Chapter 4

While Abel and Nord were thinking about tomorrow's affairs, there was a sound of footsteps from far to near outside the door. Not long after, the door was knocked.

"Lord Nord, dinner is ready. Please come down to dinner."

Nord looked at the sky outside the window. Unknowingly, the sun had gradually set down. The red sun set off the vast Amun mountains as beautiful as a mural. You can see the dilapidated small mountain village nearby. Nord sighed in his heart that there was a heavy task and a long way to go.

"Let's go, Abel. Go to dinner first. There are important things to do tomorrow. Have a good rest today."

Then he turned and opened the door and saw Colin waiting outside the door.

"Thank you for your hospitality, village chief Colin."

"You're welcome, Lord Nord. It's my honor to entertain you. Please come with me. The village is not rich and the meal is a little humble. I hope you can forgive me."

Nord followed Colin downstairs and saw a rectangular wooden table near the kitchen with a small fireplace on the right. Next to the wooden table stood five people, three adults and two children.

After entering, Colin introduced Nord one by one.

"This is my eldest son, Lehman. He is a good hunter. He followed me into the mountain at the age of 13. At that time, he encountered four or five wolves in the Amun mountains. When I beat back the wolves, he looked back and stood there with blood."

"Oh? And then?"

Nord looked at the strong young man standing in front of him, as if he understood something.

"He was unharmed. A wolf came round from the back when I wasn't paying attention, but the boy ripped his belly. Later, when I was old, he went hunting in the mountain himself. Two years ago, he hunted an Amun giant bear."

"That's a real warrior, village head Colin. You have a good son, don't you, Lehman"

Nord looked at Lehman carefully. He had short blond hair, wide arms and calm eyes, revealing a calm temperament.

"Thank you for your compliment, Lord Nord."

"This is Lehman's wife Molly. This is a hard-working girl. Molly has been in charge of the family since my wife died."

Molly was wearing a linen dress. She looked a little worn, patched in some places, and her hands looked very rough.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Molly."

"Welcome, Lord Nord. I'm not a lady. I'm just a peasant woman in the country. You can call me Molly. If there's anything you can tell me to do."

"It's hard for you, Molly."

Nord looked at the remaining young man, about the same age as Nord, about 18 years old, a little thin, a pair of smart glasses looked around, and was looking at him curiously at this time.

"This is my youngest son reed. He has been very naughty since he was a child. He can't spare a moment. He gives me a headache."

"Father, I'm not as bad as you said. I'm just not as good as my brother."

"Lord Nord, I'm reed. I know everything in the village. You can tell me anything."

Colin glared at Reid, then pointed to the two children and said, "this is Lehman's son art and daughter lesha."

Both children hid behind Molly and looked at him secretly with two small heads.

Nord recognized that art was just the little boy. It seemed that the two children were afraid of him, a stranger. Nord smiled and thought of his childhood. Strangers came to the house, but they couldn't go back. Thinking of this, I can't help shaking my head. Forget it. Don't think more. If you come, you'll be at ease.

After Colin introduced the people, he greeted Nord and Abel to the table. Nord looked at the food he was wearing. In front of each person was a fist sized black bread, which looked black and hard. He didn't know what to mix.

Although Nord is ready, we can see that the black bread of this era still can't eat. It's a tiring journey to come all the way from Bellon, but Nord, as an aristocrat, won't treat himself badly no matter which castle he goes to. The dry food brought on the road was also the well-made food bought by Abel, not the rough black bread like now. Nord knocked on the bread with a spoon, but it was banging.

Colin saw Nord's face and quickly brought the only meat on the table roast rabbit in front of Nord.

"Lord Nord, you can taste this plate of roast rabbit meat. When you go hunting in the mountain, there is sometimes no harvest. We didn't prepare in advance before you came. These two rabbits are the only harvest in the village today."

The two brothers and sisters of art and lesha looked eagerly at the roast rabbit brought to Nord, and unconsciously swallowed saliva. Nord was not happy to see here.

"Abel, take down the box of bread upstairs."

"It doesn't matter. It's not your problem, village head Colin."

After Nord took some roast rabbit meat and put it on his plate, he put it in front of the two brothers and sisters.

At this time, Abel had taken down the bread upstairs, took out some bread from the box and heated it by the fireplace.

"Lord Nord, you are really a kind Lord. Our village really doesn't entertain well. I'll make you laugh."

"Village chief Colin, how are the others living in the village?"

Colin sighed when Nord asked.

"The situation of others is even worse. Even the black bread is almost gone. They can only live by hunting in the mountains, but there are so many wild animals in the mountains that many people can't get out."

When Lehman heard his father say so, his eyebrows frowned tightly. A man who looked so determined sometimes could do nothing.

"At present, we hunt in the periphery of the mountain forest. The harvest in the periphery is very small, which basically depends on luck. If we want to have a big harvest, we must go deeper, but the depths of the mountain are more dangerous, almost dying. If we are not desperate, no one will go deep. But..."

Lehman glanced at Nord and looked hesitant, as if he didn't know whether to say something.

Nord saw Lehman's look and spoke to dispel Lehman's hesitation.

"It doesn't matter. You can trust me."

"Yes, Lord Nord, I once saved a mountain man in the depths of the mountain forest. He told me that they live in the depths of the mountains. The depths of the mountains are also divided into large and small cottages, but they rarely contact with the outside, and it is difficult for people outside to come in."

Nord was lost in thought when he heard Lehman's description. In fact, Nord was thinking about these mountain people when he knew his fief. From the perspective of his previous life, the mountains are not only rich in materials, but also the mountain people are tough and can be used as excellent soldiers. However, when he came here, he found that not only the mountains are very dangerous, but also how to find these mountain people is a problem.

While Nord was thinking, a smell of malt came from the fireplace. It turned out that the bread had been baked and gave off an attractive smell.