The Frost Giant's corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its enormous body lifeless, the smell of blood hanging in the air.
The soldiers busied themselves clearing the battlefield, while the knights tended to their comrades' injuries.
Fortunately, their thorough preparations had kept casualties light.
Most had suffered only mild frostbite or scrapes, easily treated with the salves and bandages they carried.
Several physicians worked nearby, bandaging the wounded and applying warming medicines to keep the cold from penetrating their bodies.
But the knight sent flying by the enraged Frost Giant had suffered grievous injuries.
His face was pale, blood lingered at the corners of his mouth, and his armor had been shattered by the giant. His chest was deeply caved in.
His ribs were clearly broken, and his internal organs had likely suffered severe damage as well.
Though he was still breathing faintly, whether he would pull through was uncertain.
A physician knelt beside him, his expression grave. "His injuries are too severe. Conventional treatment won't save him."
The knights gathered around looked uneasy. This was their comrade.
He had been fighting beside them just moments ago, yet now he lay here at death's door.
"We can't let him die." Everyone looked up to find Louis standing nearby.
He slowly took a dark green crystal vial from inside his clothes. The liquid within gave off a faint glow.
It was an exceedingly precious Life Potion, capable of rapidly repairing wounds and even pulling the gravely injured back from the brink of death.
Even nobles treasured such potions, using them only as a last resort.
Without another word, Louis dropped to one knee and personally poured the potion into the wounded knight's mouth.
As the potion passed his lips, a miracle slowly unfolded.
His faint breathing gradually steadied, and a trace of color returned to his pale cheeks.
His sunken chest slowly rose back into shape. Broken bones began to knit together, and torn internal tissues gradually healed.
His nearly stalled heartbeat regained its strength.
Life returned to the dying knight.
"His life is no longer in danger," the physician said with relief. "But how fully he recovers will depend on his fate."
The knights watched with mixed emotions.
They turned to Louis, their eyes filled with awe. They had never expected him to use such a precious potion on a knight.
Their loyalty to Louis rose again: +1, +1, +1...
"My lord..." Lambert said quietly. "You shouldn't have wasted a potion like that on him."
Louis stood and smiled calmly. "He fought for me, for the Red Tide Fief. How could using it on him be a waste?"
His gaze swept across everyone present, his voice firm. "I will never readily abandon anyone who pledges their loyalty to me."
For a moment, every knight silently straightened his back.
They bowed their heads and pressed their hands to their chests in a knightly salute. They said nothing, yet their response was firmer than any oath.
In truth, Louis also felt the sting of using that potion.
Before he set out for the Northern Frontier, his older sister, who shared both his parents, had secretly slipped him those lifesaving potions. There had been only three.
The first had gone to the unconscious Sif.
The second had gone to this gravely wounded knight.
Now he had only one left.
The thought left him with mixed feelings.
It would have been a lie to say it didn't hurt. These potions could save lives. Keeping one on him might mean surviving a critical moment.
Yet he had used them just like that. Still, he did not regret it.
He had saved Sif. Perhaps someday, the little princess of the Cold Moon Tribe would bring something of value.
He had saved this knight as well, showing the soldiers of the Red Tide Fief that their lord would not readily abandon them and strengthening their unity.
"Fine, I'll keep the last one for myself." Louis sighed softly and tucked the empty vial inside his clothes.
Next came the rewards for their achievements.
Louis stood solemnly before them and, as their lord, personally presented a reward to everyone who had earned one.
"We slew four Frost Giants on this expedition. Everyone deserves credit!
"Other lords might not bother holding a ceremony to reward your achievements, but I'm different. Merit deserves its reward."
He paused, taking in their expectant gazes, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"But, ahem, I think you all know this already-I really am poor."
The soldiers exchanged glances, then someone snorted with laughter.
Louis shrugged helplessly. "Still, you've earned some benefits for your efforts."
As his words fell, cheers and applause erupted through the crowd.
The rewards were simple-fresh fish, game, grain, and a few gold coins-but not a single person looked dissatisfied.
They knew that Louis had already done more than enough.
He was not a lord who offered nothing but empty promises. He was willing to save his own soldiers.
And after they had fought bloody battles, he was willing to do everything he could to reward them, even when money was tight.
Besides, most lords gave their soldiers and knights no rewards at all for campaigns against other races or monsters.
Once the fighting ended, being allowed to return and recuperate was considered a blessing.
But Louis was different.
Their lord would personally stand before them, acknowledge their achievements, and promise further rewards in the future.
That was what they valued most.
"It is our honor to serve our lord!"
"May the Dragon Ancestor bless the Red Tide Fief!"
None of the soldiers or knights had any complaints. They even felt grateful.
They happily accepted the modest rewards, satisfied smiles on their faces.
How to deal with the giants' corpses, however, was another matter.
Food was scarce in the Northern Frontier, and every scrap of meat was precious. Ordinary game would already have been skinned and butchered, then sent to the smokehouse to be cured into dried meat.
But Frost Giants were humanoid creatures, after all.
Louis looked at the enormous corpses and felt an aversion to the idea.
Besides, though supplies in the Red Tide Fief were limited, they had not reached the point of resorting to such measures to fill their stomachs.
"They're not for eating. Bring them all back for processing," he ordered decisively.
The knights had no objections. Their lord had always acted on principle.
But abandoning the corpses would be far too wasteful.
After all, the Frost Giants' bodies contained immense amounts of frost energy. Even in death, their flesh remained rich in special nutrients.
At that thought, inspiration struck Louis. "Since we can't eat them, let's put them to good use. We can turn them into fertilizer for the fields."
"Fertilizer?" Lambert blinked, then nodded thoughtfully.
It was a good idea. The giants' flesh was rich in magic essence. Once processed, it should greatly improve the impoverished soil of the Red Tide Fief.
"Bring them back and hand them over to Agricultural Officer Mick."
The soldiers began clearing the battlefield, hauling the giants' corpses onto makeshift wooden frames and using horses to slowly transport them back to the Red Tide Fief.
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