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

Amid the two men's questioning gazes, Wayne pretended to take something from the side bag next to the saddle, but in reality, he summoned the "Crimson Pulse" with a thought.

The fine pickaxe gleamed with a dark red metallic luster under the sunlight.

Wayne did not explain where the pickaxe came from, nor did either of them ask.

He simply waved to Ronald and Wright: "Be on guard."

The two immediately nodded and dispersed, swords in hand, facing outwards.

Wayne gripped the pickaxe handle with both hands, took a deep breath, and then dug downwards with all his might.

Permafrost is as hard as stone, but it can be easily broken open like rotten wood by a fine mining pick.

Each time the pickaxe fell, it kicked up a large chunk of frozen soil and gravel.

Wayne's movements were quick and rhythmic; the power and control afforded by his Frostwolf bloodline made digging easy.

After digging about half a meter deep, the cave walls began to change.

The soil has darkened in color, with patches of dark red.

It wasn't rust, it looked more like... dried blood.

Wayne continued moving downwards without stopping.

After digging another half meter, the pickaxe suddenly hit something soft and brittle.

He stopped and carefully cleared away the surrounding dirt.

Several rabbit carcasses were exposed.

There were five or six rabbit carcasses piled together.

The body was frozen solid, and instead of turning into bones at low temperatures, it had turned a bluish-purple color.

Even more bizarrely, each rabbit had obvious bite wounds and was missing parts of its body—some were missing hind legs, some had their abdomens hollowed out, and one even had most of its head missing.

At the same time, a faint stench of decay belatedly drifted up.

The edges of the wound were rough, not cleanly cut by a sharp weapon, but more like... marks from being torn and gnawed by other wild animals.

Moreover, Wayne noticed that the permafrost beneath these rabbit carcasses was a darker color, as if it had been soaked in a large amount of blood.

The blood did not freeze completely; instead, it seeped downwards through the cracks in the soil, forming several thin, dark red streaks that led down into the deeper earth through a few tiny holes.

"This is……"

Ronald leaned over for a look, his expression grave.

"Did they eat each other? Or were they killed by something else?"

Wright also bent down to observe, but he wasn't a veterinarian and, of course, couldn't make an accurate judgment.

Wayne didn't answer immediately. He carefully examined each wound and then gently pried open the rabbit carcass with the tip of his pickaxe to check the soil underneath.

There seemed to be nothing suspicious, and the way the rabbit died matched the reactions of the other war beasts when the Holy Servant died.

only……

Wayne had a question in his mind: if they were going crazy and tearing each other to death like the blood beasts used by the Holy Servants, then why didn't he summon these rabbits to fight as well?

But these are rabbits that were "stolen," so why are they left here?

There seems to be only one possibility—this is what the priests use to find the "thief".

Otherwise, there would be no reason for the holy servants not to use them, nor would there be any reason for them to die here, or in this way.

So, there are indeed thieves in the southwest, but it's unknown whether they have left yet.

But... Wayne carefully recalled the beast's reaction when the Holy Servant died.

There are still some doubts.

"Bury them back."

Wayne stood up and said calmly, "Fill back the excavated soil, and try to restore it to its original state."

Although Ronald and Wright were puzzled, they immediately did as instructed.

The three quickly filled in the shallow pit, tamped it down, and covered it with the surrounding withered grass.

"Sir, what have you discovered?"

After getting back on the horse, Wright couldn't help but ask.

Wayne hesitated for a moment: "It's not certain yet."

But those rabbits must have died from fighting each other, but...

Wright pressed, "What?!"

"I remember that when the Holy Servant died, all the war beasts seemed to stay put and gnawed at the ground—some would rather gnaw on the snow than move an inch toward other living creatures."

Wayne looked at the two who suddenly understood and nodded in agreement—they had been fighting the war beast at the time, so their memories were naturally clearer.

"So...someone put them together?"

Wayne nodded: "That might be the case, but that also means..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

The "thief" is using these rabbits—he's probably still around.

"Let's go check out the rocky wasteland."

Wayne turned his horse around: "If there is something active nearby, that's a more secluded hiding place."

The three continued westward, where the grassland was gradually replaced by barren permafrost and exposed rocks.

This is the area that Wayne and Ronald explored before. The surface is scattered with stones, and deeper inside there is a coal mine—partially open-pit—probeed by a pickaxe.

This time Wayne looked more carefully, but he found no clues about the "thief".

The rocky wasteland is too open and has a good view. If there is any biological activity, it is difficult to completely leave no trace.

"Perhaps it's no longer here."

Wright speculated, "If it really needed the rabbit, there would be no reason for it to stay here after the servant died."

"Or perhaps they'll lie in wait even deeper."

Wayne chimed in, his gaze fixed on the cliffs to the southeast: "It might reappear once we've built the ranch and the livestock are grazing."

This idea sends chills down one's spine.

On their way back, they encountered two deer drinking water near a lake in the southwest.

Wright drew his bow and shot down one of them with precision, while Ronald quickly captured the other with his bow.

Wayne examined the fallen deer.

It was smaller than the mutated giant deer that Ronald had hunted before, but it was still different from a normal deer.

Will the effects of blood energy subside?

Wright also noticed the difference.

"Possibly."

Wayne dragged the deer carcass onto the horse's back: "It could just be that it wasn't properly raised by the holy servants."

This at least indicates that such mutated animals will no longer be the norm.

By the time we returned to the village, it was nearly dusk.

The venison was handed over to the kitchen for processing, and that evening, roasted venison was added to the territory's dinner menu.

The sizzling aroma of oil wafted through the air, bringing smiles to the faces of the villagers who had worked hard all day.

Wayne, Ronald, Wright, and several key executives sat at a table.

The meat was roasted to a crispy exterior and tender interior, served with stew and dark bread. Though simple, it felt especially satisfying on a cold northern night.

After dinner, Wayne returned to his lodgings alone. The room had already been tidied by the maid Mia, and the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of the northern night.

Tomorrow, he will head to the Wolf Barbarian Tribe as planned.

Establish contact, test the waters, and ideally resolve the potential risks associated with the bloodstain.

If they're lucky, they might even find a reliable trading partner and ally for their territory.

And tomorrow night... will be the fourth settlement of the Lord's Notes.

Having gone through a series of events including the suppression of bandits, rebuilding their homes, and joining the alliance, the ratings and rewards this time are something to look forward to.