As I started to tell Iris about my plans she called Sandra and Minerva to the office. Once I finished explaining, Iris fetched a map of the town.

"I think we can set up a small garden next to the maid knight expansion I have planned. What if we put Ash's tree in the centre? Then we plant the other dryads in town. We should be able to strengthen our defences considerably." Iris suggested.

"How big are the trees? We need to find a place to plant them that does not block the roads. And we don't want to tear down buildings if we can help it." Minerva added.

"There are some empty buildings." Sandra pointed out.

"How is the situation in general?" I wondered.

"Well… could be better, could be worse." Sandra stated. "Your territory's main resource is monsters and their parts. But right now adventurers are doing the hunting and they barely pay any tax. The farms you have need a lot of protection, which does not make them very profitable. It is clear that Loriel did not really invest into this territory and the caretaker just kept everything running."

"What happened to the caretaker?" I wondered.

"I dismissed him." Minerva replied.

"What about the staff?" I asked.

"We kept most people working at the keep. We did some interviews to ensure they were trustworthy. We have also hired some of the people from Lucy's village." Minerva answered.

"They certainly helped. The population was in decline because the territory lacked jobs." Sandra added. "We have started new construction and with your maid knights we can send our own forces hunting. I think we should focus on getting spidersilk from the Black Forest."

"I am hoping the dryads can also help with the farms. Maybe we can grow more exotic food." I suggested. "I would also like a brewery."

"Do you want to plant some dryads near the field? They could help defend them." Iris mused.

I shook my head. "The grove would not extend that far. For now we just cover the city. But they do have useful magic to encourage plant growth."

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"The dryads can do more than just defend us." Lily said. "I have talked with quite a few people when we were in the fairy realm. Once they establish a root network they can control a lot of the vegetation in the area. They can direct the roots of normal trees and ensure that nothing destroys our water pipes, roads, foundations. It's… like landscaping underground."

"Huh. I had not thought about that. I guess they will also help to prevent floodings and such. How are we doing with water?" I asked.

"Wells. There is a river in your territory but it's not close enough to supply the town." Sandra replied.

"Hm. Should we build a small lake?" I wondered. "Maybe close to the fields? We could add small streams for irrigation."

"We would have to ask a farmer. Maybe it would help?" Sandra replied.

Magic was certainly convenient. I could just summon rain to fill a small lake and earth magic sped up digging a lot. I just had to figure out what sort of changes would be beneficial.

"We need to recruit more fey. Maybe some water fey for a pond…" I mused.

"I have recruited some soldiers to expand the garrison and the more talented ones are offered a spot in the maid knights." Iris said. "We have kept your smith busy. Tyrell is cursing a lot but I think he enjoys the work."

"So, what about this train you want to build? Where would the station go? How big would it be?" Sandra asked.

That was a good question.

"Well, we need to either build an opening in the wall for the train or have the station outside of the walls…" I said.

Iris looked at the map. "If we go outside we need protection. Could we use one dryad just outside the wall? To cover the station? It should be easy to connect her to the grove if we have one just inside the wall. Maybe here?" She pointed at the east side of the town.

"We need to consider those tracks. They are coming from the south-east, right?" Sandra asked.

I nodded.

"This area has some empty houses. What if we tear them down, put another gate here…" Sandra pointed at the map.

"We should still have some walls." Minerva suggested. "What if we build a station at the edge of the wall? And the train doors open just in front of a town gate."

"I think we want the station a bit outside. We also need space for more tracks. And we want to transport some cargo from the surrounding areas, that means we want easy road access. I also think a nice garden next to the station would be nice. Make it pretty. I think we can manage to defend the station from some monsters without a massive wall." I said.

"What about the hell gate?" Lily asked. "Do you want that near the train? Or near the keep?"

"The keep? That thing will be a security risk!" Iris protested.

"Well, Lilith is supposed to control the other side, so we should not have a demonic invasion. But if we want to use it commercially I don't want it in my backyard… Near the train might work. But we do need some protection. In theory Lilith could fall, or someone could try to sneak through." I said.

"Maybe you should consult Thessia?" Lily suggested.

"That is a good idea. She certainly has knowledge about divine magic. I still need to figure out how to power the gate exactly. Well, back to the dryad grove. I want to plant them today." I said.

We did some more planning and decided to go with Sandra's suggestion for the station. The construction would take some time but it meant we would plant one dryad outside. Of course, I had to talk with Ash and the other dryads first. So we invited them to the discussion.

Ash helped to find the best locations for her people. But she agreed with our plan in general. So we set out for some planting. I summoned an earth elemental to do the digging and within an hour all dryads had their trees planted again. Now I just needed to work on a ritual to get the most out of the demon lord corpse. I had promised the dryads some food after all.

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