The next day began with a strange sight. As Ethan returned to the construction site he saw a crowd gathered near the foundation workers adventurers curious townsfolk and even a small group of merchants. Word had spread that someone was building a new kind of structure outside the city something protected by runes spacious enough for multiple races and managed by a man with unusual planning methods. Ethan stepped through the group trying to stay calm even though he felt a rush of pride. Attention meant interest and interest meant future tenants.

He asked the workers to begin arranging the vertical beams while the mage prepared to carve mana channels into the beams themselves. Even though the timber was heavy the beastfolk lifted them easily carrying each one across the field and setting them into place along the stone bases. Ethan walked back and forth ensuring every beam stood straight and connected perfectly with the carved mana connectors. He taught the workers to use rope tension lines to keep the beams vertical a technique no one in this world had seen before.

The mage placed glowing symbols up each beam turning them into mana conduits. The moment he activated the runes the beams lit up with faint green light spreading upward like vines. People in the crowd murmured with excitement. Even without walls or roof the structure already looked impressive with two dozen glowing beams rising from the stone grid.

Ethan noticed several merchants discussing the potential for shops near the apartments. One asked whether Ethan planned to build a commercial area. Ethan smiled and said that after the Magic Apartments were done he would develop an Enchanted Shopping Plaza where merchants could rent affordable stalls with stable magical lighting and safe storage. The merchants seemed stunned as if no one had ever combined magic with commercial planning before. Two asked if they could place their names on a future waiting list. Ethan nodded and wrote them down on a flat stone.

As construction continued Ethan taught the workers how to brace the beams using angled supports and temporary fasteners. The workers followed his instructions with precision growing more confident each hour. They started predicting his next steps like understanding that the next phase required cross beams then upper supports and finally outer wall placement. Ethan felt proud because they were becoming a proper construction team not just laborers. The two workers learning rune carving practiced on spare tiles under the mage’s supervision carefully carving small mana symbols.

Around midday a group of armored knights approached. The crowd parted as they came closer. Ethan felt a twist in his gut because armored knights usually meant trouble or taxes. The lead knight asked Ethan if he had permission to build outside the city. Ethan opened his mouth then stopped because the concept of permission outside the walls did not exist. Before he could answer the mage stepped forward and explained that there were no laws forbidding construction there and Ethan was doing nothing illegal. The knights exchanged uncertain looks. They seemed more confused than angry. With no rules to enforce they simply warned Ethan to maintain safety and left.

After they departed Ethan exhaled slowly. He realized something important. In a world with no land regulations he had to establish trust early. If he built clean safe and helpful developments the city would see his work as an asset instead of a threat. The thought gave him fresh determination.

The afternoon went smoothly as the upper framework took shape. Workers placed cross beams and platforms where future floors would sit. The structure began to look like a tall open skeleton rising above the grass. The mana lines running through each beam now connected into a visible grid forming a network of glowing channels. It made the entire structure look alive and the crowd could not look away.

When the sun dipped low Ethan announced the end of the workday. The workers gathered around him waiting for instructions. Ethan explained the next steps. Tomorrow they would begin placing the outer walls and installing basic mana lights. After that they would prepare the interior frame for hallways rooms and balconies. The workers nodded motivated by the progress they had made. The mage offered Ethan several new rune plates for future defensive wards explaining that monster repellent runes could be mounted on the roof corners to create a safe radius.

As the crowd dispersed Ethan sat again beside the foundation watching the beams glow softly in the night. He imagined the building finished windows shining balconies filled with plants adventurers resting after long quests and families enjoying stable clean living. He felt connected to the project in a deep way almost spiritual. This building was not just a structure. It was proof that a man could take modern logic and shape a magical world with it.

He wrote more notes under lantern light planning the stair placement the hallway width the balcony structure and the mana ventilation path. He worked until the lantern ran low then leaned back and watched the skeletal building rise into the night sky glowing like a beacon. He whispered to himself Tomorrow the walls go up. Tomorrow this becomes real. Tomorrow the Magic Apartments begin to stand for the world to see.