“Builder” they thought things like, “he can scrub the pots for us after dinner”. Or in this case probably wondered if he could be given some menial task like shifting dirt around for the people doing the actual work. Not a bad idea, except that he really didn’t have the time at the moment.
The man, Godfry, asked if the new delivery girl was good looking. He didn’t seem to be asking for the normal reasons, sounding doubtful about the whole thing, so Tor asked why that mattered, curious.
“Well, we have fifty men here, most young, and horny enough that the sheep should be scared, if you get my meaning. Drop an ugly girl in here and she’ll have company every night, two or three men if she wants them, or is even just willing to be a sport about it. A good looking woman means fights breaking out. It wouldn’t be so bad if we had more girls, but with only one… Not a good situation really.”
That… was something Tor had never considered before, He also didn’t know that there were fifty men living around him. How out of it was he?
“Oh, yeah, well she’s pretty, if she’s the right one I mean. Very much so. The Prince’s, um, close friend, so maybe that will help keep people off of her?”
Godfry snorted.
“Not likely. Really that’s worse than if she was dating the lowest private on the base. At least then the other men could have some feeling of hope, like they could score with her too. Prince, General, Captain, or I guess in our case, Wizard, that sort getting the only woman, it’s like a slap in the face to all the men that have nothing for company at night but their hand, you get me?”
Tor could see how it might be a problem. Still, the men could just go into town and find girls there, right? He suggested it to the gruff man who shrugged.
“How? Most of the guys here aren’t flyers and couldn’t get flying rigs for that reason even if they were. We have people building furniture, cisterns and plates, making things and what not in the three shops we have here. It’s near on two hundred miles to the Capital and men only get one or at most two leave days per week.”
And by wagon that would mean about six days travel each way, if they moved fast and didn’t actually stop for anything when they got there. Possibly less, but the roads here weren’t good.
Tor could see the problem there.
“Well, the simple solution would be to just, um, bring in some… industrious women that wanted to make money. Though we may be able to come up with something to get people into town… Let me think about it, all right?”
Godfrey laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.
“Yeah, you and me both. Let me know if you think of anything that we can get the higher ups to go for. I just hope this new girl isn’t half as pretty as you said she is, or we’re in for a time.”
Tor nodded.
“Alright. I’ll see about setting up both. Do you think you can arrange for a house or two to be built for the ladies? I don’t know how to get them, but we will. Is that against regulations though?”
The large man laughed again. After a few seconds though he shrugged.
“This is only kind of a military base. Really a gray area. Master Tor owns it and technically it’s his place, but I can OK the military side of things myself. Now if we can just convince the mighty Wizard to let the men have a little fun, I guess we’re set. You want to work on that side? I’d have better luck getting an audience with the Prince, which I guess I could try…” the man rubbed at his face looking a bit sleepy around the edges still.
“Ah…” Tor sighed and shook his head a little as the man smiled again.
“Not trying to be all mysterious here, but, Um, I am Tor. So, yes, we can have the women here, if any want to come. So the buildings?”
The large man just rubbed his face again and nodded.
“OK. I’ll get on that today. If you can arrange any kind of transport too, that would be brilliant. Getting men to and from town on off days… Well, do that and this place will be the most desired post in the military service. Especially if we have girls too.” He chuckled again, but didn’t accuse Tor of lying or look at him in disbelief, which was kind of nice.
“I’ll do that. I might have to send the Prince around to coordinate with you, while I’m working on things, you’ve met? Big, redheaded, friendly?”
“Oh, sure. We hang out all the time… only, not really. He never leaves that hut. Hardly at least. The men sit around waiting for him to, just to say they saw him in person. Tor too, but so far no one has seen him.”
“They have, some of them, I run daily after all. They just didn’t get it was me. Probably thought I was a servant or something. Like I have servants?” Tor grinned and walked towards the door of the shop.
“Oh, um, could I get some furniture for my hut when you fellows get a chance? Right now we have piles of pillows and this.” Hefting the chair a little Tor grinned.
“Sure. I’ll put it on the sheet, sir.”
“Just Tor. Um…”
“Major Godfrey. Base Commander. Workshop foreman too, until we get someone else trained up for it. Well then Tor, if we aren’t standing on titles, Godfrey will do. Or major if the men are around. Could you send the girl over, if you see her? She needs to report in. Should have done that first really, but a lot of the new delivery people play by their own rules. You basically have to be a nobleman to have your own flying gear, and connections on top of that, so it’s not like anyone can tell them different. Say do you know what this one’s deal is that way?”
Tor thought he got the general idea.
“Second in line for the Debri Merchant Empire. But she had the flying gear, shield and stuff because I gave them to her. We’re… A little on the outs right now, but basically friends.”
“Oh? Alright then. So, since we’re friends too now, Tor, do I get free magic too?”
That kind of made sense, didn’t it? Especially if the man was the base commander or whatever.
“Yeah, just talk to me or Alphonse about it and we’ll send over whatever you need. Or, if you want, just come visit? I’m working most of the time, but, yeah, that will work. Also, I guess, Sara might be more comfortable with that. So…”
“Good, well, send her over please?”
Taking his chair he walked out thinking about the problem. The simple solution would be for him to knock out ten or twenty flying rigs and shields for the personnel on the base, and teach them to fly. But if they did that, the military would probably just confiscate what he made. They really wanted those rigs.
They could build that other dwelling and invite some women of “industry” to set up shop, but other than the street walkers in the Capital Tor had never even heard of any women with that particular profession. He wondered if they had a guild or something that could be contacted. Maybe he could ask around and see about that idea. If the market was there, why shouldn’t they earn a living while helping to keep the peace? It was cheaper than having guards walking around what was essentially his house after all. Probably more effective too, in the long run.
Could they… ship the men in cargo containers? If he built the flying rig into a special container, and fixed the plates into the unit itself, it would be harder for the military to take the parts for their own use. Would that work? They could put in chairs so that it wouldn’t be too uncomfortable inside, maybe some cushions? The whole thing would need a shield for safety, one way bigger than any he’d ever made, but… Yeah, it might work.
When he got to the hut he saw Rolph and Sara standing around out front as if they’d never left. He nodded to them as he walked past, wanting to set his chair up, which got them both to follow him in. Rolph looked happy and contented, but the blond girl looked nervous, and like she wanted to cry for some reason. Did she do that every time she slept with Rolph? Or was it just when he was around? Maybe seeing him after such amorous events made her sad or something? Realizing how lonely and sad he must be?
That was slightly depressing, if the case. No one wanted to be the person so pitiful they made others feel bad just by being around, did they?
“I made a chair! Did you know that we have a furniture shop here? As in a place they make it, not sell it. I want a bed too and maybe a little table. I asked for some stuff to be made up, if they get a chance. You should get a bed too Rolph, and I don’t know, maybe we could each get a privacy screen so that the next time I walk in and you two are having sex I don’t have the image haunting me for the rest of my life?” He grinned when Sara turned red.
“Oh, you saw…” Her voice had gone meek and a little scared.
“Don’t worry, all I really saw was Rolph’s giant ass in the air and part of your leg.” Tor shuddered at the thought, exaggerating it for comedic effect. “I probably wouldn’t have complained if I’d seen you instead. Really,
