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

Chapter 58, Hunting in the Hills

For lords still in the construction phase, being busy is the main theme.

The next morning, after Wayne finished practicing swordsmanship with Ronald and Wright and had a simple breakfast, he began preparing his gear for the journey to the Wolf Barbarian Tribe.

As a major power with a proven track record within his territory and an unavoidable topic in the North, Wayne had already learned some basic and general information from the "Northern Geography Handbook" that he had taken from the Duke before arriving in his territory.

The Wolf Barbarian Tribe, or "Wolf Clan"—this is the name they prefer to be called—respects the loyalty and unity of wolves. Every adult member will form a lifelong partnership with a wolf, living, hunting, and fighting together.

They are drawn to powerful lords and tend to be more friendly than subservient to most of them—but they are not that stubborn.

Furthermore, due to their loyalty, they are relatively the easiest and most worthwhile to befriend among all the barbarians in the northern border of the kingdom.

That's why Wayne prepared two cans of salt and a small cartload of food—things Rachel had mentioned yesterday that the wolf barbarians needed.

The salt and grain were transported by Wright with four cavalrymen as escorts, while Wayne and Ronald rode ahead to lead the way.

Besides scouting the way, he also wanted to see if he could hunt some decent prey—bringing some fresh prey as a gift on the first meeting would not only demonstrate his strength but also show more sincerity than simply sending supplies.

The group set off from the village and headed north along the Icemark River.

After passing through the woodland of the southeast outpost, the first thing that comes into view is the black soil that has been simply cultivated next to the Icemark River—that is Wayne's planned self-camp.

Although it is currently covered by permafrost and has a cracked surface, making it look somewhat ugly, Wayne knows that once the permafrost thaws in the spring, this fertile riverbank land will begin to produce the territory's finest grain.

Looking at this land, he felt a sense of peace and security.

This is his foundation, one of the cornerstones of all his future ambitions.

"Sir, we are about to enter a hilly area."

Ronald rode up to him and reminded him.

Wayne withdrew his gaze and looked around.

The terrain in the northeast region is completely different from that in the southwest.

The Ice River widens here, almost filling the lower right and right squares. The river still flows, but the banks are covered with thick ice.

The river is very wide—no wonder the current becomes so rapid downstream as it narrows near the cliffs.

It is worth mentioning that in the lower right corner of the northeast region, there is a hidden path between the Icemark River and the Tuwu Mountains to its east.

According to the map, the path connects to the territory of another baron in the northeast of the Wayne Territory—the "Falcon Territory" of neighboring Baron Jimmy.

Unlike the densely forested terrain of the Northwest region, the Northeast region is mostly characterized by rolling hills.

There are no tall trees here, only low shrubs and exposed rocks; large grassy slopes are covered with a thin layer of snow, which gleams silvery-white in the sunlight.

The top three squares, from left to right, are: two squares of Wolf Barbarian Tribe activity area, and the northeastern outpost located on the edge of the Wayne territory.

Wayne and Ronald were at the front of the group, observing the terrain of the northeast region while searching for prey.

The hunting trip did not go smoothly at first.

Although the view is relatively open, the hilly terrain is naturally suitable for hiding, and in winter when food is scarce, most animals hide in more concealed places.

Along the way, Wayne and Ronald only managed to shoot a few alert hares, reaping very little.

"Looks like we need to go deeper into the area."

Wayne glanced at his pocket watch; it was still early.

They continued north, entering a more rugged hilly area.

The rock walls here are more numerous, creating more natural shelters.

Just as they were about to abandon the large-scale hunt and only intend to look for smaller game, Ronald suddenly raised his hand, signaling the group to stop.

"there."

He lowered his voice and pointed to a steep rock face on his right.

Wayne looked in that direction.

Below the rock face, a small group of mountain antelopes were nibbling at the remaining moss in the crevices of the rocks.

There were about eight or nine of them, not very big, but as antelopes, they must have been extremely agile.

Their fur is similar in color to the rocks, making them difficult to spot without close inspection.

"nice one."

Wayne's eyes lit up.

Mountain antelope meat is firm and its fur is thick, making it far superior to rabbits, whether as food or a gift.

But the problem is—the location of this herd of antelopes is too tricky.

The cliff face is steep, with protruding rocks above and a scree slope below.

Once startled, they are adept at climbing steep terrain and can escape along the rock face at an extremely fast speed, making them very difficult to catch.

If you rush straight in, you'll likely catch none.

"We need to drive them to open ground."

Ronald analyzed in a low voice: "They are currently located below the rock face. If we drive them from this side, they will immediately scurry upwards, and once they reach the top, we won't be able to catch them."

Wayne observes the terrain.

The rock wall is curved and encircles the area, with the opening facing the west side where they are located, while the east and north sides are steep rock walls.

If we could prevent the sheep from running to higher ground and instead drive them to open areas...

He pointed to the north side of the rock face: "The slope is gentler there. If someone makes a commotion in that direction, and someone else disturbs the sheep from the east... the flock might choose to run to the southwest depression."

The area is relatively flat, so we have a chance.

"We need to divide our forces."

Ronald considered the feasibility of the plan and nodded, saying, "I'll go to the north side; you stay here."

I'll approach slowly from that side, creating pressure but not charging in, driving the flock towards the low-lying area. You seize the opportunity to save a few!

"Good plan."

Wayne nodded: "But it requires precise timing."

Just as the two were about to act, Ronald suddenly raised his hand again: "Wait."

He pointed to the other side of the rock face—on the northern slope, where several figures could be vaguely seen moving.

It's not an animal, it's a person.

Wayne squinted to see clearly. About six or seven figures were using the terrain as cover, approaching the rock face from the north.

Their movements were practiced and quiet, clearly those of experienced hunters.

"Another team of hunters."

Wayne whispered, "They've got their eyes on the sheep too."

Almost simultaneously, the other side seemed to have spotted them as well.

The two groups of people, separated by a flock of sheep below the rock face, noticed each other's presence from a distance of over a hundred meters.

The flock of sheep seemed to stir slightly.