The next morning Ethan felt a new level of excitement. Yesterday they had carved the boundaries of the future Enchanted Shopping Plaza. Today they would begin constructing actual structures. Not large like the Magic Apartments but small shops each with their own charm and rune design. Ethan walked onto the field with a measuring rope over one shoulder and a wooden marker in hand. The workers were already waiting, eager to build something new.

Ethan mapped out the first row of storefronts. Each stall measured about the size of a modern small office or market booth. Enough room for a counter, storage shelves, and perhaps a small workspace. The mage inspected the layout and nodded approvingly. He carved shallow mana channels beneath the surface to allow each shop to draw from the underground mana pocket. The glowing lines converged at the center of the plaza where Ethan planned the future fountain.

The workers started laying the foundation stones. Unlike the large apartment building these shops needed to be light but sturdy. A merchant needed to feel safe but also flexible enough to rearrange displays. Ethan instructed the workers to use a mix of reinforced stone and dense wood. He checked each placement measuring angles and spacing just as he had done countless times before.

Villagers gathered once again forming a semi circle around the site. Children cheered when the mage activated the first mana channel causing a bright green pulse to spread through the soil. One villager asked if this plaza would be open to non citizens. Ethan smiled and said it would be open for everyone. Humans elves dwarves beastfolk, even travelers from distant kingdoms. The villager nodded approvingly saying the kingdom needed more welcoming spaces.

As the first storefront walls rose Ethan noticed more adventurers approaching. They were not here to rent rooms this time. They wanted stalls. One beastfolk adventurer explained that he wanted to sell crafted potions. A dwarf wanted to open a weapon repair booth. A half elf wanted a corner stall to sell enchanted fabrics. Ethan noted all their requests and guided them toward where their shops could be placed. High traffic stalls faced the central walkway. More specialized shops lined the sides. He planned it the same way he would plan a modern shopping district. Flow mattered. Visibility mattered. Noise mattered.

By late morning three storefront skeletons were fully raised. They had simple frames, mana channels along their beams, and clean outlined entrances. Workers stepped back admiring the progress. Ethan walked through each one running his hands along the smooth wooden beams. He already imagined the signage, the shelves, the displays of goods. He told workers to install the first set of rune plates along the corners. The mage activated them and a gentle glow spread across the shop frames.

Suddenly the ground vibrated again. Everyone froze. The mage shut his eyes sensing the mana flow. Ethan placed his hand on the soil. The vibration was familiar not hostile. It was the stabilized mana pocket shifting slightly. The mage explained that as long as they kept carving consistent mana channels the pocket would stay controlled. Ethan nodded. Another reminder that magic and engineering had to act together not separately.

After the tremor faded Ethan began preparing the ground for the fountain. The central piece of the plaza. He wanted it to act as both decoration and mana distributor. The mage showed Ethan an old rune pattern for water circulation. Ethan redesigned it merging it with a modern fountain layout. When activated the fountain would push water up through a stone column then fall back into a carved basin. The water would never stagnate because the mana kept it clean and moving.

Merchants who had been watching approached the fountain outline with excitement. One merchant said the plaza would attract customers from other cities. Another said he had never seen a magic fountain that did not require a mage to maintain it constantly. Ethan smiled and told them this one would be self sustaining. That alone made the merchants whisper with disbelief.

Workers continued building the storefront walls while Ethan placed the centerpiece stone for the fountain. It was smooth round and carved with swirling patterns. The mage added mana channels shaped like flowing rivers. When activated, the runes lit up and the fountain stone glowed blue. Water had not been added yet but the shape felt alive.

In the afternoon Ethan took a break leaning against a nearly completed storefront. He watched villagers, adventurers, and merchants walking through the plaza outline. This area had already become a gathering spot before the first shop even opened. Scenes like this fueled Ethan’s drive. He imagined night markets glowing with mana lights, vendors shouting prices, adventurers eating food on carved stone benches, and families strolling between stalls.

As sunset approached Ethan reviewed the layout again. Five storefront frames stood tall, each with mana channels ready for activation. The ground for the fountain was complete. The central walkway was flattened and ready for stone tile placement. The plaza felt like it was breathing, waiting for the next step.

When the workers left Ethan stayed alone under the orange sky. He watched mana pulses travel through the ground. The plaza would be the heart of the new district. It would bring foot traffic, noise, commerce, and life. And once this plaza thrived he would move to the next phase.

Ethan knelt and touched the soil softly. The underground mana pocket vibrated under his hand like a beating heart. He whispered softly to himself Tomorrow we raise the walls of the plaza. After that the city will come to us.