"For a simple calculator, a week-ish, maybe less, and a couple thousand rings of supplies and tools. For real computers, which lead to the internet after that? I don't know yet. Complicated, expensive tools - though structure mages are going to let me skip many steps."

"Would you be able to get the tools and supplies you'll need in the colony?"

"Well, that depends on whether you have a sun and structure mage yet. I have some capital and can stock up fast, in an hour or two, if necessary, and just sell you the end product."

"I have people with those kinds of magic, not people whose careers are in those branches of magic. You can still probably get what you need from them but if you think you'd have better luck doing your shopping here I can meet you back here this afternoon."

"I'll be back then. With a crate, probably. Probably ask your people for some bits and bobs, but not most of it."

"We can carry a crate even if I bring a death mage back with me."

And that's probably his ride flying over the water.

"I'll do my shopping quickly!"

And off he goes.

Tools, various. Materials, also various. If gold wire is cheap he'll have his gold turned to wire, or else he'll just do it himself later.

It's not easy to get fine wire. It's not impossible, if he's determined and willing to pay. And of course if he'd like a gauge of wire suitable for a chainmail hauberk he can have that.

Sure, rough wire, he'll just make a ducting tool later.

Stop being annoyed about this place, he tells himself. You're far far away from meddling witches now.

It's a while before Valanda comes back but he does, with a newly hired human death mage, in a box slightly similar to a wheelless RV being levitated by one of his force mages.

"Good, I didn't miss the flight. Airports are so very badly run sometimes you know." He has a crate.

"Oh, yeah? What're your complaints? Maybe you can make sure mine is better."

There is room for his crate. There's room to get up and walk, if he's careful not to disturb people. There's even a futon-sized cushion for every person on the flight, including him.

"Oh, I don't actually have specific suggestions. Most of the gripes have to do with things that save the airport or transport companies money and have traded off against customer complaints. It's just a broadly accepted thing to complain about back home."

He introduces himself as 'an inventor' to people and settles down and reads on his tablet.

No one on board seems to think striking up a conversation with a stranger is a good idea. No one bothers him. Valanda watches an episode of a soap opera in Ilan.

"Real friendly, this place. Hmph."

And the only other humans on board are weird foreign culture humans. Valanda sort of gets it, but... Early computing technology it is, then. And sketching.

They pick up speed as they get farther from the mainland but it's a long flight, hours and hours. There are nuts on board for snacking. The death mage gets up and exercises.

"Let me know if you think of anything we need to talk about," Valanda says after a while.

"I could go over what I know about policing, and how people avoid it, where I come from? Seems possibly relevant to running a state."

"That could be useful! How do they do it where you're from?"

He explains American law enforcement styles and tricks of interrogation and investigation, the style of which probably makes somewhat less sense in a world with knowledge mages and without the overly elaborate trial system - crimes under illusions might benefit from forensic science though - and also various things criminals do to stay out of suspicion, which is more applicable.

"That sounds really stressful," says Valanda.

"Excuse me," says the death mage, "a ring to know where you're from and what you're talking about?"

"They worked with what they had. How did law enforcement work for your adventurer friend?"

And to the death mage, "Different universe. Law enforcement in said universe under vastly different governments and constraints."

"A ring to know how you got here?" says the death mage, handing over a ring.

"...I don't know how law enforcement works in Hyrule, we talked about what happens to criminals once they're caught but not about how you find them. I sort of thought that thing we don't have here, the one Hari doesn't have a word for, would make it easier."

"You want a bulk rate on the full story? Also, morals make it harder per criminal because the police have to be nice. I don't know how much morals drive down crime rates, though. Probably not none."

"How much for it and how long is the full story?" asks the death mage.

"Probably not that long. I just like confusing people. Milliways - an inter-universal bar that I can't control the door to, but I used to get here when Valanda so kindly allowed me to immigrate away from my old enemies."