Early in the morning, Nord arrived at the training ground in the small courtyard. He found that Ryman and Reed were already training. So he was the last one up after all—no wonder he always ate breakfast alone. It seemed he needed to get into the habit of going to bed early and rising early.
"Ryman, Reed, training this early today?"
"Lord Nord, this kid Reed is too lazy. I'll train him properly from now on. He follows you around all day—how can he manage without any combat ability?"
Reed opened his mouth to argue, but then remembered that he really had lost to Lord Nord. He could not help feeling somewhat dejected, and the wooden sword in his hand moved even faster.
"Don't underestimate me, Ryman. I'm plenty capable in a fight."
Nord smiled and stopped paying attention to Reed, who was sulking nearby. This was good too. Ryman could push him harder and help this restless young man settle down. Nord then began his own training for the day, choosing not to continue sparring with Reed.
After finishing his training, Nord called Ryman and Reed over, preparing to see whether the others had arrived. At the same time, a system message appeared before him.
Through diligent training, your one-handed weapon proficiency has increased by 2 points. Daily Quest: Establish an Outpost Quest Description: The vast Amon Mountains are towering and mysterious. The thought of exploring the mountains has always lingered in your mind. Take the first brave step. Every beginning is difficult—establish a small outpost. Quest Reward: Experience ×100, Bread ×10, Gold Thaler ×10
Looking at the refreshed Daily Quest, Nord had an idea.
As time passed, the square in front of the courtyard gradually filled with people. Whether they were the previous hunters or newly joined young men, all of them were excited, chatting in small groups.
After their training, Nord and the other two came to the square. Once everyone had assembled, Nord stepped into the center of the crowd. Looking at the vigorous hunters, he slowly began to speak.
"From now on, you are no longer ordinary villagers. Starting today, you officially belong to my guard. The direction my Longsword points will be the road you advance upon. Those among you who are brave and skilled in battle may be granted the title of Knight by me. The glory of a Knight depends on your bloody struggle!"
The golden morning sunlight fell upon Nord, as though draping him in a sacred mantle. Hearing his promise, everyone's breathing grew heavy. They stared at Nord with bright eyes filled with longing—longing for battle, longing for glory.
"From now on, you will gather every morning for training. The location will temporarily be this square. Your task each day is to patrol the mountains and forests with me. Now, move out."
After saying that, Nord had them head to the manor construction site first. They borrowed some tools from the villagers building the manor, then set off for the Wild Boar Cave they had visited yesterday.
Nord had considered turning the Wild Boar Cave into an outpost yesterday. It just so happened that the quest had been issued today. There was no time like the present—he would establish the outpost today.
Old Mor, with his extensive experience, still led the way. However, Nord compared their route against the map and occasionally offered Old Mor some suggestions. This surprised Old Mor. He had not expected Nord to be so familiar with the mountains and forests. Even Ryman could not avoid taking a few detours in these woods.
Of course, Nord would never tell Old Mor that he had cheats... The map provided by the system clearly displayed the terrain of the forest: ravines, valleys, cliffs, and rivers were all plainly visible. This allowed Nord to choose the most direct route. The only problem was that its range was rather small; at present, it showed only the tip of the Amon Mountains.
It seemed he needed to find a way to expand the map's coverage. Before long, they arrived outside the cave. Nord divided everyone into groups. Ryman took ten men outside to fell trees, while Marco led the rest to clean the cave. In any case, Nord would not enter until the cave had been cleaned out.
Marco had no objections. Upon hearing Nord's order, he led his men into the cave. Ryman also began directing the others to cut down the large trees outside. Only Nord was left with nothing much to do.
Looking at the busy crowd, Nord decided to continue studying the map. The Wild Boar Cave lay fifteen kilometers directly north of Tami Village, roughly two or three hours away on foot. They had to cross two mountains to reach it. There was a river west of the cave, and it appeared to be the same river that flowed through the village. Nord had not expected that small river to wind all the way near the Wild Boar Cave.
Nord quietly studied the map while the others worked quickly. Marco led a group and soon cleared the droppings from inside the cave, throwing them into the distant forest. Nord also instructed Marco to light several fires in the cleaned cave. They would not only get rid of the foul smell, but also smoke out any snakes, insects, rats, and ants within.
Ryman also quickly cleared an open area outside the cave. Especially after Marco and his men finished cleaning the cave and joined them, the outside of the cave was soon piled with felled trees.
Seeing the progress, Nord praised Ryman, Marco, and the others. Since it was still early, he suggested that everyone make one more push. Using the cut timber, they would build a simple fence around the cave entrance and the open area outside it, preventing wild beasts from entering the cave.
Nord entered the cleaned cave. The fires inside were nearly out, and the air no longer carried the foul stench from last time. However, the lighting was still just as dim. The cave also had ample oxygen, and there was no feeling of suffocation despite the flames burning within. It seemed the cave's ventilation was quite good.
By the light of the flames, Nord inspected the cave again. Its interior was roughly arched, while uneven stones jutted from the surrounding walls. They could slowly polish them after moving in. The ground beneath his feet was also very dry. No venomous insect carcasses were found in the cave, which seemed like good news. He did not know whether the cave environment was unsuitable for snakes and insects, or whether it was because of the wild boars.
Walking out of the cave, Nord was very satisfied with it. Not only was its location excellent, but the cave itself was in ideal condition. It was a perfect choice for an outpost.
At the cave entrance, Marco was installing a door. It too was extremely simple: wrist-thick branches were tied together in a crisscross pattern, sharpened at the bottom, and driven into the ground. The branches near the base were packed more closely together, apparently to keep small animals from crawling in.
Nord smiled when he saw the door. It was made rather artistically—more suited to keeping out gentlemen than villains. He did not disturb their enthusiasm and went outside to inspect the situation.
Ryman used the surrounding trees to create a defensive area. Thick wooden stakes had been driven between a ring of trees, with branches of varying thickness inserted between the stakes and trees. Thinner branches were then woven horizontally through them. The simple fence was already taking shape.
"Ryman, well done. I didn't expect you to know how to do this."
"Lord Nord, everyone here knows how. Poor families in the village can't afford to build courtyards, so they simply make fences this way."
"Is that so? I truly didn't know."
Nord smiled awkwardly and told Ryman that, once it got late enough, he could take the men back. They would call it a day for now and continue tomorrow if needed. Ryman nodded to show that he understood.
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