"Lina, wait." Link called out to her, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he continued, "You can delegate this task to your deputy. You and Agnes will come with me shortly to see what Winterfell City looks like now."
Taking advantage of the early hour, before dusk completely enveloped Winterfell City, Link planned to walk around the city.
He wanted to truly understand the current state of Winterfell City, which belonged to him, and see how the citizens were living.
In the game world, these vibrant aspects of people's lives were virtualized into data and code, impossible to truly observe. As background settings, they were merely summarized in a few sentences.
If he wanted Winterfell City to flourish and prosper under his rule, Link had to personally set foot on this land, observe with his eyes, measure with his feet, and feel the pulse of this city with his heart.
Lina, hearing this, readily and happily agreed.
All along, she had hoped that Link would, like now, dedicate more energy and thought to governing the city.
And not be a profligate second-generation heir, constantly squandering the assets left by his ancestors.
"As you command, Lord Link. I will go find the deputy and arrange the relevant matters immediately. Please wait a moment."
Lina bowed slightly, nodded, gently pushed open the study door, and left with light steps.
Link watched Lina's receding figure, slowly closed his eyes, and leaned back lazily in his chair, lost in thought.
In the game plot, there was very little description of Lina.
After all, in the game's narrative structure, his so-called villain role was ultimately an insignificant minor character, just a mere mob to add excitement for the players.
And Lina was even more of a plot afterthought, merely mentioned in passing.
But precisely because of this, Link felt a subtle unease about her.
After all, Lina was not like Agnes, not a character directly generated by the system, so he found it difficult to trust her unreservedly.
The human heart is unpredictable, and in this world full of variables, loyalty is a difficult thing to talk about.
Although the old saying goes: trust those you use, don't use those you doubt.
But throughout history, how many people have truly been able to do that?
"Sigh, I just hope I can awaken an ability to ensure loyalty in the future..."
Link sighed silently in his heart, only able to temporarily hide this worry.
After Lina returned having arranged her work, Link also called Agnes, and the three of them, accompanied by some guards, set foot on the streets of Winterfell City... Arriving at the city gate, Link paused to gaze into the distance, his eyes sweeping over the city walls towards the vast, boundless expanse outside the city.
Outside the city, there were large stretches of farmland, like golden tapestries spread across the earth.
A gentle breeze after the rain swept through, and waves of wheat rolled, golden wheat shimmering in the setting sun with the joy of an impending harvest.
Withdrawing his gaze, Link turned to look at the majestic city walls before him.
From the outline of the outermost city wall, the entire Winterfell City appeared as a regular hexagon, with its apex pointing north, grand and imposing.
The outermost city wall was 12 meters high, with a width between 10 and 18 meters, and a thickness ranging from 7.6 meters to 12 meters.
The north was the direction frequently encroached upon by beast hordes and demon races, hence the northwest and northeast walls were the widest and strongest.
The main structure of the city wall was built by stacking layers of square boulders and yellow earth clay.
While it looked sturdy, its strength was likely far inferior to modern concrete.
At the city gate, there was a bustling flow of traffic.
Carriages came and went, raising clouds of dust.
Stepping through the city gate, rows of open-air stalls came into view. Stall owners enthusiastically greeted passing pedestrians, their shouts and haggling intertwined, composing a lively symphony of street life.
Not far further inside, several establishments resembling stables and inns could be seen.
Guards in armor moved among the common folk and merchants, their unique attire adding a touch of unique fantasy to this otherworldly city.
Guided by Lina, Link proceeded, gradually becoming familiar with the city's layout.
Which were weapon shops, which were taverns, and even the brothels hidden in the alleys, all came into view.
Further on, the style of the shops changed again, turning into various stores catering to town residents, selling daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, clothes, and accessories.
Deeper into the alleys were the residences of ordinary people. Houses were scattered in an orderly fashion, and smoke curled up from chimneys, a scene of peace and tranquility.
It must be said that the town's planning was quite ingenious.
If enemies attacked from outside the city, the guards around the city gate could quickly organize a defense, buying time for the town residents to evacuate.
Residents could either flee deeper into the town for shelter or evacuate in the opposite direction, avoiding the conflict.
The deeper one went into the town center, the more magnificent and grand the buildings became, and the more shops specializing in high-end goods appeared.
In this town, the closer one's residence was to the center, the higher the owner's wealth and status. And at the very core, naturally, was the Lord's Mansion, belonging to him, the Lord of Winterfell City.