"I have awakened my bloodline talent."

"Ah?"

Lambert's steps halted, as if he had heard something fantastical.

Moments later, the astonishment faded, leaving only heartfelt joy for Louis.

"Don't tell anyone." Lambert reminded in a whisper, "Bloodline talent... it can be lifesaving at critical moments; keep it a secret as long as you can."

Louis nodded: "I understand."

He certainly knew the fewer people who knew about this, the better.

He told Lambert simply because he trusted him.

To him, Lambert was not just an Elite Knight.

For the former master, Lambert was more like a mentor and father figure, teaching him combat techniques since childhood.

Additionally, Lambert had sacrificed a lot for Louis; as a high-tier Elite Knight of the Calvin Clan, he could have stayed in the family and enjoyed life but chose to follow him to the impoverished and dangerous Northern Territory.

Even during Louis' most downtrodden times, Lambert never left his side, which was reason enough to trust him.

And there was another small reason.

Awakening a bloodline talent was such a cool thing, Louis wanted to show off a bit... that's reasonable, right?

On the other side, Lambert was feeling conflicted.

Before arriving in the Northern Territory, he viewed Louis as nothing more than a shy, averagely talented noble.

To be honest, Lambert didn't hold much hope for him either.

Years ago, when following Louis to the North, he only wanted to protect the life of the child he had watched grow up, to prevent the Calvin Clan from being disgraced.

But what he didn't expect was that the young lord who used to daze off in the training grounds had in this war-torn land thrived like a dragon entering the sea.

Not only managing the territory meticulously but also able to lead troops and defeat enemies, winning hearts and becoming a true Lord.

And now even his bloodline talent had awakened.

Lambert was truly happy and proud of Louis.

Yet deep inside, there was also a flicker of unfamiliarity.

"By the way." Louis suddenly recalled something, turning to Lambert with a smile.

"Today I hunted three Frost-Bearded Tundra Rabbits, ate one, and made a breakthrough."

"You've been stuck at the high-tier Elite threshold for almost five years, haven't you?" Louis said casually, "Take one and eat it."

Lambert's eyes widened, momentarily speechless.

He had been stuck at this bottleneck for so long, and he had considered using external resources to make a breakthrough.

However, given the rarity and preciousness of the Frost-Bearded Tundra Rabbit, he didn't even dare to dream of it.

"I..." He suddenly knelt on one knee, his eyes reddening: "Thank you, my lord..."

Louis sighed, reaching out to help him up: "Why be so formal with me?"

That night, Lambert quietly drank the rabbit soup.

The fighting energy within him surged, his blood roared like thunder.

Eventually, a low growl escaped his throat.

The bottleneck that had been unmoved for five years shattered at that moment.

Lambert had ascended to become an Extraordinary Knight!

And also the first Extraordinary Knight of the Red Tide Territory.

If Louis had a golden finger to see the attributes panel, he'd see Lambert's loyalty had already maxed out.

...

On the return journey, although there were some gains, there were no rare resources like the Frost-Bearded Tundra Rabbit.

Thus, the team didn't delay any further and set off directly back to the Red Tide Territory.

By this time, the Red Tide Territory was already boiling with excitement.

The news that the Lord not only survived but also achieved great victories shook the entire territory.

Even the city took the unprecedented step of giving everyone a day's holiday.

The people spontaneously gathered at the city gates and along the main road; the entire territory was bustling like a festival.

Everyone had expectant expressions, though some had hints of unease.

They worried that if the young Lord were dead or incapacitated, this land might return to those dark days of coldness, hunger, and exploitation.

So they waited, hoped, even with a touch of devotional sincerity.

Until this moment, he appeared.

Louis rode on horseback, clad in a red and black military cloak, his figure upright.

The crowd initially fell silent.

Then, like thunder, cheers exploded.

"It's our Lord Louis!"

"He's back!! Our sun has returned!"

"It's him! It's definitely him! Our heroic Lord!"

The noise from the crowd was deafening.

They were moved to tears, some even knelt down with hands clasped.

Children sat on adult shoulders, waving cloth strips edged with red.

Bradley the Old Butler emerged from the crowd, his hair white but his steps steady, his eyes slightly red from excitement.

"Welcome back, my lord." He said quietly, unable to suppress his joy.

He too had worried about Louis dying on the battlefield; when the battle report reached the Red Tide Territory, he almost didn't believe it because it was too glorious.

When he first came to the Red Tide Territory, he thought someday this young man would rise high, but didn't expect that day would come so soon.

Louis dismounted and gave him a gentle embrace.

"You've worked hard, Bradley." Louis said quietly, "I'm back."

Bradley took a deep breath, his eyes slightly red: "It's good you're back... it's good you're back, my lord."

After a brief exchange, Louis returned to his horse while Bradley personally led the horse along.

As Louis headed toward the residential area of the Red Tide Territory, the cheers along the streets grew louder.

Petals were thrown from the rooftops, cascading like rain upon Louis' path forward.

The people of the Red Tide Territory were welcoming their hero with the most sincere gesture they could muster.

Weir stood in the crowd, staring intently at the majestic figure riding high.

That was Lord Louis, the man he aspired to follow for life, and he was working hard for it.

Two months ago, he was just a little kid stumbling and being ridiculed in the training ground, unable even to hold a sword steadily.

Now, he was a high-tier Apprentice Knight.

The Official Knight teaching him had been astonished: "Of all the knights I've trained, none have shown talent like yours, and none have been as diligent."

Weir simply smiled, and continued swinging his sword, because he had a clear goal.

"One day..." Weir muttered quietly, his voice swallowed by the crowd's cheers, "I will don the red and black knight cloak and become a knight by Lord Louis' side."

Louis dismounted slowly at the town center, surrounding him were fervent citizens.

He raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to quiet down.

And unbelievably, within a few breaths, the once-boiling crowd quieted down.

"Red Tide Territory, your lord has returned."

No lengthy speech, just one simple sentence and the entire town erupted like a volcano.

Applause, cheers, shouts, and tears wove together, crashing over like waves.

"Lord Louis!! Welcome home!!"

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