Chapter 93: Two Years
’The System never offered me an optional quest before. That’s weird. Something smells fishy here.’ Jack’s thoughts churned as he stared at the notification floating in his vision.
’Yes! What’s the worst that can happen.’
Caelen approached, divine aura still crackling around him as he swept the forest for threats. "What troubles you, Lord? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
Jack chose his words like a man walking through a minefield. Explaining the system would make him sound completely insane. "The Gravehowl Jackals... they don’t belong here. Something bigger forced them out. Something nastier. That’s why they came here and tore through your village."
The priest’s face went stone-cold as he realized the truth. "Then the Light didn’t just guide me to jackals. Whatever drove them from their territory..." He paused, scanning the treeline with new wariness. "It’s still out there."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, his voice grim as he swept the treeline one last time. "But first things first. Sorne comes before chasing whatever beast is out there. The refugees need to be taken care of, and we need to have a serious talk."
Caelen nodded, understanding flickering in his eyes. "The immediate needs of the living must take precedence over hunting monsters that may not surface for months or years."
As they began the journey back toward Sorne, Jack couldn’t shake the feeling that accepting this quest had just started a countdown to something far more dangerous than a pack of displaced jackals.
---
Three weeks later, Jack stood on the highest balcony of the Kaiser estate like a king surveying his domain.
The transformation that 2,500 gold pieces had bought for Sorne sprawled before him in all its glory.
The investment had been staggering. Enough to buy a small army or outfit several mercenary companies.
But the results?
Steam rose from elegant vents scattered throughout the city as the bathhouse operated at full capacity.
The magnificent white stone structure dominated what had once been rotting slums, its domed chambers and flowing water channels creating an atmosphere that reminded Jack of ancient Roman baths from his previous life.
Multiple levels accommodated different social classes while maintaining the principle that clean water belonged to everyone.
The roads were the real prize. Where muddy, rutted paths had once made transport a nightmare during rainy seasons, smooth avenues of fitted stone slabs now stretched in perfect lines.
The roads formed a grid pattern connecting every district from the merchant quarter to residential areas to the front gates of the Kaiser estate.
Jack watched a merchant caravan navigate the new main thoroughfare, their heavily laden wagons rolling like silk over stone that would last centuries. No more broken axles from hidden potholes.
No more delays while oxen or horses struggled through knee-deep mud. Commerce flowed as smoothly as the water he’d collected.
The grain storage silos rose like white towers near the mills. Four of them, each 15 meters wide and 12 meters tall.
Each one could hold roughly 60,000 bushels depending on the crop. Assuming grain made up 75% of their diet, each silo could feed the citizens of Sorne for almost two years!
The sight of those towers had already begun drawing merchants from neighboring regions, eager to establish trade with a city that could guarantee food security.
Clean water fountains graced every major intersection, their constant flow creating a pleasant background melody.
"Hey! Don’t splash me!"
"You can’t catch me!"
The sound of children playing made people smile left and right.
[Notification: Infrastructure Complete]
[Citizens satisfied]
[+12 Reputation Points earned]
[+12 Reputation Points earned]
[+12 Reputation Points earned]
Notification after notification flooded Jack’s vision until he couldn’t see anything but the cascade of rewards.
[Reward: 49,452 Reputation Points]
[Current Total: 116,096 Reputation Points]
’Damn, that’s a mountain of points in such a short time. System, any reason why I got more this time?’
[The higher your people view you as a ruler, the more reputation points you will gain per citizen.]
"My lord!" a voice boomed from the street below.
Jack looked down to see Clarence the Baker standing outside, flour still dusting his apron from the morning’s work. The man was grinning so wide it looked like his face might crack in half.
"My lord, I had to tell someone!" Clarence continued, his voice carrying clear as a bell in the clean air. "My customers are telling me the bread tastes better now! They say it’s because the water’s so pure!"
Other citizens began gravitating toward Clarence like moths to flame, their faces bright with excitement and gratitude. An elderly woman Jack recognized as Martha the Seamstress stepped forward, her weathered hands clasped together.
"Lord Jack, my grandson hasn’t been sick once since you built the water system," she called up, voice cracking with emotion. "Three months ago, he was coughing every night from bad air and dirty water. Now he runs around like a proper child should!"
A merchant named Henrik pushed through the small crowd, his fine clothes marking him as one of the more prosperous citizens. "The roads, my lord! Yesterday I moved a full cart of goods from the storage area clear across town to the market square in half the time it used to take. My horses aren’t exhausted, my wheels aren’t broken, and my merchandise arrives without a scratch!"
More voices joined the impromptu testimonial session. A young mother holding a toddler spoke about how the bathhouse had become the beating heart of her social life, where women gathered to share news and support each other while their children played safely in clean water.
An elderly blacksmith described how the reliable water supply had revolutionized his forge operations, allowing for more consistent quenching and superior quality products.
Jack felt warmth bloom in his chest, spreading through him like good wine.
This was what leadership was supposed to feel like.
Seraphina materialized from the shadows, having climbed the stairs with her usual ninja-like silence. "The citizens have been gathering like this every day," she reported quietly. "They want to thank you personally, but they don’t want to presume to demand an audience."
"Set up a weekly public forum," Jack decided without hesitation. "Every seven days, I’ll listen to them in the market square. Anyone can bring concerns, suggestions, or just share how the improvements are affecting their lives. A lord should know his people."
"Very good, my lord. Though you should know..." Seraphina hesitated, which was as rare as snow in summer for her.
"There have been visitors asking questions. Merchants from other cities, noble representatives, even what appeared to be foreign diplomats. Word of Sorne’s transformation is spreading like wildfire."
That was both good news and bad news wrapped in the same package. Economic attention would bring prosperity, but political attention would bring problems that could strangle them all. Jack made a mental note to discuss security measures with his father.
Jack strode inside the mansion and found his family clustered in the hallway like conspirators. "Come with me. I have something important to show you."
Jack led his family to his private chambers where he’d installed the crown jewel of his new inventions.
Duke Alaric examined the silver shower head protruding from the wall with the intensity of a scholar studying ancient texts. "The engineering alone is remarkable."
"It’s revolutionary," Octavia finished, her voice carrying notes of both admiration and concern. "Every noble house in the kingdom will want to understand how this works."
Celeste interrupted before her sister could continue spiraling into political implications. "Think of the trade opportunities," she said with a merchant’s calculating smile dancing on her lips. "We could sell the engineering knowledge, license the construction techniques, maybe even export the components."
Annabelle simply stood in the center of the space, turning slowly like a dancer to take in every detail. When she spoke, her voice was soft with wonder. "It’s beautiful."
Jack gestured toward a silver mechanism mounted to the wall like a piece of art. "Let me show you how it works."