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

"We should naturally listen to the village chief."

Headhunter Barton spoke with a forced smile: "But my lord, now is a crucial moment."

The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and every pair of hands in the village has to be in the fields.

"If you come at this time to requisition grain or transfer personnel, you should at least consider our situation and see if our hundred or so people can even survive."

The air inside the wooden cabin was heavy, and the glow of the kerosene lamp flickered on several faces with different expressions.

The wealthy old Gordon huddled in his thick cotton robe, his eyes glancing at Wayne every now and then before quickly looking down again.

Carpenter Maurice stared at his cracked fingernails, a hint of resistance in his tightly pursed lips.

The village chief, Tiki, silently stroked his wooden staff, while his son, Tite, observed him with clear eyes.

Wain waited until Barton finished speaking before calmly saying, "I am the lord. This land and the food produced on it belong to me."

These are the rules, I know them, and you know them too.

He paused, noticing their faces were visibly tense: "Beyond the rules, there is human sentiment, there is long-term consideration. I hope you understand that."

I will not do what some lords in the North have done, taking away more than half of your rations, enslaving you, and letting you not survive the winter. I will treat you as legitimate and lawful subjects—but you must obey.

What I want is a steady, long-term benefit, for this land to produce more in the future, support more people, and bring me more stable tax revenue.

"How much exactly?"

Seeing that there seemed to be room left in Wayne's mouth, old Gordon couldn't help but look up, his voice strained.

Everyone held their breath.

"This year's autumn grain harvest will be based on the actual yield."

One-fifteenth of the tax.

Wien read out the numbers.

A very low commotion arose inside the room.

One-fifteenth of the tax!

This is much lower than any of the percentages they had anticipated.

The common taxes levied by lords in the North are at least tithes, and if they are greedy or in dire need of money, they simply don't treat these natives as human beings.

"One-fifteenth tax?"

Barton repeated himself, looking at Wayne suspiciously: "Sir, are you... really serious?"

"really."

Wayne nodded: "But there are conditions."

Everyone's hearts were in their throats again.

"Condition one: We must do our utmost in the autumn harvest and ensure that every grain is safely stored."

I will send my men with twenty new iron sickles and ten axes to help.

Tools must be returned after use; any damage will be compensated or repaired according to regulations.

This is to save time, and also to show you my sincerity.

Wayne pointed to the few gleaming iron objects that Hank had placed on the table.

The brand-new ironware once again attracted attention, but this time, Wayne brought the help they had long coveted.

"Condition Two: After the autumn harvest, all able-bodied laborers must perform their labor in accordance with the areas and methods I have designated."

Including the farmland in the village, I will redefine the operating area for everyone according to the contribution of each household in this autumn harvest.

Correspondingly, I will provide salt, ironware, and other supplies that may be in short supply in the future to the villagers at prices lower than the market price.

However, purchases must be made in kind, such as grain, fur, or timber, or offset by additional labor.

The specific exchange rate will be announced after the autumn harvest.

The village officials were in an uproar again—they hadn't expected that Wayne would actually offer ownership of the salt and even the ironware!

However, although they had anticipated Wayne's plan to redivide the farmland, they were still unwilling to accept it.

"Condition three."

Wayne's voice turned serious: "The safety of the village is now under my jurisdiction."

I will leave a small squad of soldiers here to assist in defense, and organize the able-bodied men in the village to establish a patrol system. Your men will be in charge, but they must obey the orders of my soldiers.

Noticing the expressions on the faces of those around him, Wayne concluded, "Finally, the village chief will continue to oversee the village's daily affairs, but matters involving taxes, security, land allocation, and foreign negotiations must be reported to me and approved."

After saying that, Wayne stopped talking, giving everyone time to process what he had said.

He presented a carefully designed set of combined measures, which included cooperation, domination, and even facilitated policies of exploitation.

But we've already given them a lot of human rights.

Village chief Tiki sighed heavily, a sigh that carried both the relief of having some burdens lifted and the anxiety of facing unknown changes: "One-fifteenth of the tax... and ironware and salt..."

To be honest, my lord, the conditions you've offered are far better than we could have imagined.

but……"

"Oh?"

Looking at Tiki's kind old face, Wayne didn't expect that it was him who changed the subject.

"My lord, what will we gain after your arrival?"

Feeling the gazes of everyone, especially the seemingly honest, ox-like gaze of the old village chief, Wayne's lips curled up.

"That depends on your performance."

Morris clenched his fist, his face grim.

"Old carpenter, don't worry about being phased out. After our blacksmith arrives, there will probably be even more tools that need repair."

Upon hearing this, the carpenter looked up from the table for the first time—with a look of astonishment.

"Old Gordon, if someone could wholeheartedly devise an effective and secure economic framework for my village, who do you think I would let manage the resources I've brought with me?"

Old Gordon, the wealthy man, stared wide-eyed.

"Headhunter, my soldiers need to eat meat, and they might need someone who can lead them to more prey."

Barton leaned back, his eyes beginning to dart.

"Village chief, hurry up and take the men to collect the grain. They're all waiting for your command."

……

When the talks finally came to an end and Wayne got up to leave, the atmosphere in the cabin was completely different from what it had been at the beginning.

The trepidation was replaced by a more complex emotion: disbelief and joy at the extremely low taxes, a vague unease about his control, and a continued wait-and-see attitude towards the young lord's tactics and intentions...

But perhaps more than anything, it's a feeling of being drawn in and incorporated into some new order.

Wayne didn't resort to force or empty promises; he offered a visible path that required effort and obedience to follow.

"Give them one night."

After mounting his horse, Wayne whispered to Ronald, "Tomorrow morning, have Hank... never mind, have Anke bring ten men to escort those twenty sickles over and get them into the fields to help. Make sure everyone in the village sees it."

Also, tell Anke to keep her eyes open.

"clear."

Ronald nodded, then said softly, "That headhunter..."

"Ronald, you're quite intelligent."

Wayne gave his most trusted buddy a smile: "There isn't that much wood outside the village—they're busy with the harvest, and if the sentries had given them the resources, they wouldn't have been able to gather it so quickly."

Moreover, their posture didn't resemble pleading or waiting; it was more like negotiation.

Ready to fight together again, brother?

Ronald flashed a confident, sunny smile, holding the sword blade to his chest: "Wright and I are always ready, Lord Wayne."

……

Back at the woodland camp, the bright campfire, the aroma of food, and the orderly bustle contrasted sharply with the heavy and oppressive atmosphere of the village.

The people received their food for the day; though it was simple, the portions were generous, and they smiled briefly as they sat around the fire.

Wright directed his men to sort and store the newly arrived supplies. On the cleared land in the logging area, the foundations for the roof structures were almost complete.

All of this gave Wayne a real, slow-growing sense of accomplishment.

He walked to a high point next to the watchtower, his gaze sweeping over his fledgling territory: the faint lights of the village to the southeast, the lurking threat of the cliffs to the northeast, and... the camp before him, brimming with life, noise, and hope.

At the same time, Wayne's palms also felt slightly warm.

Tomorrow is the start of a new weekend.

He needs power, resources, and the key to break the deadlock and address the threat.

What will the second settlement bring him?

Wayne took a deep breath and turned to walk toward the campfire and food.

Tonight, I'll eat my fill and sleep soundly.

He can proceed with the settlement again tomorrow night.

At that time, not only will you be able to get new chances to win prizes, but key data such as territory size and territory stability will also be reflected on the settlement interface.