Chapter 371: Chapter 371 - 252: New Territory Planning

The returning carriage moved neither too fast nor too slow over the frozen muddy ground, with the axles creaking between snow frost and permafrost.Outside the window was the gray-and-white interwoven Northern Wilderness, where the remnant snow had yet to fully retreat.The wilderness was silent as if asleep, with nothing but the sound of the wheels rolling and the occasional cold bird startled from the branches.Inside the carriage, the temperature was not high, yet because of the dim oil lamp's glow, it felt especially stable.Louis sat at the table, a hand-drawn map with rough topography spread out before him, as he slowly sketched lines on it with a pen.Emily nestled across from him, wrapped in a fur cloak, holding a freshly brewed cup of hot tea in her hands.The aroma of the tea carried a faint bitter wheat taste, rising with a hint of warmth in the cold air.She glanced at him and laughed lightly: "Are you planning to map out the entire Northern Territory without taking a break?"Louis did not look up, only replied blandly: "Have you ever seen anyone planting before plowing the land first?"Emily leaned closer, tilting her head to examine the map under his pen: "So you're plowing the land right now?""Paving the way."His brow furrowed as the pen tip moved back and forth on the map, occasionally stopping to circle a spot, then frowning and erasing to redraw.The firelight in his eyes shimmered faintly, as if the invisible blueprint in his mind was slowly taking shape.Emily was momentarily entranced before she softly spoke: ".Introduce it to me."Louis still did not look up, only raised an eyebrow: "What?""You've been drawing this map forever, I almost remember its patterns. Why not teach me, and I'll learn a bit too."Louis finally put down his pen, glanced at her, his gaze softening a bit: "You really want to hear me talk about terrain zoning and village models? Beware you might dream about dispatching granaries."Emily laughed, blinking: "The road is long anyway, let me pretend to be a strategist and help you advise."Louis nodded, turned the map toward her, holding down its corners with his elbow and holding a pen with the other hand, he lightly tapped on the vast brown land."This land is our current territory," he said in a low voice."If left alone, eighty thousand square kilometers, averaging eight square kilometers per person.