As the hunters stepped forward, the villagers' cheers grew even louder. After all, some of them were their husbands or sons. Nord gestured for the hunters to distribute the fragrant roasted meat among the villagers, then stepped aside himself.
At that moment, Colin approached Nord carrying a large chunk of roasted horse leg. The meat from a horse's legs was particularly chewy from all the running, and after Abel had roasted it, it smelled especially delicious.
"Lord Nord, please taste it first. The villagers do not understand etiquette, so please do not be angry."
"It's fine. I don't mind. Seeing them happy makes me happy too. Happiness is contagious."
Nord watched the villagers celebrate joyfully as they ate roasted horse meat and chatted excitedly. Children chased and played among the crowd. Even such a simple Bonfire Party made them immensely happy. These villagers were so easily satisfied.
"Start building the manor tomorrow. Choose the mountain land north of the village as the location. Organize the workers tomorrow, and consult Steward Abel regarding the specific arrangements."
"Rest assured, Lord Nord. I will make sure they work hard for you."
"Discuss the food provisions and wages with Steward Abel. Go celebrate with the villagers first. I want some quiet time alone."
"Then I'll be going, Lord Nord. I won't disturb you any longer."
With that, Colin turned and returned to the crowd. Nord took a bite of the horse leg and had to admit that Abel's cooking was not bad. The outside was crisp while the inside remained tender. The only flaw was the faint sourness inherent to horse meat, though the charred flavor from the fire concealed it well. It was barely noticeable unless he savored it closely. Overall, it was quite good—the first truly decent food Nord had eaten since arriving in this world. If he had known Abel possessed such skill, he would not have had to endure all that medieval Dark Cuisine on the road.
Nord smiled as he ate the roasted horse meat and looked over the System Panel. He had not had time to inspect it after the battle. He wondered whether anyone had leveled up from the distributed experience.
Name: Nord Isaac Class: Lord LV2 (600/1000) ...
There was no doubt that he had not leveled up, but he had received 600 experience. The lord class must have received a bonus; otherwise, he should not have gained so much experience based on his own performance. He continued checking the others' panels.
Name: Ryman Class: Amon Hunter LV3 (200/300) Attributes: Strength 14 Agility 9 (12) Intelligence 9 Charisma 8 Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 110 Two-Handed Weapons 98 Bow 140
Nord noticed that after leveling up, Ryman's attributes had all improved. His weapon proficiencies had not only increased, but he had also gained proficiency in Two-Handed Weapons. Had he developed it while using the axe? Then why had he not gained Throwing proficiency? Nord was somewhat puzzled, so he continued reading in hopes of finding something to compare it with.
Name: Marco Class: Amon Hunter LV2 (100/200) Attributes: Strength 10 Agility 10 (12) Intelligence 8 Charisma 7 Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 104 Bow 123
Marco's improvement was far smaller compared with Ryman's, and his Bow proficiency had not increased either. His One-Handed Weapons proficiency had risen slightly. This further confirmed Nord's suspicion that regular training and battle could increase weapon proficiency. Marco had remained at Nord's side throughout this battle and had no opportunity to use his bow, so his Bow proficiency had not increased. He just did not know whether daily training could raise attribute points. For now, it seemed that only Nord could freely allocate attribute points, while everyone else gained them passively upon leveling up. Still, that could be verified gradually in the future. On to the next one.
Name: Mor Class: Amon Hunter LV3 (600/300) Attributes: Strength 8 (10) Agility 9 (12) Intelligence 9 Charisma 6 Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 112 Bow 160 Available Promotion Classes: Amon Veteran Hunter, Amon Warrior
Old Mor's panel delighted Nord. He had not expected that despite Ryman's impressive performance, Old Mor had quietly gained even more. Nord shook his head with a smile. Still, Old Mor's Archery Skill was indeed formidable. Quite a few bandits had probably been shot dead by him, so the path for his promotion was obvious.
It had to be Amon Veteran Hunter. Old Mor was advanced in years and clearly unsuited for a class like Amon Warrior, which sounded like close-quarters combat. Ryman could consider it when he advanced in the future. However, Nord needed to lie low and develop for a while afterward, so there might not be many opportunities for battle. Who knew when the next promotion would come?
Moreover, Old Mor was especially suited to the Amon Veteran Hunter class. Leaving aside his superb Archery Skill, even his half-lifetime of experience in the mountains and forests met the standards for this class. Nord confirmed the promotion. There were no special requirements; as long as the experience bar was full, it could be done. Unlike in games, it did not even require gold.
Yet at this moment, Nord wished the system would charge gold. Just the complete set of equipment gained after promotion in games was enough to make him drool endlessly, not to mention that Troop Types would receive a massive boost after being promoted.
After promoting Old Mor, Nord kept watching him in the crowd. He discovered that Old Mor showed none of the physical reactions Nord had experienced after adding attribute points. He continued eating and laughing as usual, as if the system were playing a joke on him. Filled with questions, Nord opened Old Mor's Personal Panel again.
Name: Mor Class: Amon Veteran Hunter LV1 (300/1000) Attributes: Strength 8 (14) Agility 9 (16) Intelligence 9 (12) Charisma 6 (8) Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 112 (140) Bow 160 (200)
Only after examining the panel did Nord realize that promotion did not actually increase one's personal attributes. He felt somewhat frustrated. This promotion system was such a scam—no wonder it cost no money. He checked the Troop Type information again.
Troop Type: Amon Veteran Hunter Troop Type Information: A Troop Type promoted from Amon Hunters. Experienced Amon Veteran Hunters never miss their mark. Prey targeted by an Amon Veteran Hunter finds it difficult to escape their pursuit. Once they enter the mountains and forests, they are as free as if they had returned home. Troop Type Equipment: Light Leather Armor, Climbing Boots, Machete, Amon Longbow Troop Type Attributes: Strength 14 Agility 16 Intelligence 12 Charisma 8 Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 140 Bow 200
Other than the equipment issue and the fact that promotion did not increase attributes, Nord was quite satisfied with everything else. In particular, he planned to gradually learn about the deeper parts of the mountains and forests next, and Old Mor, now an Amon Veteran Hunter, would be crucial.
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