Manor Completed

After a night's rest in Wild Boar Cave, everyone's mental fatigue and inner anxiety vanished completely, and they woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and invigorated.

They went to the clearing outside the cave and began their daily training. After more than a month of practice, Nord had already adapted to the rhythm of cold weapon combat. He was calm and composed, never striking blindly, always reserving some strength for each move unless he could exploit an opponent's weakness for a killing blow.

Reed was no longer a match for Nord. At first, he could spar with Nord for a while, but after a few days, he would usually be knocked down by Nord within a few rounds. From then on, Reed stopped sparring with Nord. Because of this, Ryman put Reed through some rigorous training for a period.

Nord's current sparring partner was Marco. Nord certainly wouldn't seek out Ryman for a beating now, and among the remaining people, only Marco was suitable. Previously, Marco hadn't gone into the mountains with them; instead, he had been left at Wild Boar Cave with the other hunters to handle any emergencies.

Similarly, Reed had not accompanied Nord into the mountains. Nord had assigned Reed a relatively important task: cultivating yams. Although they had to go into the mountains to find Distant Mountain Stronghold, the yam cultivation couldn't be neglected. After much thought, Nord entrusted this task to his young messenger, Reed, which made Reed's face look as bitter as a gourd for the past few days.

Holding a wooden sword with both hands, Marco exerted force with his right forearm, bringing the wooden sword down in a chop towards Marco. Marco parried the blow, and the immense force made both of them take a step back simultaneously.

"Lord Nord, I'm afraid I won't be your match in a few more days. Your swordsmanship is truly improving by leaps and bounds."

Nord exhaled deeply, shaking his slightly sore right hand. He couldn't help but find it amusing to see Marco, who was blushing a little after uttering a few complimentary words.

"You're holding back when you fight me. Next time, you must give it your all, otherwise, sparring won't be effective. And Marco, I haven't seen you in a few days, and you're already saying pretty words. That's not like you."

"I learned all this from Village Chief Colin. Actually, even if I gave it my all, I still wouldn't be able to defeat you, Lord Nord."

Since there had been no new daily quests recently, Nord's experience had been stagnant, but his weapon proficiency had increased significantly. As he had some free time today, he decided to check his personal panel.

[Name: Nord Isaac]

[Profession: Lord LV3 (460/2000)]

[Attributes: Strength 10 Agility 9 Intelligence 10 Charm 9]

[Abilities: Iron Bones LV3, Power Strike LV1, Riding LV2, Weapon Mastery LV2, Shield Defense LV1, Running LV2, Tactics LV2, Item Management LV1, Persuasion LV1, Leadership LV2]

[Weapon Proficiency: One-Handed Weapons 120, Two-Handed Weapons 80, Polearms 57, Archery 34]

After training, Nord and Marco chatted briefly. Old Mor, who had been waiting for a long time, approached them. Marco had also heard others briefly mention Old Mor's situation the night before, so he subtly left, giving the two of them space to talk privately.

"Lord Nord, before... my emotions were out of control, and I almost caused a huge disaster. If there had been casualties, I wouldn't know how to face them."

"Have you figured it out?"

"I've figured it out. Returning here, my heart immediately calmed down. Everything around me is still so familiar. Distant Mountain Stronghold is my home, and Tami Village is also my home. I shouldn't neglect one for the other. My emotions were out of control in the mountains before. I've lived for so long, escaped death countless times, and yet I still get caught up in gains and losses."

"It's good that you've figured it out. Don't disappoint those who trust you. Besides, I won't give up on finding Distant Mountain Stronghold."

"Thank you, Lord Nord, for your trust. I will not disappoint you again, nor will I give up on the path to finding Distant Mountain Stronghold."

"Adjust your mindset. We'll set off again tomorrow."

Just then, Butler Abel and Reed, who had received the news, arrived at the Wild Boar Cave stronghold.

"Young Master Nord, you've returned at just the right time. The Manor was completed yesterday. It just needs some interior decorating, and it'll be ready to move into in a few days."

"Really? Take me to see it quickly."

A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Nord's face. He put the wooden sword back on the rack, and without waiting to greet Ryman, he led Abel and the others towards the Manor.

For the first time in both his lives, Nord truly owned a home. The previous Manor in Beron City was certainly more luxurious, but Nord had sold it shortly after, so he didn't feel much sense of belonging to it. This Manor held a different significance; it was Nord's first true home in this world, not just an asset.

The Manor in Tami Village covered about five acres. In his previous life, such a property would only be affordable for successful individuals in America earning millions a month. Nord was eager to see what the Manor looked like.

Upon arriving at the northern part of Tami Village, the first thing that came into view was a two-story stone building, about seven or eight meters tall, with a general resemblance to Gothic architecture. Although the stone building only had two floors, its overall appearance was tall and sharp. The stones used in its construction were also mostly large and heavy.

Of course, Tami Village didn't have the capability to design such a stone building. This architecture was the work of Abel. As a butler, one had to be versatile. Limited by the architectural experience of the Tami Village villagers, the stone building appeared slightly rough, but compared to the other buildings in Tami Village, it truly stood out.

Approaching the Manor, some trees had been transplanted near the fence, preventing the Manor from looking out of place. The interior of the Manor had also been cleaned up, with a plaza, training ground, and garden, all complete.

It was a world of difference from the dirty construction site Nord had seen before. Abel had put a lot of thought into the overall style of the front yard. He hadn't completely cleared all the large mountain rocks, instead leaving some to serve as garden embellishments, which added a natural feel to the Manor.

Coupled with the continuous mountains to the north, it truly had the feel of a large private estate. Nord walked along the gravel path to the front of the stone building.

The towering stone building was constructed from light blue boulders. Although newly completed, it already exuded a sense of gravitas. Upon entering the stone building, the interior was still empty. The first thing that caught the eye was a massive living room, with the second floor above it being hollow. Even without furniture, it already felt grand.

Nord briefly surveyed the internal structure of the stone building and then left. Circling around the stone building, a row of simple wooden cabins had been built in the open space behind it. According to Abel, they were intended to be used as warehouses.

Having toured the entire Manor, Nord was generally very satisfied. For Abel to construct such a Manor in such a short time and under these conditions was truly excellent. Nord looked forward to the feeling of moving into the Manor once the stone building was fully decorated.