Eliron and Yennefer returned to the village shortly after, and while he was searching for Ash, Yennefer was still thinking about his words.
"You're really going to build a house? Do you know how to?" She asked.
"Of course, what do you take me for?"
Eliron had studied Structural Engineering in his last life, but spent most of his time after school doing the job of a builder.
But that was not all, he also had a little obsession with historical architecture...
He had read tons of books and manuals about building and had basically become a self-taught guru.
"Hmmm, but should building a house be your first goal? Shouldn't you be making good use of the ichor?"
Eliron smiled. "That is exactly what I am doing. Haven't you heard? There are no tougher muscles like construction muscles."
"Oho… I see…"
After searching for a little while, they located Ash at the food stores, inspecting what was left from the fire.
When he noticed Eliron arriving, he bowed in greeting. "My lord!"
'I told him not to call me that…'
"What's up, Ash. How are the stores looking?"
Ash's face hardened as he glanced at his notepad, then he wiped a bead of sweat off his face.
"It's very bad, we barely have a week…" A voice came from within the storage. Then Artie walked out with a distraught look on her face.
She placed her hands on her waist and looked back. "Most of the grains are ash and the meat is soaked in soot, it is still edible, but it is not nearly enough."
Eliron sighed then nodded. "Then we will proceed as planned. Ash, make sure you make the announcement, I want all the hunters ready by the end of the week."
Ash bowed. "Yes, my lord."
Eliron scratched his head. "Now to other matters…."
Ash raised his head. "Other matters?"
"Eliron wants to build a house!" Yennefer chipped, a wide grin on her face.
She had been one of the most annoyed by the leaking roof and lack of amenities, so she was probably excited by the thought of finally living in a decent home.
'I don't remember promising her a room though…' Eliron thought.
"A house?" Ash asked, confused. "My lord, do you know how to build a house?"
Eliron blinked.
'Isn't it weird for me to know how to construct one? The old Eliron was no builder.'
He cleared his throat. "Uhum… I'm going to use it as a means of working out, building a house shouldn't be so difficult, right?"
Ash thought it through while nodding in approval. "Physical labour is truly a great way to build the body."
Artie was silent, but Eliron could tell that she was amused.
"Alright then, I need two things," Eliron said, lifting his hand. "An axe and a sturdy saw."
"I'll get them immediately, my lord!"
•••
A place not too far into the forest…
"Don't you guys have better things to do than watching me?" Eliron said angrily as he glanced at them.
Yennefer was chewing on a strange mushroom Artie had picked out, while Artie and Ash were sitting on a log beside her.
"Your protection is my utmost duty, my lord," Ash said.
Yennefer mumbled some rubbish while Artie just smiled.
"Tch…"
Eliron took his shirt off and tossed it to the side with one smooth motion, sending it beside a tree, then grabbed the axe, resting it on his shoulders.
'Not bad…'
Before, his body had been flabby, weak, and as flat as a washboard. Now, after taking the ichor, his muscles had gained some definition.
It was not to the point where it was impressive, but it was reasonable.
He felt the weight of the axe as he positioned himself in front of the first tree.
He heaved a breath.
'Here we go!'
His muscles tensed as Eliron held the breath within himself. He adjusted his footing as he swung, the wind whistling past his body as the axe came with a deafening force.
Clop!
The axe dug into the trunk, splintering wood and digging deep into the body.
'I'm not extremely strong, but I'm already as strong as an adult elf… maybe even slightly stronger.'
Eliron thought as he pulled the axe out.
Clip!
He drove the axe right back into the exact spot, but this time, the axe did not easily come off, so he placed his leg on it and yanked it out.
'It's not bad, considering how weak I was at the start.'
He lifted the axe once more, this time swinging with even more momentum than earlier.
CLOP!
Sap began to drip from the tree like blood, cascading down the trunk.
'I have one week…' he thought, sweat already beginning to form.
One week to build his body, one week to train for his inevitable clash with the magister Marmot.
He continued, stroke by stroke, hit by hit, the leaves vibrating as he dug his axe into it with fervor.
Several strikes later, there was a loud creak, just before the tree came tumbling down.
Eliron smiled as he placed his foot atop it.
'One down, several to go.'
The sounds of Eliron's persistence resounded through the entire village, the echoes never ceasing for longer than thirty minutes.
Soon, the elves began to grow curious.
— What is that sound?
— Is there a monster in the forest?
— Let's check it out…
A crowd gathered and left for the forest, only to find their new lord deep in labour.
Eliron didn't even notice them, at that point, his mind had become one-directional.
Brace, swing, hit, repeat.
That had become his mantra, and he kept at it, chopping tree after tree until evening came.
One of the elves wiped a tear off his face. 'Our lord is working so hard… he is doing this all for our sakes!'
'He's working harder than the rest of us while we were sitting back and wallowing…' said another.
'He lost his brother, but he didn't let it hold him back. What kind of man is our lord?'
Their respect for him began to grow the more they watched his relentless efforts, and then they all left with one thought in mind.
'We can't sit back and do nothing while he works like a slave!'
•••
Eliron stood in front of the last tree for the day, his eyes narrowed and his breaths steamy from the stress.
'Just one more…'
He lifted the axe and drove it at the tree, but all he managed to do was bump it lightly.
'Come on, is this all you've got, you lazy bum?!'
He had worked for days without food, carried equipment until he was hospitalised, and now he was struggling with a freaking tree?!
With a guttural scream, Eliron summoned the last of his strength, the axe exploding against the bark with a resounding bang.
The tree tilted and then it snapped, falling down and sending a wave of wind past Eliron.
He smiled as the axe slipped from his grip, falling to the floor with a light thump.
'That's more like it…'
Eliron's vision began to blur, his body caked with sweat, wood chippings, and dirt.
He stumbled back a few steps, dark spots appearing in his vision, then he fell.
But before he could hit the floor, Artie caught him and slung his arm over her shoulder, a light smile on her face.
"You did great…"
Yennefer was at his left side and she placed his hand over her shoulders as well. "I knew you were a workaholic but goodness..."
The area which had once been covered with trees had been leveled, dozens of tree stumps dotting the land.
At the end of the day, Eliron had chopped well over thirty trees…