The task of preserving the ruins' original appearance while restoring them dampened the excitement of the Dwarves and Elves newly arrived in the Imperial Capital.
As Annan put it, "This task is full of challenges, so I'm giving it to my chief architect."
Once Eli Gravel saw the light pouring through the hole in the dome, he knew what to do. Like Annan, he had an eye for beauty.
Especially since Annan had approved a budget of two thousand Gold Narls.
Eli Gravel excitedly proposed filling the gap in the dome with Crystal—he'd already had plenty of practice building the Crystal Lair. Annan was about to agree when Eli talked himself out of it. "No, no... the light would refract through the Crystal. We need it to be natural... natural... How about glass?"
"Would it be strong enough?"
"We could ask an Alchemist to make one huge piece... No, then the light wouldn't look natural..." Yi Gravel lapsed into muttering again.
Annan looked up at the sunlight piercing the clouds like a ray breaking through a Storm. "Then let's leave it as it is."
"What about bad weather?"
"Gravel, this is a world of magic," Annan said with a smile.
The vines and moss had to stay too—they were the key to preserving the Moonlight Opera House's natural feel.
The rubble and collapsed seats, on the other hand, didn't need to stay as they were... They couldn't have the audience going home covered in dust.
All they had to do was clear away the dust and reinforce the walls. The renovation would cost only a few dozen Gold Coins. Hiring workers would probably be the biggest expense—but that was fine. Annan planned to hire the poor people wandering around the Sorendor Ruins nearby.
When people were mired in hardship, Annan