A young human man had watched the scene quite interested and with a timid voice said, “I don't want to sound like a smart ass but wouldn't it be better to use such a spell for forming stone from smaller pebbles or directly transform existing stone into a usable form?”
This young guy caught my interest. He thought outside the box which was something I desperately needed.
“What's your name?”
“Sir, my name is Kreldor and I belong to the group who wants to stay here if you so please.”
He had the body of a tank with broad shoulders, blond hair and green eyes. A surfer boy in his prime with hands the size of a pan and almost no fat anywhere on his body. I would have killed to have his genes in my former existence. It seems only the strong and good looking people survived on this world. That is so unfair if I thought back to my own body in my inner mind. Maybe there was a way to tweak it someway?
Don't get me wrong, I was normally quite okay with me but on this world I was somewhat underpar and it hurt my self-esteem a little bit too much. In the long run I had to represent a major power here and if everybody could make the frontpage of a beauty journal back on Earth it would probably hurt my reputation.
Or maybe it would make me stand out more.
Now where was I? Right, using the spell more efficiently.
“Okay Kreldor, if you have any other good ideas just spit them out. I'm always open for better ways to do things. The best way to have a nice lazy day is to use your work force the most efficient way possible.”
The young man gave me the look, “ I thought that's the best way to get even more work?”
“That's also possible. Hehe.”
Mariah watched the whole exchange with a smirk, “Wonderful, two smart asses meet each other. Look Kreldor, if you've got a head that's thinking this way get over here and learn the spell yourself and then make yourself useful.”
I think I saw her inspecting the guy in a more than professional way but hey, I need new citizens so get a room and make ones.
Right, there's the problem. No room free in town. My work was cut out for me.
“You heard the lady. Get over and learn the spell and everything else she has to offer. I'll leave you now but I'll send the other guardians to you as soon as I get the mana for it.”
Galen was walking over already and I turned my attention back to getting my entourage back on their feet. This took me some time but I didn't waste it instead I began to plan my city in my inner mind by creating a topographic map of the region.
As long as the ladies were around they offered me some advice but in the end it was my decision where I wanted the trees and houses, the streets and the underground canals.
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The bath house was also high on my list because I wanted my population to have good hygienic standards. Also every guy who visited my city with his woman would have his ear gnawed off after the lady spent a day in my bath house. It would be advertising at its best to settle down at my place. Not that I would have any problems in the next time for settlers but planing ahead didn't hurt either.
First I'd have to transmute some trees with properties that I needed. I wanted to use Ironwood trees as a base and give it cold resistant leaves, maybe adding a slight heating effect. This would take some serious mana perhaps the trees would need also need some in the winter season but with so many elves around I had no doubt that they would provide the mana instead of me.
I had already changed the bushes and twines somewhat heat resistant so perhaps I could take this property and make it even stronger. The needles of fir trees endured all seasons so I could take that trait. Getting such a seed shouldn't be too hard. Any tree with needles would be possible. Then I only had to grow them to absurd heights and I'd be golden.
The base of the trees would be surrounded with houses build from granite. I wanted my city to be mostly fire-proof. No burning Rome for me please. With so many mages around it was only a question of time until some spell misfired and burned something to the ground.
I wanted to surround my core with a fortress made from granite or maybe concrete fortified with steel beams. Although I'd have to build some homes for my citizens. The trees and buildings had to be some distance away from my core and the Hearth tree so I had enough space for my fortress.
With my powers it shouldn't be too hard to move some trees around even with a building also standing there so if I had to restructure my city that shouldn't be too much of a hassle.
I sent some elves to gather me seeds and some others should meditate to gather mana for me as I'd need a shitload of it soon. Kalla and the human leadership spoke some distance away from my core but still within my area. It seemed they did trust me enough now after the appearance of Chris. They just discussed about food storage and how to integrate their people into the city. Important stuff I was sure but right now I had other things to worry about.
The mana gathering allowed me to send my other guardians back into the world and indeed Nala looked much younger too. She was a looker and Kitara was too. Galen was a lucky man.
“Marcus, I have to say I like this very much. No pain anymore in the joints and I feel like I could bend my body in ways I did last time I was a child.”
“I think Galen will be amazed by this development,” added Kitara.
“Let's hunt him down and see how he was changed.”
Both gals walked away with a youthful urge in the eyes and I knew that Galen would have a taxing night before him. I gave them that because they did their best in the fight and had earned their fun. Tomorrow I'd put them through the grinder again. Much to do.
Sarah had begun to put stone into my inventory and after some inspection I was very satisfied with the quality.
“Sarah, my dear, do you have a template for marble?”
After some seconds I got my answer, “Sorry, Marcus, but I've lost many of my templates. Before I was taken by you I could produce marble. Now sadly I do not.”
“Then I'll try to get you the template and maybe some others too. A more diversified palette of building materials would be nice.”
I heard her giggle, “Oh yes, please do. Then I can make my dungeon the most awesome training ground ever. Your city will pale against my home.”
“Hah, you're on. Challenge accepted.”
I searched shortly for Tiria and her loverboy. They were still talking with Kalla about this and that.
“Hey guys, I've got some questions. Could any of you get me some marble and other kinds of stone and sand? I'd like to have as many kinds of building materials as possible for my city and gold infused marble would make an awesome material for my bath house or the ground of my temple and other official buildings.”
Tiria and Kalla looked at each other a moment but it was Torben who answered first, “I know the place to get these things for you. Some hundred kilometers north there is a dwarf settlement which we've good connections to. It shouldn't be difficult to get your stuff from them and even if they don't have what you need they should be able to get it from other dwarven clans.
“Ready for a ride my lady?” He bowed slightly with a grin on his lips.
Tiria smiled delighted, “I am, Torben. Let's ride!”
I knew for sure that this sentence had a double meaning. Torben didn't seem to get the second meaning but I had trust in Tiria that she was more than able to teach him properly.
“As for me I'll try to get you as many seeds as possible from the forest and the other elven tribes in it. Maybe some settlers too when I tell them the story of the last weeks.”
She wanted to go herself? Is she nuts?
“No way, lady! You're sweet bottom stays in my walls. Send some other elf out there, preferably Andarin and his chick. Ildara was her name I think.”
For a moment I saw her resiting but then she deflated, “It was much more fun when I was not the leader of my people.”
“I get it but right now you're too important for me to lose you to some punk out there.”
Confusion plastered her face, “What's a punk?”