The next day Xena was busy from early morning.
She wanted to prove herself to Jack, her father.
She ordered harvesting tools and many more materials, to be crafted by the dwarves in black mountain.
She needed food stocks and other essentials to be delivered.
She had 10.000 civilians under her direct control.
Thousands more than she ever had at her own village a year ago.
At noon she even had more than 10.000 troops defending her walls and treasure-resources outside the town.
At this time, a steady flow of resources began to flow down the road from the mountain.
She ordered the construction of a new giant storehouse, a large mill at the river for the wheat, a silo for the grains and areas to create bows.
One of the things Jack had ordered to be produced here, were bows and boats.
She spend most of her time talking to civilians, learning their hidden talents and by her ability she could directly influence them, awakening and nourishing them.
Boat builders began their work, civilian hunters went out to hunt and civilian farmers began to harvest the wheat.
She gave it her all, to make this lake-town into a flourishing town that her father could be proud of.
And while Xena did all this, her ability unknowingly began to work its wonders.
Her ideas and orders became guided to maximize efficiency.
Passive bonuses for the civilians regarding working speed, morale, happiness and finished product quality became highly increased.
She unknowingly, but quickly and surely, became a governor without equal.
While Xena were busy with all these thing and more yet, Jack had spend most of his day in the meeting room of his mansion.
He had only stepped out a few times for food, and to send another 5000 troops to the drill-zones.
'Everything seems to be progressing...' He was currently looking at the territory map.
His two habituated areas now had the clear 'Town' status after reaching 10.000+ civilians in both black mountain and lake-town.
The crazed forest territory had fused with black mountain, and the whole area on the map was now just called 'Lord Jack'.
'Seems like I can change the name of my territory?'
Jack pondered but let it be for now.
He had studied the map for hours and felt certain he could see it with his eyes closed.
Being satisfied he went to the mission bord, were he gained the blueprints for 'Harbour' and 'Siege workshop'.
Apparently, Xena had just finished the first boat and the Harbour mission was completed.
'My new daughter is truly efficient.' He felt proud of her. She, like him, had to conquer their pasts.
[Lord System: Missions has been refreshed]
Jack had been about to leave the meeting room when he suddenly recieved the notification.
'I wonder if it was always so fast, or if the system just misses me?...'
Jack had plenty of time on his hands.
He wanted to spend and create much more with his resources, but Xena had made him stop to let the civilians adjust.
It wasn't enough to simply create huge cities and fortresses.
They needed to be properly utilized and worked.
'Infrastructure is certainly much more important than I realized..' Jack scowled, but tried to be patient.
Everything would fall into place eventually, as long as he allowed time for resources to travel and settle.
[New Mission(Legendary): Find the natural mithril vein beneath the black mountain. Reward: Unknown]
[New Mission: Create a 'Large Town' settlement. Reward: Uncommon Treasure: Sweet Orchard]
[New Mission: Create a Harbour. Reward: Shipyard Blueprint]
'Legendary? You truly did miss me, system!' Jack was very thrilled by this.
But he had faced a legendary opponent before, and it was severely weakened. He knew that if this mission was as dangerous, then he would have to properly prepare.
'The mountain is vast and its roots could go thousands of kilometres deep into the earth... There's no telling when, or if, I will even find this mithril vein...'
The mission had stated 'beneath the black mountain' so Jack was certain that he would have to allocate some miners, to begin digging downwards.
He couldn't remember the number of civilians required for a 'Large Town' status, so he had to check the territory map again.
[Lord System: Territory Map]
[Small village, 500 civilians]
[Village, 1000 civilians]
[Large village, 1500 civilians]
[Small town, 5000 civilians]
[Town, 10.000 civilians]
[Large town, 20.000 civilians]
[Small city, 50.000 civilians]
[City, 100.000 civilians]
[Large city, 150.000 civilians]
[Small metropolis, 250.000 civilians]
[Metropolis, 500.000 civilians]
[Large metropolis, 1.000.000+ civilians]
'Both Black Mountain and lake-town had 10.000 civilians or more... I can make both a large town in a day.'
Jack remembered Xena's lesson, but still directly went and spend 2 million more gold coins for 20.000 new civilians.
This quest would be completed tomorrow.
As he didn't know how long it would take to find the legendary mission, and currently having nothing else to do but wait for troops to be summoned...
He began walking towards Xena's town, to use his new blueprints.
Jack followed the steady stream of civilians, troops and wagons occupying the main-road from the Black Mountain main tunnel, over the plateau and all the way through the forest to lake town.
Walking on the road between the wheat fields, he spotted a bald man carrying something resembling a horse saddle, aiming straight at him.
As they came face to face, the bald man bowed with a greeting.
"Just the one I was looking for! Ben, the riding instructor, at your service my lord!"
The bald man, Ben, seemed to be a cheerful soul.
'He looks to be around forty years old.. Wasn't he supposed to be a hero as well?'
Jack had a quick look at him.
[Hero: Ben]
[Fortitude: 60]
[Spirit Power: 75]
[Abilities: Riding instructor. Beast sense]
"Thank you Ben. But why did you look for me? Do you need something?" Jack said this with a smile.
Ben took the saddle of his shoulder and showed it to Jack.
"Actually I don't need something my lord, I come to offer you something. The first saddle has been made, and it should be given firstly to the lord!"
Ben seemed to take riding very seriously as he said this, as if not just anyone were entitled to be born on a horse.
"The young governor at the town provided civilians, who could create this saddle with my description. It is made from the hide of a crazed bear and is very strong!"
'He surely seems to be proud of this saddle, I better praise it a bit...'
Jack had actually never ridden a horse before, and didn't find the saddle remarkable in the slightest.
Yet he continued to touch the leather while trying to look impressed.
"It is very well made Ben! Thank you for this gift."
Ben seemed pleased by this and he continued to point out where to put your feet, explained how to sit and hold the rein.
And while Ben told him this, Jack suddenly felt as if this knowledge were something he had already know intimately.
"Ben... Did you just use your ability? I feel like I know everything about this saddle.. Even how to repair it myself!" Jack was certainly amazed by this.
"Of course! It is my duty as the lords riding instructor, to do my absolute best to make you the best rider in the world!" Ben exclamated this loud and friendly.
'He truly is a cheerful one!' Jack thought, but was secretly very impressed with his new hero.
"Can you teach me how to ride?" Bens cheerful attitude had already won him over, completely forgetting why he had come down from the mountain.
"Certainly my lord! Come with me!"
Reaching the huge high horse ranch, Ben began to whistle loudly.
"My lord, I can feel the presence and moods of beasts. However my ability seems to be extremely potent around horses. And this big fellow who comes here, he is the strongest horse I have ever seen! He should be yours! Please, take a moment to look him in the eye."
Jack felt that Ben meant this as a 'bonding' ceremony with the horse, and he stepped closer to the black beast that had appeared from the 2000 horse flock.
Jacks new body were almost 1.85 meters tall, yet he could barely look over the horses back, it was so large.
The high horse was almost 3 meters long with a majestic neck and head.
The legs of the horse were so densely packed with muscle, that Jack truly did not think twice about its capabilities to kick a boulder in two.
The high horse looked directly into his eyes, and Jack answered the stare.
The horse neighed loudly and nudged his shoulder with its head.
"He want's you to ride him, my lord." Ben smiled when he looked at the horse and began to fasten the saddle.
Jack quietly brushed the long dark mane while Ben began to explain everything about riding.
"You are ready lord, all you need now, is to experience it yourself. I'm certain you will understand everything I told you, once you feel the movements beneath you."
Ben helped Jack into the saddle and Jack already felt at home.
"Lets go boy! Hiyaaa!" Jack yelled and quickly had to grasp the rains as the black high horse suddenly accelerated much faster than expected!
He was flying over the grass, the high horse so fast and steady that Jack couldn't help but laugh out loud.
They reached the others horses in the blink of an eye and they began to chase after them.
The ground rumbled like thunder from the huge hooves of two thousand high horses in full speed.
Naturally this gained the attention of every single person on the road, and they flocked to the ranch fences to look at their lord.
"Look! He is standing on its back!"
"He looks so amazing on that beautiful black horse!"
"How IS he doing that! They are running so fast!"
Obviously Jack already mastered riding to such a degree, that he could move around the body of the horse even in full speed.
As the horse ran the 5 kilometres of grassland inside the fence, both back and forth, he became very familiar with the horses movements that he felt he could be fighting a foe from every corner of the horse.
In just 30 minutes, he finally slides down the side of the horse, right next to Ben where he left him.
'10 kilometres in 30 minutes... These High horses are truly extremely fast, and it feels like he could keep running like this for hours or days more!'
Jack was truly impressed and felt an intimate bond with this particular horse already.
"He is your my lord. And a fine specimen like this one, truly deserves a name!" Ben had enjoyed watching Jack on the back of the horse, and were currently in a very good mood.
'A name? He is right. He truly deserves a name!' He never dreamed of owning a horse, not truly. But right now he felt he had just gained a new and very loyal friend.
The horse seemed to be pleased when Jack began to touch its long mane while he though about a name.
'You seem to enjoy this, don't you?'
Jack again looked the horse directly into its eyes.
"Your name will be Blackmane, and you will be my warhorse!"