"Good morning, Baron."
"Good morning, Baron Floki."
"Have you eaten? My wife prepared something nice."
So many people stepped out of their huts to greet him, their faces brimming with warmth and happiness.
Children ran toward him, hugging his sides, while a few eagerly asked to walk with him to the marketplace. He gently refused, still uncertain whether the caravan was harmless.
As he moved through the streets, he found himself taking in the scenery more carefully. The place was calm, almost deceptively so, with an understated beauty that settled into the eyes the longer one looked.
Despite its local appearance, the town was far from primitive. The huts were arranged with careful structure and spacing, giving the settlement a sense of order and civility. It was several times more refined than it had been in its earlier village state.
To think that all of this had changed in less than a minute. What other wonders did this world still have to reveal?
