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

After dinner, Wayne returned to the lord's hut and lit the oil lamp.

There was a stack of documents on the table—all delivered by Emma that afternoon, with the edges pressed neatly and each page strung together with thin string.

Wayne opened to the first page, which was filled with dense numbers and dates: grain reserves, timber consumption, progress of herder training, schedules for woodworking workshops...

He read through the pages, occasionally making a few notes in the blank spaces with charcoal.

When you turn to the last page, a hand-drawn map of the territory slides out.

Wayne spread the map out on the table.

The map shows existing buildings and near-term goals: residential areas, warehouses, council chambers, ranches, training grounds, carpentry workshops...

Although the lines are slightly rough due to the poor quality of the charcoal pencil, the layout is clear.

This afternoon, the third batch of stones was transported back to the village entrance and piled into Emma's newly built warehouse.

Wayne stared at the map of the territory, thinking about the stones that had been brought back today, but another image popped into his mind.

It's not the village we know today.

It's the expanded version.

The residential area continues to extend north and south, with newly built wooden houses lined up neatly; the pasture fence has doubled in size, and herds of cattle and sheep graze; watchtowers and mines have been erected on the east bank of the river, with a towering clock tower; to the southwest, the dirt road leading to the rocky wasteland has been widened into a carriageway, and a rest stop has been set up on the lakeside north of the pasture...

Also, markets, factories...

Villages become towns, and towns become cities.

More people, more artisans, more soldiers.

Wayne tapped his fingers lightly on the map.

As for the remaining residents and workforce...

Baron Ethan came to test the waters, using Frost's advance warning as a pretext.

This means that the entire North was affected by early frost this winter—which means reduced food production.

Reduced grain production means there will be displaced people and failed businesses in the territories.

Wayne's gaze froze.

This is an opportunity.

Winters in the North are harsh and long.

Every year before winter, some minor lords go bankrupt due to insufficient grain reserves, and some farmers flee because they cannot pay their taxes.

These people will flock to larger towns, or... freeze to death on the roadside.

If Frostraven Territory can stockpile enough food and supplies before winter, it will be able to accommodate these people.

But the bigger prerequisite is that he has to be attractive.

A stronger attraction than other lords.

Whether it's a safer and more secure environment, more advanced products, higher compensation, or greater brand recognition.

To seize this opportunity presented by the rise of lords, you need to prepare now.

……

The next day, Wayne did not go to the Stone Wasteland—building materials were still insufficient, and Raymond was more suitable for that location at this time.

He took advantage of the time difference and caught up on some sleep.

Today, Wayne will stay in the village and do two things.

First, with the training these past few days, not only has Wright been able to use Qi in combat and entered a higher level of strength, but Wayne himself is also on the verge of a breakthrough.

Since the young wolves were also coming to the training camp, he might as well do some extra training today.

Secondly, since quarrying is already underway and the repair and refurbishment of ironware is progressing steadily, opening an iron mine is all that's needed, just waiting for the right opportunity.

He was going to the carpenters' work area to inspect the actual condition of the wooden boats and, incidentally, to encourage them.

Before the training grounds were built, Ronald would usually lead the trainees to the woods north of the village for field training.

Before he even got close, Wayne heard the dull thud of an axe chopping wood and shouts from people.

Dozens of freshly cut logs were piled up in the forest, and a dozen young men were moving, peeling, and driving stakes into the ground.

Ronald stood in the middle of an open space, arms crossed, staring at them expressionlessly.

As Wayne approached, he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, turned around, and bowed.

"grown ups."

Wayne nodded and glanced at the young people working.

Seven or eight of them were promising recruits selected from the militia, while the rest—wearing gray-brown fur coats and wolf-tooth ornaments at their waists—were diligently carrying logs back and forth.

Young people of the wolf clan.

Anne brought the person over early in the morning.

Isaac and Caleb were both there, but Potter and Cindy weren't; they were probably handling other matters at the tribe.

A dozen or so young wolf clan members mingled with the militia, working enthusiastically.

"Didn't we say we were practicing Qi cultivation?"

Wayne looked at Ronald: "How did we become a lumberjack team?"

Ronald's lips twitched, revealing a rare hint of helplessness.

"The training ground hasn't been built yet, so we have to clear the area first."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Besides, moving wood is also a form of practice."

"You can't cultivate inner energy by sitting and meditating; you have to find the feeling when you exert force."

Wayne nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He took off his outer robe, rolled up his sleeves, and walked to a log lying on the ground.

The log was about two arm spans thick, nearly ten feet long, and weighed approximately two hundred pounds.

The young people around him paused in their work when they saw him.

"grown ups?"

"What are you looking at?"

Wayne bent down, gripping the edge of the log with both hands: "Keep practicing."

He took a deep breath, regulated his breathing, and then exerted force suddenly.

One end of the log was lifted off the ground.

It wasn't brute force—Wien could feel the energy rising from his abdomen, traveling up his spine, and then flowing into his arms.

This is the result of repeated practice over the past few days. The "qi" is still very weak, but it can already be mobilized at critical moments.

He carried the log for three steps and then put it down steadily.

There was a moment of silence.

Then Caleb was the first to shout, "Lord, you've gotten even stronger?!"

Ronald walked over, a look of surprise on his face.

"My lord, your progress is... faster than I expected."

Wayne dusted off his hands: "It's still a little short of being able to be truly used."

I'll practice with you guys today.

Isaac stood not far away, silently watching this scene.

He didn't say anything, but when he picked up the next log, his steps were more steady.

In just one morning, half of the logs on the open space were gone.

Wayne mingled with the group, helping them carry loads, peel skins, and drive piles.

The flow of energy circulated more and more frequently within the body, and lasted for longer and longer periods.

Later on, he no longer needed to consciously think about lifting logs; the airflow would automatically flow to the parts that needed to exert force.

During his rest, he leaned against a log and watched the young wolf tribe members.

They worked harder than anyone else.

In the middle, Kellerb's back was cut by a splinter, and blood seeped out. He wiped it off casually and continued working.

Isaac and Anne didn't say a word from beginning to end, but they were clearly stronger than the others.

Wayne suddenly thought of something.

If the wooden boat had been made sooner, these people could have been sent to the iron mine in Hedong...

Mining is much more tiring than moving wood, but they have this drive. How much ore can they mine in a day?

Moreover, mining itself is a good way to practice your strength.

With each swing of the pickaxe, the whole body exerts its strength, and the energy is most easily activated at this moment.

They trained their troops and mined the mines at the same time.

Not bad.

Ronald walked over and lowered his voice: "Sir, the wolf clan is indeed well-established."

They have a strong sense of control over their bodies and learn very quickly.

Especially Isaac and Anne.

The two of them have already touched the threshold of "qi".

"How long will it take them to master it?"

"It should only take about a week."

Ronald replied, with a hint of envy in his voice, "And it's not just them who are fast; most of the remaining ones we know will also be successful before winter."

Not bad.