First Exploration

"My lord, are you really going to patrol the forest to the north?"

Her former husband had vanished in the forest west of the Territory System, neither dead nor alive. Her fate had changed drastically because of it.

If Lynn also disappeared into the forest, where would the little boat of her fate drift next?

She could not imagine it, nor did she dare to.

Although Lynn was a bastard noble who wanted her as his mistress, at least he had agreed to let her remain in White Bear Territory and promised to help her avenge herself someday.

Whenever she faced Lynn now, Yagna's heart would unconsciously race.

Yet she still could not make a choice.

"What, have you thought through the question from the day before yesterday? Are you willing to be my mistress?"

Facing the reinforcements Old Albert had brought in, Lynn did not even raise his head, answering a question with another question.

"I... I haven't."

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yagna froze. She lowered her head, a blush spreading across her fair cheeks, and stammered without managing to say anything.

"Then go back and keep thinking about it."

After casually dismissing Yagna, Lynn summoned all five brothers to the study.

"Second Brother, pack up and come explore the forest with me. Lao San, leave for Three Rivers City immediately. Lao Si, Lao Wu, and Lao Liu, stay behind and guard the Territory System. Watch the castle for me, and if anything happens, listen to Lao Liu."

Among the five brothers, Second Brother was mainly responsible for security and protection. After all, one of his panel traits was [Guard].

Lao San was effectively the second-in-command of the horse bandit gang. He handled difficult matters for Lynn and might one day become a commander capable of standing on his own.

Lao Si and Lao Wu were pure muscleheads, with entirely combat-oriented traits. They were good at killing and drinking, but useless at everything else. Lynn figured their limit was becoming fierce generals charging at the front.

As for Lao Liu, the youngest and only educated one, Lynn had not yet built him a proper stage. For now, he could only serve as an elementary teacher and help the brothers learn to read.

After all, one of Lao Liu's traits was [Edification]. Teaching and educating others was what he did best.

With the relationship of teacher and students in place, it was also easier to restrain the restless Lao Si and Lao Wu.

"Big Brother, just take me north for a look. Lao Wu and Lao Liu are enough to watch the Territory System. I'll definitely bring back a few Wild People for you."

"Big Brother, I want to go too."

Sure enough, as soon as Lynn assigned their tasks, Lao Si and Lao Wu began clamoring.

It was not that they disrespected Lynn as their leader. They were simply born unable to sit still, their hands itching to chop something up.

"What are you making such a fuss about? Have you memorized all the words I assigned you?" Lao Liu stepped forward then.

Though he was not tall, his presence was imposing. He instantly cowed Lao Si and Lao Wu.

In the end, the two Horse Bandits who hated studying drooped their heads and obediently followed their teacher out of the study.

Lao San left afterward with the letter. His task was the heaviest, and time was the tightest.

After the four brothers left the study one after another, Second Brother could no longer hold back. "Big Brother, should we send people to watch Albert and those stewards? I'm afraid they'll slack off once you leave."

Second Brother was suspicious by nature, a habit formed during his childhood years in the Mercenary Group.

When he saw Yagna taking the initiative to approach Lynn, he suspected she had ulterior motives.

When he saw Old Albert currying favor every day, he suspected the old man was up to no good.

Second Brother was like a lion on the grasslands. Other than his own pride, he trusted no other animal.

This northern expedition into the forest would definitely take weeks.

But Spring Planting in White Bear Territory was imminent. Second Brother feared that, without supervision, those stewards would merely go through the motions, causing the Lord's Public Land to yield less.

When that happened, it would be Big Brother and all the Horse Bandits who suffered. "No need to worry. Albert isn't an idiot. He knows what matters, and besides, Lao Liu and the others are watching. Nothing will go wrong."

Lynn patiently explained

to him. He had no intention of correcting Second Brother's personality.

A guard needed to be like this. His suspicious nature helped Second Brother keenly detect potential dangers.

Once everything was prepared, Lynn set out with Second Brother and two capable underlings.

He did not bring a cook or any other servants. Too many people would only slow their exploration.

In an agricultural age, the areas humans could actually move through were extremely limited.

Viewed from above, the cultivated land of White Bear Territory was concentrated in a small area along the western bank of the White River, occupying only a tiny fraction of the entire Territory System.

After Lynn and his group left the castle and rode north for barely half an hour, they saw a vast forest where the snow had yet to fully melt.

Opening the Pixel Map that came with the Lord system, Lynn saw that the little pixel figure representing him had reached the edge of the known area.

Further north lay endless white fog.

As Lynn's group plunged into the forest, the fog on the map gradually dispersed, as though a lamp had been lit in the night, illuminating the road ahead.

In the Northern Border, especially within the Marsh Duke Territory, exploring unknown regions was exceptionally difficult.

The main reason was the countless marshes of every size scattered throughout the land.

The marshes in the forest were especially good at disguising themselves. Their surfaces were often covered with snow, dead branches, and fallen leaves, creating the illusion that they could be walked upon.

If a person fell in, it was manageable. As long as there was a reliable companion nearby, there was a good chance of being rescued.

Horses were not so fortunate.

A horse trapped in mud would instinctively struggle with all its might, only to sink deeper and deeper until it was completely swallowed by the marsh.

Now that the weather was gradually warming, these hidden "man-eating beasts" in the forest were thawing and awakening as well.

Lynn had brought eight horses in total. Four carried people, while the other four bore rations, clothing, and weapons. Losing even one would be a huge blow.

Fortunately, he had already unlocked the map function of the Lord system. Though it was only a Pixel Map, it could still precisely display the forest marshes lying in ambush ahead.

With the map, he could always lead the group around potential dangers.

But this made their route twist and turn, inevitably slowing their pace.

By dusk, the group had only managed to travel a little over ten kilometers north.

Lynn was not impatient. With his abundant wilderness survival experience, he found a safe campsite beneath a large tree.

He left the two underlings to pitch the tents and care for the horses, while he and Second Brother entered the forest with bows and axes to hunt.

Before sunset, they found a suitable hunting ground: a forest clearing scattered with the tracks of various animals.

Lynn first smeared large amounts of honey onto several tree trunks. Then he and Second Brother hid in the bushes and waited quietly.

The red light of the setting sun flowed between ancient, towering pines.

Crows swept overhead, their cries harsh and grating.

Rabbits leaped across the clearing, their paws rustling through the dead leaves.

Every so often, a nimble marten darted past, startling several singing birds into flight.

But gradually, everything fell silent.

Once the sun had completely vanished and night swallowed the land, the forest's stage welcomed a new cast of actors.

(End of Chapter)