Jack returned to his mansion. There was nothing more he could do tonight.
He just wanted to return to his bed with Nisha.
Now that they had finally done it, it had left him with a ravenous appetite for more!
'There is still one more thing to be done...' Jack had to suppress the urge to call for Nisha.
He entered the meeting room and went to the mission board.
The mission board had completely refreshed and 3 new missions appeared.
'Oh! One of them is already completed???' Jack instantly checked them all.
[New mission: Upgrade a woodwall into a stonewall. Reward: Wooden wall-tower blueprint[completed)]
[New mission(Rare): Kill the boss in the silver mountains. Reward: Random Rare Treasure]
[New mission: Manually skin 500 beasts. Reward: Tannery blueprint]
Jack firstly checked the new blueprint he just acquired.
[Blueprint: Wooden Wall-Tower: A defensive tower to be build near walls. Small siege weapons can be placed in the top of the tower. Cost: Wood x100.000. Gold Coins x1000]
'Siege engines? Does it refer to those huge crossbows from medieval times? Or catapults?... No matter, it is not a priority for now..' Jack continued to study the other missions.
The mission to skin 500 beasts was just a matter of time.
His civilians were skinning and processing slain beasts in almost every section of his territory, outside the mountain.
'The silver mountains...' Jack had never stopped considering how to get there.
He was always thinking. He had never stopped. Only while he was with Nisha, did he let himself completely relax.
And now he had suddenly gotten a whole new idea.
Jack quickly went to the territory map and studied the northern edge of his two territories.
They both bordered the Silver Mountains territory.
He traced all that was not hidden in dark fog, and slowly a plan formed in his head.
He had been there for some time before Nisha suddenly came to him, carrying a bowl of the potato and meat broth.
After he ate, he went to bed with Nisha. They enjoyed each others bodies, and slowly fell asleep while talking about their new lives and responsibilities.
Jack woke up early, this time he left Nisha behind still sleeping.
As he went outside, he saw the last gold nuggets being dumped from a wood cart, into the deposit area.
[Lords common resources: Wood x190.000. Stone x0. Iron x190.000. Gold Coins x705.000]
He then decidedly chose to maximise his civilian population.
640 dwarf civilians and 712 human civilians.
[Received 14.800 gold coins. 148 human civilians summoned. Completion time: 25 minutes]
With this done, Jack went to get breakfast at the plateau.
"Good morning lord!" Fraco greeted as he saw him.
"How are you feeling? Your wounds seems to be healed." Jack smiled happily as his General seemed to have returned to duty.
"Not completely lord! He still needs another half day of rest. At least!"
Dimpa hurriedly broke into the conversation, delivering a bowl of food to Fraco.
Fraco just made a defensive smile and shrugged his shoulders.
'Haha, it seems like Dimpa has completely taken charge of Fraco... I wonder what dwarven children looks like?'
As Jack watched the helpless Fraco being tended to, he almost couldn't help but laugh.
This fine hero-general were being so dominated.. It was so comical to watch.
As Dimpa finished smearing the tender-red flesh on Fracos leg, she turned to Jack again.
"Where did you get those flowers lord? I would be very happy if I could get my hands on more..."
Jack knew that Dimpa had an innate urge to help people, a medical skill just as other civilians were interested in woodwork, mining, farming, building, experimenting with clay and so on.
But Jack didn't have time to look into such things for now. He simply told Dimpa that it was impossible to get more for now.
While they talked, other civilians, including Nisha and Gynda - who somehow seemed displeased with Jack? - had all gathered.
The breakfast this morning were loud. Many people had gathered to eat, and the chattering were loud.
Jack also watched as the new human civilians continued to emerge from the summoning area.
Jack was astonished as he noticed that many of the young females had huge stomachs, just as Gynda.
They were clearly pregnant.
'I wonder if some day I don't have to spend gold on summons anymore.'
Jack thought this, but knew that such a time was far off. He still had a ton of work to do if he ever wanted to reach his dream of a metropolis status.
While all this happened, he had simultaneously been conversing with Ramises and Xena.
His time were running out.
Arrow were safely speeding along the coast, the winds were good today.
Xena had lost too many troops along the way already. They were attacked whenever they made stop or camp for the night.
Her entire village had been destroyed, and the only reason she was still a lord, was because she still had her summoning gems in her pocket.
Jack then calculated that at least 3000 new troops had been summoned.
Combined with the 6000 troops at the garrison at the walls, he felt ready.
"Listen everyone." He began.
"As you all know, I have prepared to venture out to collect our new hero. In this regard I have concluded that travelling in the silver mountains shadow, will be the best route to the pick-up location."
He allowed a brief moment to let everyone understand that what he spoke off now was important.
"I will leave after breakfast with 9000 troops. Fraco, you will follow my trails when you have rested, and the rest of the troops have arrived. Combine those 7000 troops with the 3000 common troops in the drill-zones, and you will command a stronger force of 10.000."
Fraco stood up and bowed. "As you command, Lord!"
Jack then turned to Gynda.
Jack could see that she didn't meet his eyes, and he remembered how she used to smile and touch him whenever she had the chance.
'Maybe she has heard the gossip about me and Nisha?' But Jack didn't have time to care about such things.
"Gynda, you will be in charge of the food production and distribution, including the dimwags, while I am away."
She finally looked at him, but this time she had completely removed her dreams of ever becoming his woman.
Instead she just concentrated on the important position she still held. Clearly her lord still valued her.
"As you say my lord. But we might have a rising issue with that. We need a proper butchery and a large storage house... The wild beasts you have slain in the woods are piling up. Combined with the blackroots, potatoes and soon also the dimwags... I'm afraid some, or much, of the food reserves will turn bad."
Jack had missed this aspect. But there were sadly nothing he could do about it. He didn't have a blueprint for either a storage or a butchery.
"Can you manually build such buildings?" Jack grasped at straws.
"I do believe your combined civilians skills can do such a thing, lord." Fraco joined in.
But Jack didn't get to reply as Fraco continued.
"We almost have all the necessary resources. We just lack hammers, nails and salt to store the meat."
'Again with the forge issue...' Jack wanted nothing more than to procure a forge.
But he knew it was impossible for at least a few more days.
And now he was about to move out, so it might take even longer yet.
"It will have to wait." Jack turned back to Gynda. "Do the best you can Gynda."
"Yes lord." She bowed gave Jack a small smile.
Jack now turned towards Nisha and pulled her up in his arms.
As expected, Nisha blushed to fiery red instantly, but the others just smiled at this. Even Gynda smiled in acceptance.
'Planet earth or Planet prime... Gossip sure travels fast..' Jack thought. Be he didn't mind it at all.
"Nisha is now my woman. And as such she will be the highest authority after I leave. She will be at the mansion at all times, and if anyone has any issue they need addressed, they can take it up with her. She has my authority to judge."
Nisha were blushing like never before. But looking around her, at all the warriors and villagers who currently looked at her.
She had to find it in herself to deal with it.
Her lord had chosen her, and he had firmly declared her his woman, in front of all these people.
And they were now looking at her, she had to make a better impression!
She would not bring shame to her lord!
To her.... Man?
'We aren't even married and yet he's saying such things!' Nisha found an iron will inside herself.
"Thank you my lord. I will not disappoint you. But if you want to call me 'yours' you better marry me when you come back!"
Everyone who heard this broke out in laughter, not only because of what Nisha said, but because their lord suddenly had a terrifying look on his face.
Jack quickly shook it off.
*She certainly is strong-willed if she can conquer her feelings in such a moment. And even demand a wedding in front of everyone...'
Jack smiled, hugged her close to him and whispered in her ears.
'Is that what you call a proposal?'
After everyone were made properly aware of the hierarchy, Jack found himself in front of 9000 troops.
Everyone watched from the plateau as 9 square columns of troops marched along the edge of the forest.
Many civilians were gathered and watched with Nisha. They now looked at her with renewed respect.
"Please come back to me safely, Jack." Nisha silently prayed as she saw him march with his army.