Nord slowly walked into the Stone Building, his gaze carefully traveling up the stairs as he inspected the interior. Compared with the previous empty surroundings, it now had a touch more of a homey atmosphere. Although the furniture in the hall was not exquisitely crafted, it was simple and unadorned. Moreover, the wood was not ordinary timber, but Black Nanmu Wood, which was relatively rare in the Amon Mountains. Its fine texture made it the ideal material for furniture.
However, Black Nanmu Wood was extremely demanding when it came to its growing environment, often appearing only on high mountain peaks. It was not only difficult to find, but also extremely hard to transport. After all, it weighed two or three times more than other kinds of wood. Nord looked around. Not only was the furniture made from it, even the stair railings were crafted from Black Nanmu Wood. This was perhaps understated luxury. He had no idea where Abel had acquired so much precious timber.
Just as Nord was looking over the new manor, Abel heard the movement downstairs and emerged from a room on the second floor. He gave a slight nod and looked down, only to discover that Nord had returned. A warm smile appeared on his face as he quickly made his way toward Nord.
"Young Master Nord, you've returned. Are you satisfied with the manor's furnishings?"
Nord nodded at Abel. He was very satisfied with Steward Abel's work. Not only had he finished ahead of schedule, but judging from the furniture materials, he had clearly put great care into the manor's quality. Nord pointed at the Black Nanmu Wood table and chairs in the living room and asked Abel.
"I'm very satisfied. You've put a lot of thought into this. By the way, where did you get so much Black Nanmu Wood? As far as I know, a set of Black Nanmu Wood furniture in Beron City costs at least a thousand Gold Thalers."
Abel smiled slightly and led Nord to the study on the second floor as they spoke.
"Young Master Nord, this isn't my credit. There's a carpenter in Tami Village named Dulu. When he heard that I wanted fine furniture made, he brought out all the Black Nanmu Wood he had treasured for years. He also told me of quite a few places in the mountains where Black Nanmu Wood grew. Otherwise, how could I possibly have had so much to use?"
Upon entering the study, Nord set Cindy down from his arms. Having long been curious about this new place, Cindy immediately began leaping and scampering around the study the moment Nord put it down.
"Steward Abel, this is Cindy. It'll be living with us from now on, so take good care of it."
Abel was also quite fond of the lively Little Mountain Cat, his eyes following Cindy's movements.
"Yes, Young Master Nord. I'll take good care of Cindy."
Nord sat down before the desk and watched the warm sunlight stream through the window, shining upon the brand-new desk and into his heart as well.
After a long while, the energetic Cindy seemed to have grown tired. It jumped onto Nord's desk and lay down. Nord teased the Little Mountain Cat, which had finally settled down, then thought for a moment before instructing Abel, who stood nearby.
"That carpenter named Dulu should be properly rewarded. Also, this manor feels too empty. When you have time, recruit some servants from the village and bring a little life to the place."
"Understood, Young Master Nord. Do you have any other instructions?"
"No. It's rare to have such a leisurely day, so I'm giving myself a few days off to rest properly. Just take care of these matters first."
After saying that, Nord waved to Steward Abel, signaling that he could leave.
As for Nord, for once he did not think about matters concerning the territory. He leaned over the desk and began playing with Cindy like a child.
Meanwhile, in Colin's courtyard, Ryman was recounting to Village Chief Colin all the experiences he had gone through over the past several days while accompanying Lord Nord through the mountains in search of Distant Mountain Stronghold, all the way until they finally found it.
After listening, Colin sighed. He did not know whether he should feel happy or disappointed. In truth, Colin had his own calculations. He had once wondered whether it might be better for himself, for Ryman, or for Tami Village if Lord Nord failed to find the stronghold. But ever since he and Nord had disagreed over planting yams, Colin had clearly felt Nord becoming much colder toward him, with a trace more distance than before.
"Ryman, I think Lord Nord's future is boundless. You must seize this opportunity and follow Lord Nord well to establish merit."
Ryman did not understand why his father seemed so dejected. Finding Distant Mountain Stronghold was clearly good news. It was something Lord Nord had hoped for for a long time. Why did his father seem a little disappointed? Ryman hesitated, as though he had guessed something, and asked uncertainly.
"Father, between you and Lord Nord..."
Hearing Ryman's question, Colin revealed a self-mocking smile.
"It's not what you think. There is no conflict between Lord Nord and me. It's just that this old head of mine can no longer keep up with the thoughts of you young people. Now that Lord Nord has moved out, you must seize the opportunity even more. And your younger brother Reed—you must remind him properly not to make mistakes."
"Father, you..."
"I'm fine, Ryman. I, Colin, spent half my life wandering outside. I had already lost heart and returned to my hometown intending to live out the rest of my days here. Yet opportunity came to me again, and I failed to seize it..."
At this point, Colin stared fixedly at Ryman, as though he had placed all his hopes upon him.
"But you are different from me. Both you and Reed are deeply trusted by Lord Nord. As long as you follow Lord Nord closely, our family may yet have a day of prosperity. I just don't know whether I'll have the chance to see it with my own eyes."
Ryman did not fully understand, but he understood his father Colin's hopes for him. He looked earnestly at Colin.
"Please rest assured, Father. I will not betray Lord Nord's trust in me. If the opportunity arises in the future, our family will bear the surname Colin, and our glory will be shared with you."
Seeing Ryman's heartfelt words, Colin felt deeply gratified. Perhaps the greatest achievement of his life was raising such an outstanding son as Ryman. At that thought, Colin's eyes became slightly moist.
"Grandpa, why are you crying?"
A childish voice interrupted the conversation between father and son. At some point, Art and Lysa had run over to Ryman and Colin.
"I don't cry anymore. I'm already a strong little man."
After hearing his younger sister Lysa, Art put on a proud expression, as though he were already a grown-up.
Lysa made a face at Art.
"Bleh, bleh, bleh! The day before yesterday, you were scared into tears by a big wild boar. I wasn't even afraid."
"I wasn't! I didn't! Don't make things up!"
Ryman interrupted the argument between Art and Lysa. His two children were close in age, and they started bickering after only a few words every time. And without exception, Art could never outargue his younger sister Lysa. Art was also somewhat timid by nature, which gave Ryman quite a headache. He did not know how to educate him.
"What did you come here for?"
Art froze for a moment, then suddenly remembered what his mother had told him. He looked cautiously at his father Ryman.
"Mom said Lysa and I should call you and Grandpa inside for dinner. It's all Lysa's fault—I almost forgot."
"Hmph!"
Upon hearing that, Lysa gave an angry snort, pouted her little lips, and ignored her brother Art.
Ryman glared at Art, then took Lysa's little hand and headed toward the wooden house, leaving Colin and Art staring wide-eyed at each other.
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