Sparring

Late at night, the villagers' enthusiasm showed no sign of fading. It had been a long time since they had eaten their fill like this, and just as long since they had been this happy. For the moment, they forgot the plight of their village. Some children skipped and hopped along with the dancing flames.

The children nearby gradually joined in as well, laughing and dancing around the fire. It could barely be called dancing, but as more children joined, some adults, seeing how joyful they were, slowly joined in too. Soon, a crowd was dancing around the bonfire.

Some things truly seemed to come naturally. No one taught them, yet people could learn so much from nature. Perhaps this was the harmony between man and nature that Taoism had always pursued.

Nord did not want to spoil the villagers' mood, so after greeting Abel, he turned and left the square, returning to his room. What had happened today was more thrilling than anything he had experienced in twenty years of his previous life. He had grown up safely in the twenty-first century, in a peaceful country and a peaceful era. Fighting others with real blades and risking his life was a first for both his lives. Feeling exhausted, Nord lay down on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Nord woke from his slumber. He had slept soundly last night and had not suffered any nightmares because of yesterday's battle. That was good news; it meant he was slowly adapting to this cruel era.

After tidying himself up, Nord went downstairs. He still used the refined salt Abel had bought on the road to clean his teeth. Anyone who had tried rinsing their mouth with salt knew how unpleasant it was, but conditions were this harsh, so he could not ask for much.

After having some roasted meat and bread Molly had prepared downstairs, Nord headed to the training ground in the courtyard.

To his surprise, Reed was also at the training ground and had apparently been practicing for quite some time. Nord walked over and greeted him.

"Reed, why are you training today too?"

"I train every day. Father and Big Brother went with Steward Abel to build the manor just now. They wouldn't take me with them, so I stayed behind to train."

Nord did not think much of Reed's complaint. Lively and restless as Reed was, he certainly could not stay idle. Since there was no rush to go to the construction site, they might as well train for a while first.

"You're my messenger now. Of course they won't let you follow them. What if I need my messenger and can't find you? From now on, you need to stay within three meters of me and be ready whenever I call."

"Huh?"

Reed pulled a long face and looked at Nord resentfully. So that was why. No wonder Big Brother had told him to wait for Lord Nord.

"Lord Nord, what are you planning to do now?"

"Enough nonsense. Train first."

With that, Nord ignored Reed's mournful expression and began his own training. At present, he was mainly practicing his swordsmanship and his footwork in battle.

After a long while, a light sheen of sweat had appeared on Nord's body. He glanced at the bored Reed standing nearby, and an idea came to mind.

"Reed, let's spar!"

"Huh? But, Lord Nord..."

Reed did not react for a moment. He hesitantly opened his mouth, somewhat at a loss. Nord gestured for him not to worry and told him to let loose and have a proper training match.

To dispel Reed's hesitation, Nord took the initiative, wielding a wooden sword as he attacked Reed. During the fight, Reed gradually began to loosen up as well.

For a time, the two were evenly matched. Reed's fundamentals were clearly very solid, but his attributes were probably inferior to Nord's. He found it difficult to block Nord's slashing wooden sword and could only rely on nimble footwork to evade Nord's attacks.

Nord could not do much against Reed either. Although he could rely on the original owner's muscle memory for attacking and defending, his combat footwork was lacking. That required actual fighting experience. If not for the two of them joining forces against the enemy yesterday, with Nord's mediocre footwork and combat experience, he likely would have died there.

Having realized his weakness, Nord patiently honed his footwork, carefully observing how Reed responded and considering how he should move to attack more effectively.

Nord gradually became immersed in the training, but Reed suffered for it. He had no choice but to focus on dealing with Nord's increasingly skillful attacks. In the end, a moment of carelessness sent him tumbling to the ground. He simply lay there and pretended to be dead, refusing to get up. Nord shook his head and smiled.

"Alright, training is over for today. Let's go take a look at the construction site to the north."

At that, Reed sprang to his feet in an instant. He grinned at Nord as though nothing had happened.

Just as Nord was about to leave, another system message flashed before his eyes.

Through diligent training, your one-handed weapon proficiency has increased by 3 points.

You defeated an opponent and gained 10 experience points.

Nord was somewhat surprised. Training could really increase proficiency, and sparring could also grant experience. He could not help turning to look at Reed, an indescribable gleam in his eyes. Reed became uncomfortable under his stare and wondered, Did I do something wrong again?

Ignoring what Reed was thinking, Nord had already decided to treat him as an experience farm, the kind he could grind every day. Once he had made up his mind, Nord no longer hesitated and led Reed toward the construction site.

Despite yesterday's lively gathering, the village was rather quiet today. Only a few carefree children ran about, while none of the villagers were in sight.

As he walked, Nord discovered that the Daily Quest had updated as well.

Daily Quest: Explore the Mountain Forest

Quest Description: The mysteries of the Amon Mountains deeply attract you, and the abundant resources of the mountain forest make your mouth water. Set out and explore the forest. You must be eager to see what it holds. Explore the mountain forest within a radius of ten li.

Quest Reward: Experience ×100, Bread ×10, Gold Thaler ×10

Another exploration quest. Nord felt that Daily Quests were quite simple, and the rewards were rather generous too. He had planned to take a look around the mountain forest in a few days anyway, so he could complete the quest at the same time. The bread he had promised the guards would be taken care of as well.

When they reached the northern side of the village, many villagers had gathered at the construction site. No wonder he had not seen anyone in the village earlier—they were all here.

Seeing how energetically the villagers were working, Nord felt somewhat ashamed. They had celebrated until midnight last night, yet they had come here early this morning to help build his manor. Meanwhile, he had slept until he woke naturally before slowly making his way over.

After seeing Nord, Abel and Colin walked over together to report on the day's situation.

"Lord Nord, I informed the villagers today that they would be helping you build the manor. Everyone who could come has come, and everyone is highly motivated."

"Young Master Nord, the wages have been set at ten Copper Be per household per day, plus five jin of wheat. The food should last about a month."

Nord nodded to show that he understood. Looking at the bustling scene before him, he expressed his thanks to Colin.

"Village Chief Colin, you've put a lot of thought into this. Please convey my gratitude to the villagers. Abel, based on the current situation, how long will it take to build the manor?"

"We are currently clearing and leveling the land, while preparing stone and timber. Given the villagers' enthusiasm, the main structure of the manor should be completed in just over a month. After all, only a small manor has been planned, so it will not take too long."

The contract was officially signed yesterday. I received thirty-six recommendation votes yesterday, and I'm really excited. Thank you all for your support. I had just finished writing a review when I received a reward from Prince Baiyu. Thank you so much. This is the first time I've received a reward, so thank you. All I can do is repay you by writing this story with all my heart. Believe in me—let's keep going!