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

"My God! That's incredibly wealthy!"

The snowfield awakens in the morning light, its original gray-white color taking on a fresh cloud-like hue.

But what truly astonished Wayne about the wealth and power of the Duke of the North was the building in front of him:

It was nothing like the rugged northern fortress that Wayne had in mind; it was a magnificent manor!

The towering stone walls are painted a warm white, and the tops of the walls are covered with glazed tiles that reflect a warm luster in the sunlight.

Inside the walls, you can see the staggered rooftops of buildings, wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, and even the faint aroma of bread and incense in the air.

"this……"

Even the usually calm and taciturn Wright's face was filled with disbelief: "How could there be a place like this in the North?"

Indeed, although they had seen in the early morning that the people and buildings in the Duchy of Quintu were not as poor and simple as they had imagined, it was still surprising that they were even slightly better than the buildings of some of the famous manors in the south.

"Our family has been running this business here for three generations."

On one side of the stone wall, a group of knights in dark blue uniforms marched toward Wayne.

The leader was a young man, about twenty years old, with his blond hair neatly combed.

His night-blue wolf-fur battle robe was covered with magnificent leather armor, and a crystal ornament in the shape of an ice crystal was pinned to his collar, showing the wildness and luxury of the Northern nobles.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Simon Quinto, the eldest son of the Duke of Quinto."

He bowed slightly, his smile seeming to convey not just a welcome to Wayne, but rather satisfaction with his own beauty and poise: "Baron Wayne of the Lancaster family, my father has been waiting for you. Please follow me."

Thank you for your trouble.

Wayne dismounted, handed the reins to Wright, and followed Simon with Ronald.

Passing through the manor gates, the interior is even more breathtaking.

The courtyard was paved with smooth stone slabs, and the snow had been swept to the sides, revealing the ground beneath which was carved with intricate patterns.

The sides are planted with evergreen shrubs that are precious even in the south, with glistening icicles hanging from their branches and leaves, like carefully arranged decorations.

The main building is a three-story stone building with large windows fitted with highly transparent glass.

As they entered the hall, a warm atmosphere mixed with the scent of burning sandalwood wafted over them, almost making the group, who had been trekking through the snow and ice for days, feel dizzy.

Flames roared in the fireplace, and a huge Northern rug and hunting trophies hung on the wall—the skull of a giant wolf, preserved as a specimen, its empty eye sockets gazing down at the visitors.

"Father is in the study."

Simon led them through a thickly carpeted corridor and stopped in front of a heavy oak door, knocking gently.

"Come."

His voice was deep and resonant, carrying an aura even more domineering than the wolf king's head.

The study is large, with bookshelves on three walls reaching the ceiling, filled with books with leather covers.

The fourth side is a full-length glass window, outside which is an exquisite balcony that offers a panoramic view of the manor's back garden. At this moment, it is covered with a thick layer of snow, creating a unique and beautiful scene.

A middle-aged man was sitting behind the desk.

Duke Quinto.

He was completely different from the rugged Northern warlord that Wayne had imagined.

Duke Quinto was about fifty years old, with gray but neatly trimmed hair, a angular face, and a well-groomed short beard.

He was dressed in dark gray casual clothes, covered by a long robe trimmed with fur. He was holding a parchment document in his hand, and when he looked up at the people who entered, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

"Wayne Lancaster".

The Duke moved the documents aside and leaned back in his chair: "I received your father's letter. Sit down."

Without any pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

Wayne sat down in the chair opposite the desk, while Ronald and Simon stood on either side of him.

"I am very sorry about what happened to Leo."

The Duke's voice was steady: "He's a good young man, just... a bit unlucky."

The North needs fresh blood, especially survivors.

The Duke continued, taking a thick parchment map from a drawer and spreading it out on the table: "Your territory is here."

His rough finger pointed to a spot near the northeastern edge of the map.

It was a barren area marked as "undeveloped":

It is adjacent to a winding tributary known as the "Ice Scar River," bordered by continuous mountain ranges to the north and west, and by two other barons to the southeast—not far from the duke's directly controlled port.

"The area is approximately eighty square miles."

The Duke said, "The southeastern region is flat and has a river running through it, but the northwest will be more difficult to manage."

He paused, then looked at Wayne: "They have everything there. Good luck."

His gaze lingered on Wayne's face for a moment, meaningfully.

Wayne remained expressionless: "I understand."

Then..."

"Simon."

The Duke looked at his son.

Simon stepped forward and took a leather-bound booklet, along with a stack of blank parchment and quills, from another shelf next to the desk.

"This is a list of supplies for the northern frontier expansion."

Simon pushed the booklet in front of Wayne: "All the construction resources a Northern Lord needs are listed here with prices."

If you see something you like, just write down the name and quantity on the purchase order.

Resources and people will be delivered via the Quintu family's caravans within the agreed timeframe.

He paused, then added, "The first time, shipping costs are waived."

Wayne nodded; he had actually been quite impatient for a while—the money in his hands could finally be converted into cash!

He opened the booklet, and the contents were astonishingly detailed.

From the most basic food, salt, and iron tools, to building materials, livestock, and seeds, and then to weapons and armor...

There are even special services for "human resource recruitment"—blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, soldiers... Each group is marked with its employment price, minimum service period, and remarks/contract section.

The price is also quite "Northern".

A standard iron sword might cost only 1 gold coin in the capital, but here it's priced at 2.5 gold coins; a 30-pound bag of coarse flour costs 30 silver coins in the capital, but here it costs 50 silver coins; a healthy northern packhorse costs 15 gold coins.

Labor costs are even higher: an experienced blacksmith has a minimum annual salary of a staggering 20 gold coins, and must promise to provide housing and fuel for his entire family—although the compensation can be negotiated with additional promises, it is still enough to make one's mouth water.

Wayne quickly calculated the purchasing power of his 1000 gold coins.

"Here's a suggestion for you."

Simon chimed in from the side, "Don't waste money on flashy but impractical things."

Prioritize securing food, salt, and tools. As for weapons... you have your own soldiers, which should be sufficient for the early game.

Regarding manpower, instead of spending a lot of money to hire outsiders, it would be better to select some clever people from the refugees after arriving in the territory and train them while using them.

This sounded reasonable, but Wayne heard another layer of meaning—Simon was guiding him to be a "standard," conservative, and unthreatening trailblazer.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Wayne nodded to Simon.

He picked up a quill and began to write on the parchment.

First category: Resources.

Food: 400 gold.

Contents: Mixed grains, beans, and dried meat.

Given the prices in the North, 400 gold coins can buy enough food to support more than sixty people for a whole year, which is the foundation for attracting and maintaining a workforce.

Salt: 50 gold.

Content: Purchase approximately 600 pounds of high-quality coarse salt.

Used for food preservation, tanning, and basic medical applications.

Medicines and spirits: 50 gold.

Basic wound medicine, disinfectant alcohol, and spirits used to boost morale and also as currency.

Simon watched from the side and nodded slightly—a very conventional choice.

Second category: Assets.

Ironware and tools: 120 gold.

Thirty sets of complete farm implements (plow, hoe, shovel, axe), twenty sets of woodworking tools, ten sets of stonemasonry tools, and a large quantity of consumables such as nails and hinges.

Livestock: 130 gold.

Four pairs of strong oxen, twenty northern goats (providing meat, milk, and wool), and five domesticated sled dogs.

Weapon supplies: No replenishment.

Simon raised an eyebrow: "Not buying any more decent weapons? Your soldiers..."

"I plan to develop in the southeast first. There are protection clauses in the north, right?"

Wayne returned a polite smile.

"Um."

Simon fell silent and looked Wayne up and down again.

The third category: Population.

"Next, we need to develop a good salary structure and policies to attract more talent!"