’ve achieved merit, there must be some benefits.”

After saying this, cheers and applause erupted on site.

The rewards were simple—fresh fish, game, grain, and a small amount of gold coins, yet no one showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

Because in their hearts, they knew Louis had done enough.

He wasn’t a lord who merely promised empty words; he was willing to save his soldiers.

Even after they fought bloodily, despite being strapped for cash, he would do his utmost to give them rewards.

Moreover, the vast majority of lords would not bother giving achievements and rewards when dispatching troops to eradicate aliens or demons.

Once the battle was over, sending troops back for rest was considered a favor.

But Louis was different.

Their lord would personally stand and acknowledge their achievements, pledging more rewards in the future.

This is what they valued most.

“It’s our honor to serve the lord!”

“May the Dragon Ancestor bless Red Tide Territory!”

All the soldiers and knights bore no grievances and even felt grateful.

They happily accepted the not-so-lavish rewards, wearing satisfied smiles.

The question of how to deal with the giant corpses arose.

The Northern Territory lacked food, every piece of meat was precious. If these were ordinary game, they would have been skinned and processed into jerky for preservation.

But Frost Giants, after all, were humanoid creatures.

Looking at those massive corpses, Louis felt some resistance.

Moreover, even though the Red Tide Territory’s resources were limited, it hadn’t reached the point where such means were necessary to fill stomachs.

“Don’t eat them, take them all back for processing.” He decisively ordered.

The knights had no objections, as their lord always acted with principles.

But abandoning the corpses seemed like a waste.

After all, the bodies of these Frost Giants contained vast Cold Energy. Even in death, their flesh was rich with special nutrients.

With this thought, inspiration struck Louis: “If we can’t eat them, let’s put them to good use; they can be made into fertilizer.”

“Fertilizer?” Lambert was briefly stunned, then nodded thoughtfully.

This was indeed a good idea; the giant’s flesh, rich with Magic Essence, could significantly improve the land scarcity issue of the Red Tide Territory if processed appropriately.

“Take them back and hand them over to the Agricultural Official, Mike.”

So, the soldiers began to clean the battlefield, loading the giant corpses onto makeshift wooden frames and slowly transporting them back to the Red Tide Territory with horses.

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