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

Wayne nodded, his tone still calm: "You are the Duke's people, so you should act according to the Duke's rules. You have granted me the privilege of signing the lord's certificate early, and we all understand what that means."

Therefore, I need to prepare in advance—as you can see, my village has just gone through a battle and is being rebuilt.

Every pair of hands and every moment is precious.

"If I go with you now, the construction here will be delayed, and the villagers will have to endure the cold in their dilapidated houses for another day."

He paused, then looked at Kayla: "Since Sir Rachel has been paying attention to this area, she should know that we just fought a tough battle a few days ago, suffering many casualties and food shortages."

Now that I've finally managed to calm people down and get the reconstruction underway—do you think I should put all this aside and rush to get that one certificate?

Alina was stumped; she clearly hadn't expected Wayne to react this way.

Normally, a newly appointed lord who receives a formal invitation from a border garrison commander representing the duke should be flattered and set off immediately—especially the children of the central duke, as this concerns family honor and the allocation of resources.

"Your Excellency, you should know that Lady Rachel represents the Duke—"

"As a representative of the Duke, one should be even more understanding of the difficulties faced by subordinate lords."

Wayne's tone remained polite, but his words carried a harsh meaning: "The bandits have been here for years, and Sir Rachel has been 'too busy to deal with them'."

Now that I've wiped it out, it proves I'm capable of managing this area—shouldn't we offer some substantial support? Like sending people to help with reconstruction? Or allocating some supplies?

He shrugged: "And what was the result? No support. They immediately told me to put aside the reconstruction work and ride a horse for three hours to attend a meeting."

That doesn't make sense, does it?

Kayla's face turned slightly red—not from shyness, but from holding it in.

She was clearly not good at this kind of diplomatic maneuvering, and clenched her fist.

"I was just relaying a message."

She finally said in a muffled voice, "Lady Rachel means, as soon as possible."

"How quickly is 'as quickly'?"

Wayne asked, "Tomorrow? The day after? Or after I finish building the house?"

"……OK."

Kayla clearly hadn't expected Wayne to be so uncooperative, but she quickly broke free from his rhythm and stopped pressing him: "So, when are you free?"

Wayne thought for a moment: "What was your position at the Northwest Outpost again?"

"Vice-captain, what's wrong?"

"oh--"

Wayne drawled, "So you have the right to decide the schedule, right? I happen to be leading a team to the Pip Forest in the northwest tomorrow—the bandits' lair is still there, and there should still be supplies inside."

After we finish our clearing operation, we'll stop by the outpost. We'll arrive around noon; could you leave us lunch there?

Kayla's expression instantly became priceless.

"You're bringing a looting team with you? And you're making me wait?"

She laughed in exasperation: "Baron, are you mistaken? We are the Northwest Border Guard, second only to the Kingdom's Border Army in border affairs, not your servants!"

"I didn't say you were servants."

Wayne's tone remained calm: "I'm just proposing a solution that's efficient for both sides."

Look, I'm going to collect the spoils of war, and you want me to sign an agreement—the destinations are all in the northwest.

I'll go there on my way after I finish my business, saving you the trouble of making another trip and saving me the time. It's a win-win situation.

"and--"

Wayne added, "Since Knight Rachel wants to establish a 'formal contact and cooperation relationship' with me, shouldn't she at least show some sincerity?"

I volunteered to go to the outpost, and I even brought my men with me—this in itself shows that I was willing to cooperate.

But cooperation is mutual, and you also need to understand my actual situation.

He spoke slowly and clearly, each word like a small hammer striking Karen's head.

The girl opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found herself unable to find a suitable reason.

Wayne's words make sense—at least on the surface, there's nothing wrong with them.

Kayla stared at him, her eyes seeming to want to pierce holes in him.

Ronald and Wright had already come up behind Wayne—although the atmosphere was far from turning violent, the female vice-captain was clearly not in a good mood.

Kayla stared at him for several seconds before finally letting out a heavy sigh.

"noon."

She gritted her teeth and said, "You've already made me come all this way for nothing, and now you're going to make us wait for nothing..."

"Won't."

Wayne said, "I'm a very punctual person."

Kayla snorted and mounted her horse, then suddenly remembered something.

She glanced at Wayne: "Oh, by the way, Lady Rachel asked me to pass on a message."

"Please speak."

She said she was happy you survived.

Kayla paused for a moment, then said, "But the North is vast, and there are many troubles. The bandits are just the beginning."

After saying that, she spurred her horse and led the four cavalrymen away.

The sound of horses' hooves quickly faded into the night.

Wayne stood there, watching them disappear into the distance.

"Big brother."

Ronald whispered, "This woman is not to be trifled with."

"And he has an unexpectedly bad temper."

Wayne nodded: "But she's telling the truth. The bandits are just the beginning."

"Shall we go first thing tomorrow morning?"

Wright asked.

"Um."

Wayne watched the dust settle in the distance: "The fact that the Duke sent people here at this time means they are paying attention to this place."

The agreement needs to be signed, but before I sign, I need to fully understand what they want me to do—and what they're willing to give me.

Lett nodded: "And we can take this opportunity to see Sir Rachel's attitude and how flexible the Duke's terms are."

"right."

Wayne turned and walked back into the village: "Let's set off early tomorrow, go to the bandit's den first, and take everything we can."

He made a mental note—this trip was to discuss cooperation, not to receive orders.

We should strive for what we should strive for, and refuse what we should refuse.

"clear."

That evening, Wayne made some preparations.

He had Wright compile a list of the most urgently needed supplies for the territory: construction tools, medical herbs, and thick cloth for the winter.

These are all reasonable requests—as the new lord of the North, it is justifiable to request basic material support from the border guards.

He then asked Ronald to select the men who would accompany him the next day: in addition to the two of them, seven more cavalrymen—men who were in good spirits and well-equipped, to make a good impression.

Wayne himself repeatedly considered the possible scenarios.

What conditions will the Duke offer?

It is certain that his legitimate right to rule this land was recognized—it was originally granted to him by the kingdom.

However, there may be additional terms: such as requiring him to assist in defending the border, sharing economic gains, or providing manpower under certain circumstances.

These all need to be weighed.

Rachel Knight's attitude is also crucial.

She was the Duke's confidante, stationed in the North for many years, and knew the place far better than he did.

If you can establish good relationships, many things will be much easier in the future.

But what if she adopts a similar unusual posture as Kayla did today...

"..."

Someone who's reached this position can't be an idiot—so I should think about it more.