Fordring Decides to Stay
"Thinking of returning to your own world and just walking in any direction outside the village?" Lara couldn't believe how simple it sounded. "That's it?"
"Yes," Fordring nodded. "I just tried a few times, and it really is that simple."
After discovering the method of free movement, Fordring felt much more relaxed. He didn't have anything urgent to do; as long as he could return to his family whenever he wanted, it didn't matter where he was... even in another world.
As for whether this world posed a threat to Azeroth, he hadn't seen any signs of that yet. Perhaps he could stay and observe for a while?
David didn't know that Fordring had already decided to settle down here. Even if he did, he wouldn't mind, despite the slight sense of surveillance. People living in Azeroth would naturally be concerned about threats to their world, but David had no thoughts about Azeroth. That world was too chaotic. Even if he had the ability to invade other worlds, he wouldn't choose that one. Besides, he had no ability to travel to other worlds.
"So, how do you come back?" David was more curious about another question than how to return to their own world. How did Fordring come back after leaving?
"The same way. Just think of coming to your place, and you'll come."
"..." David was speechless at how simple it was. "Just walking in any direction, like when leaving?"
"Even easier. You can just stand in place and come back," Fordring said with a slightly comical expression on his face, his beard and imposing features making it look even more amusing. He had just tried it out randomly and hadn't expected it to actually work.
Listening to Fordring's explanation, David realized that for those who had been to his place, all they had to do was think of his place and make a "walking" motion to come over. It was much simpler than returning to their own world. Conversely, they had to walk outside the village in any direction to leave. Walking in circles within the village wouldn't work.
"I'll try it," Lara said, having lost her appetite for breakfast after listening to Fordring's explanation. She immediately left the wooden house in a random direction.
David followed her outside the house, standing at the door and watching Lara run into the distance. He wanted to see what it would look like when she left.
He didn't have to wait long before he saw Lara's figure becoming semi-transparent and disappearing until it gradually faded away. It was the opposite of when they first appeared.
"So that's what it looks like when you leave..." Fordring had never seen it before. After realizing he could freely travel back and forth, Lara was no longer worried about not being able to return to her world. Instead, she was full of curiosity about this magical situation. She wanted to figure out what was causing all of this and if any mysterious objects, such as ancient ruins or altars, were hidden near the village.
However, she remembered she had companions. She might have to wait until they were rescued and taken off the island before coming back to investigate this issue.
With no worries on her mind, Lara was naturally troubled by other issues. She was hungry.
Fordring was also quite hungry, but as a guest, he didn't want to rummage around looking for food. He also wasn't sure if this primitive-looking village had enough food stored. As a powerful paladin, his appetite was quite large.
After thinking about it, Fordring suggested looking around for any prey nearby.
"No need. There's deer meat in the kitchen that I hunted yesterday. It's enough for the three of us," David said. It was a whole deer, and he and Lara hadn't eaten much of it yesterday. Even with the addition of Fordring, there was more than enough for a hearty breakfast.
David brought the two of them to a wooden barrel filled with water and took out a wooden basin and some clean cloth to let them wash up. Afterward, the three had a hearty breakfast of roasted venison, a soup made with wild vegetables, and a small portion of the innards.
All three of them were happy with the breakfast.
David was motivated to continue working hard to build the village, welcoming more people from different worlds, gaining rewards from them, and learning special abilities like the Holy Light.
Lara had learned how to return to her own world, and with David's help, she could easily come over for help when in trouble. She was also curious about this magical and unfamiliar world and looked forward to exploring it when it was safe.
Fordring felt that this was a good place to hide. No one knew him here, and he could live a peaceful and stable life and go home to see his wife and children whenever he wanted.
After finishing breakfast, Lara said she was ready to go back and meet up with her companions and then find a way to contact the rescue team.
"Take this." When he heard Lara was leaving, David took his spare hunting bow, a quiver of arrows, and a short knife and handed them to her. "You've been attacked by monsters before, and that island doesn't look safe. Weapons can also protect you."
After inserting the sheathed short knife into her waist, slinging the quiver behind her back, and holding the hunting bow, Lara gave David a warm hug. "Thank you so much. I am so glad to have come here and met you."
"Uh... no need to be so polite." From the initial enjoyment to slight embarrassment, David didn't have the idea of pushing Lara away when she hugged him, and he sighed that it would have been better if he could have hugged her longer.
Lara, with a slightly red neck, didn't say anything else and let go of David, then picked up her hunting bow and left the village.
David stood still and didn't move, slowly straightening his back after a while, and then saw Fordring looking at him with a smile.
"What's up?"
"Nothing... you said earlier that you welcomed me to stay here. Was that just a polite remark, or were you serious?"
"Of course, I really mean it!" David was very happy to hear that and hoped that Fordring would stay. Only by spending more time together could he have a chance to learn various knowledge of the Holy Light from this Paladin.
Even if he didn't mention the knowledge of the Holy Light, David wanted to develop the settlement into an official village of the Tiran Kingdom, and he needed enough population for that.
The barren land, harsh climate, and exceptionally remote geographical location were all difficult to attract farmers to settle here. Still, it would be possible if he could attract people from other worlds to live here, such as Fordring, who wanted to hide.
"Please take care of me in the future, Village Chief."
David reached out his hand and shook Fordring's big hand. David felt like something had changed at the handshake moment, but he didn't find anything different upon careful inspection.
"An illusion?"
Putting this aside, David introduced the general situation of the village to Fordring. In fact, there wasn't much to say: four temporary wooden houses, three of which were inhabited, with the same internal structure; one used as a warehouse, kitchen, and blacksmith shop.
To the west of the village was a big river with abundant aquatic products; to the north was a forest with many wild vegetables, fruits, and beasts. So far, David had not ventured deep into the forest, only wandering around the periphery, so he was not sure how dangerous the deep forest was.
"To the east and south are plains, but if you follow the riverbank to the south, you can reach the Ironwood Forest." The Ironwood Forest is located on the northwest side of Ironwood Castle and is an extremely vast forest named after the top-quality Ironwood trees that grow there.
The barrier between the Ironwood Forest and the Tiran Mountains had prevented the Tiran Kingdom from occupying this vast plain area for a long time.
David's settlement was quite far from Ironwood Castle and should be the northernmost area of the Tiran Kingdom if he could establish the town successfully...
"There are only you and me in the village now. Although there is a lack of crops to plant, we can get enough food by hunting and fishing." After talking about the general situation, David said his plan, "If we want to stay here for a long time, we need to build new wooden houses."
Fordring agreed with David's words. He had wanted to suggest that David build several better houses nearby. "There is a forest nearby, and we are not short of wood here."
Although stone houses were better, Fordring was not a stonemason and could build a wooden house. He really didn't know how to build a stone house.
"There are some tools in the blacksmith shop." Although the blacksmith took away a lot of tools when he left, there were still many things left behind, which were enough for David and Fordring.
As they talked, they picked up their tools and prepared to go to the forest.
When David picked up his bow and arrows, he found that the feeling of holding the bow was different from before, so he took out an arrow and put it on the bowstring, then made an aiming gesture.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" In a short time, David confirmed one thing; he didn't know when he had received another reward from Lara.
Why did he think it was from Lara? Because there didn't seem to be any connection between Fordring, the Paladin, and the bow and arrow, while Lara's main weapon in the story was a bow and arrow.
"Speaking of which... the strange feeling when shaking hands with Fordring earlier may not have been an illusion after all. I wonder what reward Fordring gave me?"