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

The team patrolled the Phip Forest for another hour.

Wayne had Ronald lead a team to explore several main trails and draw up a rough topographical map.

This forest is quite large, with dense trees and undulating terrain, making it a suitable place to hide.

Before noon, the team turned towards the northwest outpost.

The Northwest Outpost is located on the northern periphery of the forest.

According to the nine-square grid map drawn by Wayne himself, the northwest region is special—because it is close to the border of the kingdom, when it was originally granted, the area in the northwest, which is about two nine-square grids in size, was covered by the border defense zone and was guarded by the border guards directly under the kingdom.

Therefore, the territory that Wayne actually controls only has seven squares in the northwest direction.

The leftmost square in the second row is the location of the Northwest Outpost.

The topmost grid represents the area where the Wolf Barbarian tribe operates near the border.

The remaining five squares are mostly forests, which were previously occupied by bandits and are now theoretically under Wayne's jurisdiction.

"We're almost there."

Wright pointed ahead.

As the trees gradually thinned out, a wall made of wood and stone came into view.

The wall wasn't high, but it was very thick, with watchtowers and crenellations on top.

From inside the wall, you can see the rooftops of the buildings and the rising smoke from their chimneys.

The gate of the wall was tightly closed, and two guards stood at the entrance.

As Wayne's group approached, the guards raised their spears: "Halt! Who goes there?"

"Wayne, Baron Wayne Lancaster."

Wien reined in his horse: "I have come to meet you at the invitation of Sir Rachel Winster."

The guards exchanged a glance, and one of them turned and ran into the outpost to report.

A few minutes later, the door slowly opened.

Kayla Hawke emerged from inside, still dressed as she had been yesterday, her red hair flying in the cold wind.

She glanced at the team and trailer behind Wayne and frowned. "You really did bring a looting team."

"I told you, I'm punctual."

Wayne dismounted: "Besides, it's on the way."

Kayla snorted and stepped aside: "Come in, Lady Rachel is waiting for you in the council chamber."

Wayne instructed the transport team to follow the guards' directions to the dining hall, while he himself, accompanied only by Ronald and Wright, followed Kayla into the core area of ​​the outpost.

The outpost was larger than I had imagined.

Inside the walled compound was a spacious courtyard, with stables and warehouses on the left and a very large training ground on the right.

In the very center was a two-story stone building, which should have been the command post and council hall—the barracks should have been behind it, which would have made it easier to deal with any enemy that might come from the north at any time.

Soldiers were training in the courtyard, and they all cast curious glances at Wayne and the others.

These soldiers were clearly better equipped than Wayne's cavalry, with uniform leather armor and well-organized weapons, making them the envy of many.

Wayne secretly thought that once he was able to raise regular soldiers, he would also set up such an army—of course, that would be when the internal construction was almost complete and he was doing some external work.

Kayla led them up the stone steps and pushed open the heavy doors of the council chamber.

The hall was spacious, with torches and maps hanging on the walls, and a long wooden table in the center, around which several people sat.

The woman in the main seat was the first to catch Wayne's attention.

Rachel Winster.

She was younger than Wayne had imagined, probably only in her early twenties. Her long, dark brown hair was tied into a simple bun at the back of her head. She had a pretty face with well-defined features, but she had a slightly aloof air about her.

She wore a dark blue knight's uniform with a silver-grey cloak over it, and wore the Duke's White Wolf badge and the Knight's Medal of Honor on her chest.

What's most striking is her eyes—ice blue, clear and sharp, giving her a powerful presence.

She seemed to have been waiting for Wayne's arrival, and when Wayne came in, she was looking up at the entrance.

"Baron Wayne Lancaster".

Rachel's voice was calm, and a slight smile played on her lips: "Please sit down."

Wayne sat down across the long table, with Ronald and Wright standing behind him.

Kayla walked over to Rachel and whispered a few words to her.

Rachel nodded, her gaze returning to Wayne.

"I heard you wiped out the Black Blade Gang."

She got straight to the point: "Well done. Faster than I expected."

"Good luck."

Wien said.

"The North doesn't believe in luck."

Rachel said calmly, "I only believe in the connection between strength and results."

You won, so there's no need to be humble.

Rachel pointed to the documents in front of her: "This is for you."

Karen then handed it to Wayne.

Wayne took it:

There were two agreements, formally formatted and stamped with the Duke's seal.

"You have two choices."

Rachel said, "The first option is to join the border cooperation system directly under the Duke of the North—we call it the 'Northern Lords' Association'."

The second agreement stipulated that the individual would remain an independent lord, subject only to the supervision of the border guards and the Duke of Quintu.

Wien quickly browsed through the information.

The first agreement, joining the Dukes' Federation, included the following terms:

1. Recognize Wayne Lancaster's legitimate right to rule over the existing territories, and have the Duke officially issue a lord's certificate.

2. When requested by the Border Guard, Wayne shall unconditionally provide no more than one-third of the territory's total armed forces to assist in border defense missions.

The cumulative service time per year shall not exceed three months.

3. Lords are responsible for their territories, as detailed in the Kingdom's Lords' Law.

4. The Duke has priority in purchasing strategic resources such as minerals and timber produced in his territory, with prices calculated at 90% of the market price.

5. In the first year of membership, the Duke will provide a fixed amount of military supplies (weapons, armor, horses, etc.) and distribute a certain amount of food allowance on a quarterly basis.

Afterwards, material support was provided according to a special merit system.

6. The territories must uniformly use the weights and measures and currency settlement system prescribed by the Duke.

7. In the event of a major crisis on the border or threats and dangers within the North, Wayne shall obey the Duke’s unified command as conveyed by Knight Commander Rachel, and cooperate with Knight Commander Rachel and other Duke’s direct legions and troops.

The second agreement, regarding independent lordship:

1. Recognize Wayne Lancaster's legitimate rule over the existing territories, and issue lordship certificates by a central official.

2. When requested by the Border Guard, Wayne shall provide armed personnel of no more than one-third of the territory's total military strength to assist in border defense missions.

3. Lords are responsible for their territories, as detailed in the Kingdom's Lords' Law.

4. Territories are responsible for all defense and construction. Border guards will only provide non-priority assistance in extreme circumstances such as barbarian invasions.

After reading it, Wayne put the agreement back on the table.

"A very straightforward choice."

He said.

"We don't have the energy to beat around the bush."

Rachel placed her hands on the table: "I need to know your stance—whether you choose to become part of the Lords' Alliance system, sharing resources and risks; or whether you choose to develop independently and bear your own profits and losses."