"You might actually need it. I think using a high volume of mana inflames manaflu as well." Nikalia used a bit of web to seal the small incision she made in Taramo's arm. A basic divination could give some information without direct access but she needed to know if the pustules were similar to the previous ones, which they were. And Niki continued.

  "What did you do to deal with manaflu in your time, anyway? I would think that you would have been able to deal with this easily, if what I've heard of the skills in those times before the Great War."

  Taramo had heard a little of the Great War, when all the archmages went ballistic and nearly destroyed the earth itself, his vault hadn't been at the intersection of ley lines when he was first killed. But the manaflu.

  "There was no manaflu in my time. It must have developed afterwards." He thought for a moment.

  "Having a disease that doesn't show itself before it has such a dangerous influence on the body of a mage could have influenced the 'fall' after the war. There's a few archmages that I could well have imagined creating such a disease, if they thought it was to their benefit. Make sure others can't get the influence and become a threat."

  "That's terrible. Wouldn't it be bad for them as well?"

  "It would, but I think there's a way to get rid of it that is difficult but possible, though I don't know exactly how yet." Taramo rummaged through his dresser and put on a shirt. And the cloak when Spot brought it to him.

  "There is." Nikalia slumped "You just need an overabundance of healing potions and an extreme amount of mana to pass through the person. Purge them with enough and they will eventually get better. I think lady Aria has a different method with surgical removal and healing afterwards, though it's not entirely reliable if she sent for a potioneer."

  "Well have to ask her once she's done with the interrogation." The potted vine at the table moved, activating the voice glyph that was recently added onto a new pot by Niki.

  "Two days" It stated in a dispassionate voice and then the vines went back to their task of absorbing sunlight.

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  Then someone knocked at the door. It was the patriarch.

  "Ah, it is good to see you both. I have news for the arrival of your potioneer."

  It turned out that the group was snowed in for a bit in the small pass that they use. Due to this it was expected that they would arrive in eight days if the weather went as expected for them.

  "It would be best if we deal with the Silver Chain soon. They attack our projects and if they're gone we will have the main pass that is open for the whole year. But that brings me to my reason for being here. We will soon run out of space if we try to fit all our new people and give space for your alchemist. Your friend and our guest," He gestured to Nikalia, "has taken the excess space that would help make sure people are not overly cramped. So we need more room and I am here to ask you if you could assist with clearing and fortifying a space for more of our people. It will make sure we have room to expand and provide what you and the divine Aria wish for."

  "So long as we aren't forced to strain ourselves to finish the work I think it will be fine." Nikalia answered and Taramo agreed.

  He'd try to get Spot to do any of the heavy work. He really didn't like the idea of being cut up again so soon if he could handle it.

  They started with the buildings across from the compound's gate. The buildings were smaller and had been partially cannibalized to fortify and build up the Pitarav's buildings. So they decided to properly take them apart to use the pieces to be available for the other buildings.

  Ariwyn's building was beside the doomed block so expanding the fortifications to encompass the supply buildings would give the best space for their fortifying effort.

  With a handful of essentially disposable golems, no protection wards makes each one much simpler to make, the demolition of the buildings was barely any direct effort. Spot went on a purge to remove any wildlife that could be dangerous, mostly rats and some cat sized spiders, though Nikalia insisted that the others were left for now. Apparently those spiders were domesticated and could relatively easily be re-tamed and trained into silk producers. She fed a bunch of the dead rats to them and was allowed to gather some of the silk.

  Reaching the top of the building Taramo looked out of the window to look at the city. There was a small part of the city that was on a higher level, the peak of the mountain on which it was built. The palace was probably built there but the houses that existed were filled with small mansions.

  He was thinking of what he would do if he managed to get one of those buildings and make his house there. How many rooms he could fill with the current magic tomes and written versions of his previous works. He spent a little time wondering, dreaming, when there was a pressure in his mind.

  "System initiated." The voice felt mechanical and lifeless, then Taramo felt a thousand pricks on his mana, thirstily draining it. He severed half of them and they immediately reformed before the blade fully passed through them.

  He shouted and then was rendered unconscious.