King of the North: My Lord's Diary Weekly Summary

Wayne sent Ronald with four cavalrymen to the farmland to exchange information with Anko and record the condition of the fields; he himself, led by Nicholl, went to Morris's artisan workshop.

It was a spacious shed built with logs and thick planks, with various kinds of timber piled up outside.

Outside the shed was a small courtyard where the snow had been swept clean. Three children were busy around a pile of wood blocks—the oldest, about twelve or thirteen years old, was clumsily using a chisel to trim the edge of a plank; the two younger ones squatted beside him, watching intently.

Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves, the children all looked up.

Upon seeing Wayne and Nicholas, they were initially stunned. Then, the older boy quickly put down his chisel, nudged a little girl who looked to be about seven or eight years old, and whispered something to her.

The little girl blinked, turned and ran to the back of the shed, calling out in her clear voice as she ran, "Master! Master! The big mudfish is here! And he's with a handsome brother riding a big horse!"

Wayne couldn't help but smile.

Nichu, meanwhile, rubbed her hands together in frustration, muttering under her breath, "That little brat..."

To Wayne's surprise, Morris's face was not gloomy and hostile as it had been the day before; instead, it was full of an almost fawning smile, though the smile looked a little stiff because of his nervousness.

"My lord! Why did you come in person... This place is messy, your boots are dirty..."

Morris was incoherent, unsure where to put the things he was holding, wanting to hand them over but seemingly hesitant.

Wayne's gaze fell on his hands.

The linen cloth wasn't completely covering the object, revealing a corner of it—the original color of the wood, with delicate carvings.

"What is this?"

he asks.

"Yes, yes..."

Maurice's face flushed red. He gritted his teeth and pulled the burlap sack off completely. "I... I couldn't sleep last night, and since you've just arrived, I didn't have much to offer... so I just casually carved a little trinket. Please don't mind it, sir..."

In the sunlight, the wood carving was clearly visible to Wayne.

It turned out to be a statue of a hero on horseback, about a foot tall!

The horse stands tall and gallops with its muscular physique flowing and powerful. The rider on horseback is upright, with a long sword at his waist and his cloak billowing behind him.

The knight's face... Wayne looked at it carefully. Although it had been artistically enhanced, adding a touch of heroism and angularity, the outline of his eyebrows and eyes was clearly sculpted based on how he looked at the meeting yesterday.

Wayne was stunned.

Just then, the little girl with the bangs ran back, leaned close to the wooden carving, and exclaimed, "Wow!" "I knew it! Master, the hero you carved last night, staying up all night by lamplight, was modeled after you!"

Children speak without thinking, yet they immediately exposed Morris's clumsy attempt at flattery.

The old man's face turned even redder, and he was at a loss for what to do, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Wayne looked at Morris's bloodshot eyes, at the fresh sawdust on his rough fingers, and then at the three children beside him who, though dressed in shabby clothes, had bright eyes and were learning a craft.

The old carpenter who was hostile to him at yesterday's meeting and seemed afraid of being replaced did not appear to be as stubborn as he had imagined.

He was perhaps simply afraid—afraid that the changes brought about by the new lord would take away the craft he relied on for survival, and the little dignity and value he had left in this harsh land.

His way of expressing fear is through resistance and silence.

But after the conversation, he came to a realization, or was persuaded by the situation.

So he chose another way: using his best skills to awkwardly curry favor, trying to find his place in the new order.

The slight resentment that Wayne had felt because of the other party's attitude yesterday quietly dissipated.

What bad intentions could a carpenter have that could teach these children a craft and help them maintain their innocence and vitality in such difficult circumstances?

He reached out, but instead of taking the wood carving, he gently patted Maurice's thin shoulder.

"Well carved."

Wayne said gently, "I'll accept it. Contact the village chief, Tiki, later and have him arrange for someone to deliver it to my post."

Morris looked up abruptly, a glint of disbelief flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Okay, okay! I'll definitely deliver it!"

He nodded repeatedly, and the hands holding the wooden carving stopped trembling.

"Do a good job."

Wayne looked around the messy yet vibrant woodworking area, his gaze sweeping over the three children who were secretly peeking in: "Keep this craft going, and teach these kids well too."

"The construction of our future territory will require carpentry skills, and your ingenuity will be needed in many areas as well."

Morris's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only gave a muffled "hmm".

His back straightened unconsciously.

What followed went surprisingly smoothly.

Upon hearing the mention of borrowing the boat, Morris immediately led Wayne to the back of the cabin without hesitation.

There was a simple shack there, and under the shack lay a wooden boat that was about four meters long and a little over one meter wide.

The hull is a bit old, but the planks are tightly joined together and the oars are all in place, so it looks well-maintained.

What surprised Wayne even more were the few things piled up next to the shack.

A cleverly designed little wooden cart, low to the ground, with foldable guardrails on both sides, and three wooden wheels at the bottom—a small steering wheel in the front and two large load-bearing wheels in the back.

At Wayne's instruction, Morris demonstrated how to push a heavy bag of sawdust on it with ease, and how it could turn very smoothly.

"This... was originally intended for transporting grain."

Morris rubbed his hands together somewhat embarrassedly: "It saves effort, but the wheels aren't very sturdy, so it can't handle very bumpy roads, and the wooden axles wear out easily..."

There were a few more items: a simple scaffolding assembly with interlocking tenons and grooves, which was quick to assemble and disassemble; a labor-saving wellhead water-lifting device that used the lever principle; and even a few small wooden dolls made from scraps, with movable joints, which would dance and move when a rope was pulled, making the children watching nearby giggle.

These things weren't particularly ingenious, and some even had obvious flaws, but the practical ingenuity they contained made Wayne look at the old carpenter with new respect.

Although he may seem like a dull old man, he is not a craftsman who sticks to the old ways; he is thinking and trying to improve.

However, due to limitations in materials, tools, and perspective, many ideas could not be perfected or promoted.

"These things are all very interesting."

Wayne said seriously, "We can talk about it in more detail when we have time later."

Perhaps I can provide some better materials, or another approach.

Morris nodded excitedly.

Soon, Ronald and Hank returned as well.

With everyone working together, using Morris's small platform with wheels, they easily moved the wooden boat to the riverbank a few dozen meters away.