Chapter 245: Arrangements

Chapter 245: Arrangements

Zack was about to return, and Mary, who had just quieted down, started making trouble again. Northland City did not lack food, clothing, or supplies, and was quite wealthy, but it was missing the most traditional symbol of wealth in the Northlands—the herds.

There were many White Wolves in the city and over a dozen Snow Falcons, but the most common animals of the Northlands, cattle and horses, had become rare. The two oxen Bran used to pull his cart, and the dozen or so warhorses of Danny and the others, seemed pitiful compared to the vast herds of the Northlands.

According to Northlander tradition, if there was no impressive herd at a wedding, the attending clan members would surely laugh. Bran didn’t care, but Mary couldn’t let it go.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t get herds, but who would herd them once they were brought back? If herds were brought, they would have to be settled on the far side of the Eternal River, the reserved land of the Northlanders. He would not allow outsiders to set foot there freely. This was his bottom line. If he let people herd for them enter the Northlands now, what about later?

Bran hoped his people would gradually expand outward, not be invaded in reverse.

Mary, who already understood Bran’s temper well, started wandering in front of him again, putting on the airs of rebuilding a home. After gritting his teeth, Bran had a mischievous idea. After settling the drowsy Huahua, and under Mary’s hopeful gaze, he turned into a wisp of gray smoke and flew away.

The Northlands were not short of wild horses. The abundant water and grass allowed the horse herds to grow very large. These well-fed and strong creatures mostly lived not too far from water sources. So Bran, with his mischievous idea set, went upstream along the Eternal River, searching for and gathering the wild horse herds.

Several days later, with the earth trembling, a vast sea of horses poured down from the upper reaches of the Eternal River. As they neared the city’s northern bank, the neighing of several lead stallions slowed their galloping pace. Bran let out a long cry from within the herd, notifying Mary to come and start counting…

This trip was quite fruitful. Several lead stallions that had Awakened into Magical Beasts each led a sizeable herd, saving Bran a lot of effort. He subdued these lead stallions, merged the herds into one large group, and drove them back.

He believed this would be enough for Mary to count for quite some time and would grant him some peace and quiet.

This time, some clan members attending the wedding banquet would settle here permanently. Urged by Danny, Zack, Mary, and others had finally managed to persuade some people through a mix of coaxing and trickery. Population, an issue Bran had always been concerned about, was finally making progress.

The Fairies who were to secretly take over Northland City were also making arrangements. Several Fairies would arrive within a few days.

In Bran’s mind, Fairies were natural stewards; their control over a home was meticulous. He believed that with Fairies in charge, the city’s surveillance and management would reach a new level.

Fairies were very intelligent creatures with long lifespans. Through living, observing, and learning, Bran believed they would inevitably master knowledge in all aspects, such as overall management, planning, and design. Vast experience and knowledge would also accumulate and deepen because of their long lives.

Just like the Ancient Trees, Bran considered them the best vessels for recording and passing on knowledge. This was the fundamental reason he shared his knowledge with the Ancient Trees. Even if something unexpected happened to him, it wouldn’t cause irreparable loss. As long as this knowledge remained, it could ensure his legacy would not be broken. It could cultivate new Great Wizards for the Northlands at any time.

For this purpose, he made many agreements with the Ancient Trees. He continuously organized his knowledge and discoveries, then gave them to the Ancient Trees around him, who would then pass them to every corner. This was their secret, and he believed these secrets would one day serve their purpose.

Mary these past two days was in a state of painful joy.

The wild horses were very wary, especially in an unfamiliar environment. Even with several lead stallions keeping order, it was hard to keep them calm. At the slightest disturbance, they would run around in a small area, and she had to start counting over and over again.

Mary knew Bran was doing this on purpose, just to make a fool of her. But she didn’t want to give up. Looking at such a huge herd, she felt uneasy if she didn’t count them once.

This is our herd, how can we not have an exact number?

Without Mary’s noisy chatter, Bran finally had peace.

Bran had already figured out why Huahua was so drowsy; he had also started condensing his own Fruit. Faced with this situation, Bran felt powerless.

Different species, different abilities, so Bran didn’t know what was holding Huahua back, preventing her from crossing this threshold. Fortunately, apart from being somewhat listless, Huahua was otherwise fine, which was why Bran could still sit still.

Just as Bran was sitting under a tree holding Huahua in a daze, Danny came over with a stack of letters.

“Sign these.”

“Okay.”

The first couple to marry in the family was significant, and these external invitations were best sent in his name.

Danny looked at Bran who was signing with his head bowed and couldn’t help but smile. “Stop teasing Mary. Keep a few good horses and let the rest go.”

Bran didn’t even look up. “I’ll let them go after she finishes counting, then I’ll go get a herd of wild bison for her to count next.”

Danny couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

“She said a wedding must have a herd. If I let the horses go, she’ll definitely make trouble again. Besides, everyone is watching her now. Others’ weddings can’t be worse than this one. If I don’t give her something to do, she’ll surely create other problems.”

Hearing Bran’s explanation, Danny stopped trying to persuade him. She still had a question: “Given her counting speed, no matter how slow, she should have finished by now. Why is it taking so long?”

Bran looked up with a mischievous grin. “I told a few lead stallions to cause some chaos every now and then. She must be seeing double.”

After laughing, Danny continued to ask, “Now that we’ve taken over most of the Green Kingdom’s territory, how do you plan to handle it?”

“You handle it.”

“Oh? I’m afraid I can’t manage it.”

“It’s fine. If you handle it well, it’s your brilliance. If problems arise, it’s their punishment. Don’t worry, good or bad, it won’t affect us.”